The impermanence tenderness of the spring breeze glides in-between the planted trees—making the leaves shiver with delight, while the bush of flowers blossom beautifully as their petals majestically flow all around the manor's garden.
Near a fountain that has a sculpture of an angel with water flowing through her hand, a familiar white-haired boy sat on the bench—completely zoned out as he gazed deeply at the beautiful garden in front of him.
His middle-length, wavy white hair was gently lifted up with the wind, while his delicate rose skin went on to emphasize his beautiful features.
With his hazel and white eyes, the boy slowly looked up at the sky, and witnessed the white birds roaming through the bright-blue sky as the thin wisp of the white clouds continued to shadow the golden sun.
The young boy finally closed his eyes, and placed his hands down on the bench as he relaxed himself under the warm sunlight.
"Eight years have already passed..."
Ever since that day in the bedroom, no major incidents have happened in the mansion. The joyous days remained the same as I continued to receive the love of both my parents—
And sister...
I slowly opened my eyes, and gazed into the blue sky once again.
At first... I didn't think I was ready to have any new siblings.
I can't forget how I lied to them, and I continue to grow afraid that the same mistake I did would commence all over again.
Though it's true that I can finally express profound emotions, I still can't control them. I only know how to be happy and smile, be angry and show a scorned face, or be sad and cry.
But that's really it...
Can these emotions truly be enough to avoid the same mistake as before?
But those worries were slightly put to ease.
When Mother carried Seraphina in her arms and showed her to me for the first time, I could only focus on her bright smile.
The more I gazed at her, the more this subtle emotion called happiness grew stronger. Just like that time in the hospital, my mouth gently curved up… and a smile then formed on my face as I continued to enjoy these happy moments with my family.
I do not, however, consider this moment a second chance to redeem myself. I could only hope that with these new emotions… I will be able to finally show it to them.
Even if that wish seems impossible, I truly wish for a moment like that to appear—even if I don't deserve that chance.
"Lys!"
I looked to where the voice came from, and saw the eight year-old Seraphina running towards me, calling me by the nickname she has long given me.
Her long white-hair trailed from behind, and her ruby-red eyes sparkled with so much joy the closer she got. After finally reaching me, she sat on the bench with me—making her light-blue dress over her rose skin slightly puff up.
Seeing her so happy while she swung her feet, I couldn't help but smile.
She then gazed into my eyes, and gently grabbed my hands.
"Lys, Lys! I have something to tell you!"
I tilted my head, trying to guess what's making her so excited.
I have come to realize that the personality of Seraphina right now has deviated from the original version in the novel.
As I recall... being neglected by the Duke, while Lysander continued to draw a line between them, she had no one to depend on. Because of that, she matured at an early age, and developed a refined and independent personality.
But the Seraphina in front of me is just like any other children around her age. A child whose only worries are the things that make her happy.
I let out a small chuckle. "Calm down, Sera. What's making you excited?"
"The Imperial Prince is coming to visit today!"
My whole body froze.
The Imperial Prince—the main protagonist of the novel Ways of the Mystic.
The one who is destined to end up with Seraphina, and the one who is supposed to end my life...
Sera looked up at the sky, and smiled so endearingly as her hair continued to flow alongside the fall breeze. "I wonder what type of person the Imperial Prince is... They say that he is so beautiful! Not to mention that he is skilled with the sword!"
She then looked at me once again with a bright smile beautifully conveyed on her face.
"But no one is more beautiful than you, brother!"
I couldn't help but smile back at her compliment. No one has ever complimented my appearance like this before, so it kind of feels awkward.
But if she's already being drawn by the prince's beauty, does that mean...
"... Do you like the prince?"
She flinched before gently shaking her head in denial. "No. I heard the other children talk about him when I went to that tea party awhile back, and thought that he was interesting. I... don't see him like that."
Her response left me slightly baffled.
Though the prince's arrival is a few months earlier than what the novel described... I still need to confirm whether the romance between these two people will arise. If not, I will have to at least ensure friendly relations between them.
Their relationship, be it lovers or friends, will inevitably help with the serious issues that will soon arise based on the novel.
"Then... Why are you so excited about the Imperial Prince coming?"
She looked down on the ground, and slowly closed her eyes before showing me a warm and caring smile. "I feel like the Imperial Prince would make a good friend for you, brother."
Her eyes slowly opened, showing a hint of caring attention for my well-being.
"Of course, it'll be nice if we could all be friends. But I feel like brother needs someone his own age to be friends with."
She stood up in front of me, while still conveying her warm smile. "You only know the people in this mansion, but what about those outside and around your age? Building connections is necessary, especially if you are to become the future Grand Duke."
She then looked away, her expression turning slightly condescending.
"Though... if he is someone who is going to take you away, then I won't let you become friends with him at all..."
Moments like this remind me of the original Seraphina that I read in the novel.
Her intelligent and stoic mindset for the future, yet caring of the people she truly cherishes.
I stood up from my seat and patted her head, trying to ease her worries, but... that only made her pout. "I'm no longer a kid, Lys!"
I smiled once again, and continued to pat her head despite her remark. "Thank you for worrying about me, Sera. I'll try and take your advice. Hopefully... the Imperial Prince would want to be friends with us just like you said."
"Hopefully..."
Hearing those words, she let out a bright smile while nodding excitingly. "Okay!"
We then began walking around the garden while talking about all that had happened.
Along the walk, I spotted so many types of flowers growing around the garden. The grass and trees were also being taken care of very well, also trimmed into wondrous forms and shapes for the eye to see.
I wonder how Qadir manages to do all of this alongside doing the task that father assigns him, while also making time for Nilo.
That reminds me... It's been a while since I saw them.
I slowly remembered a time four years ago, when Qadir got severely injured doing a solo mission in the middle of a forest that is now banned from entry.
He was going to survey the area since it was newly acquired land received from the Emperor in… apologies from the incident eight years ago.
But when Qadir went to survey the land, he was suddenly ambushed by a swarm of monsters from this world.
I haven't inquired about the types of monsters that reside in these lands since I'm prohibited from learning about them, but they seem powerful if Qadir got severely injured because of them...
He tried to secretly sneak into the servant quarters while hiding his injuries.
As he tried to go to his room and bandage himself up, I was fortunate enough to find him in the act and immediately brought Priya with me to his room.
Priya began to scold him, saying that if he hesitated on treating his injuries he would have become disabled, or even died.
Shortly after, Priya notified father about the situation. He also began to scold Qadir, saying how he should've retreated rather than to take care of the monster by himself.
Nilo heard of the situation, and quickly finished his own assignment to check up on him. Once he arrived, tears began to roll down in his face as he saw how bandaged Qadir looked.
Qadir tried to lighten the mood as he sat up injured in his bed, but Nilo wasn't having it. He stayed by his side, and took care of him while the injuries that were too severe to heal with magic recovered naturally.
Nila teased him about how his actions could mistake them as a couple. Surprisingly, he didn't deny it. In fact, he responded in front of everyone about abstaining himself from any missions until his partner is fully healed.
Everyone was surprised since he always wanted to hide their relationship for some odd reason. But this time, he embraced it.
Their relationship was officially known to everyone.
I wonder how they are doing...
Love towards a significant other is still a fleeting emotion that I have yet to encounter. The love towards my family is genuine, but romantic love...
How would that feel?
I continued to chat with Sera while we began heading towards the mansion. But attention suddenly wandered elsewhere.
From the moment I sensed their presence, I began to think just how the situation would progress.
Shortly after, quiet footsteps emerged through the same corridor we were in. I glanced away from Sera to see two people walking towards us.
One of them was a boy with midnight-colored hair, and sharp sapphire eyes with tanned skin. He was wearing formal attire while being accompanied by a brown haired guard.
Everyone stopped walking, and me and the midnight-haired boy suddenly gazed into each other's eyes.
As we continued to make eye contact, I couldn't help but think negatively about myself.
Despite being the same age as him, if I were to recall, he seems much taller—also with more fiber and muscle in his body.
I looked down at myself, and just gazed upon my thin, even malnourished, body.
I... do admit that I feel somewhat insecure of my physical appearance, but it's my fault for rarely eating and exercising as I just focus on my readings.
But after a long moment of eerie silence, the midnight-haired boy finally spoke to me.
"... I'm surprised. I thought that the duke only had one daughter. I didn't realize that he had another one."
I slightly flinched at the response. Though I'm used to the comments about my appearance, I couldn't help but point at myself.
"My apologies, but I must clarify that I, in fact, am a boy."
His whole body froze at my response. He quickly looked away with a small blush before forcing out a cough.
"... My apologies." He then looked back at me from the corner of his eyes, still slightly blushing with embarrassment. "Please... take it as a compliment."
I let out a small chuckle before smiling. "I see. Thank you for the compliment."
He smiled back before politely bowing down. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Augustus Rutherford, the first Imperial Prince of the Izora Empire."
He then stood back up. "I came here to have an audience with Duke Blakesty."
I quickly bowed down in response. "Greetings, Your Highness. Allow us to properly introduce ourselves." I slowly lifted my head up before carefully placing my right hand on my chest with a gentle smile. "My name is Lysander Blakesty, heir of the Blakesty Duchy."
I then shifted my gaze towards Seraphina, who also began to formally introduce herself. "I am pleased to make your acquaintances, Your Highness. My name is Seraphina Blakesty, second child of Duke Blakesty."
After we finished our introduction, the Prince walked towards us, and gently held both my hands with a bright smile.
"It is a pleasure to meet you both. I hope that you are willing to be—"
But unable to finish his sentence, Sera shook the prince's hand away from me. She then forwarded herself while gently pushing me back, creating distance between me and the Prince—as if protecting me.
Both me and the Prince looked at her confused.
Sera, however, continued to look wary at the Prince as he slowly looked down at the hand that was smacked away, clenching it tightly before putting it down in silence. After a few seconds, the Prince suddenly began laughing before wiping off a subtle tear from his eyes.
"I see that you genuinely care about your brother, Lady Seraphina. My apologies for not considering your feelings, but..." He stopped, and looked coldly at Sera with the same warm smile. "You should've used words rather than resorting to such measures."
Sera quickly flinched before whispering at me with worry. "Lys, I think that the Prince is a dangerous person..."
I looked at Sera's anxious expression before shifting my gaze back at the prince.
But the only thing that the Prince did in response was let out a simple chuckle, before a sudden thought emerged in his head. "That reminds me..."
He smiled once again, but it was more superficial; more eerie... "I do recall that you are an exceptional mage who has reached the third ring. Considering that you have the Blessing of the Mana, you must be exceptionally strong."
I fixed my posture, and sharpened my gaze at him.
Is it inevitable for us to be on bad terms...?
As he gazed at my wary face, he let out a bitter sigh before he began unbuttoning his right sleeve, and exposed his bare forearm. "I wish to show you something."
As he flexed his arm at me, a shining mark resembling a long sword appeared—covering his whole forearm.
My eyes widened as I gazed deeply at the mark.
"That symbol... so they have finally confirmed it."
I took a step forward and straightened my posture, putting up a stoic expression that hopefully couldn't be read.
"That mark... it symbolizes the Blessing of the Sword."
His whole body flinched before a smile slowly emerged from his face. "Impressive." He then began buttoning back his long-sleeve. "You figured it out in a single glance. Though it is still unofficially announced, I was born with the Blessing of the Sword..."
He slowly placed his hand behind his back, and held them together before showing me a warm smile. "... I get that you feel somewhat skeptical about me, and I do apologize if I gave you the wrong impression earlier."
He then looks back at Sera. "Especially you, Lady Seraphina. But I truly hope that we can continue to get along."
Sera awkwardly looked back at me before letting out a deep sigh. "... My apologies, Your Highness. I acted rashly."
The Prince let out another chuckle, and shook his head to ease her worry. "It's fine! Let's not make the mood so sour."
I began to quietly comfort Sera as she quickly hid behind me, who continued to glance at the Prince with keen eyes.
Their first encounter is already filled with animosity.
I looked back at the Prince, who kept staring at me with warm eyes without ever so blinking.
I hesitated for a bit before finally speaking. "... For what reason did you tell us this, if it's meant to be a secret?"
The Prince contemplated for a bit before answering back. "I just feel like I could trust you." He then let out a small chuckle. "I know we just met, but I can see a resounding aura coming from you..."
Finishing his words, he smiled warmly at me once again.
I tried to think about the meaning behind those words.
Just like the five gods that reside in this world, there are five blessings that are given into the world when a time of crisis will soon engulf the world.
The Blessing of the Mana; the Blessing of the Sword; the Blessing of Light; the Blessing of Darkness; and the Blessing of the Spirits.
I recall that each blessing bestows each bearer a certain gift.
Just like how the Blessing of the Mana allows me to see the flow of mana with my eyes, the Blessing of the Sword allows one to see one's aura and true nature.
I already knew that he had the Blessing of the Sword. The blessing lay dormant within him all these years before the mark he just showed me appeared.
If I calculate the time frame... the mark should've appeared around two years ago as he reached the third ring, and became one of the rare magic swordsmen who can use both aura and magic.
It is impossible to learn magic and aura since both properties can't coexist in the human body, but a magic swordsman could achieve such a feat—making them one of the strongest beings in this world.
I then looked back at the Prince, feeling slightly touched by what he said.
"Trust... Can you really trust me?"
He slowly began walking towards me, and placed his hands on my shoulder before nodding with a warm smile.
"You have a gentle and soft aura coming out from you. I have seen countless people with auras that expose their facades, but... your aura seems to flow freely... it feels so warm..."
I widened my eyes..
Those are quite... comforting words for someone like me...
I couldn't help but smile back.
But in the eyes of the young Seraphina, who still stood behind the white-haired boy, she couldn't help but feel so baffled as she witnessed the warm atmosphere around the two people growing bigger and bigger, especially as they continued to smile so affectionately to each other.
"I thought that the Prince would be a good friend for Lys considering the rumors I hear about his kindness, but isn't he just trying to win him over?!"
Just as Seraphina was about to separate them once again, the guard behind the Prince coughed out loud, grabbing the children's attention.
"Your Highness. I believe we should move now."
The Prince let out a deep sigh before gently removing his hands from my shoulders. He then looked at me once again with the same warm smile.
"I'm sorry, but I should really meet with the Duke. Do you mind if you can show us the way?"
"I don't mind, Your Highness." I then glanced at Sera, who was still hiding behind me. "Sera, do you mind notifying father about the arrival of His Highness while I show them the way?"
"Why can't you ask one of the maids or butlers to show them the way?!"
I flinched at her response. She has never acted quite immature like this before...
I guess the appearance of the prince has something to do with it.
"Sera... there's no need to feel anxious. Didn't you say you wanted to be friends with His Highness?"
She quickly shook her head. "No! He's no friend if he's trying to take you away from me!"
"... Huh?"
Before I could properly respond to what she said, I heard the subtle footsteps of two people approaching from behind
I turned my head back, and saw that it was mother and father. Sera also glanced behind her, and without hesitation began to run towards mother, hugging and burying herself in her dress.
"Mom!"
Mother looked startled before she gently patted Sera's hair. "Oh my... What's wrong, Seraphina?"
Sera looked up at her with some forced tears on her face. "Mom! I don't like the Prince! He's trying to take Lys away from us!"
The Prince flinched at her words. Father then began walking towards him. Once he stood before the Prince, he crossed his arms and looked down at him with slight annoyance.
"Your Highness... Is there some sort of problem going on?"
The Prince scratched his hair, trying to avoid a total confrontation with father. As he tried looking away, our eyes met. He quietly clapped his hand together, and looked at me with teary eyes—as if asking me for help.
Noting that, I quickly chimed in and tried to help the prince out. "... Father, there's no need to worry. We were just discussing something, that's all."
Father continued to coldly stare at the Prince before letting out a sigh. "... Your Highness. I guess you came all the way here for the personal request you mentioned in your letters, right?"
The Prince twitched, and quickly straightened his posture before looking even more nervous at him. "Y-Yes! If Your Grace is willing to—"
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline your personal request."
The prince flinched at his words, and his mouth began quivering at the rejection before he quickly responded back. "I know I may not seem special in front of someone of your caliber, but at least give me a chance to prove myself!"
Father contemplated, and looked up and down at the Prince's body. "... I have no intentions of taking in a student, that's all."
Father then turned around, and began walking to where mother and Sera were at. But just as he stood before them, he briefly stopped, and gazed back at the prince from the corner of his eyes.
"I believe that concludes today's scheduled meeting. I'm sure you can show yourself out, right?"
The Prince continued to look down at the floor, not responding to his provocation. After a few seconds, he clenched his hand into a fist before looking up at him with determined eyes.
"Please! At least have a spar with me so I can show you my capabilities!"
Father raised one his eyebrows, and then turned his whole body around before approaching the Prince once again. Mother slightly covered her mouth with her hands, while Seraphina continued to look at the Prince with disdain.
Once he stood before the Prince again, Father's eyes looked even colder. With his arms crossed, he tapped his finger on his forearm, and just stayed silent.
A cold sweat ran down the Prince's face as he was exposed to father's cold stare. But even so, his determined eyes continued on.
Seeing just how the situation is getting even more tense, I slowly walked over to father, and gently tugged at his clothes.
"Father... Can you give him a chance at least?"
Even without the context, I can conclude what is going on: the prince wishes to be personally taught by father.
Just like mages, sword users can use aura when they reach the third ring.
Aura can be used similarly like magic. In exchange for mana, they can freely alter its shape, allow them to enhance their body during battle, or be physically manipulated to restrain or protect.
Seeing how the Prince has reached the third ring, he wants to be taught how to properly use aura by father—who is currently the strongest swordsman in the Empire.
He reached the eight ring at the age of twenty-two, a year before I was born. Even after ten years have passed, at the age of thirty-three, he is still the most powerful swordsman in the Empire.
Trying to attain the rings beyond the sixth rank becomes increasingly difficult. It required so much perseverance, and being put into a situation near death. That is why father, who was able to achieve the eight ring, became an important asset to the empire.
In the novel, the Prince didn't have such an opportunity after father closed himself from the death of mother.
But if the Prince can get stronger under father's guidance, would he have the power to deal with the changes that might occur—even after the original storyline is destroyed?
Yes... he needs to get stronger in the off-chance of Sera not being by his side, since a relationship doesn't seem to be an option seeing their interactions just now.
I looked up at father once more, whose expressions showed a sign of confusion as to why I would ask him that. "... It doesn't hurt trying to see if he truly is capable. From the looks of it, he already achieved the third ring."
Both father and the Prince were baffled when they heard my response
It is not easy to gauge someone's power since mana is not visible to the naked eye, especially knowing how much ring they have. But it is quite possible with the Blessing of the Mana.
The prince looked at me, confused as to how I knew that. But I just pointed at my white eyes, and surely enough he understood the meaning before slowly nodding.
After a moment of deeper contemplation, father closed his eyes and scratched his hair. "... As I said, I don't have any intentions of taking in a student."
He then looked back at the Prince, making him flinch. "But... I guess I can teach you some techniques in response to my son's request. Still, I would've accepted automatically if it was by the order of Her Majesty... Why didn't you ask her?"
The Prince continued to look up at father, trying hard to keep his determined eyes. "What's the point of getting stronger if I continue to stay behind my mother's shadow?"
Father let out a small hum, slightly interested by his reason. "... Maybe I did misjudge you. Very well then, let's head out to the sparring ground."
The Prince tilted his head. "What for?"
In response, father let out a sinister looking smile. "You said you wanted to spar with me, didn't you? I'll see for myself just how skilled you are."
A shiver then ran down the Prince's spine as he felt the impending danger to his life.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
I sat on the bench near the training ground while mother decided to take Sera inside, since it was time for her afternoon class. The guard who came with the prince also stood near the bench.
As I gazed at the training ground in front of me, I could see the stack of wooden swords aligned in a handle. Training dummies dispersed into different areas for individual training, and in the middle there is a large circular paved stone used for sparring.
On one side near the edge of the paved stone, the Prince wields a wooden sword while looking directly at the father, who is at the center.
Father stood there quietly, and placed both his hands on top of the sword hilt, while the tip of his wooden sword stabbed right through the ground. After a moment of silence, his eyes that were once closed slowly opened to the Prince.
"... I will stand here and only deflect your attacks. If any of your attacks touch or move me from my position, then consider that a win for you. But if I can withstand your attacks for ten minutes, then it is considered my win. Is that alright for you?"
The prince positioned the wooden sword in front of him, ready to attack. "Yes, I am fine with that."
"... You can begin whenever you are ready." Father then looked at me. "Lysander, can you keep track of the time?"
I nodded. "Yes, father."
The prince slowly closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Soon, a golden aura began wrapping around his body and the wooden sword before opening his eyes wide. Before I knew it, he instantly appeared in front of father.
That speed... in terms of short distance travel, it can beat my teleportation.
He struck horizontally, but father immediately deflected it and pushed him far away. But once the Prince landed on the ground, he immediately dashed again towards father's side, and tried to strike him. But again, father countered the attack, and pushed him away—making sure not to injure him too badly.
The Prince continued to appear and disappear instantaneously—trying his best to get at least one strike on father. Despite the continuous onslaught, father was able to easily deflect and predict where the Prince was going to appear, without even using an ounce of his aura.
Seven minutes have already passed now.
Father gazed at the Prince in front of him as their swords clashed against one another. "Not bad. It seems that I have severely underestimated you."
The prince grinned in response. "You haven't seen anything yet!"
He backed away from father, and positioned the sword in front of him before slowly closing his eyes. After he took a calm breath, his golden aura suddenly grew stronger and fiercer, and even began to manifest itself in a solidified form.
Leaves began to deorbit from their natural gliding path, and I could feel my own hair brushing up against the unstable wind around the Prince. Father continued to look at him with a subtle smirk, preparing to take the attack head on.
A trickle of golden lightning appeared around the Prince. He soon dashed towards father once more—much faster than before.
Once their swords clashed, a cloud of dust covered the whole surroundings. I immediately summoned forth a mana shield to protect me from the dust, and tried to see what happened.
In the end, father was able to block that major attack while the Prince's face was filled with surprise, and a hint of admiration for the person hailed as the strongest swordsmen in the Empire.
Father quickly parried the sword, causing the prince to back down. He was getting ready to attack once again before his knees trembled, making him lose his balance before keeling on the floor.
"Your Highness!"
The worried guard ran towards the Prince.
Father stabbed his wooden sword down on the ground. He then looked towards the worried guard who tried to help the Prince stand up.
"... Can you head inside and notify the maids to bring the priest to heal the Prince?"
The guard looked warily at the Duke before slowly nodding before looking back at the Prince. "I'll quickly return with aid, Your Highness."
The Prince nodded as he continued to try and balance himself with the sword, while the guard hurriedly began heading towards the manor.
As the guard was finally out of view, father let out a deep sigh. "... Quite reckless of you to try and use magic when you still can't control aura."
The prince just chuckled in response.
I stood up from the bench, and began walking towards them, notifying them about the time. "Ten minutes have passed, father."
He nodded before looking at the prince again. "You have truly exceeded my expectations. I'll notify the Empress about this, and acquire her approval to teach you personally."
The Prince chuckles once again before raising his head with a grin. "Does that mean you accept me as your student...?"
Father flinched before he slightly avoided his gaze. "... You'll have to prove yourself if you truly want to be my student. For now, I will just teach you the way of the sword."
"I-I see..."
The Prince almost collapsed on the floor, but I quickly grabbed him and wrapped his arms around my shoulder.
"Thank you... I owe you one."
I smiled at his response. "Just doing what any other person would do."
He lightly chuckled back. "I wish... everyone were as kind as you..."
Father then began walking towards us.
"Lysander, can you stay with the prince until the guard returns with the priest? I wish I could stay since I am the cause of the injury, but I have to immediately take care of some affairs—alongside the letter to the Empress."
I nodded.
He smiled before patting my head. "Thank you, Lysander."
I then smiled back at him. "Don't worry, father. You can count on me."
He warmly nodded before leaving me with the Prince. After a few minutes, the Prince took a deep breath, forced himself to stand up properly, and gently began stretching his back.
I slowly reached out to him with worry. "... Be careful, you are still injured."
He looked at me and smiled. "Thank you for your worries. But I'm still able to stand properly at least, so you don't have to carry me, and tire yourself up. "
"I see... Just don't overexert yourself."
He smiled brightly. "You are truly a kind person, aren't you?"
I flinched at his words.
A kind person... I truly wish to become a kind person...
I look down at the floor, feeling slightly sad. After a few moments, the prince squatted in front of me, our gazes connecting once more.
"Your warm aura... It changed." He then walked towards me before gently patting my arm. "Did I say something to make you sad?"
As he said those words, he let out a bright smile so endearing, that it would make anyone who saw it gasp with awe.
"I'm not confident when it comes to comforting people... But I didn't mean anything bad when I said you were a kind person."
He closed his eyes, held my hand, and gently squeezed it before smiling warmly once more.
"You truly are a kind person. You cared about my wellbeing, even though we just met."
His words lingered in my head. I then squatted down, and looked at him with a smile on my face.
"... It was my first time being called a kind person by someone else. I always thought that my kindness seemed superficial in the eyes of others."
"There's no need to think like that. If the kindness you wish to show comes from the bottom of your heart, then it is undeniably true—no matter what anyone says."
The orange hue of the sky went on to contrast his midnight hair while his sharp-sapphire eyes continued to gaze at me so warmly and gently. His bright smile towards me wasn't forced. He isn't trying to pity me, but comfort me...
Finally knowing that... I couldn't help but let out a smile, just like his.
"Thank you..."
In the eyes of the prince, the young boy smiling in front of him mesmerized him. His white hair and rose skin reminds him so much of the snowy season called winter. Yet, his hazel and white eyes went on to reflect the fluffy and white aura surrounding the boy—which spread out so much warmth around the space.
The golden hue of the setting sun gently began to embrace the boy named Lysander, confirming to the Prince just how the boy in front of him truly is the embodiment of warmth and kindness...
With that, the Prince couldn't help but smile warmly once again before gently holding the boy's hand.
"... If you're thankful, then do you want to become friends with me, Lys?"
The white-haired boy flinched, but slowly... his lips curved up into a small smile at the thought of finally making a friend. "I'm happy to be your friend, August."
In the moments when the boys decided to call each other by a set of new and meaningful nicknames, the young and lonely boy finally made his first friend.