Everything that happened today had been far too sudden, and the amount of information pouring in all at once was overwhelming.
It left Jarvan III utterly exhausted. The news of Melli's death hit him hard. For all these years, he had never forgotten her. Every sleepless night spent tossing and turning, he would see his beloved's face again.
And yet… she was gone.
Jarvan III was tired. He urgently wanted to be alone, to sit in silence for a while.
After instructing Calvin to take care of Luke and arrange temporary lodgings for him inside the palace, Jarvan III let Lev support him as he went to rest.
Minister Roy took his leave as well. Naturally, he had matters to handle—gathering the other ministers and jointly discussing when Luke's identity as a prince should be made public.
As for Lux and Tianna Crownguard, after saying goodbye to Luke, they also left the palace.
The two of them walked along the road.
Lux suddenly remembered something and couldn't help muttering to herself, "So it really is his home…"
She'd honestly thought it was just a joke at the time. But in the end, there'd been such a massive twist—this enormous palace really was Luke's home.
Tianna walked ahead. Hearing Lux's muttering, she turned back with a smile. "What are you whispering about now? Today, you gave Jarvan III one heck of a surprise."
More than a surprise—calling it a shock wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Her niece had essentially hauled in a living, breathing bomb.
"This isn't my fault! Auntie—at first I wanted to bring him to you first!"
Lux hadn't expected it to be this big either. Then she added, "Besides, isn't a father and son reuniting a good thing?"
"Of course it is." Tianna ruffled Lux's hair, smiling the entire time, then asked curiously, "So tell me—how did you just so happen to run into our kingdom's second prince?"
"Ahem—then I have to talk about how he and I teamed up to crack a scam ring."
Lux cleared her throat, and the story came pouring out like she'd rehearsed it a thousand times. "The two of us had never met before, but we had an extraordinary level of unspoken coordination. First, I went deep into the scam ring's trap, while he hid off to the side, quietly observing their tricks. With the two of us working together flawlessly, the scammers fled in panic!"
Miss Crownguard didn't blush. Didn't blink. Didn't flinch!
Though when her aunt's smiling eyes looked over, Lux suddenly found it a little hard to hold eye contact.
"So something like that happened." Tianna looked at her adorable niece and laughed. "If I remember correctly, didn't your mother send you to tutoring? How did you end up chasing scam artists instead?"
The moment Lux heard that, her entire body stiffened, freezing on the spot.
Oh no—she'd completely forgotten about that!
"Don't look at me with those puppy eyes. I can't help you." Tianna sighed. "If I had to guess, she's already heard that you skipped tutoring."
"Just—just tell her I did something really important today!"
"You know what your mother is like. That doesn't change the fact that you skipped tutoring."
"Th-then… then maybe we can stay overnight in the palace today?"
"Lux, running away won't solve anything."
"Waaah…"
At the same time, inside the palace.
In the corridor, only Luke and Calvin remained.
As a royal guard who worked at the king's side, Calvin naturally knew the palace well. His assignment was to settle Luke in properly.
And the more he thought about it, the more unsettled he felt—someone he'd dismissed as a commoner without even wanting to spare him a glance had, in the span of thirty minutes, undergone the most dramatic identity change imaginable.
Calvin's emotions couldn't help but rise and fall.
Most importantly, if possible, he desperately wanted Luke to forget what happened earlier.
After thinking it over, Calvin still forced himself to speak first. "Your Highness, I know all of this must feel… extremely sudden. You may need some time to adjust to your new identity. If there's anything you want to ask, you can say it directly."
"No need. I don't have anything to ask."
Luke replied, looking at Calvin with casual indifference. He reached out and patted Calvin's shoulder. "But, Cal…"
"Cal?"
Calvin blanked for a second, then coughed lightly. "Ahem. Please go on, Your Highness."
"I really admire capable young people like you. The future of our nation will depend on people like you. You're staying by Father's side—so I'm hoping you'll help shoulder his burdens for him."
Luke patted his shoulder again. In his eyes, there was just the right amount of cool detachment, just the right amount of mocking amusement, and just the right amount of effortless nonchalance.
Calvin was left staring, stunned.
With his status, if some random commoner dared to look at him like that, he would've slapped them on the spot.
But now? All he could do was grin awkwardly and nod. "Your Highness is right. I'll do everything in my power to assist His Majesty."
Thirty minutes ago, it was "Sir."
Now it was "Cal" every other sentence.
Damn it—this guy adapted to his status way too fast!
If a normal person learned something like this, they'd be overwhelmed, at a loss for what to do next.
But this guy?
He looked like he'd been a prince for eighteen years.
Absurd. Completely absurd!
Calvin couldn't wrap his head around the fact that something this ridiculous could even happen.
With barely any time at all, someone from the lowest rung of commoners had become a noble prince.
"Cal—lead the way. I'm a bit tired."
Luke clasped his hands behind his back and strolled ahead like he was taking a leisurely walk.
This world really was something else.
Who would've thought the "noble essence" he'd just learned from Calvin would come in handy this quickly?
How did that saying go again—one moment you look down on me, the next moment you're not even worthy to look up at me.
"Please follow me, Your Highness."
In the end, Calvin still lowered the proud head he'd held high before, walking ahead to guide him.
The palace was enormous. As Luke walked, he couldn't help feeling a little wistful.
Just thinking about how, in the future, even walking out the front door would take over ten minutes… was honestly kind of depressing.
Calvin led Luke out of the main building of Dawning Castle. They took a small path leading toward the gardens, circled around a few times, and stopped at the base of another building.
"Your Highness, we're here."
Calvin took out a ring of keys and opened the door. "You'll rest here for now. This was the residence Prince Jarvan IV lived in before he came of age. After he left the palace, it's been left unused, but it's still cleaned regularly."
Luke stepped inside. The furnishings weren't particularly luxurious—everything looked fairly ordinary.
But the place was definitely spacious, and it was clean and neatly kept.
Calvin continued, "The bedroom is on the second floor. I'll arrange for servants to stand by outside. If you need anything, just say the word."
"I understand. You can go."
Luke waved a hand, then casually sat down on the sofa, feeling the exhaustion surge up all at once.
Calvin left quickly, and before he went, he pulled the door shut behind him.