After a few days, it was time for the little lady Espine and her escort to return to their own territory, as only duke Espine would stay behind to discuss some important matters.
This time, to prevent any possibility of an ambush, a platoon of the elite King's Guards was delegated to protect her on the way back.
With that in mind, Zoemi was getting ready for the travel as well...
Though, when it came to the six-year-old boy, it was more like the maids ordered by the king were washing and cleaning him up - they also prepared his food too.
This service, together with beautiful clothes, was a reward given to him by the monarch.
Zoemi didn't know what he should do, he got really embarrassed when unknown ladies were washing him, but it was a reward from the king – the knowledge from the other world that he gained from the dream-like memories was telling him that things could end up badly if he rejected the service as it would be rude to refuse the king's goof will - so he had no choice but to bashfully accept and blush with his head down.
The clothes looked amazing although he was unable to... for the lack of better term... fill them in properly.
There's a saying that beautiful people look good no matter what they wore – and there was truth in it, but when it came to the young black-haired boy, even though he was given proper meals it was still too soon for him to gain some much-needed weight, bringing down the overall effect.
"Well, it just looks like somebody dressed up a beggar in fine clothes.|
When the maids left, Zoemi accurately described what he was seeing in the mirror.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door and a boy around six years old entered the room.
"...!"
Zoemi needed only a single glance to instantly fall to his knees before him.
"Prince Horeo!"
He gasped. Even though in the game there were no pictures of the young first prince he couldn't be mistaken for anyone else. Golden hair and eyes, even as a child Horeo's gaze was full of confidence and pride.
"You may rise."
Horeo was pleasantly surprised that a child from the streets knew how to act around him even though the maids warned him that the black-haired boy might be wild and rude.
The golden-haired boy smiled benevolently and nodded his head.
"My prince, I don't deserve such honor! Your presence here..."
Zoemi was panicking. Bad. What was the prince doing even there?!
He's the one who will condemn Miriette!|
Zoemi didn't even try to stand up - he only clenched his teeth and was staring at the floor not daring to raise his head, while the memories from his previous life were making him angrier and angrier.
"I'm here to personally thank you for rescuing my fiancé, of course! So stand up. I'm the one thanking you and it makes me feel weird."
Zoemi was shocked to hear the prince's words.
He could easily recall a memory about the capture target, Horeo Marets Belcehora – that guy was the asshole who was the main cause of the bulk of Miriette's bad endings!
But even so, after being asked twice, Zoemi couldn't refuse to comply with his words, after all, Horeo was a prince, so Zoemie stood up to not seem rude and looked at the prince's face.
"...!"
Young prince Horeo was smiling at him, and even looked genuinely grateful while he was at it!
"...ah...!"
And then Zoemi realized.
Horeo hasn't even met the heroine yet!
In the game, it was implied that in childhood he had feelings for Miriette but things changed shortly after, even before they started attending the Aspakeony Academy together!
In those few days, Zoemi was only eating and sleeping he tried to recall all the information about the game that he could remember and was carefully considering which one of the capture targets had the greatest chance of making Miriette happy.
While doing so, he came up with the idea to support the only capture target whose route he hadn't complete - Miriette's childhood friend and son of the Bellcephora's kingdom general, Grazio Mera Victureo, even though that had the possibility of ending up as a failure, it was still his best bet.
But now Zoemi realized his mistake.
There's no reason to make Miriette fall in love with any other the capture targets except her fiancé! If he, Zoemi, will just make sure that Horeo treasures Miriette as much as possible there's no way that he will let any harm come her way! Moreover, it would be super easy, after all, Miriette is utterly adorable!
"My Prince, your words are wasted on someone like me!"
His attitude towards Horeo changed completely in a flash and instead of glaring, the black-haired boy was smiling even brighter than the gold-haired prince.
"Nonsense! I've heard from Miriette herself! You were very brave even though you also are not able to use magic yet!
Yet...? No, wait... also...?!|
Truth to be told Zoemi never pictured himself having the aptitude, but clearly, the prince didn't have any doubts about it and was already grouping the two of them together.
Horeo reached his hand toward him for a handshake.
"I also haven't awakened yet, but I don't think I would be able to help in that situation."
The gold-haired prince looked slightly embarrassed while saying that making the black-haired boy a little bit confused.
Zoemi didn't know because it wasn't stated in the game, and he was born and raised in the slums when no one could use magic, but usually, children of the nobility would awaken their aptitude relatively early.
Miriette was one of the examples, she began wielding wind magic when she was three years old. But the prince was already six and still couldn't awaken his potential, he was actually relieved after meeting someone similar in age to him without magic.
There were cases when noble children never awaken despite having the aptitude and the right color of hair and eyes, after all.
Zoemi took the prince's hand without hesitation.
"I disagree, my prince."
He said and shook his head.
"If you, my prince, would be the one in that situation instead of me, you would do a much better job than I did, I'm sure of it."
His certainty came mostly from the fact that the prince would have many guards with him without a doubt, but there was no reason to sour the mood by clearing that up.
"You... do you really think so...?"
The conviction in his words made the first prince extremely happy.
"Of course, my prince!"