The Rose Will Soon Bloom (1)

Calian, who only had a few hours of sleep due to his talk with Alan the day before, woke up. Just as he opened his eyes, he noticed Yan's bloodshot eyes looking directly at him. Calian was surprised at the sight and backed away.

"God, you nearly gave me a heart attack! What's the matter?"

Yan, with bloodshot eyes and huge dark circles, was clearly sleep-deprived.

"I told you to sleep…"

"Your highness."

Yan asked with a solemn expression,

"Why do you drink morning tea?"

Calian thought for a second. It seems that Yan suspects the tea to be poisoned.

"You gave it to me."

Those were words of reproof. Of course, Calian didn't intend to blame Yan for not noticing, as Calian himself didn't suspect there to be poison either. If anything was to blame, it would be Yan's diligence in bringing him tea every morning.

Yan, who didn't receive the answer he wanted, reached out to the coffee table next to Calian's bed. There lays the morning tea that the prince had yet to drink.

Without hesitating for even a split second, Yan raised the cup to his mouth.

Calian's gaze towards Yan turned sharp.

He snatched the teacup away from Yan, just before it touched his lips, causing some of the tea to splash on the carpet. As Yan stared at the carpet where the brown tea was being soaked, he balled his hands into fists.

Calian was infuriated at this situation.

Coercing and threatening to kill if Calian didn't tell him what he knew, and also attempting to commit suicide.

Why must everyone be so radical?

Calian shouted angrily at Yan.

"What are you doing!"

He then reached out to inspect Yan's face.

Did he swallow it?

Yan pushed Calian's fingers away. This wasn't something he would normally do, but there was no time to care about that. Calian, feeling frustrated at the quiet Yan, shouted once again.

"Why did you drink it?!"

"I didn't!"

Yan shouted back. Calian didn't hate Yan for doing that. A moment later Yan spoke.

"I gave poison to you with my own hands."

Without saying anything more, Yan simply stared at Calian, but his face expressed all that he wanted to say– there was rage, resentment, and cursing.

The anger and unsaid curse words weren't directed towards Calian, but rather, to Yan himself.

"I was wondering why you had bought the knife, knowing that you aren't skilled in using such a weapon."

Calian resented himself for buying that knife.

"I came to relate it with your current status. I thought of Sir Manasil's poisoned son when I thought of the medicine he gave."

Calian looked up at Yan with surprise.

What happened with Alan was something he knew alone. Now that Calian thought of It, he could understand why Alan looked around and knew well about himself.

"That was why I thought of poison. One thought led to another, then finally, the morning tea came to mind. I suspected it might be that."

Calian had predicted it to be poison already when he snatched the teacup out of Yan's hands.

Calian thought Yan would cry and blame himself, but that didn't happen this time.

"Is it Silike?"

Yan usually didn't call Silike in that way.

If Calian said yes, Yan would have tried to attack Heisia Palace right away. Calian briefly glanced at Yan and then shook his head.

"Why. You want to get revenge?"

"I wouldn't say no."

Yan's voice was extremely cold and his clenched fist seemed to be drained of blood. Calian shook his head.

"Elephants should stay put. It's going to create a war."

Yan was about to say something, but then shut his mouth as thought over what Calian just said. Lost for words, he couldn't help but stare at Calian.

He uttered in shock,

"…what–"

In the first place, Yan and Schleimann were very similar. Calian spent all his time with Yan, had no way of not knowing it. He doubted the idea at first, but then he recalled how Rumein didn't realize he had been outside the palace with Alan. Of course, Alan was the one who taught him that they were called elephants.

Anyways, it was a foolish idea to bring war between Siegfried and Brixen. Therefore, Yan musn't get involved in this situation.

Calian whispered to the baby elephant in front of him in a serious voice.

"My business. Leave it alone."

Herbivores should be treated like herbivores by not harming their ideology.

"Anyways, it will be resolved by Tuesday."

A laid-back Calian drank all the tea that was left in the cup.