SPWHC 04

Chapter 04

Well, that’s true.

I agreed right away. Prison wagons were open to the outside air, so they were cold and hard.

“Don’t worry. I won’t make you do anything weird. As long as we’re inside, no one will know what we’re doing anyway.”

“……”

At that, Friedrich’s cheeks flushed slightly.

Only then did I realize that what I’d said could sound… suggestive.

…But trying to explain would make it sound even weirder and more suspicious, so—yeah, let’s just leave it.

“It’s a long journey ahead, so make yourself comfortable. I can’t undo your cuffs, though—no key.”

“…Yes.”

Friedrich answered quietly. After that, silence filled the space, broken only by the rumbling of the carriage wheels.

I started knitting—René’s hobby, apparently. Friedrich kept glancing at me as I worked.

Guess he’s bored.

That gaze started to bother me, so I finally spoke.

“Want me to share some yarn?”

“…What?”

“You keep looking at me. Isn’t it because you want to try it too?”

“Oh, no! Not at all!”

Friedrich shook his head hastily.

His long hair swayed like strands of silk, catching the light—so beautiful it distracted me for a moment.

Hard to believe someone imprisoned would still have such glossy hair. Must be the “male lead” buff.

“It’s just… I was surprised that Your Highness enjoys knitting.”

“What’s so surprising about that?”

“I thought you’d have… more active hobbies.”

“I do. I like horseback riding and swimming too.”

I replied casually.

“Knitting just happens to be something else I like. Stitch by stitch—it calms my mind.”

“……”

“Want me to teach you? I’ve got an extra needle.”

It was my spare—blunt-tipped, so impossible to use for self-harm.

When our eyes met, Friedrich hesitated, then gave a small nod.

Ha, I knew it. You do want to try.

I stood up and moved next to him. He flinched, inching away from me.

I handed him the needle and yarn, then demonstrated.

“Okay, let’s say we’re knitting a scarf. First, you do it like this. Wrap the yarn around the needle, and then…”

“……”

“No, like this.”

He clearly had never touched knitting needles before—his hands were all awkward and stiff.

Even after showing him again, it didn’t get any better.

Ugh, this is painful to watch.

Deciding this wasn’t working, I reached out and grabbed Friedrich’s hands.

He looked up at me, startled.

“Excuse me. But you’re hopeless at this.”

I offered the meaningless apology, then guided his hands with mine.

His rigid fingers moved awkwardly under my touch as we knitted together.

“This is how you cast on stitches.”

“…Yes.”

“Okay, now you try.”

I finished the starting stitch and immediately unraveled it.

Friedrich blinked, bewildered.

“…Me?”

“Of course. Who else?”

When I retorted in mock surprise, Friedrich looked flustered and fell silent. I smiled faintly.

“Pretty hands, but not much skill, huh? Watch closely.”

I took his hands again. He still tensed up a little, but less than before.

Holding his hands, I guided him through another perfect cast-on. Of course, that was all René’s muscle memory at work.

“There, see? Now you try again.”

“……”

Friedrich stared intently at the yarn and needles, then began mimicking what I’d shown him.

He did it perfectly this time. I whistled softly.

“Oh, nice! Picking it up after just two tries—impressive.”

“…Thank you.”

“Alright, next step. Watch.”

And so we continued. I’d show him, he’d try, and if he couldn’t get it, I’d grab his hands and guide him again.

But he never quite got it from watching alone—he only succeeded when I physically moved his hands.

Weird. In the original story, he could copy sword techniques after seeing them once.

Well, knitting and swordsmanship aren’t exactly comparable.

Time slipped by as I kept teaching him. Just when I started feeling hungry, the carriage stopped.

“We’ll rest here,” said Elsa, opening the door and scanning the surroundings.

Her sharp, inspecting gaze made me narrow my eyes.

“What’s with that insolent look?”

“It’s cleaner in here than I expected.”

“We were knitting, innocently, thank you.”

I proudly lifted Friedrich’s hand, still holding the needle. Elsa stared, then spoke again.

“Will you take lunch outside, Your Highness?”

“Sure, why not? Weather’s nice.”

I was about to step out when something large suddenly darted forward beside me.

When I blinked, Friedrich was lying flat under the carriage.

Oh, crap.

“…On second thought, I’ll eat inside. It’s kind of chilly.”

“It would be better to dine outside,” Elsa said, meeting my eyes.

Her look clearly meant: You need to show everyone that you’re treating the prisoner as beneath you.

I sighed and, reluctantly, stepped on Friedrich’s back to dismount the carriage.

Out in the open field, a makeshift table and parasol had been set up. The maids bustled about, serving dishes.

I sat at the table, and Friedrich sat beside me. Just as I reached for a spoon—

“Prince, why aren’t you attending to Her Highness?”

Elsa’s sharp voice cut through the air.

I was about to stop her, but then noticed the crowd’s eyes.

Everyone was watching us—expectant, curious. They wanted to see how the arrogant princess would make her prisoner prince submit.

Right. Treating him kindly now won’t solve anything.

My goal was to renounce the throne and retire peacefully.

That meant I needed to avoid suspicion of rebellion—but also prove I wasn’t fit to rule.

My abilities were flawless, so I had to show weakness elsewhere.

If rumors spread that the princess is being swayed by a defeated prince, the court will never accept her as emperor.

Then I could say I left the palace for love—end of story.

With my plan adjusted, I turned to Friedrich with a playful smile.

“You heard her, Fritz.”

His eyes widened at the nickname, but I didn’t stop there—I even cupped his cheek.

“I’m hungry. Feed me.”

He must’ve thought I’d lost my mind.

Leaning close to his ear, I whispered softly, “Just play along, future husband. It’s not like you’ll lose anything if I act like I adore you.”

At that, Friedrich slowly raised his cuffed hands.

He picked up a spoon, scooped some soup, gently blew on it, and held it up to my lips.

Oh, I didn’t expect the blowing to cool it part.

Smiling slyly, I opened my mouth, and he fed me.

“It tastes even better when you feed me.”

I threw in a teasing line, and Friedrich’s expression froze.

Pretending not to notice, I even patted his head affectionately.

His face stiffened further—but I ignored it completely.

By the end of that meal, I hadn’t lifted a single finger.

Every bite—down to a pickle and sip of water—had been fed to me by Friedrich.

“Quite the sight, isn’t it? They’re such a beautiful pair.”

“Indeed. Now I see why Her Highness demanded only Prince Friedrich as her spoil of war. I’m jealous…”

“I understand now the legend of a prince who chose beauty over power and riches.”

Thanks to the male lead’s world-top-tier beauty, everyone seemed to think my giving up the throne for love was… understandable.

Perfect. I’ll stick with this ‘princess who gave up her crown for love’ persona!

When it was time to return, I once again stepped on Friedrich’s back to climb into the carriage.

But even after joining me inside, Friedrich didn’t brush off the dust from his clothes.

“Are you worried I’ll be offended? It’s fine, you can dust yourself off.”

“It’s alright…”

“Oh, wait. You can’t reach with those cuffs on, huh?”

Realizing that, I stepped closer and brushed the dirt off his back myself.

It wasn’t even that hard a pat, but I felt his whole body tense under my hand. I eased my touch a little.

Then he spoke.

“What does Your Highness gain… from showing affection toward me?”