0&1 Ch 11.2

The next day, I went hunting without eating anything.

There were no clouds in the sky. As noon approached, the temperature rose, and it was going to be a picture-perfect day. A cool breeze blew, and the forest was so fresh that it could be described as vibrant.

However, I was not feeling well. My whole body had been aching since nighttime, and I wondered when the growing pains would end. When I woke up at dawn, I felt sick to my stomach.

“You must be exhausted from the carriage ride. Shouldn’t you rest today?” Dot asked.

I wanted to say yes, but I couldn’t help thinking about the Queen and Sir Baumkuchen’s expectations.

From a third-party perspective, it seemed unlikely that the King would ever acknowledge Joffrey and become a loving father. However, the Queen seemed unable to let go of her feelings, and Sir Baumkuchen joined her in this sentiment.

Can one’s efforts change the minds of others? Recently, I have become skeptical about this.

Even young Edward cannot change his mind, let alone the King.

Even when Edward acted cute, I found it suspicious. I wondered if he might say something like, ‘Why are you worrying about me?’

The King stood in front of his people and said something. He stood alone on a platform, his head higher than everyone else’s.

The King’s horse was a large black horse. In the game, Edward’s horse was white, and I remembered how the heroine found that ridiculous. A Prince on a white horse? Isn’t that too cliché?

“Did you hear me?”

I looked up blankly, and suddenly the King spoke. He looked suspicious.

Judging from the way the people around me were looking at me, it seemed that the King had said something about Joffrey.

The King brought me to the hunting ground because I had said that I was not afraid of horses. Was he trying to see if I was as skilled with horses as I had claimed?

We were about to enter the forest. It was a good time to check on the Prince.

When I answered, “Yes,” the King sent a knight forward. “Follow him closely. I entrust the Prince to you.”

The knight placed a fist over his chest. The King did not acknowledge the knight’s greeting and turned his horse around.

“Go!”

The King’s knights followed him. I could see Sir Baumkuchen among them. He did not even try to hide his disappointment. He too followed the King’s party and disappeared into the hunting grounds.

I was left behind with the knight at the edge of the forest. Wait, what about confirmation?

A moment later, I understood the situation. The King seemed to have grown tired of me.

‘I brought him this far, but do I really have to keep him around?’ As if he had just realized this, he immediately assigned a knight to me and sent me away.

He seemed to have forgotten what he had said. What kind of person would do that?

Did he really leave?

As I took a few steps into the forest, the knight called out from behind me. “Don’t go too deep, it’s dangerous.”

Deep? If I had walked more than ten steps, I wouldn’t have felt so wronged.

Suddenly, my nose started to itch. I shrugged my shoulders and coughed. It felt like my lungs were being squeezed. I felt a sharp pain in my throat.

When the coughing stopped, I felt exhausted. What was I doing this early in the morning? The Queen’s expectations were destined to end in disappointment. Perhaps Joffrey’s expectations were too.

Joffrey wanted to borrow Edward’s horse. He was afraid of horses. Why did he do that? Thinking about it, the answer was obvious.

There was someone who wanted Joffrey to ride the horse.

It wasn’t the Queen. Or Dot. And definitely not Edward.

Considering Joffrey’s limited circle of friends, there weren’t many people who could influence him. Why did Joffrey feel inferior to Edward, who was rumored to be an idiot? Joffrey wasn’t even in second place yet.

It would have made sense if Joffrey wanted the King’s recognition.

The horse was swishing its tail to shoo away flies.

As I coughed, I didn’t let go of the reins. If you don’t let go of the reins, you can prevent many problems that could arise from the horse.

At least watch Joffrey ride a horse. If not for the King, I wouldn’t have learned to ride in the first place.

I climbed onto the horse. I didn’t need a stirrup.

When I’d asked Edward how he got on, and he said ‘Just do it,’ he had meant it literally. Once you get used to it, anyone can do it.

As I tapped the horse’s belly with my feet, it began to pick up speed.

“Your Highness?”
“I want to go back to my room. You should rest too.”

I didn’t want to wait around pitifully for the King to return.

What would Joffrey have done? I didn’t know.

On the way back to the palace, my body temperature rose.

I wanted to lie down and rest. Joffrey’s body was young and emotional, so his mind was easily swayed.

I felt lonely. I was just returning alone from the hunting grounds.

It must have been because I was sick. When I was sick, I always felt alone. I had always been alone when I was sick.

A lot has changed since I became Joffrey. I never used to get sick, but now that I’m Joffrey, even when I’m fine, everyone around me worries first. So it feels like I’m sick much more often than before.

When I returned to the room assigned to me, Dot said I had made a wise decision and pushed me onto the bed. I drank the soup and warm tea he gave me and put a thermometer in my mouth.

I didn’t have to move a muscle until I fell asleep. When I coughed, Dot wrapped a damp towel around my neck.

It was warm. I shouldn’t get used to this.

I saw Dot asleep while nursing me. He was leaning back in his chair with his neck bent to the side. I straightened his neck and covered him with a blanket.

My throat was dry, but the water bottle was empty. I got out of bed and went into the hallway. There must be water in the dining room or somewhere.

Unlike the royal palace, the hallway at night was not well maintained. I moved around with a candle. Every step I took, the small flame flickered, and the wax seemed like it would drip onto my hands, making it difficult to concentrate on finding my way.

After turning around several times, I realized I had lost my way. I wished I could see a servant, but there was no one around. I stopped and coughed. My throat was now sore from the dryness. I needed to drink water.

At that moment, the candle flame went out.

I stood still for a moment. I was so flustered that my mind went blank. I was lost, left alone in the darkness. I’m in trouble. That was the only thought in my head.

If I put one hand on the wall and just keep walking forward, I’ll get somewhere, right? I remembered how to find my way in a maze. At the same time, I remembered what I did when I was lost as a child.

Eleven-year-old Joffrey would have done the latter, but I’m not Joffrey. I started walking along the wall. There had to be someone in the palace. There would be soldiers patrolling even in the deep of the night. I would surely encounter someone.

Not long after, I saw a light. Someone holding a candle was passing through the corridor.

But the face illuminated by the light looked familiar.

Hair as ornate as a decoration flowed down to her shoulders. I could see her delicate features and the robe she was wearing.

She looked tense as she walked. I knew someone else who snuck around the palace at night like this. Edward.

Lady Rosé, Edward’s mother, was walking down the corridor.

When I came to my senses, I was following her. I didn’t even breathe, staying completely silent. She looked around and knocked on a door.

The door opened as if it had been waiting. The King came out.

The King said nothing. He just held the door open so she could enter. That alone made me feel uneasy and my heart race. I hid behind the wall.

The door closed and the light disappeared. In the darkness, I could hear nothing but my heartbeat.

A secret meeting?

I don’t know how long I stayed there. I crouched down until my heartbeat slowed and I could breathe easily.

There was a reason no one was in the hallway. The King had sent everyone away. I was unlucky. Or maybe it was a blessing in disguise. If not for this, I might never have met Lady Rosé.

I waited for her to come out, imagining the soap opera-like story of this family.

Did the King come to the royal villa not to hunt, but to have an affair?

Does the Queen know about this?

It was summer. The nights were short.

Before dawn, Lady Rosé slipped out of the king’s bedroom. She turned back the way she came and bumped into me.

Wearing a robe, she covered her face with her hands and turned away. She looked suspicious, desperately trying to hide her face.

What did the King do? He didn’t even tell her how to deal with people she bumped into.

I grabbed her sleeve. I needed her. For Edward.

Edward wanted only one thing.

“I know who you are.”
“…”
“Edward wants to see you.”

Lady Rosé didn’t run anymore. She asked, “Who are you?”

“I am Edward’s brother, my lady.” 

The candle rose. It illuminated my face.

“Prince Joffrey.” 

The woman covered her mouth with her hand.

I could have told Lady Rosé honestly how Edward was doing.

“Is he doing well? Is he really doing well?”

I would have been able to do so if the woman hadn’t been clinging to me.