Chapter 25
25
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Beatrice looked my way, so I nodded.
Gray's beautiful face was as dark as the bright flowers he held were radiant.
'If I had refused his visit, he would have cried alone at home.'
I felt sorry for him and opened my mouth.
"Hello, Gray. Where's Bitori?"
"B-Bitori is at home. Your Highness is unwell, and I was worried I might... cause trouble..."
Gray said that, but he couldn't meet my eyes.
Beatrice took the bouquet from the fidgeting Gray and gave me a subtle wink.
'She's probably going to arrange the flowers.'
Gray asked again, looking even more lost.
"Are you... very sick, Your Highness? I heard you had a stomachache..."
"I don't hurt that much."
But I couldn't pretend to be perfectly fine either.
I answered vaguely.
I didn't even say I was dying, but Gray apologized profusely.
"I-I'm sorry, Your Highness. I... I thought if the guild offered good medicinal herbs to the royal family, they could be easily used when needed... so I asked my father..."
I knew it.
Gray apologized repeatedly, feeling guilty for no reason.
The medicinal herbs that Marquis Hestia had offered that day were obviously of the highest quality, and their value must have been enormous.
'I only collapsed because of memories from the past...'
Because of that, not only Marquis Hestia but even young Gray was suffering.
I did my best to defend Gray.
"I don't really know why I hurt... But it might not be because of the medicine, so don't feel bad, Gray."
"N-no, that can't be...!"
Gray suddenly choked up and knelt down on both knees.
"M-my greed has harmed Your Highness, who is young and weak. It's my fault. Your Highness has been so kind to us, but I ruined everything."
Wait a minute...
'Why is he taking it so far?'
I was flustered and tried to stop him, but a tear fell from his beautiful blue eyes.
The tear was so sorrowful that I was momentarily speechless.
Gray pleaded with tearful blue eyes.
"I... I came to apologize one last time... Even if I can't be Your Highness's friend, Hestia will be Ruelle's eternal loyal subject."
No, do you even know what 'eternal' means?
While I was staring in bewilderment, Gray finished his memorized apology.
"I... I wish Your Highness a speedy recovery."
Then, with a face that said he had fulfilled his duty, he got up.
Only then did I come to my senses and grab Gray.
"W-wait a minute, Gray..."
Is that why you came here?
"Even if the kind Your Highness forgives me, it's no use. Because I don't forgive myself."
I sighed at his unnecessary determination.
'Seriously, what is this six-year-old saying...'
I steeled my patience and gestured to Gray.
"Come here, Gray."
"...I-I can't."
"What do you mean, you can't? Come quickly."
Gray hesitated for a moment between what he had decided and the princess's command, but eventually, he moved toward me.
Of course, the Hestia kids don't disobey.
'I've seen it my whole life.'
As I reached out my small hand to Gray, he pondered even more.
"Hand."
In the end, it was only after I said that that I could grab his hand.
I pulled his slightly larger hand toward me.
"Come closer."
When Gray hesitated and was pulled closer, I leaned toward him and whispered in his ear.
"Gray. I'm actually not sick."
I thought I was taking a risk and revealing a secret, but Gray immediately retorted.
"Are you trying to deceive me with such an obvious lie?"
I hurriedly added.
"I'm really not sick. I'm faking it because I don't want to study."
But surprisingly, Gray still didn't believe me.
"...Don't lie, Your Highness."
"I'm serious?"
I threw off the blanket covering me, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Y-Your Highness..."
I was wearing patient's pajamas, but there was no reason for a four-year-old and a six-year-old to be shy.
"Watch carefully."
After saying that, I immediately did a somersault, and Gray stepped back in surprise.
"Your Highness?"
"Good, right? Doesn't look like I'm sick, right?"
"...W-well, I don't know."
"Really? Do I look sick?"
Ha, I haven't done it once since I became young again...
I hesitated for a moment, but I was confident in my physical abilities.
'That's the only advantage I have that Rosa doesn't.'
So this time, I put my palms on the bed and did a cartwheel.
The world turned upside down for a moment and spun around.
Gray's bewildered face also spun around.
"...Your Highness!"
"Huff... How was it? Doesn't look like I'm sick, right?"
Gray shouted, his face red.
"Y-yes! You don't look sick. So please stop doing dangerous things! What if you fall off the bed!"
I felt embarrassed and sat back on the bed, muttering.
"I'm really... really not sick."
Then Gray came closer again.
"...Really? Your stomach doesn't hurt either? You're not forcing yourself even though it hurts?"
I took out the box of chocolates my mother had sent from under the pillow and quickly grabbed one.
Then I held one out to Gray and said.
"Yeah, you can't eat chocolate if your stomach hurts."
"...So you're really faking it? A princess, Your Highness?"
It was clearly a criticism that a princess shouldn't do such a thing, but I shrugged.
"There's too much to study. It's no fun at all."
"...Can you even write?"
"I know everything, okay?"
He was subtly looking down on me, so I answered abruptly, but Gray didn't seem to believe me.
I added anxiously, worried that Beatrice would return.
"It's a secret from the adults. No one knows."
Gray, who had been doubtful until now, seemed to believe me only then, strangely enough.
"Really? So you only... told me? Your Highness's secret?"
"Yeah, because we're friends."
As I answered that, Gray's eyes shook greatly.
"Friends? Me?"
Then what are you?
I nodded, and Gray repeated after me.
"I'm Your Highness's friend..."
The muttering child suddenly raised his head and checked again.
"No, but, really, you're not sick? Really?"
When I nodded again, his blue eyes unexpectedly started to tear up again.
His breathing was getting rough, and he seemed even more sorrowful than before.
"Do you know how... how worried I was?"
Why, why is he like this...
Is he going to cry?
'I told him not to cry!'
Unaware of my predicament, Gray shed tears from his sapphire-like Hestia blue eyes.
"Don't ever, ever do that again! Hic..."
"S-sorry..."
"You should have, should have told me in advance!"
How could I have told you in advance...
I was dumbfounded, but I kept apologizing, hoping that Gray would stop crying.
"Sorry, Gray..."
Just then, Beatrice returned.
"Oh my, Young Marquess. Are you crying because you're worried about our Your Highness?"
Gray panicked and immediately stopped crying, but it was already too late.
Beatrice squatted down in front of Gray, wiped away his tears, and smiled.
"Oh my... You were so dignified, but you're still a baby after all."
Gray's face turned bright red, but Beatrice didn't stop.
"Still, you were worried about our Your Highness... Thank you, Young Marquess."
"O-of course. I'm, Your Highness's, friend, you see."
I shook my head, listening to Gray's awkward, disjointed answer.
In the end, Gray called Beatrice before leaving.
"Hey, was it Tris...?"
"Yes, Young Marquess. It's Beatrice Zenith."
"That..."
As Gray hesitated, Beatrice cut him off with a smile.
"The Young Marquess was just too worried and came to see Your Highness, there was nothing special. Of course, he didn't cry either."
"...Th-thank you."
Gray left satisfied, but if it's the Beatrice I know, if that Beatrice continues to work in the palace...
'She'll tease him for 10 years.'
No, she'll tease him for 20 years for sure.
I shook my head once more, thinking of the poor Young Marquess Hestia.
Yan, who had been watching us all along, sang happily, "Beep beep."
