Chapter 23

It was around the time I was about halfway through the puzzle.

Even though 1000 pieces were not a small number, I was simply interested in solving it, so I worked hard to put the puzzle pieces on the frame.

I started with the square border and gradually filled it in. I was so absorbed in it that I let out a sigh when the sun began to set and stretched out my bent lower back.

‘They’re not saying anything.’

‘Huh?

‘If it were Ishina, she would have already said something to us.”

‘I think I know what it is. The imperial family shouldn’t kneel on the floor…..While doing this’

While recalling Ishina trying to force us into that repressive posture, the maids pushed something with a sweet scent right in front of us.

“Well done.”

Is it hard work to put the puzzle together?

Somehow, it was a completely different feeling of consideration and care from Ishina and the maids she was leading. Does it really feel like I am a master?

While I was drinking a fruit-flavored ice drink, the maid spoke.

“If you plan on playing more, I will step back.”

The sun was already setting and somehow her eyes seemed to beg us to stop, so I felt surprised and lightly shook my head. The reaction came quickly as if it was the correct answer.

But it wasn’t the right answer for me and Argen. Because she threw a bomb with a delighted face.

“Then I will take you to His Majesty.”

……It was a real bomb.

“Are….Are we not studying?”

“His Majesty told you to rest for a while.”

The knights who were waiting outside the door hugged me and Argen and I was panicked until then. I don’t want to go to the Emperor! In the first place, I’m not in a position to refuse, I’m staying in the emperor’s room, and I couldn’t do anything about it….. We even seriously thought about why we had to go to the emperor again, but there was no answer.

We walked for a long time. Not us, but the knights.

We came out of the palace and kept walking towards a place I didn’t know. Would the knights take us in a carriage?

I shook my head hard because I had said something out of the blue.

I buried my face in the uniform of the knight and talked to Argen. Fortunately, we arrived at our destination shortly after trying to guess where we were going with difficulty.

It was a place I never would have thought of.

“……This is…… Where is it…..?”

“It is a training center.”

The knight kindly answered, but we couldn’t respond.

A huge number of men in the same armor as the knight hugging me were holding small ponies one by one.

“Greetings Your Majesty the Emperor.”

“Greetings Your Majesty the Emperor.”

What are those ponies and knights? The knights who placed me and Argen down just before entering the speculation greeted.

Just by listening to the greeting, I could tell who the other person was.

We also tried to follow the greeting of nobility. The moment I carefully grasped the hem of my skirt and imitated the gesture, the emperor stopped me and Argen.

It was already a couple of times, so I could tell that it was the emperor’s magic just by the feeling of it holding my body and making it impossible to move.

“You’re late.”

“As you ordered, I waited for the two of them to finish the game.”

A cold sweat broke out in my back when I was told that they had waited until we stopped solving the puzzles. If that happened then they should’ve told me earlier!

I wiped away my tears while blaming innocent maids. I can’t believe they kept, not just anyone, but the Emperor waiting.

Fortunately, the emperor walked away without saying much.

I followed the emperor’s steps, but I was only as tall as his knee. Somehow he seems to have slowed his pace when he saw us struggling to follow, but I may be mistaken.

On the road we were walking with the emperor, I could see the entire training ground.

The knights gazed at us, who were blond-haired strangers following the emperor’s steps.

Either way, the emperor stopped in a suitable place, then looked down and said,

“Choose.”

“Wh…..What……?”

I questioned in response to being asked to pick out of the blue, but the emperor answered the question without a hitch.

“Choose the one you like over there.”

“…….”

“…….”

“It’s all yours if you want, so you don’t have to choose one.”

The emperor spoke again and cast his eyes on the ponies. Why are you saying those words?

Then, the emperor looked at Argen and confirmed the confusion.

“Eiji said it. You seem to like horses.”

Surely… Did he put that together to give to us right now?

Hundreds of knights and ponies were staring at us.

“They were collected as small as possible, but there are only a few……I’ll get you some more if you want.”

At the emperor’s words, he made eye contact with Argen, but Argen clenched his mouth and slightly bowed his head.

I wondered what on earth he was going to do.

‘What’s wrong with the Emperor all of a sudden?’

‘Did something happened this morning……Did he eat something?’

‘…… Those words are the most reliable.’

‘That’s right.’

‘Yes.’

‘Ugh…..’

The knights in front of me slowly widened their eyes, but what do they want me to do? At that time, one more man stood out before me to make matters worse.

He was not a normal person.

It was a problem because he had blond hair shining in the sunset.

I covered my eyes with both hands and turned around slightly so that it wouldn’t show.

Argen grabbed my body, but I shook my head when I was in front of the imperial family.

‘I don’t want to see those faces.’

I vented my patience to Argen, and only then did he relax.

‘Are they calling us out to play with dolls now?’

I heard the man say something. His calm and deep voice seemed to belong to the first prince.

Argen didn’t answer so I kept talking to myself.

‘They made us move our room and locked us up.’

Argen sighed at my low murmur.

I meant to calm down first.

Argen always calmly responds to me and sometimes confesses his complaints, but that was all. He did talk as much when he had a hard time, so I had expressed my dissatisfaction on Argen’s behalf.

Argen always held it in and vomited as he did yesterday, telling me how bad his condition was.

I know even if we don’t talk to each other. He doesn’t have to talk about it, but I know enough, so I want Argen to properly talk to me sometimes.

He’s my only family.

That’s what’s good about it, but they might think that’s an overreaction.

I wanted everyone to stop talking about us without knowing anything or how painful it was for us.

They don’t know how burdensome and hypocritical it seems to talk to us like this all of a sudden.

I didn’t think to calm my stomach, which had been rumbling ever since he said they had been prepared for us.

“Arien.”

Bam!

At that time, the first prince reached out his hand to turn my back, but Argen, who was facing me, struck his hand.

Then Argen was more shocked.

I looked at his hand and the first prince’s hand alternately. He began to utter a strange sound.

‘…… You seem to hate the first prince more.’

I held on to Argen’s hand, straightening out his faltering mind a bit. To relax, I threw my words like a joke.

‘It’s a mistake.’

‘I always make mistakes.’

Argen hands trembled and I knew too well why, so I kept quiet.

Now I’m enjoying the entertainment of pretending to be nice to me. After all, to them, we were only strangers and half-brothers brought in by surprise.

No matter how good they’re now, they’re just taking pleasure in the entertainment. In the end, we are strangers and half-siblings brought to them.

They were the ones who would rather kill to save the troubles and face of the royal family.

I was barely holding on to this thin line of life, but it was natural that I was scared because I had just made a mistake because I was swept away by emotions of either myself or Argen.

There were so many things that a child’s body was uncomfortable with, and one of them was soft emotions, so I often made mistakes.

No matter how good I am, I’m a sophomore in high school……. We’re still very immature to endure this confusion between a near-death situation and such a comfortable life.

As expected when I slowly raised my head again, the first prince was looking at us. In fact, it wasn’t just the emperor and the first prince.

The eyes of the emperor and the first prince’s servants, the hundreds of knights, and innocent horses were glued on us.

The first prince moved his eyes a couple of times as if he could not believe that his hands had been brushed aside and straightened his waist, which he had bent over while looking at me and Argen. The series of actions felt so slow that my stomach was burning.

“You must have been surprised by the sudden touch.”

Fortunately, the cold words we were expecting didn’t come. It was unexpectedly sweet.

‘…… It’s strange.’

‘The First Prince was like that from the first meeting.’

‘…… He was……… you’re right, really.’

I heard from Ishina that all three princes were scary people. The first prince remained silent and calm to the point where it was funny that I was slightly tense.

My heart tickled somehow.

Fortunately, Argen managed to calm down by pulling on my sleeve.

“Father, I heard from Eiji and came…… It could be too much for Argen and Arien.”

Then the first prince turned around and said to the emperor. The emperor, who was clearly watching our behavior, furrowed his eyebrows. The first prince answered the question more easily.

“I’ve heard that keeping so many people together with children could strain their hearts and kill them.”

……………… Uh…… Huh?

“The royal family will not die from that kind of thing……”

The emperor spoke with frown at the impression that it was absurd and looked back at us, then his face distorted even more roughly.

“They could die.”

“Yes they could. We have to be careful all the time.”

What’s wrong with meeting people? I was flustered and looked at the knights below. It is true that I was under pressure, but it had nothing to do with dying.

“I’m afraid they’re going to break something if they fall over.”

Said the emperor.

We’ve been beaten a lot by Lulahel. The more I listened to their conversation, the bigger my eyes grew.

The man who had read the strange article from somewhere seemed to recite the strange knowledge.

“Children are delicate and fragile. It’s said that what you learned as a child lasts forever. You have to look at the good things, play with the good things, and hold the good things.”

“Hmm.”

Suddenly, the emperor began to listen to the first prince’s ridiculous speech. We’ve already seen everything we can see, so what’s the use of those words now?

More than that, I really wondered where the first prince would gather such information.

What are they talking about? I joined hands with Argen with a desire to scream.

The emperor glanced over us and raised his hand. The knights joined forces and showed a few salute-like movements, leading the ponies away.

I felt sorry for the knights dragging away the young ponies with a force that seemed to be driving a dignified white horse, a black horse or an enemy horse.

When we couldn’t take our eyes off the ponies waving their tails, the emperor brought up the random raccoon story to the First Prince.

It is the raccoon that I’ve been discussing with Argen about what to name it.

“Lloyd, the raccoon you left was fierce.”

I never knew Lloyd was the first prince’s name.

“Pets are supposed to relax young children’s minds and bodies…….”

“Why an ugly wild raccoon?”

The emperor had a puzzled face. While pondering about something, the first prince looked back at us and spoke low.

“What other pets do you want?”

“We….. We’re fine with raccoons.”

I shook my head at him in shock .

For God’s sake, no other animal with a polka-dot ribbon was allowed.