The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride - Chapter 56

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Forsaken Prince’s Ghost Bride, Chapter 56

“……A gift box?”
It was quite a long gift box. It hovered in the air for a moment before settling gently onto Lucian’s lap.
Lucian noticed a card attached to the gift box. After reading it, he let out a soft laugh.
“It’s from Kaiser.”

Little one! How are you doing? I tried everything to make time today, but these old men won’t let me go. Instead, I’ve prepared a decent gift, so don’t feel too sorry about it!
Happy birthday, little one!

“I was starting to feel disappointed, but I’ll let it slide this time.”
Lucian giggled and tore open the gift box. The moment the contents were revealed, Dio sprang from his seat.
“That, that is……!”
Kaiser’s gift was a longsword.
The scabbard caught the eye with its simple overall design yet intricate craftsmanship in places.
When the blade was drawn, its razor-sharp edge captivated anyone who looked upon it.
A blade as clear and pristine white as morning snow, and a hilt plated with pure gold to boot. It was as if…….
A sword forged entirely for you.
“……Yes.”
It seemed the sword embodied Lucian in his true form, not the version disguised as a necklace-wearer.
“Wait, let me see that for a moment!”
Dio, the son of a weaponsmith, immediately grasped the longsword’s value. As he took it, his breath trembled with emotion.
He ran his fingertip along the blade with utmost care. Remarkably, his finger was cut before he could even feel pain. As blood dripped, Dio’s eyes widened.
“Dio!”
“It’s fine, a little saliva and it’ll heal. But this is no joke. I’ve never seen a sword this magnificent. I’d believe it if you told me dwarves made it.”
In that instant, Lia and Lucian’s eyes met. Dwarves…… if it was Kaiser, wasn’t it entirely possible?
“You, you don’t have a gift prepared?”
Before Dio could dig any further, Lucian changed the subject.
“What do you mean I don’t? Of course I do! But…… seeing this, my gift looks a bit shabby…….”
Dio handed over a belt meant for the sword’s scabbard. Being the son of a weaponsmith, he always prepared something related to arms and armor.
“I bought the best one I could afford…… but it seems too shabby for a sword this fine?”
As Dio drooped, Lucian strapped the belt around his waist and sheathed the sword. After looking around for a moment, he smiled broadly.
“I like it. It fits comfortably too. I’ll use it well.”
“……Ahem, if you say so.”
The atmosphere became noticeably warmer. Lucian’s face, which had been clouded over all morning, brightened considerably. It seemed he had cast aside thoughts of Leopold.
Lia wondered if she should thank Kaiser for this later.

* * *

As dusk slowly fell and darkness settled in, elaborately dressed people at the Imperial Palace were enjoying a party together.
Today was the Crown Prince’s Birth Celebration Ceremony, held for the first time in three years.
Perhaps to prove the Crown Prince’s continued vitality, this year they held the ceremony in the Diamond Hall, which was exceptionally grand.
Even the Empress could only use the Diamond Hall with the Emperor’s permission.
Holding a celebration ceremony here meant the Crown Prince had the Emperor’s strong backing.
After all, Leopold was the only Heir to the Throne, and both the Emperor and the Late Emperor supported him, so no fool would incur his displeasure.
‘Still, I should treat people well at least today…….’
Harry glanced anxiously at Leopold beside him.
Leopold was smiling and greeting people as usual, but to the eyes of his long-time friend, it was all visible.
That he was subtly wilting, his energy draining away.
Once Leopold had finished greeting people to a certain extent, he let his smile fade and released a heavy sigh. Fearing someone might notice, Harry quickly stepped in front of him.
“Are you alright, Your Highness?”
“……I’m fine.”
“You’ve been sighing every ten minutes. I understand you’re tired, but please bear with it for just one hour. If you create something to be criticized on a day as important as today, it will be troublesome for Your Highness.”
“I know. But I don’t understand why it’s so difficult. It’s not like this is the first or second time…….”
It must be because of Lucian.
Harry had learned the entire truth from Leopold two days ago.
‘Harry, you are my friend, aren’t you?’
The relationship between Harry and Leopold was somewhat ambiguous to define as friendship.
They had met when they were two years old and grew close, but between them lay the circumstances of adults and sophisticated political strategy.
When young, they had perhaps been friendly without understanding, but as they grew older, they had to learn in detail how to serve the Crown Prince, how to appease him, and such things.
For that was the only way to secure a place beside the future Emperor.
Could that truly be called friendship?
But the moment Harry saw Leopold struggling, all the schemes and calculations he had learned fell away entirely.
‘Your Highness, I am wholly yours and your true friend. I will share your pain. So please, tell me what happened.’
It was the moment Harry accepted Leopold as a genuine friend, without knowing it himself.
Of course, learning such a heavy truth had terrified him, but precisely because of that weight that the two brothers had to bear completely, his heart ached.
“Your Highness, Lilis is arriving.”
But the most urgent matter now was the celebration ceremony before them. Harry watched clearly as Leopold, after the sigh, stepped forward with a bright smile.
“Congratulations on your birthday, Your Highness. It was rather late in finding you with so many people around.”
“Not at all. It is I who was too preoccupied to properly attend to my one and only fiancée. You are beautiful today as always, Lilis.”
Leopold, who usually felt deeply unsettled in Lilis’s presence, today had his attention elsewhere, so her appearance did not fully register in his eyes.
It was a response lacking warmth, but Lilis rather preferred it that way.
As Lilis extended her hand, Harry nudged the absent-minded Leopold in the ribs.
As if nothing had happened, he put on a smile drawn from a painting and danced the first dance with Lilis.
Both were only fifteen, still bearing traces of youth and baby fat, but everyone thought that in three years, they would become the most beautiful pair in this hall.
Only Harry worried, noting the emptiness of emotion in Leopold’s eyes.

* * *

“Leopold, everything is alright, isn’t it?”
“……There does not appear to be any particular problem so far.”
Serena and Rubert watched Leopold dance with Lilis, their expressions filled with concern.
Leopold welcomed people as if the commotion from a few days ago had never happened, without any apparent difficulty.
They had thought perhaps he had returned to his usual self, but the image of him from two days ago had been so vivid that they continued to observe him closely.
“What on earth did Leopold see?”
“I cannot fathom it myself.”
Once Leopold had left, Rubert examined the materials in the Record Repository document that he had been reading.
Perhaps he could discern what Leopold had been searching for.
But there was nothing that served as a point of connection, and not a single small link could be found.
‘No, there is one thing I can conjecture.’
The existence of Lucian.
Perhaps, if, in some way most improbable, Leopold had by chance discovered that he had a twin brother, his strange behavior might be somewhat comprehensible.
But what he seeks would not be in the Record Repository.
Fewer than ten people know of Lucian’s existence, and above all, for fear that even the slightest word about Lucian might leak out, nothing was recorded about him.
Lucian was an existence who was never born.
‘For that was the only way to protect Leopold.’
For that was the only way to protect Lucian.
The Imperial Family cannot have twins born. It is a necessary sacrifice to save both.
“I heard that Leopold has been going out frequently of late. Do you know where he has been going?”
“He apparently visits Marquis Graham’s Estate.”
“Graham, is it…… it seems Leopold and he play quite well together.”
“According to the maidservant, he seems particularly close to him compared to the other children. Since they have been together since they were two years old, it appears their bond runs deeper.”
“Hmm, is that so…… mm?”
Leopold, who was nodding with a heavy expression, came into Rubert’s view as he left the party.
“The celebration is still in full swing……!”
Serena rose hastily to follow him, but Rubert stopped her.
“Let him go. He has done all that was necessary.”
“But…….”
“Holding his position without incident until now is already a blessing. He must be struggling in his own way—let us overlook it this once.”
“……Then, shall we not send someone to accompany him?”
Rubert nodded, and the chamberlain nearby understood his words and gave orders to the others.
Before the day was through, no one would trouble Leopold.
‘Leopold, perhaps the day will come when you share your worries with us?’
Rubert could only gaze at the retreating figure of his son.

* * *

Even after dancing with Lilis, Leopold’s condition showed no sign of improvement. Seeing the emptiness in his golden eyes, Harry finally spoke.
“I met Dio yesterday.”
Leopold’s shoulders flinched. Soon he turned his head.
“According to Dio, Lucian hasn’t been in good spirits lately either. I suggested he come to the ceremony with you, but Lucian apparently wouldn’t be interested, so he declined.”
“Dio…….”
“And he told me later to bring you to him. He said that whatever happened, you both need to have an honest talk and make peace.”
For the first time, light flickered in Leopold’s vacant eyes.
“Today is also Lucian’s birthday.”
“……That’s right, Lucian’s birthday.”
Leopold looked around with renewed awareness.
The dazzling celebration. Crowds of people gathered solely to congratulate him.
The most magnificent day of the year, one everyone speaks of—yet in Leopold’s eyes, it looked like a beautiful gift box with nothing inside.
“Your Highness. Or rather, Leopold.”
At that moment, Harry addressed Leopold by his name instead of his title.
“If I were you, I would go see my brother.”
“But Lucian might…….”
“Hate you? It’s possible. But Lucian knew everything from the start, didn’t he? Yet in the end, he accepted you and has been your friend even while hiding his identity. Then wouldn’t Lucian also have something to hope from you?”
“…….”
“Will you never see him again? There is a time for reconciliation. If you miss this moment, you may never have another chance.”
Leopold’s fists clenched. As his expression grew serious, Harry let out a soft laugh.
“I’m going to go see Lucian.”
“Yes, you’ve decided well.”
Once Leopold made a decision, he did not hesitate. But just before leaving, he returned to Harry and whispered to him.
“Thank you, Harry. I will repay this debt.”
“Never mind. Go quickly and get down on both knees to apologize.”
“But I’m the Crown Prince.”
“And Lucian is the Abandoned Prince.”
“……Ugh, fine. The magnanimous older brother will forgive me.”
Though he grumbled, Leopold’s face had brightened considerably. Harry watched with a helpless smile as he left the hall with a face full of anticipation.
“Huh? Harry, where did His Highness go?”
Just then, Schulan appeared with his peers.
Schulan was also a childhood playmate who had grown up with Leopold from a young age, but Leopold did not keep him as close as he did Harry.
‘Schulan is just a puppet of Earl Neofin.’
Still too young to understand, Schulan had a habit of reporting everything that happened in the Imperial Family directly to the Earl.
Though he did not intend to pass on information, it was all the more dangerous for that reason. Harry deliberately spoke so everyone could hear.
“His Highness was not feeling well today, so he retired early.”
“What? Is he seriously ill?”
As Schulan raised his voice, a few of those who had come with him began to whisper.
“It appears he has grown fatigued from the preparations for the celebration and the many things requiring his attention. He said a brief rest would suffice, so there is no need to worry.”
“Is that so? I’m relieved he is not seriously ill. I wanted to introduce my friends today, but it is a shame.”
“There will be another opportunity next time.”
Schulan held onto Harry as if he would introduce him instead, introducing his friends with innocent enthusiasm.
Unlike the thoughtless Schulan, his friends mentally calculated and began to curry favor with Harry.
Harry felt a fresh weariness wash over him. It was something he had always done, yet he could not fathom why he felt so tired today.
‘Ah, it must be because this is different from when we all played together before.’
Harry suddenly recalled the days when they had played together without care—Dio, Lucian, Leopold, and himself—in complete comfort.
With them, he could play freely without worrying about nobility’s dignity or profit and loss.
‘Your Highness, please reconcile well.’
So that I too might have a place where I can rest at ease.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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