Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: The Delivered Knight
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“……The Eastern Empire tends to use a lot of nature metaphors even in everyday conversation. That's why it feels especially tricky. If we interpret this sentence……”
Karus's voice filled the small reception room. Today they were studying the manners of the Eastern Empire, and on the surface it looked like a lesson between a scholarly tutor and his earnest pupil. But in reality, both Karus and Lianus were lost in their own thoughts throughout the imperial language class.
Lianus was buzzing with excitement at the thought of playing with Nihil once class ended, so he completely failed to notice how Karus's voice lacked its usual vigor. Instead, it was Evan, standing guard nearby, who picked up on the tutor's odd mood and grew quietly concerned.
In truth, Karus was feeling a bit down.
He had arrived at the 2nd Prince's Palace in high spirits, but the sight of Lianus sitting there all alone had sent his mood crashing.
Why didn't my dear friend come? Did I pester him too much yesterday, and now he's avoiding me?
Karus even wondered if it was all just his imagination. After scouring for clues about that language for over five years, his head must have finally gone haywire!
It was an absurd notion, but he was doubting his own sanity because he couldn't clearly recall the face of that lovely dear friend. It was just like waking from a dream and forgetting the person you'd seen in it.
Karus desperately wanted to ask about his dear friend, but he held back out of fear that the prince might say something like, “Huh? Dear friend? Who's that?”
He debated internally over and over whether to speak up, but before he could decide, class time was up. With his next appointment right after, he had no choice but to wrap things up.
“……We'll end here for today. Good work, Your Highness.”
“Yeah! You too, Karus!”
Karus slumped in defeat, but Lianus beamed brightly at the prospect of finally playing with his dear friend.
“Um, Your Highness……”
“Oh, right!”
Karus hesitated, steeling himself to ask about his dear friend, but Lianus suddenly spoke up as if remembering something, forcing him to clamp his mouth shut again.
The small, adorable prince rummaged through his pockets like he was searching for something, then hopped down from his chair and trotted over to Karus.
“……?”
Puzzled by Lianus's behavior, Karus knelt down to meet his eye level.
“What's the matter?”
“Shh.”
Lianus pressed his index finger to his lips, signaling silence, then handed over the note clutched in his hand.
He had a secret mission from Nihil to fulfill, after all!
Karus took the note and started to ask what it was, but Lianus whispered that it was a secret.
Karus mimicked the gesture by raising his own finger, then unfolded the note with exaggerated caution, as if revealing some grand mystery.
Lianus was just as curious about the message Nihil had passed along, so he leaned in close—practically forehead to forehead—waiting for it to open.
The contents were extremely brief.
-Knight, one. By tonight.
“???”
The two stared at each other, eyes wide round, after reading the curt message.
Karus whispered to Lianus, who was reacting the exact same way—no, ten times cuter.
“By any chance, is this from your dear friend?”
Nod, nod.
At that tiny affirmation, Karus realized his dear friend wasn't some figment of his imagination and broke into a wide grin. He leaned in to whisper again.
“Why didn't your dear friend come today?”
“He's busy.”
“He's not avoiding me, is he?”
“That…… I wouldn't know.”
Lianus figured his friend had no reason to dodge Karus on purpose, but since he couldn't read Nihil's mind, he dodged the question.
Truth be told, Karus had been a little clingy last time.
Karus felt he'd be a tad sad if his dear friend really was avoiding him. But separately, he was thrilled that the one who could fulfill his lifelong wish was real, so without pressing for details, he promised to send one knight by tonight and took his leave.
And so, Lianus—who had been thrilled at the end of all his lessons, eager to play with Nihil—ended up sitting blankly in his chair a short while later. Well, he had to sit there.
He couldn't move.
“……Nil?”
Lianus glanced back and forth between his hands and feet bound to the chair…… and Nihil, who was now wrapping rope around his torso.
“Rian, I'm gonna teach you how to escape ropes if you ever get kidnapped.”
With that, Nihil's surprise crash course began.
“My heart's pounding.”
Lianus, now armed with escape techniques from Nihil, murmured as he reviewed the plan one more time.
Getting tied up had thrown him off at first, but escape games were a blast.
Gotta play again next time!
“Rian, keep your ears wide open on Sharton Street. It'll be exhausting, but it'll make for solid training.”
“Got it!”
“Just in case we can't talk, let's set up some simple signals. If I tap once or make a sound, it means ‘do whatever you want.’”
Lianus cocked his head. The explanation was way too vague.
“What kind of sound?”
“Any sound. Could be tapping the wall or snapping my fingers. One sound means ‘do whatever,’ two in a row means ‘yes,’ three means ‘no.’”
“Okay, gotcha.”
“I'm throwing all this at you, but you won't actually be in any real danger, so no worries.”
“Yeah, I'm not worried. It was super fun anyway. Nobody's ever taught me how to tie ropes without it hurting, or how to cut them with a thread bracelet! Oh, and the fainting game too!”
Lianus chirped happily, prompting Evan nearby to let out an exasperated chuckle.
Who in their right mind would teach the prince—no, a child—stuff like that?
Evan had thought it absurd at first, but it seemed practical enough that he hadn't bothered intervening. Of course, when Nihil had trussed up the prince like a gift package, he'd tied Nihil up the exact same way and told him, “Try it yourself, punk.”
Lianus giggled, insisting how amazing and fun it all was. His eyes drifted to the thread bracelet wrapped around his wrist that he'd been fiddling with nonstop.
It was handmade by Nihil himself—a gift just for him.
A cheap trinket you could find anywhere, sure, but it was his first present from his dear friend, so how could he not love it?
The bracelet was woven from dark green threads matching Lianus's own hair, save for one single strand of sparkling white that resembled Nihil's locks. It felt like a perfect symbol of the two of them, which put him in an even better mood.
“This white thread sparkles just like your hair, Nil. So pretty.”
“Rian, I'm thrilled you like the bracelet I made you, but quit fiddling or you'll scrape your hand. I coated that white thread with glue mixed with finely ground glass so it can actually slice through ropes.”
Evan perked up at that, letting out an intrigued “Oh?” as he inspected the bracelet up close. The dark green threads looked soft as ever, but the white one definitely seemed stiffer.
Lianus held it right up to his nose and stared intently before suddenly looking up.
“Then wouldn't it have been better to coat the whole thing?”
“That'd shred your delicate little wrist.”
Lianus marveled at Nihil's matter-of-fact reply, kicking himself for not thinking of it. He flipped the bracelet over and saw no white thread on the skin side.
How is my friend so smart, thoughtful, and caring?!
“Ah, want me to remake yours with some coating?”
Lianus glanced at Nihil's wrist as he said it.
He'd mentioned wanting to try making one, and his kind friend had patiently taught him how to weave it. Now that bracelet adorned Nihil's wrist. Matching pairs on each of them made it feel like they were true best friends—Lianus had been over the moon.
But his version was just a plain thread bracelet with no special coating, so maybe he should redo it. It hadn't exactly been made for sawing through ropes in the first place, but……
“I can snap ropes barehanded, so no need for coating. Besides, I like it like this.”
Nihil wiggled his small fingers, clearly cherishing the bracelet despite its handmade quirks—the uneven thickness from poor tension control, the faint wear from use. He loved it all.
“Makes sense!”
Lianus inwardly showered his friend with praise for his strength too.
Nihil had, in fact, wriggled free of the ropes Evan had tied him with effortlessly, earning a narrow-eyed glare of annoyance from the knight.
Nihil met that stare head-on and spoke up brazenly.
“Want me to make one for you?”
“……No thanks.”
He wouldn't mind one of those dainty little bracelets handmade by their cute, charming prince…… but no way was he taking one from this feral little beast.
Nihil shrugged off the curt rejection, glanced toward the terrace, and spoke up.
“Looks like the person from your teacher is here. Let her in?”
“Karus's?”
“Yeah.”
“Sure, okay.”
With Lianus's go-ahead, Nihil headed to the terrace and yanked back the blackout curtains.
“Gyaaah! You scared me!”
A woman clad head to toe in black had been about to tap on the terrace window when the sudden brightness made her yelp oddly.
Nihil unlocked the door and swung it open.
“Wow, hello there, pretty young master! You're the prince's dear friend the marquis mentioned, right? You're impossibly gorgeous. He nailed the description! This beauty defies words!”
“……Cut the chatter and get inside.”
Nihil narrowed his eyes and ushered the woman in. Only her faint purple irises had been visible before—she now doffed her hood and mask, bowing first to Lianus.
“Greetings, Your Highness. I'm Bella, guard knight to Marchioness Francesca. Don't let the outfit fool you—I'm her finest!”
“Karus really sent you without asking a single question.”
“I was shocked too! Figured she'd ship me off somewhere else for sure! Orders were clear: no questions, obey perfectly, listen up, and above all, don't upset the dear friend! So, young master dear friend…… you got some dirt on our marquis or what?”
“……”
Nihil let out a deep sigh as Bella blabbered on without pause for breath.
Somehow, the master and her knight were cut from the exact same chatty cloth.