How to Live as the Enemy Prince

Little by little, the faint sound of hooves became more pronounced and the four guards before the gates stood to attention, moving quickly to meet the carriage. The back view of the guard and the heads of the horses pulling the carriage were visible from where Calian stood, but the appearance of the visitor was hidden beyond the gate pillars. 

Calian debated heading straight to the gate right away but decided to observe the situation a little longer. If the visitor was not Alan then the guards would find it strange to see him hanging around the area. 

The polite voice of the guard could be heard speaking to the guest, 

“Please descend from your horse, Sir,” it was not particularly distinctive, but they were being polite enough. 

‘Tap’ – the sound of shoes landing lightly on the ground – the soldier continued, 

“Please state the reason for your visit, Sir,” 

“It was said that the Birthday Festival for the King of Kyris was taking place,” the voice of the visitor rang out. As far as Calian knew, Alan Manasil should be in his early 50s – however the voice he heard felt much younger. 

For a moment, Calian felt disappointed that it might not be Alan but – 

“My name is Alan Manasil, I am a wizard,” 

It was him! 

Calian flinched, shoulders straightening as he tensed, and as though sensing his will and tension, Raven began moving forwards on his own, at a slow pace. 

‘As if I was taking a walk and came across the situation by coincidence,’

Alan was a 7-circle mage, if Calain had been sneaking around closer, he would have been able to tell and would become guarded, so he tried to stay in a position that was just far enough that he could hear what was happening without making it too obvious. 

And it seemed Raven had noticed Calian’s thoughts matched his movements. He seemed to understand Calian’s unconscious movements – either that or he could read Calian’s mind. 

Calian stroked Raven’s neck and whispered, 

“Raven, you’re brilliant,” and as though he had recognised that he was being praised, Raven tossed back his head proudly. 

“Please present your invitation,” the knight's voice could be heard once again, it seemed that he did not recognise who Alan was just from his name. A moment of silence passed between them in which Calian assumed Alan was searching for the invitation, but after a while, Alan spoke, 

“Hmm, what can be done? It seems I have lost my invitation,” he said. Things seemed to be proceeding as Calian had heard, Alan did not present his invitation and the slightly wary reply from the guard came, 

“My apologies sir, but I cannot permit entry without an invitation,” 

“I have told you my name, could you not check somewhere else? I have travelled from very far for this,” Alan asked. It wasn’t too strange a request, members of the royal guards all had a list of attendees and citizens all had identification papers so even without the invitation, it should have been possible for Alan to enter the palace. 

In fact, Archmage Alan Manasil was someone who did not need an invitation to enter the royal palace. 

At that moment, Calian stared as though the scene had upset him. The guard was glancing at Alan’s clothes without subtlety and he opened his mouth without checking the attendance list, 

“Please return with an invitation, sir,” 

“…so you judge based on appearance,” was what Alan, who was dressed shabbily and appeared without an invitation, said.

Calian couldn’t fathom what Alan was trying to do but he had made a situation that he could grab on to. It was as though he was trying to find an excuse to not come to Kyris and participate in the banquet. 

The guard who had judged based on appearance wasn’t good too since he did not do a thorough check but it did not seem like Alan wanted to come to the banquet in the first place – he did not even insist on the attendance list, instead. 

Calian frowned. He had to catch Alan, who seemed displeased at having to come to this country.

“Then I will leave,” the sound of a horse’s hooves once again could be heard and Calian’s heart became impatient. 

He had been slowly walking to the front gate on Raven’s back and still had a little further to go to make the approach seem casual but Alan had given up too quickly and everything seemed to have ended too abruptly.

Calian grasped Raven’s reins and said,

“Yan, do whatever you have to do to block the guards,” 

“Your highness?” Yan asked, looking flustered at the sudden order, 

“Make it so they can’t follow me,” 

“Your highness, you’re not thinking of leaving?”

Calian turned to face the gate without answering and Raven shot forward. 

The guards moved in a hurry, they could see the boy in his flowing white cape atop a black horse and threw themselves in front of it, 

“Your highness, please stop your horse. It is forbidden to leave royal grounds!” 

‘I know.’

There was barely a need to guide Raven, he sped up and smoothly avoided the guards, jumped over the barriers before slipping out of the palace without pause. 

The guards whistled sharply and their trained horses came forwards. Yan’s eyes shook as he watched, 

‘What do I do? What should I do?’ 

He had been told to block the guards but Calian had no power to even take responsibility for his actions right now. He had barely made a good impression on the aristocats but all of that would be in vain if he made such a blunder here. 

So Yan had to do something he could take responsibility for. 

Yan clenched and unclenched his fists, as if determined. He reached up and took off the tie that held his blond curly hair back and shook it out so as to not be noticed as the Prince’s servant. 

He thought it was fortunate that he had not worn the servant’s uniform today. 

“Stop.” 

Yan strengthened his gaze and called the guards forward, they all turned to him at the sound of his command. Blue-grey eyes regarded the guards and for a moment, Yan thought of the man with the same eyes who must have been enjoying the banquet. 

“I am Siroyan Siegfried, the eldest son of the Duke of Siegfried,” 

At the sound of his name, the guards immediately removed their hats and held to one side, and then placed their right fist over their hearts. It was the official greeting of the soldiers of Kyris. 

Yan nodded lightly at their greeting and said, 

“The Duke of Siegfried has guaranteed the Prince’s outing,”

Yan, whose name had been forgotten because of Calian, had been brought back once again for Calian. 

He met the gaze of the soldiers steadily as the fluttering cape became smaller and smaller in the distance.