0&1 Ch 3.2

“Shall I fix your wig, Your Highness?” Dot asked, already holding a comb in his hand. Where did that come from?

“Sure.”

I gave him permission because it seemed like he wanted to, and Dot happily began combing my wig.

A wig isn’t supposed to be something that sticks tightly to your head, but this one was clinging to my head like my own hair. Every time Dot combed it, I could feel it on my scalp. This is definitely a game.

Edward was scratching his head, probably because it was itchy. His hair moved naturally. I thought half of Edward’s good looks came from his blond hair, but that wasn’t the case. Edward was handsome, even with his messy hair and glasses.

He’s going to break hearts when he grows up. He already made the heroine cry, though for a different reason.

“It’s itchy?”
“Yeah.”
“Want me to comb yours too?”
Edward nodded.

Dot was now trimming my bangs with a small pair of scissors.

“Dot, help Edward after you’re done with me.”
“Yes.”

Dot carefully trimmed the ends of my hair, then stepped back to examine the wig from a distance. He nodded, satisfied.

His hand went inside his vest, and the scissors disappeared, replaced by the comb. Was it magic?

Edward looked flustered.

“Wait, I can do it…”

“Is something uncomfortable, Your Highness?” Dot asked sweetly,. Held by him, Edward was combed until his wig swayed. He belatedly thought that the messy side might be better for covering his face, but it was already too late.

Grey didn’t stop him either, so it should be fine.

It wasn’t fine.

Grey was staring at me with an unreadable expression. It seemed like he was either criticizing me or curious.

Again. I felt uneasy, but I just gave him a smile as if to ask for forgiveness.

“You feeling better now?”
“No.” Grey replied. “How could I dare to harbor any feelings toward Your Highness? I have nothing to forgive.”

Why are you like this again?

The awkward tension hung in the air until the carriage finally exited the castle. Outside, I could hear people talking and laughing.

We were in a bustling district.

I adjusted my glasses and peeked out the window. Shops had spilled their goods onto the streets, vendors called out to customers, and children dashed through the crowds.

The carriage stopped and the door opened. Sir Meringue poked his head in.

“I’ll go fetch the rental carriage. Please wait here.”

Grey gave a small nod.

“Be careful.” I added. Sir Meringue lit up like I’d blessed him.

“Thank you, sir! I’ll return shortly!”

He shut the door and left.

Edward was pressing his forehead against the window. I could see the back of his round head.

“Can you see anything, Edward?”

We were parked in a quiet spot, so the market view wasn’t great. Edward shook his head. Then his stomach growled.

“Edward?”
“…”

I moved next to him and pressed my forehead to the glass too. There was a skewer stall down the road. Only now did the scent of grilled meat stand out.

“You didn’t eat lunch?”
“…”
“Edward?”

His ears were red.

“No.”
“What do you mean no?”
“I said no.”

I grabbed Edward’s wrist. It was so thin that I felt like I could break it if I squeezed too hard.

Even in a game world, how could you let a prince go hungry?

I had always thought so, but in this world, absurd things seemed to happen easily.

There was no need to wonder who was starving him. It must be the Queen.

The tension during meals. The Queen telling me not to play with Edward. Grey warning me not to tell her about our outing.

Did Edward really not hate Joffrey?

“Do you have any money?” I asked Grey.

“Money?”
“Yeah. Cash.”
“Why do you need money?”
“To buy skewers.”
“For Your Highness?”
“I want to eat, Edward wants to eat, and you can eat too if you want.”
“Prince Joffrey has already had lunch.”

Grey pretended not to get it.

“I’ll pay you back when we return.”
“It’s not about the money… but I don’t have cash.”

Then why all the fuss?

“I’ve got money, Your Highness! Don’t worry! Should I go buy some?” Dot offered.

“Yeah. And get some for yourself too.”
“I was going to anyway…”

Edward mumbled.

“Don’t say that. You want some, right?”

Edward fell silent. He sat there, his feet together and his hands on his knees, lost in thought.

As Dot left, the carriage fell silent again. It would be surprising if Edward didn’t hate me at all, but I couldn’t understand Grey’s attitude.

In the game, Grey and Joffrey barely interacted. As Edward’s aide, Grey’s hostility was expected, but I couldn’t recall any personal clashes.

Maybe he just hates him because he’s the Queen’s son. But even so, Grey’s reaction was ambiguous.

I wanted to ask him outright. What happened between you and Joffrey?

Grey had been the only one to visit Joffrey while he was sick. I thought they were friends.

As I rested my forehead against the glass and sighed deeply, something strange caught my eye. A boy approached Dot, who was placing an order at the counter. He bumped into Dot naturally and shouted something before walking away.

What was that…

Dot put his hand in his pocket and started frantically searching through his clothes. A pickpocket! I jumped up, and Edward followed suit.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“Your Highness!”

Grey’s voice faded behind me as I ran to Dot. My ill-fitting glasses slipped down my nose. I grabbed the frame.

“Dot? Did you lose your wallet?”
“Your Highness!” Dot cried.

Dot cried out. I looked in the direction where the pickpocket had disappeared. It was an alley leading to the market, so it was crowded with people.

“It’s fine. We can get it back.”
“It’s not the wallet, it’s…” Dot bit his lip. “It’s nothing. I didn’t lose my wallet. Young master, why didn’t you stay inside? I would have gone back quickly! Were you really looking forward to the street food?”

Dot said brightly. But no one was fooled by someone who had been about to cry just moments ago suddenly acting cheerful.

“What happened? What did the pickpocket take?”
“Nothing.”
“Dot, that’s an order. Answer me.”
“It’s really nothing…” Dot hesitated.

“We’ll know if it’s nothing once you tell us.”

Dot inhaled and said, “I lost my family ring. I’m an only son, and my father gave it to me before he died.”

“That’s important!”

It was unexpected. Dot was a servant character who didn’t even appear in the game. I didn’t know he had a backstory.

“No, it’s useless even if I have it. There’s no way I can rebuild the family…”

This isn’t good. Dot forced a smile, making me feel guilty for no reason.

If not for me, Dot wouldn’t have come out and gotten robbed. He wouldn’t be on the verge of tears.

Ugh, really. Why does this game have so many pointless details?

“Um…” An unfamiliar voice interrupted us. The skewered meat shop owner was watching us from behind the counter. “Are you young masters not taking your food?”

Dot had paid already. We each grabbed two skewers. When we returned to the carriage, it had been swapped for a smaller, duller rental.

“Young master.” Grey stood with his arms crossed. He looked ready to scold me.

Before he could speak, I held out a skewer. “Here.”

“Whoa, what’s that? Smells amazing.” Sir Meringue peeked out from the driver’s seat. We’d forgotten to buy him one.

“One, two, three, four. Four skewers? Then one of them must be…”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot about you. Here you go.”
“Huh?”

I handed him my skewer. My hands were now empty, and I opened the carriage door and gestured for Dot to get in.

“Let’s call the guards. It’s impossible for us to find a pickpocket in the market on our own. Dot, did you get a good look at him?”
“Huh? There’s no need for that! You don’t have to involve the guards in my business…”
“Who said it’s your business? You’re my attendant. That makes it my problem.”

Dot looked like he was about to cry again, but this time from gratitude.

Even if I was just pretending to be a good master, it really was my fault.