ESMLT 40

Chapter 40

“Why are you smiling?”

“I think I should collapse regularly from now on. You’re so gentle to me—just like how you treat the Mage Tower Master. Ever since those leeches started gathering around me, you’ve been so cold.”

“That’s entirely Your Highness’s fault. If you hadn’t toyed with your life, I wouldn’t have treated you so coldly.”

Since the Crown Prince couldn’t even use force, he felt a little less intimidating now. I lightly pinched his nose, careful not to hurt him. Then, startled, I quickly pulled my hand back—but the Crown Prince only curved his lips and laughed brightly.

…It feels like we’ve gotten strangely close.

Maybe it was because he was exhausted and not in his right mind, but it felt like the wall between us had crumbled.

I’m tired too.

With a sigh, I lay down beside him. He slid the pillow under my head, rested my head on his arm, and turned toward me.

“You know, my lady.”

“What is it?”

“What’s your ideal type?”

“A normal person.”

“Oh? Then by current standards, I fit your ideal best.”

I stared at him, eyes wide.

Does this idiot have zero self-awareness?

I considered forcing some mirror therapy on him, but he was smiling stupidly, half-asleep, so I let it go.

“You know, my lady.”

“Ah, what now?”

“You really don’t plan on marrying me?”

“Nope.”

“Why not? I’m good at washing dishes now. Better than that prince.”

And what exactly is he planning to win with dishwashing skills?

“You know, my lady. Doesn’t this feel like a newlywed home?”

“I’d like to build a house.”

The Crown Prince’s eyes widened in surprise. He even looked a little happy.

“Really?”

Yeah. Your grave, you bastard. Please grow up, okay?

Seeing my unenthusiastic expression, he quickly realized that couldn’t be true.

“So close.”

I shot him a glare.

“You don’t even truly like me—why are you acting disappointed?”

He raised one eyebrow slightly.

“Maybe I already like you and just haven’t realized it yet. A woman willing to die with me can’t possibly be unappealing, don’t you think?”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Then why not try getting into danger together sometime? Who knows—maybe I’ll have an ‘aha’ moment and realize I like you.”

I already knew he treated life lightly, ever since he used his own life to test me—but isn’t he taking human lives way too casually?

I glared at him.

“Why would I go that far? My life is precious, you know.”

I said it like a sigh and turned my back to him. I couldn’t deny that my affection for him had cooled a little.

It stayed quiet for a while, so I thought he might have fallen asleep.

“My lady, want to make a bet?”

His voice came again.

Is this guy seriously not planning to sleep at all?

I shifted and glared at the muttering man.

The Crown Prince wore a faint smile, as if everything delighted him.

…I’ll let it slide because his smile is pretty.

I spoke harshly, but once I realized he was desperately talking nonstop just to avoid sleeping, I started to feel a little sorry for him.

It seemed like inner anxiety was keeping him awake.

Does he have bad memories related to sleep?

It didn’t suit someone always so arrogant and confident.

Reluctantly, I spoke up.

“…What’s the bet about?”

The Crown Prince slowly closed his eyes, still smiling faintly.

“Whether it’ll be day or night when we get out. I’ll take day.”

“Then I’ll take night.”

“Alright. The loser grants the winner a wish.”

“How childish. Are you planning to become a gambler in the future?”

“My lady, you shouldn’t say things like that carelessly. Our baby might hear.”

As he said that, he gently covered the ears of the rabbit sleeping near my head. Without realizing it, I burst out laughing.

Ugh. How humiliating.

After that, he kept talking—about my favorite food, hobbies, habits. While playing with my hair, he said he’d take care of my gray hairs once we returned to the Empire. He was clearly out of his mind.

He giggled and even made a mustache under his nose using my hair.

Is he actually insane?

I laughed in disbelief.

What was worse was that I found it a little cute.

After a while, he closed his eyes, exhaustion clinging to them.

Oh—finally going to sleep?

“My lady, I’m sleepy.”

“Then just sleep. What, are you afraid I’ll kill you while you’re asleep?”

“Yeah.”

Should I really assassinate him?

When I glared at him, he seemed to sense it even with his eyes closed and let out a soft chuckle.

After breathing quietly for a while, he spoke again in a lowered voice.

“There’s something I’m curious about.”

“What?”

“…You want me to live, right?”

What nonsense.

“Have you ever seen someone risk their life to save someone they want dead?”

I meant it as, You owe me your life multiple times—remember that when we return. But without understanding my true meaning, the Crown Prince’s pretty lips curved smoothly.

Despite having eaten nothing but a scrap of bread in the morning, he looked oddly full—like a satisfied predator.

“Alright. That’s enough. I think I can sleep now.”

What is he even saying?

How much time passed?

The chill drifted by, and sleep demons crept in.

That was when I heard his relaxed, drowsy voice.

“When I was little… my older brother, the current emperor, used to sing me lullabies.”

“…So you want me to sing you one?”

“Don’t say terrifying things, my lady. I heard you earlier—you’re tone-deaf.”

“I find that terrifying too, you know?”

He smiled faintly, clearly enjoying my horrified reaction.

Soon after, the smile faded from his lips, and his breathing settled into a calm rhythm.

Looking at the sleeping Crown Prince, I felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

Maybe I truly did want him to sleep peacefully.

I closed my eyes as well.

* * *

It was quiet and pitch dark.

Rihard curled up under the blanket, burying his small body deep inside it.

After a while, he heard the door open.

Gentle hands brushed his hair, and a lullaby followed.

He wanted to jump up and hug the person immediately—but part of him wanted to sink just a little longer into that sweet sensation.

So he thought:

I should surprise my brother.

Imagining his brother’s startled face made him giggle uncontrollably as he struggled to hold it in.

“Rihard, are you asleep?”

The smile on his lips deepened.

A brother who cherished him—an orphan without a mother—as if he were the most precious treasure in the world.

Did his brother know how much Rihard trusted and loved him?

“Rihard, are you sleeping?”

Rihard couldn’t suppress his mischievous grin. Overwhelmed with swelling affection, he was just about to rise and embrace him—

“I wish you would never wake up like this.”

…

“I hope you sleep in despair, trapped in hellish dreams.”

…

“Do you know that I pray every night for you to die?”

…

“So please die as soon as possible—don’t make my efforts meaningless.”

The person pressed his lips to Rihard’s ear and whispered.

“Die.”

…

“Just die.”

…

“You should never have been born, you worthless piece of trash.”

“Gah!”

Rihard gasped and shot awake.

He bolted upright, his shirt and hair soaked with cold sweat.

“Ha…” Swallowing a groan, he irritably ran a hand through his hair. He was inside a tent, his legs stretched outside of it.

“Damn it…”

Only then did the reality he had momentarily forgotten resurface.

With a deep sigh, Rihard instinctively glanced to the side.

Redria was sleeping there, curled tightly toward him.

“Hah.”

His eyes widened, and he let out a hollow laugh.

Did I… fall asleep? With someone beside me?

How long had it been—

Since he’d passed out like that next to someone.

And next to Redria, whom he had suspected until recently.

Did accumulated fatigue loosen my guard?

Rihard sneered as he brushed back his damp hair.

Ha… even so, this is ridiculous.

He had said he trusted her—but that only meant believing she wasn’t involved in the incident, not that he trusted her completely.

And yet he’d slept so peacefully beside her.

He couldn’t believe it himself.