0&1 Ch 7.4

Dot cautiously reached out toward Edward. “Ow, that hurts. That really hurts. Prince Edward, I’m just going to take the scissors,” Dot said as if coaxing a child.

Edward’s dazed eyes turned toward Dot. Feverish and moving slowly, Edward adjusted the position of the scissors toward Dot. The tip of the scissors swayed threateningly.

What are you doing?

“Stop. Back off.” 

The moment Dot hesitated upon hearing my words, Edward’s scissors sliced through the air. If Dot had moved any closer, he would have been injured.

Edward stared blankly in my direction. My heart pounded. Cold sweat broke out again, this time for a very different reason.

This is dangerous.

“W-Wow, Your Highness! You saved my life!” Dot gasped for breath. His eyes were filled with emotion as he looked at me.

Is that what matters right now? Watch where you’re going.

Edward blinked. He lost his balance and bumped his back against the wall.

I heard rapid breathing. Even then, Edward didn’t take his eyes off Dot, as if he were looking at his mortal enemy.

“Should I restrain him?” Dot asked. Dot was older than Edward and Joffrey, but he was still only a junior high school student where I lived.

I was about to tell him to back off, but Grey interrupted me.
“Look in front of you.”

Edward was trembling as he tried to get up. No, this was terrifying. Edward was rising like a zombie, and Dot was staring at me blankly.

“Dot, move back. Now.”
”Huh?”
“Don’t look at me! Move away from Edward.”
“You’re not going to approach Prince Edward, are you, Your Highness?” Dot didn’t trust me and didn’t follow my orders.

It was obvious that it was dangerous, but you were the only one doing something like that.

Edward responded to Dot’s voice. It seemed like he was reacting to the loud noise nearby.

He really looks like a zombie, doesn’t he? Edward swung his arms.

“Dot, get down!” Dot fell flat on the floor under the bed.

When the enemy in front of him disappeared, Edward froze. He rolled his eyes as if searching for something, but when he saw no one, he bowed his head and coughed.

“I-I’m sorry, Your Highness…”
“Be quiet.” I cut Dot off before he could say more. 

The room fell silent. The room fell silent. Edward leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

Did he fall asleep?

He was still holding the scissors, so I couldn’t let my guard down.

“… Dot, why are you still like that?” Dot was bowing low on the floor. I’d told him to get down, but he didn’t need to be so pitiful about it.

With a teary face, Dot asked, “I’m sorry. I was wrong. Are you angry with me?”

No, why? I was flustered. Did I unintentionally hurt him?

“Why would I be mad at you?” 

It was a bit frustrating to see Dot stammering in front of Edward.

But I couldn’t make a loud noise in case I woke Edward up. I knelt down and approached Dot.

“A-Ah, Your Highness.” Dot was startled. I helped him up. He was too loyal to resist when the prince reached out to help him.

“You’re really not mad at me?”
“Why would I be?”
“But you told me to get down on my hands and knees… I was being presumptuous, not understanding your intentions…”

“What are you talking about? You were in danger. Edward seemed to be reacting to someone nearby, so I did what I thought was best.”

“Your Highness!” Dot clung to me. He seemed moved again.

I don’t know what moved Dot. Well, if you like it, that’s fine.

Actually, I’m the one who brought Edward here and caused this mess.

As I was comforting Dot, something fell onto the bed. It was a pair of scissors. Edward’s body slid off the headboard. He seemed to have lost consciousness.

I quickly grabbed the scissors from the unconscious Edward.

He was such a high-maintenance child. Maybe he couldn’t trust people. Edward wasn’t being cautious because Dot was there. He would have reacted the same way if anyone else had approached him.

What had happened to him in the past?

I was glad nothing dangerous had happened. But I couldn’t let Edward sleep like this. Even if he slept, he had to take his medicine first. I told Dot to clear away any dangerous objects around him, then approached the bed.

Grey was still standing behind me.

“Aren’t you going to wash up? Do you need someone to help you?”
“No, I don’t need anything… What are you doing?”
“Giving him his medicine. If you’re not going to wash up, come and help me sit Edward up.”
“What?”

Dot was dragging a flowerpot. I didn’t think Edward, in his condition, had the strength to throw a pot. But then I hadn’t expected him to grab scissors, either.

Dot was struggling with the pot, so I couldn’t ask him for help.

“What are you doing? Hurry up.”

When I urged him, Grey approached. He stretched out both arms toward Edward. It was an awkward position. Had he never helped someone up before?

“Your Highness Edward, excuse me.” That’s what he said. Of course, Edward wasn’t going to wake up and say ‘Go ahead.’

I just put my hands under Edward’s armpits and lifted him up. Grey, who was awkwardly holding Edward’s waist, looked up in surprise.

He wasn’t helping, so I decided to do it myself.

I poured the medicine Grey had brought into a spoon. I had to open Edward’s mouth, but I only knew one way to do that.

“Edward. Edward, open your eyes for just a second. If that’s too hard, just open your mouth. Let’s swallow this.” 

“What are you doing?” Grey was being annoying.

I was poking Edward’s lips with the spoonful of medicine. Edward grimaced. This would make him open his mouth, even if only out of annoyance.

Edward groaned. His delicate eyebrows were contorted, and his eyelashes trembled.

“He’s suffering!”
“Stop bothering me and do something… You feed him. My arm is going to fall off.”

The spoon was heavy. It was my own arm holding it, but I didn’t understand how it could feel this heavy. Children’s bodies are shockingly fragile.

Grey took the spoon without thinking. “Your Highness Edward, open your mouth. I’ll just give you the medicine. No, don’t collapse… Prince Joffrey? Your Highness Edward is passing out! Prince Joffrey!”
“Edward!”

It felt like a decade had passed. Edward nearly hit his head against the wall. His heart was pounding. I was barely holding Edward’s head.

“Haah… Haah…” 

Grey spilled the liquid medicine on the blanket. He was so shocked that I tried to calm him down.

“It’s fine. Just hold him like that.” Even my voice was shaking. 

Grey, trembling, said, “Prince Edward isn’t… dead, right?”

“No. He’s breathing.”
“But he’s not waking up.”
“I know.”

I’m watching too. I know what’s happening.

After that, we struggled for a long time. We tickled Edward and poked him. We even tried to pry open Edward’s lips like we were giving medicine to a puppy. Then Grey almost got bitten…

When we finally managed to give Edward the medicine, I nearly shook Grey’s hand in triumph. Between the two of us, we probably sweated a liter.

Edward grimaced as he closed his mouth. It must’ve tasted bitter. Grey lay sprawled on the bed. I was slumped down as well. I didn’t want to get up.

But if we stayed like this, we’d soak the sheets in sweat. Sweat glistened in Grey’s black hair.

“You’re going to wash before leaving, right?”

“No.” Grey seemed to have returned to his usual stubborn self.

“You’re really going to go out looking like that?”
“…I’ll just stay here for a while.”

I hadn’t planned to ask twice. Grey was definitely sharp.

Dot was wiping Edward’s body with a wet towel. I needed that service too, but if I bothered Dot now, I would get a pitiful look from Grey.

I went into a different bathroom from Grey and washed up. Grey came out wearing Joffrey’s clothes, looking clean.

Even though they were borrowed clothes, they fit him perfectly. He even looked more handsome than when Joffrey wore them.

Joffrey and Grey were about the same height and build. Edward was slightly taller than both of us. Joffrey ate way more and more robustly, so it had to be genetics. The  King and Edward’s mother, Lady Rosé, were both tall and slender.

“What are you going to do now?”
“Edward? I’ll let him sleep until he wakes up, then feed him something light. Want to stay and wait? You can sleep over.”
“No.”

Grey looked down at Edward as he spoke. I still couldn’t tell whether he actually worried about Edward or not.