The Queen and the Lion - Chapter 55
A short break was inserted into the middle of the lesson, a chance to catch one’s breath. Aslan considered meeting Lysian, but she was busy with state affairs during the day. Lysian would gladly make time if Aslan wanted, but he didn’t want to be such a bother. Restless from sitting still throughout the lesson, Aslan took his sword and strolled out into the garden.
Aslan’s sword sliced through the air. He would have preferred a real sword, but he had been given a wooden one.
As a candidate for Lysian’s consort and a resident of Florea’s royal palace, Aslan had agreed to several restrictions.
One of them was not touching a real sword. Lysian had angrily insisted that such a restriction was unnecessary since she trusted Aslan, but he had shaken his head.
Thirty-five of Florea’s regular army had been killed and sixty-two wounded in an attempt to capture Aslan. With just this wooden sword in his hand, Aslan was confident he could escape the castle.
In other words, it was a meaningless restriction.
The nobles of Florea simply wanted to put a shackle on Aslan. Even if it was as flimsy as a paper twist, they were reassured by its existence.
Aslan repeatedly tossed his sword between his hand and the ground. Despite being wooden, the feel was not bad.
Aslan’s swordtip elegantly sliced through the air. The hissing sound of the wind pierced his ears a beat later.
Swordsmanship was Aslan’s most confident skill in Florea. Aslan’s sword precisely split every fallen leaf around him in half. The continuous, flowing sword path was simply breathtaking. Dandelion, who was attending to him, handed Aslan water and said,
“As always, your skill is magnificent.”
“Thank you.”
Then, the sound of clapping came from nearby.
Clap, clap, clap.
Aslan turned his head towards the sound. There stood a young man. It was someone Aslan had never seen before.
His white hair was ethereal, and his curved jade eyes shone beautifully. His delicate features were like a statue of a beautiful boy. Even Aslan, who had become accustomed to beautiful men and women since coming to Florea, was startled by the young man’s beauty.
The young man said,
“Thanks to you, I’ve broadened my horizons. I was so captivated by your sublime sword dance that I couldn’t look away. I hope I haven’t offended you.”
“…Not particularly.”
Aslan replied softly, distancing himself from the stranger. He had no idea who he was.
Aslan glanced at Dandelion, asking for help if he knew anything. But Dandelion blinked his wide eyes, looking as if he were confirming what he was seeing.
The young man also seemed to know Dandelion and spoke to him.
“Steward, it’s been a long time.”
“…When did you return? I had no idea you were back.”
“I arrived today. I’ve just come from seeing Her Majesty.”
The young man smiled softly. A gentle, relaxed atmosphere flowed around him, as if a gentle breeze were passing over delicate chrysanthemum petals.
The young man greeted Aslan with a formal bow. It was a textbook example of the formal greeting that Aslan had repeatedly failed to master.
“How do you do. I am Chrysanthemum Seed. I was a candidate for the Queen’s consort.”
Seed. Aslan remembered. He would have remembered even if the title of consort hadn’t been added.
How could he forget? The words of the stewards were still fresh in his ears. Someone who was perfectly suited to be a consort candidate. Outstanding as a diplomat, the second son of a noble family, with a childhood friendship with Lysian, and handsome—
Aslan was speechless as the man who had made him feel defeated just by his name unexpectedly appeared before him. Aslan tried to suppress his awkward feelings and began to utter a Florean greeting.
“…Hello. I am—”
“Aren’t you Lord Aslan Yilmaz, the consort candidate? I’ve heard about you from Her Majesty.”
“…!”
Chrysanthemum interrupted Aslan with a cheerful smile. Aslan felt a strange unease but couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason. Chrysanthemum seemed to have no intention of conversing with Aslan and continued speaking.
“I’ve been close to Her Majesty since we were children. That’s why I was involved as a consort candidate, but she’s more like a younger sister to me than a lover. I was worried that she might be bewitched by a bad man, so I really wanted to meet Lord Yilmaz.”
“Lord, Lord Seed, that’s going too far!”
Dandelion intervened, flustered.
If someone else had said such a thing, he would have fired off a sharp rebuke, but Dandelion was weak against Chrysanthemum, whom he had known since childhood along with Lysian.
The initial friendly attitude had irritated Aslan. Moreover, the words ‘like a younger sister’ and ‘bad man’. By blatantly showing off his closeness to Lysian and guarding against him, Aslan realized that the other party was not very friendly towards him.
Aslan had known all along that everyone in the palace disliked him. But they were all cowards who didn’t have the courage to criticize him directly to his face.
Although the teachers in charge of Aslan would nag him about various things to his face, they knew very well that it was due to his own shortcomings. On the other hand, Chrysanthemum openly expressed his hostility in front of Aslan. And Aslan was not the kind of person who would avoid a fight that was started.
Aslan bared his teeth and laughed. It was a savage laugh, as if he were about to bite someone’s neck.
“…So? What do you think now that you’ve met me?”
Despite Aslan’s menacing aura, enough to frighten most people, Chrysanthemum simply smiled.
“Well, let’s see.”
If he had become a talented diplomat at such a young age, it was not only because of his excellent oratory skills and handsome appearance but also because he was adept at managing expressions and understanding the minds of others. No matter how instinctively Aslan could gauge people, Chrysanthemum was not an easy opponent.
The atmosphere deteriorated rapidly due to Chrysanthemum’s enigmatic behavior. Fearing that a serious incident might occur, Dandelion stepped between the two to cut off the conversation.
“You, you must go to your next lesson, Lord Yilmaz. Lord Seed, let’s end our meeting here today.”
“Very well. Then, have a peaceful day.”
It was a farewell as elegant as his first greeting. Unlike his sudden appearance and pointed remarks towards Aslan, Chrysanthemum turned away with an indifferent and light attitude. His swaying figure, as graceful as a willow branch, soon disappeared into the building.
Aslan gritted his teeth and glared at him. The former consort candidate who had suddenly appeared was definitely not an easy person to deal with.
