Chapter 21

This is a short story commemorating the release of the book edition on June 8, 2024.

It tells the story of the first meeting between the king's younger brother, Cornelius, and the poisoner, Amelia.

"Maybe I'll go to that zoo this afternoon."

After finishing his morning official duties and during lunchtime, Cornelius spoke to his attendant, Harvey, about his blank afternoon schedule.

It was normally impossible for an adult royal to whimsically decide their schedule for the day, but Cornelius spent his free time outside of official duties by spontaneously deciding his plans based on his mood. This habit formed because, before his brother ascended to the throne, his brother's mother, the late dowager queen, and the current queen's family often tried to assassinate him.

"The zoo" referred to a new zoo that had just opened the previous week, operating exclusively for nobles for the first month. Since only nobles could visit, it should be possible to leisurely tour the zoo without the crowds. While it was generally acceptable to visit without a reservation, as a royal, Cornelius had to inform the zoo in advance. Cornelius intended to visit as a common noble, hiding his identity, but Harvey, who had been with him for a long time, understood without needing to be told.

Harvey had been Cornelius's personal attendant since his birth, sent by his late mother's family. Despite being rough and often laughing off minor mistakes, Harvey was physically fit, with combat skills, offensive magic, and swordsmanship on par with a royal guard. Everyone wondered why he didn't become a knight instead of an attendant, but at over 70 years old, he was still a robust and distinguished gentleman capable of protecting Cornelius.

"Then, I'll find a date for you, Master Connie. Two hours should be enough."

"I don't need one. I'll go alone."

"To a zoo where only couples are around? Seriously? You're going alone! ...I feel sorry for you. A 22-year-old adult male wandering alone in a zoo. How will people look at you?"

Recently, Harvey had been worried about Cornelius not having a fiancée or a lover. Cornelius avoided making a fiancée because it was troublesome, but Harvey, who hadn't cared about it before, had become more vocal. This was due to Cornelius's mistake last year.

Cornelius, who enjoyed analyzing, modifying, and inventing magical artifacts, had secretly tried to create a magical automaton based on a forbidden book from another country. He started with a recipe from the book, but it was a mistake that it was a girl. When Harvey found the prototype of the girl automaton, he suspected that Cornelius was a pervert who got excited by dolls.

The first prototype of the automaton failed, and Cornelius realized Harvey had misunderstood him. Since Harvey, who was 50 years older than Cornelius, would die before him, Cornelius decided to restart the project after Harvey's death and create an automaton that looked exactly like Harvey as a form of revenge.

"You could go with Irish."

Cornelius replied with a fake smile. Irish, a 19-year-old viscount's daughter without a fiancé, had been serving as a maid at the royal castle since spring. She was Harvey's granddaughter, and Cornelius knew how much Harvey doted on her, the only female in a family of boys. Knowing that Harvey would likely refuse and that even if he didn't, he would focus on Irish, Cornelius mentioned her name.

"Master Connie, should you go alone to the zoo? ...I want Irish to be happy."

It sounded as if marrying Cornelius would make her unhappy, and that it was fine if anyone else but his granddaughter was unhappy. Despite this, considering his own nature, Cornelius couldn't confidently say he would make a woman happy and couldn't retort. Instead, he decided to mention Irish's name every time Harvey brought up women to shut him up.

While joking with Harvey during lunch, Cornelius went to the zoo as planned in the afternoon. He changed his navy hair to brown with a magical artifact, wore clothes befitting a viscount, and put on a hat. With a slightly hunched posture, he looked like a lower noble's son. Harvey, dressed as an old knight serving a viscount, was swinging his sword with a smile. He looked better in this outfit than in his usual royal attendant's uniform.

Since a royal's personal guard was secretly protecting him, it appeared that Cornelius was only accompanied by Harvey as he toured the zoo. The bright early summer sunlight made him pull his hat lower to hide his face.

The zoo was relatively empty, likely due to the exclusive noble-only operation and the school hours. Most visitors were young couples around Cornelius's age and their guards. The petting area with small animals like chinchillas and guinea pigs and the exhibits of cute animals like red pandas, wallabies, and otters were popular, but Cornelius glanced at them and headed deeper into the zoo. His destination was the exhibition hall, the farthest building from the entrance.

The exhibition hall was a building funded by a significant amount of Cornelius's personal wealth, displaying various animal specimens and models. As the primary investor, Cornelius had requested 200 bird specimens from various places, all in flying poses, allowing comparisons of wing structures and shapes. He also had a movable hawk model made to study for his current magical artifact project.

It was rare for Cornelius to look forward to something, and his steps naturally quickened.

Even with the few visitors, the exhibition hall was nearly empty. The dim, cool interior was a stark contrast to the bright outdoors, and the only sounds were the footsteps of Cornelius and Harvey, creating a serene and calming atmosphere.

Cornelius slowly examined the exhibits, moving deeper into the hall.

In the spacious hall, over 200 bird specimens were displayed, their wings spread as if in flight. Cornelius felt as if he had wandered into a fantastical dream world, momentarily stunned.

Round-winged buzzards, long and pointed-winged albatrosses and albatrosses, and tiny hummingbirds and kingfishers. Cornelius looked up, observing each specimen carefully from one end to the other.

A black and white contrast with a blue gradient on the wings of a magpie. ...Below the magpie, he noticed a girl, about the same age as him, intently examining the specimen.

The girl, who looked too young to be in the noble academy, had golden hair, meticulously cared for, held in place with a blue tanzanite hair accessory, similar to a magpie's feather. Noticing Cornelius's gaze, she turned to face him.

Her bright red eyes met his, then quickly returned to the specimen.

"That's the adopted daughter of the Duke of Johnston, who joined the family last year. I've seen her around the castle recently. Her name is... A, A... Amanda."

"It's 'Amelia.'"

Harvey's information was often unreliable, so he needed to be careful. Cornelius remembered that the tanzanite hair accessory belonged to the late Duchess of Johnston. The girl was undoubtedly Amelia Johnston. The Duke of Johnston seemed to favor Amelia, even giving her his late wife's keepsake. Harvey laughed off the name mistake but showed some consideration by lowering his voice.

...Is she one of Chris's favorites?

Until the spring of last year, Christopher's fiancée candidate was Melissa Johnston, the Duke of Johnston's biological daughter. When the Duke of Johnston informed the Queen that Melissa was unwell and needed to recuperate in their territory, the Queen quickly removed Melissa from the list. Since then, Christopher had become close to Amelia, Melissa's step-sister, who was the same age as Melissa and Christopher. The Queen and Christopher likely saw Amelia as a replacement for Melissa. Cornelius was aware of this situation.

"To be interested in dead bodies when live birds are available is quite unusual for a young lady."

While this could also describe Cornelius, did Harvey realize it? Christopher, who had no interest in specimens or models, wasn't there, but it was rare for a noble lady to be alone without attendants or guards. There were security knights stationed around, so they were probably waiting at the entrance.

Well, it's just unusual, that's all.

Cornelius quickly lost interest in Amelia and returned to observing the specimens, focusing on the puffins. Despite their small wings, it was surprising that they could fly.

When Cornelius had observed about half of the birds, a man's voice echoed through the hall.

"Are these the bird specimens that the 'Blue Mountain Goat' collected?"

The speaker was Lord Hays, a branch of the Queen's family, the Earl of Kemble. He was holding a woman in her late 20s, much younger than the 40-something Lord Hays. The woman, whom Cornelius didn't recognize, was not his wife but his mistress, evident from her attire and mannerisms.

"Blue Mountain Goat" was a derogatory nickname given to Cornelius, derived from his name meaning "horn" and his navy hair and blue eyes. He had never been called it to his face. In the Kingdom of Wainwright, goats symbolized "dullness," and the Queen and her family, the House of Kemble, used it maliciously.

To avoid troublesome plots and schemes effortlessly, Cornelius had played the role of an unremarkable, slightly dull man since childhood. The nickname "Blue Mountain Goat" was a result of this, and he found it relatively acceptable. Harvey, who knew this, wasn't particularly angry.

"Hey, we came to the zoo, but these specimens are creepy and boring. I want to pet the guinea pigs."

"This is work. Just a little longer, please."

Lord Hays, trying to placate his mistress, was fiddling with the hawk model displayed near the hall's exit. It was a custom-made model that Cornelius had insisted on, which he was looking forward to examining in detail.

This hawk model, displayed in the back of the unpopular exhibition hall, was likely to be examined thoroughly only by Cornelius, who had it made. It was the perfect place to set a trap. While many poisons and toxins wouldn't affect a direct royal like Cornelius, the House of Kemble, which controlled the medical field, could obtain something that would. If an unrelated person fell victim to the trap, it would tarnish Cornelius's reputation and serve as a warning.

Cornelius found the trap more intelligent than usual from the Queen's faction but regretted that they couldn't be more careful. The hall contained only three people: the young Amelia without attendants, Cornelius, who looked like a lower noble's son, and his guard, Harvey. Lord Hays likely thought he could suppress their testimonies with his power.

Cornelius's impression of the Queen's faction, who often failed at crucial moments, was poor. He couldn't take them seriously as a rival.

Cornelius and Harvey, standing far from Lord Hays, decided to ignore him. They just needed to check and remove the trap before Cornelius touched the model. It was fortunate that they had come today and noticed before an unrelated victim was harmed.

"Touching the exhibits is prohibited!"

Next to Cornelius, who was sighing in relief, Amelia spoke up. Her sense of justice, directed at the suspicious Lord Hays, was genuinely troublesome. Sending a glance to Harvey, Cornelius hoped he would handle the situation, but Harvey just smiled and mouthed "meeting" without speaking.

Amelia was 12, and Cornelius was 22. While pedophilia was worse, Harvey seemed to think that a real woman, even at 12, was better. Cornelius was taken aback by this.

"Didn't you learn not to interfere with adults?"

"Hey, this girl's dress could be a marchioness's, no, even a duchess's."

"An opinion from a girl without guards can be easily suppressed with the power of the House of Caines."

Lord Hays, backed by the House of Caines, was confident. His statement was a warning to Amelia and also to Cornelius and Harvey, who were far away. If the Johnston family's servants were here, the situation would be different, but Amelia's decision to confront Lord Hays based on her sense of justice was foolish.

"I'll call the security."

"It's useless. If I say I did nothing, it will be believed. It's obvious whose word will be accepted, a mere young lady's or mine, a baron."

As Amelia hesitated, Lord Hays recognized her and his eyes gleamed like a predator spotting prey.

"I remember, the daughter of Chester who is close to the second prince. ...Not only infiltrating the Johnston family but seducing a man at this age, you are truly the 'true love' of Chester and Abazur."

"Don't call it seducing! It's disrespectful to both me and Prince Chris!"

"Hey, you call the second prince by his nickname. I think it's inappropriate."

The mistress was desperately trying to restrain Lord Hays. If the Duke of Johnston's daughter, Amelia, who was close to Christopher, was harmed, the Queen might favor Amelia. The mistress was more perceptive than Lord Hays.

"Hmph, I've done what I needed to. ...You can deceive a child like the second prince, but adults who knew your parents won't believe you. A toad's offspring is a toad."

Lord Hays spat out his parting words and left the hall with his mistress. Amelia clenched her fists in frustration, glared at Lord Hays's back, and then approached the hawk model. She was likely trying to investigate what Lord Hays had done. Cornelius was anxious about her rash actions. She held a handkerchief, but a thin piece of cloth wouldn't protect her from the trap.

When Cornelius signaled, Harvey ignored him, so he decided to speak to Amelia.

"That handkerchief won't protect you. Let's inform the security and have the staff check it."

"Ah! I'm sorry. ...He was insulting the prince and the king's younger brother. I don't know what he was doing."

Amelia stepped away from the model. Although Lord Hays didn't mention Cornelius's name or title, Amelia seemed to realize that "Blue Mountain Goat" referred to him. She added an explanation to the silent Cornelius.

"He said these were the specimens 'Blue Mountain Goat' collected, but Prince Chris told me that the exhibition hall was funded by the king's younger brother. ...It's more like a donation. Collecting so many specimens, from the kingdom's national bird to rare birds from distant lands, must have cost a fortune. Calling such a person a dull 'goat' is far more foolish. I think the king's younger brother is like this model of a hawk, hiding his claws until the right moment, an excellent person."

"You're right."

Amelia's eyes, which had been looking at Cornelius, now wandered, her red eyes shimmering sadly.

"...Do you also think a toad's offspring is a toad?"

"There's also the saying 'a kite can produce an eagle.' I think you can become an 'eagle.'"

"Thank you."

Amelia, with tears in her eyes, smiled faintly and looked at Cornelius. Cornelius's chest swelled with hope for Amelia's growth.

"Leave the rest to me. You should go home now."

As Amelia bowed and left the hall, Cornelius and Harvey waved at her with smiles.

"Master Connie, you've found a bride."

"What? Absolutely not. It would be best if she grew up to be a rival faction."

"Ha, you've decided that already. You dislike people who are like you."

Harvey's intuition was sharp, even in strange ways. Cornelius hadn't fully realized it, but Amelia had seen through that they were similar.

After Amelia left, and the hall was empty with only Cornelius and Harvey, the hidden guards emerged.

"I'll check the model too. Also, investigate Amelia Johnston."

The guard looked puzzled. Disappointed that he hadn't noticed what Harvey had, Cornelius reminded himself that the guard was not his direct subordinate but his brother's. He couldn't interfere with his brother's decisions, and if he did, he might be told, "It would be better if Cornelius became king."

-----

On the way back to the castle in the carriage, Harvey spoke to Cornelius. Thanks to a magical artifact created by Cornelius, their conversation was private and couldn't be heard by the driver or the guards.

"Intuitively, I feel like the hunter might become the hunted."

Harvey's warning was based on intuition, but it was rarely wrong.

"If you say so, I'll assign the investigation of Amelia to a trainee guard who doesn't know about my relationship with my brother. The fewer victims, the better."

"Master Connie, you have a bad habit. You should assign a more capable person to prevent her from manipulating you."

"If I lose a capable person, it would be even worse, don't you think?"

While Cornelius said this, he didn't think Amelia would take a guard. Her behavior today, from start to finish, was a plan to get close to him. If she tried to take a guard, it would ruin everything and declare war on him.

Amelia, who was