Chapter 6: Friends Shouldn’t keep Secrets

In the end, Lianus managed to sneak Nihil into his bedroom without anyone noticing.

He had emptied out all of Evan’s luggage, wrapped the unconscious Nihil tightly in a cloak, stuffed him into the suitcase, and carried him in like baggage.

It was fortunate that Nihil was small.

If he’d been any bigger, it would have been impossible.

He did run into some palace guards on patrol, but they didn’t really care whether the Prince returned late or not.

They just offered a brief greeting and went about their business.

Lianus accepted the greetings of the waiting servants and dismissed them all.

He ordered that his meal be brought to his room, and specifically requested that plenty of meat be included, just as Nihil had asked. Lots and lots, because he was hungry.

Lianus also wondered if Nihil, having lost so much blood, would need to consume blood.

So he asked for the steak to be less cooked than usual.

The servants found the Prince’s unusual request odd but replied without complaint and withdrew.

Back in the bedroom, Lianus, with Evan’s help, spread out a cloak on the floor and carefully laid Nihil down.

He wanted to let him rest on the soft bed, but Nihil was covered in blood and filth, so he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

If the servants found the mess while cleaning later, it would be hard to explain.

“Your Highness, are you really going to use that?”

With a grave expression, Lianus nodded, glancing between the glass vial in his hand and Nihil, who lay as still as a corpse.

The vial was his one and only Elixir, hidden in his secret safe.

A precious treasure given only once to each Royal Descendant of the Harpens Royal Family.

It was said to be able to save anything, as long as there was still a breath left.

“Your Highness, please just call for the Royal Physician. Why waste something so precious?”

“No, not the Royal Physician. The moment we call one, all attention will be on us. Then it’s only a matter of time before Nihil is discovered.”

“Then I’ll bring a physician from outside first thing in the morning.”

“What if he dies before then?!”

He couldn’t let Nihil die.

His goal was to make a friend who would mourn for him if he died, so if the friend died first, what was the point?

He absolutely had to save him.

And he’d already ordered so much meat.

He had to feed Nihil!

“Your Highness, please reconsider! That Elixir is something even a precious Royal Descendant can only receive once in a lifetime. What will you do if your own life is in danger? Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but the Crown Prince Selection Exam is infamous for its severity. How will you endure it without the Elixir?”

“I’ll worry about that when the time comes. For now, I have to save him! Don’t stop me!”

Ignoring his pleading Knight, Lianus popped the Elixir open with a ‘pop’.

Even as he argued with Evan, Nihil’s body seemed to be growing colder.

If he delayed any longer, it might truly become irreversible.

Lianus didn’t know why he felt so drawn to this ragged child he’d just met today.

But from the first moment, his instincts told him he had to hold onto this boy.

Lianus had sharper hearing and sight than others. His instincts were usually good, too.

He had always clung to small hopes and ignored his instincts, but every time, the consequences were bitter reality.

So this time, he decided he would not ignore his instincts. He would do as he wished.

Gurgle, gurgle—

Lianus carefully poured the Elixir over Nihil’s wounds.

Despite all the blood, the visible injuries weren’t that large.

He heard his Knight sigh in exasperation beside him, but Lianus paid no mind.

He focused only on tending the wounds.

Once the wounds had healed somewhat, he gently supported Nihil’s head and slowly let some Elixir trickle into his slightly parted lips.

Color gradually returned to Nihil’s once-pale face, and his icy-cold body began to warm up.

Evan, too, could only watch the changes in resignation.

About half the Elixir was gone when….

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Lianus’s as he was pouring the Elixir.

“Th—cough, that’s enough.”

“…Nihil?”

Whether it was because his wrist was suddenly seized, or because his friend, who’d seemed like a corpse, had moved, Lianus was so startled he nearly dropped Nihil’s head.

Wide-eyed, he stared at Nihil, then looked to Evan. Evan, equally shocked, stared back and forth between the two.

Nihil sat up on his own, coughing a few more times from the Elixir still in his throat, and then released Lianus’s wrist.

“Nihil, are you okay now?”

At Lianus’s question, Nihil glanced at the vial and asked,

“What’s that?”

“Th-this is called an Elixir…”

“Where did you get it?”

Nihil’s mismatched eyes rolled as he asked.

With a deep sigh, he fixed Lianus with a steady gaze.

He’d asked for meat, and yet this boy had fed him some weird liquid instead.

Nihil stared at Lianus. Under that indifferent yet persistent gaze, Lianus turned his head away in embarrassment.

Nihil reached out and grabbed Lianus’s chin, but Evan’s hand came down sharply, forcing him to let go.

“How dare you show such disrespect to the Prince!”

Nihil shook his reddened hand and shot a glance at the owner of the palm, then, as if it were nothing, turned his mismatched eyes back on Lianus.

Evan’s teeth ground together audibly, but Nihil ignored him.

He spoke gently, carefully, so the young Prince, still nervously watching him, wouldn’t run away.

“Lian.”

“Huh…? Yes!”

At the sudden use of his nickname, Lianus’s eyes went wide, then softened, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.

He blocked Evan, who looked about to interrupt, slapping his kneeling Knight’s thigh with his palm.

Evan, though it was his thigh that had been hit, felt as if his heart was aching.

His precious kitten had brought home a wildcat and now only cared for the wildcat, ignoring him. It was heartbreaking.

But Lianus, only looking at his new friend, couldn’t possibly know Evan’s feelings.

“Lian, where did you get that?”

“Th-this…”

Lianus glanced at the half-empty vial, rolling his eyes again.

Should he tell the truth or not? What if Nihil got angry? Or maybe he’d be grateful since it was something good.

“Lian, friends shouldn’t keep secrets from each other.”

“Uh, right! This was given to me by Grand Duke Diaborus!”

Evan pressed his forehead in resignation at his kitten’s quick confession.

No matter how he looked at it, he was being played by the wildcat.

Nihil, too, upon hearing the word “friend,” immediately brightened, his seaweed-like hair flopping around, and let out a small laugh.

But when he recalled the meaning of “Diaborus,” his face stiffened.

“Diaborus? What kind of person calls himself a demon?”

“Oh, that’s just a nickname.”

“Nickname?”

“Grand Duke Diaborus is Demonkind. Since he doesn’t have a known name, everyone just made up nicknames for him. These days, since he allows exchange in his territory, people also call him Lefne Grand Duke.”

“A Demonkind governs a territory in the Middle Realm?”

Nihil’s face hardened.

Lianus quickly added an explanation to ease his anxiety.

“Don’t worry. He’s been active for 300 years and nothing’s happened so far. The Grand Duke can’t directly interfere in human politics. He doesn’t want to, so he made a Succession Contract himself to bind his power. I heard he mainly manages rifts, Monsters, and Demonkind. Our Kingdom of Harpens grants him a title so he can operate freely, and in return, we’re protected from Monsters and Demonkind. All Harpens Royalty receive this Elixir as a gift on their fifth birthday.”

“He doesn’t interfere at all?”

“No. The contract he made himself can’t be broken unless a stronger Demonkind appears. There was even a previous king who tried to get the Grand Duke’s help, but he couldn’t break the contract, so he failed. The Elixir is only given to those officially recognized as princes or princesses, and as long as you’re alive, it can cure any illness or wound! Now that I’ve used it, I can say for sure it works.”

Nihil’s brow furrowed deeply. Had he heard correctly?

That precious potion, given only once to each Royal Descendant, had been used instead of meat?

He wanted to scold Lianus for being so generous with a stranger, but he didn’t want to risk becoming a dried-up seaweed again, so he kept his mouth shut.

The foolish Prince grinned, happily flapping his seaweed-like hair, pleased that his beggar friend was alive.

Watching that seaweed, Nihil could only let out a hollow laugh.

What was he supposed to do with this idiot?

He was a Prince, but it seemed unlikely he’d ever become Crown Prince.

The only good news was that about half the Elixir remained.

“I’m all better now. Take care of the rest. Don’t waste it on something useless.”

“Yes! I’m really glad there’s half left!”

Lianus quickly stashed the remaining Elixir and dashed off to his secret safe.

Behind the Prince’s beaming face, Nihil caught sight of Evan’s menacing glare.

He seemed to be saying that half had already been wasted on something useless.

No doubt, once the flapping seaweed left the room, the Knight would pick a fight.

But Nihil ignored the menacing Knight and spoke to Lianus, who was carefully storing the Elixir.

“Your body temperature is too low. Go wash up.”

Recalling the cold touch of the slender wrist he’d grabbed as soon as he woke, Nihil clenched and unclenched his fist.

The foolish Prince’s body was colder than his own, who’d just collapsed.

His pulse was a little unstable, too.

If he left him like this, the pampered Prince might fall ill.

“Soak in hot water for a long time. If you need help, call a servant. I’ll stay hidden.”

“No! I don’t need any help! I’ll wash quickly and be right back. Make yourself comfortable.”

“Don’t just wash quickly—soak for a long—!”

Bang, slam!

Before Nihil could finish, the excited seaweed flapped away into the bathroom.