Chapter 23
On Chuseok Day, her uncle, who had many nieces and nephews, wondered if giving them pocket money in public would break his bank account. She came up with a trick.
“Your uncle hasn’t had much money lately, so I’m giving you special pocket money. I think you’re beautiful. Is this a secret from the other kids?”
“Wow, really? Thank you! Uncle.”
It was a matter of grabbing them one by one and casting “I’m only giving it to you, so don’t tell anyone”.
It was a brilliant trick that had the ultimate advantage of not having to give the pocket money to each niece and nephew in order of age, while still giving them their due.
“Yuni, this is especially for you…”
“I’m your number one maid after all, right?!”
“Yep!”
“Finally! I’m recognized! I’ll tell everyone about this right away…”
“I told you this specially for Yuni, don’t tell anyone else!”
“Yes, sweetheart!”
As far as she was concerned, the key to this tactic was sneakiness and agility.
“You’ll keep it a secret for me, won’t you? What if the others get jealous and bully me? Yuni is my number one head maid.”
“Trust me, young lady, Yuni, your number one head maid, will take care of it!”
Like a silent assassin, she stealthily calls out to them one by one and nimbly kills them one by one.
“What? I’m your number one maid?! Ha. Such a day for me.”
“A secret? Oh, sure, I’ll take it with me from the grave to hell.”
“You don’t need to go to hell? Why?”
“Hu, hu, hu. I need to go to heaven. You are an angel who has descended to earth.”
At last there was peace in the Halbern manor.
Thank you, uncle, for lying about giving me pocket money specifically for me.
She tries to savor the peace by recalling fond memories of the time she witnessed her other nephew receiving his pocket money and shutting up for 50,000 won…
“She says I’m her favorite!”
“What do you mean, she likes me the most?”
“Hmmmmm. I wasn’t going to say that.”
It’s game two.
No, not this one!
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what’s everyone doing?”
It was a good thing she was there, because if she messed up, this was a war angle, a bullshit trick.
If she got caught, her credibility would be destroyed, and no other ruse would work!
She rushed back to that day, dredged up her six-year-old memory, and built something.
“Voila.”
She gathered up her childcare group and pulled out her signature move.
“Huh?”
“What is this?”
“Alas, it’s this thing called a praise sticker board.”
A set of ‘well done’ stickers.
She declared.
“From today on, I’m going to give compliment stickers to people I like.”
This is the only way to bring true peace to Halbern!
Her siblings’ eyes widened.
“…!”
“All the best…”
“Proof?!”
The parenting troupe shouting at the sticker board with their names scrawled across it.
“If you’re good, I’ll give you a praise sticker. Show off to each other with this.”
They weren’t easy to come by, as they weren’t popularized yet, but they were good enough to be used as praise stickers.
They all looked at the sticker in her hand and burst into flames.
“What’s going on?”
“Uhh!”
Mehen frowned, as if he hadn’t heard the commotion. The entire nursery winced.
“I thought you were busy?”
“…I may be busy, but I still have time to take a look.”
“I see.”
“So, what’s this about?”
Mehen demanded an explanation, looking at the board on the wall of the room and the sticker in her hand. She explained simply what she was going to do.
“Has the Nursery Corps been bothering you?”
His voice was harsh and cold.
“No! I wanted to do it.”
Feeling like the wrong person could end up with the wrong sticker, she placed one on Mehen’s leg.
“?”
“Mehen is praised just for being.”
Mehen’s stony expression instantly softened.
“Ah, I’m jealous!”
“Too much!”
“Jealous!”
The jealousy of the nurturing group was a bonus.
***
Praise stickers brought peace to the Halbern mansion.
“I got two yesterday.”
“Ha. Because I’m the one who got the most.”
If that’s a problem…
“What, do you want one for Mehren?”
She realized that every time she opened the brag board with a praise sticker, Mehen looked at her with a strange look in his eyes.
Usually, when she gave him a sticker, he would calm down.
‘Does Mehen want a praise sticker too?’
No way. No. She doesn’t think so.
The affection that the nanny state carved from her was a pocket money tactic, and the competition for affection was no longer a problem for her, having solved it with praise stickers.
She proudly declares her negligence.
“Oh, I like my bed.”
This is the first peace she’s had in a while.
No one can stop her.
She thought, ‘Well, I won’t have to worry about it anymore.’
She thought.
“Here I am!”
The crown prince appeared.
“Arellin-!!”
Pession appeared in the quiet of Halbern.
***
“What, Arellin isn’t coming today?!”
The news was shocking.
It was the Blue Sky Wall Force.
It was literally a blow in the dry sky. Arellin wasn’t coming.
“Halbern’s butler has informed me that the princess is not feeling well and will not be able to attend today’s meeting.”
“She missed last time!”
One day, two days, three days, four days.
Once, twice, three times. And today.
Finally, Pession’s patience cracked.
He miss Arellin!
Seeing Pession in pain, Graham clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“She says it hurts, but shest not going to do anything about it.”
“But, but!”
“You shouldn’t do that to someone who’s sick.”
“Well, yes, but!”
Graham actually seemed pleased that the princess was sick and missing the collection meeting.
The atmosphere of the little circle of friends had been strange lately, with the crown prince too busy staring straight ahead at Arellin to think about anything else.
‘Perhaps this will clear up some of the confusion.’
Graham knew the princess hadn’t intended to do this, but he thought it was odd timing.
‘Maybe it’s because of what happened last time…’
He could understand Princess Arellin’s feelings, remembering how Prince Pession and the twin lesser demons of Sperom, and even Aaron of Mubisk had created a world of their own.
“Now that this has come to pass, perhaps it would not be a bad idea for you to take a look at your other friends, Your Highness…?”
Pession eyebrows arched at the natural suggestion of public service.
‘Wrong, this one. You’re not even listening to me.’
Frustrated or not, Pession’s mind was focused on one thing and one thing only: Arellin.
Why does she have to get sick at a time like this? Will he never see her again? Will it be like this? Will it be like this forever?
‘No!’
He had already discovered the fun of playing with Arellin. For some reason, playing with her was the best part of his day, even though he couldn’t run around as much as he wanted or play his favorite ball game.
Now he can’t imagine not having her.
‘What can I do?’
There is no way to bring Arellin back from the hospital. But he miss her! He hasn’t seen her for a week already.
Pession had never felt like he missed someone so much.
It was a strange, unfamiliar feeling.
But he wasn’t afraid. Because seeing Arellin made him happy.
And for one more lame reason: …
‘I’m worried.’
Arellin was alone.
What if she’s doing it again?
Arellin just stared out the window.
Pession grimaced at the sudden tightening sensation in his chest.
“Your Highness?”
Pession turned at the sound of Graham’s voice.
“Graham.”
“Yes?”
“What is this thing called loneliness?”
An overly foreign word to Pession, who had never been ‘alone’ in his life, surrounded by people.
An emotion he had never experienced firsthand was not something that could be acquired through knowledge.
And yet.
Pession wanted to know.
For some reason, it felt like he needed to know.
“What is loneliness?”
He remembers the empty eyes staring out the window. He remember being alone and detached, existing in another world.
He was still young and inexperienced, so he couldn’t put into words all the feelings and thoughts he had at the time, but if he had to name it, it was “sadness”.
Looking at Arellin’s sideways glance as she stared off into space, Pession felt sorry for her.
‘Arellin…’
Arellin wanted to be alone.
Pession knew that, but for some reason, he didn’t want to leave her alone.
If you make her alone…
If she was left alone, she would just disappear.
“I don’t know.”
Pession shook his head in thought, not caring that Graham gave him a dumbfounded look.
‘I still miss Arellin.’
A sentiment that became clearer and clearer the more he thought about it.
Twice a week wasn’t enough, in fact, he wanted to play with her every day.
And now he haven’t seen her in over a week. Pession’s throat was dry from the sudden Arellin withdrawal.
“What am I going to do?”
I miss her.
I miss her so much.
He paced frantically around the room.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, Pession stopped dead in his tracks.
Arellin can’t come?
“Then I’ll go.”
“…?”
Another sick visit?
“What am I?”
***
“… That’s why you came?”
“Yes!”
She was speechless as she looked at the smiling Pession.
