🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 20
Nod.
“I’m Raela, or you can call me El, whichever you prefer.”
Nod.
“There’s something I wanted to ask you, Shuert, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it before…”
“…….”
“Would you like to see your nanny…?”
Although there hadn’t been any news from the Information Guild yet, El didn’t think it would be difficult to find her, since apart from being the former prince’s nanny, she was an ordinary commoner.
“……Ah, no.”
“Eh? You don’t want to see her? Why not?”
That wouldn’t do.
“I….”
“……You?”
“Well, it’s just… it’s better if she doesn’t come, I think.”
“Better… how?”
“……As long as she’s living well, that’s enough.”
Did Shuert not want to meet her, or was he afraid of how the nanny might react?
El didn’t know exactly what kind of person the nanny was, but she had stayed by Shuert’s side until the very end. Surely he would want to see her.
“Shall I not search for her?”
“……Yes.”
Perhaps El thought that if the nanny was found, she might learn a secret.
“I’ve already placed the request. If the Information Guild finds the address where your nanny lives, I’ll give it to you, Shuert.”
“No… I don’t need it.”
“But your mind might change.”
When Shuert had been a little dog, he had visibly panicked at the thought of searching for his nanny, so El had asked him—but she decided not to push him for now.
“Shuert.”
“…….”
“As I said yesterday, today you should stay here with me and then go straight to your bedroom. Don’t wander around late at night, okay?”
Nod.
“Wow, after saying everything you needed to, you still won’t answer?”
El teased playfully, and Shuert looked flustered, waving his hands. He seemed not to realize it was a joke.
“Oh, no…!”
“Or else?”
“……It’s just… talking, having a conversation after so long… it’s hard.”
“If you do it often with me, you’ll get used to it.”
“Do… you mean, you’ll come often?”
“Of course.”
“How often?”
“Hmm… whenever you want, Shuert.”
“……That… is dangerous.”
“Eh? What is?”
El asked, confused, but Shuert didn’t answer. Truly, it was hard to get this prince to speak. When he was a dog, he’d bark “King!” at any word.
“Am I in danger?”
…Shake shake.
“You’ll only know if you tell me what’s dangerous.”
“You’ll get used to it… and getting used to it means…”
“…….”
“The time you’ll be left alone.”
“…….”
“I can’t let you get used to it.”
El held her breath, staring at Shuert. When she first realized she had become a character in this novel, it had been hard.
All of her previous life in her original world had disappeared, and this world was unfamiliar.
Yet somehow, both Lari and Tofu (Shuert) had become precious to her. She had found something else familiar.
Back in Korea, she couldn’t eat without kimchi, but now she had found new alternatives. She preferred comfortable dresses over restrictive ones.
In those short, melancholy days, El had begun adapting to new things. So Shuert’s words made perfect sense to her.
She had also suffered when Shuert had been dragged into the underground prison—afraid of losing him.
“Shuert.”
“Yes….”
“I’ll protect you.”
“…….”
“Why worry about the time you’ll be left alone?”
“…….”
“I’ll hold onto you so you won’t leave.”
In the end, anything one wants to keep must be fought for. El would do the same.
“And, just so you know…”
“…….”
“I have no intention of letting you be alone anymore.”
“…….”
“Don’t be afraid of getting used to me.”
El admitted it—she hadn’t cared for the Second Prince she didn’t know. If he hadn’t been Tofu, she might have continued ignoring him.
But now… things were different. Shuert was both familiar and unfamiliar to her—but that didn’t mean he was any less precious.
“Get used to me.”
“…….”
“I’ll do the same, so it’ll be mutual.”
“Ah.”
“Right?”
“……Y-Yes.”
Shuert nodded, his expression slightly shadowed. El wanted to ask what he was thinking, but he didn’t seem like he would answer, so she just smiled.
It seemed they had talked a lot. Shuert still struggled to speak, mostly listening, but he seemed a little more comfortable.
They stayed up late into the night. When El couldn’t suppress a yawn, Shuert stood up first.
It was later than yesterday, and El nodded obediently, preparing for the next day.
“Shuert.”
“Yes.”
“Shall we decide on a time to meet?”
…Nod.
“What time would you like?”
“…It doesn’t matter.”
“Hmm… is 9 o’clock okay?”
Nod.
“Then let’s meet here again tomorrow!”
El smiled brightly, saying since she had gone first yesterday, today Shuert should go first.
Shuert shook his head, saying it was fine, but El gestured impatiently.
“Hurry up.”
Realizing a long debate might ensue, Shuert hesitated and turned his back.
He glanced back several times while walking away, making El chuckle. He was so slow; he clearly didn’t want to part.
“Ah!”
Then Shuert tripped. El shouted in surprise and rushed to him, but Shuert jumped up, glanced embarrassedly at her, and ran off.
“Be careful…!”
The hesitant Shuert disappeared in an instant. El laughed at his clumsiness but also worried he might have hurt himself. She wondered if she should bring medicine for his scraped knee tomorrow.
Having stayed up with Shuert all night, El overslept and only woke at lunchtime.
Invitations seemed to arrive regularly, but she hadn’t paid attention and had grown lazy.
Even the Emperor hadn’t sought her after the banquet, so she quietly stayed in the Lily Palace.
“El!”
“Huh?”
“The Information Guild contacted us.”
“Oh? Really? They found him?”
Tofu’s ears perked up from where he lay on the floor.
“Well… it came in a letter, but I haven’t opened it yet. Here!”
Lari had found it among the invitations. It almost became kindling.
El opened the letter. Tofu came closer, peering curiously. El smiled, thinking maybe he was curious even if he said he didn’t need to see it. She opened the letter wide so he could read it.
But as soon as she saw the content, she hastily covered it.
“……Ah.”
[Romeni, 36 years old, died in a carriage accident shortly after leaving the palace.]
The nanny was dead. El hadn’t expected such news, and Tofu seemed to have already read it. His wide eyes slowly sank into gloom.
“El? What does it say?”
Lari asked, full of curiosity, but El couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Tofu, sitting in a daze, slumped into a corner, hiding his face in the furniture, only his backside visible.
“Huh? Tofu, where are you going? What’s he doing?”
“…….”
“Is he sick?”
“Maybe he’s just sad.”
“What should we do?”
“Sh-should we play with him?”
But El had never raised animals before, so she didn’t know how to play. Moreover, this was a human in a dog’s body—would he enjoy dog-style play?
“Tofu.”
“…….”
“Don’t hide in the corner. Stay next to me.”
Sometimes silent comfort is needed, El knew.
This was the death of someone important. Shuert had said it was enough if they were living well.
Perhaps, because of El, Tofu now knew something he never would have. And the nanny had died immediately after leaving the palace—El couldn’t help but suspect it wasn’t an accident. Perhaps the Emperor had handled it secretly, afraid she might leak royal secrets. Shuert would know better than anyone how it had been managed.
Maybe that was why he didn’t want to know—the truth was too frightening.
“Tofu.”
“Master….”
“Don’t cry.”
“……Master?”
Tofu, as if unaware he was crying, wiped his eyes with his blunt paw. El held him close, stroking him, making him as comfortable as possible.
Though not very talkative, El couldn’t resist speaking in front of Tofu or Shuert—they were even quieter than her.
“Shall I tell you a story?”
El whispered, and Tofu buried his face in the folds of her dress.
“Once upon a time, there was a Snow White who was super cool. The people loved her confident and amazing self. But then the king remarried. The queen wanted to be even cooler. She’d never lost a contest, and she wanted the people to admire her more. She found a strange mirror, which turned out to be cursed… (etc.) Eventually, the queen became consumed by the curse and hated the princess….”
At first, Tofu seemed uninterested, but gradually he focused, and eventually fell asleep. El stopped telling the story.
Seeing Tofu asleep, El must have dozed off too.
When she woke, it was already dim outside. She had skipped dinner and slept, but a simple meal was laid out for her to eat upon waking.
More importantly, she panicked, realizing she might be late to meet Shuert.
“Ah!”
Half-awake and dazed, she ran as fast as she could.
Tap-tap-tap—
Near the lake, she finally saw Shuert, squatting along her path, staring blankly.
When he noticed her, Shuert leapt up.
“Ah, s-slowly, please!”
Shuert came halfway toward her. El had no idea how long it had been since she last ran like this.
She had run thinking she was late, but her lungs were burning, leaving her gasping.
