0&1 Ch 3.6

Dot waved his hand over Prince Joffrey’s face. Even though the candlelight flickered across his face, the prince did not move.

Prince Joffrey was finally asleep. The soft breathing of a child could be heard. Dot covered the prince with a blanket and went outside.

Don’t go to the Queen?

“That’s an order.”

The prince looked cute when he said that, but he couldn’t do that. The prince did not know what kind of person the Queen was. 

If he didn’t go on his own, he’d be dragged there eventually. Then, ‘for personal reasons’, he would have to resign his position as the prince’s attendant.

Dot didn’t want that.

The Queen was waiting. It was unbelievable that someone of the Queen’s status would wait for a mere attendant until this hour.

When Dot first went to report to the Queen about the prince, he thought that the Queen loved the prince very much.

The Queen was really waiting for his report. She wanted to hear about the prince.

He was even a little moved.

Even now, he still believed that the Queen loved the prince, but his feelings had changed a little.

The Queen’s black hair hung loosely over her forehead. Her face was pale, and her lips were bloodless. With her makeup removed, her face looked completely colorless.

It wasn’t just color that was missing from the Queen. She lacked compassion and understanding.

Dot pressed his body flat to the floor and bowed low.

“Forgive me for being late, Your Majesty. His Highness just fell asleep.”
“What was my prince doing at this hour?”
“He was studying, as usual.”

“Really? It seems he’s grown up.” The Queen spoke gently.

Dot felt relieved. Although he said “as usual,” it was only recently that the prince had begun to spend time studying.

Thanks to that, the Queen was in a good mood, which was rare these days.

Dot was not a great flatterer, but he was good at pleasing his superiors. Thanks to that, he had become the prince’s personal attendant.

The only one who could improve the Queen’s mood was Prince Joffrey. When speaking to her, Dot just had to share good stories about the prince.

On the contrary, anything else would ruin her mood.

A side door opened, and a maid entered. She quietly set down a tray.

Was it tea? Or was it something else?

“By the way, what happened to the outing? Why did the prince suddenly decide he wanted to see outside the castle?”

Dot pressed his forehead against the floor. He had to be careful what he said. Edward’s name must not be mentioned.

“I think His Highness was curious. He is at that age, after all.”
“Don’t add your own opinion. That’s presumptuous.” The Queen said with a smile. 

Dot realized he had misspoken.

“You’ve trained the prince well. With all the favor you’re shown, I suppose you’ve forgotten your place.”

The Queen didn’t sound angry. No matter her mood, her voice always sounded like silk.

Dot recalled his last visit to the Queen’s palace. It was the day Prince Joffrey fell from Prince Edward’s horse.

The Queen, who had been pouring out her anger at Prince Edward, seemed to regain her composure in an instant. After disposing of the horse that had injured Prince Joffrey and punishing Prince Edward, the Queen called for Dot.

She wanted to hear exactly what had happened to Prince Joffrey. Dot trembled and apologized. He didn’t know exactly how the prince had ended up on the horse. Joffrey had sent him on an errand at the time.

Dot had sensed that Prince Joffrey was up to something. The prince was not clever enough to hide his intentions well.

However, Dot’s status was that of the prince’s attendant. He could not disobey orders.

Even though he knew something was off, he had to go retrieve a pen the prince claimed he’d forgotten in the palace.

It was a terrible feeling. Dot ran as fast as he could, hoping to return before the prince caused an accident.

However, when Dot returned, Prince Joffrey was on horseback. Prince Edward was staring blankly at Prince Joffrey’s back.

“Stop! I said stop!” Prince Joffrey’s screams grew fainter and fainter…

Dot hated Prince Joffrey with a passion. This feeling was even stronger when he had to give a stupid report such as, “I’m sorry, I don’t know,” in front of the Queen.

That prince will kill me someday.

I won’t die a natural death. Because of Prince Joffrey.

Dot remembered thinking and grinding his teeth. 

Back then, he’d hated Joffrey so much.

And this outing was as big a disaster as the fall from the horse.

During the horseback riding accident, there was someone else who would have borne the Queen’s anger: Edward. Edward was a prince, and while the Queen could have punished him with confinement, she couldn’t impose a harsher penalty.

But this time, there was no one else to take the blame.

Dot was a servant. After the fall, the horse was put down, and Dot didn’t expect to be treated as more valuable than a horse.

He had seen the Queen go pale and scold the prince. If the prince hadn’t stopped her, the Queen would have tried to kill Dot.

“I promised the prince that I would not touch you, so I cannot break my promise. However, it is dangerous to keep a servant who does not know his place near the prince. What should I do?” The Queen asked and answered herself. “… Yes, he needs to be taught a lesson. I’ll help him learn his place.”

The Queen gestured to her maid.

“My son likes him. Don’t be too harsh with him.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Queen sank into her chair. The maid ordered Dot to stand up.

Dot obeyed. He recalled how Prince Joffrey had stood between him and the Queen.

A member of the royal family had knelt before a servant. The prince had embraced Dot and said he would punish his servant himself.

Dot had never imagined that anyone would protect him like that. Everything that had happened to him up until now had been his own responsibility. 

When he was sick, no one took his place. No one rebuilt his ruined family.

‘My servant’.

Prince Joffrey’s servant.

Dot had never imagined that anyone would protect him like that. Everything that had happened to him up until now had been his own responsibility. 

What had changed?

Afterward, Dot dragged his injured leg back toward Prince Joffrey’s wing. He told himself not to run for a while. But even after deciding that, he kept forgetting. People in the palace were always in a rush. It became a habit.

What had changed…?

He saw Prince Joffrey, asleep. It was presumptuous to comment on the prince’s appearance, but his face was so adorable that anyone would want to take his side.

Dot smiled gently and went into the adjoining room.

My prince.