0&1 Ch 2.2

The regular class with the three of us was just Grey Cracker’s solo performance. It was as if Grey and Duke Pie were the only ones in the classroom.

The two of them discussed the contents of a book that I didn’t know anything about. It was a book I had read for homework, but of course, I couldn’t join in the discussion.

“Do you have any questions?” Duke Pie asked after class. I just stared blankly at him.

I didn’t understand the class, so I didn’t have any questions. It was something that happened often while I was in school, but it felt fresh to experience it again after so long.

The duke turned his head as if he had expected it. Edward, who had been playing with the book cover, looked up. His eyes asked what had been said.

It was just like high school class. When the teacher asked if there were any questions, everyone fell silent.

It was perfect, even down to the fact that lunch break would start after this class. Who would raise their hand to answer such a question and earn the scorn of their classmates?  

Grey raised his hand.  

“Yes, Grey.”  

“I read the book you recommended, but I still have a question. In the Battle of the Damascus Strait, how did the Kingdom win despite being outnumbered?”  

Maybe there are students who ask questions, in the world of the game.

Duke Pie wasn’t joking when he called the lessons I received ‘supplementary lessons.’ The Duke didn’t know how to joke.

He just didn’t tell me. There were two people who needed supplementary lessons.

Grey was the only one who was making progress in this class.

Was Grey such a smart character? He was one of the characters in the game. He was a glasses-wearing character who talked a lot and wasn’t very charming. Maybe he was a love rival.  

Grey was the son of the Prime Minister. In the game, he appeared as Edward’s friend, but he followed Edward around more like a secretary.

His speech and actions were also like those of a secretary or aide. He managed Edward’s schedule and gave him advice.

When I first tried to pursue Edward, Grey appeared as the female protagonist’s obstacle.  

When the female protagonist spoke to Edward, he would pop up a dialogue box with “……” behind him, or show an illustration of him raising his glasses while watching the female protagonist, or make the female protagonist pop up a dialogue box with “(I’m being watched. Let’s pretend we don’t know.)”

Even that alone made it clear that Grey disliked the female lead. However, that wasn’t the end of the interference.

In the game, after a few Edward events, his affection level reached two hearts. That’s when Grey started getting in the way.

[… Prince Edward is busy.]
[I don’t think you understood me.]
[There are many women like you who approach him without knowing their place. Don’t waste his time. You’re not qualified.]

Even thinking about it now, those lines still made me furious. Grey was one of the reasons Edward was such a hard route.

Edward was already blunt and unreadable, making it hard to find the right approach. And on top of that, he had such a strong obstacle standing next to him.

What was so wrong with my heroine? She was pretty, smart, and had a good personality. The fact that she didn’t insult Grey back was proof of her good nature.

And Edward was showing affection hearts toward her. Grey couldn’t see them, but the player could.

Edward had feelings for the female lead, even if the female lead didn’t know it.

Grey ignored the heroine throughout the entire story.  If Edward had stood up for her even once, I would’ve stayed on his route.

But he didn’t. The heroine got depressed and started to blame herself.

[Grey is right. I’m a nasty woman.]
[I don’t even really like the prince.]
[When did things start going wrong?]
[I want to die.]

The one who comforted Idella then was Joffrey.

Anyway, judging by how things are now, maybe Grey was a smart character all along. In the game, he never stood out because he was overshadowed by #1 Edward and #2 Joffrey.

Or maybe the game was just broken. Maybe Grey had taken Edward’s intelligence stat.

Edward was just as uninterested in class as I was. And at breakfast, the  King didn’t even look at him. It was hard to believe this Edward would become that Edward.

In the game, Edward was a perfect character. It felt like the developers had given him too many good traits.

Perhaps the true ending of the game was with Edward. After all, Edward was standing in the center of the playable characters on the game’s start screen.

While I was zoning out, class ended. Duke Pie was gone, and Edward was standing in front of me.

“Joffrey, let’s talk.”

Edward grabbed my arm. He acted way too casually. Weren’t these two supposed to have a strained relationship as kids?

“Now?”
“Yeah. Now.”

I remembered how Edward had looked at me in the dining hall. Did he have something to say?

I was dragged by Edward into an empty room.  

The room was dim and smelled of dust. Edward checked that we were alone and shut the door.

His skinny neck was visible. His clothes looked too big on him. He was a prince. There was no way he’d be wearing hand-me-downs!

Did no one take care of him? Something felt off.

Click. The door shut completely.

As soon as we were cut off from the outside, Edward’s whole demeanor changed. His eyes sharpened with clarity, his face lost that dazed look. It was like seeing a completely different person.

Edward pushed me against the wall.

“Keep your promise. I did what you asked.”
“What?”
“You said if I let you ride my horse, you’d help me go outside the palace!”
“Me?”
“Are you messing with me?”

Edward grabbed my collar. He was unexpectedly strong. The breath was knocked out of me.

“Hey, let go and then talk!”
“Liar!”
“I said let go!”
“I never should’ve trusted you!”

I was about to fall. My back slid down the wall.

Edward, still holding my collar, collapsed on top of me. Even then, he didn’t let go.

The door burst open.

“What are you two doing? Prince Edward!”

Grey pulled Edward off me and Edward glared at him.

“Don’t stop me!”
“You can’t do this!”
“He lied to me!”

“If you hurt Prince Joffrey, you’ll be back in confinement! It might be longer than a month this time. Are you sure you want to do this?”  

Edward stopped struggling. Grey pushed him back while I sat on the floor, coughing. Joffrey lied to Edward?

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Prince Joffrey,” Grey said, as if telling me to stop. Stop what?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you’re going to grab someone by the collar, at least explain why first! What promise?”

“You forgot?” Edward glared at me. His eyes sparkled. Was that… tears?

“I fell off a horse and lost my memory, okay? Use your words! Just say it!”

“You said if I let you ride my horse once, you’d let me see my mom. You said you could do it.” Edward rubbed his eyes. I felt like a villain yelling at a kid.

Let’s think. Edward’s mother was of low birth. Maybe she lived outside the palace? Maybe that’s why Edward couldn’t see her.

Even I, who had only met him twice, could tell how he was treated in this palace. Of course he would want to see his mother.  

Joffrey… You really used that as a bargaining chip?

He was supposedly afraid of horses, so why had he insisted on riding Edward’s horse? Whatever the case, Joffrey fell off, and Edward was locked in his room for a month as punishment.

Yet Joffrey never once visited Edward. Moreover, even though he had several hours today to apologize, he acted as if nothing had happened.  

Grey listened to our conversation with a strange smile. I didn’t know why he was smiling, but it was clear now; I was in the wrong.

“… Sorry. I… I forgot.”
“What?”

Edward’s face twisted up. I hadn’t even done this, and yet I felt guilty.

“Let’s go. To see your mom.”
“What?”

Was I saying something weird?

“Do I need permission? To go out… or something like that…”
“What?”
“I mean, just tell me exactly what I need to do. Isn’t it enough if we leave the palace? Should I ask the Queen?”

If Joffrey asked, the Queen would probably summon a carriage immediately.

“No way that’d work.” Grey jumped in, clearly exasperated.

“Then what should I do?”
“You said you could help me,” Edward demanded.
“I could prepare a carriage.”  

How would I know what Joffrey’s original plan was?

“Are you serious?” Grey asked.

“What?”
“You really mean to help Prince Edward?”
“Yeah.”

Grey stared at me, then turned to Edward. “Prince Edward. Request an escort. Ask Prince Joffrey to accompany you on your visit to Lady Rosé.”

“Joffrey. Come with me.”
“Alright. That’s it?”
“… Yeah.”

Then both Edward and Grey started looking at me like I was some strange creature.

Joffrey’s daily routine was like this: wake up and attend class. This meant Duke Pie’s formal instruction. He usually skipped breakfast and ate lunch after class.

After lunch was free time, but even ‘free time’ only meant studying. I did the homework Duke Pie assigned and reread books Joffrey had studied before. Sometimes the Queen would visit and we’d have tea.

After dinner was the evening lesson. I discussed books or articles with scholars the Queen had recommended.

Lessons ended around nine. That left another short window of free time.

If I had homework, I did it then. If not, I played with the attendants. Most of Joffrey’s attendants were sons of low-ranked noble families who’d worked in the palace since childhood. They knew everything going on inside. That was usually when I heard rumors.

The only times Joffrey could go out were after lunch or after evening lessons. But since it was dark after evening class, realistically it had to be after lunch.

The escape plan was made to fit Joffrey’s schedule. Edward had no plans outside of Duke Pie’s class, and Grey said he’d adjust to mine.

“As you know, the Queen can’t find out,” Grey warned. “After all this, if she does find out, we’ll assume Prince Joffrey told her.”
“I won’t say anything. Why would I?”
“Exactly. Why would you?”

Grey looked at me like he expected an answer. Was Joffrey the type to blab?