Even If You Tear Me Apart - Chapter 14
The chapters are split like this so that the TL can update more consistently over time (✿ ＞◡❛)
“Really, it’s not as if dumping cold water on a pet dog or breaking a cherished vase is a threat to my life.”
Robert fell silent. And truly, that was the extent of it. Étienne’s pranks never went beyond that.
Dumping cold water on a dog Ezekiel was raising, or ‘accidentally’ breaking a vase he cherished.
Princess Geneviève, who had tried to stop it, ended up cutting her finger on the broken shards of the vase—but it wasn’t a threat to her life.
“But it was something you cherished.”
“Robert.”
Ezekiel rubbed his forehead.
“Those are all things I’ll have to leave behind once I go to the temple anyway.”
This, too, was true. He didn’t yet know whether he would become a priest or a paladin, but one thing was certain—he was to go to the temple on his upcoming birthday.
All property of the imperial family was not his to keep, so he couldn’t take any of it with him.
What did it matter if a few things he would have to leave behind got broken?
Perhaps, Ezekiel thought, Étienne was even helping him detach from his attachments in advance.
So there was no need to make a fuss over it.
“…Understood.”
In the end, Robert bit his lip and stepped back. He, too, knew that Étienne wasn’t doing these things out of a genuine desire to harm Ezekiel.
But Robert thought that was even more dangerous.
To neither fully love nor fully hate someone.
Such vague, drifting feelings are often what wound a person most deeply.
He knew well that the third prince he served, who appeared cold and blunt on the outside, was in fact incredibly sensitive.
This was a man who, for the swallows that built nests by his window, would not open the windows of the prince’s palace all summer, and who made sure the palace servants had ice to cool themselves.
How painful must it be for someone like that to harbor even a sliver of doubt toward his own brother?
From the outside, Étienne and Ezekiel didn’t look like estranged siblings at all.
Considering how rare that was among the imperial family, it was something quite remarkable.
Of course, that was largely because Ezekiel had been dedicated to the gods since birth, and because he was obedient to Étienne and let most of the mischief slide with a smile.
Still, Étienne, though occasionally spiteful, also clearly had genuine affection for Ezekiel as an older brother.
That was why Ezekiel could dismiss such things as harmless pranks.
So, deciding not to worry too much over such trivial matters was, in a way, natural.
But Robert knew. Sometimes, things worse than threats to one’s life exist.
The prince said he was ‘already eighteen’, but to Robert, Ezekiel was ‘only eighteen’.
Eighteen was an age at which one could be hurt by things far deeper than a threat to one’s life.
So Robert prayed.
That the prince to be offered to the gods would return safely from his summer vacation.
***
As expected, the domain where they would spend their vacation was the Duchy of Arbois. Étienne grumbled.
“Isn’t Father being too much? He could’ve at least allowed us to visit the sea or something.”
Unfortunately, the Duchy of Arbois was a flatland without even a single lake.
Of course, that fertile plain was the Duke of Arbois’s greatest asset, and Lady Arbois was proud of it.
But it had to be said—it was not a very entertaining place for a vacation.
“Well, since we’re here, let’s at least go on an inspection tour.”
Fortunately, because of the unusual circumstance of two princes vacationing together, the Emperor had assigned them forty knights.
Étienne didn’t want to waste time galloping across a vast plain with Lady Arbois and nothing else, so he came up with a plausible excuse that would justify bringing all forty knights.
An inspection of the surrounding territories.
The Duke of Arbois feigned admiration, saying, “As expected of our future Crown Prince!”—though his true feelings were likely different.
“That old man had that look on his face like, ‘What inspection tour? Are you crazy? Why aren’t you spending time with my daughter?’ right?”
Étienne laughed brightly as they rode. Ezekiel gave a bitter smile.
“That’s too harsh. Felicia must’ve been looking forward to spending time with you.”
Naturally, Felicia Arbois was deeply disappointed.
She had wanted to show Étienne how many forests her domain had, how beautiful the gardens of the ducal estate were.
Which only proved how little she understood Étienne, but that wasn’t her fault.
Ezekiel sighed.
“You could at least ride in the same carriage with her.”
“Are you mad?!” Étienne shouted.
Felicia was quite a tenacious young lady.
She had volunteered to join the inspection as their guide, and when she showed up with a grand four-horse carriage, Étienne mounted his horse without a word.
“You’ll be punished for this, Brother.”
“Whatever. Let the gods punish me!”
And perhaps his words became prophecy.
For turning away from Felicia’s feelings, Étienne was punished.
Both brothers ended up stranded.
