Chapter 8

“Yes, and?”

Casius stared at Briseyes, wiping his tears with the back of his hand while looking at her intently.

“You really look like Gael. I’m Ca, sius… Rozefel. I was Gael’s close friend.”

He seemed about to offer a handshake but then remembered his hand was dirty with tears and tried to find a handkerchief in his pocket. However, he realized he didn’t have one.

While he was searching for a handkerchief, Briseyes had already taken out her own handkerchief out of courtesy and handed it to him. He accepted it with thanks and vigorously wiped his hands.

“I gave it to you to wipe your face.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

At her words, he wiped his face with the handkerchief. Then he extended his hand.

“I’m Briseyes Philia. I was Gael’s twin sister.”

Briseyes firmly grasped his hand and moved it like a handshake.

“Nice to… ugh… m-meet…”

“Yes, nice to meet you, Sir Casius Rozefel.”

Seeing Briseyes, who remarkably resembled his friend Gael, Casius couldn’t control his tears. He felt embarrassed crying in front of a stranger but couldn’t stop.

“Hic… ugh…. I’m… sor… ry…”

“It’s okay.”

Perhaps because he was crying so sorrowfully, Briseyes didn’t feel like crying. And she felt grateful that he was crying so much for Gael. That someone would cry this much for him.

“Sniff…”

He tried not to cry, but it was useless.

Briseyes then took out another handkerchief she had in her possession and tried to wipe his face. However, due to their height difference, her arm couldn’t easily reach.

Seeing her action, he bent his waist, and then she was able to wipe his cheeks.

His snow-white hair swayed back and forth with each breeze. Despite it being early summer, the wind was muggy. His gray eyes looked like transparent glass marbles.

The tears that made those glass marbles sparkle were quite impressive.

“It’s okay.”

“Hic…”

At her reassurance, he cried even harder.

It took quite a long time for him to finally calm down.

Since she had come after the Academy ended, the sun was now setting.

Sniffling and finally calming down, Casius was trying to smile with his swollen face.

“I’ll return the handkerchief next time.”

“Alright.”

“You’re in Class 1, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve also been transferred to Class 1 this time.”

“Is that possible?”

“Yes, because I’m the first-merit subject who assisted His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Ah.”

Briseyes nodded, remembering that Callisten’s military achievements were much greater than Demian’s. Normally in other academies, class assignments were final, but at Wilhelm Academy, it was not uncommon for students to move up a class mid-semester if they earned significant bonus points.

For men, maintaining a rank in Class 1 until graduation could secure a key position in the imperial court. They might start as apprentice aides, but they could eventually have the opportunity to become ministers.

That’s why everyone wanted to enter Wilhelm Academy. It was closely connected to the imperial family, and graduating with high ranks guaranteed positions.

The imperial family wanted to recruit talented individuals first, and the future heads of each family wanted to expand their connections with the imperial family.

There was no better place.

“Then your badge will change.”

Briseyes said this while looking at the Class 2 badge Casius was wearing.

“Yes. By the way, aren’t you going to the victory ceremony, my lady?”

“I should go, but I’m a bit late. And I’m still in my Academy uniform.”

In reality, Briseyes had no intention of going. It would be difficult to attend without Demian as her partner anyway.

It was already problematic that her husband Demian was going with another woman, but it would also be strange if she showed up alone.

“Would you like to go with me?”

Casius said this as if it meant nothing.

Suddenly, Briseyes thought he didn’t understand social norms well, just like in the original story. That seemed to be why he made such a proposal.

“I’m not feeling well. Thank you for the offer.”

“No, thank you. I really appreciate the handkerchief.”

With that, she greeted Casius. He was about to leave but asked when he saw her still standing in front of the tombstone.

“Aren’t you returning to your mansion?”

“I want to stay a bit longer. I want to watch the sunset from here.”

Casius asked because he thought it might be dangerous for a woman to be alone after sunset. But then he remembered that this was a place where nobles were buried, so there were tomb keepers.

Knights also patrolled the area.

So there seemed to be no need to worry.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Lady Briseyes.”

“Call me Bri.”

“Then please call me Kaz.”

“Yes, Kaz. See you tomorrow.”

So Casius left first, but as he was leaving, he kept looking back at Briseyes, who was still gazing at the tombstone.

Since she happened to resemble Gael, his most precious friend, so much.

Somehow, he kept worrying about her.

But since it didn’t seem right to disturb her solitude, he left so she could be alone with Gael.

⁕⁕⁕

The victory ceremony consisted simply of knights lining up behind the vanguard commander. They would circle the capital once and then receive a laurel wreath from the slave who attended to the Emperor’s bedchamber.

In the end, it was a place that made one realize that the position of commander-in-chief was lower than the Emperor’s slave.

Callisten rode his horse unenthusiastically, circling the town once.

Then he received the laurel wreath in front of his father, the Emperor, and stood up.

“My proud son, Callisten Ethan Cropus!”

Callisten looked at the detestable Empress beside the Emperor. She was a despicable woman who had pushed out his mother through political machinations and taken her place.

She was a lowly woman like a courtesan who had continued to play with the Emperor even while his mother was alive.

Now she had become the Empress and was pretending to be his mother. And beside the Empress stood the Second Prince, born from her liaison with the Emperor while his mother was still alive.

When Callisten saw that disgusting sight, a sneer involuntarily escaped him. All the jewelry she was wearing had belonged to his mother.

She must have deliberately used those accessories to mock him and provoke his anger in this situation.

But Callisten was no longer a five-year-old child, so he found her actions merely ridiculous.

“The hero of our Cropus Empire who annihilated the Biaten Empire, our eternal nemesis, and even executed the enemy Emperor!”

The Emperor was still excited about the death of the enemy Emperor who had tormented him throughout his life. Although he had been groaning with a hangover until morning, by nightfall he was speaking vigorously again.

“I knew you were exceptional since your childhood. I’m deeply moved to see you grown up and working for the Empire like this.”

The Emperor’s speech continued.

Callisten was internally yawning while searching with his eyes for where Briseyes might be.

However, standing nearby were Grand Duke Mays and some woman. Realizing that the woman next to Demian was not Briseyes, he involuntarily smiled.

“Therefore, to my son Callisten Ethan Cropus, who led us to a great victory in war, I will grant one wish in the name of the Emperor.”

Normally, he would have decided on a wish beforehand.

But Callisten realized that the person he wanted to hear his wish wasn’t present, so he lost interest. Of course, he was glad she hadn’t come with Demian.

But he also wanted to see her cute face when she was flustered.

“Ugh…”

“Crown Prince?”

“It’s nothing.”

He involuntarily held his breath and then exhaled as his lower body hurt.

“My wish is to enter Wilhelm Academy.”

“Is that all?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor laughed amusedly at his words.

“Very well, then do so.”

Then the Emperor realized how trivial and insignificant his wish was and laughed happily.

He was also satisfied because his insolent son, who had been threatening him, seemed to be saying he didn’t covet his position.

And so the victory ceremony came to a successful conclusion.

⁕⁕⁕

“I knew you’d be here.”

“You startled me.”

As soon as the victory ceremony ended, Callisten abandoned his subordinates and came to the cemetery first. This cemetery was a place where only nobles could be buried.

“Here.”

“Is this alcohol?”

“Yes, it’s alcohol.”

He didn’t think Briseyes’s absence was because of Demian. Even if he had asked her to come, she wouldn’t have come today anyway.

“I have class tomorrow.”

Briseyes pushed away the rum Callisten offered and stood up properly. She sighed as she looked at the moonlight visible beyond Gael’s tombstone and the stars adorning the dark night sky.

“Having a drink won’t change your skills.”

“That might be true for you.”

Briseyes said this, but she felt strange in her heart.

“Why did you come?”

“Gael was like my brother, so I came.”

Callisten said this, then opened the rum bottle first and drank its contents.

“Bri.”

“Yes.”

He silently looked at Briseyes. When she looked at him after gazing at Gael’s tombstone with sad eyes, he involuntarily smiled.

“I’m in so much pain.”

At his words, Briseyes’s expression hardened. She seemed to know what was hurting him without him saying it.