How To Break Qaq If The Dragon Catches The Wrong Person? Chapter 21

Chapter 21 A Letter

“Why did you come alone? Where is Mian? Didn’t you bring him?”

Early in the morning, Ovi had been summoned by the Prince and was now in the Royal Study, sitting casually on a sofa with his legs crossed, reading a newspaper.

Seeing that Kairis had finally arrived, he craned his neck to look behind him and asked casually.

“Still sleeping.” Kairis paused slightly, as if recalling something, but quickly answered with his usual expression.

Ovi didn’t notice the subtle shift. He nodded, and the two walked over to the desk and sat down, beginning to look through the stacks of confidential letters piled there.

“Here, my father asked me to bring this.” Ovi remembered something, pulled an envelope of the same size as those on the desk from his pocket, and placed it in front of Kairis.

Kairis immediately frowned, feeling a headache coming on: “Why does the Duke have to get involved too?”

“He’s been unhappy with Fes for a long time, you know.” Ovi said helplessly. “Everyone else is offering advice and strategies, so how could he possibly sit still?”

As he spoke, Ovi looked at Kairis, becoming slightly serious, and asked cautiously, “So, what exactly is the Royal Family planning?”

Kairis lowered his eyes, scanning a letter he had just opened, and did not say a word.

Recently, Fes had been making frequent small moves targeting Velen. Incident after incident was reported to the court, making it seem like they were eager to provoke conflict. Although Velen had subtly defused each situation, the sheer number of occurrences was starting to become annoying.

Consequently, Velen’s ministers were equally active, submitting petitions daily. The war faction and the peace faction were arguing fiercely, seemingly determined not to stop until a resolution was reached.

Kairis had arranged to meet Ovi in the Royal Study this morning precisely to discuss these matters.

Seeing that Kairis didn’t answer, Ovi knew the matter was too sensitive to draw a quick conclusion. So, he said nothing more and dutifully helped his friend organize and record the official documents.

Not long after, a Royal Steward suddenly entered and brought Kairis a letter.

This letter was different from the official documents on the desk; it looked much more formal.

Kairis frowned, looking at the crest on the envelope.

“Prince, this is a confidential letter from the Fes Empire.” The steward bowed his head, presenting the wax-sealed letter with both hands.

Kairis motioned for him to set the letter down, then took gloves from a drawer and put them on. Ovi raised an eyebrow, waiting until the steward left before asking curiously, “From Fes? Who sent it to you?”

“I’m not sure,” Kairis replied, his gaze fixed on the uniquely styled envelope. “It looks like it’s from the Royal Family.”

Ovi fell silent, looking surprised.

Kairis pondered for a moment, then opened the letter.

The paper and envelope were unremarkable, and the handwriting was elegant, with very proper and polite wording.

The letter was from the Princess of Fes, Lilith.

Kairis read the entire letter without changing his expression, then casually set it aside.

“Who sent it, and what did it say?” Ovi had been watching Kairis’s expression intently while he read, trying to glean some clue, but he found nothing.

Kairis had remained expressionless the whole time.

This only made Ovi more curious.

“Lilith,” Kairis answered after a moment of silence.

“Her?” Ovi was slightly surprised. “What does she have to say to you…”

As he spoke, he suddenly realized something, and his expression became complicated.

Kairis didn’t speak, just motioned for him to read it himself.

With Kairis’s permission, Ovi picked up the letter and began to read.

Two minutes later, he finished the letter, and his expression grew even more complex.

In summary, the Princess’s letter essentially asked Kairis to return Mian to Fes and stop keeping him.

The language was not sharp; in fact, it was quite courteous and friendly.

They were indeed in the wrong regarding this matter, and Ovi suddenly didn’t know what to say.

…He also wondered how the Princess of Fes knew about this.

“So, what are you planning to do?” he asked Kairis.

Kairis lowered his eyes, silent for the second time, lost in thought.

“Don’t forget,” Ovi reminded him after a brief silence. “You still owe her a favor.”

“I know,” Kairis said expressionlessly.

The biggest helper behind their ability to receive intelligence and successfully go to Fes to bring their people back was Mian’s actual intended marriage partner—Princess Lilith of the Fes Empire.

Although, they still didn’t understand her motive for doing so.

Ovi stretched, leaning back in his chair and looking at the ceiling. “It seems the Royal Family of Fes isn’t entirely composed of overconfident fools; they have smart people too.”

Thinking this, he felt a bit suspicious again: “But I still haven’t figured out why she did that back then.”

“I don’t know,” Kairis replied, his gaze falling casually on the letter, his expression indifferent. “That’s their own business.”

“In any case, I don’t think she’s bad. The fact that those members of the Dragon Race were able to be released with you was also thanks to her help,” Ovi analyzed to himself. “Although the current Crown Prince of Fes is a brainless braggart, his sister is quite decent.”

“Sending the Little Dragon back shouldn’t cause any trouble.”

Kairis didn’t respond.

There were many official documents, and the two spent a long time reviewing them. Ovi rubbed his aching shoulders, complaining that he would never come again, and then excused himself and left the Royal Study. Kairis also rubbed his temples and rose from behind the desk.

Remembering the letter, he was silent for a moment, then changed his mind about going to see his father. He simply instructed a steward to take the documents to the King to read himself, and then returned to his bedchamber.

Arriving at the bedchamber, he didn’t see the person he was looking for.

He asked Sasha where Mian had gone and was told that he had gone to The Gemstone Tavern.

Kairis didn’t know what mood prompted him to decide to personally leave the Royal Palace to find him.

He clearly had no urgent matter to discuss with him.

But he went anyway.

And so, when he arrived outside the Royal Palace, he witnessed that scene.

Mian ultimately left with Kairis.

The carriage rattled along the Royal City avenue. Only the two of them sat in the luxurious and spacious compartment, and the atmosphere was eerily silent.

Mian deliberately sat a little distance from Kairis, turning his head to pretend to admire the street view outside the window in a very conspicuous manner.

Because he was still upset.

It wasn’t just because of what happened last night; Kairis had also prevented him from buying the gemstone he wanted today.

…But the main reason was still what happened yesterday.

Kairis looked at the back of Mian’s head, and combining it with the Little Dragon’s subtle attitude since they met at the tavern, he began to wonder how exactly he had offended him.

And why did he run off to the tavern… Can dragons drink human alcohol?

But then he remembered that today was the tavern owner’s annual gemstone exhibition. Recalling the well-known traits and preferences of the Dragon Race, he figured Mian must have heard the news from someone and wanted to buy gemstones.

However, that tavern was a mixed bag, and it was truly unsuitable for him to appear there alone.

Thinking this, Kairis recalled the scene when they met: the attendant placing his hand on the back of the oblivious Mian’s hand. He frowned slightly.

“Mian,” he called.

Mian was startled by the sudden address and instinctively wanted to answer, but then remembered he was still angry, so he forcefully controlled his urge to turn around.

After a tense ten seconds, Mian felt guilty first and silently turned his head away from the window, though he still didn’t look at Kairis.

Kairis watched him for a few seconds, then handed him a towel that was still slightly warm: “Wipe your hands.”

Mian looked at the steaming towel, then at Kairis, and took it, somewhat confused.

…Did he have something dirty on his face?

After a moment of hesitation, he raised the towel, attempting to wipe his face with it.

“Your hands,” Kairis prompted.

Mian: “?”

He looked at his hands, thinking they didn’t look dirty.

But since Kairis said so, he might as well wipe them.

“If you need to go out in the future, remember to bring Palace Guards,” Kairis spoke again while Mian was wiping his hands.

Mian didn’t speak or look at him, just nodded.

The carriage fell silent once more.

This silence lasted until the carriage reached the castle gate, and the two stepped out.

Ovi happened to be at the castle gate, preparing to leave. Seeing the two of them stepping out of the carriage together, and recalling Kairis’s answer when he asked where Mian was earlier in the day, he was amused. He teased Mian, who walked ahead and greeted him: “What’s going on? Did Kairis catch you sneaking out of the palace to play?”

Mian: “…”

First, he wasn’t sneaking out to play.

Second, he didn’t need Kairis’s permission to go out.

Mian felt offended, so he left in silence, still angry.

Ovi looked at Mian’s retreating back, confused, then turned to Kairis, who had walked up beside him.

“What’s the matter?” He gestured toward Mian and asked.

“…” Kairis rubbed his temples with a hint of helplessness. “He’s angry.”

“Angry?” Ovi looked intrigued. “Who upset him?”

Seeing Kairis’s expression, a bold guess formed in his mind: “…It wasn’t you, was it?”

This was highly unusual. This was probably the first person their esteemed Prince had ever encountered who dared to give him the cold shoulder.

“Possibly,” Kairis admitted, lowering his eyes.

“What did you do to him?” Ovi was even more curious now that Kairis had confessed.

“I don’t know.” Kairis frowned slightly, as if facing a difficult puzzle.

Ovi had originally been about to leave, but now, he wasn’t in a hurry for anything.

Kairis hesitated for a moment, then briefly recounted what had happened last night.

Ovi’s eyes widened when he heard Mian ask, “Do you dislike me?”

His eyes instantly filled with gossip, and he wished he could dig Kairis’s memory out of his brain and examine every detail of last night: “And then?”

“I didn’t answer him,” Kairis said.

But he let him into the room, and they slept together.

Kairis didn’t say that part.

Ovi looked shocked: “And you still don’t know why he’s angry?”

“As his… his presumed future partner, how could he not be angry when you act like that?”

Ovi shook his head, looking disappointed in Kairis.

Kairis opened his lips, wanting to explain something, but felt it would be redundant to talk to the person in front of him, so he frowned and closed his mouth.

“What are you going to do?” Ovi was most energetic when watching the Prince’s drama, and immediately enthusiastically offered Kairis advice on how to win back the Little Dragon’s heart.

As for why he needed to win it back, and whether this heart was correct or even existed, that was temporarily irrelevant.

“I don’t need your help,” Kairis said coldly. “If you have nothing to do, go home, or go tutor Loria.”

Ovi: “…”

This was the definition of having good intentions thrown back in his face.