TAPGB - Chapter 25
The Abandoned Prince's Ghost Bride
"What are you!"
"Just..."
"Just?"
Looking at the innocent face, Dio wiped his dry face.
"Are you lost?"
"That's not it..."
The paper Lucian was fiddling with caught Dio's eye.
"You don't know where to go, do you?"
Lucian nodded. Dio, who was looking at Lucian and his paper alternately, sighed and nodded.
"I will guide you. Follow me."
"Really? Thank you!"
Dio's eyebrows twitched. He cleared his throat and strode forward. As Lucian followed behind him, Dio hesitated.
"Don't walk from behind, come from the side! Do I even need to tell you this?!"
"Ah."
Lucian didn't notice at first but then came straight to Dio's side. And when he laughed, Dio pouted his lips.
The two boys walked side by side again to run their next errand. After a moment of silence, Dio spoke first.
"You moved here recently, right?"
"Huh. It hasn't been long."
"Where do you live?"
"Uh..."
"Hey. If you don't want to tell me, just say you don't want to tell me."
"That's not it..."
"Why is the child so frustrated? Don't you have any friends?"
"..."
"Oh my. If you make that kind of face, people will misunderstand you!"
"But I don't have any friends."
"Why?"
"It just isn't there."
"..."
"..."
"Would you like me to be your friend?"
"Really?"
"It's good to have a friend who knows how to use a sword... If you don't like it, don't do it!"
"Oh, no! I like it!"
"Ugh, it would be perfect for you to go somewhere and get eaten."
"... I don't taste good?"
"Who really eats it? That's what it means. Anyway, the joke doesn't work."
"That's why you hate me...... ?"
"Who, who doesn't like it? I told you not to make that face!"
The two boys walked around the square, bickering but smiling at each other. Dio was the first friend of his age that Lucian had.
***
"This is the last time!"
Lucian found the shoes at the shoe store with Dio's help and stuffed the box into his subspace pocket.
Enough, several adults who had discovered a rare pocket of subspace were snooping around here.
"What you looking at! Where have you been?"
"Huh? What's going on?"
Dio snorted and only after confirming that the people around him had moved away did he look at Lucian with a look of disgust in his eye.
"You really don't know anything about the world. Didn't someone teach you to be careful when using this?"
Lucian trembled. Is he sure he took it out in a place with too many people?
"That's why I told you to be careful! There are so many evil bastards among humans!"
It reminded him of Caesar breathing fire and grinning. Dio tilted his head head when he saw Lucian's hand movements suddenly become faster.
"Why are you doing this all of a sudden?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I bought everything."
"Hmm, really?"
Looking at the money left over from running errands, Lucian thought for a moment and then looked at Dio.
"Thanks for your help! I'll even buy you something delicious!"
"What? No, that's enough."
"Leah said that if you received help, you must repay it. So let's go!"
Even though Dio didn't agree, he dragged him along. Dio looked dumbfounded, but then laughed and followed Lucian.
When Lucian, who had taken the lead at first, wandered, Dio guided him here and there. Thanks to this, Lucian learned about a good snack restaurant.
"Mmm, it's delicious."
"Really! It's absolutely delicious!"
The two boys rested for a moment, holding skewers in one hand. Maybe it was because it was against the wall, but people moving about busily caught his eye.
"It seems like there are a lot more people than the last time I came."
"Yes. Everyone is trying to go to the capital."
"Why in the capital?"
"Why, why? Today is the Crown Prince's birthday."
"Birthday?"
"It's been noisy since then because of the festival and all. Especially inside the capital, it will be noisier than here. They said the circus was coming and the other kids were going to see it."
In fact, Dio seemed to have no interest in it and talked about it as if it were someone else's business.
"What day is it today?"
"Today? July 17th."
"..."
Why the sudden date? huh?
"Why are you looking like that?"
Dio, who belatedly saw Lucian's face, was embarrassed. Even though Lucian seemed shocked, he had a sad expression.
"It's my birthday today too..."
"What? Hey! You should have told me a long time ago!"
Dio started searching his pockets. He was embarrassed to see that there was at most a fairy tale.
"I-I don't have money right now, so I can't buy you anything..."
"No, it's not because I wanted to receive a gift. just..."
Lucian's surprised he didn't even know his birthday was coming up until now.
For Lucian, his birthday was the most special day that he looked forward to. It's not like people suddenly become kinder or new changes begin in his daily lives, but that day he ate delicious food that he wouldn't normally eat and watched fireworks decorating the sky in the small garden attached to the palace.
Last year, he waited for his birthday to arrive as soon as summer started, but this year Lucian hasn't thought about it even once.
If he had to say the reason, it would be because he met Leah, right?
As Lucian thought about Leah and Caesar, his sinking feeling improved again. Lucian was curious about how the two would react if he told them it was his birthday today.
'Hey, are they going to be surprised?'
Thinking of the two of them rushing about, Lucian wanted to go to the mansion right away.
Meanwhile, Dio could not understand Lucian, who was depressed alone and then lost his mind again.
"But no one in your family notices your birthday?"
"Huh? Huh. Because I didn't say anything."
"Does it mean they don't know just because you didn't tell them? Your family is really great. The guy who came with you last time had a lot of money, but didn't he buy you a present?"
Is this something to be so angry about? Since he didn't tell them his birthday, isn't it natural that they don't know?
However, Dio, who did not know the situation, was even more upset, saying that his family was too indifferent.
"Let's go to my house!"
"Huh?"
"I'll give you a gift."
Dio took Lucian to the weapon shop. Dio's father, Bill, who was in the middle of receiving guests, discovered Lucian.
"Oh? Isn't this the kid I saw last time?"
"Dad, it's his birthday today!"
"Hmm? Okay?"
"So, instead of this month's allowance, give me a gift."
Bill blinked and looked at his son. He wondered if they had become friends without his knowledge, but he also thought that they must have met only a few times.
It seems that his son, who is careful to calculate his pocket money, really likes Lucian enough to ask for a gift in exchange for it.
Bill chuckled and stroked Dio's head.
"Ugh! It makes my hair dirty!"
"Boy, what kind of habit do you have in speaking to your father? So, today is your birthday?"
"Yes... Oh, but you don't have to give a gift to me. I'm really good, but Dio..."
"It's okay, but it's okay!"
"You don't even take care of your family, so you have to take care of your country too!"
Although Dio's words got caught in the middle, Bill first looked to see if there was anything he could give to Lucian.
"Let's see, last time you said you were going to learn swordsmanship?"
"Ah yes!"
"How long have you been learning swordsmanship?"
"It's only been a few days."
"Okay?"
Bill looked at Lucian out of the corner of his eye. Then he went to the warehouse and brought back one of his boxes.
"This is a shoulder pad. It might be okay now since you're young, but if you keep swinging the sword, it'll put a lot of strain on various parts of your body. It is like wearing protective gear from a young age. That way you don't get injured."
"Good! How is it? Do you like it?"
Lucian pursed his lips in embarrassment. It was the first gift he ever received.
"I haven't done anything for you."
"There is none. You bought me a lot of delicious food today. If it bothers you, let's spar with me next time! There's no one around here who knows how to use a sword."
"Huh! I definitely will! Thank you, Dio!"
"Keu, keuhm! Take something that is nothing special..."
Bill looked warmly at his son, who was grumbling and his earlobes were blushing. It was fortunate that his son had a good friend.
"Thank you. I will write well."
"OK. If you really appreciate it, be sure to come to my house the next time you buy something. Since this guy is my friend, I'll give it to you at a particularly low price."
"Yes!"
Lucian smiled brightly as he preciously embraced the gift the two gave him.
***
"I have to brag to Leah and my brother!"
From making new friends to receiving birthday presents. There was a mountain of things to say to the two.
He was humming and hopping around and didn't realize it. The shadow cast behind him. The shadow stretched out its hand toward Lucian.
"Ahh!"
Lucian was startled and jumped up. And instinctively, he tightly held the glass bead that Caesar had given him.
As Lucian looked back, holding his heart pounding, Lucian saw James with a clear look of embarrassment.
"Jeez, James?"
"Sorry to startle you, Lucian! When I saw Lucian, I stopped without realizing it..."
"Ha, I was surprised..."
Lucian was relieved and quietly put the glass bead in his pocket.
"It looks like you've been to town."
"Huh! Just a quick errand... No, I came because I had something to buy!"
Lucian gave a vague answer, but fortunately, James didn't think it was strange.
"But why the sudden politeness?"
When Lucian was puzzled by James' sudden change in tone, James thought it was a mistake.
"Well, since I'm a servant, it's okay for me to treat Lucian with respect even though you're young..."
James closed his eyes tightly as he felt the staring gaze.
"... Strange?"
"Yes, a lot. I like the usual James."
James was about to change it because he thought it would be better to use the honorific even if Lucian was an unknown royal family member, but it seemed a little too late to change it now.
James let out a hollow laugh and returned to his normal tone.
"Okay, then. I'll do it the way it was. Anyway, it looks like you didn't wander all the way to the village. Even though the road was simple, there was a forest in the middle, so I was worried that you might get lost."
"That doesn't happen! This is my second time!"
"Really? That's amazing."
"Ahem! But what happened to James? Hasn't it been a while since you gave me the supplies last time?"
"Oh, that's..."
James hesitated and handed him something he had hidden behind his back.
It was a beautifully wrapped gift box. James scratched his cheek shyly.
"Today, Lucian... No, I think it's your birthday. I wanted to give you a gift."
James groaned as Lucian blankly looked at the gift.
"I don't have that much money, so it's better not to have any expectations. You're just alone in the mansion, so wouldn't it be nice to have at least some toys?"
"No! I'm so happy! Thank you! This is my first time with toys!"
"Really? Ha, thank goodness..."
James looked at Lucian, who was greatly relieved and happy.
'As expected, it's a good thing I came.'
In fact, before coming here, James had a lot of worries about whether he was being foolish. But seeing Lucian's pure joy made him know that his choice was right.
"I wanted to buy you a cake, but I don't have enough money... Next year, I'll buy you a delicious cake."
"Hehe, are you coming to see me by next year?"
Lucian said these words without much thought, but they struck James differently.
"... Then. Where would I go? I have to come here every month, just for you."
Honestly, wouldn't it be better in the future if James treated him a little better after finding out he was a Prince? James thought about it, but when he looked at that innocent child's face, all those random thoughts disappeared.
"You're on your way to the mansion, right? I'll take you to the mansion."
"Good!"
James followed Lucian's pace. He also didn't faint when he saw him. By now, his twin brother will be celebrating a grand birthday at the palace, but Lucian...
"By the way, James."
"Yes, why?"
"How did you know it was my birthday? I never told anyone."
James trembled and quickly shook his head.
"Oh, where did I hear that! You know I know everything!"
"Hmm..."
James gasped as Lucian stared intently.
"I see! It's James after all!"
However, seeing Lucian obediently trusting him without any doubt, James could barely take a breath.
Soon, the two people were talking non-stop and walking without even noticing the passage of time.
Lucian smiled brightly when he saw the mansion in the distance.
"They're here! I'm leaving now! Thank you so much for the gift!"
"Okay. See you next month, Prince."
Lucian, who was running to the mansion while receiving James' gift, suddenly recognized a strange part of the conversation with James.
"... Did I ever tell James that I was a Prince?"
During the conversation, James occasionally referred to Lucian as Prince. He was so excited about the conversation that he didn't realize it.
Lucian, who was tilting his head, remembered something.
"Ah! Everyone called me a fake Prince."
After orphan, the most frequently heard word is fake Prince. James probably heard that too.
Lucian, who thought it was no big deal, quickly shook off his doubts and continued walking.
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