How the Prince Makes Friends Chapter 14

Nihil’s eyebrows drooped. His gaze lowered, and his white eyelashes veiled half of his sorrowful eyes. The corners of his mouth trembled ever so slightly, as though he were forcing himself to smile.

As if he were terribly sad but trying not to let it show.

Watching Nihil, Evan got goosebumps. He wanted to leap to his feet and shout about how despicable the boy was, but he couldn’t ruin everything when things were finally going well. Instead, he clenched his fists even tighter.

To make matters worse, Nihil quietly murmured in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible, yet loud enough for Rianus, with his keen hearing, to catch every word.

“Waiting all alone would be so lonely, but I suppose there’s nothing I can do…”

Evan had a sudden realization. Perhaps the boy wasn’t a wildcat after all, but a white fox.

He was a little unnerved by how skillfully and precisely Nihil could manipulate his expression, considering that the boy usually barely showed any emotion at all.

But Rianus, who was nothing but innocent, turned pale as soon as he heard the muttering.

Why didn’t I try to imagine how Nihil would feel being left all alone?!

Berating himself for his thoughtlessness, Rianus fidgeted anxiously for a long while before abruptly turning to Evan.

His eyes seemed to ask, My friend is so upset, and I want to attend lessons with him, but I don’t know how to solve this. What am I supposed to do?

Evan suppressed the laughter threatening to burst out of him and spoke in an intentionally grave tone.

“Your Highness, we would first need His Majesty’s permission for that boy to enter the palace, but there is a way.”

“I’ll take responsibility for getting permission! What’s the solution?”

Although Evan was glad that his early-morning barking had finally paid off, he didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he carefully weighed his options.

If Rianus’s inferiority complex toward the First Prince was worse than Evan had thought, this might end up placing an even greater burden on the young prince.

“Hurry up and tell me!”

The little kitten was getting impatient. Evan was determined to separate his young master from that little snake this time, so he thought of a few additional excuses in case the kitten refused his suggestion.

“We could split the classes…”

“I’ll do it!”

“Ah, yes, Your Highness…”

All those excuses he had prepared were rendered pointless. The little kitten had apparently never even considered rejecting the idea, no matter what the solution might be.

If only that cunning little snake could have seen this.

“Separate classes! Why didn’t I think of that? Neil, we’ll be able to attend lessons together! How about starting tomorrow? Shall we go see His Majesty right away?”

Unable to contain his excitement, Rianus sprang to his feet and bounced around the bedroom.

I should give Neil some books. Oh, and a high-quality fountain pen! Maybe I can teach him a few things, too!

The thought of sitting right beside Nihil and studying together filled him with excitement already. Their lessons would surely be a lot of fun.

Evan watched him with relief and a fond smile.

Having finished his part, Nihil had already returned to his usual expressionless face, as though he had never looked sorrowful at all. He turned toward Rianus, who was still bouncing around, and gave him two firm commands.

“Sit. Eat.”

After finishing their now somewhat cold meal, Rianus prepared to visit His Majesty. The weather outside was still chilly, so he bundled himself up in a thick cloak and scarf.

Nihil tried to persuade him to go tomorrow instead, but this time Rianus firmly refused. He wanted to obtain permission for Nihil to enter the palace as soon as possible and give his friend the freedom to stay by his side.

“Just get permission and come straight back.”

“Mm-hmm! Don’t worry!”

“It’s fine even if you don’t get permission.”

“I’ll definitely get it!”

“I’ll be waiting.”

“Okay!”

“Eat this first.”

“What is this—Mmph!”

The spoon was ruthlessly shoved into the mouth of the innocent, smiling Rianus. A thick liquid slid across his tongue and down his throat.

The bitter, astringent, sour taste filled his mouth, only for another wave of bitterness to follow. His lips instinctively parted, but Nihil promptly pressed his jaw shut.

“Don’t spit it out. Swallow.”

“Mmmph!”

“It’s harder if you keep it in your mouth. Hurry up and swallow.”

Nihil didn’t remove his hand until he saw Rianus’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed.

Rianus’s eyes were beginning to water from the unbearable bitterness when a small piece of chocolate suddenly appeared in his mouth. He had no idea when Nihil had prepared it.

Carefully rolling the little piece around his mouth, Rianus took his time savoring it as it melted, then asked,

“Is it medicine?”

“No.”

“……?”

“It’s poison.”

“…Huh?”

“I’ll give you the antidote when you get back.”

“What? W-wait a minute!”

At the word poison, Rianus’s pupils began to shake wildly.

He wanted to believe Nihil was joking, but the boy’s completely humorless expression made him wonder if he was telling the truth.

And he even had a separate antidote!

Nihil watched Rianus anxiously rub his upper abdomen, then let the corners of his mouth lift ever so slightly before quickly composing himself and speaking again.

“The longer you’re exposed to the cold air, the more it’ll spread through your body.”

“I-is that really true?”

“Then you’ll develop a fever…”

“……!”

“Your head will get foggy, and your muscles will start to relax. Eventually, you won’t be able to move properly, as though your body’s paralyzed.”

Rianus’s face began to turn deathly pale.

Evan let out a quiet snort of laughter as he watched Nihil threaten the prince without changing his expression, despite having given him the medicine Evan had brought the previous night.

Poison, indeed. Nihil was simply warning him that staying out in the cold for too long could make his illness return.

“See? This is why you shouldn’t trust just anyone, Rian.”

“H-hic…”

The little kitten looked ready to burst into tears at any moment.

Evan knew he should tell Rianus that it wasn’t poison and that the wildcat was lying. But the kitten looked so adorable that he decided to watch a little longer.

“Bring back some snacks when you return.”

“Uh… o-okay?”

“Off you go.”

Still on the verge of tears, Rianus was abruptly ushered out of his bedroom by Nihil.

Click.

The bedroom door closed, leaving a bewildered Rianus standing outside. He blinked blankly for a moment.

His mismatched eyes, glistening with a few tears, gazed up at Evan.

The little kitten asked the big guard dog in a tearful voice,

Sniff. “Sir Evan, what kind of snacks should I bring back?”

A muffled snicker escaped from the other side of the door.

Evan was also putting all his strength into suppressing his laughter, his face twisting into a rather strange expression. But the oblivious little kitten prince merely tilted his head in confusion.

Rianus had arrived at His Majesty’s chambers feeling fairly confident, but now he stood stiff with nerves.

Of all the possible times, the Queen was in the middle of a conversation with His Majesty.

Still, he couldn’t abandon his friend just because the Queen frightened him. Gathering his courage, Rianus pleaded with the King.

After hearing the circumstances, the King called out to him with a stern expression.

“Second Prince.”

“Y-yes, Your Majesty.”

“You wish to have a commoner child stay in the palace as your friend?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Please grant me permission.”

Sedes gazed silently down at his son.

It was only natural that the First Prince, who had the Queen, wouldn’t come directly to him to ask for anything. But the Second Prince had always kept to himself, almost as though he were hiding away from the world. This was the first time he had ever come to ask his father for something.

“Do you understand that this child could damage your reputation?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Even as he anxiously watched the King’s reaction, Rianus answered firmly. His whole body was trembling like a leaf, and he had shrunk in on himself, but his eyes remained resolute.

Sedes was delighted by this change in his second son. However, to avoid showing his feelings, he asked in an even lower, more solemn voice,

“Do you want this child by your side that badly?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The King’s sharp golden eyes swept over Rianus in silence. He didn’t bother asking why his son was willing to put himself down just to keep a commoner child by his side.

Sedes believed that royalty should be able to do whatever they wished. They had both the qualifications and the right to do so.

However, they also had to bear the obligations that came with their power and take full responsibility for the consequences.

Even if people looked down on him for bringing a commoner into the palace, or if that commoner betrayed him, those were things Rianus would have to endure himself.

The King didn’t show it, but he cherished his second son deeply. He liked Rianus’s curly dark green hair, as though his beloved woman’s golden curls had blended with his own dark navy hair. He also liked that the boy had inherited one of her emerald-green eyes and one of his own golden eyes.

Unlike the Queen and the First Prince, Rianus was honest about his feelings and terrible at lying, just like her.

The Second Prince was living proof that Sedes and the woman he had loved had once been connected. Although he couldn’t openly support the boy, he wanted to give him everything he could.

Those frightened eyes were fragile, yet unwavering.

The pair of golden eyes facing each other blinked slowly once.

“Granted.”

Rianus’s face lit up at the King’s approval. He was just about to express his gratitude when—

“Your Majesty.”

The Queen, who had been silently observing their conversation until then, spoke up.

Her reddish-orange eyes curved into a pronounced smile, while Rianus’s face gradually stiffened.

“What is it, Your Majesty?”

“Your Majesty, setting aside the possibility that an uneducated commoner might reflect poorly on the Second Prince, the child could also pose a threat to his safety. Wouldn’t it be better to meet him first?”

“That won’t be necessary. The Second Prince has chosen to take the child in, so he should be allowed to take responsibility for him.”

“In that case, may I meet the child as a guardian concerned for the prince’s well-being?”

A guardian, my foot.

Sedes frowned ever so slightly, careful not to let it show. He wanted to refuse, but he had no proper grounds to do so.

After all, the Queen was talking about meeting an ordinary commoner child. She had no need to ask his permission in the first place. This was nothing more than a warning and a form of pressure directed at the Second Prince.

Sedes had no choice but to nod and allow it. His best option was to dismiss the Second Prince quickly before the situation escalated any further.

After leaving the audience chamber, Rianus let out a long sigh and climbed into the carriage.

He should have listened to Nihil and waited until tomorrow. Then he wouldn’t have had to meet the Queen.

His Majesty had granted permission without much difficulty, but just thinking about the Queen meeting Nihil was already draining all his energy.

“Your Highness, what are you thinking about so deeply?”

Evan, seated opposite him in the carriage, asked Rianus, who was turning the problem over in his mind.

“I was wondering what excuse I should give Her Majesty if Neil says he doesn’t want to meet her.”

“Oh…”

Evan was genuinely impressed by the remark, which showed absolutely no regard for the Queen’s dignity.

Even though Rianus was so frightened of her, his first thought had been how to refuse her request. What on earth had that snow-white beast done to give the little kitten such courage?

His confidence seemed to have grown so much that it could pierce the heavens.

In the first place, there was no way an ordinary commoner could refuse an invitation from the Queen. Yet watching his master think only of his friend left Evan feeling strangely conflicted.

The lonely little kitten had always craved companionship, but trusting someone this much was another matter entirely. It was rare for him to open his heart to someone so completely in such a short time.

Evan wondered whether he should be happy about this change, then decided to keep his mouth shut and merely rolled his eyes around.

Still, if that wildcat refused the Queen’s invitation, things would undoubtedly get complicated. Evan might have to beg him to meet the Queen at least once—or even kidnap him and plop him down in front of her.

If he kept barking, perhaps she would eventually agree just to get him to stop.

For the sake of his little kitten’s well-being, barking a little was nothing. A pillow might come flying at him again, but he was willing to take as many hits as necessary.

Besides, the boy seemed surprisingly soft when it came to the prince, so perhaps they could work something out.

Evan briefly considered how he could safely kidnap the wildcat. Then, to divert the little kitten’s train of thought from his endless scheming about what to tell the Queen, he tossed him another problem to think about.

“Have you decided what snacks to bring back?”

“Oh, snacks!”

The little kitten immediately took the bait. Evan smiled fondly, finding the boy’s changeability utterly endearing.

“What does Neil like?”

“I doubt he’s picky about food. In fact, he probably hasn’t had much opportunity to try different things. Why not bring a variety?”

“That’s true! Rather than asking the palace kitchen to prepare something, I think it would be better to stop by a dessert shop and buy all sorts of things. Let’s go!”

Evan smiled broadly and ordered the coachman to change their route.

He soon regretted his suggestion.