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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Sharing My Bedroom
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"Ugh, waaah!"
Lianus de Harpen felt so utterly wronged.
Even when he was called the Swamp Prince over his own hair—dark green, a muddy mix of His Majesty's deep navy locks and his mother's blonde—he hadn't felt this sad.
Even when he was mocked for his mismatched eyes, born with one of His Majesty's golden ones and one of his mother's green ones, making them call him odd-eyed. Never this heartbroken.
"Waaah, hic, waaah."
"Shut your mouth."
"Ugh, waaaah!"
Sir Evan's voice, fidgeting beside him and trying to soothe, was drowned out completely by the sobs.
But that one line—shut your mouth—rang out crystal clear.
Which only made it hurt even more.
I'm a prince, and you're just a beggar. I could do so much for you. I'm the higher one here.
You're the bad one. I'm a prince, going this far, and you're ignoring me.
No matter how hard he clamped his hands over his mouth, the tears wouldn't stop.
Did he find this dark green hair and mismatched eyes just as ugly and creepy?
The memory surfaced: those crimson eyes from the duke's mansion, curving in amusement as they looked at him.
His Older Brother, thoroughly alone as always, beaming with delight amid the crowd surrounding him, holding his noble seat.
Older Brother had said it was all because Lianus was cursed. Because of his half-elf mother, that's why everyone abandoned him.
Was it his fault, then? Was that why this boy didn't want to be his friend?
But he hadn't asked to be born this way.
Tears that had started to slow in his gold and green eyes welled up again, drop by drop. Watching him, the black opal eyes scrunched up once more.
"Stop crying. It's giving me a headache."
Drip.
"...Hic, does your head hurt?"
"Yeah."
"Hic, sorry, hic, I'm sorry."
The prince desperately tried to stifle his sobs. He couldn't make it hurt more when it was already hurting because of him.
He'd been crying so long his throat was a little hoarse.
The opal-eyed boy watched the prince finally quiet down, one eyebrow twitching. He looked like he was staring at some bizarre creature.
Sir Evan felt a strange mix of emotions watching his prince wail so pitifully... only to clamp it down the moment that rude brat complained of a headache.
The knight handed the prince a water bottle.
"Your Highness, have some water."
"Yeah... thanks."
Evan shot a glare at the culprit behind this mess. The wild lynx-like boy didn't so much as blink.
The kitten's eyes were swollen bright red, pitifully puffy. They looked ready to burst with fresh tears if so much as squeezed.
It stung a little that the sobbing kitten, who hadn't heard a word Evan said, reacted to the rude lynx's voice. But Evan comforted himself: that obnoxious tone was so grating it just pierced right through, no choice but to respond.
"Hey."
The rude lynx opened his mouth.
Evan wanted to smack him, but held back—he might startle the kitten into fresh tears. For the sake of the barely calmed little one, Evan summoned every ounce of patience and spoke with maximum kindness.
"Show some respect to His Highness, you beggar."
"Didn't call you. Hey, seaweed head."
Lianus's eyes went wide at the black opal boy's question. Well, not fully wide—too puffy for that.
Having been rejected twice already in his friend request, Lianus didn't know what "seaweed" meant, but he knew it was aimed at him. He quickly stepped in front of Evan, who was bristling to intervene, and answered.
"Yeah?"
"I'm not a girl."
"Yeah, I know. I messed up at first. Sorry."
"I don't use honorifics, prince or king or whatever."
"Huh? Uh..."
He wasn't using them already, but since Lianus didn't expect him to start now either, he bobbed his head and made it clear it was fine.
"I hate putting up with stuff."
"Uh."
"I never do anything I don't wanna."
"Yeah."
The prince was answering along since that seemed to be the way, but he was utterly baffled, cocking his head in confusion.
Whatever. The beggar just kept going.
"I hate crying noises."
"Yeah."
"I hate pain."
"Yeah."
"Don't got much, but my pride's sky-high."
"Yeah."
Evan, listening from the side, found himself nodding along without thinking. That lynx kid's pretty self-aware.
"Still wanna be friends with me?"
"...Yeah?"
Only then did Lianus realize the sudden barrage of statements had been a self-introduction.
Right—introductions come before friendship!
Lianus's heart started to flutter. Worried the opal boy might change his mind, he nodded vigorously.
"Yeah, yeah! I wanna be friends."
"Can you get me into the palace?"
"...Huh?"
Into the palace?
Before he could puzzle over what the issue might be, the beggar pressed on.
"Like that knight said, I'm a beggar. Can't go roaming the royal palace, so you'd have to come to me. But..."
"I can't come out often."
"Yeah. As a prince, you can't sneak out much. So, once a month work?"
"No way. That's too little."
Once a month? How would they ever get close like that?
"Guess I'd have to come into the palace then. So, how're you gonna make it happen?"
"..."
Yeah. How would he?
"Telling you ahead: no servants. I don't do honorifics, remember."
Lianus started pondering. He couldn't let this chance slip away now.
This kid had survived a full-speed carriage collision, so he must be tough as nails. Fearless, standing tall before a big knight like his guard. Proud enough not to bolt from some curse that didn't even move. And he spoke his mind even before royalty—no way he'd cower before Older Brother.
And his gut was screaming: grab him now or regret it forever. He had to be friends with this one!
What do I do?
Lianus racked his brain. But no answers came after ages of thought.
He glanced at his guard, tense and waiting to see what would spill from his mouth next, then at the mysterious eyes still lazily leaning against the carriage. Carefully, he spoke.
"First, sneak in... then we'll figure it out?"
"..."
"Your Highness!"
The knight's horrified leap made the carriage jolt hard.
Sneak in? This wasn't some empty house—it was the palace!
Lianus saw the lazy black opals cloud over in disdain and rushed to explain.
"My room's big. Lots of hiding spots."
"..."
"I'll give you tons of tasty stuff."
"..."
"I got lots of money... don't you want it?"
"..."
"Hiiing..."
No reply from the boy. Seaweed head drooped.
Haa...
The boy thought.
Where the hell did this moron come from?
***
Sir Evan started soothing the kitten he served.
Wanting that rude lynx as a friend was problem enough, but he couldn't blame a lonely little kitten for it.
Evan steadied his breath to make the prince see reason and explained gently.
"Your Highness, the palace has eyes and ears everywhere. Even his bedroom as a beggar needs solving first—and as you know, most servants share doubles. Even holed up in a room, you'd need at least one to cooperate. And you said no servants since you're too young. Eyes will turn for sure."
"I'm not doing servant."
Evan eyed the growling wild lynx, itching to smack him—but the kid was pulp enough already. He held back and continued.
"Like it or not, you'd need a disguise. Anyway, Your Highness, think it through..."
"Ah!"
But before Evan finished, the kitten bolted up like struck by inspiration and grabbed the lynx's hand. Evan pressed his forehead, sighing at the prince's dainty hand getting filthy again.
"Your Highness, grabbing that filthy thing like..."
"Wanna live in my bedroom?"
"...Pardon?"
Evan wondered if he'd misheard and fiddled with his ear. Blinked a few times, but his innocent kitten was beaming, eyes sparkling as he clutched the lynx's hand.
"Sure."
The cocky wild lynx glanced at the shining heterochromatic eyes and nodded vaguely. Evan's jaw dropped at the absurd reply.
What the hell did this punk just say!
"'Sure' my ass! You think a royal bedroom's that easy? And what's with that half-assed reaction! Your Highness, absolutely not! What makes you trust him with your bedroo—!"
"So, how old are you?"
"..."
Ignoring the knight's desperate cries, the kitten started working on the wild lynx.
Evan freaked out—no way a beggar in the bedroom, can't guard with outsider there, what if he harms you, I'll have to hole up in there too!—threatening without threatening. But the adorable kitten just smiled: sounds good, all three together!
"My bedroom's gonna be so lively!"
"Your Highneeeess! No matter what, the bedroo—absolutely not!"
"Huh? How old? My age, right?"
"Your Highness!"
"Sir Evan! Be quiet. Let me talk to my friend."
Evan choked, words stuck.
Friends already, minutes after meeting...? Pushing aside his one-and-only guard of five years for that grubby punk!
He wanted to spill it all, but clamped his mouth shut.
Watching the prince swing the filthy hand around, beaming... he couldn't open his mouth anymore.
How long since that smile? He couldn't even soothe the tears properly himself. Better step back.
He couldn't grasp why his wary-of-strangers prince was going this far, but Evan decided to watch silently. Sneaking in now was one thing; to stay long-term needed permission. The kid would peel off soon enough.
Would the prince get sad again then?
Evan glanced at the chattering kitten starting his own intro, then stared hard at the battered boy. If this lynx didn't harm the prince, keeping him around wasn't the worst. But a prince befriending a commoner? Tongues would wag. Worse: betrayal after keeping close.
Evan couldn't shake the unease staring at the boy, sitting casually rude even knowing he faced a prince, blinking occasionally. No loyalty from a fresh face. Even if he got in, he'd crack under pressure, get lured away, or get executed for insolence. Was bringing him really smart?