Twist

"...so it's finally over…"

As the connection of the message spell was over, a red-haired youth breathed out in relief, leaning against a wall of the Brylant Academy's hallway.

It seemed that he relaxed a bit too much as he ended up sliding down the wall and sitting on the floor.

"...hahaha… haaaa…"

He laughed weakly, resting his arms on his knees and lowering his head as if resting after an unimaginable burden was lifted off his shoulders.

"It… it doesn't feel better at all…!"

The red-haired boy trembled, covering his head with his arms, and suddenly cried, crumbling down both physically and mentally.

It was already time for another lecture so he was all alone in the hallway, getting himself out of breath with ugly-sobbing.

"His class should have a History lecture in… Your Highness!?"

"...!"

Unexpectedly, someone was making their way through the hallways, and since the characteristic long red hair of the youngster were unmistakable at least within the Academy, the Crown Prince of Diamondium Kingdom, Ester Diamondess was recognized and approached immediately.

"Your Highness?! What happened?! Are you injured?! Health check!"

The person who encountered Ester kneeled down by him and asked in a worried voice before using a spell without waiting for the response.

"...nothing seems out of order… Your Highness…. Are you here for the same reason he's like this…?"

The same person breathed out, slightly relieved, touching Ester's shoulder before suddenly speaking to someone else.

"I was asked to bring the prince to his father. No details were shared with me at the moment, but I doubt your assumption is wrong."

"...!"

Another voice joined in, and that one made the red-haired youth flinch as he recognized to whom it belonged.

Ester raised his head, and through his reddened, teary eyes, he saw the motherly-looking Headmistress of the Brylant Academy kneeling by him and a short, skinny man with thinning brown hair whose sad expression gave him a permanent look of grief, standing behind her.

"H-headmistress… Lord Oalc…"

As if only realizing his unbecoming state, the crown prince muttered before sniffling and hurriedly starting to wipe his eyes.

"Wh… ehem… what can I aid you with?"

The red-haired youth pulled himself back to his feet and asked while the other two looked at him with concern as he tried to make it seem as if nothing was wrong.

"Your Highness, your father summons you. Urgently. Allow with me."

The short man took a step towards the prince and reached out his hand in an invitation while the headmistress looked between the two of them with concern.

"Wait a moment, Lord Oalc… You don't want to teleport out of this spot, do you? The whole place is riddled with safety spells, teleportation interruption, and misdirection included!"

The headmistress suddenly flinched and gasped, grabbing the short man's wrist.

"Madam. If you're willing to spend enough mana, there is no safety spell that can't be bypassed."

"...eh…?"

The man sighed with a bitter expression, making the woman let out a confused gasp as she let go of him.

"Your Highness."

"Yes. Of course."

As the headmistress stepped away, the short man turned back to the prince, nodding at him again, making the boy nod back and take his hand.

*WHOOSH*

The two of them then disappeared in a flash of blue light without any reaction from the countless safety spells the headmistress was worried about.

"So that was the famous Royal Magician... this was the first time I saw someone looking upset about his own strength…"

The headmistress muttered, rubbing her arm in unease, looking at the spot where the royal magician disappeared from with the crown prince.

******

The Crown Prince and the Royal Magician appeared in the throne room of the royal castle in a flash of blue light.

"Your Majesty. Here's your son."

The Royal magician gave King Herbert Diamondess a short nod before moving his hand, making the red-haired youth step forward.

"At ease, Captain. Thank you, Sir Oalc."

The monarch breathed out and waved his hand at the group of armed knights in a defensive position ready to defend him with their lives and only then addressed the sad-looking man.

"Your Majesty."

"..."

Ester clenched his fists before bowing his head to his silent father whose expression turned strict with a major dose of disappointment in his eyes.

"We've summoned Duke Brynhild Fenrioette and Young Lord Lazurii, and they arrive here shortly. You will be the one to beg them for forgiveness, beg for another chance, and present a plan of how you intend to win back Young Lady Melinda."

"..."

The King declared, pushing his hand forward in a commanding gesture… but his son said nothing…

"Do you understand? We are not asking this as your father but as your King."

The monarch placed his hands on the armrests of his throne and leaned forward, staring down the red-haired teenager.

"...o…"

"Speak up, boy."

Ester trembled and muttered something that made the ruler of Diamondium Kingdom furrow his brows and scoff after straightening his back.

"...no…"

Ester shook his head and spoke while clenching his fists hard enough to leave the imprints of his fingernails on his palms.

"...what did you say…?"

The monarch let out a low growl, making it abundantly clear that he did hear the red-haired youth's response but was threatening him into changing it.

"I said no. Your Majesty. I am refusing to comply with your request."

Despite all odds, the Crown prince didn't buckle down, although he wasn't able to raise his head to face the King just yet.

"With the royal order."

"..."

The monarch corrected him, and the boy bit his lips and trembled.

"This catastrophe is the direct result of your immature actions, and you refuse to take responsibility! You're nothing but an insolent child, and you will be treated that way!"

The King raised his voice, moving his hand as if he was giving a sentence…

"I AM TAKING THE RESPONSIBILITY!"

"...!"

"..."

…but that seemed to be too much for Ester to handle, and the red-haired youth lashed out, shocking the royal guards and making his father close his mouth and glare at him closely.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT TO BEGIN WITH! MELINDA NEVER MET ME WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN! IT WAS ALWAYS NED! YOU GAVE HIM THE RING THAT WOULD CHANGE HIS HAIR TO RED! NED WOULD ALWAYS BE THE ONE TO PLAY WITH HER, AND HE WAS THE ONE SHE FELL FOR! AND YOU KNEW IT!"

As if something had broken into him, Ester screamed bitterly, raising his head for the first time and staring at his father through tears.

"IT WAS ALL YOUR DOING! YOUR PLAN! WHEN THE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL ARRIVED, EVEN AFTER NED WAS TAKEN BY THE DEMON FOLLOWERS, YOU STAYED QUIET! YOU FORCED ME TO KEEP QUIET TOO! TO DECEIVE MELINDA! YOU PUT ME UNDER SURVEILLANCE AND STOPPED ANY ATTEMPT OF ME TRYING TO TELL HER THE TRUTH! EVERY ACTION I TOOK, EVERY WORD I SAID CONTROLLED! EVERY LETTER CHECKED AND DISPOSED OF!"

"You're just a child who can't even understand sacrificing yourself for the good of the country."

While Ester had to take a breath, the King shook his head and scoffed at him with a disappointed expression.

"YOU COULD AT LEAST ADMIT THAT YOU ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT ME AS A FAILURE! HOW DISAPPOINTED YOU WERE WHEN I WASN'T BORN WITH AN AMAZING ABILITY LIKE NED WAS!"

"You don't know what you're talking about, boy."

The red-haired youth shouted but the monarch merely scoffed at him, only making him grit his teeth with the unease and desperation only swelling up in his chest instead of dissipating.

"You think that I don't remember…? You think that I don't remember that on THAT DAY you made me wear the ring that changed the color of my hair to white. It was so big that I had to wear it on my thumb so it wouldn't fall off"

"...!"

All of a sudden, Ester straightened his back and spoke through tears, staring at his father, barely holding it together, shocking the monarch into flinching.

"Ned and I were identical despite the age difference. It was under your encouragement that he started wearing the ring to change the color of his hair and acting as my body double, excusing it as me being sickly or shy. You were preparing to switch the two of…"

*WHAM*

"SILENCE, BOY!"

Ester smiled bitterly, biting his lips to the point of bleeding, but his words were interrupted by the King slamming his fist against the throne's armrest and roaring furiously.

"See…? You planned everything for Ned. You wanted to use him as much as you wanted to get rid of me. But unfortunately, Ned cared for me more than you ever did. Back then, it wasn't a coincidence that only he got abducted. The moment he noticed something was off, he ripped off his own ring and tore mine off my finger so that the demon followers kidnapping the white-haired candidates for the goddess champion wouldn't mistake us"

Ester laughed with tears streaming down his face as he raised his hand, showing off a faded scar around his thumb.

"I refuse to take anything from Ned. I prayed for the day when Melinda would break off the engagement, and it finally happened. The only regret I have is about the way I went about accomplishing it… but that only speaks volumes about the perfection of our Royal Magician, doesn't it?"

Ester added, glancing bitterly over his shoulder at the short man with a permanent grieving expression stuck to his face.

"A child tries to act like an adult while knowing nothing of life. Oalc, Alter his appearance and toss him out in some remote region. Experiencing the reality of our world should cure him of his delusions."

"Wha..!?"

"As you wish."

*WHOOSH*

The King of Diamondium Kingdom breathed out, straightening his back and giving his order that took the Crown prince by surprise while being carried out without hesitation by the royal magician who grabbed the red-haired youth's shoulder and disappeared with him in the flash of pale-blue light within the same heartbeat.

"I see. There's no reason to get Melinda back.

"..."

Not even a second later, a tall blue-haired man stopped through the throne room door and declared, making the King close his eyes and let out a deep, bitter sigh.

"I know I shouldn't be saying that, but I feel relieved that I am not the worst father I could be. Laz, let's go back. We got our questions answered, and His Majesty appears to be busy."

The gold-haired bearded man slightly behind the blue-haired one shook his head in disbelief before tapping his blue-haired son's shoulder and the two of them left without as much as a proper greeting.

"..."

Calling the atmosphere in the throne room awkward would be an underestimate of the decade, and the royal guards protecting the King all shared the same thought…

…that despite it being the opposite a few minutes prior, now they would rather give up their yearly pay to be allowed to leave the monarch's side…