Chapter 220: Lonely People
“Here.” I handed Carl a sandwich with meat mixed in the sauce. Of course, I also ate one. “I think it is delicious.” Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Carl took it obediently. Unfortunately, he was eating more elegantly than I was.
“Is it delicious?”
Carl smiled faintly, “Yes.”
Hmm, it was a response that didn’t show much enthusiasm.
“What about this one?” the next thing I handed to him was a skewer of fruit. It was a popular dish where you could taste a variety of capital’s local fruits all at once.
Carl accepted the fruit skewer without hesitation, “Do you often go around like this with His Highness?”
“Um…Quite often. I think we’ve been doing this a lot in Heilon.” I glanced at Carl. “Oh…let’s not use the word ‘Your Highness’ outside, let’s just call him by his name. But Carl, why have you been looking at me with that kind of expression since earlier?”
“What kind of expression are you referring to?”
“It’s like someone observing a rare animal.”
“Ahaha…” Carl laughed refreshingly at my analogy.
Ah, this time, it seems like he was not laughing out of courtesy. It was a sincere laugh.
“Well, just that…you don’t seem noble lady-like.”
“It’s surprising that you still consider me a noble lady….”
I mean, I’ve shown all sorts of behavior before.
“What do you think, which one is the most delicious?”
“…Well, I don’t know.”
Disappointed, I ended up buying a bunch of snacks. At first, I thought I started doing it for Carl, but as I continued, I started buying things I wanted to eat. In the end, Carl burst out laughing.
“You’re going to gain weight, Miss.”
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”
Of course, both Carl and I were holding puddings in our hands. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Ah pudding, I love it so much…
No, that was not the point!
“Carl, I’ll give you homework.”
“What kind of homework?” Carl asked with an amused expression.
“Find the answer to the question I asked earlier. The deadline is one month.”
“I didn’t expect I’d be given homework at this age.”
“It’s all for your own good.”
He chuckled. “Oh my, you sound like my mother.”
Gosh, don’t tell me, I hope it’s not a bad memory or trauma or something….
I recalled that Carl’s mother had passed away.
Fortunately, Carl didn’t seem visibly upset. “But Miss is too young to be my mother.”
“I’m not joking. I’m serious.”
“I don’t understand why you care so much about me. Frankly, we’re not even related, are we?”
I took the small spoon out of my mouth. “That’s true.”
“Considering how hard you’ve lived, I don’t think you have the generosity to care for others like this. Or is it because of some secrets related to the Crown Prince? Or is it compassion?”
It could be that, or it could just be me being too meddling.
“Well, if I were that compassionate, I wouldn’t be compassionate just only with you. So that’s not the reason.” I stared at him blankly. “Carl, If I didn’t know about your existence, I wouldn’t care so much.”
Hmm, explaining this was kind of difficult. I pondered, twisting my hair to the side. “So… I care because I know you. It’s about the relationship we’ve built. Anyway, I want the people close to me to be happy.”
I asked as carefully as I could, “Carl, do you want no one to care about you? Do you want to be lonely?”
“If that’s what you want, I’ll respect your wishes,” I added gently. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Carl blinked in confusion, then slowly shook his head, “No, I don’t think I want that.”
I smiled at him, “Alright, then I’m going to check if you’ve done your homework well in a month?”
Carl smiled naturally in return. “Will you ask me what I like again in a month?”
“Of course.”
“It feels like I’m back in my childhood.” He smiled briefly and answered like a good student. “I’ll try to live up to your expectations.”
I smiled and handed Carl a baked cookie. “Alright, I’ll look forward to it.”
I didn’t want to make anyone lonely after all. Nor did I want to just stand by and watch. It was thought I had recently had after pondering over Sigren’s words.
“….”
As I did so, I hoped earnestly that my actions were right.
Crunch, the smiling cookie crumbled in my mouth.
***
Kane Erez passed by and got hit in the knee by his superior for some reason. “Your Highness, why on earth…”
He sank down, rubbing his knee, and glanced up at his superior with a disgruntled look. His superior, Sigred, looked very uncomfortable. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“Sir Kane Erez, you shouldn’t be ogling at women.”
‘What on earth is he talking about?’ Kane quickly retorted, “Pardon? Isn’t that more of your forte than mine, Your Highness?”
Sigren glared quietly.
But Kane still had more to say, “More importantly, how did you know I have a date? Are you stalking me, Your Highness?”
Sigren responded incredulously, “Am I out of my mind? I am close enough to lady Mia Yan that I could know such a thing happen.”
“Ah…” Kane sighed as if he had realized something new, and then continued, “Wait, Your Highness, are you jealous right now? Because I’m dating Lady Mia Yan?”
In Sigren’s view, what Kane’s said was demented.
However, Kane also thought Sigren was crazy.
“Your Highness, you have Lady Fiona. Playing a tug-of-war between two women—.”
It was unacceptable.
“Just try saying any further,” Sigren warned quietly. It was a strong denial implying he would Kane if Kane talked more.
Seeing Sigren’s strong negative reaction, Kane was certain that he was correct. ‘Poor Lady Fiona.’ A sympathy for Fiona surged in Kane’s mind. Simultaneously, he realized that his superior was a bad guy. “Honestly, Lady Mia Yan is not as innocent as she seems. I was like ‘Huh, what?’ then suddenly I had a date appointment with her.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Objectively, Lady Fiona is already very good for you. Don’t look elsewhere.”
“I know she is very good. But what are you talking about, Kane?”
Their thoughts didn’t match, so the conversation didn’t make sense. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Sigren was annoyed at Kane Erez for falling for Carl—honestly, Sigren thought Kane wouldn’t fall for such a trick— and Kane thought that Sigren was mad at him because he liked Mia Yan.
“Being sincere is the best, Your Highness.”
“I am sincere enough.”
“Then you shouldn’t look away.”
“Why on earth do you conclude that I am looking away, Sir Kane?”
Kane Erez felt a sense of crisis that he might get stabbed while arguing with his superior.
“Anyway, keep in mind the advice I gave you Your Highness! As you know, I’m off duty today!”
“Don’t run away, Kane! Hey, where are you going?!”
Though Sigren shouted, Kane Erez had already fled.
Sigren intended to warn Kane to be careful not to get stabbed by Mia Yan’s sword.
In the end, Sigren could only irritably kick a distant pebble lying on the ground. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
***
Check out my Patreon to read advanced chapters!