Chapter 21
21
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“I won’t collapse. I’m not weak.”
When I held out my pinky finger, he panicked, unsure of what to do.
“How could I dare to with Your Highness…”
How boring. So wooden.
“Then you won’t promise?”
I waggled my finger in front of his eyes, and Icarus reluctantly took off his glove.
His long, thick fingers hesitated before reaching out and wrapping around my short finger.
“Your Highness, I will return soon…”
I curtly cut off his hasty vow.
“Go and come back. You have to come back and protect me again.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
After he left, Beatrice counted on her fingers and muttered to herself.
“My goodness, he’s been on duty for almost a whole day?”
That’s what I’m saying.
‘How can he be so clueless?’
I looked up at Beatrice and shook my head.
* * *
I had been lying down all day, and it was already time to go to bed again.
Beatrice said anxiously.
“You won’t be sick tomorrow, will you, Your Highness? I’m so worried that I can’t bear to leave.”
Come to think of it, it was also time for Icarus to come back and guard the door.
I sighed deeply.
“Everyone, stop it… I told you I’m not sick.”
“Still…”
Beatrice hesitated, but as she had told Icarus in the evening, the Royal Palace had strict rules about working hours.
She suddenly came back to the bedside and held out her pinky finger to me.
“Promise me too, Your Highness. Promise you won’t be sick!”
“Oh, really.”
Only after I linked fingers with Beatrice did she reluctantly leave the room with heavy steps.
After being alone with Yan, I carefully held him in both hands.
“Shall we sleep now?”
Yan was already sleepy, dozing off, and naturally leaned his head against the plump palm of my thumb.
‘Look at this guy…’
I was dumbfounded, but Icarus would be nearby.
I pursed my lips and closed my eyes, afraid he might notice something strange.
I could feel Yan’s warm heartbeat in my palm.
‘Ea, please heal Yan. Please make him not sick.’
I recited the prayer that had become a habit in my mind and fell asleep.
* * *
Perhaps because I took a nap without being sick, I woke up early in the morning.
Yan was also awake, but we only glanced at each other and didn’t say anything.
Yan is quick-witted enough to know all the names of people he hasn’t even been taught.
‘So, he must naturally sense that Icarus must be careful this early morning.’
Soon, small footsteps were heard, and Gabriella appeared.
She looked at me with a worried face and then silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she put Rosa down on the bed.
This time, even Rosa glanced at my face furtively.
‘Was she very surprised yesterday?’
Well, if I had collapsed in front of everyone and hadn’t regained consciousness within a day, Rosa would have had to stay in bed as well.
‘So, she must have been anxious.’
Gabriella silently held me in her arms as always.
We left the Main Palace as we were.
Behind us, Icarus’s footsteps echoed softly.
‘Somehow, I feel relieved…’
It was an unfamiliar sense of relief.
‘Perhaps this is the most intimate time with Icarus, including the past 22 years of my life.’
As if to prove my thoughts, he followed us into the room even after arriving at Sei Palace.
Gabriella put me down on the bed and asked Icarus.
“Sir Chenelli, what on earth happened yesterday? I received a letter from Your Highness, but I can’t understand it at all…”
Icarus looked at me with his eyes and replied gloomily.
“His Highness the Grand Duke was furious and investigated all day, but he could not find any particular cause. It is my fault.”
Still that story?
I sighed deeply.
“Gabi, I’m okay. I’m totally fine.”
“But Your Highness, to suddenly collapse for no reason…”
I didn’t respond to Gabriella’s words and looked at Icarus.
The pink flower, withered and drooping, was still on his chest.
“Icarus, are you sleepy because you didn’t sleep well?”
He looked as if he had been splashed with cold water, startled, and quickly knelt in front of me.
“That is not the case. I am perfectly fine. I am only relieved that you are safe all night.”
Seeing his tense expression, I couldn’t help but laugh.
I sat on the edge of the bed, swinging my legs, and replied.
“Of course, I’m safe.”
But at that moment, the corners of Icarus’s mouth softened as he looked at me.
‘Is he smiling…? What’s so funny?’
While I was wondering, he spoke again.
“Thank you, Your Highness. For keeping your promise…”
Promise?
Ah, that?
“I won’t collapse. I’m not weak.”
It was only natural that I wouldn’t collapse since I wasn’t sick, but I had said anything and linked fingers with him so that he could leave the palace.
“This much is basic.”
When I shrugged my shoulders, the corners of his mouth curved more clearly.
‘He’s definitely smiling, isn’t he?’
It seems I’ve found someone to recruit as my ally after Dad.
* * *
After Icarus returned to the Main Palace, Gabriella asked.
“By the way, Your Highness said that Peep-peep might be a Magical creature?”
“Magical creature?”
I had persuaded my father with all sorts of excuses, but I didn’t know he had such thoughts.
When I tilted my head and asked again, Gabriella explained instead.
“You know Celestial Steed, right? Magical creature refers to very mystical animals like that. Animals that are born with the power of God, or that God raised, those kinds of animals.”
Of course, it wasn’t that I didn’t know what a Magical creature was.
‘Yan is a Magical creature? Like a Celestial Steed?’
Now that I hear it, it seems possible.
The Celestial Steeds that Father handles are also incredibly smart.
‘But if Yan is such a great Magical creature, why was he bitten by a cat in our castle greenhouse?’
Moreover, I had never seen a red bird like Yan in my past life.
‘A Magical creature that didn’t exist back then suddenly appeared in Ruelle?’
Gabriella seemed as surprised as I was about the story of Yan being a Magical creature.
‘Well, Gabriella has never seen Yan answer…’
We both stared at Yan together.
Yan, knowing everything we were saying, brazenly raised his head and looked back at us.
‘Ugh, this guy…’
Gabriella spoke first.
“Anyway, if His Majesty the High Priest said so, there must be a reason. I don’t know well though.”
—Peep-peep!
Yan cried out, pretending not to know, and Gabriella added.
“But if Peep-peep is a Magical creature and only follows Your Highness… it will be a bit difficult in the future. Her Highness Rosa will also be upset, and I’m worried about the eyes of others.”
But if Yan can be treated as a Magical creature and chooses me as the person to be with, wouldn’t Rosa have nothing to say?
‘Mother might find a solution.’
Thinking so, I looked at Yan, and he suddenly cried out loudly.
‘Ah…’
I frowned at him and said to Gabriella.
“By the way, Gabi. About his name… change it to ‘Yan’.”
“Yes?”
She looked as bewildered as Beatrice, but Gabriella, as always, quickly composed herself.
“I see. It’s a good name, Your Highness. It seems like a good name for a Magical creature…”
Pfft, that’s just forced praise.
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Still, I went to the desk and took out the hidden planner and added one more thing to the last line.
「Protect Yan」
If Yan might be a Magical creature, I need to protect him even more.
‘If a Magical creature that wasn’t seen in the past Ruelle has newly appeared.’
If that Magical creature is given to me as a friend…
‘I might be able to change the future.’
My sister won’t give me Poisonous herb, Ruelle won’t lose the war, and I won’t die unfairly…!
Even at this moment, Yan was staring at me with his big, black eyes wide open.
‘Let’s trust Yan.’
He said he would bring me good things.
I glanced at the small bird and secretly hoped.
* * *
After a simple breakfast, it was time for the preview lesson.
But as I pretended to open the vocabulary book and read a few pages, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
“Ah, that’s right! I didn’t have class yesterday, so today is the day to review, right? Then tomorrow will be class day?”
“Oh my, will it be?”
When I clapped my hands and rejoiced, Gabriella smiled and congratulated me.
‘Of course, Gabriella knows my past hardships well.’
Then Gabriella’s expression darkened for a moment.
“But if Her Highness Rosa only participates in the review, it won’t be easy… Even now, we’re barely keeping up with the speed at which Your Highness is learning…”
The words stopped there.
Gabriella quickly erased the dark expression as if it had never been there and smiled brightly again.
“No, it’s not fair for only Your Highness to continue to suffer. When the time comes, Her Highness Rosa will be able to do it too. She can and will.”
I looked at Gabriella with respectful eyes.
That’s because Gabriella was the one who would be teaching Rosa.
‘If Rosa suddenly faces a difficult task, Gabriella will be the most troubled…’
But Gabriella always does her best for us and doesn’t show any signs of it.
‘Class is nothing.’
I struggled to pull myself together from the weakness that Gabriella was causing.
‘Rosa needs to suffer a little.’
