Chapter 1
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Chapter 1: The Beginning All Started With A Noisy Visitor
Suddenly, Anise raised his eyes from the documents.
(Something’s… noisy.)
At the same moment, early autumn sunlight slipped through a gap in the lace curtains, and he squinted his amber eyes against the glare. His long silver hair, cascading down his back, slid over his shoulders and sparkled softly.
The slanting sunlight glinted in his eyes and cast the shadows of the furnishings across the floor.
His soft shirt was slightly translucent in the light, revealing his slender silhouette.
With androgynous beauty that couldn’t be called either boyish or manly, his silver-flecked brows knit suspiciously. But unless one was accustomed to him, they wouldn’t have noticed the change in his expression.
“…A guest, huh?”
Muttering to himself, he swiftly closed the statement he’d grown tired of reading. Apparently, the visitor was too pressed to wait for the attendant to announce them.
(This is a nuisance.)
With an exasperated expression — very subtle, but his beautiful lips twisted slightly — Anise stood up.
The year-end was approaching, and documents kept arriving by the pile. Troublesome guests only brought trouble, that was the rule.
He threw on a finely embroidered navy jacket over his delicate ruffled shirt, dressing exactly as the son of a marquis should.
The noise was clearly headed his way, so he glanced toward the door and adjusted his collar.
At that moment, BANG! The door burst open without so much as a knock, and an imposing, muscular man tumbled in.
“Aniseeeee!”
Anise felt his cheek twitch, but as the marquis’s son, he managed to hold back his expression.
The intruder was a handsome man with deep blonde hair, eyes as blue as a summer sky, and a white military uniform.
He entered with arms wide open as if to hug, approaching Anise almost to the point of smothering him, then suddenly fell to his knees on the floor and clung to Anise’s waist.
With his lavish colors of gold and blue and his clearly defined features, his face would usually be described as bold and dashing.
But now, he looked utterly pitiful — disheveled and forlorn.
Apparently lacking sleep, a bit of stubble dotted his chin, making Anise appear all the more delicate by contrast.
“If you’re barging in before the attendant, at least knock,” Anise said with an oversized sigh directed at the man’s blonde hair.
A beat later, the attendant arrived and, noting “Your Highness Janold, please walk in the corridors,” nodded and gestured for tea to be served.
Janold cast a resentful glance at his unruffled friend and shook him.
“Anise Vincent Hellenburg! Hear me out!”
Watching the exhausted attendant leave, Anise finally directed a dubious gaze at his visitor. He roughly shook off Janold’s thick arm, annoyed by his overly long greeting.
“What’s all this commotion, Janold? Don’t run down someone else’s halls.”
“But I’m in a rush too! I had no one else to turn to but you!”
“…You always come to me first. Now let go — I want to enjoy my tea in peace.”
“Does that mean you’ll listen to my problem!? Thank goodness! Ahhhh…!”
Anise shouted, “You annoying oaf of a prince!” and kicked him full-force as Janold clung to him again.
Soon, with the room cleared, Anise poured himself a cup of tea and took a seat across from Janold Hose, his childhood friend and dear companion.
The low table was set with beautifully colored tea cups and a two-tiered silver stand of pastries, now empty.
Janold had polished off almost everything before the tea had even been served.
Drinking his tea in one gulp, he beamed, saying, “Anise, your tea is the best.”
“Give me more!”
“…Janold, what did you come here for? Do I look like I have that much free time?”
The slightly lower tone in his voice made Janold shrink back, his deeply set eyes looking apologetic.
“Oh, right… I got excited and was rude earlier. I need your advice. I’m begging you here!”
Seeing the large man bow his head, revealing the swirl of his blonde hair, Anise finally relented a bit.
“Raise your head, Janold,” he said, sighing as he averted his gaze.
But his amber eyes soon sharpened as he lowered his voice.
“If the crown prince has a matter so urgent that he’s bowing to someone without a title, it must be serious.”
“Well… yeah. It concerns my whole life.”
“That’s a big deal. Don’t tell me… I thought it’d be 30 more years before the succession issue arose.”
Anise tensed, saying, “If that’s the case, it explains your urgency.”
But Janold stammered, “No, it’s not about the throne… though maybe it is,” sipping his tea in a somewhat improper manner.
(It’s rare for Janold to hesitate… Something unsavory must have happened at the palace. He’s never kept secrets from me, but if it’s an internal conflict, it’s probably hard for him to talk about. Depending on what he says, I may need to report this to Father.)
Despite being the crown prince, Janold had always retained a childlike innocence, a quality that Anise found endearing.
Their friendship was one where they could relax around each other.
Softening his expression, Anise smiled warmly to reassure him.
“Alright, Janold. I’ll help you if I can.”
The slanting sunlight had now painted his silver hair in shades of red, highlighting his eyes with a gentle glow.
His smile, imbued with amber hues, was enough to make any innocent young lady faint from his beauty.
Yet, internally, Anise was slightly tense, wondering what palace secrets he might uncover.
“Now, go on. Did you poison someone, or did you incur the wrath of your elder brother?”
“No, it’s… My fiancée, Lady Monica Rabel, is completely cold to me! Father is furious, saying, ‘Don’t come back until it’s resolved!’ Anise, please help me!”
Anise pressed his hand to his forehead, feeling a slight wave of dizziness.
“Just go home already…”