Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: How the Prince Makes Friends
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"Aaaah!"
A sudden scream echoed through the bedroom. Nihil showed no mercy as he mounted Lianus, who was lying face-down, and began pressing down hard.
"Go easy on meee!"
Nihil just chuckled lowly at Lianus's flailing protests of pain and continued the massage. Lianus himself probably hadn't realized it, but he'd been tense the entire time in Charn, leaving his body stiff. To avoid muscle soreness later, it needed loosening up in advance.
"...It seems to hurt a lot, Your Highness."
Sir Evan watched Lianus thrashing about, hesitating whether to intervene, before timidly voicing his concern. Nihil nodded at the meek protest and helped the prone Lianus sit up.
"All done?"
Lianus asked with a bright smile, assuming it was over, but Nihil merely grinned meaningfully and laid him back down. The screams continued for quite a while longer, only stopping when dinnertime arrived.
"That was... too much."
Lianus poked at his asparagus with a fork as he spoke. Maybe he was too exhausted, because he wasn't hungry, but Nihil had insisted on the medicine, forcing him to sit at the table anyway.
There wasn't a single spot from head to toe that hadn't been kneaded. His muscles felt so thoroughly loosened that he couldn't muster any strength in his limbs. Lianus shot Nihil a resentful glare, but his dear friend just chuckled lowly and dipped bread into his soup.
With mountains of work to sort through, Lianus hurriedly finished his meal and retreated to the study, settling at his desk. In truth, he'd bolted to avoid taking the medicine, but Nihil chased after him with it right away, rendering the escape pointless.
"...Do I really... have to take it?"
Nihil silently beamed and pushed the pill toward him.
"I don't even hurt yet..."
"......"
"I'll take it if it hurts. Or tomorrow. Please? Just skip today. I really don't want to."
Nihil pondered Lianus's whining for a moment, checked his pulse, deemed it fine, patted his head, and left with the vial.
Sir Evan felt a quiet satisfaction seeing Lianus, who rarely fussed, finally doing so—but he was also a bit bothered by how Nihil's devotion rubbed off. He spoke up.
"What if you fall ill again?"
"Nooo... I really don't want to today. It doesn't even hurt yet."
"He said the fever might come once the tension wears off."
"I don't want medicine even on days I feel fine..."
The bitter taste never grew familiar. His body ached at every chance, but choking down the foul stuff never improved things, leaving him with that hollow frustration.
'Still, if Nil insists once more, I'll take it.'
Lianus refocused on revising the proposal. The changes were so extensive it was practically rewriting it from scratch.
He hadn't touched the budget yet, but after hammering out the proposal's framework, it was nearly midnight.
"Sir Evan, tomorrow after swordsmanship class, let's stop by the library. Nil?"
"He's already asleep."
"Must be tired."
"Hard not to be."
He'd pulled two near-sleepless nights preparing for the outing, then barely slept in Charn's streets too. Of course he was exhausted.
"It's late, Your Highness. You should rest."
Sir Evan scooped Lianus up and carried him to bed. Nihil, occupying one corner of the bed, slept curled up—not like his usual dainty corpse pose, but like a proper person for once.
Sir Evan chuckled at the sight of the small fellow curled shrimp-like on the vast bed, feeling both pity and endearment.
On the bedside table sat the rejected medicine vial and a neat note, untouched due to Lianus's refusal.
-Take this after breakfast. Skip class if possible.
Lianus's eyes widened at the tidy note, then he grimaced slightly at the vial. The pill had become a liquid potion.
'...Should've just taken it as a pill.'
But the intent to care for him was so clear that skipping class was out, though he resolved to take it tomorrow without fuss. He snuggled right up to Nihil and lay down. Exhausted himself, Lianus fell asleep in no time.
Sir Evan watched over his charge until he slept, then crammed onto the nearest sofa in case of a nighttime fever, drifting into light slumber.
Had he seen Nihil wake and kiss Lianus's nose, he never would've slept—but fortunately or unfortunately, he missed it.
Sir Evan, back from early dawn sword training, lay on the sofa for a quick nap. A heavy weight on his chest jolted him awake, and he frowned at the white-haired head.
'What the hell is this guy doing up instead of sleeping.'
"Get off, you ill-mannered lynx."
"Woof."
"...What."
Sir Evan grumbled irritably but sat up anyway. The lynx wouldn't wake him without reason.
"There's a bird on my bedroom terrace. Mind chasing it off?"
"A bird? You're not scared of birds... right."
He wouldn't have caught pigeons if he were.
Sighing, Sir Evan rose as Nihil continued.
"Kill it if it won't leave."
"What kind is it?"
"Felt like mana, but I didn't check properly."
Sir Evan's face hardened at "mana."
"Stay with His Highness."
He headed straight to Nihil's bedroom.
Unlike the prince's room, warmed all day by the fireplace, this one brimmed with chill. Logs sat unused in the grate, retaining their natural color; the room was tidy but lifeless.
Sir Evan felt a twinge of bitterness at the absence of its owner's traces, then yanked the terrace curtains aside.
Beyond the clear panes, a sparrow perched on the railing, peering about. So common a bird, Sir Evan didn't act rashly. He stepped out carefully, leaking a hint of killing intent.
'Not fleeing.'
Other birds scattered in panic, but this one just cocked its head, staring boldly. A light hand wave sent it fluttering up—only to land right back.
The suspicious behavior left no room for hesitation. Sir Evan drew his sword. The bird peeked inside, startled by the blade, and took flight.
But Sir Evan had no intention of letting a possible familiar escape. He swung.
A somewhat gruesome scene unfolded, but he coldly regarded the bisected corpse.
'How dare it.'
Intruders into the prince's palace were unforgivable, intent or not. Sir Evan heartlessly kicked the halves off the edge, wiped the bloodstain, and shut the terrace door.
'Ominous start to the morning.'
Returning to Lianus's room, he found the lynx asleep again beside the kitten prince. Impressed by his senses detecting the opposite room's presence, Sir Evan tucked the blanket snugly anyway, feeling oddly concerned for the unrested fellow.
With sword class today, he'd at least rest till noon.
Dressed for class, Lianus asked the butler to ensure his friend's lunch, then boarded the carriage.
Gazing blankly at passing scenery, he mentally listed relief project plans and needed books—until the bedside note popped into mind.
"Oh no, I forgot the medicine!"
To avoid waking Nihil, he'd prepared at a distance, forgetting it entirely.
"What now? Turn back?"
But they were nearly at the palace; turning would make him late. Imagining Nihil's disappointment at the untouched vial dampened his mood.
"I've brought the medicine, just in case."
"Huh?"
Foreseeing this, Sir Evan produced the vial from his pocket and handed it over. He hated seeing the prince's custom brew wasted.
"Thank you, Sir Evan!"
"He puts thought into it, so take it right away if you can."
"Nil made this? He knows how to make medicine too?"
His friend was amazing, as expected!
"Ah, I forgot to mention. Sorry... things were hectic. The old palace pharmacist is probably sacked by now. Everything you've taken lately was his handmade brew. Don't if you don't trust it."
"No, I'll take it!"
Lianus uncorked and gulped it down. Hesitation only made it worse, he knew. But his eyes went wide after.
"It tastes like apple!"
"...Did I grab the wrong vial?"
"No, it's medicine alright, but apple-flavored and kinda sweet. If all medicine tasted like this, it'd be great!"
Lianus smacked his lips at the syrupy sweetness, licking the rim. Sir Evan smiled softly, realizing Nihil had fussed over the taste too.
Back at the palace, he'd praise him—assuming he was awake.
Meanwhile, Nihil, rising right after Lianus left, jotted in his diary the pulse and temperature he'd slyly checked that morning under pretense of sleep-talking.
Lianus wouldn't have noticed, having passed the "fruit" to Nihil instead, but his fever had started overnight. Nihil had hoped he'd take it post-breakfast, but whether aversion or forgetfulness, he hadn't.
'But the mutt took it, so he'll make sure it's taken.'
Recalling Sir Evan pocketing the vial, Nihil meticulously noted the potion's effects and ingredients. Suspecting trauma from medicine, he'd hastily added extras last night, detailing expected outcomes.
Strong chamomile steeped without clashing components or side effects, sweetened lightly with honey, turned the pill to potion—but since bitterness was minimized from the start, Lianus should take it without much fuss.
'Might make him sleepy, though.'
The extra-strong chamomile for apple scent nagged him, but sleep was the best medicine. Better if he dozed off in class and returned early. He shrugged it off.
Having tasked the butler with lunch meant Lianus would be late, so Nihil planned to handle as much as possible before his return.
'Check the hidden gold coins and sort tasks for the kid's dad.'
At that moment, the unwitting "kid's dad" was buried in paperwork, oblivious to his growing to-do list.