A very important, very important request!
Please read until the afterword!
“Hello… is anyone there?”
As if to blow away my fear, a boy’s voice came from beyond the door.
I raised my face with a start and ran towards the door.
As if clinging to it.
“I’m locked in! Please! Help me!”
I desperately shouted towards the boy on the other side of the door.
“Huh!? Okay! Just wait a moment!”
The doorknob rattled, then stopped immediately.
He must have realized it was locked.
And then.
–Clanggg!!!
With a tremendous metallic sound, the doorknob vibrated.
–Clanggg!!! Clanggg!!! Clanggg!!!
The sound of metal striking continued repeatedly.
The doorknob gradually began to bend in a strange direction, and then.
“A-Are you okay!?”
The black-haired boy I had seen outside the window earlier burst through the forcefully opened door.
Behind him, a large adult-sized sword lay on the floor.
“Waaaaaaaaah! I was so scared… I was so scared…!”
“Whoa!?”
Overwhelmed by the joy of being saved and the reaction to the fear I had felt until now, I hugged the boy tightly and cried out.
“I’m sorry, okay? I should have noticed sooner and come to help you…”
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
The boy embraced my wailing body and gently stroked my back.
His voice was so pleasant, so warm, that it blew away all the anxiety I had felt until just now…
He comforted me until I stopped crying.
◇
“Are you calm now?”
“Sniff… yes.”
I nodded to the boy who peered into my face after I had regained my composure.
The boy’s gray eyes were so bright that I almost felt drawn into them.
The same gray eyes, yet so different from that awful boy, Prince Harold, who had done such terrible things.
“Ah, look. Your face is all tear-streaked.”
“Mm…”
The boy took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away my tears.
It was a little ticklish, but the kindness he showed me and the scent of the handkerchief warmed my heart.
“So… can you tell me what happened?”
“…………………. Yes.”
I tried my best to explain what had happened up to this point.
How I had come to the Royal Palace with my father to meet His Highness.
How, when I had wandered off on my own and suddenly felt anxious, a boy had appeared and said he would take me to my father.
How I had been tricked into thinking my father was in this room and then locked inside.
“…That boy said his name was Harold Wel Dehauvalz, the Third Prince.”
“Ehhh…”
The moment he heard that boy’s name, the black-haired boy made a surprised, or rather, a very complicated face.
“Do you know him…?”
“Well… it’s not so much that I know him, but more like…”
The boy looked troubled, then turned to face me.
“My name is Harold… Harold Wel Dehauvalz…”
“Eeeeeeeeh!?”
I exclaimed in surprise at the boy who introduced himself apologetically.
But it was only natural that I would be surprised. After all, there were two boys claiming to be Harold.
At that moment.
“So, you were here!”
Suddenly, my father burst into the room.
His face was extremely pale, and he was out of breath, so he must have been desperately searching for me.
More than anything, it was the first time I had ever seen my father’s eyes so wide.
“Father…!”
“Haa… I was really worried, you know?”
My father hugged me, letting out a sigh of relief.
However, the boy who should have been with us… the boy who claimed to be Harold, was nowhere to be seen.
Leaving behind on the floor the handkerchief with the Dragon Embroidery that he had used to wipe away my tears.
“Come now, Their Majesties are waiting. Let’s go quickly.”
“A… w-wait…”
My father picked me up and hurried out of the room.
I barely managed to pick up the handkerchief, but I wanted to thank the boy.
But the room was getting further and further away.
The boy was nowhere to be found.
I clutched the handkerchief, bit my lip… and then.
“I’ll give you that handkerchief!”
The boy, who had shown just a little of himself from the shadows of the corridor, gave me a sunflower-like smile.
“Huh? Did I just hear a boy’s voice…”
My father looked around, but the boy had quickly hidden himself and could not be found.
Tilting his head, my father once again hurried towards the room where His Highness was waiting.
The first boy claimed that Prince Harold was the Third Prince.
In other words, Prince Harold must be among the princes we were scheduled to meet.
I wasn’t interested in which one was the real Prince Harold.
I was just looking forward to meeting the second (….) Prince Harold soon, and I hugged the Dragon Embroidery handkerchief he had given me tightly to my chest.
Thank you for reading!
Thanks to you, we were able to keep the #1 spot for the day again today!
It’s all thanks to you! I can’t thank you enough! Thank you!!!
However, I still can’t give up on being in the top 5 overall for the day…!
I need over 1000 more points, but please… please lend me your strength!
Therefore, if you thought it was even a little bit interesting! If you want to read more!
I would be grateful if you could change the [☆☆☆☆☆] under the advertisement to [★★★★★]!
Please! Please give us your support!!!