Cain seemed disappointed and licked his lips as if expressing regret.
"If you go to the Magic Tower, you'll receive treatment that cannot be compared to what the palace offers."
"Are you sure about that, doctor? Why talk about the Magic Tower instead of checking his physical condition?"
The veins bulged on the back of Hunter's hand. Even without a weapon, he could easily deal with this scrawny old man. If that happened, Cain wouldn't stay quiet, and the palace would become a mess. I was about to quietly intervene, but Cain spoke first.
"Oh, there's no issue with his health. In fact, he's very healthy. However... as I mentioned, his mana is truly unique. If there were any health issues, no doctor or priest could fix it easily."
Cain raised his thin, bushy eyebrows. However, Hunter's face darkened.
"Well, since you're fine now, Should I take my leave?"
He slowly stood up, patted his waist, and prepared to leave with the bag in hand. Despite his leisurely exit, Cain looked quite obnoxious to me.
"Wait."
Hunter called him back.
"How exactly has Prince Del's mana affected him?"
"If there were distortions or interruptions in the mana flow, He will die without help."
In this world, abnormalities in mana were common. There was even an ending where Del Narcissus died from a mana-related illness. Cain had an ending where he succumbed to the same illness.
"Well, for now, you don't need to worry since you're young and healthy."
Cain smiled and left the room after greeting. However, Hunter looked more serious than before.
"Mana deficiency is a common disease affecting one-third of the empire's citizens. Usually, it's either like the flu which they go to the Magic Tower for a prescription for medicine. But if you're vulnerable to such a disease..."
He looked at me with concern. And sorry, but I....
This is it!
I was going to suffer from Mana deficiency sooner or later
***
We returned to the hall where the party was still ongoing. Despite the slightly chaotic atmosphere, the party continued fairly stable, thanks to the efficient servants of the palace. The protagonist of the party, the First Princess, had arrived, receiving gifts while seated in front, accompanied by the emperor.
"Let's leave together."
Hunter called over an aide carrying a gift box and instructed them to stand beside me. I nodded in agreement.
We approached the emperor and the First Princess. They were sitting on a high platform and smiling benevolently. Anyone can see they looked like seasoned politicians father and daughter. However, just before I bowed to greet them, I noticed the emperor's expression stiffened slightly upon seeing Hunter. Yes, they didn't seem to have a good relationship.
After the greeting and before I lifted my head, the emperor was smiling at me. Unlike the displeased Hunter, the emperor seemed more focused on me.
"Aren't you the famous youngest son of the Count Narcissus family?"
"I greet the emperor."
"Rumors have been circulating that you've been accompanying the crown prince recently, and here you are again."
"Lately, I've been receiving a lot of help from the Crown Prince. It made me realize the exceptional abilities and flawless character of the Crown Prince. I've come to feel that the Crown Prince is truly someone Your Majesty can trust."
Ah yes, your son is quite impressive.
I tried to convey that sentiment as much as possible. Praising the Crown Prince and linking it to the emperor, even if Hunter looked dissatisfied, the emperor, who didn't seem to like his son much, didn't feel bad. He chuckled and tilted his head with an interesting expression.
"I've heard rumors that Narcissus Count's son is immature and rotten inside but from what I see, he's not that bad."
"Being a child who satisfies their parents is a challenging feat. I'm making an effort."
As I spoke while bowing my head, the emperor seemed pleased with my words.
"Well, if you want to inherit the Narcissus family, you'll need to strive and work more diligently."
"I will do whatever it takes to be of help to His Majesty the Emperor."
Hunter glanced at me nervously, but I continued to smile brightly at the emperor. My recent words were a declaration that I would inherit the position of Narcissus Count, and it might have sounded like a statement that I wouldn't become the Crown Princess.
Not only Hunter but other nobles also started to murmur. They seemed confused, unsure whether the engagement news they knew was fake. However, Hunter, despite his apparent confusion, paid no attention to the noble's commotion.
"Teresa, I've brought a gift."
As he spoke, the room fell silent. The First Princess, who had been silently observing us with a smile, spoke gently.
"I couldn't sleep, eagerly anticipating what the Crown Prince would give. You're always so thoughtful."
Ignoring the nobles' murmurs, Hunter approached the place where gifts were stacked and placed his gift box at the top before stepping back.
"From the Basilone Kingdom, I crafted a necklace and earrings with pink diamonds. I chose them to complement your hair color."
The explanation left everyone around us astonished. Even the First Princess widened her eyes, her cheeks flushed.
"Pink diamonds from the Basilone Kingdom? My goodness! Thank you, Crown Prince!"
"Feel free to wear them."
Hunter nonchalantly said, and the woman standing behind me made a gasping sound upon hearing his words. It seemed like a truly precious gem. The suggestion to wear such valuable jewelry casually exuded a sense of style.
"What a truly precious gift."
As the emperor commented from the side, the First Princess smiled even more brightly.
"I'll wear it often. Thank you so much, dear brother."
Despite the emperor's approval and the First Princess's affectionate address, Hunter just nodded politely, greeted us, and escorted me away from the scene.
We returned to Woofu, who was standing in a corner of the party venue. During our walk, I noticed many nobles eager to talk to Hunter and me.
The display of my apparent willingness to become Narcissus Count and the good relationship between the Crown Prince and the First Princess left an impression of the Crown Prince's strong political position.
My goal here was to subtly show my political support for the Crown Prince and take the "route" of wanting to go to the Magic tower for the immature reason of becoming interested in magic but now I had a better excuse
The rare disease of Mana deficiency, which was common to others but a rare and deadly disease for me, meant the Crown Princess had to be released for treatment seemed to provide a better storyline than my original plan.
After arriving next to Woofu, I felt a bit excited and grabbed the hem of the Crown Prince's robe, shaking it.
"His Majesty seemed in a good mood, didn't he? It looks like the Crown Princess was satisfied with the gift."
"Rather than that, it seems the number of subjects who want to serve His Majesty increased."
Hunter responded stiffly. He didn't seem pleased at all and just looked at me with eyes expecting an explanation.
"Hey, that was just something I said. Can I really inherit Narcissus as I've already announced my engagement?"
Brushing it off casually, Hunter's expression relaxed a bit.
"Is that so?"
He said, unconsciously scratching Woofu's forehead. It seemed like he was somewhat relieved. It stabbed a little in a corner of my heart because it looked like the reaction of someone who felt reassured.
"Ahem, well, I'll go to the restroom for a moment. You stay here and play with Woofu."
Leaving Hunter alone, I exited the party venue through the main entrance. People's eyes followed me. As the partner who had been standing next to him disappeared, nobles rushed towards Hunter as if drawn by a magnet. The air around them seemed filled with curiosity and goodwill.
Hunter will handle it well, probably. After all, he has lived as the Crown Prince for so many years.
I walked slowly through the corridor, pretending to be looking for the restroom, and gradually turned into a less crowded path. Someone approached me from behind and started talking.
"Del Narcissus."
I turned as if expecting him, wondering which disguise Cain would appear in this time.
"I knew you would be like this."
However, there stood the Second Prince. Judging by the lack of Cain's character information above his head, it was indeed the real Second Prince. Unable to respond immediately due to my surprise, the Second Prince approached me with a smile.
"Still luring people from behind, huh? Calling me out to a place like this."
"I called for Your Highness the Second Prince?"
Feigning ignorance with a puzzled expression, I couldn't understand what misunderstanding had occurred. The Second Prince, with an annoying smirk, chuckled.
"Earlier, you shook your butt toward me in front of everyone, right? You threw subtle glances and subtly lured me in this direction. Oh, imagine if my esteemed brother finds out about this."
What kind of bullshit is this?
I gave him a look of disbelief, but the Second Prince, running his tongue over his lips, confidently closed the distance between us.
"Should we do it in the hallway? Or maybe in an empty room? I'll give you that much choice."
As soon as his absurd words ended, an ominous sound echoed. Ding dong.
[Surprise Event! We present 'Steamy Moment with a Mob Character.' Enjoy to your heart's content!]
What on earth is this?
(From ch 31-40 i didn't proofread it so If there is any wrong grammar etc. pls tell me and I'll proofread it.)