peas (5) and dried strawberries in mint tea.
Even if it wasnât a special preference, once you say that you like someone, surprisingly, you really start to like them. Kalian, who somehow reminded me of the old Kalyan, laughed for a moment and took a sip of warm tea.
âIt smells good. I like it.â
I ate a cake with just-harvested red strawberries mixed with black chocolate, and I also ate a purple macaron with a pleasant chewy texture of blueberries. Actually, I donât enjoy sweets unless I have something to worry about, so when I eat sweet things like this, I think of black tea. However, Jan, who had rolled Kalian up in a thick blanket and brought him all kinds of sweets and stuffed them into his mouth, said that he would not be able to sleep if he drank black tea, and gave him another tea.
Still, Calian answered that he liked it without much complaint.
Not only that, when Jan brought it to him, he rolled it up as he brought it to him, and when he fed him what he rolled up, he just sat still and took everything calmly. I felt dissatisfied as I looked at the face of another person right next to me who was in the same situation and was being treated the same way by Relic.
âIâll take good care of you. âI, the crown prince, and the prince must have been very surprised to have fallen into the black sea water and come back out in the middle of the night.â
After going in and out of the water, my seasickness got worse, and because I ate a lot of snacks, I feel more deathly sick now than when I went into the sea, but it was no different from when I was dealing with Calian, and I felt like I was fainting when I heard Alan or Alanâs words of concern. It was because the expression on his face that he was holding back when he saw the surprised Relic was obvious.
So, without a second thought, Calian sat side by side with Planz and stayed for a while. Then, in the end, I couldnât do it, so I very carefully said the only thing that made me uncomfortable.
âYan⦠you know.â
âYes, prince.â
âIâm hot.â
Although he probably didnât know that the cabin was already covered with Alanâs warming magic, he immaturely looked at the roaring fireplace and thought that the pea leaves would probably turn yellow if this continued, so he gathered courage.
âIs there anyone in the world who falls into the water while trying to get close to a whale? No matter how amazing it was, you should have looked carefully at the princeâs feet first. Youâre lucky that something bigger didnât happen, so just stay still.â
âYes. Iâll stay still.â
I was scolded without fail.
âAnd I know that the prince is not sensitive to cold or heat, so donât lie to me.â
Did you roll it up like this, knowing that I wouldnât suffer from cold or heat? However, if you ask a child who knows this why he canât even eat ice as soon as summer ends, you will only end up getting scolded for no gain. Thatâs why Iâd like to tell you, other than me, to take a look at the crown prince over there, who looks like heâs being grilled until golden brown after being seasoned with salt water.
âCalian.â
âyes.â
âshut up.â
âyes.â
I also heard this from the âCrown Prince, who lost his footing while trying to watch whales and fell into the water trying to pick up his younger brother, who fell into the sea.â
I wonder if you know that I am getting scolded by Yan for trying to take care of someone. My brother, who is sensitive to cold and heat easily, I really donât know how you survived until now. Iâm probably more curious about that than the issue of the axis of time.
I kept my mouth shut because I felt like if I said that, I would be grabbed by the collar and dipped into the seawater and taken out again. And in the end, I donât know. Whether the peas are roasted or not, I decided to just enjoy my life, so I took a sip of the sweet and refreshing tea and got up.
âWhy are you getting up?â
âMaster called me.â
Yanâs eyes narrowed as he watched the bracelet on Calianâs wrist shine.
âNot even a minute has passed since you said you would stay still.â
âYes. But Master is calling you.â
Calian, who spoke with a smile, unwrapped the rolled up blanket and handed it to Yan. There was a lot on his face that he didnât like, but Yan nodded obediently. Calian laughed quietly because Yan didnât look like he wanted to follow him.
Anyway, Jan is Jan.
I didnât mean to say that it was a difficult position to go to together, but didnât you really understand Kalianâs thoughts very clearly? So really, Jan is Jan.
âYou too, get some rest.â
âAll right.â
âDonât tell others that I fell into the water. Iâm worried.â
âDonât worry. I wonât talk about it.â
âYou shouldnât know about Kirie either. Donât forget to listen closely to Kirie.â
âYes. I will be careful.â
If Kirie finds out about this, she will definitely go out with a fishing rod. I donât know if itâs a winged eel, a blue-backed fish, or a whale. Anyway, Iâm going to catch that forgetful sea dragon. Because Kirie is not yet a thousand years old and doesnât care about anything, whether itâs a lively dragon or a fish.
âMaster, I will come see you for a moment, so please rest.â
âokay.â
Calian slightly bowed his head towards Plantz and went out of the cabin.
Even though he looked like he was going to die from the heat, he left Plantz inside, quietly covering himself with the blanket that Relic had given him.
* * *
I use swords and magic.
No matter where I disappear on the continent, I have a father who will find me right away.
âIs this really okay?â
I started worrying all day long.
Calian smiled slightly as he looked at the red lace string tied around Chaseâs head and nodded.
âYes. It almost wasnât okay, but itâs okay.â
If I had been out of breath in the sea, the memories that had been pushed away might have come rushing back like waves. However, I was saved thanks to a seaweed that was very careful and picked up my younger brother by the collar instead of the head.
Calian burst out laughing alone as he thought about Arnaizel, who gave him an unexpected experience.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âAre you laughing now?â
And I heard this again. This time it was Alan.
âYes. Itâs funny. Not all dragons are like Sispanians.â
Wasnât it Arnaizel who was excitedly waving his hand?
I laughed because I thought that he was somehow similar to me in not being meticulous enough to always leave out one or two big things even though I live a thorough life.
âHe must have forgotten because he wouldnât have intentionally left someone in the sea who was supposed to safely return to Kairis and call Sispanian. I think he looks a bit like me.â
âIâm so proud of you.â
Calian, who soon stopped laughing, opened his mouth to Alan and Chase.
âAnyway, thatâs not why I came⦠Itâs because I want to ask you something.â
âTalk about it. Anything.â
âIt is said that the axis of time was created by Cispanians.â
âYes. I heard from Lord Manasil before you came.â
âYes. Because of that. Where did you first see the axis of time? I saw it in the palace treasure trove, and I think you already knew about it even before that.â
âDidnât I tell you that?â
âYes. You didnât.â
âI thought you talked about it on a day I didnât know about.â
Calian just shook his head without answering.
Chase looked into the distance for a moment. He usually made this face when he looked back on events in his dreams that he had not experienced.
â⦠The abyss.â
And then Chase told an unexpected story.
âOriginally, it appeared in the abyss. Lord Castrin told me that a foreign energy was felt in the abyss. But this time, it was at the Great Temple. When I visited the Great Temple, the priests told me so, so I brought His Highness and my mother with me. âI went and saw it for the first time.â
âI thought it might have been hidden in a temple. Was it an abyss at first?â
âIt is said that Hell was also created by King Secretia, so I guess that is why.â
Calian nodded to Alanâs answer on Chaseâs behalf.
âIt was made by Cispanian and was last used by King Secretia⦠Then, it would be said that King Secretia hid it or stored it in the abyss after that.â
âMaybe so.â
âSo you found it and moved it right away?â
âSo. The discovery was moved to the royal treasury. Since it was a story that had only been passed down through materials from the royal library, the only people who could find out what it was would be the royal family. It was because it was something that should not be tampered with carelessly. âI see you saw what I left there.â
Knock knock knock.
Before I knew it, Kalianâs fingers were tapping his knees.
âWhen Arnaizel stopped time. It is said that he used a fragment of the axis to control the axis of time.â
âYes. Time stopped.â
âYes. So Iâm a little puzzled.â
Because of the story Iâm going to talk about from now on, I left Plants, who had fallen into the water, and came to see Chase and Alan. Since he was an extremely smart Planz, he may already be thinking the same thing as Calian, but even so, I didnât want to tell him right away, so I didnât call him here.
âIt was said that the axis of time could only be used once. However, it was broken into pieces, but somehow it reappeared here. Not only that, but Arnaizel used it properly. I guess thatâs still the case.â
Several round rings representing the movement of celestial bodies. And the hourglass located in the middle.
Something that should not be touched carelessly.
The Sispanian who made it with his own hands called it a âdisaster.â
Calian, who was thinking about the axis of time for a moment, closed his mouth and spoke again.
âThis time Brother Planz moved while time stopped, and the fact that he was outside the scope of influence created by the axis of time was perhaps an influence of the âpastâ⦠I keep thinking that way. If the meaning of âcan only be used onceâ does not mean âdestroyedâ, then maybeâ¦â The
rest of the story doesnât go away easily.
Chase, who had been looking at Calian for a while, opened his mouth.
âIt means that the meaning of turning back time just once may be referring to the effect on the user rather than the destruction of the axis of time.â
âyes.â
âThen. When Crown Prince Plants said it was true that he directly used the axis of time in the past, does that mean he could have gotten away with this because he had already used it once?â
âOf course, itâs an assumption. To a certain extent. If itâs true, I hope itâs not. However, if itâs true, if itâs not an assumption⦠then it might be true.â
The story stopped again.
This time, Chaseâs fingertips made a few sounds on the teacup he was holding, and a short sigh escaped Alanâs mouth. This is because I understood that it was called an âassumptionâ in the hope that it would be wrong.
Itâs not because I hope Plantz didnât use the axis of time, but because Iâm worried or donât want to believe that Calian really went back in time at Plantzâs hand.
Itâs not like that anymore.
âIf itâs true. If itâs not an assumption, then I think Iâll have a clear reason why I need to own the axis of time. Worst case scenarioâ¦â If
Calianâs thoughts are all right.
What if the reappearing axis of time falls into the hands of someone other than Kalyan? If you canât destroy it. It doesnât matter whether itâs Serenti, Sispanian, or something else, as long as someone uses it. If you canât stop it.
When the worst situation arises.
â⦠Pea might end up wandering alone again.â
A thin whisper came out like a whisper.
* * *
â Tap, tap.
I paused for a moment and stamped my feet weakly a few times.
â Jump and jump.
And when I started walking again, the sound of my shoe heels hitting the floor echoed through the hallway.
I closed the door to the cabin where Chase and Alan were and didnât make a sound until I came down one floor. Although he didnât walk with his heels raised like Jan, if he wasnât careful, he walked silently as a habit.
My mind, which had been so agitated that I couldnât even pay attention to the sound of footsteps, which I had always paid attention to, was gradually calmed down by the constant sound of shoe heels.
Calian moved slowly and stopped in front of a cabin.
â smart.
And for the first time in a long time, I raised my hand and knocked.
There was no Jan to wait on him, no Kiri to guard the back, and no other servants to knock on the door.
âwhy.â
Because it was too obvious who the owner of the unfamiliar knocking sound was.
Not only did they not ask who it was, but a reply was heard from inside the cabin that made it difficult to tell whether it was permission to come in or just tell them about business and leave. So Calian opened the door and entered without another word. When I came in on the terrace, I knew that he was asking me why I was pretending to get permission to come in now.
Calian opened the door and looked at the scene for a moment before bursting into laughter. It was because Jan and Reric had not been sent out before they knew it, and the peas, which were still roasting well and piled up in a blanket, were with their eyes closed.
A new teacup was placed where Calian was sitting, across from Plantz. Since he said he would be back soon, it seemed like Jan had prepared a new one and left.
Calian sat there and looked at the closed door for a while before lowering his gaze. And while still sipping warm tea, he said,
âBrother, youâve never seen a mermaid.â
âdoesnât exist.â
âI saw it.â
I boasted.
Who cares whether it was a transformed dragon or not. If you saw it, you saw it.
And he smiled brightly at Planz, who seemed to think that if he went outside and put that guy in the water again, his motion sickness would go away. As if he was very proud of himself for having had a rare experience.
Plantz, who no longer had the energy to bark or respond, simply leaned his head and body against the backrest.
âBut I thought you couldnât swim too. When did you learn?â
Rather than saying that he can swim, I should say that he can float, but for Kalian, there is no big difference between a person who cannot sink and a fish.
âLately.â
âI havenât heard that youâre an actor.â
âbook.â
ââ¦â¦ book.â
The Third Prince, who had mastered horseback riding while reading a novel featuring an article, looked blankly at the Crown Prince, who had learned to swim by reading a book.
âA book.â
âokay.â
okay. If youâve read how to float on water in a book, you know that heâs an amazing person whose body follows suit. I know that the reason I quickly got used to swinging two swords separately, as if it wasnât that difficult, is largely due to that head. I know, but I know.
âThen, brother.â
âwhy.â
âHow did you come here?â
âWhat?â
âYou came to the sea before Master. Can you tell me how you did it?â
âIt just so happened.â
There is no barking in return for an insincere response. As Calian was quiet for a while, Plantz slightly lifted his eyelids and looked at Calian, moving his eyes without even turning his head.
âYou went down with a rope. To the sea.â
âYou know Iâm not asking that.â
âI just knew. After I found out, I started moving.â
âYou donât know how it moved.â
âI donât know.â
âThen⦠may I ask how you knew that time stopped?â
A pale hand stuck out from the blanket.
Plantz said, pointing to his head with the tip of his finger.
âTime has stopped, but this hasnât stopped.â
Calian, who was looking at Planzâs protruding fingers with an expression on his face that did not tell what he was thinking, opened his mouth after a while.
âThe last time you hurt your shoulder, it seemed like you were having a bad nightmare. It seemed like you would get better soon, but I wonder if it was for the same reason. You donât always do that.â
ââ¦â¦ is not it.â
âLie again.â
âSpeak informally again.â
Even as he looked at Planz, who asked why he kept cutting off the tail of his words when it had been a while since my birthday, Kalian didnât say a single word âyoâ.
âThen from the beginning, I was in Kairisâ¦â
âNo.â
Was it like this even before Kalyan changed?
Plantz, who cut off the words he found difficult to say out loud, continued his answer.
âIt was like that from the beginning. It got worse for Evan. From then on.â
I was originally smart, quick-witted, and always had a lot of thoughts, but after what happened with Evan, my thoughts continued endlessly like they do now. Itâs from the time when I endlessly thought about other things in order not to break the seal of my oath. He told me that it had become a habit from then on. now.
Calian raised his hands and covered his face.
Plantz, who was looking at Calian quietly, opened his mouth quietly.
âIâm barking in my head again.â
âI donât bark.â
âIâve never been uncomfortable.â
âHow can a personâs brain never rest?â
âIâm smart enough to do that.â
âAre you saying that now?â
âItâs not your fault, but why do you keep blaming yourself?â
There was no further answer from Calian.
Itâs not Kalianâs fault for blocking Planzâs thoughts in order to see when to catch Evan. Whether it was Serenti, who was smart enough to make it a habit to continue thinking without stopping, or Evan, who was the culprit of the incident. There is no one to blame.
âItâs not my fault.â
Including Plantz himself, who signed the oath.
âThatâs good. You said you donât needlessly blame your brother.â
âI know that much. I do.â
He is very objective when using himself as a chess piece, and he is also very objective when judging someoneâs right or wrong. Should I say that I did a good job or a mistake regarding that foolish consistency?
âThe nightmare is getting better.â
âIs that true.â
âIt has decreased. Not long ago.â
Plantz nodded and sat quietly for a while before looking at the teacup in his hand. He looked down in silence at the strawberry pieces and mint leaves inside.
âAfter I started to be able to do more things with my hands instead of just thinking about them. That is.â
I answered without lying, saying that the nightmares created by my unconscious thoughts were decreasing.
âIf you get rid of your habit of wasting magical power, I think my habit of continuing my thoughts will also disappear.â
âHe said he wouldnât blame me.â
âEven if I donât hold a grudge, I know how to reason. Me too.â
Because Iâm smart. Than you.
Calian, who was looking at Plantz who added this, opened his mouth with a serious expression on his face.
âBut the shield⦠My brother is so weak that I try to save him by my own efforts, so I have no choice but to hit him.â
âWhen are you going to stop barking without context?â
âIâll try to get rid of your bad habits. I need to get rid of your bad habits, brother.â
âokay.â
Calian nodded several times and pointed to his head with his finger. As if imitating what Plantz had done a moment ago.
âSo you moved right after you found out that time had stopped?â
âalmost.â
âYou must be surprised.â
âwhy.â
âIâm afraid your little brother is gone.â
â¦â¦ also.
Planz closed his eyes again without answering. Calian pretended not to have seen it and said various things.
âTime stopped, so I felt relieved and asked about this and that. We chatted and joked while talking. I forgot how smart you are. If I had known you were doing that, I should have just come up quickly.â
âIâm not surprised.â
âyes.â
âI was worried.â
Calian chuckled.
âAlso. Because itâs the sea.â
âEven though I fell into the sea again, it wasnât as bad as I thought. I wasnât as young as I was back then and I was okay with riding a boat. Someone saved me in time.â
ââ¦â¦ okay.â
âAnyway, next time I will come without making a fuss. So next time, just stay there when I stop.â
Do you think that it can be done as you please?
No such answer came back. It wasnât because they both didnât know that anyway.
âDonât walk around alone when thereâs no one around.â
âokay.â
âIâll make sure it doesnât suddenly disappear like that again.â
âword.â
I canât figure out the criteria for pointing out informal language.
Anyway, this time Kalian also obediently corrected his words.
âI wonât.â
While I was fixing it, I changed it a little more.
Planz, who had been quiet for a moment, nodded.
âokay.â
âAnyway, itâs nice of you to listen to me.â
âIt would be better if you didnât bark.â
âLater. That.â
Calian, who had brushed aside the promise he couldnât keep right away, picked up his teacup again.
Soon, a red light began to appear in the deep blue sky.
It was the first sunrise over the sea.