Chapter 54

#054 Not Letting Go (2)

I gritted my teeth and gently placed my hand on the child's forehead.

It seemed his fever had dropped significantly from before. His breathing also appeared quite stable.

"You seem quite experienced at taking care of children, Prince."

Kristel commented lightly.

It seemed she didn't mean anything by it, but I felt a bit uncomfortable.

Before I knew it, an excuse popped out like a coin from a vending machine.

It's not because I've helped this kid a few times.

"I have a younger sister."

"Oh, I heard. You have an older sister and a younger sister, right?"

"Yes."

While I don't think Prince Yeseo and the two princesses were ever close, this was a perfect excuse to defuse the current situation.

After all, I do have a younger sister.

I checked the boy's condition out of the corner of my eye and picked up Demy, who was climbing onto my lap.

"By the way, you seemed to be in a lot of pain earlier. Demy too. Are you feeling better now?"

I asked.

I recalled how Kristel had retched and collapsed as soon as the prince's flames erupted, and how Demy had run to her, trying to escape my arms.

After the flames died down, they seemed to have recovered naturally.

"Yes, I'm fine. The prince's ether pressure was too intense, making my stomach churn. Demy probably felt the same."

'Ether pressure'... I had read about this concept among holy knights, but since it didn't apply to me as a priest, I had only skimmed over it. I didn't know it would affect a divine beast like Demy.

I should probably look into it more when I return to the palace.

Kristel, who had been examining my face, smiled and stood up.

I didn't bother to stop her as she walked out of the sanctuary.

After all, every monster in the mountains had been killed by the prince.

"Despite the intense pressure, you only targeted the monsters. That's incredible control. It makes me a bit competitive."

If it's competitiveness, that's a good thing, right? I nodded at her words.

For the two main characters to fall in love, some underlying emotion is necessary.

They say the opposite of love is indifference.

As long as we're not indifferent to each other, I'm fine.

"Oh, the scent is nice. Demy, you could set up an orchard later."

Kristel marveled and picked four apples from the apple tree.

The mountain was truly peaceful and intact. The sound of birds chirping could be heard nearby.

If we cleared away the few blackened stones, no one would believe there had been a fire here.

She continued as she returned to the sanctuary with the apples.

"I have a question too. You didn't seem to be affected by the hallucinations, Prince..."

"Yes, I found that strange as well."

It was shocking that the circle that nullified all power didn't have an air purification function, but what concerned me more was the effect of the hallucinations.

"The prince reacted first to the fog, followed by the maiden. Demy didn't react much because I covered her with a towel... As a divine beast, she might be different from us. But it didn't affect me much. I definitely inhaled the fog, though. This is just a guess, but..."

Kristel offered me three apples.

I broke one of the orange apples and gave it to Demy.

He immediately grabbed the fruit with his front paws and made a satisfied sound.

*Crunch, crunch*

"Thank you. Anyway, I think the higher one's mana sensitivity, the more susceptible they are to the monster's hallucinations."

I couldn't think of any other reason to explain the difference in reactions among the three of us.

Since my mana sensitivity is at rock bottom, it's possible I couldn't see the hallucinations even if the monster put them right in front of me.

It's fortunate, but a bit sad.

"That makes sense. Since His Highness is a mage, he might have seen even more vivid hallucinations than I did. Then I can understand why he was so angry."

She nodded and took a big bite out of the greenish-blue apple.

"What if the same monster comes down again?"

"I doubt it will."

"There's no law against it. The monster's family or friends might come for revenge."

Kristel pointed to the end of the valley.

Between two apple trees, a monster that looked like a cross between a centipede and a scorpion lay dead on its back, blackened.

Even from here, it was as big as a large door.

I frowned and turned back to Kristel.

"First, we should use the maiden's 'Explosion' magic tool to temporarily dispel the fog."

"Yes, but it will only last a moment. The magic tools sold by 'Rigo General Trading' have all been reviewed... They only sell party ones."

"Wait, party ones?"

"To prevent large explosions, they don't sell weapons."

That's... strange.

"Then how did it happen in Luka Village? You pretended to burn down the entire inn. You said you bought the 'Intimidating Flame' magic tool."

My eyes narrowed. Kristel smiled awkwardly and shrugged.

I quickly looked down at the sleeping boy and her, feeling a sudden realization that made my head throb. Seriously, these people!

"Did the prince use his ability then? And the ether he took from me that day..."

"Prince, listen."

Now I understand why the prince grabbed my neck.

Now I understand why it felt similar to when Sadie tore me apart!

"His Highness insisted on taking the prince's ether. No one else would do. But he also said not to tell the prince that he's an ether holder. The villagers needed help, and this person had too many conditions. So, I had no choice! I had to tell a white lie."

"Y-You..."

Smooth talker!

"I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"......Sigh."

A sigh escaped me. What's the point of getting angry now? What's the point of being annoyed?

"So, that's why you two have been sticking together? To plan this?"

"We haven't been together all the time. Being close is tiring."

She said seriously. I'm the one who's most tired here.

"From now on... If you need ether, just ask. I won't tolerate lies."

"Yes, but please tell His Highness too. Why only me..."

"He's sleeping."

I cut her off sharply.

Kristel blinked her gray eyes and nodded.

I felt a tightness in my chest and looked up at the sky.

It was clear and blue, more frustrating today. Was 'Retired Duke' a baby-raising novel?

I never heard about the characters having a baby, so why do I suddenly feel like I have two kids?

"If that hallucination monster appears again, I'll put both of you to sleep with a divine message and carry you down the mountain. Whether you dig out the holy sword in your sleep or forfeit in your sleep, it's not my problem. I can't fight, so that's the best I can do. Understand?"

The divine message didn't grant my wish, and the person I wanted to help, Sadie, turned out to be Prince Sedric.

Damn. There's no reason to have any lingering feelings about this tournament.

"That might be too heavy."

"I'm tall and strong."

"Three people, including Demy..."

Kristel looked doubtful.

It was absurd that she was arguing about this after doing something so wrong. Then,

"Prince, His Highness..."

I quickly turned to check on the boy.

Small golden particles were floating up from his body.

It was the familiar 'Buffer' sign.

The kid always left my balcony at this time.

Yeah, that's why he left so quickly. His body must have grown, so he couldn't show it.

Damn. No matter how big the hidden kid's fault is, the embarrassment is mine.

Should I have asked if the hidden one was a younger brother instead of a son? Is that what it is?

"......Maiden."

I spoke.

"Speak."

"Since you and the prince created a secret... Can we keep this a secret too?"

"Me?"

She stared at me, not understanding immediately.

"About the prince turning into a child... I'd prefer if you pretended not to know."

"Oh."

"I'm a hostage. Knowing such an important royal secret is a threat to me. The reason the emperor is keeping an eye on me is probably because I'm a powerless prince."

Once I made up my mind, the words flowed easily. I bit my lip slightly.

Actually, I'm too embarrassed to pretend I know, but I can't tell Kristel the whole story.

I remembered the face of Sir Elizabeth, who had laughed and cried. Damn.

"You mean