"I don't..."
Tales had no choice but to use the knocked-over teacup to hide his astonishment, until the veiled novice nun beside Megan eagerly and skillfully stepped forward and, with little regard for his feelings, cleaned up the mess on the table.
"I don't understand?"
But this time, Megan kept silent, quietly observing the Prince behind the desk.
So this was the boy.
The boy who concerned the future of the kingdom—perhaps he was no longer a boy.
At the mention of magic, his expression showed a hint of surprise. He was unlike those old nobles who had been calculating from birth, all polished manners and layers of pretense.
Yet neither was he like the restrained yet ambitious upstarts of the Royal Capital.
Gilbert was caught off guard.
"Priestess Megan! I thought today was merely a theology lesson, where you would explain knowledge related to the gods to His Highness..."
"As I said, theology has never been a field concerned only with the gods."
Megan interrupted Gilbert—the fool who seemed clever to others, yet remained as dull and hopeless as ever—and continued studying Duke Tales before her.
The young Duke looked somewhat thin, reminding her of the poor people who huddled outside Divine Grace Hall in winter, waiting for aid.
But his eyes were bright, sharp, and alert.
That was not all. Megan could also tell from other details of his behavior—his natural, relaxed posture, his brisk movements, and his bold, direct manner of speaking—that this was not a traditional Prince of Starfall.
At least, he was unlike the previous few.
Megan glanced over the Prince's clothing again. Its colors were dark and its style conservative, yet the details at the collar and cuffs featured novel designs. Combined with the silver thread concealed in just the right places, they complemented