Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: Playful Braids and Hide-and-Seek
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"Nil, your hair's all come undone. Let me braid it again!"
The baby kitten, who had been scampering excitedly around the garden, flopped down onto the picnic mat to catch her breath before toddling over to the lynx boy, who didn't look the least bit tired. It seemed our dear baby kitten had developed some strange obsession about personally grooming the lynx's fur.
"Kara wants to do it too! Kara will make it look pretty!"
"Uh, then me too..."
Having had so much fun messing up the little one's hair earlier, the other kids started sidling up to Nihil one by one.
In the midst of it all, Riven tried to tease him with a bug but got scolded by Sergio, yet unable to give up on the prank, he ended up poking leaves into Nihil's hair as decorations.
Sir Evan watched as Nihil's hair grew more and more disheveled with every touch from the children, and he couldn't help but let the corner of his mouth twitch upward. He wondered if those pristine white locks might end up stained from all their grubby hands.
Even so, the lynx boy seemed far more pleased that the kids were clustering around him than upset about his ruined hair, wearing a deeply satisfied expression.
"That's weird. I'm sure the baby braided it into three strands like this..."
Our adorable baby kitten tilted her head in puzzlement. What had started as three neat braids had somehow multiplied into five.
"Your Highness, that's not how it's done."
Sir Evan chuckled softly and approached the lynx, gently running his fingers through the boy's hair to comb it out. Leaves and petals fluttered down. The tangled locks smoothed out surprisingly easily, falling soft and silky.
"What should I tie it with?"
"Kara wants this one!"
"I'll use this."
"Wouldn't this look prettier?"
"Nil would look good with anything."
The question was directed at the lynx, but the answers came from everywhere else. Sir Evan smiled awkwardly at all the hair accessories being thrust toward him.
Still, he thought it best to use the one offered by our prince, so he reached out—just as the lynx spoke up.
"All of them."
Sir Evan couldn't help but snort at the reply. Using every single accessory would surely look ridiculous, but the boy's soft, arrogant, and affectionate voice made it clear he intended to handle it all.
"So greedy."
"Isn't he, though."
Sir Evan happily put his skills to use for the newly greedy Nihil. It was still a bit over-the-top and comical from all the decorations, but whether because of his striking looks or his unflappable demeanor, it didn't turn out as strange as expected.
"He looks like a princess from a fairy tale!"
Kara spun circles around Nihil, her eyes sparkling. Her own hair had come completely undone from all the play, leaving it a mess—should he rebraid it or not? As he pondered, the little girl whipped her head toward him and said,
"Do Kara like a princess too!"
'Big brother, braid it like a princess from a fairy tale.'
"...Yes."
Sir Evan answered a beat late, the child's voice stirring a hazy memory of when he'd heard it. He carefully undid her pigtails.
'This isn't princess-like at all. Not even close!'
'...Sorry. I'll practice more.'
'Next time, you have to do it just like a princess.'
'Okay.'
There had definitely been a time when touching her hair felt awkward.
"My secret friend's got some impressive skills. Teach me too!"
"It's just a bit of parlor trickery, sir."
Karus approached in admiration from watching on the sidelines, but Sir Evan brushed it off with an awkward smile.
'When was the last time I visited Aril?'
Sir Evan mentally reviewed the prince's schedule to figure out days he could step out. He ran through the list of knights who could stand in for his guard duty, but the people he could actually ask were fewer than he'd thought.
Master's probably busy... Asking Karus to watch the kitten—no, wait, no. Even so, bringing in an outsider knight feels off. The temporary pharmacist is untrustworthy, and I don't know his skills yet. Plus, isn't he still a kid?
Vice-captain might be tied up too. He seemed hooked on teaching His Highness dual swords lately... Asking His Majesty for a shadow guard—no.
What if he asks why I'm going out?
Suddenly gripped by anxiety, Sir Evan paused his hands.
"Secret friend?"
"...Miss, just call me Evan."
Sir Evan resumed working on Kara's hair, shaking off the odd title. This was all the marquis's fault for calling him a secret friend.
"But big brother said secret friend."
"Kara, Sir Evan's my secret friend, so you can't call him that."
"Kara wants to be secret friends too."
"Hmm, that might be... a bit tricky."
"Why?"
"Well..."
Karus, unwilling to let his one and only secret friend get stolen by his little sister, spouted some nonsense.
"Sir Evan's secret friends with this big brother, so if Kara becomes secret friends with Sir Evan, then Kara and big brother would end up as secret friend's friends, right?"
"...?"
"And since this big brother is Kara's big brother, wouldn't secret friend's friends be weird?"
"Hmm, that's hard. Kara doesn't want secret friends anymore."
Not wanting to tax her brain, the little girl gave up on becoming secret friends with Sir Evan thanks to her brother's sophistry and turned back to Nihil.
"Dear friend, Kara wants that hairpin too."
"Of course."
Nihil chuckled lowly and handed over the largest ribbon pin from his own hair to its original owner. It must have been a favorite. The big ribbon stuck up like cat ears atop Kara's head.
Hairpins... Should I buy some?
Sir Evan watched Kara and thought of his own little sister. Aril loved flowers, so flower-shaped hairpins might make a nice gift.
Where would he even buy kids' hairpins? His head already ached at the thought, but picturing his delighted sister brought a soft smile to his face.
"Here comes the baby snake."
"..."
The smile vanished in an instant.
"Your Highness, shall I send word to Vernus Palace?"
"No need. It's better not to—I want to surprise him."
No need for such formalities. He'd never bothered with them before, and Lianus always welcomed his visits. Besides, someone like Lianus could never refuse him anyway.
But if Lianus did reject him, Lawrence would look the fool—so he deliberately let his eyebrows droop and muttered,
"...What if Lianus doesn't want to see me?"
"No, Your Highness. Don't worry too much."
"But... I've been on bad terms with my brother lately..."
He murmured quietly that he was being cautious, and sighs erupted from all around.
"The 2nd Prince is too much. After all Your Highness has done for him, how can he act so rudely just because he made one friend?"
"No, I've scolded him too..."
"Your Highness only spoke the truth! It was the 2nd Prince who behaved outrageously, defending that lowly commoner brat!"
Yes, exactly—voices of agreement rose here and there. Lawrence sneered inwardly once more.
Now even if Lianus refused, it wouldn't harm him. He'd come bearing gifts only to be cruelly turned away, painting him the pitiful older brother, while Lianus became the ungrateful sibling who chased off his gift-bearing brother.
Yes, he hadn't done anything wrong from the start. He'd merely pointed out his brother's improper behavior as an elder. It was Lianus who was at fault for picking up trash and acting beneath royal dignity.
'...Still hanging around with that trash. Must be nice rubbing shoulders with lowborns.'
'Yes, it is.'
'...'
'Much better than with you, Older Brother.'
A firm voice flashed through his mind, souring his mood. Of course, Lianus had only lashed out because he was offended by the criticism, but comparing him to trash was unforgivable.
As they neared Vernus Palace, children's chatter drifted over.
"Nil! From now on, I'll take responsibility for brushing your hair!"
The bright voice made Lawrence reflexively glance at his own neatly side-swept hair, then quickly scowl.
Brushing a lowborn's hair personally? Where had his princely dignity gone?
Lawrence resolved to chop off that thing's hair short later as he quickened his pace.
The children were sitting in a circle on the picnic mat, and upon seeing it, the servants began whispering loud enough for him to hear.
"Even if he's only half a prince, sitting on the ground like that..."
"He only keeps one lowly knight close. Must be catching the rot."
"No maids or valets, they say. Never properly attended to, I suppose."
"Look at that empty garden—not even fit for a palace."
"Ruining the royal dignity all by himself."
Lawrence didn't join in the servants' gossip. He simply thought that picnic mats were off-limits from now on.
"Okay, now Kara's it!"
"...?"
Suddenly, the children jumped up and scattered in all directions.
"Uh, no... wait..."
Lawrence felt a twinge of bewilderment watching them disperse. He couldn't bring himself to shout after them like some clown, so as he pondered how to handle this, he suddenly realized one child was missing from the fleeing group.
Where's Baedong...?
He'd clearly been there just moments ago when Lianus was brushing his hair...
Suddenly.
"...!"
Thud!
Startled by the thing popping up right in front of him, Lawrence shoved it away with all his might.
Whether misfortune or luck, no ridiculous voice came out, but in his flailing, he flung the gift bouquet too, sending petals scattering before his eyes.
Through the fluttering petals, the toppled Baedong gazed up at him silently. Those universe-like eyes were as mysterious and alien as ever.
Dazed by the unfamiliar face he could never get used to no matter how many times he saw it, he heard the tagger's singing voice.
"Hide, hide, in the shadows hide. When the sun dips low, the monster wakes." If the monster draws near, shut your eyes tight. Lest those beautiful eyes enchant you so. Hide, hide, in darkness hide. When the moon ascends, the monster comes calling. If the monster sings, cover your ears tight. Lest that beautiful voice sweep you away. Hide, hide, behind laughter hide. When the sun rises high, the monster departs. Before the monster sleeps, find the child. Find the child for my beloved monster."
⟨ Hide-and-Seek Chant ⟩
"...Monster."
"..."
"No, I wasn't speaking to you. Are you all right?"
Lawrence muttered unwittingly before snapping to and extending a hand to Baedong.
"Your Highness!"
"Danger!"
"Are you hurt?"
But the servants, belatedly coming to their senses, swarmed around him, preventing him from helping Baedong up.
Lawrence scanned Baedong's condition through the gap between the servants checking him over. Baedong was a hundred times in the wrong for jumping out like that, but injuring Lianus's pet could spark ugly rumors later. If he was hurt, it needed handling quietly before word got out.
...When did his hair grow so long?
It had barely reached his shoulders before, but now it seemed longer than his own. Was the rumor true—was he not human?
Baedong casually brushed the dirt off himself. His hair was absurdly laden with ornaments, and now petals claimed space too, making it even more garish.
His exceptional looks kept it from looking too awful, but it still came off a bit dimwitted.
...And what's that black, round fuzzy thing...?
Lawrence eyed the inexplicable fur ball perched on Baedong's head, then let his gaze drift down slightly to meet the boy's eyes.
As he stared blankly without realizing, Baedong stood and took a step closer.
"Stand back!"
The knights finally drew their swords, menacing the child. But Baedong, unfazed by the blades thrust toward him, tilted his head and gathered the intact flowers from the ground, offering them to Lawrence.
"Ah..."
Lawrence accepted the much-diminished bouquet on reflex. A thought crossed his mind.
"Will you take them?"
Lawrence held out the bouquet to Baedong with a beaming smile.