Chapter 15
“I think it was your responsibility that I fell down, so if it bothers you… you don’t have to worry about it.”
All she could manage to say through her barely stiffened head and rolling tongue was.
“How can I not care?! It’s you!”
“I’m fine, really.”
“No! I’ll take care of you until you’re well again.”
No, she was embarrassed.
‘I’ve thought of that before.’
It doesn’t seem right.
He scatters his favors and affection arbitrarily, leaves you thirsty and then disappears.
For him, it’s just a matter of course, because he has so much affection and love that he doesn’t even need to give it away.
So it didn’t work for her.
She is hungry for attention and affection, so she opens herself up to it, she tamed, and then she is alone again.
In hindsight, she should have been more comfortable being alone in the first place.
She doesn’t want to be controlled by anyone anymore.
I’m sorry Prince Pession, but I don’t have time to care about anyone. I’ve learnt that patience is lost the moment your health is destroyed.
Perhaps the good news is that Pession is still young.
It’s a fleeting interest.
When there’s nothing new or exciting anymore, he’ll grow out of it. Once she realized that, she felt better.
Deal with him in moderation.
“Does Arellin stay in her room all the time?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I doesn’t want to move.”
“!”
No, how could he say such a thing.
The crown prince’s pupils were trembling violently as he looked at her. It was as if he had seen a rookie.
“Why, why?!”
“Because it hurts when you move?”
“Huh?”
The crown prince’s expression hardened.
“Does it really hurt?”
Seeing his seriousness, she realized that if she said yes here, it would only get more troublesome.
“Just kidding, I like to stay still.”
“…??”
A look of not understanding how that could be a good thing. The crown prince stood still beside me, as if he wanted to see if she was serious.
She felt more comfortable now that the conversation was over and she was looking out the window, but she could feel his eyes on her.
He couldn’t keep still for a second as he sat next to her, trying to imitate her.
“Hehehehe” She laughed.
“?”
The crown prince smiled. A smile like a ray of sunshine.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Arellin laugh before.”
“It is.”
“Hehe.”
What was so good about it? She really couldn’t tell.
“What does Arellin like to do?”
“Nothing.”
“Does you like anyone?”
“No one.”
“What does you do when you rests?”
“Breathe.”
“What do you do when you play?”
“I don’t do anything.”
“What do you like to do …?”
“I don’t know.”
She turned her gaze out the window.
A clear sky and a manicured garden straight ahead.
“I guess there was.”
She closed her eyes, still.
“I can’t remember now.”
***
– Long time no see, Mehen-!
The man on the other side of the video portal smiled and greeted his. Mehen sighed as he watched the screen crackle and crackle with mana transmissions.
The crown prince’s visit had given him a chance to leave Arellin’s side for a moment, and it was Jaren who was on the other end of the line.
“It’s been a long time, Jaren. But why are you here and I don’t see you?”
Jaren Berg Mubisk.
Archduke of Halbern, lord of Mehen, faithful left-hand man and guardian knight of Valor.
The popular, good-natured knight was skilful in his dealings with Mehen, who had become irritable and cranky as his repeated requests for an audience were rejected and denied.
– Ah. The messenger is busy at the moment. There was another casualty yesterday.
“Isn’t that right, you’re the one who gets killed four or five times a day?”
It was a rarity not to die on the front line in the first place. And isn’t the Northern Front the worst of all fronts?
– Yes, but that’s why every man counts, because when the front is empty, the front is pushed back, and when the front is pushed back, more monsters must be fended off with a wider front.
Jaren summarizes for the silent Mehen.
– Anyway, that’s why he’s gone to repair the slipped wire.
“Ha.”
– Why? Is something wrong?
“No, thanks.”
– Go ahead. I’ll tell him for you.
“It’s really fine.
– Is there something between us that you don’t want to talk about? It sounds like it’s pretty important, considering how persistent you’ve been!
“It is important.”
– I swear on my name and honor, Jaren, I will deliver it. Tell me?
Mehen narrowed his eyes. His opponent on the other side of the mana image was still smiling.
“In that case, I’ll do you a favor.”
– Oh, good.
“Then please tell His Majesty.”
– Ugh, what should I tell him?
“I am the father of all dog crap.”
– Yeah, yeah. I’ll tell His Majesty… Uh, what?
“I’ll say goodbye then.”
– What? Wait! Hey, Mehen, is that real?
POP-!
The line went dead and Jaren’s figure disappeared. Mehen’s expression relaxes, having said what he wanted to say.
He cut it off if it’s too much.
***
“Good, good, good.”
“You’re the best.”
These people, why are they doing this.
“Honey, we always love you and admire you and blah, blah, blah.”
Suddenly, she’s in a praise prison, surrounded by a nurturing group. No matter what she did, she was met with thunderous applause and praise.
Have you ever been praised for breathing? That’s what she was doing right now.
“…What’s wrong with you guys, did you all eat badly?”
She tried to ignore it as a novelty, but the behavior was so bizarre that she finally asked.
She said.
“You.”
“To us!”
“Finally!”
“She talked to us!”
“…”
Have they gone collectively insane?
She hadn’t heard there was such a thing as rabies in this world.
They must be stressed, she thought, and she’d just have to ignore them.
“Young Lady!”
“Lady Arellin~!”
“Lady!”
“Don’t leave us behind!”
Come on, everyone.
“I’m going to look at a book, get out.”
“No, you don’t have to look at a book!”
Ern stood in front of her, as if deciding something.
“You lack sunshine and innocence, young lady; you ought to see more of the brightness and joy of this world!”
“You’re always looking at dull books!”
“Come on, let’s go for a walk in this bright sunshine.”
Yuni and Lena joined in.
“I don’t want to go out.”
“Why not!”
“How!”
“Why!”
“Because I don’t want to go out.”
These people have no regard for the housekeeper. Even the popular MBTI says that I am an I, which means I am confident and secure.
How does it make sense that someone who has been cooped up and practicing since childhood would want to go outside? She was doing it because it suited her aptitude.
Back then, her friend was the score, the violin.
Now she’s not even that.
“I’m not leaving. Go away.”
“Lady, give us a chance!”
“We’ll be good to you!”
“We’re ready, we’re ready.”
What the hell is wrong with these people?
She sighed heavily.
There were only four or five core members of her nursery sisterhood.
Yuni, the head maid, with her general medical knowledge.
Amber, the head maid in charge of meals, with all sorts of culinary qualifications to cater for her tendency to throw up at the slightest hint of fussy food.
And Lena, who organizes, teaches, curriculates, and arranges for a professional tutor to help her learn the basics when I’m at home.
Ern is a butler, a former chauffeur who escorts her when she goes out, and the rest of us complement each other. Parenting is not meant to be done alone.
They’re experts, and she’s never felt like she didn’t need them.
Why all this fuss all of a sudden.
“No, I didn’t do anything.”
What, because of what happened last time?
She meant, she was in the middle of a conversation, and then she collapsed, and it ended vaguely.
She didn’t understand the fuss, though.
“While you were down, we did a lot of reflecting.”
What, that. Don’t.
“In fact, I wonder if we were so focused on our professionalism that we didn’t look at her heart?”
I don’t need to see it, stop.
“It’s not too late! We’ve made a blood oath to you that we will do better in the future!”
What a blood pact, the Age of Barbarism is over, she is scared.
“No…”
She gets it, and she appreciates it, but she wishes they would leave her alone.
She’s in trouble, she’s tired, she’s frazzled, she’s drained of energy, and all she wants to do is lie down.
“What is this doing?”
The heavy, sharp voice came down on me like an accusation.
Mehen.
“Sir Mehen.”
“Uh, well,” she said.
“We’re just…”
The older sisters and brothers of the nursery group shrank back into themselves. Mehen was about to say something to them when he frowned.
“Mum.”
“…”
“…?”
Mehen’s new voice stopped.
Looking at his brokenness, the nursery group broke down as well.
“Mum?”
“Huh…”
Mehen looks confused.
“…???”
“???”
“???”
A storm of hooks hit the Halbern manor.
