Chapter 47. The Coward, Starting at it Again.
“…Did they use the same fabric?”
It was a matching set with Adelen’s dress. When the two stood together, their clothes looked as if they were seamlessly connected—the fabric and overall atmosphere were identical.
“Ah, yes! It’s a popular trend these days. And it looks cute too.”
Dressing them in matching outfits made it seem like even their essence was a set. They truly looked like a mother and son.
Rakalt briefly imagined himself standing with them as a trio. It would probably seem like he was the odd one out.
That would be a problem.
The crown prince of the enemy nation had to appear as though he was under his protection. Otherwise, it might seem as if there was no connection between them at all. That would go against His Majesty’s wishes.
“It’s sudden, but… could my outfit be changed?”
At first, the tailor thought the count was letting the matter slide indifferently, but now he suddenly wavered.
The tailor swallowed dryly. There wasn’t much time left. Depending on what and how much needed to be changed, the feasibility of the request would vary. The tailor prayed it wouldn’t be an absurd demand.
“What part, and how would you like it changed?”
“The design doesn’t matter, but I want the fabric to be the same as theirs.”
“The fabric… sir?”
Count, that basically means making an entirely new outfit…
“Is it difficult?”
Of course, it was difficult. But the one making the request was Count Sigelion, the strongest general in Teplan and the emperor’s right-hand man. If things went south, his head could literally be on the chopping block, or his business could be forced to close.
There were some things in this world that simply had to be done, no matter what. And since the count was a soldier, there was a high chance he was thinking in strict military terms. If he says do it, you do it. No questions asked.
“…I will do my best.”
The tailor quietly decided to comply.
***
Once the outfit was completed, the approaching date of the party felt more real. Until now, Adelen hadn’t given it much thought, but as the event drew closer, more and more worries started creeping in.
And those worries didn’t simply fade away—they ballooned in size, filling her mind entirely with anxiety about the party.
“Adie! Adie!”
“….”
“Adieee! Naaa, aaaah!”
“Ah, yes, yes? Baby, what did you say?”
She had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t even heard the baby calling her. By the time she finally responded, the baby was already sulking.
“Adie, bad!”
“Gasp… I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry. Shall we play? Want to play ball?”
To win back the baby’s favor, Adelen pulled out her trump card—playing ball!
A game where, no matter how many times they played, she always ended up exhausted and collapsing. A truly noble sacrifice.
“Yay!”
Thankfully, the baby was quickly appeased by the offer of a ball game. That was a relief.
Lately, the baby had been growing more stubborn, and there were times when a single instance of sulking couldn’t be easily resolved.
Before the baby could change his mind, Adelen hurriedly retrieved the ball she had hidden away.
“Alright, shall we start?”
The game was simple, just throw and catch. Nothing complicated.
But there was one problem. The baby threw the ball in completely random directions.
Adelen had to chase after it like a mad dog.
And the baby’s strength? Ridiculous. One throw and the ball would fly from one end of the room to the other.
That’s why playing ball required maximum focus.
The more focused she was, the less suffering her body had to endure.
However, today, even that much focus was impossible. She had managed to chase after the ball that had been thrown, but just as she reached out to catch it, another worry suddenly surfaced.
‘What if the baby wants to play ball at the party?’
The last time she had met the king, it had been so sudden that she hadn’t even had time to be nervous. And back then, she hadn’t been meeting a large crowd.
The king was undoubtedly the scariest person, but a crowd was even more terrifying.
Comparing the impact of receiving criticism from one powerful figure versus a hundred ordinary people, it was clear that a hundred voices of disapproval were far more overwhelming.
‘If the baby starts crying and repeatedly saying “No, no!” will people complain that it’s too noisy? I don’t mind being criticized for not taking good care of him, but if people glare at the baby for being a nuisance… If my master is reprimanded for not managing things properly…!’
Her worries snowballed in an instant. They grew so large that they obscured her vision, preventing her from properly seeing the ball to the end.
“Ah!”
The ball struck her square in the face.
Adelen clutched her face and collapsed to the floor.
The impact didn’t sound like a soft thud, it was a solid thwack! The baby’s strength must have grown even more. Her head spun, and she couldn’t even get up.
“Ugh…”
“What happened?”
While Adelen was groaning, Rakalt returned and took in the scene before him.
“Are you hurt?”
“N-No, I’m not really—”
“Let me see.”
Still dazed from the hit, Adelen was slow to respond.
Rakalt impatiently grabbed Adelen’s wrist, pulling her hands away from her face.
Her reddened nose and forehead, along with eyes glistening with unshed tears, were revealed.
“I misjudged the ball thrown by the baby…”
Rakalt’s gaze flickered to the side, where the ball had rolled to a stop. Then, he turned back to Adelen.
The recent attacks from Morn had completely ceased. But times like these were when it was easiest to be caught off guard.
The sight of Adelen slumped on the ground had sent a shock through him, like a bucket of cold water dumped over his head.
What exactly had startled him?
Was it the possibility that Morn had resumed their attacks?
The thought that the master’s heavily guarded chambers had been breached?
Or was it the fear that his precious comrade might have been injured?
One thing was certain…if this had been an attack, checking the surroundings should have been his first priority, not examining Adelen’s injuries.
Yet, his body had moved instinctively.
A lifetime of ironclad discipline, principles that had always dictated his actions without needing conscious thought, collapsed effortlessly.
And Rakalt wasn’t even aware of it.
All he could see was Adelen, her chin in his grasp, her golden-orange eyes quivering in shock.
They were too close.
So close that Rakalt could see his own reflection in those shaken eyes.
Her face was stiff with tension, unable to hide her surprise.
It was like staring into a mirror by chance, realizing he couldn’t look away.
As soon as he swallowed the dry lump in his throat, Adelen blinked, breaking the spell and lowering her gaze.
“I-I’m fine.”
That snapped Rakalt back to reality as well.
“…I see.”
Only then did the embarrassment of having been flustered over nothing catch up to him.
Releasing Adelen’s face, Rakalt got up, turning away as if nothing had happened.
“Did the baby throw the ball directly at you? That’s dangerous.”
He redirected the attention toward the baby, though it wasn’t entirely unwarranted.
It was dangerous. And considering how the baby would only get stronger as he grew, he needed to be taught caution now.
The baby, too, was frozen in shock, likely realizing that the ball had hit Adelen hard enough to make her fall.
“No, it’s my fault. I got distracted and failed to catch it properly.”
Adelen quickly tried to reassure the baby.
“Baby, I’m sorry. You must have been startled.”
“What were you thinking about so much?” Rakalt asked.
“Well…”
Adelen sighed as she picked up the baby and sat him on her lap.
This wasn’t something she could worry about alone.
And if she could discuss it with her master, it would be even better. After all, Rakalt was the most directly involved.
“…I’m afraid of making a mistake at the party.”
“What kind of mistake could you possibly make?”
Rakalt already looked unconcerned.
Here we go again—the world’s biggest coward at it once more.
It was such an everyday occurrence that he barely reacted.
But for Adelen, just imagining herself at the party made her tremble as if she were already there.
“I-I-If I spill my drink on my dress…”
“Then wipe it.”
“But the dress—”
“It’s yours. What does it matter? Next.”
“W-What if I step on my dress and trip?”
“I’ll be walking right beside you. What are you worried about?”
“Or… or what if the baby starts climbing the walls again…?”
“I’ll take responsibility for that. Next.”
“W-Well, I don’t know exactly, but things like high-society etiquette… What if I unknowingly do something weird and get laughed at…? What if I embarrass Sigelion…?”
Rakalt was honestly stunned by Adelen’s ability to dig up new worries endlessly.
It was practically a talent.
