Chapter 29 : The Crying Prince Arrives
The borderlands were harsher than anything we’d known, but after weeks, our family began to settle into a rhythm. Father oversaw the repairs to the cracked stone walls. Elara trained daily in the yard until her hands bled. Mama tended to the baby while still finding time to drill me on letters and mana.
We were beginning to breathe again.
That’s when the carriage came.
Its wheels rattled loudly on the rough road, drawn by white imperial horses. The crest of the Empire gleamed on its doors, so bright it seemed out of place in this scarred land.
Father and Mother stiffened immediately. The servants whispered, wondering if this was another decree—another blow from the nobles.
But when the carriage stopped and its door swung open, the one who emerged made Elara’s eyes widen.
“Edmond…?” she breathed.
The young prince stumbled out, still in travel clothes, his blond hair disheveled, his eyes swollen red from crying. The moment he saw Elara, he sprinted forward with no thought for decorum.
“Elaraaa!”
Before anyone could stop him, he flung his arms around her, burying his face against her shoulder. Tears streamed down his cheeks as his words spilled in broken sobs.
“I—I just heard! About the duel, about the exile—I thought I’d lost you!”
Elara froze, stunned, then awkwardly patted his back. “You… came all this way? Alone?”
He sniffled, shaking his head. “With guards, but—I couldn’t stay in the capital, not when you were thrown out here. I don’t care what the others say—you’re still Elara. You’re still…” His voice cracked, and he held her tighter. “…You’re still mine.”
The servants gasped at his boldness. Father narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.
I watched quietly from beside Mama, tilting my head. This was Elara’s fiancé? A prince who cried louder than most babies I’d seen?
But the HUD flickered faintly as I looked at him:
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[Edmond Valerius – Status: Emotional / Loyal]So he wasn’t just what he seemed.[Innate Talent: Leadership / Strategy – Exceptional]
Elara, cheeks pink but eyes soft, finally wrapped her arms around him in return.
“Idiot. I told you—I’m strong. But…” she glanced toward me, her voice steady, “…if you’re going to cry for anyone, cry for him too. My little brother.”
Edmond sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. His gaze flicked to me, and his tears shimmered again—this time with something like resolve.
“Then I’ll protect him too,” he said, without hesitation.
And in that moment, I understood.
This crybaby prince wasn’t weak.
He was just… human.
But in his heart burned a loyalty sharper than any blade.
The Valemont home on the borderlands was small, cracked, and cold, but somehow it had grown livelier with the arrival of Edmond.
At first, Father and Mother tried to send him back.
“You’re the heir of the Empire,” Selene said firmly, arms folded. “This is no place for you.”
Edmond sniffled, wiping his eyes, but his voice was steady. “I don’t care. I promised Elara I’d stay by her side. I won’t abandon her now.”
“Boy, the borderlands aren’t for pampered princes,” Darius warned, his tone sharp but weary. “Beasts roam these lands. Here, tears don’t buy mercy.”
Edmond’s chin trembled, but he clenched his fists. “Then I’ll learn. Even if I cry the whole way, I’ll stay.”
The argument dragged on for days. In the end, though reluctant, Selene allowed it. “Better to keep him here, under our eyes, than have him run away again,” she sighed.
Edmond quickly became part of our daily rhythm.
He always hovered near Elara, watching her swing her wooden blade until her arms bled. Each cut sharper than the last. Each stance firmer.
“You’re amazing,” he whispered one evening, his eyes shining. “Every time I see you, you’re stronger.”
Elara rolled her eyes, but her lips curved faintly upward. “Then keep watching.”
But it wasn’t Elara who shocked him most.
It was me.
One morning, while Selene guided my small hands over runes drawn on parchment, I focused my mana, whispering the incantation she’d taught me.
“—Fireball.”
A small orb of flame burst into life above my palm, flickering like a miniature sun.
Edmond’s jaw dropped. “H-he’s three. Three! And he can cast already?!”
Elara smirked, pride glowing in her eyes. “I told you. My brother’s different.”
The HUD blinked before me, outlining the paths ahead:
[New Skill Acquired: Fireball]My little face lit up with excitement. Finally, something straightforward.[Multiple Evolution Threads Detected]
[Fireblast – Requirement: Concentrate a single Fireball for 1 full minute]
[Firebeam – Requirement: Cast 50 Fireballs within 1 minute]
[Greater Fireball – Requirement: Cast 1000 Fireballs total]
I pointed at the last option, grinning. “Greater Fireball… just what I need.”
Selene nearly choked. “Greater—?! Rooga, that’s not—!”
But Elara only laughed, ruffling my hair. “See, Edmond? That’s my brother. Aim too high? For him, there’s no such thing.”
Edmond stared between us, his tears shimmering again—but this time, they weren’t from sadness.
“…The Empire exiled you,” he whispered, almost to himself. “But I think… they’ve just buried their greatest treasure out here.”