Episode 60

‘Oh my gosh, it really was today?!’

I had rushed here, but it seemed I might have been too late. The Crown Prince was already covered in blood.

Seeing that he was still conscious was a relief, though it meant he hadn’t sustained the mortal wounds as in the original story.

After calming the crazed teddy bear, who had been punching the assassins left and right, I quickly ran over to Ceaser.

‘Should I use honorifics?’

For a moment, I hesitated.

But acknowledging him could raise suspicions.

“…Are you okay?”

I spoke like a passerby kid and reached out to help him.

Slap―!

“Don’t touch me.”

A sharp pain stung my hand as it was smacked away.

‘Geez, what a temper.’

But it was understandable for him to be on edge after nearly dying.

While I pouted, Ceaser pulled a ping-pong ball-sized crystal orb from his pocket. When he rubbed it, a red light started blinking. It seemed to be a magical device to alert his location.

“Phew…”

He finally sighed deeply, leaning his exhausted body against the wall.

‘Should I heal him a bit?’

Seeing the blood flowing from him, I hesitated.

But.

‘He’ll get treated by Diana once he gets back.’

Anyway, the Crown Prince was also a male lead, so he wouldn’t die.

I didn’t want to alter the original plot more than necessary unless it involved the Duke’s family.

I felt I had done my duty by preventing a fatal wound.

“Well then… I’ll be going.”

“…”

“Hang in there, big brother! Get well soon!”

I turned to leave, thinking it best to let him wait for his subordinates in peace.

“…Hah?”

A disbelieving laugh came from behind me.

“Hey.”

A chilling voice called out to me.

Hugging teddy bear tightly, I turned around.

“What?”

“You… Ugh!”

He was glaring at me with narrowed eyes, but suddenly clutched his side and groaned.

“Oh no! Are you okay?”

I hurried back to him.

Not wanting to touch him after he had told me not to, I just stood there, bouncing on my feet in worry.

Blood was trickling down from his hand, which was pressed against his side.

“You’re bleeding!”

“Quiet…”

Thud.

Mumbling something, Ceaser’s body suddenly slumped to the side.

“Crown Prin… I mean, big brother! Big brother!”

I called out in shock, but he didn’t respond.

I had no choice but to move his hand and check the wound.

“…Ugh!”

The sight of the long, deep gash made me shudder.

‘It’s already this bad… How severe was it in the original story?’

Blood was also flowing from his thigh.

Even knowing he wouldn’t die, if I didn’t treat him now, it could be dangerous.

‘Ugh, whatever. I’ll just heal half of it!’

I gathered holy power in my palm and placed it over the bleeding wounds.

Fwoosh―!

A bright light exploded from my hand, seeping into his injuries.

The bleeding stopped, and the cuts began to heal.

However, I only healed half of it, as I had promised myself.

‘I have to leave some for the heroine.’

I moderately treated his side and did the same for his thigh.

“…This should be enough.”

Thankfully, his pale complexion improved, and his breathing steadied.

‘Such a kind person like me, a villain… What a tragedy.’

The unconscious Crown Prince didn’t wake up.

He had lost a lot of blood.

“Since I’ve healed you, I’ll be going now.”

I bid farewell to the unconscious prince and stood up to leave.

“Ugh…!”

Then.

One of the assassins sprawled on the ground began to stir.

Startled, I shouted.

“Teddy-teddy bear! Take care of it!”

“Hello! Are you still not done playing?”

Thwack―!

“Ugh!”

The assassin who had been getting up was slammed back to the ground by teddy bear’s punch.

“Phew…”

I took a deep breath to calm my startled heart and then looked at the Crown Prince.

‘This place is too dangerous.’

Leaving him here alone was risky, as I had no idea when his subordinates would arrive.

Reluctantly, I called out, “Teddy-teddy bear, Giant—”

“Ahhh! What are you doing?!”

The crazy teddy bear was struggling with a sword dropped by one of the assassins.

Thunk, clatter!

Thunk, clatter!

With its plush, clumsy paws, the bear repeatedly picked up and dropped the sword. Strangely enough, the sword was getting closer to the assassins!

It was like a scene out of a horror movie, and I screamed.

The bear tilted its head and responded, “The only way to ensure they’re fully neutralized is to separate their heads from their bodies!”

“Ahhh! No, that’s not necessary!”

I definitely did not want to witness the teddy bear beheading people.

“Giant mode!”

“Tsk…”

The bear grumbled but stepped away from the sword.

Then.

Whoosh!

With a sound like air being pumped into a balloon, the teddy bear started to inflate.

Edwin had told me about this, but I had been skeptical. Yet it was true.

In a short while, the teddy bear, which had been only as big as my upper body, grew much larger than an adult male.

If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was a real bear.

“Uh…”

I was dumbfounded by the imposing presence of the now massive teddy bear. Then, its cheerful voice snapped me out of my daze.

“What should we play now?”

“Pick him up.”

I pointed to the unconscious Crown Prince. The bear lumbered over and, like a child’s toy, grabbed the prince by the scruff of his neck and lifted him effortlessly.

“How about I dismember him, piece by piece?”

“No!”

I was, of course, horrified.

‘This crazy bear is trying to commit treason!’

I was sick of accusations of treason.

“He’s a precious person! Handle him carefully!”

“A precious person?”

The bear tilted its head, puzzled, then slung the Crown Prince over its shoulder.

With my heart still pounding from the scare, I turned to leave the narrow alley.

“Follow me, Teddy-teddy bear!”

Thankfully, the bear followed without saying anything weird.

Thud, thud!

The bear’s footsteps were heavy and loud, considering its increased size.

All the way back to the association building, I worried about running into someone.

‘…Should I shout “doll mode” quickly? Or should I say it’s a person in a costume?’

But, fortunately, we didn’t encounter anyone until we reached the back of the association building.

The assassins must have cleared the way.

“Put him down here!”

I directed the bear to lay the Crown Prince near a path close to the security team.

Seeing the uniformed guards patrolling beyond the corner reassured me.

“Now, doll mode!”

Whoosh…

With a sound like air escaping a balloon, the bear rapidly shrank back to its original size.

Hugging the now regular teddy bear, I quickly exited the association building.

“Miss!”

Tara, who had been pacing by the carriage, ran towards me.

“What took you so long? I was about to come looking for you!”

“Um, well…”

I was glad I returned in time.

I fumbled through my bag, pretending to look for something.

I had planned to say I lost a pen, but as I opened my bag, I noticed a dirty white cloth inside.

“This, this.”

Reluctantly, I showed it to Tara.

“What is this? A handkerchief?”

“No, it’s a cravat… It’s for a friend, and I forgot it inside.”

“Do you have another friend besides Master Joshua?”

Tara asked, surprised.

“I-I have friends too!”

I blushed and protested.

“Alright, get in. The Duke will be back soon.”

“Yes! Let’s go quickly!”

Just before boarding the carriage, I glanced back at the alley where I had left the Crown Prince.

‘…There shouldn’t be any issues, right?’

I hadn’t disrupted the original storyline and had left enough for the heroine to heal.

I was confident there wouldn’t be any problems.

However, I had overlooked one crucial detail that I would only realize later.

* * *

A few days later.

It was the second day of the Goddess’s birthday festival.

It was also the dreaded day of volunteering at the temple.