Episode 24
“Why…?”
“Of course, I came to see Areline!”
A bright smile and an immediate answer.
“Me…?”
“Yeah! A visit!”
Pession beamed as if wielding an invincible shield.
Oh. Seriously…
I hope you stay this cheerful and bubbly forever.
‘I avoided the palace so I wouldn’t run into this guy, but now the troublemaker shows up himself?’
My head throbbed. I had no motivation, nothing to say, and no energy. I was just quietly breathing when the Crown Prince suddenly made a shy suggestion.
“Areline, want to exercise with me?”
“…What?”
What kind of nonsense is this?
“Exercise?”
“Yeah. I’ve discovered something amazing!”
Pession’s eyes sparkled almost blindingly.
“They say exercise makes you healthy!”
That’s… a massive truth bomb.
“Wow.”
Truly, the discovery of the century.
Report that to academia and you might win a Nobel Prize.
[Breaking News] Shocking revelation! If you breathe, you live!
Tomorrow’s headline in the Albrecht Times is set.
Everyone would clap and gasp in awe at this century-defining discovery.
“You said you weren’t feeling well. You need to get healthy! And I know how!”
“Okay…”
“So apparently, the human body functions like a simple machine!”
“What are you even saying?”
“Live regularly!”
“Ah… sure.”
“Sleep well, eat well, and exercise! All you need is exercise!”
“Wow, really?”
I responded like a soulless celebrity at a fan meeting.
“Actually, I know all that.”
Pession’s eyes, sparkling in anticipation of praise, filled with surprise.
“Huh? Really? How do you know? I had to ask around to learn it!”
This is advanced knowledge?
I was disappointed by this world’s idea of “advanced knowledge.”
“Lord Jade told me personally because it was me!”
I didn’t know who Lord Jade was, but I could tell the Crown Prince was bluffing.
‘Still, I’m relieved.’
Seems like nothing serious is going on.
I was worried something was up, but today’s royal visit was apparently just a boredom-killing errand.
“Well then, Areline, let’s exercise!”
“Sorry. I’m too tired. That’s a no.”
“Hmph.”
Pession looked at me with eyes full of disappointment.
“Even walking a little makes me dizzy.”
He gave me a look that screamed, How can any human be like that?, but ta-da—surprise, I’m that kind of human.
“……Well, if that’s the case, I guess it can’t be helped.”
He accepted it surprisingly easily, maybe because there was a precedent.
“Anyway, today I trained and hung out with the others…”
He started talking about what had happened at the last training session I’d missed.
I wasn’t curious in the slightest, but I listened because the babbling prince was kind of cute. He could probably make it big doing ASMR.
“So anyway…”
Hmm? For some reason, he seemed to be avoiding talking about the twins and Harun. Maybe it’s just my imagination?
“Sounds like you had fun. That’s nice.”
“What? No! It wasn’t fun at all without you, Areline!”
“…?”
Then why did he look so cheerful while talking? Was he trying to deceive me?
“What did you do, Areline?!”
“Ahh…”
I made a sticker chart for praise.
It was a rough time.
“?”
He tilted his head, confused, when I didn’t answer and just held my forehead.
His silvery hair swayed slightly, and his ruby-red eyes sparkled like gemstones.
How can someone’s eyes be such a pretty color?
Before I knew it, I was staring at him, only snapping out of it a moment later.
“Areline?”
“…Could you back up a little?”
He’d gotten way too close at some point.
Pession, who had been looking at me intently, finally smiled and backed away.
I almost fell for him.
“Areline, your eyes are a lovely light pink.”
“It’s called rose quartz.”
“It suits you. Pretty.”
His compliment wasn’t formal—it was full of sincerity, and it caught me off guard.
“You’d be even prettier if you smiled.”
“……”
Where did this kid learn such old-fashioned pickup lines?
The frustrating part was that it didn’t feel bad. Was it because it was so genuine?
‘Or… is it just because of his face?’
Today I learned that I’m the type who’s easily swayed by good looks.
Yay for new self-awareness.
“Now that I think about it, Areline doesn’t smile much.”
“There’s not much to smile about.”
“Why not?”
Even if he asked, I had no answer. It’s true I don’t smile much.
“Then I’ll make you laugh!”
“No, it’s fine…”
“Here, look at this!”
The Crown Prince suddenly made a ridiculous face without being asked.
Can you please just listen to me?!
All of the Crown Prince’s attempts at being funny ended in absolute failure.
It was a grueling experience.
“Thank you for visiting me today. I’m not feeling well, so I think I’ll rest now.”
I was exhausted.
Time to kick him out and relax.
“Ah. Okay…”
He hesitated as he backed away. He clearly wanted to stay longer.
This guy… is he actually a demon? How much longer is he going to torment me?
“Thanks to you, I had a good time. I don’t know when we’ll meet again, but until then, may peace be with you.”
I gave him the most perfectly polite farewell possible.
“No, Areline!”
“…Yes?”
What’s “no” supposed to mean?
“I’ll be really sad if you keep not showing up like this!”
“Ah… I see.”
And what does that have to do with me?
“So I thought about it.”
Uh-oh. Ominous intro alert.
“From now on, I’ll come to you!”
“…Excuse me?”
Why are ominous premonitions never wrong?
“From now on, I’ll visit Areline!”
That’s a thundercloud over my peaceful room life if I’ve ever heard one.
“No, that’s really not necessary. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“How could I not? It’s my fault!”
Is it, though?
“You collapsed and have been sick ever since. Because of me.”
“Well…”
“I’ll take care of you until you get better!”
“No, wait…”
You’re a nuisance.
As I was frozen, wondering how to escape this crisis, Pession proudly declared,
“I’ll come every day!”
“WHAT?!”
It’s already overwhelming that you’re coming at all—every day?!
This won’t do.
I worked hard to regain peace in the Halbern estate—I can’t let this nuisance ruin it.
“No, seriously. You’re very busy, Your Highness.”
“Hmm? Why would construction go bankrupt? What construction? I didn’t go bankrupt?”
“….”
He’s a child.
Suddenly, I had no confidence in persuading him.
“Ah! Areline, were you worried about me?!”
“……”
“Don’t worry, Areline! I’ll come! Every day!”
There he is—the cheerful little demon.
When the Crown Prince declared, “I’ll come every day,” my initial reaction was:
Haha. Yeah, right.
But then it actually happened.
“Areline!”
My hard-won peace was shattered.
“I came again today!”
The cheerfully smiling Crown Prince was real. Unbelievably real.
Today marked the seventh day.
A full week of perfect attendance.
‘Is this even possible?’
He may be the Crown Prince, but this is my house. Halbern isn’t just any estate—it’s one of the Five Great Ducal Houses. How could he just waltz in and out like it’s his home?
Is no one going to say anything about the Crown Prince running wild in the Halbern estate?
Come on, someone—just one stern word!
“Ohhh, Your Highness! Welcome! Please, make yourself at home as if you’re in the imperial palace.”
“Can we assist you with anything?”
“You’ll find the young lady over there.”
…Traitors.
I ground my teeth watching the babysitters flock to Pession like they’d been waiting.
My only hope now was Mehen.
“Lord Mehen has given his permission as well.”
…No hope. No dreams.
Reality was cold.
“Your Highness, we entrust our young lady to you!”
“She may be physically frail, but she’s gentle, kind, and incredibly adorable.”
Why are they like this?
“Yup! Leave it to me!”
Leave what to you?
I smacked my forehead in disbelief while everyone else looked blissfully happy.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Even the world is shunning me.
“Areline! Look what Uni gave me!”
Pession came running with a bunch of snacks in his arms, gifted by Uni. His bright smile made me speechless.
Why is he always so happy?
‘Must be nice, living an easy life.’
Well, he was born a Crown Prince, handsome, and talented. Life must be sweet.
“Your Highness, you must be happy.”
“?”
I had nothing against the Crown Prince personally. I just didn’t want to get involved.
But he kept clinging to me, and my patience was wearing thin.
‘I thought this would be a short-lived interest that would move on soon…’
But he was more persistent than expected.
Meanwhile, my patience was wearing thinner by the second.
‘Maybe it’s because my body’s gotten younger, and especially because my health now drops like a dying goldfish just from sunlight.’
I was genuinely shocked every day that this kind of fragile body could exist.
“Are you sick? Areline, your breathing sounds rough.”
“No.”
This is my normal.
“Don’t underestimate my lung capacity.”
“Huh??”
Foolish child. Did you not know there’s a basement below rock bottom?
Anyway, I was trying.
‘Yes, endure it. If I act rude, I won’t just ruin myself—I’ll drag my family down too.’
Even if I’d never seen my father’s face, I owed it to the family that provided food, clothing, and shelter without abuse.
‘Even if we’re doomed the moment I die…’
It still feels different to be the one dragging it down.
Let’s just think of this as “babysitting” being added to my daily schedule.
That was the plan, until…
“Areline, let’s exercise!”
“Go away.”
That, I could not tolerate.
