Chapter 13 - The Mermaid Princess's Little Brother

Translator's Note:

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For a week, melancholy had gripped him after Rito had returned to his homeland. It was an ache Glen had forced himself to overcome. In his mind, he resolved that he would simply become the man he had been before Rito came into his life. Each evening, he descended into the grotto, awaiting the dolphin that had once brought him solace.

 

But his peace had been shattered a week prior. The ice had melted earlier than usual, and his aunt, who had married a northern noble, returned to Fyun.

 

"A blond named Rito? I gave him a letter of recommendation? I don't like this at all—are you playing some joke on me? I know nothing of the sort," she had said, her eyes widening before narrowing in displeasure.

 

Her words had drained the color from the faces of the king and queen, and soon, the rumors began to spread through the palace. Whispers of Rito being a foreign spy, scheming to assassinate the first prince, were on everyone's lips.

 

Had Rito remained in the kingdom instead of returning to his homeland, they would have tortured him to such an extent that he might have begged for death. Yet Rito had fled just before the lie was uncovered, an escape so timely that it cast suspicion. Whether his mission had been fulfilled or not, no one knew, but the prince had been left unharmed, and thus far, no damage had been confirmed. This only deepened Glen's heartache.

 

"Here you are, Your Highness Glen. We've been waiting for you."

 

As the young prince opened the doors to the grand hall below, all rose to their feet. Eight people, including Elsa, bowed respectfully, before launching into discussions of the wedding attire. The ceremonial garments had been sewn and fitted, and now it was time to choose the proper adornments. Necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, and brooches lined the velvet-covered table.

 

Since the ceremonial colors were to be crimson and gold, all the adornments were crafted from rubies and gold. The necklace with the largest rubies in all of Fyun was a must for the ceremony, and balance was key in choosing the rest.

 

In addition to the ministers fretting over formalities, a royal designer and even a seer had been summoned.

 

"It seems there's little room for my opinion here. I'll leave it to the experts."

 

Glen's heart remained unmoved by the sight of the gemstones. He had no desire to offer his thoughts and had come only to inform them they could decide as they pleased. The young prince had grown weary of being summoned once or twice a day for consultation.

 

"Now, now, Your Highness! It's your wedding! How can you say such a thing?"

 

"Indeed! Please, first look at this. Lady Elsa took the liberty of sending your brooch for repair."

 

With these words, a minister presented the prince with the adornment upon a velvet pillow. The moment Glen laid eyes on it, a feeling of discomfort welled within him.

 

"This… I received it recently for my birthday…"

 

The brooch, adorned with rubies and diamonds, had certainly been repaired, yet Glen had believed it to be in his room all this time. He had felt guilty for breaking it the very day it was given to him, and had planned to secretly have it fixed later.

 

"From my room… Are you saying it was taken without permission from the jewel box in my study?"

 

The eight people before him grew tense at Glen's words, expecting him to be pleased by the brooch's restoration. The atmosphere grew thick with unease, especially around Elsa, who faltered as she sought the right words.

 

"I-It isn't like that…"

 

The girl's expression shifted as she denied the act, scrambling for a defense.

 

"Lady Elsa speaks the truth. The brooch was stolen by another, and Lady Elsa merely witnessed the thief's capture. She then retrieved the brooch and kindly brought it to an expert for repair."

 

It was the seer, newly arrived from Elsa's homeland, who came to her aid. Glen was taken aback by his words, his confusion spreading through the hall. Every gaze turned away from the prince, with stolen glances exchanged or eyes cast away. There was no doubt the seer had said too much, and that all present knew something Glen did not. His mood soured further as he stepped past Elsa and approached the young seer.

 

"Who is this thief who stole my brooch?" he asked, his mind already wandering, recalling recent dismissals of certain ladies-in-waiting.

 

"It was a pale-skinned spy," the man answered.

 

For a brief moment, Glen could not fathom of whom the seer spoke, but then a face surfaced in his memory—Rito. Even now, as whispers of Rito being a foreign spy spread through the palace, the prince could not reconcile that word with the young man he had come to know.

 

"The boy-spy, Rito, stole your brooch from the jewel box in Your Highness' chambers... and attempted to pawn it in the town beyond the castle walls. At the time of his arrest, he was not yet suspected of espionage, but after the Grand Duchess spoke, it became clear he was no mere thief. His intention, it seems, was to sell the brooch to fund his escape."

 

"Forgive us, Your Highness... we kept silent, so as not to hurt you..."

 

Glen stood frozen, his gaze fixed upon the ministers, the seer, and Elsa herself. It was as if he had forgotten how to breathe. Words failed him, his voice gone. His breath grew heavy, veins bulging at his temples as his face flushed crimson. Shock and anger surged through his veins, threatening to boil over.

 

"Your Highness, please, forgive us. Even the queen is aware of this..."

 

Elsa's words fell on deaf ears, for Glen's thoughts were consumed by Rito, who even now seemed to be suffering in captivity. The seer had said he was arrested...

 

(He did not return to Oden… That means he's still here, in Fyun. If he was arrested the day he disappeared, then he has already been imprisoned for two weeks...)

 

During the first week, Rito would have been protected by his status as the queen's page and a trusted aide of the king's sister. But as the second week of his imprisonment passed, the revelation that the letter of recommendation was a forgery changed everything. No longer was he merely a thief; he had been branded a spy... or even a would-be assassin.

 

Cold sweat trickled down Glen's spine as he imagined the torment the boy must have endured over these past two weeks.

 

"Your Highness, please, wait! Your Highness!"

 

But Glen had already stormed from the hall, paying no heed to Elsa's pleas or the murmurs of the ministers. It was well known that criminals were imprisoned and tortured at the coastal prison of Hazes, and so Glen knew where he must go. Without hesitation, he dashed into the courtyard, rushing to the stables. Mounting his beloved white steed, he galloped toward the prison. Though the guards at the stables and gate tried to halt him, their words fell on deaf ears.

 

Desperate to reach Rito, trapped in the depths of the prison, Glen urged his horse onward, the whip cracking through the air. Visions plagued his mind—was Rito, too, being lashed? Bound and submerged in the jail's icy waters, his body must have been frozen to the bone by now. The prince's stomach churned at the thought of the pain from having swollen skin, needles driven beneath nails, broken bones, and teeth wrenched from their roots.

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