0&1 Ch 21.16

“I guess it’s His Highness who was assigned to this room, not Alex Baumkuchen,” Grey checked, cooling his forehead with his hand.

Why ask when you already know?

Alex was putting down my luggage. He seemed to want to help me organize, but there was really no need for him to play the role of Dot.

Unless he wanted to become my personal servant later.

“Thanks for seeing me in, Alex. You should go rest too.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll come get you when it’s time for dinner.”

Alex left.

I closed the door and sat down on the empty bed. The double room was more spacious than I had expected, with two beds, two wardrobes, a desk, and even a bathroom.

Grey stopped posing like he was thinking and leaned back on the bed. He sat with his back against the wall and stared at me.

“Hello, Grey. Looks like we met sooner than at the entrance ceremony.”

“Are you disappointed?” Grey asked.

“Disappointed that I met you early?” 

You’re the one who seems disappointed.

“No. That I didn’t return to His Majesty at the banquet.”

I wondered when he was talking about. Grey was a stickler for details.

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed. Grey had been quite good to Joffrey.

That meant he was good by Grey’s standards. He wasn’t the type to be affectionate with people. But he was kind to Joffrey, and I had received a lot of help from him.

I’d known that his interest would disappear as soon as Edward returned.

Did he feel guilty? He had asked me to come to the banquet hall, but then he didn’t take care of me.

“Why, did I look lonely being alone?”

When I asked with a smile, Grey replied coldly, “You weren’t alone. Alex Baumkuchen didn’t leave your side.”

“I told you I’m popular.”

“Yes. You really are.” Grey sighed. His expression, which seemed as if you couldn’t get a drop of blood out of him, gradually crumpled, and he soon became irritated. “Why did you choose this room? The location is terrible, and it has a bad reputation.”

“I didn’t choose it! You were assigned to it too, weren’t you? What are you talking about?” 

You’re trying to pull a magic trick. If you wanted to draw a line between us, you should have tried harder! Is it Joffrey’s fault?

“You could have ignored it with your royal authority.”
“Didn’t you tell me to take care of my image?”
“I don’t know. You don’t need me to tell you to take care of your image. You’re doing a great job of that yourself.”

Grey didn’t seem to like me as a roommate, but I wasn’t exactly thrilled about him either.

Shouldn’t I be the one who dislikes him?

It was difficult to look at Grey and Edward separately. Where did Edward hear all the details about Joffrey?

The answer was in the bathroom, where someone was currently showering.

Let’s go in when Grey finishes his shower. Let’s wash up and eat dinner.

I took off my shoes and curled up.

The sound of water dripping sounded like rain.

The thing I was worried about was resolved, and I met the heroine. Even though there was still a year left before the main game, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

When the heroine said she was going back to her hometown, I wondered what would happen.

I’m glad it’s resolved. She got into the academy, so she probably won’t have any strange thoughts about wanting to go back to her hometown.

Even if the heroine goes back to her hometown, only sad things await her. Idella really hated her house.

It was a house that was easy to hate.

Now she will live a busy life, juggling part-time work and studying. Her goal is to get a professional job after graduation and support her family.

She should just focus on herself. Why is she so kind?

Her future plans will be ruined by early next year anyway.

While playing the game, I felt sorry for her and frustrated.

That’s why…

I thought I heard something in my sleep.

[Welcome back to Love Trap Marriage, Player.]

[We hope you have a wonderful time.]

—-

Alex Baumkuchen entered the auditorium. Students attending the entrance ceremony filled the room, so he had no choice but to be on high alert to protect Prince Joffrey.

The kingdom welcomed spring in an atmosphere of unprecedented hope. The two Princes were the driving force behind that hope.

First Prince Edward Biscotti and Second Prince Joffrey Biscotti.

Prince Edward’s brilliant achievements were well known. Alex had witnessed Prince Edward up close.

Alex didn’t know much about Edward. He was like other nobles. Even if Alex had been an avid partygoer, he would not have heard any rumors about Edward, as he had no connections in high society.

There were not really any rumors about Edward. It was as if someone had erased him. He was a Prince who was practically nonexistent.

Edward’s name suddenly began to spread just before the battle. The nobles who entered the royal palace talked about the clever Prince Edward.

Count Baumkuchen said that this was just the beginning.

Alex had met Edward when he was dragged to the royal palace as a child.

He had been looking for a shortcut to escape the castle. Then, a boy who looked nothing like a Prince called out to him. 

“You’re not from the royal palace, are you?”

Then he immediately subdued Alex and demanded to know his identity.

Alex was only able to get up from the ground after revealing that he had been captured by the Prince. However, his opponent did not let Alex go.

He grabbed Alex by the back of his neck and dragged him somewhere.

Alex wanted to scream, but he couldn’t because he was afraid of being caught by the soldiers.

The place where the man dragged Alex was a garden. He entered the garden through a familiar back path and waited for Prince Joffrey to return.

Alex was afraid of the man.

It wasn’t because he was overwhelmingly stronger or more violent than Alex. It was because he used violence without hesitation, yet showed no malice or prejudice.

Usually, people who beat Alex didn’t hide their base pleasure in the process of subjugating him.

But the man who subdued Alex didn’t seem to feel anything.

Violence was an easy tool for him, and he beat Alex down without emotion, as if he were using that tool.

That day remained a disturbing memory for Alex.

Alex saw Edward again on the day of departure. He looked at Alex emotionlessly and turned his head away.

Alex thought that Edward did not remember him.

At the border, Alex stayed by Edward’s side. Prince Joffrey said that Prince Edward would be safe and told Alex to stay where he was.

Prince Joffrey’s words were only half true. Prince Edward was protected by his soldiers, but he threw himself into dangerous situations as if he wanted to die, and his protection was useless.

Alex had to desperately follow Edward.

Alex remembered how Prince Joffrey had treated Edward.

He didn’t know much about politics. He knew that Count Baumkuchen didn’t like Edward because he thought he was complicated, but he didn’t know how he should act.

He only knew that he had to protect Prince Edward. If Edward died, Prince Joffrey would be sad.

The soldiers thought Prince Edward, who was rushing into dangerous territory, was a knight who valued honor. Alex had a different opinion.

Prince Edward seemed to be relentlessly pushing himself forward.

When Alex followed him on the road, he glanced back at him with bright blue eyes. It was as if he knew Alex would follow him.

Alex was struck by this, but he couldn’t find the words to describe his feelings.

After six months of war, Edward had become a hero.

Children sang songs about Edward in the streets, and his name evoked memories of heroes of the past.

Unlike Edward, who had earned respect through his military prowess, Prince Joffrey was loved by the people.

He participated in charity events and often donated large sums of money. He freed slaves and took care of their families, achieved great success in trade, and improved the treatment of sailors.

In early winter, he had gardens built so that the poor and unemployed could remain employed during the winter.

The garden trend led by Prince Joffrey spread throughout the country, and the nobles followed the Prince’s example and spent generously on garden construction.

It became customary to pay workers generously, which gave the people some breathing room.

Prince Joffrey often went on secret visits to the market, but the people knew about it and pretended not to notice.

The merchants who had extorted large sums of money from the Prince in the early days apologized for their wrongdoing, unable to bear the disapproving glances of others.

They offered to return the money they had earned, but the Prince refused to accept it.

“That price was fair. I will continue to accept that amount from you in the future.”
“What? Your Highness? Then we will be punished…”
“What punishment? I should be praising you. I like spending money.”
“What?”
“You are excellent merchants who sell what people need. Just don’t do that to other people.”

Impressed by his generosity, the merchants donated the profits they had made to charity.

The people were proud of Prince Edward and loved Prince Joffrey.

Alex was in the service of Prince Joffrey.

The prince, whom he served closely, had a gentle and soft-hearted nature.

Even when he had seen him as a child, and even when he had heard rumors about him from afar, he had already guessed this. However, serving him directly was beyond his imagination.

If an assassin disguised as a beggar approached him and said, ‘Sir, please help me with a single coin,’ wouldn’t the Prince approach him without suspicion?