Chapter 113
Chapter 113
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Morning Mischief and Palace Reports
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"You're awake too, huh."
Lianus hopped down from the bed and carefully scooped up the toddling puppy before climbing back onto the mattress.
He hadn't taken good care of it himself, but Nihil and the servants must have, because the puppy looked healthy.
Lianus rubbed the puppy against his face. It was soft and warm. When he held out his finger, it predictably started suckling on it—adorably so.
Lianus placed the puppy on Nihil's face. Oblivious to what was happening, it flailed around on his face. Any normal person would have woken up or at least grimaced, but his dear friend's expression didn't change a bit.
Half wanting to let his dear friend sleep peacefully and half wanting to wake him, Lianus began fussing beside him. At first, it was just light pokes to the cheeks or braiding his hair, but by the time Evan arrived, the torment had reached its peak.
"...Your Highness?"
Evan called out to Lianus tentatively. The baby kitten was straddling the lynx, rubbing against it gleefully, and the puppy had joined in on the harassment. And yet, the lynx still hadn't woken.
Evan had just realized that the torment Nihil had endured all night was nothing compared to this as he carefully lifted Lianus and the puppy away.
"Whyy?"
Lianus looked up at Evan with a hint of dissatisfaction as the soft, warm presence vanished.
"Your Highness, even if you're bored, please hold off a little. He's probably exhausted."
"Mmm..."
"...Well, if he hasn't woken up even from this, he might be fine..."
Evan quickly set the sulking baby kitten back down beside the lynx.
"Fine, I'll hold back."
Evan chuckled at the baby kitten nodding as if bestowing a great favor, then briefly relayed the events from the previous day.
"A letter from Her Majesty the Queen arrived yesterday."
"...From the Queen?"
"Yes. Addressed directly to him, no less. This is a copy of the letter."
Evan handed Lianus a paper with the slightly mangled envelope and the letter transcribed verbatim.
Lianus wondered why he was getting a copy instead of the original Queen's letter, but his face hardened as he read the contents.
"Luncheon the day after tomorrow? Why luncheon of all times, not tea? The location's the main palace..."
Lianus felt a small relief that the meeting wasn't at the Queen's palace. He didn't know what she was scheming, but a tiger's den was better than a snake's pit.
The main palace had been chosen thanks to King Sedes's intervention, but Lianus had no way of knowing that.
Evan continued.
"He asked the butler to send a reply. He was worried that Baedong, being uneducated, might ruin the precious luncheon."
"He's not Baedong; he's a friend..."
"He knows that better than anyone."
Evan didn't mention that Nihil had written the reply himself. If the Queen lumped him in with some criticism and His Highness claimed ignorance, it left an escape route.
He wondered if it even counted as a reply, but since it clearly expressed his opinion with an 'X' mark, the Queen must have gotten the message.
"But why a copy?"
"...It got a bit... dirty."
"...?"
Lianus tilted his head, wondering how a letter from the Queen could get dirty, but Evan swiftly changed the subject.
"And he also asked the butler to monitor three servants. He said he'd tell Your Highness directly, but..."
"What did the servants do? Should I fire them?"
"Why don't you think he might be the one at fault?"
"He wouldn't do anything wrong. And even if he did, it's fine!"
Evan looked down at his master with a subtle expression, seeing no intention to curb Nihil's willful behavior.
Worries began to creep in bit by bit. Was this blind trust okay? At this rate, if the lynx said to fire someone, he'd fire them all.
"Your Highness, blind faith can bring trouble later. I know he's not the type to harm others out of personal grudge, but..."
"Mm, but if he says to fire someone, then that person must really be bad."
"...Probably."
Evan couldn't deny it. No one saw people as objectively as that guy. Though with His Highness involved, it might be different.
For now, he thought explaining the situation took priority and shifted topics. Nihil had hidden gold coins for a "treasure hunt," gone out to Sharton Street as a result, so the servants had retrieved them instead—and three had skimmed some. He'd ordered watchers on those three.
"Moreover, he seems to have hidden the gold only in front of the servants on purpose. So everyone would know he was the one hiding it, preventing any other rumors."
"I've thought this before, but... he's meticulous."
"Yes. They say when Your Highness is away, he carries around your bear doll. Probably to show off your connection to the servants."
Evan continued explaining as he handed over a stack of papers.
"And this is what he asked the butler for—personnel records on those servants and rumors circulating in the palace."
Lianus took the papers from Evan, skimming the personnel records and reading the rumors first.
"Mm... I get the misunderstandings from his looks and mysterious aura, but rumors like hearing his voice brings luck or that he's a spirit who hasn't learned human speech yet? Why?"
"This guy hasn't spoken in front of anyone except Your Highness, me, the butler, and the head maid. He even dodges the servants skillfully, so running into him brings luck, they say. No wonder the weird rumors spread."
"Since coming to the palace?"
"Yes. He's already warned the butler and head maid not to mention anything about him."
"Why?"
"...Wouldn't you have to ask him?"
They both turned to look at Nihil, lying there like a corpse. What thoughts were in that little head of his?
"Well, he must have his reasons..."
Lianus brushed it off, saying he'd ask when Nihil woke up. Evan knew pondering it was pointless and changed the subject.
"And about hiring more servants as Your Highness ordered before—the recruitment period has about a month left. Interviews for squire or maid hopefuls will be at the main palace after entry procedures, and for maids or manservants at the 8th Street Opera Hall. It's only been a short time since starting, so it might be premature, but..."
Evan hesitated on the tail end, and Lianus picked up on it first.
"No applicants, huh."
"There are some for maids or manservants, but noble applicants? Safe to say none. All from ducal retainers, they say. And if they're planting someone on purpose, it might be hard to screen."
"Hmm..."
Lianus seemed to ponder briefly before shaking his head vigorously.
"Just leave it all to him."
"Pardon?"
"...He'll handle it, right?"
Lianus said this while staring at his sleeping friend. With his friend's knack for reading people, surely he'd spot suspects and call them out with a 'bam!'?
"The head maid actually worries he's getting too involved..."
Lianus shrugged at Evan's words, as if to say what was the problem.
"Then just trust and leave it to him."
"You're too complacent. What if he plants only his own people?"
Evan knew Nihil wouldn't, but worried his master might make a wrong call someday.
But Lianus tilted his head.
"Really?"
"..."
Evan faltered under those pure, earnest eyes asking if he really thought that.
Where did this blind faith come from? Had the lynx already brainwashed His Highness somehow?
Evan pondered briefly before giving a short reply.
"No."
Maybe he was already brainwashed too—worrying was a luxury.
"He... won't cause harm. But differing values might lead to clashes, no?"
"Uh... yeah?"
Lianus tilted his head, wondering what could clash between him and his friend.
Evan pressed on.
"Your Highness, suppose—just suppose—the kingdom is falling, and you can't do anything. What would you do?"
"Huh...? Try something anyway?"
"Even if your life was in danger?"
"But I couldn't run. I'm royalty."
"Protecting yourself is also a royal duty. Survive somehow and rebuild the kingdom."
"But I... don't think royal blood matters."
His mother, scorned for being a half-elf.
What made elves superior to humans, or humans to elves? Why the mistreatment?
To stand above others, you needed power, not noble blood. Those with power became the noble bloodlines.
"Blood doesn't matter for rebuilding a kingdom. Someone worthy will do it. I'll live in the now, protect my kingdom, and die doing it."
Born royal, he'd enjoyed privileges—he had to repay them. Surviving to rebuild was just enjoying power again.
"Think he'd agree?"
"...Huh?"
"People's values differ inevitably. Your judgment isn't wrong, but not necessarily right. You can't say whether living for the present or planning the future is correct."
Lianus's eyes widened at Evan's serious words.
"Don't assume he'd judge the same, even if you can't abandon your post for royal duty. He would..."
"...?"
Evan paused in thought. The lynx wouldn't struggle to save the kingdom, nor leave His Highness in danger.
"Kidnap you and raise you...?"
"...Am I being raised?"
"N-No, I mean...!"
Evan flailed in panic at his slip, but Lianus alternated glances between him and Nihil before bursting into laughter and beaming.
"Then I'll just let myself be raised!"
"What?!"
Lianus giggled again, ignoring his knight's shock, and bundled the sleeping Nihil in the blankets.
"Ni-hil, I'm bored~"
Now that it had come to this, he planned to whine, sulk, and soak up all the affection. Tough worries could wait.
Nihil, who had been lying like a corpse, slowly lifted his eyelids as always.