Chapter 5

Should I say hello?

Or… should I just close the door and go out?

Either way is weird.

When Irene was in trouble and restless, she heard a voice in the hallway saying, ‘Miss Irene!’.

‘Oh, my God, Beth!’

I think I was caught for getting out of the room.

Irene hurried into Benjamin’s room and slammed the door with thud.

“Where are you, Miss?”

It was only after Beth’s voice passed Benjamin’s room that Irene sighed in relief.

If you meet Beth now, you’ll be dragged into the room.

“Irene … Webber?”

Suddenly, a small voice came from behind, and she turned around and smiled awkwardly. It was a smile to cover up embarrassment, but it did not work very well.

“Yes. Ah, that.”

When she thought, she had to make an excuse, and tried to open her mouth, at that moment,

The door opened again.

Is it Beth?

I looked back in astonishment and there stood Benjamin, gasping for breath.

I think he ran from far so, his long hair was a little messy.

“Irene!”

He looked quickly into his room.

A friend like the enemy stood by the window, and Irene, his treasure, was staring at him with her eyes wide. And that too.

…in her pajamas.

Benjamin, without giving his friend a gaze, put his jacket over Irene’s shoulder. After covering her carefully, without letting the cute pajamas to be seen, he hid the little girl behind him.

Like protecting her in front of a scary monster.

“Brother…”

Irene turned her head and looked up at him. Benjamin, who she had seen after a long time, looked a little tired. Perhaps it was because he came back without a plan.

“Well, you know, I’m sorry.”

There was a lot to say, but Irene apologized first. Because she entered his room without even knowing that a guest was coming.

She didn’t want to make excuses that she wanted to surprise him.

I don’t think that would justify my actions.

But Benjamin didn’t blame Irene. Rather, he spoke kindly to Irene.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t go see Irene right away.”

After exchanging apologies with each other, Irene plucked up her courage and asked in a small voice.

She whispered so that his friend standing far away couldn’t hear it.

“Who is he?”

“Ah.”

Benjamin stared at Irene for a moment, then looked up and saw where his friend had stood.

There was a strange shadow on Benjamin’s face, which was always gentle.

Something… Are you not getting along?

“Well, more than that, Irene, what about cold?”

Then he came back to his usual friendly smile and looked at Irene.

Strangely enough, it seemed, um, he was trying to change the subject. It’s probably just a feeling.

‘I was the bad one for coming in, in the first place.’

Besides, a kind and gentle person like Benjamin can’t make a scary face toward a guest.

In the end, I didn’t hear the explanation about the opponent.

Instead, Benjamin kindly took Irene’s hand and took her to her room.

When I came back to my room, Beth, the maid, was in a fit of anger and greeted Irene.

“Ah, Miss! You couldn’t stand it and went out?!”

“… sorry.”

“Come here. The water-colored dress I ordered last time has arrived. It could have almost been a disaster because young master had a guest and I couldn’t find young lady anywhere.

“Ah.”

“I was worried about what to do, if you ran into guest with pajamas on.”

I’m very sorry for that. I already did it.

“Beth.”

Irene pulled down her pajama buttons herself, and Beth waited with her dress in her hand for a moment.

“yes?”

“Do you happen to know who the guest is today?”

“Well, I was told that he was a master of a family, but no one would tell me exactly.”

“Is that so?”

“So we’ve been talking amongst ourselves. Miss.”

Beth put a dress on Irene’s body and reigned a button on her back. It wasn’t uncomfortable because it was a moderately loose threaded dress.

“I thought they might be hiding his identity because he’s very, very precious person.”

“Very, very precious person?”

“Yeah. In the kitchen, they said that he seems to be a man in a tower or a foreign aristocrat.”

Was there such a young boy in such a place? I think I’ve heard that there is, and I don’t think there is …

But I think there’s one person missing that’s suitable to be very, very precious person.

“……maybe his highness the Crown Prince?”

Irene, who mumbled, shook her head. I’m afraid it’s gone too far.

“Well, it can’t be.”

“My lady is very interested in, his highness the Crown Prince.”

Irene twirled around Beth.

To hear this again, I’m afraid I’ll have to use smokescreen operation.

“Of course, I’m thinking of only good things about his highness the Crown Prince. Very positively!”

I never thought I wanted to stab him from the back.

* * *

When Benjamin, who had taken Irene back to his room, returned to his room, his friend was sitting comfortably on the sofa and drinking tea.

“It’s a great black tea. Perfect.”

The boy smiled by gracefully putting down the teacup.

“I’m glad you said so.”

“Did I tell you I tend to put milk in milk tea first?”

“Yes. So I answered that I tend to put black tea first.”

“What a queer taste.”

“Please respect it.”

Benjamin sat across from the boy and looked at him.

Even if he put on a modest suit, his original light did not fade at all.

“Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Hmm?”

Elvin Manuel Terence.

The one and only Prince of the Terence Empire, the future of this country, favored by the emperor.

Benjamin, of course, was due to devote his loyalty and affection to him, as a successor to the nobility.

“If you’ve finished your tea, I’d like you to go back now.”

“….”

Loyalty and affection… I gave it my own way. Perhaps.

“I thought I told you that you could speak a little more comfortably when we were together.”

“I’m speaking at ease, Your Highness.”

“It doesn’t sound like that at all.”

“I think this is just right between your highness and me.”

When the answer returned back, the prince shut his mouth. Maybe he was a little hurt.

Perhaps a little sorry, Benjamin refilled his empty teacup.

He meant that he should have another drink and go.

“Did you enjoy the hunting competition?”

“Can I be honest with you?”

“I asked for that.”

“It was just ordinary.”

“….”

“Because It was nothing like I expected.”

“What did you expect?”

Benjamin only nodded and did not tell what it was.

“If you’d told me, I’d have tried to prepare it somehow.”

“That’s something you can’t prepare. What about you, Your highness? You took part in posing as an enemy, the heir of a poor local aristocrat”

Elvin smiled, looking down at his modest clothes.

This is what his grandfather wore when he was a child, which was old-fashioned in a good way and tacky in a bad way.

Perhaps all the nobles who saw him thought he was ‘the son of a poor local aristocrat who had no money to buy a new dress.’

He had a big hat so no one would have recognized his face.

“It was very good.”

I’m talking about those eyes of the people looking at me and the rude way they spoke.

Because it was something that Crown Prince Elvin couldn’t go through.

“Benjamin Webber, more than that.”

“Hmm.”

“When I was waiting for you alone a little while ago.”

Elvin glanced at Benjamin’s expression. Sure enough, his forehead was crumpled.

When Elvin brought up about his sister, he would always be this way.

“I think I met Irene Webber.”

“No.”

Benjamin cut it off and denied it.

“You didn’t meet her”

“I met her.”

“Must have been an illusion.”

“So who’s the girl you hugged quickly with great surprise? Could it be Webber’s house fairy?”

“Yes, she was a fairy of this house. So the Crown Prince of Humanity is right not to pay attention.”

“Ah, was that so?”

“What are you talking about?”

“And I was wondering why the fairy acted so cute.”

“……did she act cute?”

“Well. We had eye contact for a while.”

Elvin paused and turned his head. It was as if he were recalling the moment.

“She smiled softly.”

“If it weren’t for the difference in status, I’d give you a punch.”

“Hmm? I didn’t hear you well.”

“It’s just that my true intentions came out of my mouth without my knowledge. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“By the way, when is she coming?”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Irene Webber. If we haven’t met, I’d like to go back after saying hello.”

In fact, Elvin has always wondered about Irene. He didn’t hear any gossip about Irene. It was because of Benjamin.

Benjamin was actually quite well-known among the capital noble boys. With a fairly popular appearance and family background, he never got involved with other girls.

All he wanted was knowledge, and his favorite place was the library.

Because Benjamin reacted quite calmly to even people’s high praise, Elvin thought he had no feelings for anything in the world.

Until he overheard Benjamin talking about his sister.