IWTGHFW CHAPTER 10

Episode 10

The knight’s awkward hand traced an uncertain path in the air before retreating back down.
I felt a twinge of guilt, but holding someone else’s hand—especially a man’s—was unbearably awkward for me.
If I’d ever been in a relationship, maybe I’d have built up some immunity to men.

Oh, of course, Mishy is an exception.
He’s so handsome I could forget about immunity or anything else.
Not that I’d have time to feel awkward around him anyway—his face just makes me zone out.

Once the knight closed the door, the carriage began to move at a gentle pace.
Not even the smallest jolt—this was clearly an expensive ride.

I should tell Ron about this later.

This time had ended as an unexpected “hotel vacation,” but next time, my life could actually be in danger.
I needed to tell Ron I’d met Count Poison, then work out a plan…

“Yaaawn—”

My eyelids sank without mercy.
I could’ve sworn I slept deeply last night—even in someone else’s house—so why was I sleepy again?

They say the heaviest thing in the world is an eyelid.

True to the saying, I couldn’t fight the pull of my closing eyes and fell asleep right then and there.

“Sir Ron! What brings you here?”

“I told you, you can just speak casually to me.”

“How could I possibly speak casually to a knight?”

Mishy’s eyes sparkled as he greeted the visitor to the West Palace.
Ron avoided that shining gaze, muttering that having a prince speak formally to him was even more burdensome.
When Mishy poured tea for him, Ron accepted it with both hands, looking almost humbled.

Mishy seemed simply delighted to see Ron again after so long, smiling from ear to ear.

“What brings you all the way here? Aren’t you busy?”

“Ah, yes. I am busy, but…”

Ron’s eyes scanned the interior.
Though it was a palace, the building was small and old enough that he could see the general layout at a glance.
If Ail had been hidden here, he would’ve noticed.

Not here.

Having reached a clean conclusion, Ron set down his teacup.

“One of my staff should have come here yesterday.”

“Yes, that was Ail. She’s an amusing person—chatters away like a little lark.”

“Ail does have that cute, lark-like quality… no, that’s not the point.”

Ron barely steered the conversation back on track.

“Do you remember what time she left after finishing her business here?”

“What time? Hmm, I can’t recall exactly… but it was after sunset, so perhaps past eight o’clock?”

“What?! That late? Just what were the two of you—no, never mind, the point is, you’re sure she left after eight?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Why? Did something happen to Ail?”

Concern flickered in Mishy’s vivid red eyes.
Though similar in hue to Ron’s, his were a striking, pure crimson.
There didn’t seem to be a trace of falsehood in them.

Ron shook his head, saying it was nothing, but his legs trembled with unease.
Maybe that fool Ail had gotten lost on the way, or worse, been captured by Count Poison.

In a rush, Ron put down the teacup and left the West Palace, barely managing a proper farewell.
Watching Ron’s quickly retreating back, Mishy tilted his head.

“Did something happen to Ail?”

My hazy mind slowly returned.
When I pried open my heavy eyelids, through my blurry vision I saw a man seated across from me in the carriage.

“B-butler… sir?”

“You’re awake? Please wait just a moment.”

It was the butler I’d parted ways with at the mansion earlier.
When I sat up, clutching my throbbing head, he hurried outside the carriage.

While he was gone, I looked around inside, then opened the window to check outside.
Trees were thick all around—looked like we were deep in a forest.

Wait. Was I about to get quietly disposed of out here?!

Gripped by a bad feeling, I was just wondering how to find an escape route when the carriage door opened.

And in stepped a familiar face.

Count Poison.

“My apologies. It seems I used too much of the drug. Drink this—it should ease your headache.”

“You drug me, and now you’re offering more medicine? How am I supposed to drink that?”

“Oh, is that so? My mistake, hahahaha.”

Smiling warmly, the count still pressed the small bottle into my hand, saying I could drink it if the headache persisted.

I eyed the translucent bottle warily before turning my gaze on him.

Just what was he trying to pull with all this?

Perhaps sensing my suspicion, the count waved his hands.

“Don’t misunderstand. I wanted to speak with you frankly, but the mansion has too many eyes and ears. I had no choice. I mean you no harm—truly.”

He looked earnest. Like he was begging me to believe him.

Well… if he insisted that much, maybe I could give him the benefit of the doubt.

Not that I was in any position to “give” him anything.
Still, I clenched my trembling hands tight.
Truth be told, I was terrified.
Sure, I’d traveled between worlds before, but I’d never been kidnapped.

“You said you meet with the second prince’s attendant, correct?”

“Yes.”

The count’s face turned serious.
Forget the “kindly middle-aged man” impression—he was every inch a great noble now.
When he hardened his expression, the sheer presence he exuded was on a whole different level.

With that intimidating aura swirling around him, the count spoke in a grim tone:

“Stay close to that attendant. Be good friends with him.”

Ack—please, have mercy! I’ve done nothing wrong! Eliminating my humble self won’t do this world any good…

Wait. What? Did he just say… be friends with Mishy?

What in the world?
He went so far as to drug me and drag me to some secluded forest, and this was the big message?
Something out of a school counselor’s playbook?
“You be friends, I’ll be friends, we’ll all be friends!”—before getting rid of me?

My glare sharpened.
What was this man’s game?
Perhaps noticing my skepticism, the count cleared his throat.

“I happen to know that attendant. He doesn’t have any real friends. It’s sad—living all alone in that old palace.”

“Well, I suppose that’s true… but why does the Count care about a mere attendant, and not the second prince himself?”

“Oh, it happens. Hahahaha.”

His laugh was awkward, but I decided not to press further.
Not because I feared losing my head, of course—just because.
If he said so, then so be it.

Besides, I didn’t have to do anything extra to “stay close” to Mishy—I was already desperate to be friends with him.

Whatever my expression was, the count seemed to take it the wrong way and hurried to add:

“Don’t let him be lonely. Visit him often, talk to him. And here—this is tea from the south. He enjoys brewing tea. If he asks where you got it, just say you picked it up somewhere.”

“…All right.”

With a reluctant face, I accepted the box of tea leaves, and the count beamed, his face creasing into deep wrinkles.

Um… hello? Where did that earlier intimidating aura go?

After some thought, the count clapped his hands and pulled a small, gleaming object from his pocket, placing it in my hand.

When I opened it… it was so dazzling it could only be—

“A… a diamond?”

“Think of it as a token of my sincerity. If you become good friends with him, I’ll give you another.”

When I just stared with my mouth agape, the count frowned slightly and fiddled with his fingers.
“If you don’t like it, I could trade it for something else…”

Fearing he might change his mind, I quickly tucked the diamond into my pocket.

“No, no! I’m perfectly satisfied!”

Only then did the count smile in contentment.
He left the carriage, saying he was counting on me.

As the carriage rolled slowly back toward the imperial palace, I stared blankly at the box in my hands.

Something felt off.
This was like when a parent of a lonely kid tries to bribe another child with candy to be friends with theirs.

…No way.
The Count was said to be on the crown prince’s side.
And everyone knew the crown prince and the second prince didn’t get along at all.

Ah, whatever.

I shook my head, clearing away the complicated thoughts.

An alarm had gone up in the Crown Prince’s palace.
The second prince—long exiled to the West Palace and living as if dead—had suddenly come to visit the crown prince.

The palace attendants didn’t know how to handle him.
They couldn’t treat a prince rudely, but fawning over him too much might anger the crown prince.

A fallen prince, defeated in the battle for the throne—he was a tricky guest indeed.

Seeing the attendants flounder, the crown prince’s aide knew it was time for him to step in.

“Lord Yen!”

The attendants looked at him like he was a savior.
He waved them off and approached the second prince, bowing with proper courtesy before leading him inside.

Once they were out of prying eyes, Yen sighed and glanced back.

“If you had told us in advance, we would have sent a carriage immediately.”

“But my brother is busy. I didn’t want to disturb him.”

“Haa… Your Highness, you’re too kind for your own good. Walking from the West Palace to here must have taken you at least two hours. Are your feet all right? If you hurt your delicate body, it would be terrible.”

And I’d never hear the end of it from His Highness the Crown Prince.
Sighing again, Yen shook his head, and Mishy gave a sheepish smile.
That only made Yen grin like a fool before warning him not to go smiling like that everywhere.

The crown prince’s office was spacious and neat.
Furnished in dark wood, it carried a weighty, solemn air that made visitors instinctively shrink.
Facing the crown prince—with his golden hair and cold features—only reinforced the instinct to bow.

But right now, that cold face was lit with the warmest smile imaginable.

When the door opened and Yen and Mishy stepped in, the crown prince practically bounded forward like a puppy meeting its beloved owner.

“Mishy! My dear little brother!”

To be continued