4
* * *
How much time had passed? After holding Persis in my arms as he refused to leave my embrace, I was led by the employees’ hands to lie down together on my bed.
Persis, who they said had been whining all night, fell asleep not long after. It seemed Kara had no intention of rescuing me from Persis. Taking this opportunity to have a nap, she didn’t separate Persis from me and even drew the curtains very meticulously before leaving the room.
I really didn’t want to sleep. I had so much to do today. There were still mountains of things I needed to accomplish. The most important among them was exploring this mansion.
I had no idea when the Duke had started harboring ulterior motives. Perhaps there might be important clues that could stop him in places I didn’t know about. However, this young body fell asleep on the soft bed as soon as it felt Persis’s warmth.
I did open my eyes again when told I needed to eat lunch, but I was so sleepy that I couldn’t tell if food was going into my mouth or my nose. I think Kara fed me partway through. I also caught a glimpse of Persis’s delighted face.
After eating lunch like that, I fell asleep again. It meant Persis’s required sleep time still wasn’t filled. Unable to push away Persis who clung to my side, I lay down on the bed again. Even while sleeping soundly, the thought that this wasn’t right wouldn’t let me go.
I needed to move even a little faster. I couldn’t waste even a single day. Despite knowing this, my young body couldn’t overcome drowsiness.
After falling asleep like that and waking up, I saw the red sunset light that had entered the room. It seemed Kara had come in midway and drawn back the curtains.
“Ana.”
Following the clear voice I heard from beside me, I turned my head to see Persis with his eyes sparkling brightly. When on earth had he woken up? If he woke up first, he should have woken me up a bit. The drowsiness still hadn’t left me, so I rubbed my heavy eyelids and yawned softly.
I wasn’t like this when sleeping at night, but whenever I took naps, it was difficult to regain my senses.
“Ana, you’re awake.”
“Yes. Did you sleep well?”
Even in this situation, I thoroughly maintained the extremely formal speech toward him. Persis buried his head in my lap just like that. I don’t know why he’s lying down again. It’s not like he’s getting sleepy again.
“Your Highness.”
“Ana sleeping looked cute.”
“Ah, yes.”
Of course I’d be cute. If nothing else, the Duke’s bloodline doesn’t go anywhere. Even if not as much as Persis, I think this seven-year-old face that resembles Duke Crusay would be quite lovable. Going around spouting mature words with this appearance, I couldn’t help but draw attention.
Was it because I remembered my past life? Or was it because Andelion Crusay was a character from the game I used to enjoy playing? I couldn’t know the exact reason, but from birth I had been able to view myself objectively. It meant I could recognize very precisely who I was.
This perspective was a great help to my situation. First, I could check my abilities. The body I had entered had various talents, but I couldn’t dare call it genius. Especially in physical aspects, there were many weak points. I was hopeless at physical work, and my stamina was so frail that there were many areas I needed to train.
It was times like these that I needed to properly cultivate myself, but today had been ruined because of Persis. He really was an impossible prince.
“Getting up?”
When I tried to get down from the bed, Persis also moved his body awkwardly. Then get up. Are you going to keep sleeping?
“Yes. We should get up soon.”
“What do now? What play with?”
I have no intention of playing with you. The face that firmly believed I would play with him was truly absurd. But I couldn’t issue an order to leave to the prince.
“I was thinking of reading some books.”
If I mentioned what the prince hated most, that should work. That’s what I thought when I said those words. As expected, Persis froze in place with his mouth wide open as if shocked. Then he rolled his eyes this way and that, thinking something with his small head.
“Me, me too.”
A small voice that required straining to hear leaked out between Persis’s lips.
“Me, me too read.”
He shouted dramatically while covering both eyes tightly, like someone about to undertake the greatest task in the world. He must have really hated reading books. The Persis I knew had reading as a hobby and was someone who lived in the library. It must be because he’s young. Surely he won’t stay like this as he grows up.
I suppressed the anxious feelings that surged up.
“It might be difficult for you.”
“It’s okay! If reading with Ana!”
Saying that, he tightly hugged my arm that was half-hanging over the bed. What exactly does Persis see in me to like and follow me this much? Is it my face after all? Andelion’s appearance wasn’t bad, at least.
This young boy says with his whole body that even books he doesn’t want to read are fine if he’s with me. When someone makes this much effort, wouldn’t it be inhuman not to be moved? In the end, I could only sigh and surrender.
“You don’t have to read books.”
“Really?”
Persis thrust his bright face toward me. The eyes that contained me fully were truly pretty. If Persis were just a little older, I would have attached the adjective ‘beautiful’ as well.
Looking at those eyes, I once again uttered words that would be like a bolt from the blue to Persis.
“But Your Highness.”
“Yeah?”
“Is it alright for you not to return to the palace?”
If books won’t work, let me ask directly. No matter how pretty he was, he wasn’t as much as that person. This level of mischief was fine.
“Ah, uh, well.”
Indeed, the words I gave him were quite shocking, as Persis was flustered. I could see him thinking with that small head about how to get out of this situation. I quietly waited to see how this small prince would respond.
After a moment, Persis suddenly raised his head as if something had occurred to him.
“All sleep!”
“…Pardon?”
“I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t sleep! I sleep, sleep! Now sleep!”
In other words, because he couldn’t sleep last night, the employees who couldn’t rest were exhausted and had fallen asleep, so he couldn’t return. Thinking I would be convinced by this much, Persis confidently raised his head.
It was nonsensical. Staying up one night would be nothing to them. Moreover, the employees who visited the Duke’s family with Persis and the employees who stayed by sleepless Persis’s side couldn’t be the same people.
Persis was planning to throw another tantrum using my words about treating employees more preciously. In other words, he intended to stay at the Duke’s family for one more day.
What should I do? Should I be a little mischievous once more? Or should I just go along with it?
Looking at his face full of expectation, I pondered and decided to choose the latter this time.
“Yes. That’s right. If you force a return, it would be hard on the employees.”
“Right! Yeah! Right! Preciously treat!”
“Yes. That’s right. Well done.”
It seems he learned the words I had said. Looking at this, he’s not stupid. Why can’t he make proper sentences yet? Children who speak well can speak fluently by age seven. It’s truly curious.
Anyway, I had several reasons for deciding to give in to this small child.
First, even though it was a completely wrong method, the child had used my words to devise a way out of this situation in his own way. The sight of him trying so hard while turning that small head was really nice to see. I had no doubt that by accumulating such experiences, he would later become someone who could accomplish greater things.
Second, I needed him. There were things I could only do together with him.
“What shall we do now?”
“All good!”
“Then Your Highness.”
My small hand pointed outside the window.
“Shall we go exploring?”
The place my fingertip touched was the Duke’s garden, made like a maze so no one could enter.
* * *
In this country, the authority of the royal family was immense. Power almost like that of gods was given to them, and the people looked up to them. Sometimes tyrant rulers would ascend to the throne and shake this country. Nevertheless, the reason this country could still use the name ‘Empire’ until now was surprisingly due to the large role of the royal family.
The royalty became another power that checked each other, sometimes hindering each other and sometimes bringing down tyrant rulers.
Because of this, there were times when the royal bloodline nearly dried up from killing each other. To prevent this, this country increased the number of people who could be called ‘royalty’. Numerous royals were created, and collateral lines were also called royalty and gained great power.
Even in such waves of power, there was a family that maintained its strength without being called ‘royalty’ – the Crusay family to which the Duke and I belonged.
There were several things about the Duke that must not be touched. One of them was the garden at the Duke’s family estate. No one in the world could set foot in that garden. I had tried to enter several times but was blocked each time.
However, this child with me is different.
“Want to go in.”
“Ah, no. Your Highness.”
“Want to go in!”
I decided to use the young prince to set foot in the garden that no one could invade.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
