The commoners were equally astonished. This food was supposed to be for the victims of the disaster, and everyone had limited themselves to only eating their fair share. The crown prince, who certainly wasn’t lacking for food, shouldn’t be having multiple servings.
In the end, Hodr ate five full portions and let out a satisfied burp.
“Surprisingly, it was decent. So who’s the chef? No way a criminal cooked that. Whoever it is, I wanna bring them back to the palace with me. It’s a waste to leave them out here in the boonies.”
The abbot bowed as he replied. He managed to restrain his anger, but his shoulders were shaking. “In fact, this meal was prepared by the prisoners.”
“Ha! I guess everyone makes mistakes. I’ll ask father to shorten their sentences!”
The chamberlain rushed to whisper into the prince’s ear.
Hodr clicked his tongue. “Shut up!”
I was so fed up. Liam didn’t show his emotions, but Bal was clearly worked up. I couldn’t let this drag on any longer, so I took Bal with me to the back of the monastery where we handed out the banana cake. It had been made with a mix of acorn flour and wheat to make it extra filling. And thanks to the bananas, we didn’t have to use much sugar.
Everyone politely lined up and we began giving out the slices. Suddenly, I heard the chamberlain’s voice.
“Your Highness, please return to the Renard estate.”
“No! I heard they’re handing out banana cake here! I’m gonna have some!”
“That food is for the victims! We cannot eat it.”
“What? Even you liked that ‘curry’ thing. I bet the cake will be good too! And it’s a banana cake! I brought those bananas here, so I deserve some too. If I hadn’t brought them, these peasants would’ve gone the rest of their lives without ever having tasted them! Not to mention, they’ll get to eat with royalty. They must be beside themselves with gratitude!”
The common folk quickly dispersed at the sight of the prince and chamberlain. The guard with the hat remained hidden in the distance, watching everything.
His Highness scoffed haughtily. “Look! Everyone’s clearing the way for me!”
He went right up to me and reached out for the tray of banana cake I was holding, grabbing a piece of cake with each hand. Seeing this, a nearby child burst into tears.
“Manners, Your Highness!” the chamberlain reproached.
“Be quiet. We’re not in the palace, so who cares?”
Yet right as Hodr said that, Bal caught his left hand.
“Stop it. You’re a disgrace,” he said, glaring at the prince from behind his tinted glasses. His patience had finally reached its limit.
“Huh? Do you realize who I am? I’m the crown prince!”
“Even the children are able to wait in line and only take one slice. The least you could do as the crown prince is show the same kind of restraint,” Bal responded without fear.
I shot a panicked glance at Lord Reineke, but the fox spirit was on Bal’s side, glaring at the prince.
“If a peasant brat gets to have one slice of cake, then I deserve ten. It’s just common sense. Or can’t you even do such a simple calculation? This is why you commoners are all so hopeless...”
Everyone stared daggers at His Highness, who had practically called them all stupid. They had come to like Bal, as he often helped out at the infirmary or with excavation work.
The chamberlain was visibly concerned by the menacing air, and whispered something to the prince.
“Humph! So you’re the kid the Renards are looking after, huh? I’ve tolerated you so far because father ordered me to be lenient with the victims, but if you’re a noble, it’s a different story. Take your hood off!” Hodr ordered. “It’s disrespectful. Or do you have some reason to keep it on?”
Bal’s body stiffened at the question. I felt an icy sensation, and when I looked at the monastery’s shadow in the distance, I saw the guard in the hat staring grimly at Bal.
That look in his eyes... He wasn’t watching over His Highness—he’s been observing Bal!
Nervously, Bal lowered his hood, revealing his orange locks. The guard’s eyes softened slightly at the sight.
“Look, it’s not gold,” Hodr told his chamberlain, suddenly bored. “But let’s check his eyes too, just to be safe,” he decided, reaching for Bal’s glasses.
“Hey! Stop it!”
As soon as Bal raised his voice, I jumped in between the two boys. I pushed Bal behind me, and my own hood slipped off from the vigor of my action. My silver fox ears were now visible.
“Please stop, Your Highness! This boy’s eyes are weak, and if they’re exposed to sunlight, he’ll go blind!” I lied.
Hodr gasped, staring at me in shock. His cheeks flushed and his nostrils flared as his breathing quickened.
“I thought that was a tail sticking out from your skirt, but you even have animal ears?! They can’t be real, can they?!” he exclaimed with a glint in his eye and a strange grin.
Huh? How scary!
“Those fox-like ears are the real deal? And the tail too?!” His Highness suddenly grabbed one of my ears and pulled on it.
“Ow! That hurts! Stop!!!” I cried, causing his eyes to light up even more.
“They are real... This is the first time I’ve ever seen a hybrid.”
Lord Reineke barked at Hodr, and Bal stepped forward to protect me. However, I couldn’t let him do anything reckless that would let the guard see his eyes.
“Bal! Go get Liam!” I screamed.
Bal nodded and ran off.
“Hey! I wanna buy this creature!” the prince announced, pointing at me. He’d forgotten all about Bal.
“What’s he doing to Lady Lune?!”
“He might’ve brought us relief supplies, but this is going too far!”
“I don’t care if he’s a child. This is unforgivable!”
The men began walking forward in my defense.
“Don’t!” I called out to them.
The chamberlain was in a panic over this explosive situation. “Y-Your Highness! You mustn’t treat a human being like an object!”
The boy scoffed.
“Human? This isn’t a human—it’s a beast! People hunt foxes all the time!”
Lord Reineke roared and suddenly grew in size until he was gigantic. His Highness and the chamberlain fell on their butts in startlement, staring up at the fox.
“What the—?!”
Lord Reineke was about to pin down the boy with his paw, when the chamberlain—despite quivering with fear—shielded him with his own body. Even now, the guard in the shadows didn’t move to protect the prince.
Is he not actually a guard?
Liam and Bal arrived on the scene, a stormy aura emanating from them both as they stepped in front of me. The abbot, Dr. Guillotin, and Dr. Trousseau had come too, and they all formed a protective wall around me.
“Is something the matter?” Liam asked, deadpan as ever.
The chamberlain staggered to his feet and helped the prince up. Lord Reineke brought his snout closer to Hodr’s face, baring his fangs.
“Eek!” The boy shuddered, clinging onto the chamberlain.
“Th-The beast suddenly grew bigger...” the man stammered.
“I believe I already explained that the Great Lord Reineke lives in our land. My adopted sister is his contractor, and he may turn on those who harm her,” Liam said with an icy glare.
Spirits were very highly revered in our nation. Human ranks meant nothing to spirits—if anything, it was the other way around. The royals had only gained their position because their ancestor had made a contract with the Lord of Light. And if a spirit punished a member of the royalty, that person would lose all honor to their name and be erased from the family tree.
“I thought that was just some empty threat... You’re telling me that’s actually Reineke? Didn’t that spirit have something to do with the founder of the royal family?” His Highness mumbled, shielding his head.
A golden light seeped from him into Lord Reineke. Faith empowered the spirit—and the prince’s fear came from belief.
“How discourteous, to address the Great Lord Reineke in such a way,” Liam said, looking up at the fox.
Lord Reineke nodded, opening his jaws wide. The inside of his mouth was unimaginably red, contrasting against his silver fur. He could swallow a human being in a single gulp.
The prince quickly shook his head.
“No! Wait! I didn’t know! I just didn’t know!!!” he insisted, but Lord Reineke drew his open mouth even closer. “Eek!”
Hodr was quaking all over, on the verge of tears. Finally, in a barely audible whisper, he implored for forgiveness.
“I’m... I’m sorry.”
The chamberlain prostrated himself on the ground, a golden light spilling from him as well.