Stick Close!

"Yeah, stick close!!"

It had been an hour since Ashu lost sight of Ideal. He was running around like his feet were on fire.

When did she disappear?!

If he'd known this would happen, he really should've just grabbed her hand. Or...

"...No."

For some reason, just thinking about holding Ideal's hand made his chest itch. His heart was pounding away, refusing to calm down. Ashu felt a strange elation mixed in with it all—something utterly unfamiliar. It wasn't a bad feeling by any means, but the sheer awkwardness of experiencing it for the first time had him on edge.

"Where the hell did she even go?"

She was a woman who never put his mind at ease. Whether strolling through the market streets or during training, how could she possibly be oblivious to the fact that she stood out like a sore thumb? Even as a kid, Ashu knew that owners of a body as curvaceous as Ideal's were rare.

Someone might snatch her away.

She treated herself like a lost tool. If she heard that, she'd probably burst into whiny tears, but Ashu was dead set on finding her, eyes blazing with determination.

"M-My disciple!!"

He whipped his head around at the familiar voice. There, far off, Ideal was jumping up and down, waving her hand. Her chest bounced provocatively with every motion, drawing his gaze like water down a drain.

"Ugh!"

Ashu shook his head and glared daggers at her.

"Youuu!! Where the hell were you?!"

He charged toward her like a rhinoceros—only for his body to halt abruptly, as if grabbed from behind. Someone was standing in front of Ideal.

"...What the hell is that?"

A boy stood before Ideal. His radiant golden blond hair and round eyes were striking, but... not to Ashu. All he saw was some smug blond punk grinning as he tried to steal what was his.

"..."

Ashu's expression turned icy in an instant. His cold blue eyes pierced through Ideal and the boy's joined hands. He didn't know what this feeling was—something bubbling up furiously inside him.

Ashu barely reined it in and strode toward Ideal.

"...Who's the kid?"

"Oh, uh, he's the one who helped me look for you, disciple."

"Hi there."

The boy waved cheerfully. The grin looked like pure ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mockery, and a vein bulged on Ashu's forehead.

"Let go of that hand?"

Ashu snatched Ideal's hand away as he growled.

"Eek!"

Ideal yelped as her body lurched forward, but she managed to steady herself.

"Does that mean I don't need your permission to take her away since she asked me to let go?"

The boy said it with a beaming smile. Ashu's face twisted in fury.

"Yeah. I don't give a damn about your permission?"

"That's harsh for someone who gave up his precious time to help."

Ashu and the grinning boy's gazes clashed fiercely in the air. Ideal, caught in the middle and floundering, jumped in to mediate.

"D-Disciple, why are you suddenly like this? This gentleman is..."

"You shut up."

Ideal whined beside ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him, but the two ignored her, locked in a stare-down.

"From the way you talk, I can tell. No proper upbringing, huh?"

Silence fell like a stone. Ideal glanced nervously at Ashu. After an eternity-compressed moment, Ashu finally roared.

"You—!"

"H-Here you are!! Right here!!"

A joyful shout cut through the tension just as it was about to explode. Suddenly, a horde of heavily armored knights rushed toward the boy.

"Y-Your Highness!! How can you just vanish without a word?!"

"Ah, crap. Busted."

"This isn't 'busted'! Everyone's in a panic right now!!"

"P-Prince...?"

Ideal muttered beside him, eyes wide in shock. Her hand trembled violently in his grip.

"See ya later, sis!"

Ignoring the knights' complaints and Ashu's glare, the prince waved brightly only at Ideal and left. Ashu watched his retreating back until he was gone.

The moment the prince vanished, the earlier commotion evaporated as if it had never happened.

A prince all of a sudden...?

Prince Byrn Sigvard. One of the male leads in 'Which Lady's Merhen', and the man who would later become this empire's emperor. He played a near-main-hero role, right alongside the protagonists in chopping off my and Ashu's heads.

Not only had she met such a character face-to-face, but they'd wandered the streets together? The thought alone made foam rise to her mouth.

"..."

Ashu walked briskly beside her as if nothing had happened. But unlike before, he gripped her hand tightly.

If you're gonna hold it anyway...

If he'd done it from the start, they wouldn't have gotten separated. ...But this kinda hurts?

"D-Disciple...?"

"..."

Now her hand was starting to go numb. Why's his grip strength like this?! He was only ten—felt like being clutched by a gorilla. Still, she could endure it for now. That wasn't the point.

"Disciple, will that kid join the subjugation battle too...?"

"..."

The prince's participation in the subjugation battle. Ashu halted mid-stride, then slowly turned to her.

"What does it matter?"

"W-Well, he's the prince...?"

If the prince joined the subjugation battle, things would get really complicated. Even with masks, could they avoid detection? In the story, Byrn had monstrous insight. It had saved the protagonist party countless times.

Plus, her current identity was that of a wanted deserter. Even a grand duke with near-royal power couldn't openly protect a fugitive.

He wouldn't anyway.

Sad to say it herself, but she was replaceable. Utterly.

At least he's still a kid.

Still, no room for complacency. There was such a thing as "just in case."

"Why care about some mutt?"

Ashu's tone was frigid, like it could freeze her solid. Was he... jealous? But of course she cared. If he was participating, they needed countermeasures.

"W-Well, he's the prince...? Someone like that means we should prepare, right? You and me both..."

"..."

A chill cut her words short. Looking down, Ashu's shadowed eyes bored into her.

What the—why's he looking like that all of a sudden?

She gulped at the weird vibe.

"I'm stronger than any mutt."

"Th-That's not what I—"

Any warmth drained from Ashu's face. Her hand throbbed like it might shatter.

"Ow, it h-hurts...!"

"..."

She writhed in pain, but Ashu just stared blankly, expression unchanging.

Wh-What's his deal all of a sudden?!

She checked her status window just in case, but nothing had changed. Finally, she thrashed free—

"It hurts, I said!!"

Smack!! She yanked her hand away with all her might. Ashu stared blankly at his now-empty palm, face full of confusion. Like he couldn't comprehend what he'd just done.

"S-Sor, sorry...!"

"...Whatever. It's fine."

After that, she and Ashu returned to the ducal estate in silence.

The moment they arrived at the ducal estate, Ashu shut himself in his room. No idea why, but he seemed rattled.

What did I do wrong?

Things got weird right after she mentioned Byrn. She just couldn't figure it out. All she'd tried to do was brainstorm subjugation strategies sensibly.

"...Sigh. Whatever."

She flopped onto her bed. The slightly firm mattress cradled her back. Her room now, familiar as ever.

...Gotta fix that door sometime.

The door her precious psycho brat had smashed. With no one else in the annex but her, there was no real need to block it off, so it stayed as-is.

This won't do.

In this state, tomorrow's subjugation battle would suffer. Her golden boy disciple might not care, but she had to take ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first place.

She had to snag those two rewards, no matter what...!! Teammates ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had to trust each other's backs implicitly. In this awkward state, forget battles—they couldn't even handle a school group project.

"Guess I'll make some food first..."

Even fierce beasts hide their fangs when full. No clue why Ashu snapped, but a full belly should improve his mood. Above all, no way she'd let a growing kid skip meals.

"For my life on the run...!!"

She tied on her apron tight. Felt more like a nanny than a master these days, but whatever. That wasn't the priority now.