MTLNOVEL 54
Of course, falling into a fountain wouldn’t kill a person. However, this was a different kind of trouble—one that had nothing to do with life-threatening danger.
First of all, the brand-new tailcoat I had carefully prepared was now soaked and ruined. The water I’d accidentally swallowed made my nose sting, and to top it all off, I looked absolutely ridiculous.
“This outfit only arrived yesterday, so I didn’t even need to have it cleaned.”
I spoke curtly, and Lorenz, who was looking down at me with his hands behind his back, replied, “Oh dear, is that so? It just looked old, so I couldn’t help myself.”
He looked quite pleased with himself. It seemed he thoroughly enjoyed putting people in embarrassing situations like this.
He must have wanted to make things difficult for me, but thanks to that, I learned what he was most concerned about. Though it was rather unfortunate that I also had to discover his twisted sense of humor…
‘Lorenz is looking for Kyle’s weakness.’
Whether it was to bring Kyle down or simply to shake things up and change this otherwise calm dynamic, I wasn’t sure yet.
“What will you do if I go around spreading rumors that His Highness the Prince shoved me into the fountain for his own amusement?”
Lorenz replied nonchalantly, “Between the master of this imperial palace and an outsider, whose word do you think would be more convincing?”
What an arrogant thing to say. Even if he handled most of the state affairs, the Emperor was still very much alive.
Well, he probably thought it was only a matter of time. Or perhaps he was just waiting for the Emperor to die so this tedious power struggle could finally come to an end.
“Regardless, unfortunate.”
[‘Actually, I don’t feel bad at all, but I do intend to irritate you a little.’]
I clenched my fists tightly while still smiling. I had already sensed it, but having the system confirm it made me twice as furious.
“Do you need a hand?”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. First, he pushes me in, and now he wants to help?
Despite his so-called offer, Lorenz stood at a slight distance from me, his arm extended straight out. At some point, he had taken off his gloves, offering his bare hand instead. As if a single drop of water on his gloves would be a terrible waste.
‘Seriously.’
[￣へ￣=3]
The system and I sighed at the same time.
Forget it. It’s not like I don’t have hands or feet of my own.
“I’ll get up by myself. I appreciate your concern, but I’m a rather suspicious person by nature. Ha ha.”
[‘Like hell I’d take your help! Get lost!’]
…That wasn’t exactly wrong, but it felt a little too personal.
I shook my head from side to side, water dripping from my hair and blurring my vision. My eyelids stung, and my entire body felt heavy. As I forced myself up, water poured off me in thick droplets.
“Ugh, it’s freezing.”
Even if spring came early in the capital, it had only just begun. Being drenched in cold water made me shiver uncontrollably.
“I’ll have someone make you a new set of clothes.”
What, just because I got them wet? Must be nice having so much money to throw around. Even Kyle carefully maintained his armor for years.
“That won’t be necessary. They’ll dry soon enough.”
I answered nonchalantly, but I was a little concerned. After all, Kyle had made these clothes for me on purpose. Maybe I should ask someone to wash them before I deactivate Reload.
Not that Kyle would be the type to mind if they got a little ruined. More likely, he’d brush it off as nothing and be more worried about me instead.
“It’s cold over there, so come here, Shu.”
Yeah. He would definitely say that. In that pained voice of his…
…Wait.
“Kyle, Your Highness?”
Kyle was standing right in front of me.
With the exact expression I had imagined.
‘What the hell. Why is he here?’
As I stared at him in dumbfounded shock, Kyle stepped forward, slipped his arm under mine, and effortlessly lifted me out of the fountain.
Not only was my clothing wet now, but his was too. Yet he focused solely on my condition, scrutinizing my face with concern.
“Are you alright?”
“Well… I mean… Falling into a fountain doesn’t exactly kill people.”
Kyle’s hand brushed against my cheek and forehead, his fingers warm. He must have come here in a hurry.
“What the hell is this?”
Kyle positioned himself in front of me, shielding me as he turned to confront Lorenz. His voice, rough and scraping against his throat, was almost a growl.
“If you wanted to provoke someone, do it to me directly. Don’t drag innocent people into it.”
“Innocent?”
Lorenz smiled gently and shook his head.
“I merely patted him on the shoulder for encouragement. I didn’t expect him to be so weak-willed as to fall in.”
And then, the system helpfully provided another translation.
[‘Just take my word for it and let it go. Or else… what are you going to do about it?’]
There was still some lingering unease toward Lorenz, but as the one who had fallen into the water, I couldn’t help but sympathize, so I let it slide.
“How unfortunate. It seems that in my dear older brother’s eyes, I still look like some naïve teenager.”
[‘Do I look stupid enough to fall for your bullshit?’]
They weren’t holding swords, but this was practically a war.
I shuddered briefly and then asked, “…But, Your Highness. How did you know to come here?”
Kyle answered in a slightly irritated voice.
“I was watching from above.”
“……”
“The terrace has a good view of the garden. I was only planning to make sure you went inside before heading back…”
I could picture the situation clearly. Kyle had been watching out for me, and Lorenz must have noticed his gaze.
So, to test Kyle, he had pushed me in.
“How fascinating,” Lorenz mused, his voice filled with genuine admiration.
“The same Grand Duke Blake who never flinched even when people spat out dozens of insults about his own mother… came rushing down in an instant just because his companion fell into the water.”
Kyle clicked his tongue. He didn’t even find it worth responding to and simply turned his back on Lorenz completely, focusing on me instead. Then, he took off his cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders.
“Uh, Your Highness, now your cloak will get wet too.”
“And so what?”
“……”
Well, it’s just water, I suppose.
Since I had nothing else to say, I just stood there, looking up at him. Kyle met my gaze and asked,
“Are you done talking?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go back.”
He didn’t care about keeping up appearances—he was simply telling me that, for now, he wanted me by his side.
Smiling slightly, I placed my hand in his outstretched one.
“Yes. I think I’ve had more than enough of the garden.”
Tilting my head slightly, I looked back over my shoulder and gave Lorenz a polite nod.
“Thanks for the fountain tour.”
I could hear Lorenz chuckling behind me, but I ignored him. He was too much of a nuisance to bother with.
Dripping water with every step, I walked with Kyle toward the annex. A brief silence hung between us, so I laughed lightly and spoke.
“Expensive clothes, all soaked. I’m sorry.”
“It’s just clothing. I can have more made. Maybe I should get you a few extra while I’m at it.”
It was similar to what Lorenz had said, but Kyle’s tone was much warmer.
It didn’t feel like he was saying the clothes didn’t matter—it felt more like I mattered more. Like he was saying that if I needed more clothes, he would always provide them for me.
See? He’s the one being sweet, and yet he’s the one calling me the gentle one.
“What’s the point of having so many expensive clothes? Two or three are enough. It’s a hassle.”
I mean, I only spend about four hours a day in human form. Not that I’m asking him to knit me hamster clothes or anything…
Ah, damn it. Now I remembered that nightmare of a strawberry-patterned sweater. If this keeps up, I’ll go from being his pet pervert to his strawberry sweater pervert.
“It’s not a hassle. I already know your measurements.”
Kyle let out a low chuckle and gave a slight squeeze to the arm he had wrapped around my shoulders.
“You’ve been eating well. Maybe I should have your tops made a little looser.”
“……”
I found myself staring at Kyle’s face as if entranced. Whether it was from the water splashing earlier or something else, his hair and cheeks seemed to glisten faintly.
It had felt dark just moments ago, but being near him now, everything seemed brighter. My gaze drifted to his smooth forehead, visible between strands of his black hair.
‘…If I think about kissing him right now, does that mean I’m insane?’
If so, I must be completely out of my mind.
“I don’t want Your Highness to be disadvantaged or put in danger because of me.”
I muttered under my breath, and Kyle replied in a calm voice.
“If you’re safe and happy, there’s no way I wouldn’t be.”
“……”
“When you think about it like that, doesn’t it seem like our happiness moves in the same direction?”
Our happiness isn’t so far apart. If Kyle is happy, I naturally smile. And when he sees me smiling, he smiles too.
When the North is in danger, we’re both too busy to breathe. When we endure winter together, we feel a shared sense of accomplishment. When the imperial princes act insufferably, we both get irritated, and when we manage to get through it, we end up laughing at the absurdity of it all.
“We’re like… a shared fate.”
That’s right. My presence had already been etched into his life under that name.
And perhaps, in my life as well, the name Kyle had been engraved in the same way.
“…A shared fate.”
Kyle softly repeated the words I had just spoken. He seemed to find them quite to his liking, as he slowly savored them before murmuring,
“A nice ring to it.”
His voice was deep, resonant. If I had to describe it in color, it would be pure black. But despite that, it was gentle and warm—warm enough to make me forget the lingering chill of early spring.
I opened my mouth soundlessly, then quickly shut it tight.
[(⊙ˍ⊙)]
“What were you about to say?”
“N-no, it’s just…”
“Shu?”
“I-I’m going ahead! My time’s almost up! Sleep well, and don’t come into my room! I’ll come find you in your room first thing tomorrow!”
“……”
“W-well then, good night!”
I quickly yanked myself free from him and dashed straight into my room.
Bang!
The door slammed shut behind me with force. I clamped both hands over my mouth and took a sharp, shaky breath.
Holy shit.
‘I almost confessed just now…’
How long has it even been since I realized my feelings?!
It was just that—under the faint moonlight—he looked too mesmerizing, too captivating. Like someone had wound a long string around me and was pulling me in, leaving me completely helpless to resist…
Was it just an impulse?
Yeah, maybe it was. Emotions come and go quickly. Maybe it was nothing more than a fleeting whim.
“…Then why is my heart still racing?”
So I leaned against the door, waiting for what felt like forever, hoping—praying—that my pounding heart would finally settle down.