Chapter 44

In the garden, I was walking with Icto, looking for herbs that needed pruning... but we found a lost child.

The child was walking back and forth, looking left and right with his back to us, clearly at a loss as to where to go.

"Green hair, about four years old, and so cute. Hehe, Icto, who do you think he is?"

"We've had this before, twice."

Icto is usually calm, but now he has a stern face.

"Why is my little brother so cute?"

"Prince Asha..."

Icto calls out to me as if to stop me.

Yeah, I remember the last two times we found a lost child.

Neither ended well.

But now, right in front of us, is a child with a teary face, walking uncertainly.

"Being alone must be so scary. I'm sorry."

I apologized and headed towards my little brother.

Icto has a stern face but follows, keeping an eye on the surroundings.

"Hey, are you lost? Where do you want to go back to?"

When I called out, the four-year-old, who I assume is my twin brother, turned around with shining eyes, without any suspicion.

So cute!

No, really, so cute!

It's enough to make any unpleasant feelings from adult matters disappear!

"To Werner's place!"

"Ah, so you're Felm, then."

My twin brothers are Felm, with green hair, and Werner, with navy hair.

There's no one else of this age around, so it must be my brothers.

I heard their faces are identical, but their colors are different.

And apparently, their personalities are different too.

"Yeah, I'm Felm. Do you know where Werner is?"

Felm asks innocently.

Icto points in a small gesture.

I take Felm's hand and we head in that direction, where we hear crying.

"Felm? Felm?"

"Werner!"

Felm runs over, still holding my hand.

When we get there, we find Werner, who looks just like Felm, with tears in his blue eyes.

Yeah, double the cuteness.

Triple the cuteness when they're comforting each other.

"This person brought me here. I knew where Werner was right away."

"Wow! Are you a magician? You're so cool, like my big brother!"

He looks at me with such admiration.

It makes me happy.

And to be respected as a brother by Terry is so proud.

The last time I met him, he was crying and lost, but now he's a big brother.

He's three years younger than me, so Terry must be six.

We've only met once, so I wonder how much he's grown.

"If I were to introduce myself, I'm an alchemist. So, where did you two come from? Was Werner looking for Felm?"

"No, everyone was looking for Werner because he was missing, so I went to find him."

It seems Werner was the lost one.

And Felm, looking for his twin, also got lost.

How noble.

Noble, but the adults around must be worried about two lost children.

"Icto, it wouldn't be good if I took them directly, right?"

"Yes, it would be best to wait. However, there are no signs of anyone searching nearby."

"No, I'm sure Werner was lost and Felm was told to wait. But if Felm went looking on his own, then..."

Even if we tell him to wait, Felm probably won't listen and will get lost again if we're not with him.

But Icto can't leave me alone due to his duties.

Before, we had the nursemaid Heart, so we could split up, but she's no longer here.

We can't leave the twins behind, and my reputation is already bad.

The two young brothers should be the priority.

"Where were you two? Were you taking a walk?"

"No, it was a celebration. We were eating sweets and looking at the flowers. Felm had a fever."

Werner, who was crying just a moment ago, now has a completely relaxed smile.

And at this time of day, there must be a place with blooming flowers and chairs or a table for eating sweets.

"Was your mother with you?"

"No, big brother."

"Big brother and I were having sweets at the pavilion."

It must be a tea party or a celebration of Felm's recovery, organized by Terry.

Considering the flowers, the pavilion, and their age, it shouldn't be far from here.

Thinking this, we decided to head to the nearest pavilion with blooming flowers.

"No one's here."

"Probably everyone is out searching because both of you were missing."

The pavilion we headed to had preparations for a tea party, so it must be the right place.

But no one was there, and Icto stated his theory.

Meanwhile, the two former lost children ran back to the pavilion.

"I'll share my favorite sweets with you as a thank you!"

"I don't like that. It makes my throat feel weird!"

Even though they are twins, they have different tastes.

How interesting.

Most of all, it's heartwarming to see them bickering while heading to the pavilion.

It makes me smile even more knowing it's for my sake.

"You are truly modest and full of compassion."

Icto looks away from the twins, as if he can't bear to watch, and says this.

Well, the contrast with the person he serves is quite significant.

I've never organized a tea party, and I've never seen such luxurious sweets.

The pavilion, decorated with flowers and fabric, must have required a lot of effort.

"I'm not modest. I just want to be with my brothers, not replace them. And maybe the compassion comes from the royal blood."

The brothers return with sweets in both hands, smiling.

I worry they might fall as they run, but I don't get closer.

If I do, it might not end well.

"... If, for some reason, I were to leave the palace and no longer be a prince, I would go with you. I can't say this in front of others, but I think being an adventurer would suit Prince Asha."

This is a future where I might be exiled.

It's a possible outcome now that I know the guardian, through Heart, doesn't intend to protect me.

Given that I'm already being targeted by the duke, I have no future of advancement.

I have the compassion to not abandon such a child, but Icto is realistic.

Herkov, who helps earn money by serving drinks, is also realistic and points out harsh truths, but he keeps his goals high and remains optimistic.

So, Icto can be considered quite severe.

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind."

"You're accepting it and putting it away, aren't you?"

"I accept reality. Even if alchemy is impossible, denying reality won't lead to progress."

"Indeed, that strength makes you well-suited to be an adventurer."

As we talk in low voices, the twins return with smiles.

"Here, it's baked with nuts, honey, and berries!"

Felm offers a baked good that looks like it's made with flour.

His beaming smile shows how much he loves it.

"This one is mixed with lots of milk and sugar, and it's delicious."

Werner also offers a sweet.

It looks like a soufflé, but it doesn't seem to make your throat feel weird.

In any case, it's too soft to eat with your hands.

Icto checks for poison, and I subtly confirm with the twins.

"I'm so happy. Thank you. So, can I share with my companion?"

"Sure!"

"It's delicious!"

They are so innocent and healing.

Icto probably doesn't think these two are up to anything, but it's his job to check.

Still, brothers are really cute!

Ah, I want to see Terry too.

Regular update

Next: Attempted Assassination of the Prince 3