#8
* * *
Just because he got hurt once, he was afraid to meet me. I had no idea Persis could be this innocent. The tearful expression he wore in front of me had completely vanished, and Persis wouldn’t leave my side all day. He smiled brightly with a beaming grin, looking so genuinely happy that I found myself briefly captivated by the sight. I smiled back at Persis while enduring the sharp, hostile gazes of the palace employees watching me.
It seems I’ve definitely made enemies after this incident. I couldn’t understand what I’d done wrong to make them tremble like that. They firmly believed I had caused harm to their precious Prince. Regardless of their feelings, Persis stuck close to me.
The more Persis refused to leave my side, the sharper their gazes became. Instead of wasting time worrying about me, they should take better care of their Prince. And give him proper education while they’re at it. How can a child grow up well if you just indulge him in everything?
Just as they found me disagreeable, I was equally dissatisfied with their behavior. Giving in to every tantrum a child throws – I seriously wondered how they raised the original Persis.
Since I’m involved now, he’ll grow up to be a much more wonderful man than that Persis. Today I could see that Persis was learning something called responsibility. It was remarkable progress achieved in just a few days. It was only natural that I looked forward to Persis’s future changes.
Looking out at the rapidly changing scenery through the carriage window, I couldn’t help but smile.
“You’ve become quite close with His Highness.”
While briefly thinking about Persis, I had completely forgotten about the Duke sitting in front of me.
I couldn’t tell what was bothering him now, but the Duke’s expression was quite cold. It hadn’t been this bad before, but lately the Duke made that face whenever he looked at me. I knew I wasn’t a son who pleased him, but there was no need to make it so obvious.
Since I was living with only the hope of meeting that person in the future, I could just overlook Father’s behavior. But the original Andelion wouldn’t have been able to endure his gaze. Now I could somewhat understand why the original Andelion was always dejected.
Andelion, who was more depressed than other characters, was popular in his own way with his melancholy face, but he had exactly the personality I hated. Watching him was frustrating, and he felt like nothing but a burden to that person, so I often skipped through his parts when playing.
But perhaps Andelion was doing his best in his own way. Living under such a father, it might have been an unavoidable choice for survival. Of course, I had no intention of becoming like that.
“Ah, yes. Well.”
“Do you think you could become good friends?”
No matter how noble a young master might be, becoming friends with a prince was impossible in this world. More precisely, the prince’s friend position was already reserved for someone else. In less than two years, Andelion was scheduled to step down from his playmate position and become just an acquaintance who barely knew Persis’s face.
“No. That’s not possible.”
“I heard you cried today.”
“Pardon?”
I glanced sideways at Kara, who was sitting quietly with her mouth shut. When had she told the Duke? Receiving my gaze, Kara pretended not to notice and stared straight ahead. That expressionless face showed no emotion whatsoever. Kara’s act of innocence was quite annoying.
“Uh, well. I didn’t actually cry.”
“Then?”
“I just… pretended to cry a little.”
“Is His Highness so important that you’d go that far?”
It seemed the Duke intended to continue this until I said Persis was important to me. Since I didn’t want this tiresome process to continue, I eventually nodded and gave him the answer he wanted.
“Yes. He’s important.”
It wasn’t even a lie. As someone to stand beside that person, there was no one better than Persis. Only by being with him could a true smile bloom on that person’s face. That’s why I was making efforts in my own way.
Hearing my answer, the Duke’s face became even more distorted than before. Even Kara, who had been pretending not to notice, turned her head toward me, apparently surprised by my words. What? This was the kind of answer you wanted when you asked, wasn’t it? Or wasn’t it? Had I misunderstood?
This was the first time I’d seen Kara look so dumbfounded. My answer must have been quite surprising for her to make such an expression.
“Why are you so surprised?”
“Well, I thought Young Master was using His Highness.”
“Kara. Watch your words.”
“I apologize, Your Grace.”
As soon as Kara opened her mouth, the Duke’s stern voice flew out as if he’d been waiting.
Using him? I wasn’t evil enough to scheme against a seven-year-old child. Had I really behaved in a way that warranted such words? I briefly reflected on my actions.
I had deliberately given Persis book assignments hoping he’d become a bit smarter, and when Persis threw a tantrum, I guided him to the garden. Thinking back to that point, I could understand what had led Kara to such a misunderstanding.
“Andelion.”
The days when the Duke called my name were truly rare. He usually spoke to me without using proper titles and often didn’t even give me a glance. That same man had properly pronounced my name. I felt uncomfortable, like wearing clothes that didn’t fit.
“Don’t take the Prince so much to heart.”
His voice carved itself into my heart like a curse. Those words were sincere. They were also words that would become the catalyst for the events he would create in the future. It seemed he was showing concern for his son after all. Though it was unwanted kindness from my perspective.
If he didn’t want me to get hurt, he should have abandoned the twisted desires he harbored. The pain I would receive from Persis was essentially his creation too. The Duke just needed to not rebel against this Empire. He just needed to not use me as a means to fulfill his own greed.
However, the Duke would only warn his young son, not choose a future that wouldn’t hurt this child.
“Yes. I understand.”
I mechanically gave him the answer he wanted once again. If he was going to lie, there was no law saying I couldn’t lie too.
The Duke was greatly underestimating his son. He thought that even telling me this much wouldn’t make me escape from his grasp. It was also his own form of mercy, telling me not to suffer any more than this.
If I could, I wanted to snort at him. This seemingly powerless and insignificant me would someday stop you.
I could take wounds several times over. Even if I couldn’t stop you, I could at least become an obstacle blocking your path. Because I have an ability that you don’t possess.
“Good. As long as you understand.”
Over the Duke’s satisfied face, the face of the demon who had smiled brightly while throwing the world into chaos overlapped.
I know your future. That was my weapon that you didn’t possess. This game’s genre is a romance simulation game. I won’t let you turn this game’s genre into an RPG. Absolutely not!
* * *
I’m really someone with so much to do. Why is a day only 24 hours? I’m seriously troubled by how every single day feels insufficient. If possible, I’d like a few more hours added.
To show how pressed for time I am, I seriously searched through the library looking for magic to stop time. Since this is a world with demons and magic, I thought there might be magic to stop time, so I searched diligently.
But sadly, it’s apparently magic that was forbidden long ago. There was an immutable law that no one should tamper with time and life. Personally, I couldn’t understand it at all.
If time and life are things that shouldn’t be tampered with, isn’t creating fire or water an act that destroys nature’s ecosystem? There’s even magic that helps plants grow. Also, if time can’t be tampered with, how does it make sense that spatial movement is allowed? Anyway, it’s a world I don’t understand.
I had so little time that complaints piled up like this. It also meant I had a lot of work to do.
So please, I’m begging you – I hope no unexpected events occur.
“Greetings, Young Master Andelion. I am Rikin Parten of the Parten Count family. Starting today, I’ll be joining as His Highness’s playmate.”
Why are you here?
Rikin Parten. A very familiar name. Because he was another conquest character in ‘Luper’. This man who followed Persis around like a guard knight was, contrary to his cold appearance, a good-natured person who liked to joke and laugh often.
I liked Rikin’s story almost as much as Persis’s story. I really liked Rikin’s mindset of dedicating everything to that person. If Persis and that person were a couple who made each other happy, Rikin was the type who devoted himself by giving everything to that person.
I remember that person being quite fond of him because he made them feel comfortable. Also impressive was how he agonized over where his rightful place was while torn between Persis and that person. The line he delivered when finally choosing that person was truly excellent.
My overall assessment of the character Rikin Parten was ‘not quite up to Persis’s level, but a man capable of making that person happy.’
It wasn’t strange for him to stand beside Persis. It was quite natural for Rikin to become another playmate of Persis.
The problem was that the timing of him becoming a playmate wasn’t supposed to be now.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
