No way!
Etern unknowingly shuddered as her small shoulders trembled. Spending days in the princess’s palace with this boy was one thing, but now he wanted her to personally tour him around the vast imperial palace?
“If the Young Lord has a particular place he wishes to see, I can assign an attendant to accompany you.”
“But I’d prefer to see it with the Princess herself rather than with an attendant…”
A chill ran down Etern’s spine. It was the way Ziggkart stared at her, his eyes drooping, looking infinitely dejected.
“…Is that too difficult?”
“It’s not difficult, but…”
Why can’t I lie to save myself? Etern sighed. She felt like hitting herself over the head. By trailing off in her response, she had already given Ziggkart the upper hand.
After letting out another deep breath, Etern paused to think.
‘What does he even know? It’s uncomfortable, sure, but he’s not going to live here forever. How hard could it be to show him around while he’s here? Besides…’
Even though she wasn’t sure how realistic it was or why he was doing this, Ziggkart had brought a potential clue to help her mother.
‘I’ll just consider it paying off a debt.’
Etern nodded to herself, then extended her small hand toward Ziggkart.
“Alright, Young Lord. Let’s go together.”
***
Ziggkart said he wanted to look around the palace library first, so Etern led him to the annex on the left side of the central palace.
Their small footsteps echoed down the long corridor, accompanied by the distant sound of the attendants following behind.
Despite expressing a desire to tour the imperial palace, Ziggkart didn’t seem particularly interested in the surroundings. The only time he showed any reaction was when Etern pointed out parts of the garden visible from the corridor windows.
‘He’s quieter than I expected. I thought he’d chatter nonstop.’
Watching the usually sharp Ziggkart, now oddly subdued, Etern couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
A soft breeze rustled the leaves of the nearby elm trees, and their shadows danced on the sunlit floor of the corridor.
“You seem uncomfortable with me, Princess.”
Ziggkart’s sudden comment caught Etern off guard. Startled, she glanced at the attendants walking some distance behind them, then turned back to him.
“You can speak freely. They won’t hear us anyway.”
At her words, Ziggkart glanced over his shoulder, mimicking her, then unexpectedly began hopping across the tiles as if playing a game.
“That’s not an answer.”
Etern frowned, staring at the back of his head. How could someone be so quick-witted and infuriating?
“It would be stranger if I weren’t uncomfortable after meeting you for the first time today.”
“And yet, you didn’t refuse my request for a tour.”
Hopping on one foot, Ziggkart spun halfway around to face her.
His toe landed squarely on a patch of sunlight filtering through the window. He seemed to be playing a game by himself, stepping only on the light.
‘What a child he is.’
Etern thought with a small, hidden smile as she shrugged her shoulders.
“It’s not because it’s you.”
Etern lied smoothly, but Ziggkart widened his eyes in surprise. Despite his playful demeanor, his face was unreadable. It was impossible to tell whether he believed her or not.
“Then why?”
“Well…”
Etern hesitated, clearing her throat softly before continuing.
“I don’t have any friends. I’ve never spoken to kids my age before, so… yeah, that’s why.”
“That’s an excuse.”
Etern was about to feel satisfied with her answer—both reasonable and somewhat honest—but Ziggkart’s words made her blink in surprise. His pale green eyes, glimmering like sunlit leaves, were filled with both disbelief and curiosity.
“It’s not an excuse!”
Ziggkart chuckled softly, shaking his head.
“Earlier, I saw how much the Emperor adored you. Are you telling me he wouldn’t arrange for you to have even one companion? At the very least, you must have someone to talk to.”
Etern’s cheeks puffed out slightly as her lips pressed together. His assumption wasn’t entirely wrong, but it wasn’t entirely correct either.
Being a child of the Emperor wasn’t as carefree or glamorous as it appeared.
When imperial princes and princesses reached a certain age, companions were chosen for them—usually children from noble families of similar age.
These children were carefully selected based on their family’s prestige and were required to undergo evaluation. Only those who met all the criteria could interact with the royal children.
‘It’s not like I could have made friends with just anyone, even if I wanted to.’
Until officially entering society and hosting gatherings, the children selected by the Emperor or Empress were the only companions available.
For those fortunate enough to get along, lifelong friendships could be formed. But more often, the relationships were political rather than personal.
Etern, however, had never even had those formal companions.
Her mother, the Empress, was asleep, and her father, Emperor Wintier, trusted no one. This left Etern in isolation, despite being the daughter of a powerful ruler.
“Why are you so lost in thought?”
Ziggkart’s question jolted Etern from her reverie. She looked around, realizing she had been so deep in thought that she had almost forgotten she was walking.
“There’s no one I can talk to. No friends, either. It’s not like I can just go out and make friends, right? And Father…”
“…….”
“Maybe he haven’t had time to think about things like that yet.”
A moment of silence passed between the two children. Even the wind brushing through the tree branches seemed to hold its breath.
‘What is this?’
Etern felt as if the quiet wind had slipped into her and was stirring restlessly inside. It was an unfamiliar sensation she had never experienced before.
If someone were nearby—Dora, or anyone else—she might have thrown herself into their arms and wept like a child.
She felt lonely. For the first time since being reborn, she felt loneliness deeply settle into her bones.
“What about me?”
Her teary eyes, glistening and damp, turned to Ziggkart.
The transparent film of tears broke, and a drop rolled down her peach-colored cheek like a bead.
“What are you talking about?”
“As your friend. By age or status, I think I qualify, don’t I?”
“What…?”
Etern let out a breathless laugh and took a step back, rubbing her eyes with her fist.
“You have to go back to your home. What kind of nonsense is this?”
Ziggkart shrugged, rolling his eyes. For a moment, he looked less like a young lord and more like an ordinary boy one might see anywhere.
“Well, since I’ve already run away, what’s the difference if I go back tomorrow or a year from now?”
