How the Prince Makes Friends Chapter 138

Thwack!

The sound was so loud that it was hard to believe one person had struck another. Frederick had tried to hug Nihil from behind and gotten punched for it.

Everyone was startled. Nihil, who was usually quite tolerant of physical contact, had never resorted to violence like this before. It was all the more surprising because he had barely reacted when Evan hugged him.

The impact was so tremendous that it seemed Frederick’s cheekbone might have caved in. If he hadn’t hurriedly raised his mana to protect his face, that might actually have happened.

“Why do you treat me like this when you don’t do it to Sir Evan?”

“You think I wouldn’t notice you deliberately suppressing your presence as you approached?”

Nihil continued speaking without taking his eyes off Rianus.

“Try approaching me like that one more time, and I won’t go easy on you.”

Nihil was a little prickly. Just like he had been when they first met, covered in blood.

Evan quietly watched him for a moment, then picked him up without warning, as if to say, And what will you do if you don’t go easy on me?

He saw Nihil’s fingertips twitch, but the boy didn’t swing at him.

“Wildcat, get some rest.”

“…What are you talking about? I haven’t been doing anything this whole time.”

“Doing nothing, my foot. You’ve been so on edge that you’ve turned from a wildcat into a porcupine. Aren’t you tired?”

Evan clicked his tongue.

It was unbelievable that Nihil could act as though nothing had changed despite losing one of his senses, but somehow, he was managing it.

He watched where the other person was looking and everything reflected in their eyes, while sensing the faint vibrations beneath his feet and the movement of the air with every step.

Evan glanced at the herbs and mortar before continuing.

“What’s that?”

“Your medicine.”

“…Forget it. Just rest.”

“If I skip it, the medicine won’t work as well.”

“……”

“I’ll rest once I’ve finished making that.”

“…Fine.”

Reluctantly, Evan put Nihil down again.

For a long while, the sound of herbs being ground echoed softly through the room. The curious little kitten simply watched beside him.

Perhaps he couldn’t be bothered to transfer the medicine into another container, because Nihil held out the mortar to Evan.

The bitter smell wafting up made Evan’s face scrunch. His tongue hadn’t even touched it yet, but he could almost taste the bitter, astringent flavor lingering on its tip.

When Evan hesitated, staring at the medicine instead of drinking it, Nihil tilted his head.

“What? Should I mix in some chocolate?”

“…No need.”

He couldn’t show weakness in front of our adorable little kitten, so Evan finally tipped the mortar back and drank it. Was this what it felt like to drink poison?

After barely managing to swallow the thick medicine, he heard a rustling sound by his feet. The wildcat was unwrapping a piece of chocolate.

“……”

Evan narrowed his eyes at being treated like a child, but he didn’t refuse the chocolate Nihil offered him. The wrapper had already been opened. It would be a waste not to eat it.

Right. I’m eating this because it would be a waste otherwise. It’s absolutely not because I want it.

When he accepted a second piece, he felt a hand patting his head. Apparently, the doggy had been such a good boy about taking his medicine that the wildcat wanted to praise him.

Evan stopped Nihil from unwrapping another piece, then picked him up again.

“That’s enough. Now get some rest.”

“……”

The wildcat stared up at him for a moment before taking something out of his clothes and handing it over.

“What’s this now?”

“A paralytic… No, a painkiller.”

“…Is it a paralytic poison?”

“I might… not wake up tomorrow morning. If the pain becomes unbearable, take it. But your body will become sluggish, too, so keep that in mind.”

“I think I’m all better now. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

“……”

That’s because I’m taking your kwa, after all.

Nihil didn’t bother saying that aloud. He had been wondering how he would take Evan’s kwa today, but fortunately, the big puppy had dozed off lightly, making it easy.

When the puppy woke up from the pain, Nihil had nearly been caught, though.

“Doggy, there’s something I need to tell you about your awakening…”

“Argh! It’s not urgent, so just get some rest already!!”

In the end, Evan bellowed at Nihil, who stubbornly refused to rest. But Nihil still seemed uneasy and glanced back at Frederick.

Frederick flashed him a wide grin and spoke.

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect both the big baby and the little baby.”

“……”

After reading Frederick’s lips, Nihil relaxed against Evan. He could feel faint vibrations against the broad chest holding him, as though the big baby were grumbling about something. But he simply closed his eyes.

“…Sir Evan, are you all right?”

“…Yes.”

No, actually, he wasn’t particularly all right. He was in so much pain that he was considering whether to use the painkiller Nihil had given him—which was actually a paralytic poison. Still, he was much better than he had been at dawn, when he couldn’t even move his body.

The night had passed, and the sun was already high in the sky, but the wildcat still hadn’t woken up. Pupu and Popo were lying on either side of him. At first, Evan had wondered what Popo was, but apparently, it was the name their prince had personally given to the rabbit doll Nihil had received as a gift.

In short, their prince was adorable even when it came to naming things.

“But Sir Evan, you keep breaking out in cold sweats…”

Noah, who had come to visit early that morning, darted his eyes around nervously as he watched Evan. Since Frederick couldn’t reveal himself with Noah here, Evan was somehow managing to stand guard despite his condition.

“…I’m fine, young master.”

Although Evan had initially been a little displeased that Noah had come so early, he was rather grateful that the boy was keeping their prince company in place of the wildcat, who was sleeping soundly. He gave Noah a faint smile.

“Eek!”

“……”

But the child recoiled in fright, so Evan quickly wiped the smile off his face. Apparently, his expression wasn’t particularly pleasant while he was trying to endure the pain.

“Sir Evan, why don’t you rest for a while?”

“No, Your Highness. I’m much better now. What would you like for lunch?”

“Uh… Hmm…”

Rianus hesitated. He had already eaten a makeshift breakfast in his bedroom.

Sir Evan hadn’t been able to get out of bed until that morning, and his dear friend hadn’t moved a muscle, as though he were a corpse. In the end, Rianus had eaten breakfast alone with Sir Frederick sitting across from him.

Sir Frederick had kept talking to him, but Rianus had felt terribly lonely. Perhaps it was because there hadn’t been a friend beside him to feed him when he pushed the vegetables aside.

“…I’m sorry, Noah, but could we eat in the bedroom? I don’t think I want to leave Neil alone…”

As he mentioned Nihil, Rianus glanced nervously toward him. He wondered whether his friend might wake up if he heard his name.

But his dear friend remained lying there in silence, without moving. That was only natural, since he couldn’t hear anything.

“Of course, Your Highness! I’m honored that you’ve welcomed me so warmly despite my unexpected visit.”

In the end, they decided to have lunch in the bedroom as well. Rianus passed the time playing chess with Noah, when another visitor arrived.

“Your Highness! It’s been a while! Sir Evan, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, too.”

Carus set down the little girl he had been carrying in his arms and greeted them energetically. Bella, who had followed along beside him, waved enthusiastically at Rianus as well.

“Carus, welcome!”

“Welcome, Marquess.”

After Rianus and Evan returned his greeting, Noah, who had been watching them hesitantly, bowed his head.

“H-hello, Marquess Francesca. I-I’m Noah Allier.”

“Haha! It’s a pleasure to meet you, young master Allier.”

“I-It’s a pleasure to meet you, too!”

“By the way, it’s already high noon, and you’re still lounging around in your bedroom. You mustn’t become lazy just because it’s a day off. Ah, this is my youngest sister. She’s the culprit behind those coal cookies.”

At Carus’s brief introduction, the little girl clutching his trousers peeked out. She was five years old, with the same cyan-colored hair and eyes as Carus.

“Cara, you should greet His Highness.”

“I’m Cara!”

The little girl greeted him energetically. Then she scampered over to Rianus and stared at him with wide, sparkling eyes.

Rianus thought Cara was very cute, but as her gaze grew increasingly intense, he instinctively took a step back.

He looked at Carus as if to ask what was wrong with her, and Carus replied with a laugh.

“Haha! I suppose she’s fascinated by Your Highness’s eyes.”

“Pretty!”

At the word pretty, Rianus turned his head bashfully. This was the first time someone had openly complimented him like that. Everyone else had only teased him for having mismatched eyes.

“By the way, where is your dear friend?”

“Ah… Neil is… sleeping.”

Rianus said this while gesturing toward the bed. Unaware of the circumstances, Carus cheerfully approached Nihil, remarking that even on a day off, one shouldn’t sleep in so late.

“Ahahaha! My dear friend, wake up. The sun is already high in the sky~”

“……”

“My dear friend, if you don’t get up, I’ll have to torment you.”

As he spoke, Carus began massaging Nihil’s arms and legs. His younger siblings were usually much less irritable when woken up this way.

However, even after massaging him for quite some time, Nihil didn’t react. Carus tilted his head in puzzlement.

“……?”

“Um… Carus, Neil is just sleeping a little deeply…”

“…Did he take some medicine before going to sleep?”

“Hmm, not exactly… He’s just a little hurt.”

At that, Carus lifted Nihil into his arms with a worried expression.

“My dear friend, even if you’re sick, you should at least eat before going back to sleep.”

“……”

Nihil’s frail body hung limp in his arms, his limbs dangling without the slightest movement. Normally, he would have gotten irritated and woken up by now if someone bothered him this much, but he simply kept his eyes closed, like an intricately crafted doll.

“…Is this really all right?”

Carus’s expression stiffened as he saw that Nihil didn’t react at all, even when he shook him rather vigorously.

“He’s probably fine…”

Just then, Cara suddenly cut in.

“In fairy tales, the princess wakes up when she gets a kiss from the prince!”

“…?! W-what are you t-talking about?!”

Rianus, who was a prince himself, jumped in surprise. Since he couldn’t possibly take advantage of his sleeping friend, he hurriedly tried to explain.

“C-Cara, that… That’s o-only in fairy tales…!”

“Cara will be the prince!”

“……”

“Haha! Does our Cara want to be the prince?”

Carus found his youngest sister adorable for wanting to play the prince despite having an actual prince right beside her. With a smile, he held Nihil out toward her.

“What exactly are you doing with a sleeping child—? Ugh…”

Unable to stand by and watch any longer, Evan hurriedly snatched Nihil into his arms. But a wave of excruciating pain surged through him, and he groaned.

As he stood frozen for a moment, still holding the child, Carus asked if he was hurt somewhere.

“Why are there so many patients?”

“I know…”

Rianus looked a little dejected.

Sir Bella was here, and so was Sir Michael, Noah’s escort knight. There shouldn’t have been any problems with security, so Rianus was just about to tell Sir Evan to go inside and rest when—

“…You’re awake?”

Black opal eyes slowly opened.

“……”

Nihil’s gaze wandered lazily toward Evan, who was drenched in cold sweat from the excruciating pain. In a slightly hoarse voice, he asked,

“…The medicine?”

“I could bear it, so I didn’t take it. Besides, I’m an escort knight. I can’t go around with a useless, sluggish body.”

Afraid the wildcat would nag him, Evan straightened his upper body a little and continued rambling.

“Anyway, I’m fine now, so don’t worry. And since you’re awake, eat something before going back to sleep.”

“……”

But Nihil seemed to be only half awake. He didn’t answer, merely blinking slowly.

Come to think of it, could he hear now? Honestly, it seemed even less plausible that damaged hearing could recover overnight, but…

“Can you hear now…? What are you—”

Just then, Nihil placed a hand against Evan’s cheek. Evan wondered what the wildcat was up to, but he didn’t have the strength to resist, and the movement was so slow and gentle that he let it happen.

Then one of Nihil’s hands seemed to move to the top of his head. Thinking the boy might want to pat him, Evan lowered his head slightly. Perhaps his hair had turned into a bird’s nest again.

“Is my hair a mess? I’ll fix it myself, so first, wake up properly—”

As he was speaking, Nihil’s forehead gently bumped against his.

“……”

For a moment, Evan thought he might be checking his temperature.

But then—

“You…!”

The excruciating pain that felt as though it were tearing his back apart vanished without a trace.