The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 70

* * *

“…So in the Western Continent, magic is activated by consuming something called mana.”

Sniff, hic, nod.

“And that mana is currently highly depleted…”

Sob, nod nod.

“So you want us to help replenish that mana… Is that what you’re saying?”

Nod nod nod.

I get it, so stop crying. Isn’t your head hurting…

After pouring out his explanation to me, Yuri seemed to feel miserable again and started to sob and cry. The child was crying his eyes out as if there were faucets attached to them, and I couldn’t bring myself to just toss him to his guardian and leave. I was also curious about what Yuri had said.

‘There’s mana?’

The abilities of the Eastern Continent and the magic of the Western Continent. The two fundamentally share the same roots.

The abilities were created from the remnants of the will of the dragon that blessed the first emperor, while magic was created from the fragments of the dragon’s body that fell asleep in the Western Continent.

It was the explanation of abilities and magic that continued from Seora’s founding legend. The extent to which one could wield power with abilities varied depending on individual capacity.

However, I had never heard or seen that using abilities required some kind of intangible energy.

And even if that so-called mana exists and they need it, how would they find it in the Eastern Continent?

“But in Seora, there isn’t even the concept of mana. How do you plan to go find mana?”

At my question, Yuri’s eyes widened. The child opened his mouth as if to explain, but another tear-filled hiccup popped out.

Goodness.

“What has been making you so miserable that you’ve been crying since earlier?”

Even if he hears this, he’ll probably cry again. But I asked, thinking I should at least hear the reason.

“That, that’s what I’ve been telling you, our, our kingdom is, in danger,”

Yuri started trying to continue speaking even while hiccuping to the point of losing his breath.

“His Majesty told, sob. me to find, a solution, so I came with the envoys.”

Hearing up to that point, I slightly frowned. It was the king’s order?

It wasn’t unheard of to include royalty in envoys, but to entrust the fate of the country to such a young child.

‘Was it an excuse?’

Telling a young prince to save the country is a story that only appears in fairy tales. How could that be possible in reality?

A child lacking experience and wisdom. The world is mostly filled with things that cannot be solved with just courage and the goodwill of others. That’s probably why this child is crying like this now.

Judging from how he desperately tried to meet me, it seems he made some efforts in his own way, but I wonder… Shouldn’t he have avoided saying things like “It’s a beautiful night” as soon as he saw my face?

‘I still don’t know what that meant.’

It was a ridiculous situation. Still, I didn’t want to mock him for it. If I had to give a reason, it was because that child cried so miserably.

The sight of that kid, whose clothes were well-dressed albeit a bit crooked, crying with tears and snot in a secluded place without even a single attendant, was unpleasant.

To be more honest, that sight overlapped with me when I first came to this world.

It may seem insignificant to others, but it must have been your best. I wondered how much the child who stood up without being daunted even in front of the emperor had to roll and shatter to cry like this, unable to even breathe.

“Ah, no one… sob. listens to, hic! me…”

Oh dear, how sad. I first comforted the child.

I can’t just send him away like this, and I think I need to hear the details… It seems the story will be long.

I lightly tapped the child’s shoulder to make eye contact and said,

“Have you had a meal?”

* * *

After returning to the Eastern Palace, I first ordered Yuri to wash up and prepared a meal. Yuri, who had been in a disheveled state, was thoroughly washed and became fluffy by the palace maids’ hands, and even with the food in front of him, he carefully glanced at me.

“How can I eat in front of you, my lady…”

“Then I won’t look, so eat comfortably.”

As if not accepting any rebuttal, I turned my head and chatted with Gowun, and the sound of chopsticks moving was quietly heard.

Not long after, the palace maids came in to clear the table, and I turned my head that way.

“…!”

Was he hungry? He ate quite well.

Yuri, with rice on his cheek, made eye contact with me. The smiling face froze as if he had encountered a tiger.

“Do they not properly feed you at Hwanhui Hall?”

Although the envoys from Sylvanus were suspected from the beginning, since it’s the imperial palace, they should at least provide proper meals. At my puzzled question, Yuri’s cheeks reddened.

“That’s not the case, but…”

Then why are you eating like you’ve been starving for three days? I was about to ask that but shut my mouth. Somehow it felt like I was scolding him for eating.

He’s a child, so he might eat a lot. I also eat snacks twice or three times.

Yuri was already fidgeting again. I considered talking to him but gave up. If I just leave him alone, it seems he will speak first.

“Please help us…!”

As expected. I replied nonchalantly while sipping tea.

“If you suddenly ask me to help, how would I know? Try explaining in detail.”

“Pardon? The explanation, earlier…”

“Did you think I would understand that explanation?”

When he started explaining his country’s abnormality, I could understand his words quite well, but as he became more and more emotional, eventually more than half of his words were crying.

It was so difficult to understand that I had to ask separately to the point of organizing it, so it’s strange to ask me to understand with that.

When I scolded him, Yuri’s face turned red. Seeing his embarrassed look, I felt strangely sorry.

“I didn’t mean to reproach you. But because your words earlier were difficult to understand, there are parts that I didn’t properly understand.”

“Ah, yes. Ask me anything.”

Yuri replied in a voice full of discipline.

“Magic is activated using mana, and your home country’s mana is depleted, so you’re requesting help regarding that, correct?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“And you are the first prince of Sylvanus, and you came to Seora on the king’s orders.”

“That is also correct.”

Having asked up to that point, I stopped talking. Yuri was answering my words with a very serious attitude.

Is this boy’s comic-like story really true?

“This may be sudden, but how old are you this year?”

“This year, twel… twe, twelve years,”

“You can say twelve years old.”

“…Yes. I’m twelve years old.”

Palace etiquette is difficult. Me too. Feeling a momentary sense of kinship, I asked again.

“Then did the king of Sylvanus entrust such a heavy responsibility to you, who haven’t even reached adulthood yet?”

“No! I, I may be young, but I’ve been called a prodigy since I was little in my hometown.”

“So that’s why you were crying like that in Sanwha Pavilion?”

At my firm rebuttal, Yuri immediately became gloomy.

“But, I was just so lost, so…”

At the voice heavily filled with sadness, I shut my mouth. Yuri’s gloomy words continued.

“His Majesty doesn’t have many trustworthy people in our home country. Most of them are in the hands of the Regent.”

“Regent?”

“Duke Flint is the Regent of Sylvanus.”

Aha…

“It seems the Regent is not on friendly terms with the royal family.”

It was a half-probing remark.

Yuri, the first prince, was young. If the king’s health was too poor to attend to state affairs, sometimes a regent would be appointed. But in that case, they wouldn’t have persecuted the prince.

Duke Flint seemed to be the representative of the envoys, but he didn’t reveal that the prince had come along.

Why did he do that? It was as if he didn’t want to reveal that Yuri was a prince to the outside world. And this time too, Yuri’s face darkened.

“He is not suited for the position of Regent.”

“…”

“How can someone who doesn’t think of the people at all govern the country?”

The face of the child, who had only been bright, was solemn. Looking at that face, I quietly thought. This kid is really full of dreams and hopes.

Yuri is definitely smart. His ability to handle situations that I saw before, and he also seems to know the current situation quite well. But he is still immature because he is young.

Things like thinking that people will naturally help him against injustice, or firmly believing that a monarch should rightfully think of the people.

Of course, that’s not wrong. But the world doesn’t flow according to justice, does it?

“I wanted to meet Her Majesty and speak to her, but I couldn’t meet her.”

“…”

“Please. Tell me a way to have a private audience with Her Majesty.”

Yuri begged me earnestly. I stared at that face for a while and shook my head slightly.

“I understand your unfortunate circumstances. But Her Majesty won’t be very interested.”

At my resolute words, Yuri’s eyes widened.

“Why…”

As Yuri muttered a small question, I replied nonchalantly.

“It’s because Her Majesty has no benefit to gain by helping you.”