Chapter 5 — The Boss of Two Heroes
Chapter 5 — The Boss of Two Heroes
Translation: Godtl
Lelia looked at Romeo who had come to play in her room and seriously contemplated.
Something seemed very, very wrong.
"Why are you here?"
"To play with Boss."
When she woke up, washed, and came out, Romeo was there.
Romeo was lying on the sofa reading a book, and when she went closer to check, it was a humor collection sold only in bookstores in the city.
'Phew. I thought he was reading something strange....'
She thought he might be reading obscene books and was startled.
'Well, he's still only a ten-year-old child... I'm the only corrupted one.'
Lelia awkwardly reached for the snacks on the table. Romeo must have brought them.
"Do you find that kind of thing funny?"
"Want to see too, Boss?"
Romeo handed her another book nearby, and Lelia opened the book as if she had no choice.
"Childish, what's so funny about this kind of thing...."
And a moment later, Lelia's cackling laughter filled the room.
"...."
Romeo looked at her with a pathetic expression.
That's when it happened.
Knock knock.
A sound of someone knocking on Lelia's door was heard.
'Who could it be?'
The only person who would visit her room was a priest. It was quiet outside as if waiting for Lelia's permission to enter.
Lelia looked at Romeo sitting across from her. After hesitating briefly, Romeo sighed, stood up abruptly, and headed toward the door.
'Hmm. He does well even when I didn't tell him. Like a real subordinate? Kind of convenient...?'
Right, she had to live here for at least three years. Having a subordinate would be quite convenient.
"Huh?"
But the person who opened the door and entered was unexpected.
'I thought priests came to tell us to pray....'
The children staying here were imperial royalty, or at least nobles, so even the priests tended to be cautious.
Unless they were fighting or going outside, they didn't really force or control their activities much.
'Except for certain activities, that is.'
Those certain activities were things they deliberately made children do to help them get close and unite... simply put, things like sports festivals.
Anyway, most of the time being free time was certain. Sometimes if she stayed holed up in her room, they did tell her to come out and pray.
"What is it, you?"
"...."
The one who came to Lelia's room was Oscar. Oscar Hraesvelg, who had collapsed from a seizure yesterday.
"I'm asking what it is. Why did you come here, brat? Did your mouth hole get blocked? Want me to open it?"
'That bastard Romeo, really....'
Lelia was flustered.
'A kid raised by kind parents... where did he learn such words?'
But even as Romeo asked with a scowl, Oscar just glared at him with an expressionless face.
Oscar was so small and thin that he was still smaller in build than Romeo.
'Even smaller than me.'
Of course, in the future, he would grow big enough to hold the female protagonist in his arms, and to an enormous physique similar to Romeo's.
But right now, he was very tiny.
Still, he showed no sign of being intimidated by Romeo.
'Well, he'll become Emperor after all. And... famous as a terrifying Emperor at that. He must have strong spirit.'
Lelia stepped in before Romeo could spill more harsh words.
"Hey, Romeo. Don't scare a kid who came for no reason."
"...Understood, Boss."
Romeo wrinkled his lips at Lelia's words but quietly stepped aside. He certainly listened very well.
Oscar slowly entered the room and walked up to Lelia.
"Hello. What brings you here?"
"W-well...."
"First, sit down."
Lelia kindly patted the seat next to her. After hesitating briefly, Oscar sat where she indicated.
"W-well... y-yesterday, th-thank you for h-helping me.... I came to s-say that...."
"Don't mention it. It's fine."
Lelia answered with a slightly awkward expression.
'Actually, I was going to ignore it....'
Hearing thanks when she had helped after much hesitation made her feel awkward and guilty.
'Hearing thanks makes me feel unnecessarily sorry.'
Lelia pointed to the snacks on the table for Oscar.
"Are you hungry? Want some snacks?"
Romeo brought them, but.
Lelia kindly put a cookie in Oscar's hand. Her intention was to resolve her guilt by giving him food.
"Th-thank you.... I'll eat well."
Romeo, who had closed the door and returned, had an expression that said he had a lot to say but was holding back.
Then he sat across from them, looking Oscar up and down with disapproving eyes.
It was an openly unpleasant gaze. But Oscar acted as if he didn't care at all.
"Do you stutter too?"
"...."
Romeo asked toward Oscar.
Lelia glared at such Romeo, but Romeo smoothly avoided her gaze. Oscar, holding the cookie, spoke.
"S-sometimes when I'm n-nervous... or s-surprised, I do this...."
"You s-seem to d-do that e-every day?"
Romeo deliberately stuttered to mock Oscar. His sarcastic attitude was extremely brazen.
"Hey, that's enough."
When Lelia finally stepped in, Romeo twitched his lips.
"You shouldn't tease a friend."
"Who's a friend! Who would be friends with a stutterer like that?"
Romeo shouted and stood up angrily. Then he went to Lelia's study instead of the living room where they were.
The room Lelia stayed in was divided like a house with a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and study. It was obvious she was getting special treatment as a Crown Prince.
Of course, other children's rooms were divided the same way, but hers was a bit larger in square footage.
'That brat... he's ten, so he is technically an elementary schooler though.'
Lelia sighed looking at Romeo's retreating figure and apologized to Oscar instead.
"Sorry, Oscar. I'll apologize on his behalf. Even though he looks like that... he's not that bad... I think, and he's not inherently ill-natured."
"It's f-fine. It's not exactly w-wrong anyway.... I d-don't have friends."
"What?"
"Who would l-like someone who st-stutters like me."
Lelia frowned at Oscar's words. Oscar had an expression that said he wasn't hurt at all.
She felt unnecessarily heartbroken. Why does such a young child accept that as natural?
"Hey, what kind of words are those? Why wouldn't you have friends? You can be friends with me! I even helped you.... If I hated you, would I have helped? So don't think like that."
"E-even knowing I st-stutter... y-you would have h-helped me?"
"Hey, of course!"
"Th-thank you...."
At Lelia's matter-of-fact answer, Oscar lowered his head briefly and fidgeted with his fingers as if embarrassed.
Then he said "Ah!" and raised his head to ask:
"B-by the way, d-do you know my n-name?"
"Yeah. You're the Crown Prince of the Hraesvelg Empire."
"I s-saw you for the f-first time yesterday."
"...I suppose. Before that, I was living very quietly, as if I wasn't even here."
She intended to keep living like that... but she couldn't pretend not to see Oscar.
Watching Lelia sigh, Oscar pointed to the room Romeo had entered.
"B-but why does h-he call you B-Boss?"
"Ah... um... well, I'm just so cool? He said he felt admiration watching me calm you down."
Lelia lied naturally. At the same time, she kept glancing toward the study, worried Romeo might burst out yelling"What! What kind of bullshit is that! Want me to seal your mouth hole?"
"I s-see...."
"Yeah."
"Th-then... can I call you Boss too?"
He definitely only stutters when nervous, and it seemed to improve as they talked.
But what did you just say?
"Me?"
Lelia froze for a moment, only blinking.
Suddenly, the dialogue and scene she had read in the original work came to mind.
Oscar was a character who killed his own father and became Emperor.
After that, he was called the Bloody Emperor, a cruel patricide....
Actually, that scene was also where Oscar broke free from his childhood trauma and took revenge on his mother's behalf.
And Oscar... said this while killing his own father:
"Father, I will now cut down anyone who stands above me. You will be the beginning."
Recalling the original work in a daze, Oscar spoke once more looking at Lelia:
"I w-want to call you B-Boss too...."
"...."
Um... well....
Lelia thought for a moment.
"Please... let me call you that...."
She absolutely wanted to say no... but Oscar's eyes as he asked to be allowed looked so earnest.
Honestly, Oscar was too small, weak, and in a word, born to trigger protective instincts.
His fine silver hair, pale skin, and red eyes were innocent and fragile.
Even in the original work, the grown Oscar was said to boast beauty enough to captivate people with his appearance.
He certainly had tremendous looks even though still young.
Honestly, Lelia was worried about being exposed as female, but coming here, Romeo and Oscar were both such prettily built children that she could lower her worry a bit.
"...Can't I? B-because I showed that kind of appearance yesterday... and st-stutter?"
"No... that's not it...."
If he calls me Boss, I'm afraid I might die later....
'My goal is to survive though....'
As she hesitated, soon tears began to well up in Oscar's pupils.
At that lovely sight, exactly like a kitten crying, her lips moved on their own.
"You can! You can! Why not! Call me that, call me that!"
Just before the tears rolled down, Lelia barely shouted.
"R-really?"
Oscar blinked. Clear tears flowed down. Lelia frantically wiped those tears with the tip of her thumb.
'Still ten years old... why is he so small?'
Is it because he couldn't grow properly due to his father? Oscar was so pitiful.
Actually, among the children from various countries who came to the temple, the officially youngest child was nine.
In reality, Lelia was seven, so strictly speaking, they were all her older sisters or brothers.
But Oscar felt like a younger sibling.
'I feel like I need to protect him somehow.'