I don’t know if I’m being nosy, but I was inwardly worrying about Kalroy at that moment. Though Aren said he wouldn’t spill blood, there couldn’t be two supreme beings under one sky. If he didn’t prepare for something, he might get seriously hurt, but he looked pathetic just wandering around the imperial palace without any thoughts.
“Let me go. I need to leave now.”
“You insolent Omega…”
Too lazy to respond, I just looked elsewhere while Kalroy held my arm.
“Why won’t you quickly repent your wrongdoing?”
Kalroy got angry.
What wrongdoing have I committed that he acts like this whenever he sees me? Hah… No, wait. What’s the point of fighting with a kid? I’ll just apologize and be done with it.
“I was wrong.”
“About what?”
I could confidently say this was among the top problem children I’d ever encountered. Why do I have to take care of the Crown Prince, who’s about ten thousand times more bratty than William, when I’m already dying trying to look after William alone… My situation was pitifully pathetic.
Since I’m the adult, I decided to be more patient and offered a soulless apology.
“It was wrong from the start for a lowly and disgusting Omega to stand in the path where Crown Prince Your Highness was walking.”
“Uh… yeah. Ahem, right! That’s exactly what was wrong.”
“Yes. So I’m trying to quickly disappear.”
As soon as I finished speaking, the strength left Kalroy’s hand that was gripping my arm. Just as Kalroy was flustered and couldn’t pull himself together, I was about to run toward the prince’s palace with the thought of quickly entering the palace, but my arm was caught again.
“You, you can’t go until I say you can!”
“Let this go. If you let go, I won’t leave.”
I definitely thought he would never let go just because I told him to. However, Kalroy released my arm too easily when I said I wouldn’t leave if he let go.
For a moment I considered running away, but it weighed on my conscience to break a promise I’d made once, so I decided to listen to what he had to say.
“Please state your business.”
“That, well… There’s a bird bigger than a chicken. Kkueong or something… what was it…”
“Are you talking about a pheasant?”
“Yes! Right. A pheasant?”
Pfft, what? Kalroy… you didn’t come to spy that day, but were eavesdropping on the story there?
I was dying of laughter but couldn’t laugh openly, so it was torture.
“What about the pheasant?”
“Well… I was wondering what happened.”
Kalroy scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed. I had a lot to say, but if I did, he would probably leave without listening to the whole story, saying “I don’t want to hear stories from a filthy Omega!” So I decided to pretend not to know and play along.
“How much did you hear?”
When I casually asked, Kalroy brightened up and answered.
“I heard up to where Kkaturi kept blocking Jangkki’s way telling him not to go, and then got scolded, and then I fell… I mean, that’s not it! Anyway, I heard up to there!”
Pfft, I forcibly swallowed to suppress another laugh that was about to come out.
“I’ll tell you the rest of the story, so I’d like you to grant me one favor.”
“What, what is it? I mean no! How dare a lower-class Omega…”
Kalroy, who had been saying this, suddenly stopped talking and blinked. Even he seemed to think this wasn’t the time for that. The process of thinking it through showed on his face, resembling William.
That’s why they say blood can’t be deceived.
“I’ll specially bestow grace upon you. So speak quickly!”
“I’m grateful for your grace. The Jangkki who set out on his journey only chose to do what Kkaturi told him not to do, and ended up eating poisoned food and dying.”
When I finished speaking, Kalroy made an aggrieved expression as if he’d been tricked.
“That’s it?”
“Yes. The story of Jangkki and Kkaturi ends there.”
“How, how can that be! After fighting with Kkaturi like that, he just dies and that’s the end? Wow…”
Kalroy looked up at the sky with the expression of someone who had lost their country. That expression was so pitiful it made my heart ache. However, I couldn’t be away from my post indefinitely.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
He tried to follow me into the prince’s palace, but a group of newly stationed guards blocked Kalroy.
By the Emperor’s order, a guard unit had been newly established in front of the prince’s palace since yesterday. They said this place was made inaccessible to anyone, even the Crown Prince, unless they had made a prior appointment to visit.
All of this was thanks to Aren’s wisdom in seeing ahead. I felt so grateful it was embarrassing to remember how I had been wary and suspicious of him when I first met him because of the original story’s content.
“Well then, farewell, Crown Prince Your Highness. I’ll tell you about the favor later.”
I greeted him and ran frantically, and behind me I could hear Kalroy’s voice crying out that I was insolent, but I didn’t stop walking.
When I entered the prince’s room, the prince wasn’t there and Behern was standing by the glass window looking outside.
“Behern.”
“What’s so urgent that you’re running and even sweating?”
Huff huff, I was out of breath, but I didn’t know I was sweating in weather that wasn’t even hot. I wiped my forehead with my hand and said:
“Where has Prince Your Highness gone? Since neither you nor I are by his side…”
Behern laughed heartily and said:
“You came running because you were worried!”
Actually, I had fled to escape Kalroy’s crazy antics, but given the atmosphere, I couldn’t speak honestly, so I just nodded roughly.
Behern continued with a moved expression:
“Really, what a relief. Duke Aren, plus a loyal Omega like you… It seems our Prince William’s hardships might finally be ending.”
Watching Behern even dab at tears with his fingertips made me choke up too for no reason.
Though I felt sorry for Behern, now was the time to take care of William.
“But what about His Highness?”
“Ah, look at my scattered mind. There’s nothing to worry about. Duke Aren assigned guards and increased the number of servants too. He’s already changed his clothes and gone to the office. His dignity is beyond description.”
The office? It’s good that he didn’t go to classes taught by conservative teachers, but… did he skip on purpose?
“I think he said there was a horseback riding lesson today.”
Behern smiled and pointed out the window with his finger. It was the window on the opposite side from where I had come. Wondering what was happening, I went to check and saw William’s horseback riding instructor being dragged away by knights. The group of knights I had seen earlier weren’t just training – they must have been going to arrest Count Pusher, the riding instructor.
Seeing Kelton take the lead in trying to bring down the Crown Prince, then cut off his own tail to save himself was both ridiculous and pathetic. They say politicians are the most untrustworthy people, whether then or now, and those words were exactly right.
“So that’s how it happened.”
“I was secretly worried, but isn’t this a good thing?”
“That’s fortunate. Then I’ll go attend to Prince Your Highness now.”
Behern said “alright” and patted my shoulder, then suddenly grabbed me.
“But you know.”
“Yes? Is there something you want to say?”
“It’s nothing. Really, I…”
I was curious about what Behern couldn’t say to me, but right now I had to go meet William as quickly as possible. I felt like he would be looking for me since I’d been away for so long. Behind me as I turned around, I could hear Behern muttering, “No matter how I think about it, he doesn’t seem like a child. He seems like an adult, an adult.”
I thought William had said something about raising my status again because Behern’s attitude and way of speaking to me seemed different, but apparently that wasn’t it.
I left outside, shaking off Behern who kept trying to hold me back.
Walking down the long corridor toward William’s office, I met several servants. But the servants who had never even glanced at me despite passing through this corridor numerous times began whispering when they saw me.
“That child is the Omega who receives the prince’s favor!”
“What good does receiving favor do when you’re just a lower-class Omega.”
“Still, it must be nice. If he gets in good graces and maybe becomes a concubine…”
“Shh! He’ll hear. It won’t be good if it reaches the prince’s ears.”
I realized anew that people in the imperial palace had really rich imaginations. The prince favors me? There’s nothing they won’t say about a ten-year-old kid. The child might just be lonely and want to have a friend his age. Would adults really want to be envious while talking about concubines after seeing that? It was truly pathetic.
Ignoring them, I walked diligently to enter the office, but a guard blocked me.
“Who are you!”
Ah right, Aren said he increased the number of guards. I felt proud at the atmosphere that even felt solemn. Right. Anywhere in front of an imperial prince’s room should naturally have this kind of atmosphere. I felt like things were finally falling into place one by one.
“I’m servant Daniel Lambert. Please tell His Highness.”
“Wait.”
Soon the guard opened the door for me. As I entered, William was standing in front of it. There were servants I’d never seen before inside the office too.
Since Aren had sent the original servants elsewhere and filled their places with his own people, they were all unfamiliar faces.
William took my hand and led me toward the desk. I was afraid of the gazes of the unfamiliar servants, but he was stubborn.
“Why are you only coming now? I was waiting!”
“I found out late that the horseback riding lesson was canceled.”
“Haha. I see.”
William smiled brightly. It was the most joyful face I’d seen since coming to this place. Seeing him smile so brightly, have all the difficult things passed?
“Duke Aren said to meet here.”
I turned toward the door to prepare tea. Even though I moved carefully, William noticed like a ghost and asked:
“Where are you trying to go?”
“Ah… I was going to prepare tea.”
William grabbed his belly and laughed while pointing at the servants lined up at the entrance.
“Then what are they doing? I have lots of servants now! You don’t have to do that kind of work yourself anymore!”
It was suspicious that no one seemed to think it strange even though the prince was holding a lower-class Omega’s hand.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
