0&1 Ch 7.8

“You don’t have to feel me up,” I informed him. 

Edward nodded and touched his own neck.
“Isn’t your body temperature low?” Edward proposed a new hypothesis.

“No.”
“Really?”
“Who taught you how to check for a fever?”
“You did.”
“Then I should know better than you.”
“…”
“Don’t just shut up when it’s inconvenient.”

Edward blinked. He was doing what people often do when they’re caught off guard. He was denying it. “It’s not like that.”

“Don’t joke around. I know everything.”

Edward went silent. I ignored him and placed a pillow behind his head. “Lie down. I’ll bring breakfast. Eat, take your medicine, and take a nap. You’ll feel better.”

I couldn’t hear Edward’s response, but I could feel his gaze trailing after me like a cat.

Edward did as I said without a word. He leaned against the pillow and blinked sleepily. I pulled the blanket up to his chin.

“You slept last night, so you must feel a little better. I thought you’d wake up hungry. Were you tired?”
“…”
“You don’t even want to answer that?”
“…”

Edward was stubborn.

I couldn’t help but laugh. Whose personality did he get? Not the King’s, I hope. He’s too cute for that.

Edward furrowed his brow. “I wasn’t avoiding your question. I was just thinking. I think slowly.”

“Really? Did you finish thinking?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you tired?”
“I think so.”

“Then you should rest.” I coaxed him in a soft voice. 

He probably didn’t sense my ulterior motive. Edward was clever, but he didn’t know much about the world. Understanding other people’s intentions usually comes with experience.

Edward blinked as if he was dazzled. “Okay. I will.”

I left Edward and stepped into the hallway. Just then, a servant passed by. I sent him to inform Duke Pie that Edward wouldn’t be attending today’s lesson, and told him that he had a bit of a cold.

Duke Pie wasn’t the type to relay trivial things to Queen Milane. He never answered questions that weren’t asked, and he didn’t care much about our attitude in class either. The fact that he let us space out in his lessons proved that.

He wouldn’t mind if I missed a day. 

This morning was my free time and I planned to spend it with Edward.

I remembered what Yoo Yeon-ho said about romance games. He said that nursing the character you’re trying to win over is an easy way to increase your favorability rating. According to Yoo Yeon-ho, it was a bonus event.

Theoretically, it made sense. When you’re sick, your heart grows weak. You long for human warmth. If someone is there by your side, you can’t help but feel grateful toward them. Being sick alone is lonely.

“Joffrey.” Edward peeked through the crack in the door. His fingers, pale to the point of translucence, gripped the edge. “What about our lesson? We’re already late.”

“We’re not going. I just told them.”
“Oh.”
”Were you thinking about that? I told you to rest. You don’t know how to rest, do you?“

Edward doesn’t listen well when you tell him something once. ”I know.“

“Then do it.”

Edward’s face disappeared from the crack in the door. The door closed.

Edward, who was sick, felt several times more fragile than usual. In reality, Edward was a helpless child. He was just a little cautious.

At least for now, between the two of us, I was the one doing the harm.

Here he was, weakened, and I was thinking something like, ‘Let’s soften him up and make him like me…’

Grey came to see us after regular class ended. Edward and I greeted him while lying face down on the bed.

Edward moved a chess piece. “Checkmate.”

“Wow. Ten in a row.”

I clapped my hands together. Edward, who had won ten games against me, put the pieces away without showing any sign of pride.

It was understandable. Neither Edward nor I knew how to play chess, but Edward got the hang of it in the first game and slaughtered my pieces in the second. Watching my troops fall one by one, I almost felt sorry for my still-living King.

When I complained it wasn’t fun anymore, he started going easy on me from the third match.

“That was such a close one, Your Highness. Don’t worry!”
“Ah…”
“Oh no! That one’s captured!”
“It’s okay! You’ll win next time!”

No. Winning was impossible… 

It was clearly impossible.  Either I was too bad at the game or Edward was too good, and I was betting on the latter. At least that made me feel better.

After game six, Dot went quiet. Instead, he kept glancing at me whenever I lost. Maybe Joffrey used to be the type who really wanted to beat Edward at games. If someone like that is watching, even the most laid-back person would start to feel the pressure.

“Wasn’t Your Highness too sick to even attend class?” Grey asked suspiciously.

Edward accidentally knocked over a piece while tidying up. The white bishop fell to the floor and rolled to Grey’s feet. “That’s right. That’s why I’m resting in bed.”

“You don’t look sick.”
“Did you want me to be sick?”
“Of course not. I’m happy that both Princes look healthy and friendly. You are a blessing to the country. How are your plans to keep your distance for a while going?” 

Grey bent down and picked up the bishop.

“We’ll resume once Edward’s better. Right, Edward?”
“Yeah.”

Edward nodded. The damp cloth wrapped around his forehead was dripping down his nose.

Edward grabbed the cloth and placed it back on his forehead. He needed the damp cloth to cool his forehead. However, Edward couldn’t just lie there if he wanted to play games. 

As a temporary measure, we tied the wet towel around Edward’s head. He wondered if it would be long enough, but Edward’s face was small, so there was a little left over after tying it.

Most of all, the way he kept lifting the towel back into place was adorable.

“Did you come to visit Edward?” I didn’t expect Grey to come back. He seemed worried about Edward, but he was keeping his distance for some reason.

It didn’t seem like he was visiting me, so I asked, and Grey raised an eyebrow. “I came to visit both of you. I brought the class materials. I thought you might need them. Since neither of you were here today, we didn’t get very far. We read Princess Milliam’s diary as a reference to what we learned before… Edward, why are you looking so strange, I mean, unique?”

Grey, who had placed Bishop on the bed, belatedly noticed Edward and looked at him with a puzzled expression. Edward turned his head quickly and looked at me.

“No, it’s cute. You look handsome.”
“He said I look bizarre.”
“Grey has no taste.”
“Really?”
“Really.”

Grey, who had been watching our conversation, chimed in, “Water’s dripping from the towel.”

“It’s not.” I refuted. I was the one who wrung out the towel. “It’s not dripping, is it, Edward?”

“…” Edward didn’t answer. 

Grey said teasingly, “It is.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”

“It’s fine. A few drops feel refreshing.” Edward defended me like an adult.

No. You shouldn’t be considerate of me. I’m the one who should be considerate.

Is water really dripping?

I untied the towel from Edward’s head. The end of the towel was slightly damp. When I squeezed it hard, water droplets fell.

Maybe I really have no talent for games. 

I don’t know who said the nursing event was easy. I was trying my best to take care of Edward, but everything I did seemed strange.

Chess, which was supposed to be something to do until Edward fell asleep, turned into him going easy on me, and the wet towel I used to cool him down was a mess.

Was it just me who couldn’t play this game, or is it really that difficult?

The medicine must be working because Edward started blinking his eyes. I laid Edward down and placed a new wet towel on his head.

Edward coughed so I brought the glass of water from the nightstand to his lips. He took it in both hands and drank it on his own.

“You’ve cooled down a lot. You’ll feel better after a nap.” I said, touching his cheek.

Edward didn’t respond.
He was already dozing off.