328 279. The white prince promised.

102 months ago

"Yoan! Let me introduce you, my brother. It's Cedric, the second prince.

... Lance introduced me to Prince Cedric, my brother, when I was twelve and Prince Cedric was eight.

Hiding in the shadow of Lance's big body, he looked younger than his age, staring up at me.

I had never met or greeted each other at a ceremony in each other's country, but this was the first day I had been properly involved.

Unlike Lance, who has always made frequent visits to the kingdom of China, Prince Cedric did not try to leave the kingdom of Sursis from himself. He wouldn't leave his brother, Lance, in his own country, but he stayed in the kingdom of Sursis when he visited the kingdom of Chinesis, and he just looked at me from a distance when he was talking to me at the ceremony.

"Cedric, the first prince of Joan whom he spoke earlier. Together we will make the United Hanazoo kingdom better, my one and only friend.

Lance will now introduce me to Prince Cedric. So Prince Cedric finally looked up to me like he was a little interested.

"Hello, Your Highness Prince Cedric II. My name is Yoan Lynne Dwight. Brother, I am getting along with your Prince Lance.

He laughs at him young enough to think he's still about five years old and begs to shake his hand. Then Prince Cedric shook my hand back, slightly distorting that young, neat face.

"... my name is Cedric Silva Lowell. I am so blessed and honored by the opportunity to introduce you again. Please, brother, I hope that you, Prince Lance, will prosper together as the United Kingdom of Hanazoo for all eternity.

Contrary to his slightly alarmed look at me yet, his tone was brilliantly fluent. It doesn't involve emotions, and I remember his reputation that I've heard so far to him as if he were going to read what he wrote on paper.

Lance stroked Cedric's head like he was used to it, "You don't have to be afraid of that. I told you Joan was my friend, didn't I?," he laughed. Then Prince Cedric deflected his face from mine and made his face look more rude again.

"... I just came because my brother said he really wanted to. I didn't want to visit a country like this.

The next moment, my fist from Lance fell. Cedric holds his head down and screams after a gutsy and hard sound. Rather than my brother, I unwittingly blow up and laugh at Lance as if he were my father.

"Yoan! It's good to be angry."

"No, I don't care. Rather, Prince Cedric reacts correctly. You're just a little different. [M]

Originally, the United Kingdom of Hanazoo became a single nation long before I was born, but royalty's friendship is only superficial and involves as little as possible except in front of the people.

Even historical royalty would have visited the kingdom of Chinensis as often as Lance did from herself. "I don't know what's changing," Lance yells at me, laughing and deluding. That's how angry he is. His mere presence is enough for me.

Even now, Cedric has said no to Lance's invitation to visit the kingdom of Chinesis with him many times. That's what Cedric said today, finally, he got on Lance's invitation.

According to the story, even in the carriage on the road he was reluctant to even see the view of our country until Lance slapped him on the shoulder, closing his eyes and blocking it to his ears. I learn to be rather impressed with too much thoroughness and disgust.

And even now, Cedric, after being introduced to me, left Lance's hand to escape and began to climb a nearby tree. Lance scolds, but still he doesn't try to stop his climbing hands.

"... this is especially true these days. Since I learned that I can't get my hands on this one poorly if I'm on a tree, there's especially more to be done. The study remains closed and the teacher holds his head.

I told him to stop because it was dangerous, and Lance scratched up his hair so that Lance could hold his head looking up at Cedric as he said so. Wrinkled between his brows, even though his expression, seen above his age, seemed old.

Anything, these days Prince Cedric seems to have missed his studies and continues to run away from his teachers. At first, it seems to have been lazy, but these days, more teachers have fled on their feet.

Sometimes Lance catches herself and throws herself in the teacher's room, and quite often Cedric keeps avoiding learning.

"... Lance. I wonder if I could talk to Prince Cedric for a moment.

Whenever I heard that story for a long time, the question came to my mind again, and I asked Lance. Lance leaned her neck and said, "Don't I have one?" and compared me and Cedric a little worried.

"Lance will wait in my room. I'll get Cedric.

If I said that and made him laugh, Lance nodded at me in the end, shaking his red eyes anxiously. "Cedric, don't imitate the danger," he threw at him on the tree, taking his guard to the castle.

Breathe small as you drop off his back as he grows smaller. It would also be because he is the one who leaves his dear brother, the second prince, to me, the prince of the kingdom of Chinesis. Normally...

"You can't brainwash me, Prince Yoan.

My voice came down after I accidentally lost sight of his back. If you look up, Cedric sits on a branch from the top of a tree, with a sharp eye on me.... Yes, this reaction is normal.

"I'm not going to brainwash or anything, Your Highness Prince Cedric. All of our divine teachings are within our country. Even if you want to be understood, you don't want to impose it on others.

Lance won't have anything on that evidence, will he? and made him laugh, Prince Cedric looked in the direction Lance had left,... and lay his eyes down.

"It would be if you were a brother or a regular person. But I'm not.... I don't even feel alive to be in this country like this.

... his, I know exactly what you're trying to say. And even though we chose the path of coexistence to survive as a nation, the kingdom of chinese is still not well thought of by royalty or the upper echelons. I am wary of when I am using the name of God and when I will reach out to the kingdom of Sursis. And we don't feel comfortable with the royalty of the kingdom of Sursis, which is seen with such eyes and even thinks like a disgusting god that we believe in.

Rather, the people are much closer to each other than the upper echelons and royalty. Although the people are also well known facts, on the surface it is also thanks to the close involvement of royalty with each other, and the people also travel to and from each other's countries to deepen their rapprochement. There are few marriages between the peoples of each other's countries.

"God to us does not rule. He forgives us, protects us, … and sometimes extends the hand of salvation.

Talk to him about our God. Prince Cedric stares at me as he shows his rejection or his ears blocked with his hands. Do you really hear me, the expression distorted my expression in surprise at my words and even seemed to think a little. I cut my words once, and I said to him, "Is that all?", "he says of his doubts. Gradually his hands, covering both ears, were loosened, and again accompanied by branches of wood. You can ask him a few questions, hang words on him again like that.

"… I know you are a very kind person. Second Prince Cedric.

That said, looking up at Prince Cedric, his eyes narrowed, burning cold. Keep frowning like you deserve me. [M]

"... of Lance, right?

Don't say what, don't say what, just take confirmation. Then Prince Cedric's eyes opened at once. My gaze was fixed so that I couldn't take my eyes off me, and I wouldn't say anything with my mouth open.

"I understand. I've heard a lot about you.... I'm not even going to say anything.

Take another step to the tree and keep your back. From the top of his head he said, "Oh, really?" and words came down like a precaution. That's as good as affirmation anymore. Yeah, of course. And if I gave it back, then Prince Cedric shut his mouth as he thought for a while.

... I don't think what he's thinking is right. It's just... I know that's the only way.

And if I were in the same situation as him... I would have done the same thing.

"... I've never been hated by my brother.

After a while, words leaked from him in such a small voice that the sound of the wind was likely to overthrow him. If it hadn't been directly beneath him, it would have been overthrown. I thought I was talking to myself, but the words were directed at me no matter what I thought.

"... I know. Because that's the kind of man Lance is.

I answer that in a small voice, too.

Yes, I know. That's how I became friends with him.

"My brother is the first prince. I'm sure the future will be a wonderful king. More than your father,... more than you.

"Yeah, I think so too.

I know what he's trying to say. I still have togues from time to time, but this is how I expect them to try to break it down as little as they can tell me their true intentions.

"My brother,... is kind. The vessel is wide for everyone, and I can't separate it from this me or... people in the kingdom of Chinesis like you.

"Yeah, right.

His words continue. I know exactly how alert you were to the layering of words as if you were waiting for me to get angry.

"............ I've suffered such a brother for so long.

abruptly.

… he uttered a heavy and bitter word.

If I looked up unexpectedly, I was looking down at me with his face beneath me.

He was really just a boy, biting his lower lip and distorting his face to allow himself to cry.

I know exactly what he's referring to. When I started engaging with Lance, I told him the same story.

I thought you didn't hate Prince Cedric.

But he shook his neck sideways without any appearance of deception. His glare that day will never be forgotten.

"If you know our rumors, you know my alias. Answer me, Prince Joan. Do you abhor me? You disgust me? Disgusting, do you think...?

Only my mouth keeps arranging words with my crying eyes at me without words.

... Has he come to see me to ask this question?

Again, it pains me that he is Lance's brother.

I reach out to Prince Cedric up there before I say anything. I didn't have enough back length and couldn't reach him overhead, but I still reached for him and made him laugh.

"I don't find it abominable, disgusting, or obnoxious. I swear to my God, Cedric.

Grasp the lowered cross on his chest and swear straight to him.

"Lance said you were important, that you were an irreplaceable family. She also told me that she was really sweet.... so I believe you.

His eyes swayed like burning in my words. [M] Its eyes began to moisturize gradually, overflowing with potatoes and a grain of tears from his eyes as he looked down.

He doesn't blink one eye away from me so much that he looks down at me directly below and wonders if I might fall out of my head like this.

... I'm sure he and I are a little alike.

So I was the only one who noticed.

And I'm the only one who knows what he really is.

Open to receive his falling tears with your palms, look up at his hair glowing golden with a leaky day of wood, and proclaim it clearly here.

"Because you're Lance's brother with the best king's vessel in the country.

Cutting the word off, the amount of tears coming down from his eyes increased all at once. Zeroing tears, he began to sneeze up, burying his face on his knees as he squatted.

I'm so young I really don't think I'm eight.... No, maybe you should say pure heart. exposed to the thoughts and thoughts of many adults, and kept swallowing them, … perhaps Lance returned him to "children".

"Come on down, Cedric. Let us promise in the name of God. I will not impose anything on you. [M]

Rubbing his eyes hard with the hem of his clothes, Cedric, sipping his nose, slowly descended from the top of the tree after he had finished wiping all the moisture off his face.

You didn't want to show me your crying face, you leaned down again and kept shaking your shoulders when you hissed. To the young man, I give him my pinky on one knee. Then Cedric realized it and looked at me and my pinky finger as he rubbed his eyes again.

"I'm the only one who knows Lance... even if everyone in the world doesn't notice. Your kindness and dignity.... and the path you chose.

I'm sure it can be hard. There may come a day when I am frustrated with helplessness and will one day even curse that little determination and regret it. Because this is also his ego.

But he's with me.

We chose Lance, not the future that the adults wanted.

"I'm the only one on your side of the road. I believe in the path you believe in, and I will go with you. Lance and the three of us, let's make sure Hanazoo is a good country.

Cedric nods as he rubs his eyes against his own arm. Nod instead as if you have no words over and over again. And when I raised my blushing face with tears, it tangled my pinky fingers.

We put our little fingers on each other, and we exchanged promises.