Nihil shot Evan a glare before continuing.
“Anyway, I spoke formally. I was worried that the things the child learned from me might become a stumbling block for him once he became independent.”
“You really used proper formal speech?”
Evan narrowed his eyes, still unconvinced, and looked Nihil up and down. He just couldn’t imagine a wildcat using formal speech so diligently.
Nihil seemed to consider, for a moment, whether to throw his fork at Evan who was nitpicking again, but after glancing at Lianus, he quietly set the fork down.
“…Yeah. Only in front of that child, though. I was so careful with my words that it became a habit; just seeing his face would make me speak formally. Ah, but……”
Nihil, who had been explaining with a slight frown at Evan’s retort, suddenly burst into a chuckle, as if remembering something.
Seeing Nihil laugh so genuinely made Lianus and Evan blink in surprise.
Lianus thought, So Nihil can laugh like that, too, and resolved to one day make himself smile that beautifully as well.
“So, what is it?”
Evan, curious about what made Nihil laugh, stopped eating his sandwich and pressed for the rest of the story.
After chuckling a bit more, Nihil caught his breath and spoke again.
“The kid was pretty sly, too. In the end, he copied my speech exactly.”
“What do you mean?”
“He always used formal speech with me, but with everyone else, he spoke informally.”
“…..”
“In front of me, he was so well-behaved I never suspected it.”
Evan’s mouth hung open in shock. Maybe the kid was just as sly as a wildcat—or even worse.
“So, where is that child now?”
Lianus asked without thinking, but immediately realized his mistake.
If such a young child wasn’t with them now, something must have happened.
As if confirming his hunch, the gentle smile vanished from Nihil’s face.
Though his expression was as blank as usual, the sudden absence of his smile made that blankness look terribly lonely.
“Well, either dead…….”
“….”
“Even if he’s alive, he’s probably forgotten me. It’s been too long.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Lianus bowed his head deeply. He felt heavy-hearted, as if he’d erased his friend’s smile.
“You don’t need to apologize. The point is, after I parted ways with that child, I stopped using formal speech. I’ll get over it with time, but right now I just don’t feel like using it, so I hope you’ll understand. I really cared for that kid, so if he’s alive, I’d like to see him.”
“…What would you do if you ever met him?”
“I doubt he’d remember me even if we met…, hmm, maybe I’d sing him a lullaby.”
“A lullaby…?”
“He really liked them.”
“I see.”
“So, about your knight trying to change my way of speaking—could you just tell him to give up?”
“…Alright.”
Evan replied immediately, not needing to pass the message along.
So that’s why he says he raised him, not just watched over him.
It wasn’t just looking after a kid a year or two younger, but actually raising a baby who could barely talk and growing attached.
If the child was just starting to talk, it was only natural he’d mimic his guardian’s speech, and babies get sick often.
Since babies need a lot of care, it made sense that Nihil was skilled at nursing the ailing Prince.
Even while living as a wanderer, he cared for a sick baby, sang him lullabies, and even used formal speech for the child’s future—he must have truly cherished him.
Evan, who’d never imagined the cause of that arrogant manner of speaking could be something like this, reflected on the times he’d teased Nihil and quietly returned to his post as bodyguard.
He’d finished his sandwich and couldn’t commit the rudeness of lingering by the Prince’s side for no reason.
As the atmosphere in the dining room cooled a little, Nihil opened his mouth again to change the subject.
“So, about the Queen, Lian.”
“Oh, don’t worry about Her Majesty! I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you!”
“Hmmm……”
Lianus thumped his chest, telling him to trust him.
He hadn’t come up with any excuses, but he wanted to protect his friend no matter what.
The Queen was still scary, but it’d be even scarier for his friend.
But Nihil thought differently.
He understood Lianus’s desire to protect him, but from the moment Lianus befriended a Commoner, he was already at a disadvantage. Now, his very existence was a flaw in Lianus’s life.
If that Commoner child kept hiding behind the Prince, attention would only increase.
And if word spread that the Prince was shielding a Commoner, all the consequences would fall on Lianus alone.
It would be bad enough with just a noble, but the Queen?
There was no way to avoid meeting her.
Nihil’s hand, about to cut the meat, paused. His white eyelashes gently covered his dark opal eyes as he lowered his gaze.
With the room growing quiet, Lianus and Evan’s eyes naturally turned to Nihil.
As his head drooped slightly, his white hair spilled down, and he tapped the fork held in his hand against his closed, red lips in a slow rhythm.
That small, seemingly insignificant action drew everyone’s attention.
If he hadn’t dismissed the servants, surely all eyes would have been on Nihil.
Lianus, too, didn’t resist the instinct to simply watch his friend.
Quite a long silence passed, but neither Lianus nor Evan broke it.
Nihil lifted his head slightly.
His eyes, like the night sky, rose once more.
The faint smile that had disappeared returned.
That warm, gentle smile, as if soothing a child, made you feel like he would do anything for you.
Reassured by that careful gaze, Lianus found himself smiling back without realizing it.
“Lian.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Yeah.”
“It’ll all be fine.”
“Yeah.”
Lianus didn’t ask why, or how, or what for.
He just nodded, again and again. Just seeing his friend’s smile appear on that indifferent face made him feel like everything would be alright.
But the touching moment was brief, as Nihil suddenly said something completely unexpected.
“Alright, finish your meal. I’ll give you the Detoxifying Medicine.”
“…Huh?”
“I forgot.”
“…H-huh?”
All thoughts came to a halt.
What, Detoxifying Medicine…?
Lianus started racking his brain, wondering what Detoxifying Medicine he was talking about.
Then, he recalled the awful taste he’d experienced around lunchtime—a bitter, astringent, sour flavor followed by another wave of bitterness.
It had tasted so bad, he’d nearly spat it out.
If Nihil hadn’t covered his mouth, he certainly would have.
Was it really poison?
Lianus’s pupils trembled. The warm, comforting smile that had reassured him had vanished without a trace.
Nihil’s face was just as expressionless as usual.
“I-I didn’t have any symptoms at all, though.”
“That’s because I kept your body warm.”
“W-was it really poison…?”
“If you’re curious, go outside in light clothing.”
.”……”
“But don’t blame me. I prepared the Detoxifying Medicine properly.”
“…….”
“If you’re going out to check, let me know. I’ll have to prepare a stronger Detoxifying Medicine. I don’t want you to die, so I’ll do whatever I can to save you. Still, I can’t guarantee it, so I recommend you just take the medicine quietly.”
“Hiiing……”
Lianus grew sullen at the thought of taking the medicine again.
The tension from the talk about the Queen had vanished completely.
Evan, standing behind Lianus, started shaking with laughter.
He took a step back, worried he’d be seen by Lianus.
Since Lianus, with his teary expression, kept staring at Nihil as if pleading for mercy, he luckily didn’t even think to look back at Evan.
But from his seat across the table, Nihil could clearly see Evan struggling not to laugh.
Nihil remained expressionless, but Evan read the chilling message in those indifferent eyes: “If you get caught laughing, I’ll pour the medicine down your throat.”
Meanwhile, as Nihil watched the picky-eating Lianus, he asked with a concerned look,
“Lian, you’re not being picky with your food, right? If you don’t get enough nutrients, the Detoxifying Medicine won’t work well and you might have to take it twice.”
Not wanting to take the medicine even once more, Lianus jumped up and, proving he wasn’t a picky eater, munched on the paprika he’d set aside.
When he declared he’d finished, his voice trembled with the threat of tears.
Evan’s composure crumbled. What was he supposed to do with this cute, adorable, innocent creature!
Soon, Evan had completely collapsed, crouching down and covering his mouth with both hands, holding his breath so he wouldn’t be discovered.
He never wanted to take such a terrible-tasting medicine that could make the Prince eat paprika he hated.
He just hoped his innocent little kitten wouldn’t look back at him.
Ah, I’m going to lose my mind.
***
After the meal, in the bedroom.
Lianus, teary-eyed, swallowed the cold medicine pretending to be Detoxifying Medicine, while Evan was still struggling to hold back his laughter.
Just as things were settling down, the Servent arrived.
The Servent, seeing his Prince with teary eyes, was surprised, but after seeing Nihil slip a piece of chocolate into Lianus’s mouth to soothe him, he smiled warmly.
“Your Highness, did you enjoy your meal?”
“Mmm.”
Lianus nodded, soothing his suffering tongue with the chocolate.
The elderly Servent smiled and handed Lianus a sheet of paper.
“Your Highness, here’s the updated class schedule. Duke Thesaurus said he won’t have any free time, so Swordsmanship class will continue as usual.”
“The Duke isn’t exactly a man with spare time, so it can’t be helped. He only volunteered to be my Swordsmanship teacher because of my brother in the first place.”
Come to think of it, hadn’t he come back from the friendly get-together at the Duke’s mansion the previous day in tears?
It had felt so sad and upsetting, but after spending a hectic day with Nihil, it already felt like a distant memory.
Thanks to the friendly get-together, he’d met Nihil, so maybe he should be grateful.
“And the Chancellor said that, because of the recent Auction House Incident, he won’t be able to split the class for a while. If things wrap up well, he’ll adjust the schedule right away.”
“The Chancellor must be busy, but I’m grateful he’s doing this for me.”
Lianus nodded as he scanned the schedule.
“Servent, thank you for your hard work. You have a week off, so don’t even think about working—just rest.”
It was actually five days, but since the Servent had no intention of resting anyway, he just smiled and quietly left the bedroom.
“Nihil, I have to attend Swordsmanship class three times a week in the mornings. It might get boring, but please wait in the palace.”
“Alright.”
“The Imperial Studies class is twice a week, one hour each, but if the Auction House Incident is resolved, we’ll be able to take that class together!”
“…Ughh…….”
A look of annoyance began to cloud Nihil’s eyes.