5

“…I see. Crown Prince Felix’s condition has become that severe.”

Around the time Noel and Beth were casually sightseeing at the hot springs, Naranda, who belonged to the royal family even if only at its fringes, had been invited, as part of the goodwill mission, to a dinner party hosted by the king and queen.

Abeeb’s royal palace was made entirely of white marble, and it was truly enormous and delicately crafted.

Every time one turned a corner in the corridors, paintings and sculptures by artists representative of each era were lined up closely along the walls, and thanks to the royal family’s magic division, the inside of the castle was kept bright, clean, and at a comfortable temperature all day long. It was a splendid royal palace.

The Abeeb Kingdom was an economically powerful and civilized nation with great national strength and a greatly flourishing magical culture.

Under the new administration established by Queen Eugenia, Naranda had joined the mission bearing the task of building a strong friendly relationship with the Abeeb Kingdom.

In the laboratory, Naranda wore a simple navy robe, but when clothed in the white attire of royalty, together with his long purple hair, he possessed a truly solemn beauty.

Although he had devoted himself to research, even as a collateral royal, the reason voices wishing for Naranda’s accession to the throne never ceased was not only his magical talent, but also his solemn beauty.

It was not only the people of the Abeeb Kingdom who believed that the more beautiful the person raised to the summit of their country was, the better.

The people of every country were the same.

“Yes. He has shut himself away, saying he no longer wants to meet anyone. He mocks himself as a monster. My prince, who once boasted angel-like beauty, has… uuu…”

After the dinner party, Naranda, who had been receiving hospitality in the royal guest room, heard from the queen about the tragic state of the crown prince, which was the greatest reason for this visit to the country, and let out a deep sigh.

Even though she was in front of guests from another country, the queen could not stop weeping bitterly.

The queen’s beauty was so well known that it had become ideal material for minstrels all across the continent, and she had also taken pride in it herself.

Crown Prince Felix should have been a crown prince of extraordinary beauty who greatly resembled that queen, and now that he mocked his own appearance as a monster, how great must the pain have been in the queen’s heart, when she had lived taking pride in beauty?

“Felix was a proud child. Both Felix and I took great pride in that child’s shining beauty as something granted by God to the future king. As the future brilliant king, we raised him so that he would never show weakness to anyone, and so that everything would be perfect… horsemanship, learning, swordsmanship… and beauty as well… uuu… To think that would backfire.”

Naranda looked at the portrait of His Highness Felix hanging on the wall.

The portrait of His Highness Felix hanging on the wall showed the figure of a future king, a young beauty brimming with confidence and dazzling radiance.

That beauty must have been an important symbol of authority adorning the dignity of the future king.

The king continued.

“Though he is my own son, I believe Felix was a flawless young man of the most radiant beauty and talent in the country. We, and my son himself, took pride in that. My son now cannot accept himself when he is not flawless. Even when we were completely weakened and showed him to the witch, she said that skin was not the result of a curse. If my child, who was called the Lion Prince, were to return to my hands, I would…”

The king covered his face with both hands.

“Now Felix’s skin is peeling off all over his body, his hair has fallen out, and he spends all day scratching himself. He has shut himself in the detached palace and does not socialize or train. I advised him to at least continue his studies, but he said his body was too itchy for him to concentrate, and what sort of learning could a monster like this possibly need? My son, who once loved books so much, no longer takes even a single book in hand. H-He says he no longer wants to meet anyone, and without seeing his friends, or even us, he has shut himself away under the pretense of recuperating in the countryside.”

The future king of this kingdom.

He was a flawless young man blessed with beauty and talent, called the Lion Cub, and great things had been expected of his future.

A perfect crown prince without a single blemish, who had received all the admiration of the maidens of this country, was trying to throw away his future because of his skin.

Naranda spoke words to the queen, who was drowning in tears.

“…Tomorrow, Lord Saratoga will secretly visit His Highness. I sincerely hope that he will be able to be of some help.”