Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: A Knight's Babysitting Duty
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Clap clap clap!
Nihil clapped his hands and bounced around excitedly. Our little seaweed was hard at work pummeling the straw dummy. Lianus's already embarrassed face flushed beet red, but Nihil thought it was hilarious and cheered even louder.
"...Stay still."
Walter Earnest, who had taken over as the day's guard knight in Sir Evan's absence, scolded him gently. Nihil obediently nodded for that moment, only to start clapping again later.
The duke, who was instructing Lawrence in swordsmanship, shot a stern glare at the noisy Nihil. But Nihil paid no mind to the old man's gaze and brushed it off lightly.
Just as he was about to clap again when our little seaweed landed another solid hit, his body suddenly lifted off the ground. It was Walter.
"Didn't I tell you to stay still?"
Walter lapsed into thought, wondering how he, now the captain of the Royal Knights, had ended up babysitting.
It had happened during dawn training.
As usual, Walter had assembled the knights before daybreak and was putting them through their drills. Exhausted from handling Chaton's mess all weekend without rest, he considered handing it off to the vice-captain. But delegating his duties didn't sit right with him.
The 2nd Prince and the little boy wrapped head to toe appeared just as training was wrapping up. For some reason, Sir Evan trailing behind them looked anxious and on edge.
The training grounds grew a bit chilly at the 2nd Prince's arrival. They were probably wary of that absurd "Mana Curse."
Walter deliberately stepped closer, blocking the young prince from view.
'Your Highness, what brings you here?'
'Sir Earnest, I need a knight to guard me today in Sir Evan's place.'
That explained Sir Evan's outing. As the 2nd Prince's sole guard, he rarely had days off.
Walter immediately scanned his subordinates for volunteers. Most looked reluctant, but unlike before, a few stepped forward. The trouble came after.
The little boy who arrived with the prince suddenly approached him and grabbed his hand tightly.
'...?'
'Wh-what..., Nil, what's wrong?'
The boy extended his hand toward the prince.
'You like Sir Earnest?'
Nod nod.
'But the captain of the Royal Knights is a very busy position. How about another knight? Don't they look strong?'
At the question, the boy, hood pulled low over his cloak, scanned the training grounds, shook his head vigorously, and patted Walter's thigh.
'Nil..., I admit Sir Earnest is strong and trustworthy. But...'
Shake shake.
The boy clung to one of his legs, refusing to let go, then plopped down on the ground.
'...'
The little prince fidgeted at his friend's behavior, glanced around nervously, then looked up at Walter with wide, clear eyes.
The prince approached hesitantly, tugging lightly at Walter's clothes.
'Um..., Sir Earnest, are you very busy today? As captain..., you must be, right?'
'...'
What knight could refuse when the prince said it like that? Especially since Walter felt sympathy for the beleaguered 2nd Prince—it was inevitable.
"Haa..."
Walter sighed deeply, snapping out of the memory. His schedule was packed, so he'd worried His Majesty might refuse. But permission came all too readily.
Of course, all his work got dumped on the vice-captain, earning him some resentful glares. But what could he do? He'd been chosen by the little one.
Walter hugged the wriggling boy in his arms a bit tighter. He'd thought the kid chose him out of fondness, but Nihil showed little interest and didn't listen anyway.
Just the other day, rumors spread that the 2nd Prince's friend was odd..., no, peculiar. Walter figured it was just more talk dragging the prince down. But in truth, the kid was a bit strange.
Walter turned his gaze back to the training grounds. Lost in thought longer than he realized, the two princes were now preparing for a spar.
The wooden swords clashed a few times, and the match ended with the 1st Prince's victory. A predictable outcome. Despite his gentle face, the 1st Prince was unusually large and strong for his age.
Even if the 2nd Prince had superior skill and technique, the size difference was insurmountable. Unless he broke through to a level where aura could compensate for physique, it wasn't a winnable fight.
Above all, it was clear the duke wasn't teaching the 2nd Prince proper swordsmanship.
Thoroughly dejected, the 2nd Prince sat slumped on the dirt for a long while. He seemed deeply disheartened.
As Walter watched sympathetically and took a step to offer comfort, something shot out of his arms toward the prince.
"Niiil..."
The prince immediately reached out to the approaching boy. Nihil naturally scooped him up and patted his back.
Walter raised an eyebrow at the bizarre sight. The kid might hop around and clap cluelessly, but he really looked after the prince.
"Sniff, Nil..., even you think I'm done for?"
Nod nod.
"Waaah~"
"...".
Walter revised his thoughts. The kid was definitely a little weird.
"Sniff, sniff..."
Hurt that his friend nodded so matter-of-factly, the 2nd Prince cried all the way back to the palace.
It was contradictory enough that he cried in his friend's arms, but even more so that the same person both upset and comforted him.
And now, the boy who made the prince cry was washing him.
"Puhuhup, whoaang~ Puheup, Nil is a dummy!"
"Sniff."
"Kkhueong-!"
"...".
Forcing a face wash willy-nilly, now thoroughly clearing his nose too. Giver and receiver alike acted so naturally that Walter wondered if this was right. After scrubbing the prince from head to toe until he gleamed, the boy casually dried his hair.
Once dinner was served in the bedroom, and the boy fed the picky prince his grilled vegetables, Walter finally spoke up.
"...Your Highness, don't you usually have attendants waiting on you?"
"Ah..., well..., it ended up like this. And my friend doesn't like the servants getting close..., Nil, can't you let the paprika slide?"
Shake shake.
"Hiiing..."
Lianus eyed the wicked paprika shoved in front of him gloomily before opening his mouth to accept the evil thing. Slightly charred outside, soft and crunchy inside—it had the most unpleasant texture.
"I specifically asked for no paprika, so why does it keep showing up...?"
"...".
The culprit behind the paprika stayed silent and quickly dipped a piece of meat to offer instead. Oblivious that his friend was the boss of paprika, Lianus munched away diligently.
"More importantly, Nil, isn't the hood and cloth stuffy? Sir Earnest won't go blabbing about you, so relax."
"...".
At that, Nihil glanced at Walter, who stood rigidly at attention. Despite Lianus's urging to relax, he held his vigilant posture.
He wasn't overly strict with kids, but he seemed awfully rigid. He wouldn't gossip, but he wouldn't skip reports either.
With Frederick around, word would reach the kid's dad anyway, impossible to block. But letting it reach the Queen was trouble, so Nihil shook his head.
Just then, footsteps approached—the butler's. Knock knock. The bedroom door sounded.
Lianus didn't answer right away, looking to Nihil first. Only when Nihil nodded did he speak.
"Come in."
The butler's face was somewhat grim as he entered.
"Your Highness, the Queen has sent an etiquette instructor. ...For young master Nil."
Sir Evan left the palace after a long time. He felt a bit sorry toward the captain, but no one else was as trustworthy, so he was glad for the wildcat's stubbornness.
After visiting five toy stores, he finally found a large puppy doll. Hugging it while striding through the streets drew some stares, but he ignored them and hurried on.
Knock knock.
Reaching his destination, Evan knocked and opened the door with some trepidation.
"Ariel."
"...".
He'd expected as much—no reply. Instead, soft breathing sounds came.
Click. The door closed.
The room was pitch dark despite broad daylight, blackout curtains drawn tight. A cute chick-shaped teapot sat on the bedside table.
Evan approached the bed, gently placed the puppy doll beside the rising and falling blanket, drew back the curtains, and opened the window for fresh air. The acrid medicine smell gradually wafted away on the breeze.
Evan refilled the chick teapot with water and placed an incense burner beside it with a click.
It was the pure white one the boy had whimsically brought to help him sleep, then left in his room.
'Not sure if it'll work.'
Strong as it was said to be, it hadn't affected him much. Ariel, tolerant to sleep aids and painkillers, might find it useless too. Still, vague hope that the boy's creation was different made him stuff it in his pocket.
Evan carefully brushed aside the girl's hair, the same color as his own. Damp with sweat from last night's fever, it tangled around his fingers instead of falling smoothly.
"...Ariel."
Evan spoke softly again.
"Ariel, they say one of our ancestors was a wolf."
"...".
"Our parents were totally ordinary, though. Weird, right?"
Evan continued despite no response.
"...I wondered if it might relate to your illness. Maybe we could find the cause that way."
"...".
"But..., those wolves were wiped out. Three hundred years ago. Funny, huh?"
Evan let out a hollow laugh.
"If I showed you to him..., would it help?"
But he couldn't bring her out. Taking her from here would make her heart burst.
"Should've bound the contract to my body instead..."
Why did all these trials fall on her alone?
"If I brought him here..., would he try to kill me?"
After a moment's thought, Evan shook his head. The boy might try to understand his situation instead. But Evan didn't want to show it or be understood.
This was the path he'd chosen.
"Sorry for being selfish, sis."
"...".
"I'm sorry, Ariel."
"...".
In the brief silence, knock knock—the door sounded. Ignoring the occupant, it slid open smoothly.
"Sir Evan."
"...".
"Her Highness the Queen summons you."