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“The Dame of Aventa greets the 6th Branch, heir to the noble wolves and the 7th Branch, heir of rowan trees.”

Dane shook his white sleeves as a response to the girl’s greeting.

“Honour be with the House of Lions.”

She then turned her head to face the silent Fleon who was burying himself into the couch while scrunching one of his eyes.

“Do you really think I’m noble?”

“… I don’t think this ignorant girl understands, Your Highness.”

Rebecca’s elegant face turned flustered but her pale face managed to remain unusually calm.

“If you are not noble, then who is?”

“…..”

Fleon stared at Rebecca.

He did not necessarily bring it up to bother her.

“Alright. Leave. You kept speaking nonsense.”

He flicked his wrist and waved his hand insincerely.

‘What a strange person.’

Rebecca was slightly intrigued but she quickly got rid of her curiosity.

Rebecca stepped back. Subsequently, people from both large and small families lowered their heads. Fleon would nod half-heartedly or reply with only a few words before shooing people away without hesitation.

“Just as expected, the 6th Prince is so arrogant.”

Adult templars with their children chattered behind them.

“He’s not even a templar but he’s going to inherit everything from Vulcanus.”

“The 6th Queen is sane yet she’s still not right in the head…”

Fleon was fed up with it.

‘You think I can’t hear you?’

They chattered without bothering to hide themselves. Even without showing their intentions through their whispers, he could guess.

‘Who are they calling stupid?’

He recalled the first time he heard the word ‘halfie’.

“His twin older brother, the 5th Prince, is a templar… Why is the 6th Prince… A non-templar being the heir of Vulcanus…!”

For a long time, strangers would often appear in the palace where he lived with his mother. They would continue to speak words that twisted his stomach. He also hated traditional clothes to death. And the self-indulgent people around him only made his personality even worse.

“Child, don’t listen to them. They’re snakes that can do nothing but slither.”

Perhaps if it had not been for his mother who grabbed onto Fleon at that time, he would have really become the crazy halfie that everyone was telling he was.

The 6th Queen, Ioste. His mother who was once a blacksmith working under the mighty Vulcanus could be described as a quiet flame.

Those who continued to act the way they did after seeing her calm expression would only unexpectedly burn themselves. She was a brilliant woman but for some reason, she barely left the house.

Only after a long time did Fleon understand why.

“It’s the 5th Branch!”

Fleon leapt to his feet.

He pressed his lips together as he stared at the black-haired boy entering.

“As expected, the 5th Prince has black hair just like the Crown Prince.”

There were no aristocrats who were not staring at the boy who just entered the hall.

“Hello, 7th Prince.”

“Long time no see.”

Rex and Dane who had been following closely behind him as he left the hall. And not long after, a navy-haired knight appeared as well.

“Where are you heading, 6th Prince?”

Fleon pretended not to notice the different footsteps.

‘Fuck. This is annoying.’

He did not want to sit there. He was sick and tired of murmur, malice and ridicule from the constant comparisons to his older twin brother. The insistent quibbling was so bothersome. He then stopped.

“Why are you chasing me? Don’t try to convince me otherwise. You got it wrong. I’m not going back there.”

“Convince?”

Dane stared at him as he blinked his large eyes.

“I’m not here to convince you, older brother.”

“Then, what. Did you come here to make me go crazy?”

“Well, something like that.”

“What?!”

At Fleon’s fierce glare, Dane shut his mouth up for a moment. His expression was gentle but the sight of him scratching or tapping his cheeks looked dreary.

“You always avoid him like a rat from a fire whenever the 5th prince appears. Since you’re twins.”

Fleon could tell there were girls who were already swooning from a mere glance from Dane. He narrowed his gaze.

‘What’s so good about that?’

His gaze turned fiercer.

“It’s quite funny how you continue to be mad at something so meaningless for so long, older brother. How long are you going to keep doing what the templars tell you to do?”

“Meaningless?”

Fleon exclaimed.

He was dumbfounded by how his younger brother of one year was treating him like a fool.

‘He’s as small as Ashley. This tiny little brat.’

“Did I say something wrong? What else would people think if you leave like this? It’s pathetic.”

“So what?”

Fleon strode over and grabbed Dane’s collar. Since Fleon was much bigger than Dane, Dane felt a lot lighter.

“Again and again, you’ve always been so easy to handle, older brother.”

“Huh?”

“People would compare you with your twin brother over every little thing because it’s amusing. It’s only fun because you’re predictable. Wouldn’t others think the same way as me?”

“Are you picking a fight?”

“What do you mean by a fight? I don’t do things like that.”

Dane bent his eyes.

“Do you have the luxury to fight, older brother? How funny.”

Dane stared at Fleon after erasing the expression on his face in an instant. Just then, Dane quickly turned around. Fleon’s vision was tilted as he fell backwards. Fleon winced before grabbing his stomach.

When he raised his head, Fleon could see Dane with his back against him.

“Have you gotten your act together?”

Under the afternoon light, his bright red eyes bloomed like a splendid camellia.

“You want to die?”

He was furious.

“You’re not the type to use your body, older brother. That’s why you have to use your head, you know?”

“Don’t beat around the bush and just tell me. What do you want to say?”

Fleon patted his stiff waist and thought about what he should do with that son of a bitch. He wondered what Dane ate for him to be so agile with such an absurdly weak body.

‘Rex did say that those bastards from Rome learned how to protect themselves.’

Dane was of mixed Imperial and Rome descent. Fleon lifted her head haughtily to stare at his younger brother.

“Ashley will be returning soon.”

Fleon jumped up to grab Dane.

“Really?”

Dane’s words erased any thought Fleon was having. Fleon wondered if he was playing a prank on him.

Until now, it felt like he had visited her palace countless times before as he stared at the empty palace and waited for it to be occupied.

“… But how did you know that?”

Dane smirked, hiding his intentions behind that smile of his. In fact, Fleon was not that curious about how Dane knew.

‘People from Rome had a lot of information so of course, he would have known.’

He just guessed that was what his maternal family had told him.

In any case, what was more important was that the girl he had been waiting for was finally returning.

He was not nice to his younger sister when they first met. He regretted the times that had passed without being able to apologise for the times he hurt.

“Why are you waiting for her?”

“And why should I tell you that?”

“You would never tell me but I thought I’d ask.”

Dane smiled gently.

“You’re a very easy person to understand, older brother.”

Fleon was not a person who would think for a long time and move carefully.

“You feel sorry for your twin brother, aren’t you?”

“… What?”

“Because you’re the only one’s loved.”

“You. Ick! Shut up!”

Fleon had an older brother who did not show affection. His mother had never accepted him and in return, neither did his brother. The silhouette of his older brother’s back as he continued knocking on their mother’s door remained in his memories like an afterimage.

“Stop talking bullshit.”

So he tried to show affection to Dane instead to forget about it.

Fleon did not know then but it was more like an atonement of his guilt.

Though Fleon was arrogant, he was not a man of ice.

While Ashley was away, he gave his heart to his other younger sibling with a completely different personality whilst fighting and talking about her.

“I don’t care about the reason. The important thing is how much you care about her.”

Dane erased his smile.

“Do you think Ashley will be happy when she returns?”

“What do you mean? Stop beating around the bush.”

“You already know, older brother, how we’re being treated.”

“…..”

“Ashley will be 8 years old this year. And it won’t be long till she will enter the same place we did today. I think I already know what she’s going to hear then. What about you, older brother?”

Dane grinned before reaching out to Fleon.

“Let’s help that child.”

Fleon stared at the hand before grabbing it.

Then, he pulled it.

“Uh. Wait!”

The corners of his mouth curled up crually as he stared at the helplessly collapsed Dane.

“Hey. I hate looking up at people. You should already know this?”

Dane sat on the floor before laughing incredulously.

“I like you because of how honest you are.”

Again. It was that face again.

Dane would sometimes stare into space with an expression that was aunlike a child’s. And every single time, Fleon would feel uncomfortable so he started hating Dane’s unfamiliar expression.

‘What’s even the point of pretending to be an adult?’

Fleon pinched Dane’s cheeks without hesitation. As a result, he fell down onto the ground once more.

“Damn. How’s that agility coming out of that weak body of yours?”

Deputy Rex patted Fleon’s waist.

“My apologies, Your Highness. The 7th Prince has already far surpassed your abilities in terms of physicality so don’t beat yourself up.”

That was what Rex advised him but it was clearly a lie.

‘So I can’t beat this weak bastard?’

Fleon tried to pinch his cheek once more before rolling back on the floor.

“Damn. I let my guard down!”

Finally, Fleon grabbed Rex’s scabbard and tried to fight him but he never managed to defeat Dane.

“That child is coming back. That’ll be very nice.”

Dane gently laid Fleon down on the floor and squatted over him before telling him his thoughts.

“So let’s be her shield, shall we?”

Fleon laid motionlessly on the floor before frowning as he listened to him speak.

‘This bastard’s personality is horrible.’

He wondered why no one knew about it.

“Is being dishonest a characteristic of people like you?”

“People like you? You mean our people? I’d say you’re insulting me.”

Young Ray was watching all this before whispering quietly to Rex.

“I think the 7th Prince had learned the sword of assassins. That’s pretty intense.”

“Brutal, isn’t he? But kids grow up by fighting.”

Rex was sent from the Blessed Lands of Vulcanus for Fleon. Ray tilted his head in response to Rex’s answer to his answer before nodding.

“You’re right.”