“……You are someone who prefers conversations.”

His young voice sounded weak, as if he was speaking underwater.

“Stop talking for a second.”

“Weren’t you the one who said there is nothing you can’t resolve by talking it out?”

Sadie struggled to speak but seemed to not want to lose out even once.

A transparent drop fell to the young boy’s chin. I took another look and saw that it was not a tear.

However, his forehead was drenched in sweat, his eyes were bloodshot, and he had a high fever.

His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were not focused. I tightly held both of his arms as he staggered.

“Why are you doing so terribly? Hmm? Does your mother know about this?”

“Speak. I’ll listen to you.”

I’ve never seen the young boy suffering so much.

He wasn’t even this bad the first day I met him at the Temple Confessional.

I didn’t need to think about anything else. I gently carried the boy and stood up. ‘Heave ho.’

I was expecting him to resist but he did not kick me or flail as he did in the past.

He was slumped over like wet cotton and looked extremely pitiful.

The Imperial Crown Prince’s large fur cape dragged on the ground.

‘Aigoo, how did you end up like this?’

“Let’s go lay down. You need to bring that fever down.”

“……Don’t avoid it.”

“I won’t avoid you anymore. I promise. I’m sorry.”

I wrapped my hand around the back of his hot head as I whispered.

I felt extremely sympathetic as I put his boiling forehead against my shoulder.

He was showing signs of serious ether depletion, but my abilities should be able to heal him.

However, it could be bad to let my guard down when he was sweating so much. Even Holy Knights might catch colds.

That was why, in this current moment, there was only one sentence floating through my mind.

‘How to deal with my younger sibling’s fever, subsection: age 5 – 7.’

“Demy, there are some washed handkerchiefs on the table over there. Can you get them for me?”

– Cruuu.

“Perry. Are you able to close that open door on the balcony by yourself?”

– Kii!

“Thank you. Tithé, will you lay down with our friend over here?”

– Aarf

“Good. Rhea, can you move Tithé a bit to the side?”

– Screeeech!

The good little divine beasts all helped me and were not selfish for my attention.

I laid Sadie down on my bed and immediately opened my Holy Domain.

– Shaaaaaaa……!

The bright and clear golden light wrapped around his small body. The young boy was already unconscious.

It was clear that he used most of his strength to come here and talk to me.

He was clearly suffering from ether depletion, but it was still winter.

He would have faced some cold winds coming over the balcony and the garden late at night. It would probably be good for him to take a fever reducer.

“I know I put some meds he, ugh.”

I stopped opening the drawer on the side table and staggered.

It was because I lost a significant amount of ether at once.

The sleeping Sadie was absorbing my ether as if he was possessed.

Percy, who had flown next to the young boy’s head, looked at me with concerned eyes.

I smiled toward the chimney bird. ‘I’m okay. I’m just reaping what I sowed.’

I urgently pulled out the fever reducer and emptied the tray with the teapot and teacup.

Thankfully, the dizziness quickly subsided.

“Thank you, our big boss. Tithé, can you pour some warm water in here? Let’s give our friend the cold water you love so much when he gets better.”

– Aaarf

I then placed the handkerchief Demy brought over onto the silver tray and wet it with warm water Tithé created.

While I was wiping Sadie’s face and neck, Percy grabbed another towel with his beak and placed it on the tray.

He flew up and down to wet it as well.

“Our Percy is an angel.”

– Pipo!

Percy proudly chirped with his beak open.

Splash! The towel fell on the tray and splashed water everywhere.

Rhea’s whispers got wet and she shook her head side to side. I chuckled and started undoing the patient’s shirt buttons.

I then stopped moving. I could not believe what I saw.

“……He didn’t use the necklace at all.”

The holy stone necklace full of ether that I gave him was sparkling brightly underneath the white cloth.

I held myself back from getting upset and angry.

I could not say crass things to a child even if he was asleep.

I just swore internally.

‘Crazy bastard. Why did you not use it and let yourself get to this point? Are you going to boil it into soup or something?

Is this a disposable item? I would have filled it for you if you emptied it. Why are you hoarding it like a packrat?

Should I draw a recycle logo on the back?’

“My poor life……”

I lamented before moving the wet towel again.

I made sure to check my ether level as well as I could not end up fainting.

‘After this, I’ll feed him some medicine and wake him up depending on how stable he gets.’

*

At dawn as the sun started to light the sky… Cédric Riester woke up.

He was not in his bedroom. The young man slowly sat up.

His head felt clear and his body felt light. His body filling his shirt was his original appearance.

The young and weak appearance that a certain someone calls ‘Sadie,’ was gone.

“……”

There was some food next to him so he instantly consumed it.

His orange eyes then squinted in the darkness.

One side of the bed curtains were open. He could see a long couch beyond it.

Prince Jesse was sleeping there with the divine beasts and layers of blankets.

He must be deep asleep as there were no movements in his eyes. He could only hear the breathing sounds of the person and the creatures.

The crown prince got off the bed.

It was only then that he realized that the blanket had been all the way up to his neck.

The Prince tended to go above and beyond for the weak.

– Piiiii

The chimney bird flew over from somewhere and sat on the chimney bird.

Next to the divine item was a tray with water, a wet towel, and a medicine bottle.

He could even see a record of things on a scrap piece of paper.

‘2:30am, slight fever. Still absorbing ether. 3am, fever almost gone. Only need low amounts of ether. Breathing stable.’

The bird’s black eyes were staring at him. Cédric tilted his head.

“Are you saying I should know how much work he put in?”

– Pii!

The young man didn’t budge.

“He simply paid the price for avoiding a member of the Imperial family.”

– Piiriii!

He gruffly responded and the divine item jumped up and down as if it was angry.

The crown prince ignored the protesting bird and observed the open drawer.

The first area had the crystal bell that he had gifted, as well as all sorts of medicines neatly organized.

The prince basically never got sick, so these were not for him.

Cédric was certain that the prince had these to take care of him in his young appearance or his staff at Juliette Palace.

“……”

– Clunk

He opened the second drawer without any hesitation. He saw a notebook.

It was something that seemed extremely important to the prince, who would pull this out from time to time during tea time to write things down.

The crown prince’s eyes clouded over.

The chimney bird flew over and landed on top of the notebook.

– Pipo!

He even let out a cute warning with his yellow beak.

“How loyal.”

– Pipi.

The bird puffed up his body like a ball to threaten him. Cédric was not fazed and picked up the notebook.

The divine item got angry and pecked at the back of his hand.

However, the young man had no reason to give in.

The prince chose to avoid him and dared to run away to his father’s place, Charpentier Palace, and did not attend the lesson without giving any excuse or apology for his actions.

The crown prince ended up using a large amount of ether sparring against Johann Geens before losing.

‘……I could have held on because I have the Sword of Wisdom.’ However, he did not want to do that.

– Piruuuuu Piruuuuuuuuuu!

The prince and everything about him did not move as he wished.

That was extremely annoying and frustrating. That was why he needed to know.

He needed to know what the hell that small head was thinking about.

– Pipipipiiiii!

“Quiet.”

He growled in a low voice. It was at that moment.

“Jung Eunseo, get a half gallon when you come home…… Take my card.”

It was weird sleep talking. Cédric scowled and looked toward the couch.

The prince was quietly dreaming away as if he had never made a sound.

Seeing the prince like that suddenly made him think about ‘that day.’

The sky that had caused a bizarre shudder… The bloodied man who was flying with both arms extended…

His metal wing that was sparkling in light purple and his desperate amethyst eyes…

‘Eunseo.’

– Pow!

Cédric snapped out of his thoughts. The Prince had said ‘Eunseo’ at that time.

Furthermore, he just said something similar again.

The crown prince’s lips slowly moved to speak those foreign words.

“……Jung Eunseo.”

What could that mean? It sounded weird.

It did not seem to be Venetiaan lexicon, but based on the context of the sleep talking, it was highly likely to be a person’s name.

He was acting too frivolously for it to be a lover back home.

The rumors about him didn’t seem to be true either……

He was also not someone who would address his younger sibling in the Holy Kingdom or his attendants like that.

He was well-aware of how the prince was extremely careful with his choice of words around children.

“Eunseo. Jung Eunseo.”

– Piruuuuuuuuuu!

Cédric quietly said those words and the chimney bird jumped up and down, demanding that he returned the notebook.

The back of his hand was now bleeding. The crown prince silently looked at the thing in his hand.

If he turned on a light and opened this up right now… He felt as if all of the questions he had about the prince would be answered.

An extremely impulsive thought was smashing at his brain. However……

‘That child is pure. He would not push your hand away.’

His godmother had said that to him back during spring.

‘Cédric, you want to trust his highness. Then do it.’

His childhood friend had said that to him in the forest of the March

‘It’s not easy to earn trust. Work harder at it.’

His mother had also advised him in the banquet hall.

‘You must wait for him, your Royal Highness.’

The voice of that extremely disrespectful teacher of his echoed in his ears……

‘Do you really want to return Prince Jesse’s goodwill with that, your Royal Highness?’

The clear voice during that summer day in Yvelines scolded him again.

‘Please show him your sincerity. Then you will be able to get closer.’

Christelle de Sarnez.

The crown hand automatically tensed.

He didn’t want to admit it, but her way of doing things always brought better results.

There were no logical flaws and the prince also showed extreme goodwill toward her.

Looking into those blue-gray eyes that ruthlessly pointed out his flaws, whenever he saw that arrogant attitude of hers up close made him feel an instinctual discomfort, but……

– Tap

Cédric placed the notebook back in the drawer. The divine item shook his stomach as if he was surprised.

He must not have been able to easily calm down as he was huffing.

On the other hand, his orange eyes were now calm.

She was right.

– Flap!

The crown prince put on his cape that was on the chair.

He looked at the couch once more before heading toward the balcony.

‘I won’t avoid you anymore. I promise. I’m sorry.’

The night did not go as planned.

He had not been able to get any explanation from the prince as he had lost consciousness too quickly.

However, he did get a short promise and an apology.

The prince had forgotten about how he pretended ‘Sadie’ and he were two different people and had urgently commented.

“……”

He decided to be satisfied with that for today.

– Rustle.

Cédric pulled a small card and a few orbs out of his cape pocket.

He then silently placed them on the empty tray on the table.

Since he was getting some things, he needed to give some things as well. That was how relationships worked with the Imperial family.

He had no idea what the prince would think of it, but this was what he was used to doing.

– Squeeeee?

As he did that, the divine beast whose tail had a white tip woke up and looked up at him.

He just noticed that there was a large picture book and tulips scattered around the couch.

‘What is all of this?’ As for the prince, he was still in lala land.

The crown prince snorted before leaving the bedroom.

*

‘Why did he do that? This curiosity is going to kill me.’

“No, seriously.”

I was seated alone at the brunch table, seriously looking at the card and the orbs.

These were the things Sadie left behind early this morning.

Honestly speaking, I was completely out of it this morning.

Ganael came to wake me up at the usual time and gasped after seeing us crumpled up on the couch, before looking completely stunned after noticing the wet towel and tray of water on the table.

He mistakenly thought that I had been sick while I was alone last night.

It was understandable for anybody to make that mistake as the room looked like a mess. In the end…

‘Demy was sick.’

I had to make up that story.

The whole palace would go wild if I said that I was sick and I couldn’t share the crown prince’s secret. This was the only answer I had.

‘Excuse me……?’

‘We were experimenting. I pushed Demy too hard until late at night to see if divine beasts could grow purple tulips or sun halo weed. Demy got sick because of that.’

Half of it was true.

– Whimper, whimper, whimper.

Demy made some whimpering noises before rolling on his back.

He weakly wagged his tail and looked at Ganael.

‘He would totally win a golden globe for his acting.’ The young boy looked extremely shocked.

‘I, I guess esteemed divine beasts get sick as well…… I thought the messengers of God were all powerful.’

‘Yeah, I’m strongly reflecting on my actions as well. Please forgive me, Demy.’

– Screeeech!

Demy acted as if he was telling me to serve him properly.

Anyway, that was how I barely managed to cover up something that could have turned into a major incident, sent Ganael away and pushed back my breakfast, went back to bed and slept a few more hours……

‘Sincerely, Baron Fabrice Bellang and Lady Anne Bellang.’

I received an extremely simple invitation from the southern part of the Empire.

—
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