Chapter 234
Chapter 234
Evan Lisitoel had been born.
It might be extremely unnatural to use the expression ‘had been born’ for a human being, but at least for Evan Lisitoel, there was no expression more fitting.
“Stupid brat.”
At one time, his name had been ‘stupid brat.’
His father called his son not by his name, but ‘stupid brat.’
It was to the point that young maids who had entered the Lisitoel mansion not long before did not know the young lord’s name.
A relationship far removed from the coziness of father and son, and from love, was perhaps natural for the two of them.
Count Lisitoel had only had a son as an heir to pass the family down to.
But Evan Lisitoel was extremely far from an ordinary person.
From the moment he was born, he did not burst into tears, and until he was six years old, he did not utter even a proper ordinary word.
Whenever Count Lisitoel saw those blue eyes blankly staring at the blue sky, he would even feel disgust and contempt toward his son.
“That one is a failure.”
He could not hand over the venerable Lisitoel Count Family to such an idiot.
However, since the Countess had passed away, Count Lisitoel decided to find a second wife.
This time, he would find a woman truly capable of continuing the family and have a perfect heir.
But the count’s plan did not come true.
“What on earth is this—”
A magic circle so wondrous and beautiful that even the count, called an Archmage, was astonished.
Evan Lisitoel, who was only six years old, had completed it with a crayon clenched in his hand.
“How on earth did you….”
“I simply did.”
The inorganic blue eyes were no longer directed at the sky, but at his father.
Facing those blue eyes, which shone with a color like glass beads rather than human eyes, the count unknowingly murmured.
“Inscription….”
The eyes that anyone who swam through the sea of magic in this world desired and coveted more than anything, yet were not easily granted.
The first emotion Count Lisitoel felt was joy.
“My son possesses Inscription!”
The most perfect talent for a mage.
As Count Lisitoel looked at those eyes, more precious than any jewel that had disappeared from the world for hundreds of years, he was filled with rapture.
At last, the Lisitoel Count Family would produce an Archmage whose name would remain in history for ages!
And to think that would be my son. Surely, nothing could have been more joyful. It certainly should have been….
“I hear you have been avoiding your son lately.”
The Lisitoel Count Family was a venerable mage family, and at the same time, a family of long-standing retainers to the Emperor.
Chronos Lapelion, who would become a Tyrant in the distant future but was still, for now, both a Virtuous King and a Wise King, asked the friend and retainer seated before him.
“Are you the same man who opened parties for three or four days and held a week-long festival in your fief because your son had Inscription?”
Tap.
At Chronos’s question as he captured a rook with his knight, the count closed his mouth.
Seeing his friend seem to wonder whether he could reveal exactly what he felt to the Emperor, Chronos gave a faint laugh.
What on earth was making his action-oriented friend hesitate?
As the count quietly pondered, he finally captured Chronos’s king with his own rook.
“Ah!”
“Because he is too… unlike a person.”
Chronos was briefly startled by the sudden defeat, then tilted his head at the count’s words.
“Unlike a person?”
Seeing him frown, the count decided to explain in more detail.
“The problem is that I cannot possibly think of him as the same kind of person. There is an adage among mages.”
“Do mages not have many adages?”
The count lightly ignored Chronos’s question and continued calmly.
“No mage is complete from the start.”
“Ah, that saying is famous.”
Chronos, who had attended the Academy as a member of the Imperial Family, had heard that adage at least once.
“I remember it as meaning not to be arrogant and to devote oneself to study. Why? Is your son already complete?”
“Yes.”
Count Lisitoel spoke firmly.
“That child is already complete.”
Count Lisitoel, who had been enjoying his joy while holding parties, had become far too curious and asked his son.
Why had he never spoken a word to his father until now?
If he had known earlier, he would never have treated Evan so coldly. Deep down, the count felt sorry and regretful.
If he had known sooner, there would have been so much more he could have done to let his son’s genius shine!
He honestly revealed his true feelings, and Evan answered him.
‘I did not feel the need to.’
The moment he heard those words, goosebumps rose over the count’s entire body.
They were not words a six-year-old child could possibly say.
Those inorganic eyes.
Inscription, those eyes like a wondrous miracle.
His own form did not seem to be reflected in those blue eyes that could see mana directly.
“I told you over and over not to treat your son coldly, did I not? And yet you always said, ‘He is my son, so please do not concern yourself,’ or ‘It is all right. Your Majesty should concern yourself with the Imperial Princes instead. The First Imperial Prince’s birthday is approaching soon, is it not?’”
When Chronos imitated him, the count, who was organizing the chess pieces, fell silent.
“Is it not a little too late?”
“It may be my misconception, but….”
The count fiddled with the king.
It was a chess piece carved from ivory, and a jewel was embedded in the king’s crown.
Touching that cold jewel and feeling its texture, the count answered firmly.
“Even if I had been a devoted father like Your Majesty, our relationship would not have improved.”
“What a remark with neither dreams nor hope.”
Chronos murmured.
Perhaps that was true.
“Still, make an effort. Should you not at least receive flowers when you die?”
“That child would not understand why one must place flowers before the dead.”
At that rather cynical answer, Chronos let out a light nasal hum, then smiled playfully.
“I must see the face of that Young Lord Evan Lisitoel, who troubles my dear friend so much, for myself!”
“Pardon?”
The count honestly frowned.
“You must pay the price for daring to checkmate the Emperor!”
“Ha….”
The count let out a sigh as if frustrated.
Watching him, Chronos chuckled lightly.
---
“His Majesty the Emperor has invited you to the Imperial Palace.”
The Emperor’s command could not be simply ignored, even by Count Lisitoel, who was his close friend.
“I understand.”
“…Do you not ask why you have been invited to the Imperial Palace?”
The transparent blue eyes turned toward the count.
Facing them, the count even felt as if he himself had become insignificant.
Disgust.
Yes, this emotion was properly called disgust.
“If I do not know the reason, will it cause trouble in going to the Imperial Palace?”
“No, of course not.”
Though he mentioned ‘not knowing the reason,’ the count could not believe that his clever son truly said such a thing because he did not know the reason.
He knew it all, had already inferred everything and become certain, yet brazenly put ignorance into words.
That part of him was what he ‘disliked.’
“Prepare yourself.”
In truth, there was almost nothing one could call preparation.
The son of the Emperor’s friend and Count Lisitoel was visiting the Imperial Palace. There was no way anyone would block his path.
Dressed as befitted the young lord of a count family, Evan thus stood before the Emperor.
“So you are that ‘Evan Lisitoel.’”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I hear assassins often visit you at night. Are you all right?”
“I am all right.”
At that indifferent answer, Chronos stretched the corners of his mouth.
Indeed, he felt he could understand where Count Lisitoel had sensed the incongruity.
Those words, ‘I am all right,’ were spoken because he truly was all right, and because those who visited him had nothing to do with him.
His safety would never be endangered by mere lowly assassins.
Within a certainty that could not possibly be believed to belong to a seven-year-old child, Chronos had no choice but to feel a subtle incongruity.
“My friend will suffer some headaches.”
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
Even the attitude made it seem as though he knew everything the Emperor was concerned about.
“Are you perhaps living your second life or something?”
“If Your Majesty is asking whether I possess some kind of memories, then regrettably, that is not the case.”
“You understand every word I say. No wonder he complains.”
It was a composure and brilliance that would be unbelievable even in an adult.
He had never expected to understand his only friend in this way.
Indeed, one never knew how life would unfold.
“You likely do not particularly need something called friends.”
Evan did not refute Chronos’s words.
Because his words were one hundred times correct.
Whether intended or not, he was already a life that had come to exist that way.
But fortunately, or unfortunately, Evan would never feel sorrow over that fact.
After all, there was no ‘human’ in this world who wished to be understood by insignificant ‘bugs.’
It was an excessive expression, yet at the same time, there could be no impression more accurate than that.
The Emperor was utterly certain.
Facing Chronos’s black eyes, which curved roundly into a smile, Evan silently nodded.
“Are you not afraid of the path you will walk alone, without ever being understood, moving forward in loneliness?”
“I was not born wishing to be understood, so it is all right.”
Moreover, loneliness?
He had no faculty to feel such a thing.
At that extremely cynical attitude, pity even settled in Chronos’s eyes.
What a difficult life this will be.
But if he did not even recognize that he himself was suffering, was that a comfort in its own way?
Chronos had no way of knowing.
But he could respect it.
“If a problem ever arises in the future, come to me. As Emperor, I will help you.”
“It is all right.”
The Emperor’s help would likely require paying a heavy price later.
He did not want that.
The reason was simple and clear.
But in this world, there were sometimes people who moved impulsively for reasons a little more complex and difficult to understand than simple, clear ones.
“This means I will help you not as the Emperor, Chronos Lapelion, but as your father’s friend, so do not feel burdened.”
“If that is the case, then I will do so.”
As expected, he was far too mature to be called seven years old.
Looking back, Count Lisitoel in his childhood had also seemed far more mature than his peers.
Though he could not be compared to the current Evan Lisitoel.
“Good. May Lucius be with you in your life.”
At Evan’s expression, which seemed unable to understand, Chronos laughed silently.
“May there be a companion to share your life.”
Chronos sincerely wished for the happiness of his friend’s son.
If such a person appeared for Evan, that would surely be an unmistakable miracle, an irreplaceable blessing… and someday, in the more distant future, it would become a curse.
Chronos could be certain.