/
Four days after that.
As promised, Lark took out the entire schedule for the day and came to Lubon to play.
As I was already determined, I admired him when he tried on the finished men’s suit sample.
Clap, clap, clap.
“… Cool. Amazing. I’m thrilled…”
“… What?”
“I’m so impressed. It’s so perfect that it’s gorgeous…”
Seeing me clapping my hands with my tongue sticking out with mesmerized eyes, Lark laughed as if he was dumbfounded.
“Excuse me, Your Highness.”
“Mm.”
“You know, that cravat you’re wearing right now. I wonder if you could pull it off with a wild feeling…”
Lark, who paused at my words, tilted his head and untied the black tie around his neck with a rather rough gesture.
“… Like this?”
Oh, my god. It was good that Lark didn’t do it with an arrogant, haughty, and wild expression that matched the gesture.
“Sigh…”
I covered my face, not knowing what to do with the bubbling ecstasy. There was no way this wouldn’t be a big hit.
“How can someone be so perfect? If you’re smart and handsome, at least you should lack something. Why are you doing this to make other men feel a sense of relative deprivation…”
“Ha.” Lark burst out laughing at the embarrassing compliment.
I forcibly pulled the corners of my lips up, approached him, and began tying the untied tie neatly again.
Lark, startled, received my touch and quietly opened his mouth.
“Princess.”
“Yes.”
“Why are you so nice to me?”
“What?”
“I mean, let’s say the watch was a birthday present. Of course, it was a bit too much,” Lark continued to speak with his gaze averted obliquely into the air. “Do you always give gifts like this in an ordinary relationship? Isn’t it just for couples? Am I mistaken…?”
“Aaah.”
Come to think of it. It must feel strange.
Four days after I gave him a diamond watch worth 50 million marks, I even gave him a full set of clothes.
‘Hmm. But these are all gifts with a purpose.’
I, who hadn’t been able to ask him to be a model yet, covered it up for now. “It’s because I’m grateful to you for a lot of stuff.”
“Is that really all? Without any ulterior motive?’ Lark, who raised one eyebrow slyly, put his thumb and forefinger together and said, ‘This much?’
I was startled by the close distance. It was hard not to be selfless with this face that seemed to have been carefully crafted by God, and I was never immune every time I saw it…
“Don’t worry. How can I harbor disrespect for Your Highness?” After putting on the tie and patting his chest, I replied with a smile as I shrugged.
“Do you mean you shouldn’t have talked to the crown prince who has to get married five times?”
“Ah, why are you mentioning such an upsetting thing again?”
“Because I’m upset. You keep turning me into an ugly prince who doesn’t work and thinks about other things.”
“What are you talking about? Are you passing on the responsibility of your troublesome work to me?”
“Haha. It’s just a joke…” Lark rubbed his forehead with a smile, sat down on the sofa in the living room, and slowly tilted his head back.
For some reason, his expression, with his eyes closed, looked tired like never before.
Puzzled, I sat down next to him and asked, “What happened?”
“Well… nothing.”
“Really?”
“Oh, actually there was something.”
“What is it?”
“I had a little argument with my father. I’ve let him down.”
“With His Majesty the Emperor? What happened?”
Lark smiled as he opened one eye and looked back at me. “It’s a secret.”
“What? Tell me. A worry is halved when shared.”
“It was really nothing.”
“…”
I couldn’t ask more of Lark, who cut me off and closed his eyes again as if he didn’t want to talk.
A sigh flowed from Lark, who had been silent for a long time.
“I don’t want to work…”
“Oh?”
It was a very humane whining that was so unlike Lark.
“I want to play… Right now, the capital is in the festival period, and I am the only one who can’t play.”
“…”
“No, to be exact it’s not that I want to play…”
I want to play? Were these the words from Lark’s mouth?
Thinking about it, it was a bit unfortunate that he, who was the person in charge, couldn’t play during the national holiday festival commemorating his own birthday.
“Sometimes I think what would it have been like if I had been born normal in an ordinary family.”
“…”
“Well, it’s not that I’m not satisfied with my current life… But I think I would have been a little happier,” Lark, who had been staring into the air with his head tilted back, looked back at me and smiled. “But then it must have been hard even to see the face of the princess, the daughter of a noble family, right?”
“I must have been mistaken.”
“Huh? What?”
“I thought you were very satisfied with your life. If I were you, I wouldn’t have lasted a day. You’ve been doing a great job, you see. Well, what should I say…” I added, resting my cheek on the back of the sofa and examining Lark’s face. “Of course, it’s a difficult position, but I thought it wasn’t hard because of your nature.”
It is said that whoever wears the crown must bear its weight.
If someone asked me to be emperor, I’d throw it away and run away.
There were many difficulties in living a complete ‘my own’ life because there were too many things to give up. However, I thought it was different for Lark, who was praised for being a ‘perfect’ emperor. In other words, I thought he didn’t enjoy playing and thought that working was more fun than playing. Because that was what he’d shown so far, and not only to me but also everyone else.
“I thought you were someone who would grow thorns in your mouth if you didn’t work hard even for a day.”
“Haha… Who would love to work.”
“…”
I stared at Lark’s bitterly smiling profile, then jumped up.
“Your Highness.”
“Mm.”
“Well, there’s something I want to do…”
“What is it?”
“I’m currently being punished, so I can’t do it without your permission. Is it possible?”
“I don’t know what it is, but I’ll do anything unless you ask me to sell my country.”
Oh, the thrilling taste of abuse of power.
I grinned at the permission of the extremely cool crown prince.
***
The capital, Devian Street.
The capital celebrating the national holiday of Lark’s birthday was noisy. This place was filled with people who came out to the streets in broad daylight and those from the surrounding estates to watch the festival.
Even in the dense crowd, we stood out. I heard whispering voices watching Lark and me.
“What are those lion heads…”
“A mask in broad daylight? Isn’t mask play supposed to be played only in the evening?”
There would be an uproar if the crown prince, who shouldn’t play around, and the princess, who was in isolation, showed their faces in the capital, so we were fully armed now.
Wearing a lion mask that covers the face, hair, and eyes, as well as the old clothes I deliberately found.
“The thrilling taste of power is the best! Abuse of power by the head of the investigation is the best!”
“Shh, shh.”
Perhaps he was nervous even though I quietly whispered in his ear. He put his index finger on the lion’s snout and flinched.
“Ah, this is too flashy.”
“How can one enjoy the festival without even wearing a mask? But don’t worry. We won’t get caught unless someone catches us and takes it off.”
“Did you want to play too much?”
“Me? Are you so slow-witted? I want to come out with you because you want to play.”
“Hahaha… as expected, I guess? I know how you feel.”
“Ahem.”
“Let’s go over there.”
Indeed, Lark looked uncharacteristically excited like a child. He grabbed my hand and accelerated his pace.
“Your Highness, doesn’t this remind you of the past? Even back then, we walked around hand in hand like this.”
“No, Princess. Shh. A little bit of that highness.”
“Oh my, that’s right. Then what should we call you? Ah, just like back then…” I thought a little and said, “Brother?”
Lark, who had been ahead for a moment, slipped.
“Are you okay?”
“… Mm. Yes, of course.”
“Then what about me?”
“Ruby?” turning around, Lark immediately replied. I could feel him smiling through the mask.
“Ha ha, good.”
“All right, Ruby. Time flies quickly when you play, so you have to enjoy it quickly. At this time, there is a magic show on center stage at Devian Number 3, so let’s see that first.” Lark, who knew everything from the festival schedule to the venue, was funny. How sad he must have been not to play all this time.
“Ah, it’s been seven years since I’ve seen the festival properly,” Lark, who was looking around as he held my hand tightly and accelerated his steps, marveled.
“Seven years? Are you saying you haven’t seen the festival since the day you hung out with me?”
“Yes. I got caught by my father that day and was terribly scolded. After that, I was closely monitored every festival.”
“Oh my gosh. How did you get caught?”
“On the way back from dropping you off that day, I got into a fight with a boy my age. I accidentally bumped his shoulder.”
“Oh.”
“He was twice my size. I even apologized, but he kept arguing and holding me back. His personality was very eccentric.”
“Oh no, how unfortunate. Did you fight?”
“Well, that… Rather than fighting, I unilaterally-”
Puck!
“Ouch!”
My body, which was eagerly being dragged by Lark, stumbled once as it collided with someone.
“Are you okay?”
“Ah, yes. I’m all right…”
A large shadow fell behind Lark, who looked at me in surprise.
“Ah, f*cking shit! What the hell?” It was a man who bumped into me. He started swearing at me with an expression as fierce as his size.