Chapter 455. Why are you…? (3)
Alon Palatio remembered with absolute clarity the first time he met Irene Polanticia at the Tower of the Seeker of the Path.
It hadn't been that long ago, and furthermore, the words he had heard from Serdea at that time had been shocking.
And at least according to Alon's memory, the emotions Irene felt toward him were practically indifference.
Absolute indifference.
Literally, there was no special emotion whatsoever, and Alon didn't find it strange.
Or perhaps, Alon thought, Irene Polanticia's reaction was, in a sense, the most rational.
At least, she didn't do suspicious things like picking a fight with a stranger, nor did she suspiciously show exaggerated kindness, much less—
She didn't ask him to marry her out of the blue.
Yes, surely it had been like that—
Alon looked forward.
There was Irene, sitting.
Her face was totally rigid and, for some unknown reason, trembling.
"Hiek—"
Irene reacted with exaggeration to the sigh he let out due to his headache.
"??"
Serdea looked at her, tilting her head as if she didn't understand what was wrong with her.
Seeing that, Alon recalled the situation from a moment ago.
‘...Until just before seeing me, she wasn't reacting like this.’
More precisely, when he heard that the two princesses had arrived and went to the audience room, Irene was tense, yes, but she didn't have the terrified face she was showing now.
Her expression changed a few moments after Alon entered, and while he was thinking about that—
Suddenly, a new doubt arose in his mind.
‘Now that I think about it... why are the two of them together?’
As far as Alon knew, the empire had been divided into four, and the four princesses and princes were tearing each other apart to obtain legitimacy and become emperor.
"...Then, how is it that you two have come together, ladies?"
It was strange for two princesses to appear together in such an informal place. When Alon mentioned that, Serdea looked at Irene and shrugged.
"Hm— originally I was coming alone, but when I arrived near your territory, she was already there."
And that's why they entered together?
‘...No, even so. How can they be this calm when they should be pointing swords at each other?’
Alon didn't understand anything, but he didn't have time to think further.
"Aren't you wondering why I've come to see you?"
Serdea spoke proudly, stopping looking at Irene.
"...Why have you sought me out?"
When Alon returned the question, Serdea cleared her throat and opened her mouth—
"I have come especially to forgive the discourtesy you committed at the border— Ghk!"
But she didn't manage to continue.
The reason:
"I-am-sorry. Serdea is still not very mature—"
Irene, who had been frozen, suddenly pressed Serdea's head down with force.
"W-what are you— ghk—?!"
Serdea protested with an incredulous expression, but Irene only showed a rigid smile toward Alon while continuing to crush her head without saying a word.
"Kegh— ugh— wait— why all of a sudden—?!"
Serdea was slowly going down under the desk while Irene desperately tried to sink her head.
Alon's expression went completely blank.
"Let go of me."
"I said let go of me~!!"
Despite Serdea's screams, Irene continued forcing herself to smile with trembling lips.
Is... this how they should be behaving?
Weren't they supposed to be in a deadly relationship as rivals...?
Thousands of thoughts passed through Alon's mind.
He turned his head slightly to the side.
Evan's reaction was the same.
His eyes had narrowed, looking at Irene as if she were completely crazy.
Seeing Evan, Alon let out another sigh.
Of course, he didn't understand the situation completely.
But there was something he could see clearly: the two princesses—
No. More accurately: Irene Polanticia was misunderstanding something. If it weren't a misunderstanding, such a drastic change in her attitude would be impossible.
‘...What on earth is she thinking?’
The answer wasn't difficult.
‘Dragon...?’
The Dragon's father.
Due to Arculainisis, even Contanias had misunderstood Alon as the "Dragon's Father."
Surely Irene thought the same.
But even so, something didn't fit.
In any case, Alon decided to lightly mention the topic of the dragon.
According to him, there was nothing else Irene could be misunderstanding.
"...Princess."
"Yes, yes! Tell me."
While she continued crushing the head of Serdea, who was screaming "Let go of meee!", Irene showed a rigid smile.
Alon hesitated again.
Even if they were family, both were leaders of their respective nations, rivals in a war for the throne. Could they really behave like this?
But he shrugged.
"You seem to be confused, but I am not a Dragon."
"...Eh?"
The first to react was Serdea.
Her expression said "Huh? You weren't?" mixed with a bit of doubt.
Just as Alon expected.
But then—
"Yes, I know."
"?"
"?"
Irene's answer made Alon now put on the same face as Serdea.
"...Pardon?"
"I know..."
She was trembling so obviously that it was impossible to hide.
"No, I mean that I am really not a dragon."
"Yes, I know."
Then why the hell are you trembling like that? Alon thought.
But he had the strange sensation of having experienced something similar before.
At that moment—
"W-well, we will take our leave."
"What—? Wait a moment, I still don't intend to—"
Suddenly Irene stood up abruptly, grabbed Serdea, bowed, and left dragging her out.
"...Evan."
"Yes."
"Do you have any idea what they came for?"
"Even though I am a master of common sense... I don't understand this."
"Why?"
"It's just that... it's weird that they aren't contradicting me."
Alon frowned while watching Evan scratch his head.
"...Find out more about those two princesses."
"Understood."
And he gave the order.
‘...What the hell was that?’
With Irene's face returning to his mind, he sighed once more.
Outside the capital of Palantia.
More precisely, inside Serdea Polanticia's enormous carriage.
"What the hell was that?"
Serdea stared at Irene with a frown.
Her voice oozed irritation.
But Irene remained silent for a long while, even in the face of that angry reaction.
"Are you ignoring me...?"
Serdea furrowed her brow even more.
"Even if we made a temporary 'pact', this is a flagrant violation!"
Indeed.
Although the other siblings didn't know, Serdea and Irene had secretly formed an alliance under the name of a Pact.
In reality, rather than an alliance, it was a kind of temporary cooperation between two partners with coinciding interests.
Because of that pact, they were sitting together, so it was natural for Serdea to be furious.
"I'm sorry, but it's not like that."
Irene finally spoke.
"What—? What are you talking about?"
"You didn't know, but actually I saved you from danger."
"What nonsense are you saying?"
Serdea growled, understanding nothing.
Irene sighed.
"You obtained 'the Mouth', and I obtained 'the Eyes'. We already shared that information, right?"
Serdea nodded slightly.
Then she understood what Irene meant.
"...Was there something?"
She asked with less hostility, but Irene didn't answer. She only remembered.
That moment.
"Phew..."
Irene let out a long sigh.
Since she met Alon, what she felt mainly for him was curiosity.
Curiosity about whether he really was a dragon hiding his identity. Curiosity about how on earth he had that blindingly bright golden dragon as a slave.
And the next thing she felt was planning.
If Alon really was a dragon. If he really was her father, as the Dragon Guardian said—
Then her relationship with him would be crucial from now on.
Especially for her, whose combat ability was far inferior to that of other siblings who could fight against the Divine Bloods.
That is why she stayed in Palantia, to confirm Alon's identity. She had planned many things.
But none of that was of use.
More precisely, everything lost meaning the instant she saw Alon.
Unable to help it, Irene clenched her trembling hand as she recalled the scene.
As soon as he entered, she activated her Eyes expecting to confirm his identity, and then she saw it: a black flame like the night.
It wasn't the first time she had seen that dark fire. Not in a human— but in a Divine Blood.
That the King of Palantia was a Divine Blood surprised her, yes, but that didn't terrify her.
Even if the other was a Divine Blood, taking human form meant that as long as she didn't do anything strange, he wouldn't attack her without reason.
But what plunged her into terror was something else.
First: he didn't have a single flame.
According to all the knowledge she had received upon obtaining the Eyes, any living being, including the Divine Bloods, possessed a single flame.
But the King of Palantia didn't.
‘There were... four.’
Four black flames.
And not only that.
She saw it.
No, more accurately: she was dragged into it.
A red temple.
Under a red moon.
And there she saw her.
A girl with bright white hair and red eyes, smiling while putting a finger on her lips.
[Excuse me, you can step aside.]
A girl who had a black flame so gigantic it could burn the whole world.
And she heard her icy voice.
[There are too many flies buzzing around.]
That is why—
Irene felt her hands tremble again.
‘Then... what is the true identity of the King of Palantia...?’
As she trembled, that single question arose within her again.
