Ⅲ
The lingering winter chill mingled with the spring breeze and slipped through the vent into the secret room.
The candle flame began to sway.
The charcoal in the brazier crackled.
Diodone Hamlet picked up a piece of charcoal with the tongs and tossed it into the brazier. With a snap, sparks burst upward.
Through the sparks and ash.
At that moment, in Pistrie Hamlet's eyes, his older brother's face grew indistinct.
But he showed none of his usual fear or submission.
Instead, he imitated the Arthur in his mind, putting on an ambiguous smile-he had wanted to imitate his father, but the Old Lion's youngest son was so deeply terrified of his father's imposing presence that the mere thought made him tremble. He could not imitate him at all.
Arthur was different.
The youngest son's fear of Arthur had long since turned into a sense of security with the signing of one Contract after another.
The security of having someone above him, a powerful backer behind him.
With that security, the Old Lion's youngest son's confidence reached a new peak.
Just as every force had an equal and opposite reaction-
The flames, sparks, and ash rising from the brazier formed a curtain that kept Pistrie from seeing his older brother's face clearly.
Likewise, when Diodone looked at his younger brother, he found him indistinct as well.
That confident smile, in particular, left the Old Lion's second son momentarily dazed-
When?
When did Pistrie acquire a faction of his own?
The Old Lion's second son swept his gaze over Sean and Bont again.
As the Old Lion's second son, Diodone naturally thought little of two capable men of major arcana rank.
But he cared about what their presence implied.
In his eyes, Pistrie had always been an idle, utterly naive