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Chapter 04
“Yes.”
After finishing the painting, Lionel placed the carving on the log where he had been sitting to let the paint dry, and began organizing his tools.
As he cleaned up, Jaylin circled the log, excitedly examining the carved figure.
“So, so cute. It really looks like a real puppy.”
Her reaction was overly enthusiastic for something so simple. Feeling oddly bashful, Lionel hesitated for a moment before softly offering,
“Wanna see the others too?”
“Th-there are others? I-I want to see them!”
He was curious how she’d react. But now that he was actually about to show them to her, a wave of nervousness washed over him.
‘What if she’s disappointed? Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up.’
Lionel took out the carvings he’d made during his time in the cave.
The earliest ones were too clumsy, too rough—he was too embarrassed to show those.
He picked out the more recent ones and laid them out in front of her. No one else had ever seen these before.
A mountain rabbit, a house cat, a finch, a fish, a pig.
Jaylin’s reaction made all of Lionel’s worries seem unnecessary. With each figure he showed, her eyes grew round with wonder, and she gasped in amazement.
“W-whoa. A rabbit! Look at the long ears!”
“A cat! I-it really looks like a cat—so aloof! Young master!”
Every time she exclaimed, Lionel felt a strange flutter all over, like he was being tickled.
Jaylin confidently named the animals, but then paused in front of a bear figure carved mid-roar. She tilted her head, brows furrowed slightly.
“I-is this… a b-bear?”
“Yeah, that’s right. It’s a bear.”
“I-I saw a bear in a picture book once. They’re s-supposed to be big and sc-scary. I heard they e-eat people…”
“I only saw one once. In this forest.”
“H-h-here?!”
Jaylin, already small, seemed to shrink even more. Her wide eyes, filled with fear, darted around as if the bear might pop out any second.
“Don’t worry. It’s gone now. Father had the knights take care of it. The one I saw was already dead.”
“Th-that’s a relief.”
She let out a soft sigh of relief.
It was a tiny, fragile sigh, like a dandelion puff. Just like her appearance, his little playmate seemed incredibly timid.
From that day on, Jaylin and Lionel spent their time moving between the estate and the secret cave.
At the estate, Jaylin would read or scribble formulas; at the cave, she watched Lionel carve.
“Wh-what’s that?”
Jaylin pointed at the piece of wood Lionel was working on.
Her large, round eyes, slightly drooped at the corners, were fixed on his face.
“A palace.”
“A p-palace?”
“Yeah.”
“Have you e-ever been to the capital?”
“Of course.”
“Th-then is there a pr-prince in the palace?”
Jaylin swallowed hard, her pale green eyes twinkling with curiosity.
“There is.”
“W-wow. What’s it like to s-see a real prince? I’ve always wondered.”
“Nothing special. Just a person like the rest of us.”
Surprised by his response, Jaylin blinked up at him.
“Y-you’ve actually seen a p-prince before?”
“Yeah. Just once.”
“W-wow… You’re amazing, young master.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
A prince—what of it? Lionel’s mood soured instantly.
He rolled the carving in his palm and licked his lips. He wanted to change the subject.
“Have you ever seen fireworks, Jaylin?”
“F-fireworks? What’s that?”
“They shoot fire into the sky at night. It bursts and sparkles—it’s really pretty.”
“I-I want to see that too. The f-fireworks.”
“You can see them in the capital. During festivals, they launch them above the palace.”
Jaylin glanced at Lionel, then said cautiously,
“You r-really like f-fireworks, don’t you?”
“Me?”
She smiled and nodded.
“Maybe.”
He wasn’t sure. Lionel had never really thought about whether he liked fireworks.
When was the last time he saw them?
Before his mother passed away, his parents used to sneak him out of their mansion in the capital every year to watch the fireworks.
The area in front of the palace would be packed with citizens, shoulder to shoulder. Maybe disliking the crowd, his parents would always take him up a nearby hill.
Even though it was a small hill, it was a tough climb for little Lionel’s legs. He whined and begged his father to carry him.
His father chuckled and lifted him onto his shoulders.
“Kid, you’ll never be a real man if you give up so easily.”
“Father, not every man has to be a ‘real man,’ you know.”
Lionel pouted and clung to his father’s neck.
“He’s right. Our Lionel might not be a ‘real man,’ but he’ll be a good person. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, Mother!”
When they reached the hilltop, the palace gleamed golden in the distance.
Under a sky blanketed with stars, it felt like the stars might fall right into their laps.
Then came the fireworks—exploding in brilliant colors that lit up the night.
It was beautiful.
There wasn’t anything particularly funny, yet Lionel and his parents couldn’t stop laughing. His mother’s soft, feathery laughter still echoed faintly in his memory.
It was a moment that would never come again.
Jaylin’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.
“Y-yeah. When you t-talked about fireworks, your mouth looked like this.”
Jaylin used two fingers to stretch her lips into a big smile.
The goofy expression she made with her fingers was so ridiculous, Lionel chuckled.
He touched the corner of his own lips.
“Did I really?”
Blushing like a ripe apple, Jaylin nodded.
Still looking down at the unfinished palace carving, Lionel hesitated. Then, finally, he spoke.
“…Want me to teach you how to carve?”
It was a spontaneous offer—something he normally wouldn’t make. But for some reason, he wanted to teach Jaylin. He felt like it would be okay.
“R-really?”
“Yeah.”
“Th-that would be amazing! Please teach me!”
Her face lit up instantly.
Jaylin tried to plop down on the floor in front of the log, but Lionel stopped her.
“Not there. Sit here.”
He got up and had her sit on the log he’d been using.
Then he grabbed two blankets—one for her lap, and one to spread on the floor. He sat down on the second one.
Now, for once, the pale green eyes that always looked up at him were looking down.
Lionel smiled and placed a small block of wood and a pencil into her fidgeting hands.
Jaylin’s nose turned slightly pink with excitement.
“Before you start carving, you have to sketch it first. Use the pencil like this…”
Lionel’s gentle, low voice filled the cozy cave.
Jaylin continued to visit Lionel once a week.
Usually, his playmates rotated after a few meetings, but oddly, that rule didn’t apply to Jaylin.
As he got used to spending time with her, Lionel realized that sharing a space with someone else wasn’t as bad as he’d thought.
The sound of pages turning or her quiet fidgeting gave him a strange sense of comfort—proof he wasn’t alone.
Resting his chin on his hand, Lionel looked at Jaylin reading in front of him. Sometimes, he wondered if she truly liked him.
Jaylin was different from the other young ladies who liked him. She didn’t cling or chatter endlessly.
And more than anything, she’d never confessed her feelings.
He was sure she liked him—so why didn’t she say so?
Usually, when he acted sweet, girls couldn’t help but confess. Even if they held it in, eventually their feelings would overflow.
But Jaylin didn’t even seem interested in that kind of conversation. Sometimes he even questioned if she wanted to talk to him at all.
Lionel recalled the time they’d spent together. Other than asking about his carvings, Jaylin never seemed curious about him.
‘Is she really not curious about me? Not even a little?’
Other girls always asked about his favorite vacation spots or favorite dress colors—questions he’d heard a thousand times.
Jaylin’s complete lack of curiosity floated in Lionel’s head like a question mark, and it irritated him.
Why am I wasting time wondering about this unimpressive girl’s feelings?
Still watching her closely, Lionel finally spoke.
A smile—gentle and sweet enough to melt—appeared on his lips.
There was no need to overthink. If you’re curious, just ask.
“Jaylin.”
“Y-yes, young master?”
“Do you like me?”
Startled, she glanced at him nervously before shyly nodding her head.
Her cheeks flushed so red they looked like they might burst.
Of course. Lionel had expected it—but he still didn’t understand why she liked him.
What did it even mean to like someone?
Liking someone… was still a feeling Lionel simply couldn’t comprehend.
