Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: The Disliked Bear Doll
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Sir Evan, deep in his misunderstanding that Nihil was terribly missing "the child," quietly spoke up.
"...Did you put him to sleep?"
Evan poked at Nihil, who had slumped over like a marionette doll with its strings cut, but the boy didn't so much as twitch. He'd already overcome Bella's sleep scent once before, so it was obvious he'd deliberately dozed off this time.
Bella seemed to know it too. She let out a strange mewling cry and pulled Nihil's limp arm into a hug.
"Huh? Did Nil fall asleep?"
"Meow~"
Lianus, lost in thought, caught on late and widened his eyes. He whispered softly, afraid of waking Nihil.
"Nil doesn't seem to like the bear doll much."
"......"
"Me, ow......"
"Then maybe I should get him a real bear as a gift."
"...A real bear would be way too dangerous, wouldn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess so?"
Evan realized the prince had been so quiet because he'd been agonizing over what to give Nihil.
Probably because the prince is always so consistent and oblivious. Maybe that wildcat kid didn't think much of it either.
"He's probably exhausted too. It might be best to let him rest until we've set up camp and prepared some food."
"Yeah, I think so too. But all we've got is bread and potatoes..."
Lianus thought of the bread chunks in his little bag and the potatoes in Nihil's.
He hadn't done anything special, yet he'd scored bread chunks, gotten a fairy tale in exchange for potatoes, and even snacked on strawberries. He wondered if all street kids scrounged food like this, but from overhearing their chatter, it didn't seem so.
As Lianus alternated glances between his bag and Nihil's, Evan chuckled softly and spoke up.
"You sure know how to come by food easily, Your Highness. I never would have imagined."
"Is it usually like this?"
"No way. The kids must've wanted to look after you since you seemed so naive."
"Did I really come off that naive?"
Lianus rubbed his mouth awkwardly, wondering if he'd seemed like a total fool.
"Street kids are pretty sharp. They'd do anything for a meal. But you? No street smarts, gawking at everything like it was fascinating. How could they not take pity and share?"
Lianus pondered if Evan's words were praise or an insult, then shook his head to dismiss the thought—it didn't really matter.
Evan grinned at Lianus's gesture and continued.
"Don't worry about lunch, though. The wildcat kid packed something in our gear."
With that, Evan ducked into an alley. Their path had grown longer dodging people, so he gave up, leaped high onto the rooftops, and started bounding swiftly between them.
Bella, caught off guard, let out a weird yowl and sprang from his arms. She quickly shifted back to human form and followed.
Lianus yelped at the sudden lift-off, clutching Evan's collar tight before checking if his friend was okay.
Nihil slept on without stirring. His deep, beautiful black eyes remained hidden behind closed lids, and his hair—smeared black with ash powder—whipped wildly in the wind.
After staring for a long while, Lianus called out to Evan.
"Sir Evan."
"Yes?"
"I think living's better than being dead, after all."
"Pardon...?"
Stunned by Lianus's sudden talk of death, Evan halted atop a house roof.
Lianus carefully poked Nihil's cheek. His friend was surely exhausted and needed more rest, but Lianus craved those black, mysterious eyes again—those gazes that tracked his every move.
He hated anything motionless.
Evan was flustered by Lianus's odd behavior but didn't stop him.
A strange certainty bloomed in Lianus. Even deep in sleep, Nihil would open his eyes if called. He wanted to test it.
"Nil."
"...Yeah."
A voice, huskier than usual, replied a beat late. Thin lids fluttered a few times before lifting fully, revealing starry black skies beneath.
Lianus grinned, thrilled at waking his friend.
It was nothing special—just a call and a response—but the joy of an answer even in sleep was immense.
"Wanna grab some strawberries on the way back?"
Having woken the sleeper with nothing to say, Lianus blurted the first thing that came to mind. He knew it was lame even as he said it, but Nihil wouldn't chide him.
"Sure."
As expected, a plain reply. Lianus beamed and urged Evan on, saying he was starving.
Evan, baffled by the random strawberry talk, resumed their rooftop dash.
"Dog breath."
Mid-leap, Nihil—playing finger games with Lianus—spoke up.
"What."
"Red roof, southeast."
Nihil nodded toward a rundown inn in the Sharton Street brothel district—one that could be anywhere.
Evan scowled at it and grumbled.
"Why there."
"Drugs in the basement. Only accessible via the attic."
"......"
"FYI."
"...Sigh."
Evan sighed at the unwanted intel dump.
His head throbbed with foreboding—this could blow up big. No ignoring it now; later, he'd assign the cat to guard and report to the palace.
With that, he dropped into an alley.
"How do you even find that stuff out, Nil? X-ray vision or something?"
Freed from Evan's hold, Lianus stared wide-eyed at those night-sky black orbs, fascinated. Even a surface glance screamed extraordinary; special powers wouldn't surprise him.
"Ner, don't stare so hard. Might enchant you."
"...Huh?"
Nihil smirked, crinkling his eye corners—an ideal, bewitching smile.
"Y-you have that power too?!"
Evan, wary of the kid's eerie grin, swiftly covered Lianus's eyes.
Startled by the sudden darkness, Lianus stayed put, half-believing he might get entranced.
Then a thought struck: Too late if he does have it—am I already enchanted?
"......!"
Evan whipped around in horror, inspecting Lianus. Bella chimed in that a pretty boy like him could totally fall for it, nearly stopping Evan's heart.
Those big, sparkling green eyes rolled up at him imploringly.
Even in the grubby ash-gray wig and head-to-toe bandages, to Evan, Lianus was just cute, cute, cuter.
As Evan gravely studied him, a stifled chuckle escaped. Realizing the prank, Evan exploded.
"Quit messing around!"
"Teasing brats is my hobby."
Back to blank-faced in an instant, Nihil shrugged nonchalantly.
"Everything you say sounds dead serious!"
"Not totally false. Rare, but some do get enchanted."
"Wh-what's that supposed to mean...!"
"Ner, hungry? Let's eat."
"Oh, yeah!"
Nihil tugged the floundering Evan to the ground.
Evan, absurdly plopped on filthy dirt, opened his mouth to complain—but clamped it shut as Nihil seated Lianus on him, hugging the boy tight.
Nihil pulled a handkerchief and canteen from his pack, meticulously wiping Lianus's grubby hands.
From Evan's lap, Lianus watched quietly, then spoke.
"Nil, I get hygiene's important, but..."
"Yeah."
"We're pretending to be wandering orphans. Do we need to go this far?"
Lianus had steeled himself for stealth, hunger, and sketchy food, yet Nihil treated him like a fragile dandelion seed.
At this rate, they'd get shunned by the kids before blending in—for being too prissy.
Finishing the right hand, Nihil wiped the left and replied.
"Ner, I know you came prepared for all that. But if you catch something here, my head rolls. Remember that."
"......"
Lianus realized his friend had braced for even more. No harm listening—His Majesty wouldn't really execute Nihil, but friends' advice was gold.
With Lianus's hands spotless, Nihil handed him the plumpest sandwich, then tossed jerky pouches to Bella and Evan.
Lianus eyed Evan blankly gnawing jerky and asked.
"You two aren't eating the same thing?"
"Uh, well..."
"Sandwiches are boring."
"......"
"Got it."
Before flustered Evan could explain, Nihil cut in. Stuck looking picky, but with Lianus accepting it, Evan chewed jerky with dead eyes.
"I like jerky!"
Bella giggled at Evan's plight, munching away.
Evan glared at her once, then gently lifted mid-bite Lianus to one thigh. He yanked standing Nihil—peeling his sandwich—onto the other.
Worried about Nihil eating upright, Lianus finally smiled brightly. Nihil glanced up at Evan, finished unwrapping, and dug in.
The dark, dingy alley felt surprisingly warm and cozy.
Until Bella wolfed her jerky, shifted to cat, swiped Evan's, and nipped his finger.
"Ow! You damn cat brat!"
"Meeooow~"
Loud, but alley cat curses were commonplace—no one cared.
Evan thought to himself:
I really don't get along with cats at all.