The Kids Have Changed - Chapter 16

“That’s enough!”

Carol pushed away the maid’s hand and glared at Julien.

Unlike the other aristocrats, Julien was wearing a gold ribbon with red lines. He looked at Carol with cold eyes.

His black, glass-like pupils were chilly.

“Would you mind not talking to me?”

“That’s what I was going to say.”

They were still on bad terms with each other.

People didn’t change so easily.

They just learned how to wear a friendly mask in front of Sharon so that they could get her attention and be loved by her.

Sharon did bring a change to the two of them.

At their young age, they had learned how to hide their innermost thoughts!

***

Julien raised his right hand, moving in synchronicity with the Emperor while standing behind him. He exuded great dignity throughout the ceremony.

Anybody who observed him would say that Julien’s spirit was beyond that of a mere 8 year old.

That was why even though Julien was born with red hair, a color foreign to the Imperial line, nobody talked poorly of his qualifications as the crown prince.

The other princes tried to undercut Julien’s power for their own benefit, but even they did not question his legitimacy nor authority.

But in reality, Julien was just trying to protect himself against this colorless world.

Everyone was against him.

Julien knew well that a friend today could stab his back tomorrow, and even his blood, his family, could raise a blade against him.

If it wasn’t for his mother’s protection, Julien would already be dead.

‘It’s troublesome that her protection comes with poisonous thorns.’

At such an official ceremony, any minor mistakes he made were bound to lead to corporal punishment.

That was why Julien was on edge.

But when Julien saw Carol raise both her middle fingers at him, he burst into laughter. It was clear what she was mouthing at him.

‘Eat this.’

Carol was the only person here who was exactly the same on the inside as the outside. No, well, there was actually one more person.

Haru was snickering without any manners during the serious and sacred Foundation Day ceremony. He kept his hands in his pockets even as his parents surreptitiously rapped him on his head. He only pulled out his hands when he met Julien’s eyes.

Then, Haru waved his hands wildly, and he only calmed down when Count Atrata rapped him on his head again.

‘Idiot.’

Julien gradually relaxed. They had finally reached the last part of the ceremony, and everything had gone smoothly without a single mistake.

But perhaps it was too early to be relieved.

The Emperor spoke, saying something very explosive.

The Emperor had definitely been enjoying the meal in this friendly atmosphere, but something must have irritated him. He put his hand on the Empress, who had been sitting beside him.

“The crown prince has just one problem.”

Julien braced himself.

Lord Cosabalta led exactly 89 knights at the time of the empire’s founding. Of their families and descendants, 80 aristocrats were currently in attendance.

Julien’s blood turned cold as he was singled out in front of them.

“What do you mean?”

The Empress’s cold gaze passed over him. Julien gripped his knife tightly.

‘Darn.’

He should have been calmer. Because of his tenseness, he slipped while cutting the meat.

“Are you saying that you are not aware? It is because of you, Empress. You scratched the crown prince’s cheek, did you not?”

Julien bit the inside of his mouth.

The incident in question happened months ago. The Empress had accidentally scratched her nail on his cheek. Because of that, he had been kept inside his chambers for over a week, but the news must have still reached the Emperor’s ears.

“That is—”

“Do not make excuses to me. I have already heard it. How dare you harm the body of the crown prince, the future of our empire? Does it make sense for you to hurt him?”

The table’s atmosphere cooled down. The aristocrats traded glances and observed the imperial couple’s countenance, then, one by one, put down their utensils.

Julien closed his eyes.

The world that he saw beneath his eyelids… It was red.

The screams that he choked down inside him buzzed around his ears.

Nobody was coming to save him.

Julien tightly clasped the pendant around his neck.

***

“Sharon!”

In my surprise, I stumbled over my feet and looked at Carol, who had jumped off the carriage.

“Hey! You could get hurt doing that!”

Carol was the only one who had returned from the second part of the Foundation Day ceremony. The sun had already made its way through the sky, and Carol’s face was red in the sunset.

“Sharon!”

“What’s wrong?”

As she ran closer to me, I noticed that her face was a pale white, not red.

“Something big happened!”

“What is it?”

My voice became sharp. It was because I could see the dried remnants of tears on Carol’s cheek.

“The Empress hit Julien! W, waahhh!”

“What exactly happened…?”

But it seemed that Carol couldn’t say much more. I patted Carol on the back and glanced at Madame DeJoue, who followed me.

There would soon be a detailed report of what happened.

I bit my lip.

It was an hour after that Madame DeJoue told me the news.

“So… The Empress dragged Julien to his palace, where Carol and Haru saw her slap him in his face?”
“Yes. We aren’t sure what happened next, as young master Haru ushered Lady Carol away quickly, but…”

Carol must have been shocked because she saw Julien’s bruised arm before. After crying for a long time, she finally fell asleep. I gently ran my hand through Carol’s hair.

“So, how is Julien now?”

Was he covered in wounds, as the target of the Empress’s venting? Did he have anything to lean on, either with his mind or his body?

“…Would you like to go? But I think he may be alone in his room. Nobody came to the cabin today.”

“…Please make sure that there are no people around the crown prince’s chambers for a little while. Would that be possible?”

“If that is what you wish.”

I nodded my head slightly.

I shouldn’t ask Madame DeJoue such useless questions regarding her ability in the future.

***

I pulled over my hood as we arrived at the cabin in the mountains. Madame DeJoue helped me off of the carriage, which was black and had no crest to identify us.

Our escort knights opened the door, checked inside, then waved to Madame DeJoue.

“Let’s go inside, my lady.”

“…Can I ask who they are?”

The person was in armor like a proper knight, but there was something off. What exactly was it…? Something about their atmosphere seemed cocky.

“We promised not to be curious about these things, correct?”

“…Yes.”

“Then, let’s go.”

I shut my mouth and started walking. Inside the cabin, Madame DeJoue carefully looked at the fireplace on the right, then entered inside and pushed the wall on the right.

Then, the wall slowly crumbled away, revealing a path.

“It’s an ancient magic. It’s only natural for the Imperial family to have one or two things like this.”

“You know a lot about all kinds of things.”

Madame DeJoue remained silent at my surprised exclamation.

I stood in front of the passageway as Madame DeJoue stepped aside.

“Have a safe trip. I’ll be waiting right here. And please, be careful.”

“I will.”

I stepped into the brick-covered passageway.

I hoped that Julien was there at the end of this path.

I had been walking for about 10 minutes when I saw the light against the wall.

The light from the edge showed that there was a different space behind it.

I put my hand on the wall and pushed gently. The wall melted away, like it had before.

“Julien.”

I called the prince’s name as I felt a sword be placed under my chin. His face was pale.

Clang.

The sword feebly dropped onto the ground and Julien backed away.

“How did you…”

“Carol told me. And… I know a lot of people at the palace.”

“I’ve known since you showed up at the cabin that you’ve had people watching me. You’re right. There’s no way that you wouldn’t know.”

Julien hid his red and puffy cheek from me. His face was swollen, as if he had been hit more than once.

“I guess you don’t need to ask me if I’m all right.”

I slowly approached Julien. Since Julien backed away as much as I approached him, we eventually reached the bed.

Finally, my hand touched Julien’s cheek.

Julien leaned back gently as if he had become resigned to it.

“It doesn’t hurt.”

“…”

“Really.”

“…”

“Don’t cry.”

“…”

I bit my lips. Somehow, I had started to cry over Julien again before I even realized it.

I didn’t really cry a lot, but I felt too emotional about Carol and Julien’s situations, which were much worse than I had expected.

The amount of tears I shed in the past few months was likely to be similar to the amount I had shed in my 35 years as Nara Lee.

Come to think of it, it had only been about five months since I came here.

By my standards it was five months, but by the standards of this world, it was only 150 days. Since I came here around the 25th day of spring.

If I read about this situation in a novel, I would have gone past it, feeling a little pity. However, these events were too close to me, and I couldn’t wave them off lightly.

“Don’t cry,” Julien repeated.

He had a pained expression on his face, and I crumbled to the ground. The cheek that my hand was touching was hot, and I felt like it was burning.

I really didn’t know what I could do for him.

“Nothing… there’s nothing I can do for you.”

“You’re more than I deserve.”

Where did he talk like that?

I laughed bitterly at the situation.

“…You’re really eight years old?”

“…What about you?”

Julien and I burst into laughter as we met each other’s eyes.

He was laughing.

…Thank goodness.

***

I only spent about an hour with Julien.

I wanted to express my respect for Madame DeJoue one last time, as she had made sure nobody came near us during that time.

As I went into the secret passage again, I could hear Julien’s voice. I leaned in to listen.

‘I only have you… because I let you. It’s nice when you check up on me… come again.’

I had stopped walking away when I heard his fading voice, but the wall had already formed behind my back. When I turned around, I couldn’t see Julien anymore.

I scratched my head.

This was an inappropriate thought for this occasion, but I thought that Julien had fallen for my charm as well.

Ohohoho.

Along with the gray fish, I could see a pretty red fish swimming around in my fishbowl.[1]

I turned back around and started to walk again.

Even if they were fond of me, though, I was just on the sidelines of the story.

I had to be satisfied with changing the water in the fishbowl, feeding them, and providing them with light.

My loneliness was abated a little by caring for them, but one day, I would have to leave this world.

I didn’t belong in the story.

No matter how much I tried to fit in with the fish, it would be impossible. For them to live their own lives, I had to stay out of the bowl.

Besides… If the owner of this body wanted to return, I would have to give up this life.

So it was enough for me as long as the fish in my fish tank got along.

When I returned to the cabin, Madame DeJoue was leaning against the window.

“Ah, you’re back. I was worried that you were taking this long. I thought I might have to invade the palace.”

“Would you really? You say some scary things, Madame DeJoue.”

“If it’s for you, my lady, I would do it.”

Madame DeJoue shrugged. I held her hand, and we climbed onto the carriage to go back.

[1] Sharon compared Julien to a fish in a previous chapter, and the gray fish is referring to Carol.