Stone Thrown into the Lake

Chapter 9

Dreamy girls in the capital called Sidis the Prince of the Forest, and that the fairy of the forest protects him. Sidis Murka, who wore a uniform and had smooth black hair, was such a handsome man that everything looked good on him.

Ziark Dunmel was a man who knew exactly where those words came from. For him, no matter how unbending the prince is or how hard it was to choose between the forests and jewels to compare his green eyes to, all he could think was, ‘Ah, my Prince!’

The only thing he could do for the ladies who came crying to him, was to see them off with a goodbye.

“You’re coming out, right?”

“I’m always doing things I should be sorry for.”

Sidis stuck his head out from the tree. Sidis Murka used to hide in trees like that when he was young. It was unknown how the prince, who had no time to even breath because he was educated like he was the king’s enemy, learned to climb trees.

From the day he became a knight and served Sidis, the knight Ziark Dunmel had to learn the skill of tracking people in the forest. He just clicked his tongue.

Go to the forest and find the missing prince.

Because of this, Sidis Murka was now the Prince of the Forest.

“I just want you to meet her. The Hearst’s young lady makes me uncomfortable.” Ziark complained.

The daughter of Hearst, Merley Keir, was a maiden of the three families of the East: Hearst, Semp, and Milo.

If she was only Hearst, Dunmel would have nothing to worry about. But with the current union of the three families devoted to the young lady, Ziark, who was not Dunmel’s eldest son, could only take care of appearances. Sidis was aware of his dissatisfaction and circumstances, and responded softly.

“If you are, I blame the Hearsts. I never received such a letter, because I refused it in the first place. I didn’t know they were going to force the issue.”

“You probably didn’t realize.”

Ziark still replied with dissatisfaction about Merley Keir’s recent pretext for visiting the capital. Sidis refused to come to greet her, citing a fever that did not even exist. The main point of the excuse was that he could not meet anyone, because there was a risk of transferring an unknown fever to them.

He really pretended to be sick from that day on.

What in the world wouldn’t he do to not be forced on a date with a girl?

No matter how much he learned, Ziark lamented that he hated playing politics. Hearst just responded with a more obvious lie.

The result was a visit from Miss Merley Keir, who had been sitting alone all day, making Ziark uncomfortable.

“It must be really noisy because you left her alone.”

“To say that, let us first discuss how you lost my handwritten letter, so why not take care of things in moderation.”

“Anyway, it would be good if you met during this visit. If you don’t, it would be disappointing. Also, you won’t be able to avoid the gossip about neglecting the lady.”

Sidis Murka shrugged and laughed.

“It’s better than getting too close to the lady.”

It was a cutting laugh. His eyes, which had been the color of newly sprouted buds until a while ago, were now dyed dark like sharp conifers.

Ziark was not in the same situation as Sidis, who had a strange mysophobia[1]. Ziark inwardly clicked his tongue. However, it was difficult to clearly know the cause and say that it was bad.

It can’t be helped that a person, who is intimate with a woman, becomes a father. Even when Helena Lisa, Sidis mother and a distant relative to Ziark’s, was still alive, the king had numerous concubines.

Sidis in his childhood sometimes said it was surprising that the Queen’s seat remained empty after his mother’s death. As he grew older, he ceased to speak of it, but the king’s perversity grew more and more intense. His thoughts could not have changed.

“It is foul to appeal to me, without considering my father’s decision. It will cause difficulties to meet even once. So, I hope you take care of it the best you can.”

“Choosing a princess isn’t a duel, so how about commiting a few fouls? Don’t you want to see the face of someone who might be your future wife?” Ziark sighed.

“I don’t have any desire to, I have enough portraits.”

Sidis patted him on the shoulder. In any case, Sidis Murka respected his father, even if he didn’t want to. Either way, isn’t he the king of this country and his father?

Born as a prince, he was obliged to obey his father. The prince had never wanted or desired anything in particular, all he wanted to do now was to fulfill his duties as a prince.

◇ ◆ ◇

‘What can I do for my younger brother? I didn’t hesitate to do a few things that came up after a while.’

“Dew.”

Yvor spoke carefully.

“I’m full.”

Duran answered right away. Of course, all the food she served was delicious. They were all good things that he hadn’t eaten in the past, and there were a lot. Actually it was too much. Yvor really threw new food in front of him without a break.

To be more precise, it was brought by the maids, who now bowed politely while still wearing pouty expressions when they saw him. But in Duran’s eyes it all seemed as if Yvor had unleashed her magic.

Yvor blinked and Duran lowered his eyes to avoid seeing her face. Each time he tried to refuse her offer, his blue-violet eyes filled with regrets. He was tongue-tied, and as he began to eat, he almost felt like a pig.

It was also uncomfortable that she was watching him eat, worrying whenever he refused to eat something placed in front of him. Looking at her face, she acted as if she was full even if she didn’t eat, he couldn’t even tell how she managed it. That face alone made him feel like he was putting too much in his mouth.

“Dew,” she called him. The boy hoped she didn’t ask why  it didn’t suit his taste. It seemed that he would not be able to repeat his refusal twice.

Fortunately, that’s not what she asked.

“Would you like to walk for a little bit?”

After that, she looked at him in surprise. She wondered if she had taken her brother’s words too lightly.

“Are you sick? If you feel unwell, I’ll call the doctor. Stay here.”

“No, just…”

Duran hurriedly stopped her from standing up, but the end was vague. He felt so heavy and his stomach felt bloated, making it difficult to know how to end his words.

When he saw what she was doing, he felt like she was making her own sweets. If it touches water, it will flow; if it touches heat, it will melt; if you squeeze it hard, it will break; and if you drop it, it will shatter.

Feeling frustrated and embarrassed, Duran shook his head, trying not to frown. Rather, Yvor Adela appeared to him as a confectioner.

◇ ◆ ◇

Yvor walked through the garden with Duran. The road looked like a path of clouds, the air smelled of flowers, and the familiar scenery was now as beautiful as a new painting. No, she needed to hold in her smile. Even though she couldn’t hold his hand, she liked it.

“Dew, aren’t you uncomfortable in the annex?” Yvor asked.

Her voiced questions were always cautious. Duran’s voice was also uncomfortable with an occasional tremor, like the flapping of a butterfly’s wings.

“…No, not really,” Duran replied.

He didn’t really know how to respond to such a cautious voice. Those who talked to him never did so with that tone. Words directed towards him were often a mild mix of ridicule or harsh contempt.

Thus, his voice also grew into a tone suitable for answering such things. He couldn’t even guess how to soften his voice to make it sound like a suitable response.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Yvor persistently asked.

Should I have answered no? Duran thought for a moment.

Obviously, it was true that when he entered the annex it was like he was being locked up. He did not forget the humiliation and anger when he was pushed into the annex, as if they were driving off a wild animal.

Duran Craig never forgot the hand of the servant who lifted and threw his insignificant luggage, the face of the maid who laughed at him, and even the scratch he received from the knight’s armor as he was pushed against the window.

Nevertheless, he had no complaints about the annex itself. Duran, who had always lived in a small and shabby room, never had a large space of his own. If he had Yvor in the room next to him or upstairs, it seemed that he would’ve been more concerned.

“I see…” Yvor answered, feeling a little heartbroken. She wanted Duran to be a little closer.

This was the outcome of her conviction that she knew everything, even though she had left any problems far away and had touched nothing. Having the realization that she knew nothing, she was now afraid of how much she didn’t know. So she couldn’t breathe without looking at him.

Moreover, the annex has not been inhabited for years. Even if it was cleaned, the furniture and decorations were all worn out. Yvor couldn’t relax thinking of him remaining, but she didn’t want to force him to move against his will. So, she came up with the next best option, she would renovate the annex itself.

***

[1] An intense fear of germs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysophobia