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“This way, My Lady.”
With the help from the maid, I reached the prince’s room and knocked on the door.
As there was no response to the light knock, the maid carefully opened the door.
“Come in, My Lady.”
When I slowly took a step inside, I saw an unfamiliar and new world.
“. . .”
The room where the prince stayed was very extravagant.
As if there was nothing prepared carelessly, every decoration in the room, even the designs on the ceiling were impressive.
However, if there was a problem, then it might be the prince, who looked down—laying on the bed with a pale face, staring in the air with empty eyes—didn’t match with the room’s atmosphere at all.
I was speechless and then looked around the room.
Inside the room wrapped in yellow pastel tone, there was a wavy canopy opened on the big pink bed.
Cute dolls that filled the room, and soft velvet carpet.
While I was absent-mindedly looking around, there was a painful groan from the prince.
After slowly opening his eyes, he looked at me with a feeble face.
“I’m sorry for not being able to visit you soon even though I’ve heard you have awakened. I also have some problems . . .”
The pain that I got from the psychological expert seemed incomparable to the suffering of the prince who opened his eyes in this room.
When I stared at the pink rabbit doll placed near the pillow, he made a solemn face.
“It’s not mine.”
With a pale face, he sighed.
“It seems like Master decided to torture me with a new type of torture.”
“Maybe Orion did this with a good intention.”
Considering that the room owner was twelve years old, I did wonder if this was not excessively childish, but it was clear that this room was prepared with care.
Because the furniture and bedding that made up the room were all the best quality.
“Perhaps this is a consideration so you can go back to your childhood and calm your mind and body?”
“Isn’t this an insult like since a twelve year old lost his way in the forest, he should drink more breast milk?”
“If you make it sound like that, then I am a sixteen year old who lost her way in the forest.”
I sat next to the prince who shut his mouth tight and promised.
“I’ll inform them to at least change the furniture and decoration in the room to more mature ones. It will look better if we take out the carpet and dolls.”
“I hope so.”
The prince, who lost his dream and expectation, answered with low spirits.
Just in time, the maid brought in the snacks I asked for.
I tried to offer him the sweet dessert, asking while looking at the blank face.
“Have you eat?”
“I have no appetite.”
“How about having your meal now? I’ll ask them to make you a light soup.”
“It’s fine. I’m not hungry now.”
I could understand if he had no appetite, but it was bad to continue leaving his stomach empty.
I decided to suggest changing some of his rooms as soon as Orion returned.
At least, his appetite will come back, right?
As I bit on the thick cookie, its crumbs dropped down.
Sweet scent filled the room.
The prince glanced at the cookie I ate, then asked in a low voice.
“Are you the one who asked Master?”
“Ask what?”
“About . . . bringing me here.”
I, who was about to shake my head to his question, changed my mind and nodded.
Even though I didn’t ask it myself, if it wasn’t for me, Orion wouldn’t ask such a request to His Majesty.
“You can say it like that.”
The prince, who thought deeply about what I said, carefully opened his mouth.
“What will happen, to me?”
“Why are you ask-”
ing that to me? I was about to ask back but I stopped.
Looking at the prince’s eyes, he seemed like he still believed I brought him here to ‘close his mouth’.
Does he see me as such a cold person?
Indeed I was not an affectionate personality, but I was not cold enough to nonchalantly kill someone somewhere.
I felt unfair when I even ran around the forest to protect him.
On other hand, I did understand the prince’s uneasy heart.
“Then what about you, Your Highness? What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know.”
At the unenthusiastic answer, I changed the question.
“You finally left the palace, right? Don’t you want to quickly eat and get better so you can see the world outside the palace?”
He blinked his eyes.
The young boy who couldn’t even meet the emperor’s eyes didn’t look like he would believe it if I said I didn’t want him to return to the palace.
So, instead of saying the reason he wouldn’t believe, I decided to pinpoint his situation.
“If I really want to endanger your life, there’s no need for me to bring you to the Duchy.”
He, who was silent at that obvious fact, suddenly asked.
“Is it dangerous to talk about the unique physical constitution that mage has?”
I flinched at his question.
I did tell him that I would explain it to him if he kept the secret, but I had no intention to tell him soon.
I thought hard and chose the word slowly.
“People don’t easily say ‘I see’ and accept something unique. Zen’s uniqueness is a very shocking talent, and that talent is something many covet.”
A mage who survived even though he suffered mana shock.
“And so, there’s a time when we have to hide that uniqueness. For now, it’s too early for him to be known.”