Chapter 288
A bright morning bathed in sunlight.
The wizards were moving through the main building, stretching their stiff necks. At this point, the distinction between day and night seemed utterly meaningless.
Yawning repeatedly as they passed down the corridor, one wizard tapped a companion on the shoulder.
“Look over there. That’s His Highness Jin.”
Beyond the massive glass window, Jin appeared to be receiving a lesson from his private tutor. A huge blackboard—usually reserved for analyzing magical formulas—was filled with foreign language text.
Rubbing his eyes, the wizard frowned. Was it the sunlight? His Highness’s silver hair gleamed like gold.
“He looks exactly like Lord Ian.”
“Right? I almost flinched for a second.”
The way he rested his chin, his indifferent gaze forward, the neat, almost casual way he took notes, and even the occasional tap on the desk—
“…You’d swear they were blood relatives.”
“Like there are two Lord Ians.”
“Want to die? Watch what you say.”
“Ah, that was harsh. Sorry.”
The wizards exchanged trivial jokes as they hurried on their way.
From the outside, it might look like an ordinary lesson. But if you opened the door and stepped inside, you’d realize the truth was very different.
“Sigh.”
Creak.
At Jin’s sigh, the tutor’s chalk wavered. The chalk even snapped in two, but she swallowed her tears silently.
It was the tenth sigh in just one hour of class. When asked if she was feeling unwell, she only replied no, leaving everyone at a loss.
Watching from behind, Xiaoshi checked her watch and raised a hand.
“Teacher, an hour has passed. How about taking a short break to help with concentration?”
“That sounds great! That’s an excellent idea!”
“Has it already been an hour? I’m fine, though.”
Jin tried to refuse, but Xiaoshi shook her head firmly. Judging by the tutor’s tense state, it seemed she might collapse first if they didn’t pause.
Reluctantly, the child stood, and they stepped out into the garden.
Click.
No matter how large the glass window was, once the door opened, the difference between inside and outside was clear.
Jin placed a hand on the glass, frowning briefly. If only Lord Ian’s true feelings were as transparent.
“Your Highness.”
Xiaoshi draped a coat over the child’s shoulders. It wasn’t exactly tender, but her gaze was steady and sincere. Jin stared at her for a moment, then muttered softly.
“Lord Ian is acting strange.”
“……”
It was an impulsive remark. After wrestling with his thoughts alone, he’d become too heated and blurted it out. Jin bit his lower lip lightly and looked around the garden. The problematic trees were visible in the distance.
“Lord Ian might—”
“……?”
“—have changed, or perhaps it’s just the observer’s perspective that’s shifted.”
As if the person who once called Ian ‘master’ and the one now standing here were completely different.
Jin inwardly agreed. He himself was incomparable to the person he was when he first bore his wounds.
Whether Ian had changed or not was unknown. But Jin was certain he himself had changed. So, a shift in perspective was worth considering.
Jin smiled, a little surprised, and added,
“Xia, no one will believe you couldn’t read until recently anymore.”
“…You flatter me.”
Jin watched the branches swaying in the breeze. Ian stood still like that, but was he the one truly unmoving, while Jin’s gaze wavered like the branches?
Was that why he couldn’t find his footing, his eyes flickering along with the leaves?
‘What if not?’
What if it wasn’t the branches shaking, but growing outward?
A sudden thought struck Jin, and he stepped closer to the tree. If the branches grew beyond the fence and one day collapsed under their own weight—
He whispered so quietly only he could hear. The wind blew coolly, instantly erasing his voice.
“Before that happens, I have something to do. Don’t I?”
Jin touched the branch with his fingertips. The solemnity and gravity of the moment made Xiaoshi hold her breath, standing silently beside him.
At that moment, the tutor peeked through the glass, as if wanting to say something. Xiaoshi turned alone toward the call.
Click.
“What is it?”
“Um…”
The tutor’s expression was neither smiling nor crying. It was already a burden to be responsible for the prince’s education, and now an even more daunting guardian had arrived.
“Lord Ian.”
“I heard it’s break time. Has the schedule changed?”
“Well, yes, as we were in the middle of the lesson.”
Ian glanced over Jin’s notes with a faint smile. Then, noticing the tutor’s trembling voice, he tilted his head in puzzlement.
“This isn’t a reproach, just a genuine question. You’re the new foreign language teacher, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
“Good to meet you. Our Highness is quite proficient in foreign languages, so I’m not worried.”
“Yes. He definitely has talent. His linguistic sense is excellent. Though his pronunciation needs some correction. Ah! I’m not complaining!”
Ian looked at Romandro in confusion. The tutor’s attitude made it seem like she was facing a ruthless tyrant.
But even Romandro, well-informed about rumors, shrugged, saying he knew nothing. Ian closed the notebook and muttered,
“…His Highness’s pronunciation is quite good, though.”
“Indeed. Of course!”
“Teacher, why don’t you step aside for a moment and have some tea? You seem too tense, and I feel sorry for you.”
It was both a gesture of kindness and a polite request to move aside. The tutor took the cue, bowed quickly, and left the room.
“Xia.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
Ian opened his mouth to say something but stopped. His gaze was fixed beyond the glass. Romandro and Xiaoshi followed his line of sight.
Jin was standing in the garden, talking with some wizards.
“Someone told His Highness Jin about the trees in the park. Do you have any idea who it might be? It concerns a blessing.”
“…I’m not sure.”
“Then, which wizard has His Highness been especially close to lately? Even someone he meets frequently by chance.”
Since the day of the rebellion, Jin had been staying mostly in the magic department. He knew the place as well as the wizards did, and there were no unfamiliar faces.
Though the question was odd, Xiaoshi thought carefully and answered.
“The wizards he often encounters are mostly from the Magic Support Division. Their workspaces are close to where His Highness studies. Besides that, no particular wizard stands out.”
“Then, from now on…”
From now on was fine. The order was clear: keep a close watch on anyone suspicious lingering near Jin.
But Ian’s gaze caught something new. The group of wizards chatting dispersed, but one remained by Jin’s side.
“Lord Ian?”
Their conversation looked familiar. Ian frowned and quickly ended the discussion.
“From now on, keep a close watch around His Highness Jin. Report anyone suspicious to me. There are still traitors among us.”
“Understood. I will inform His Highness—”
“Is it alright to tell him?”
Xiaoshi was about to ask but stopped herself. This wasn’t something to question. Jin was now her master, and there could be no secrets concerning him.
“I will convey the message.”
“Good. Take care.”
“Xia, good work. We’re heading to the main building to prepare for the appointment ceremony. Contact us if anything comes up.”
“Yes, Lord Romandro.”
Romandro patted her shoulder in encouragement and nodded to Barsabe, who was guarding the door.
Click.
“Xia, did someone come by earlier?”
Shortly after, Jin returned from the garden holding a few flowers. In that brief time, the sunlight had flushed the child’s cheeks a soft red.
Xiaoshi pulled out a chair and nodded.
“Lord Ian and Lord Romandro stopped by.”
“Then why wasn’t I called?”
“They were busy with the appointment ceremony and didn’t stay long.”
“I see. Did they say what they wanted?”
A flower petal was tucked between the pages of a book. Jin hoped that someday, when time had passed, whoever found it would remember this day.
“…They said there are traitors left in the Magic Department and instructed me to be especially careful.”
“Traitors?”
Jin’s delicate brow immediately furrowed.
The word alone was unsettling.
But now that he knew, it troubled him even more. If there were traitors in the Magic Department, they were likely wizards, weren’t they?
Ian’s warning was essentially telling him to keep his distance from the wizards.
“Ah, really.”
In the past, he would have accepted it without a second thought. But now that his eyes had been opened once, he couldn’t.
Questions churned in his mind. Was it true? Or was Lord Ian lying to keep him in check?
If Jin grew close to the wizards, the minister’s central role might become unnecessary.
“…Your Highness?”
“No, let’s start the lesson quickly. We’ve wasted too much break time. Bring the teacher back.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Jin blinked sharply, as if to clear his mind, and picked up his pen. His small, delicate fists were surprisingly firm.
At the summons, the tutor hurried back from her tea, and Jin showed a level of focus far stronger than before, as if trying hard to banish distracting thoughts.
Screeeech!
Meanwhile, Ian, seated in the carriage with Romandro, looked out the window and said,
“Lord Romandro, about that matter with His Highness Jin in the garden earlier…”
The clatter of the carriage drowned out Ian’s words. When Romandro smiled, signaling for him to repeat what he’d said, Ian spoke clearly once more.
“I was with His Highness earlier in the garden.”
“Ah, yes. And why is that important?”
“We should double-check the personal details. And get some rest.”
Geroda gave the order to keep watch.
Romandro scratched his mustache and nodded in agreement.
Dawn broke.
Soldiers standing atop the castle walls glanced at the time and waved the banners. This was the signal marking the start of a special morning.
Five strong men pulled out the massive wooden bell with all their might and struck it forcefully, sending its deep toll echoing throughout the city center.
Ding—
Children sitting by the windows, merchants setting up their tables, youths tossing newspapers about, and elderly folks perched on the steps of their homes—all paused, hands over their hearts, smiling at the sound of the bell.
Though early, the streets were already bustling, alive with energy.
“The inauguration ceremony begins!”
“Mom, I can hear the bell from the palace!”
“Wow! It’s a festival! A festival!”
“Come on, let’s hurry! It’ll get even busier by noon!”
“Which country arrives first again?”
“Rumor has it…”
Before the main event, guests from every nation would gather in the heart of Bariel. The festival was just beginning, and for days to come, the city would never know night, thanks to the ongoing celebrations.
Whoosh! Swish!
Petals rained down from the sky.
The entire world was bathed in shimmering light. Throughout the inauguration, the city center would be more beautiful and magical than anywhere else.
“I heard Luswena will be the first to arrive!”
All to bless the dawn of a new era in Bariel.