Chapter 302

“Ah, so you make a lot of wine?”

“The quality is excellent.”

“Well, then it really is the land of grapes! Just as I thought!”

“Hah, if Klipford is all about grapes, then Bariel must be about bananas?”

“Ugh, that’s so childish. What are you even saying?”

“You started it first!”

Ian, about to enter Noah’s private chambers, suddenly paused. Romandro, standing behind him, did the same.

This wasn’t the kind of conversation you’d expect from a prince. Clearly, the prince had been influenced by Beric in the meantime.

Knock knock.

Creak.

“Excuse me, Your Highness. Minister Ian Hielo reporting.”

“Oh! Welcome! Glad you’re here! Please, take this one away!”

“Hey, what’s going on? We were getting along just fine. Ian, I was just keeping the prince company.”

“Company? Nonsense! All he does is spout foolish nonsense, it’s driving me crazy!”

Two beasts lunged at Ian the moment they saw him. Noah no longer bothered hiding his beastly nature—his ears and tail were fully visible.

The two of them began circling Ian. Romandro managed to stop Beric by grabbing the back of his neck.

Sigh.

Mei, the envoy, let out a weary sigh. She sat at the table, pressing her forehead as if defeated. The prince’s mind was already fragmented by the curse, and now he’d been tainted by Beric. Mei kept muttering softly, “Our prince isn’t like this…”

“Your Highness, please calm down and have a seat.”

“If it weren’t for that Beric fellow, I wouldn’t be this worked up!”

“Oh? You shouldn’t say that, Your Highness. Remember when I rolled you around in the garden? You said it was fun!”

After hours of whatever had happened, Ian placed a clear crystal bottle on the table and sat down. Then, with a smile, he gestured for the two to sit as well.

Beric, who had been barking and chattering with Noah, noticed Ian’s gaze and quietly took a seat.

“Your Highness, why are you standing alone?”

“You…!”

Still teasing Noah to the very end.

Ian checked the time. Things were tighter than expected; it was better to hurry.

“Prince Noah, the dinner time has been set. It will be held at seven in the evening in the main palace’s banquet hall. The order of entry will follow the order of arrival. The envoy from Burgos is still unloading their carriage.”

“Has the King of Burgos arrived?”

“Yes. Without incident.”

Without incident. That included the meeting with the Crown Prince of Jin. Of the three nations, only Klipford had failed to follow proper protocol. Mei groaned again, clearly troubled by this realization.

Slide.

“The Crown Prince of Jin has been informed of Your Highness’s condition.”

“W-What did he say?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“…Really?”

“He only acknowledged it.”

Of course, that was a lie.

When Noah’s beastly nature was revealed, the child’s eyes had gone wide. Though trying to restrain himself, his shock was obvious.

“Oh no, what should we do? Prince Noah is a beast!”

“That’s actually good news. It seems to be a hereditary trait within the royal family. It’s a top-secret matter known only to the closest inner circle of the palace. Surely, we can gain considerable cooperation from Bariel. Beric has done something commendable for once.”

Ian glanced at Beric, who stuffed a snack into his mouth, then quickly tried to act innocent. His cheeks puffed out, but he pretended he hadn’t eaten anything.

“So, is this potion supposed to help me?”

At that moment, Noah fiddled with the crystal bottle. It was filled more than halfway with a pale blue liquid. Beric’s verdict was clear: it looked awful.

“Yes. Unfortunately, the specialized mage for this area is currently on sick leave, so this was made by subordinate mages. The effects are certain, but the side effects cannot be ignored.”

“Side effects?”

Noah and Mei furrowed their brows simultaneously, suspicion flaring instantly. Side effects might sound harmless enough, but who could say it wouldn’t choke the very breath from Noah’s lungs?

At the mention of side effects, their eyes hardened with caution.

“There’s no need to be so wary.”

“You didn’t say that before. Prince, you are the heir of Klipford. You must refuse anything that could cause problems. We should call off the carriage immediately—”

“You may be sensitive due to the foreign setting, but you’re being hasty, Envoy Mei. People might think you’re the one cursed.”

They say the curse dulls the mind, right? That’s exactly what you’re doing now. Ian’s voice was calm but firm as he cautioned Mei.

“Even the healthiest herbs have side effects. This potion temporarily suppresses the phenomenon called a ‘curse’ by Klipford authorities. If it had no side effects, that would be a lie.”

Slide.

Romandro pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from his inner pocket. It was a simple contract, bearing Ian’s unmistakable signature.

“The mages who made this potion say it can temporarily hide unwanted physical traits, but once the effect wears off, those traits return two to three times stronger before settling back to normal.”

“Y-You mean my ears and tail will multiply? Like two or three of each?”

Noah grabbed his ears in horror. He was already monstrous enough—he didn’t want to imagine them growing even more! The thought was terrifying.

“No, not exactly. It’s more likely that the fur will become thicker, or that your ability to maintain your sanity, as you are now, will be compromised.”

“How long does the effect last?”

“That can be set. If you drink the entire potion, it lasts seven hours. But the side effects increase proportionally.”

“Maximum of twenty-one hours, then…”

Mei counted the hours on her fingertips. Ah, that’s a relief. He could attend the appointment ceremony without issue.

“Other symptoms like chills, fever, and nausea may occur, but it’s not certain. As I said, the specialized mage is currently away.”

“Then can’t we just order that mage to return to the palace for a while?”

“Sorry, but they left due to an abnormal reaction to the dragon of Luswena. There’s a risk of contagion, so that’s impossible.”

Noah’s ears twitched sharply. Luswena. Now that he thought about it, everything had started because of that.

How had the dragon breeding grounds been managed so poorly that a previously eradicated disease reemerged? If not for that, there’d be no need for inspections or worries about being discovered.

“Then what is this contract for?”

“It’s an agreement acknowledging the side effects I just mentioned. If any other physical problems arise, it means they’re not caused by the potion but are personal issues of Prince Noah.”

Just in case Noah tried to claim excessive adverse reactions and cause trouble.

Since the potion was made by Bariel’s magic department, any mishap could escalate into a diplomatic incident. This contract was a preemptive measure.

Of course, Klipford wasn’t thrilled about it.

The first meeting of the three-nation alliance, offending Bariel twice in a row. If there are no problems, it’s better to take the potion and attend…

Pop.

While Mei was still pondering, Noah unhesitatingly pulled the cork and sniffed the liquid.

Surprisingly, it smelled mildly sweet. Noah’s eyes narrowed, and his tail slowly swayed side to side, as if cautiously.

“Ian Hielo, Minister. Swear by the mage’s oath that there’s no trickery beyond what you’ve told me.”

Oh? He knew the mage’s oath.

That was unexpected. Unlike Luswena, where mages were extremely rare, Klipford’s last mage had died ten years ago.

Ian raised his hand, signaling his oath.

“Your Highness, I swear by the mage’s oath that the potion was made without issue. I ask that you also swear by Klipford not to abuse Bariel’s goodwill and to sincerely celebrate the appointment ceremony of the Crown Prince of Jin.”

Noah’s tail thumped sharply against the floor, betraying his mood without him realizing it.

“Very well. I swear the same.”

Without hesitation, Noah downed the potion in one gulp. Mei tried to stop him in surprise, but it was useless.

He had already been ready to die when Ian discovered his true nature. Crawling into a grave he dug himself seemed fitting. This was a no-lose situation and a rare opportunity.

“Pen!”

“Here you go.”

Just as Noah was about to sign the contract, the potion’s effects began to show. His thick tail gradually shrank, and his perky ears flattened back.

Beric, watching nearby, kept exclaiming in amazement.

“Wow, it’s disappearing! The ears and tail are gone! Amazing!”

“What? Already? What do we do if it’s like this now?”

After signing, Noah ran his fingers over his head and rear. It was real. Completely vanished. Yet, a faint sensation lingered—it was strangely uncanny.

“This lasts seven hours, right?”

“…Your Highness, I never said you had to drink it all at once.”

Thud. Noah froze, shocked. A prince without his wits about him was reckless indeed. Ian glanced at Mei, who had closed her eyes completely.

Noah cautiously searched Mei’s waist for her pocket watch.

“How many hours until dinner again?”

“Two hours.”

“Gasp.”

Five hours? That’s cutting it a bit close…

Ian stood up, slipping the contract into his inner pocket as if he’d finished all his business.

“I’ll see you at the banquet. Just in case, I’ll prepare some extra potions. What about Berrick? Should we leave him behind?”

“No! Take him with you!”

“Wow. Prince, I’m disappointed! I worked so hard on him! Brushed his tail, gave him tasty treats—”

“You stopped brushing his tail and bit him instead! And those treats were prepared by the palace, so why are you taking credit?”

“Well, he’s so plump, I thought he’d be nice to nibble on! And the food—”

“Enough! Sir Ian, take him along.”

“…My apologies.”

With a glance from Ian, Romandro yanked Berrick by the scruff of his neck.

Suddenly, Noah’s bedroom fell silent. He flopped onto the bed, letting out a relieved sigh.

“Hah.”

“How are you feeling, Your Highness? Any problems?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I don’t feel a thing.”

Noah awkwardly ran his hand through his hair at Mei’s question.

Magic really is something else. The royal curse, passed down through generations, was a heavy burden. The lengths his ancestors went to keep it hidden were unimaginable.

And yet, a potion whipped up in just a few hours could have this effect…

“Mei, this must be the true power of magic. I wish we could bring a few mages back with us.”

Mei nodded as she roughly cleared the table.

“That’s exactly why King Burgos suggested it. Once the palace opens, mages will flood in. There’s nothing sweeter than the fruits they’ll bring. What about the banquet? Things got a bit complicated…”

“More than that, it’s my condition that’s the real problem.”

“I was a bit surprised. But it’s just a transitional phase, so don’t worry too much. Who knows? Since the beast traits have disappeared, maybe your judgment will return as well.”

“That would be a problem. If the effect wears off and I end up twice as foolish, I’ll probably be worse than Berrick. No thanks.”

Noah muttered, rubbing his face into the pillow. Mei was about to add that he drank it quite well, but stopped herself.

“Get up now. The banquet is in two hours. You should start getting ready.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Noah stretched like a fox and stood up. Though his appearance had changed, it seemed his mind hadn’t quite caught up yet.

Outside the curtains, the sun began to set. Twilight deepened, and night fully settled in. The palace would shine brighter and more splendidly than during the day.

Tonight marked the first banquet between the three kingdoms and Bariel—the moment when kings would meet.