Chapter 19
It had been two weeks since Shuri returned to the Duke’s household. Today, I went looking for Shuri and Lotte again.
As usual, Shuri was playing with Ventus, a boy I already didn’t like for some reason. A fleeting feeling of jealousy washed over me, and I shook my head to shake it off, then approached them.
Thud. I bumped into Shuri. Flustered, I immediately helped her to her feet and brushed the dirt off her skirt.
Wait a minute. Why am I suddenly doing this for someone who isn’t even Lotte…? I paused, questioning my own actions. But before I could think it through, Shuri spoke.
“Kiel oppa, thank you! Hehe,”
The girl smiled cutely.
…Cute?
I almost laughed in disbelief at the thought, but at that moment, Ventus—who had been brought along by Shuri—walked over and gently tapped her forehead.
Shuri laughed and tapped him back. They’d apparently known each other for a while. They seemed close.
Why did that make me feel so off?
Confused by the sudden sour mood, Lotte came over and asked what was wrong. Hearing her call me “oppa” felt oddly pleasant.
“…I came to see you.”
Technically, it was for Poppy… no, Shuri too. I hesitated whether to say that, then replied a beat too late.
“Lotte, strangers are dangerous.”
I glanced at Ventus, then back and forth between Shuri and Lotte. Lotte smiled innocently, answering as if it were obvious. That expression was extremely cute.
Shuri seemed to understand who I meant. Ventus, too, seemed to understand, grabbed her arm, and led her away from here.
Still not liking it.
“Oppa, do you like Shuri?”
Just as I was sulking, Lotte asked suddenly, freezing me in place.
Do I like her? That strange girl, me?
“…No.”
I answered stiffly, and my little sister smiled and patted my back.
“It’s okay if you don’t know, oppa! Leave it to me!”
I couldn’t understand what she meant. Watching her, Lotte smiled brightly and disappeared from my sight, saying she’d go first. I looked after her back and couldn’t help but laugh at how cute her behavior was.
But like… like? How did she even reach that conclusion? I pondered seriously.
What I did for Shuri wasn’t anything special.
“What are you thinking so hard about? That’s not like you.”
Lucaine’s voice came from the tree. I sighed.
“Enter through the front gate next time before you’re reported for trespassing.”
I thought he looked the same as usual, but Lucaine, who normally didn’t get surprised, looked genuinely startled.
“Reported where? I’m the prince.”
He smiled, infuriatingly smug. Just his existence was irritating.
“Anyway, aren’t you in a bad mood? You’re ten times colder and more expressionless than usual.”
“Not really.”
I answered quickly and told him to come down from the tree.
As he said, I couldn’t report a prince to the guards. Especially not one who could become the crown prince someday.
“And I heard something interesting—do you like Shuri?”
“No. I don’t understand why everyone keeps saying that to me.”
“Obviously, it’s because of how you act around her. You… really don’t notice?”
Lucaine’s expression was like ‘How can someone be this dense?’ I made a dumbfounded face and told him to explain.
“The only person who would order the prince to explain would be you, besides the emperor.”
He chuckled.
I gave him a so what? look. He ignored it and began speaking.
He started asking me about various hypothetical situations.
“What if a young lady you barely know comes to watch your sword practice? Let’s say she’s your sister’s friend.”
“Are you crazy?”
“What if another young lady you barely know gives you food?”
“I’d throw it away.”
“What if she pesters you to talk or asks you to call her ‘oppa’?”
“I’d shut that obnoxious mouth. Why are you asking these things?”
I asked irritably, and Lucaine clicked his tongue, looking thoroughly amused. I had no idea what he was trying to imply with these questions.
“You don’t let Shuri watch your sword practice?”
“Yeah.”
“And she gives you food, and you eat it.”
“…Right?”
“You let her call you oppa and talk to her quite a bit, right? Still don’t feel anything?”
This idiot who’s only good at studying… Lucaine added shortly.
Come to think of it, Shuri had been included in everything I didn’t allow others—other young ladies, other young men… basically anyone else.
Suddenly, it felt like I’d been hit in the head with a hammer.
“You like her, right?”
“…Shut up.”
Annoyed at Lucaine’s smirk, I kicked his leg and walked away. I could hear him laughing from behind, claiming he was the only one who’d hit the prince, but I ignored it as usual.
After sword practice and several lessons, Lotte came to me before dinner. She mentioned being scared to sleep alone at night and asked if she could sleep with me.
I knew she wasn’t truly afraid, so it struck me as strange, but I nodded anyway. Honestly, if anyone heard her sleep-talk, they’d probably run away.
“Ah…”
My eyes were dry from reading 100 Historical Figures after dinner. Time to go to Lotte’s room. I washed my face, changed into comfortable pajamas, and headed to her room.
When I opened the door, I saw her white hair shining in the moonlight, fluttering in the wind. Shuri turned around and saw me, her eyes wide.
She looked just as startled as I did.
“Kiel oppa… why are you here…?”
There was something strangely dreamlike about the scene.
Looking at her, I realized both of us were in pajamas. I immediately turned around, trying to leave, but the door wouldn’t open.
…Figures.
“…Kiel oppa, don’t tell me Lotte was kidnapped or something?”
Indeed, flying petals, strangely melted candle wax stuck to the floor, and the wide-open window—it all made me tense.
Shuri muttered something and told me we should climb down the tree.
Now wasn’t the time for memories, but that tree… it was the same one I had suspected Shuri on before… I still do! Really! Why am I making excuses in my head… damn it. Hah… that was the tree where our eyes met before.
I climbed the tree, then descended to the ground. Looking up, Shuri was about to step onto the tree.
Short legs. Cute… ha, I’m clearly losing my mind.
As she struggled, I looked up again to see her falling. I immediately ran and caught her.
“Kiel oppa?”
Fortunately, she didn’t seem hurt. I gazed at Shuri in my arms, her eyes wide like a rabbit, and smiled softly without realizing it.
“I’ll go visit mother and father.”
We split up to check around, and I ran. But Lotte was asleep between my parents.
Hah… I laughed hollowly, thinking of Shuri searching outside in the cold.
I couldn’t go to her directly, so I grabbed a blanket and ran to her. It wasn’t something I’d usually do for anyone but Lotte, but I didn’t even have time to think. My body moved first.
“Poppy!”
Seeing her white hair flutter in the night wind, I called her. I carefully draped the blanket over her shoulders so it wouldn’t slip.
“…Did you bring this for me?”
Shuri asked, and I couldn’t answer.
Do I like her, or not? I didn’t know what this feeling was.
I couldn’t define my relationship with Shuri or this emotion in an instant. I held her hand without answering. Her hands were cold from searching so much.
I still couldn’t define this feeling. I only hoped the hand I held would warm up again, even just a little.
I took Shuri back and returned to my room.
Is this… liking her? The way it makes me restless and distracted? I sighed repeatedly in my mind.
I didn’t want this messy feeling. Like before, I stayed awake all night without sleeping.
From the next day, I started avoiding Shuri, who kept catching my attention, and a strange game of cat-and-mouse began.
