Chapter 9

**The Prince's Method of Making Friends - Chapter 9 (9/324)**

"Neil, Neil, are you really that perceptive? I'm really surprised."

The meal continued. Or rather, only Nihil's meal continued. Nihil was in the middle of tearing a chicken leg with his hands. At first, he seemed a bit on edge, but now that his stomach was full, the atmosphere had become much more relaxed.

In contrast, Lianus was a bit excited. He felt a mix of curiosity and a sense of kinship with his friend, who had even better senses than himself, a quarter-elf.

Nihil, who was about to take a big bite of the chicken leg in his hand, opened his mouth to show his gratitude to the host who had provided the "plenty of meat" meal, in response to Lianus's question.

"I'm naturally quite perceptive. It's also because I'm always on guard."

After giving a somewhat sincere answer, Nihil took a big bite of the chicken leg. He chewed for a while, then, thinking his response might have been a bit lacking, he swallowed and continued.

"You also have sharp senses, right? You have elf blood, don't you?"

At Nihil's words, the seaweed hair shook violently. Evan also jumped up from his seat, but Lianus quickly restrained his knight, preventing any trouble.

The twin eyes began to tremble slightly.

As the atmosphere suddenly became tense, Nihil thought to himself.

What is it? Was it a secret? Or something he didn't know? Is it something I shouldn't have said?

Seeing the seaweed hair curling again, Nihil quickly tried to explain.

"I can smell the forest from you. It's very faint, though."

At this statement, the twin eyes began to tremble even more. Evan, who had been scowling, raised an eyebrow and looked at Nihil as if to say, "What are you talking about?"

"It's okay. It's not a bad smell."

"..."

Is that not it?

Nihil thought for a moment about what the problem might be, but he couldn't figure it out. He felt that if he said something wrong again, the gray-brown guard dog watching him with narrowed eyes might immediately grab him by the scruff of the neck and throw him out. So he decided to ask directly.

"Why."

Lianus stammered, fidgeting with the hem of his clothes. The muffled voice that came from his lips, barely audible to Evan sitting right next to him, was a result of conflicting desires: he wanted Nihil to understand but also wanted to ask the question.

Is it okay? You, even if I'm mixed, is it okay?

Lianus's wish seemed to have been granted, as Nihil understood the muffled words but didn't quite get the meaning.

"What do you mean by 'okay'? The only thing that's not okay for me is if I get trampled by a horse or if I'm hungry and have nothing to eat. As long as you don't steal my food when I'm hungry, there's no reason for me to be not okay."

I see. For you, who just lives, whether I'm mixed or not is not an important issue.

Only then did a smile appear on Lianus's face. A fresh and refreshing laugh echoed through the bedroom.

"Neil, if I take that chicken leg, will you be not okay from then on?"

"No. Can I give it to you?"

Nihil suddenly extended the chicken leg he had bitten into Lianus's direction.

Seeing this, Lianus burst into laughter again and resolved to never forget to take care of his friend's meals.

Then you will always be okay and stay by my side.

***

After finishing his meal, Nihil headed to the bathroom to wash up. All the food, which had been plentiful, ended up in Nihil's stomach without a single bit left.

Lianus provided one of his nightgowns for Nihil, and the ragged clothes Nihil had been wearing were so dirty that they went straight into the trash bin without even being washed.

Evan, who had been following Lianus all day without a break, returned to his room, washed up quickly, changed into comfortable clothes, and then immediately returned to Lianus's bedroom.

With an outsider present, he couldn't take a break from his guard duty.

"Sir Evan, you can go rest. Nothing will happen."

"...The mere presence of that dirty gray cat is already an issue."

"Neil is a good kid. You don't need to worry."

No matter how much Evan thought about it, he couldn't figure out why Nihil was a "good kid." He raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes.

Seeing this, Lianus chuckled.

"If you allow it, I will take a nap on the sofa."

Evan's words made Lianus glance at the sofa in his bedroom. It was large and spacious for him, but it seemed too small for the tall and bulky Evan. His legs would definitely stick out if he lay down.

"No. It will definitely be uncomfortable. Go back to your room and rest."

"If you don't lend me the sofa, I will have to stand guard all night."

Evan was resolute. Even if the gray cat didn't seem to pose a threat to the prince, as long as an outsider was in the bedroom, guard duty was necessary. It was his duty and his loyalty as a knight.

Lianus realized that no matter how much he tried to persuade Evan, he wouldn't leave. If he forced him to go, his knight would surely stand guard outside the bedroom door all night.

Deciding that it would be more comfortable for Evan to rest on the sofa, Lianus sighed deeply and finally agreed to lend him the sofa.

The sigh was short-lived, as Lianus soon became lost in happy thoughts about what he could do with his friend.

Evan, looking at his "baby cat" with affection, thought to himself.

So what if that gray cat is a bit unruly? Our baby cat likes him so much. After all, he's just a cat.

Although he's a dangerous guy who can blow up pirate ships, he will surely become tame after eating some food. He will surely fall for our baby cat's charm and become a loyal follower.

However, the one who came out of the bathroom was not the gray cat.

His white hair seemed to have melted into water, and droplets of water were falling from his wet, undried hair. The two pairs of eyes, each in shock for different reasons, met, and the white cat frowned slightly.

"What are you looking at?"

The indifferent voice made the two pairs of eyes snap back to reality. Lianus, who had been gaping as if he might drool, quickly closed his mouth.

He then sprang up from the bed, completely forgetting his earlier thoughts about what to talk about with his friend before falling asleep, and rushed to Nihil.

"Neil, was there bleach in the bathroom? Did you not find the shampoo? Is your scalp okay? I'm sorry! I should have helped you wash!"

Evan, who had forgotten the shock of the white hair being so dirty, was now even more shocked by Lianus's creative interpretation of the situation.

Why would there be bleach in the bathroom!

The absurdity of the situation made it impossible for him to even process the offer to help the "beggar" wash.

The fearless baby cat ran over and started rummaging through the wild cat's hair.

"What happened! Your hair is white! Did you age so quickly? Or does losing too much blood make your hair color fade?"

Nihil, who was being rummaged through, was at a loss for words. He glanced at the knight with a look that said, "Is this your master?" The knight made a strange expression, glanced at his master, and then quickly averted his eyes, pretending to know nothing.

At first, Nihil thought Lianus was joking, but seeing the genuine concern, he sighed deeply and grabbed the busy little hands rummaging through his hair.

"This is my natural hair color."

"Then is your scalp okay?"

Nihil, who had been rolling his eyes while Lianus worriedly examined his head, started to wonder if this was due to a lack of blood or simply because Lianus was young. If it was due to an external shock, should he find the culprit and hold them responsible?

After thinking this, Nihil couldn't help but laugh.

What does it matter if his head is a bit empty? As long as he's cute, that's all that matters.

The creative and unique child with odd eyes carefully examined Nihil's hair.

Nihil chuckled and gently intertwined his fingers with the small, fumbling hands.

"I'm fine."

Lianus, who had been worried about the rare white hair and not even considering the possibility of a question, nodded in relief at the answer. He then sprang up, grabbed a fluffy towel, and started rubbing Nihil's white hair.

"Neil, if you don't dry your hair properly, you'll definitely catch a cold."

Ignoring the knight's glare, Lianus continued to chatter.

"Neil, friends also invite each other to their homes for pajama parties. They play games in the bedroom, share delicious food, and talk all night before falling asleep! I've always wanted to have a pajama party when I make a friend! Oh, should I get some snacks?"

"Let's have snacks tomorrow."

Nihil managed to calm Lianus down and pull him back to the bed as he was about to go get snacks.

Feeling a bit disappointed at the suggestion to have the pajama party another day, Lianus brightened up when Nihil said he would always be by his side and could have a pajama party whenever he wanted.

Lianus then continued to chatter, saying he would lend his favorite teddy bear, that the nightgown suited him well, that he would make delicious snacks available tomorrow, and that he would quickly meet the Emperor to gain freedom to move around the palace. His speech became more and more incoherent as he started to yawn, and soon his breathing became steady and deep.

Nihil, who had been quietly watching, confirmed that Lianus was sound asleep and then turned to the guard dog, who had been silently watching the scene.

He then called out to Evan in a very soft voice, almost inaudible, to avoid waking Lianus.

"Hey, dog."

"…Are you calling me?"

"Bring the medicine."

The seaweed, which had been cold and wet, was now drying out from the heat.