My Childhood Friend Is An Archmage Chapter 123
Translated by d6y (ko-fi)
Chapter 123
I jump out of my seat at the news of the Crown Prince's arrival.
So did my father and mother, who were both pouting and slumping. For once, my parents looked like members of the Kaerun Duchy's family, their eyes shining as they straightened themselves up.
Footsteps sounded in the corridor, and a figure strode through the open doors of the dining room.
It was the Crown Prince.
"Long time no see, Duke and Duchess of Kaerun, and...." The Crown Prince turns his head. "...Kayla."
I lock eyes with the Crown Prince.
Ah.
I freeze.
Today's Crown Prince looks… different from his usual self. It might be hard to tell at a first glance, but it’s not that he's dressed any more flamboyantly, or that he's wearing extravagant jewelleries.
It's his impression.
What changed was his demeanour.
His face has been reminiscent of a gentle herbivore, but today it has taken on a sharper edge.
There's something that makes his presence more tense today…. But what? I stare at him for a while, and then he smiles at me.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Kayla?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." I shake my head, realising I've been staring too hard.
"It's okay, you don't have to apologise." His smile becomes wider.
‘It's a good thing I paid more attention to my hair today.’
Hair? Hearing that, I glance at him again.
I can see why he appears to be sharper today.
His hair changed! The thoughts in my head exclaim.
The Crown Prince, whose hair has been somewhat dishevelled, is sporting… a haircut. It's amazing how a hairstyle can change someone this much.
I steal another glance at him when he sits down at the head of the table.
Though not as handsome as Lancer, the Crown Prince is a soft-spoken man. But today, he looks tougher than ever. There's a hint of determination in his eyes, as if he's here with a task in mind.
"Thank you for inviting me to the Duchy, Duke Kaerun."
"No, it is my honour and the honour of all the members of the Duchy to welcome you, Your Highness," my father says, pushing his body against the table and protruding his chest muscles. The sapphire brooch glistens and reflects the light.
"I do not know if the food we have prepared will be to Your Highness's precious taste, but I hope you will enjoy it," my mother says, as the hostess of the household. She does the same thing as my father, and her brooch practically glows.
The light from both brooches go straight to where the Crown Prince is sitting. It makes his plate and glass glow unusually bright.
"...." What the hell is wrong with these people…. Sitting across from my parents, I desperately shoot them a warning glance. Please, please, don't do anything stupid in front of the Crown Prince.
But they're already determined to get his approval for their couple's brooch.
"First, for an appetiser, I have prepared some prosciutto, which will taste even better with pickled olives." The servants bring out the appetisers while my mother explains the menu. As soon as she heard that the Crown Prince was coming to the Duchy, she spent days studying all the trending dishes in the imperial capital to devise the menu.
Mother's different today, too. I think as I stab my fork into the olive and pop it into my mouth.
"Does it taste good?"
"Yes, of course. Thank you, Duchess Kaerun, and… I'm sorry, but your brooch is so shiny it hurts my eyes a bit." The Crown Prince says, distracted by the constant reflection of the brooch.
At that moment, my mother's eyes light up. "You see, Your Highness, this brooch actually has the same design as the Duke’s!"
No one asked, Mother.
"Hmm, that's right, Your Highness, you have a good eye. The Duchess and I are wearing the same brooch design. But I won't bother explaining why, because I'm shy, haha!"
You're laughing your arse off about something weird, Father.
I can feel my own expression rotting uncontrollably in real time. The cringy couple are my parents, so why is the shame and disgrace all on me?
"Aha, now that I think about it, you two are wearing the same brooch." Still, the good Crown Prince reacted kindly to their blatant bragging.
No, I take that back.
‘Why are they using the same design twice? Can't they afford to commission another design?’
You're thinking in a completely different context, Crown Prince!
Excuse me, Duke Kaerun! Now the Crown Prince of our empire is starting to worry about your funds! What if we end up being investigated by the Imperial Court for embezzlement of funds and tax evasion?
I hastily shoot a warning glance at my father. But he only laughs, as he's gone to the land of happiness with my mother.
The rest of the meal follows, with my parents' unabashed love in full swing. Everything about the meal was impeccable, including the main dish and dessert. It was a satisfying meal worthy of my mother's efforts. When everyone had finished eating and the dishes had ceased to move across the table.
"Duke Kaerun, have you given any thought to your next successor?" The Crown Prince says, getting straight to the point.
He's being direct. I silently sip my glass of water, my gaze darting between my father and him.
My father replies instantly, as if the answer isn't even worth thinking twice. "Of course, my daughter Skyla will be the next Duke."
"I thought so too. I'm sure the Princess would make a fine successor."
His praise brought happy smiles to my parents' faces. I'm the one being praised, but why are they the ones happy?
"However, there is a law in the empire that a person must be engaged or married in order to inherit a title," the Crown Prince continues. "Princess Skyla."
"Yes, Your Highness." At his address, I turn to face him, preparing myself.
"If it is not impolite to ask, do you by any chance have a fiancé?"
Of course he asks that. "No, I don't have a fiancé."
"I see." He nods at a fact he already knows.
There's a reason he’s asking, even though it was obvious that I don't have a fiancé: To lay the groundwork for the conversation to come.
"Duke and Duchess of Kaerun, as you may already know, I have my heart set on the Princess Skyla." He stretched his arm across the table toward me. His right hand covers the back of my left.
Huh? This is an unexpected gesture. I never imagined that the Crown Prince would hold my hand in front of my parents. As the highest ranking gentleman in the empire, I would have expected him to be more discreet.
I stare at him in surprise, and he looks at me in the eyes and grins.
My parents are equally surprised at his gesture.
But his next words are even more shocking: "By the way, I plan to be betrothed to Princess this winter," he says, holding my hand tightly in his, with a fine smile.
Our deception has begun.
At the same time, silence descends on the dining room.
The servants move to clear the plates from the table. A maid pauses filling empty glasses with a jug of water. Our Knight Commander stands still guarding the door to the dining room.
Everyone is frozen in place, as if their feet have been set in plaster.
My parents’ jaws hang open as though broken.
"...Winter?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, if it's this winter… you mean this winter?" My father doubts his ears. He repeats the question to the Crown Prince.
The answer, of course, was predetermined. "Yes, sir."
The Crown Prince's stubborn reply makes my mother's complexion deteriorate.
"But, Your Highness… excuse me, but it's already winter."
"I know." The Crown Prince chuckles lightly at her comment, like she just said nothing out of the ordinary.
"Kayla… No, Prince Skyla. My feelings for her run deep. Both she and I are in a bit of a hurry, so I think it would be best if we made up our minds sooner rather than later."
"But...."
‘No, I've always known that you wanted to marry our daughter, but… you want to get engaged next week, what, do you think engagements are just a matter of time?’
Unable to reply to the Crown Prince, my mother breaks out in a cold sweat.
Meanwhile, my father is thinking of something else entirely.
‘I've always dreamed of saying, "I can't give my daughter to you!" to a man who is courting her… but why does it have to be His Highness the Crown Prince!’
Hmm, that'll work.
