[Albekail] “Video Calls Are Not Possible, Episode 2”
Day four. Albert resolved to let it go.
Let’s forget all about it. That’s for Kale to handle. He just needs to do his own job. How can the Crown Prince possibly rule the kingdom if he’s so preoccupied with the one-week vacation of the eldest son of some earl’s family?
That morning, Albert attended an important policy meeting regarding the future of the kingdom.
The meeting lasted one hour.
"Your Highness, are you all right?"
When the meeting ended and Albert stood up, his secretary approached him and asked,
"Okay."
Albert answered without grasping the gist of the question. The secretary then cautiously spoke up again.
"……Your Highness."
"Why is that?"
"You haven’t spoken a single word during the meeting… Is there a problem or something…?"
"……Ah."
Instead of leaving the conference room for no reason, Albert glanced at the ministers as they walked out and flashed them a friendly smile.
"Hmm. Today was a meeting where I listened carefully to the opinions of the other ministers."
"……Yes, Your Highness. I understand."
Within the secretary’s brief “……” lay a polite question regarding the fact that there had never been a single meeting where Albert had simply “listened.”
As if he were really listening. For an entire hour, Albert had been thinking only about whether Kale had gone to the Forest of Darkness or to some island near the Ubar Estate. He spent the entire hour thinking about nothing else. He couldn’t remember a single word of what was said at the meeting.
Albert returned to his office, placed both palms on his desk, and slowly rested his forehead against it. The cold marble felt familiar.
This is a bad sign.
---
Day five. After finishing his main tasks, Albert spread out a map of the continent on one wall of his office for the first time.
Standing before the map of the continent, Albert stood motionless with his arms crossed for an hour, scrutinizing every single point on the map.
I wonder where Kale Henitus is right now…
As Albert looked around the church, his gaze came to rest on one spot.
"……The Forest of Darkness."
Across the continent, his gaze was drawn to that vast black expanse depicted in a corner of the Count of Henitus’s estate.
As one of the Five Great Mysteries of the Continent and a place where magic is virtually ineffective, video communication is naturally impossible there.
Albert stared at that dark area for quite some time.
Did he really go there? If so, why would he do something so crazy…
"Sigh…"
As if in response to his deep sigh, the secretary’s hesitant voice could be heard from outside the office door.
"……Your Highness? What is the matter?"
"No, don't worry about it!"
"Yes, Your Highness."
The sound of footsteps outside the door faded into the distance.
Albert stood once more before the map of the continent. He gazed once more at the dark realm of the Forest of Darkness.
And he muttered under his breath, so softly it was barely audible.
"……Just as I thought… I bet he went there."
The corners of Albert’s mouth twitched slightly.
That evening, Albert had to attend a banquet. As always, he gracefully placed his affable smile on the table. But behind that smile, the Crown Prince had been wondering for hours, “Where on earth is that brat?”
As soon as the banquet ended and Albert returned to his bedroom, he buried his face in the bed, still wearing his formal dinner attire.
I was already swamped with my regular work, so having something else to worry about was driving me crazy.
---
Day Six. Albert woke up at dawn.
It was two in the morning. Still in his pajamas, he walked from his bedroom to his study. That was where the communication terminal was located.
When I opened the office door, the communication terminal on the desk sat there, showing no sign of life.
Albert sat at his desk in his pajamas. Then he stared at the communicator.
Three in the morning. There was no change in the communication channel.
Four in the morning. The communication device remained silent.
Five in the morning. Maybe it was because I was staring at the communication terminal so intently, but it seemed to me that a light had flickered.
It was 5:30 a.m. Cora went to work as usual. There, she witnessed the Crown Prince, dressed in his usual attire, sitting at his desk in his office, staring intently at the communication terminal.
Kora froze in place for a moment. Then, in keeping with her professional integrity, she asked in the most polite tone possible.
"……Your Highness?"
Albert replied without taking his eyes off the communication terminal.
"……Kora. Are you at work yet?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Yeah. Glad you came."
"Your Highness."
"Why, though?"
Kora didn’t know what to say, so she looked away. Then she brought up another, more comfortable topic.
"……Would you like me to make you breakfast?"
"Okay. I'll do it."
Kora bowed politely, quietly closed the office door, and left. From outside the door, Albert could faintly hear her take a deep breath.
Only then did Albert realize how pitiful he looked. So he got up, went back to his bedroom, and changed his clothes. Then he stood in front of the mirror.
In the mirror stood Crown Prince Albert Crossman, the rightful heir to the Kingdom of Bon. His reflection in the mirror was smiling warmly.
It was a wonderful smile.
Within that smile, the Albert in the mirror whispered softly to himself.
"……I’ll probably hear from them today. Yeah, today marks a week…"
Albert in the mirror muttered, never losing his smile.