"Clara wants a younger brother!"

That statement had stopped every movement of the mother. The taller body turned its head. The look on her face did not reflect anger, but rather a smile.

She understood the origin of this request. The two of them recently visited the home of a relative who had many children. Of course, the atmosphere was different from a room only three of them lived in.

"Should not?"

Her daughter, Clara, went on again. This time with the slightest hesitation at her own request. The look on her face showed everything.

Her mother put out the fire that was burning. The woman drew closer to the child who stood behind her for quite a long time. Then, she sat there, facing the little girl.

"Hmm ... right, it would be nice if I could give you a little brother ..."

The two identical eyes met.

"But our family line has always been female, and for some reason, only one girl is born for each generation. It's always been like that, since your grandmother, your great-grandmother, all ..."

"Why? That's not fair!"

"Oh, but it's quite a romantic story, Clara knows. They say, at one time, our ancestors ..."

***

Sunlight woke her up later. The old story that became a dream was cut short. The curtain opener was none other than the person she knew. Just looking at her back, Clara already knew.

"Adelle ...?"

"Sorry, Clara, did I wake you up?"

"Mm ..." Clara shook her head slowly, "since when did I sleep?"

"You've slept for one day, really one day, through the night."

"Really?" Clara asked in surprise. However, the shock failed to show on her face.

"Really. I've been with you since breakfast was over."

Clara looked around, at Adelle who was walking, at the piled scrolls, and at the incoming sunlight. It looked like what Adelle said was true. The sun had also dimmed as proof.

"Sorry to make you accompany me ..."

"It's okay, it's okay. I was also reading while waiting for you. Oh! My brothers have also come home."

"From the temple?"

"Yup. Looks like they found something good."

"Really? What kind of good thing?"

Adelle sat beside her. The girl's face showed happiness, in contrast to Clara who seemed to be the same every time.

"I don't know, but it looks good. My brother, Darius, looks happier than usual."

"Oh, and what was Adelle reading earlier?" Clara eyed the scrolls on table rest.

"Ah, this is how memory works."

Adelle showed the scrolls. Many theories were plastered there. A subconscious state of every human being. The magus was the author.

"Sounds nice ... Once again, thank you for accompanying me ..."

"Ah, don't mind it, I'm also lazy to be at my own place. The duchess and the marquises are being summoned here, it seems that because of that problem ..."

Clara sighed at that. She should have known this was going to happen.

The killer who tried to finish off the princess had ended up in his own hands. Then, the information they got was also missing.

Of course, this was a topic of conversation for those of high rank.

"How is the result?"

"I met with Lucius earlier ... Lucius said the Marquis from Gutham accused the Marquis of Wallowdale of being the culprit, but he didn't have any evidence. So their meeting ended up being a little unpleasant."

"Hahaha, Lucius is really good at eavesdropping."

"That's his specialty for a long time!"

***

On the other side of the palace, Lucius also told Darius the same thing. The same thing he said to Adelle.

"But Wallowdale doesn't look like he would do anything like that."

Lucius continued at the end of all the news he had said. His brother took a quiet sip of tea as he listened.

Absolutely calm and prince-like in contrast to Lucius who looked passionate about telling stories.

It was always like that from their childhood. Apart from eating whatever he could find, eavesdropping, and retelling it with more powerful speech were Lucius's other skills.

"Why is that?" Darius asked.

The eldest wanted to know the logical flow behind the statement. Any explanation which would make sense. After all, he was someone who was based on logic.

"I only heard from the servants. They said he likes children."

Was an answer that made Darius disappointed. He should have known ... Darius should have known not to count on his brother's explanation.

"Like a disorder?" continued the older brother. His tone didn't show any more interest.

"No! Like doting on them!" Lucius denied again. He defended his absurd theory.

Darius sighed at that. Who was the fool who believes the gossip of the women in the kitchen?

"You trust them?"

"They are an accurate source!"

"There's nothing they do accurately other than chopping meat."

"You never talked to them!"

"Nothing good comes from talking to them!"

Their debate heated up. Darius was accusing Lucius of being absurd. Then the younger accused Darius of not speaking from experience.

Again and again. Up and up. To the point that the chair that had been occupied was no longer occupied. Both of them were already standing on their feet.

"You asked for information and this is how you paid me?!"

"The rumors you call information?!"

"What do you really want?!"

"Something accurate and useful!"

However, then both of them fell silent. Didn't this happen when both were still living on the streets?

"What do you really want?!"

"Something accurate and useful!"

That day was spring. They planned to steal from merchants who came in once a week to sell second-rate jewelry.

Darius asked his younger brother to find information. Just like today, the boy was looking for him from the gossip of the fish sellers. Questionable truth.

After that, the two children had a fight in the street. The one who stopped them was none other than the little sister. Without them knowing it, both of them had laughed.

Memories from the past that brought nostalgia along with gratitude to the chest. Their long painful lives had been left behind, they no longer needed to worry about the hunger of tomorrow.

However, of course, their heads were at stake. The chairs that had cooled down were occupied by both of them in the room. Eldest's room.

"So Darius ..."

After stopping laughing and taking their breath back, Lucius started.

"Hm?"

"What are you going to do after this?"

"Oh that, wait until the old man hears it directly from Druantia."

Darius started to explain more seriously and more slowly. He knew that sometimes his younger brother had a hard time catching something in his head.

"Then I heard, there will be some sort of ... annoying coronation ceremony and I can have a higher level than that duke and marquises?"

"And...?"

Actually, Lucius was not so surprised to see Darius being so ambitious. He had seen that ambition several times now. Burning determination. In the past, his brother's eyes were filled with the ambition to live, but now it was the ambition to rule.

Maybe in Darius' head, power was the way to live.

"And I'll be looking for the killer of course, I mean the one who sent him."

The more Darius told him, the more the same worry grew in Lucius. He had felt like this when Darius wanted to meet Druantia.

Although in the end, they were able to return home safely, there was a reason why he couldn't ignore his feelings.

Lucius loved his two relatives. He didn't doubt Darius' abilities, but what was in front of them was certainly dangerous.

Long ago, he had heard from the monks. With the more things in hand, the more dangers would follow.

"Will..." Lucius started again slowly, "will you be okay, Darius...?"

With that sentence, Darius fell silent. The light in those eyes became dimmer. Lucius knew his brother might also be aware of all the dangers. The eldest was more brilliant than him. How could he not think about it?

"Maybe..." Darius answered. His hand gripped the empty cup. His eyes fixed on the ceramic, "I'm not sure ... but ..."

His lips lifted, he tried to smile confidently. Meanwhile, Lucius was paying close attention.

"But this is the best way."

The grip on the cup became stronger. Very strong. However, another pair of hands grabbed Darius' shoulders. The warmth made him let go of the inanimate object he had grasped.

Not only the hands that let go but the eyes too. Disappeared from that cup. Those blue eyes met each other.

"Darius can do it!" Lucius said proudly.

His face was smiling like sunshine.

"Besides, I'll be here, Adelle too!" Lucius continued, "we'll always be together, right?"

Darius could look back in memory. The figures of the two were in tattered clothes. Then, his thoughts made him remember. The main reason why he was here.

For Lucius, also for Adelle.

The light began to return to the ocean. His will to live, his will to fight.

"Yes!"

"I will support you no matter what, I promise!" Lucius then continued.

His face still had the same smile.

"You made a promise with the crown prince, you know?" Darius responds.

The elder's face was half smiling. The boy held back the ticklish feeling after saying that.

Lucius understood, realized the sentence didn't suit Darius, and laughed afterward. How ridiculous.

"What the hell?!"

Darius didn't answer, the elder himself felt the same way and laughed too.