0&1 Ch 12.2

Edward looked around, searching for something, then opened the book he had brought with him and drew a mark on it. 

As I listened to him explain the lesson with a serious expression, I felt a slight sense of betrayal. I thought he was doing something else during class, but he was actually listening the whole time?

I don’t know if he’s good at explaining, but I can tell he memorized the entire lesson.

“Was that helpful?”
“Are you a genius or something?”

“I don’t think so.” Edward blinked. “But if you want, I’ll keep helping you.”

“Really?”

Edward nodded with a smile.

“What are you two so happy about?” Dot asked as he put down the basket. Peaches, salad, chocolate cookies, and milk were placed on the table.

Edward didn’t eat vegetables or fruit unless someone served them to him, so the snacks served at this time of day were always a bit random. “The apple pie will be a little late.”

“Apple pie?” Edward asked.

“I asked the chef. It’s not the one you wanted, but still.”

One day, we’d get to try Lady Rosé’s apple pie too.

“What you give me is what I want.” Edward said casually.

Dot froze mid-table-setting.

“Are you doing this on purpose?”
“What?”
“Don’t say things like that anywhere. You’ll cause misunderstandings.“
”Misunderstandings?”

Dot stared at us with wide eyes. Look at him! Even though I pointed out the example, Edward didn’t seem to understand.

Thanks to Edward, I finished my homework quickly. Edward and I finished our snacks and lay down on the grass.

The wind was blowing pleasantly. The summer here wasn’t unbearably hot, and closing my eyes made me feel like I could fall asleep.

When I turned my head, Edward was looking at me as if he was dazzled.

The locket was rolling around in his hand.

“Can I see it too?” I had already seen it, but I asked Edward as if I had never seen it before.

Edward opened the locket. “It’s Mom.” He pointed at the portrait on the left.

I know. It’s obviously not the one on the right.

“When His Majesty came, Mom would bake apple pie. I guess that was her best dish. When I smelled the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen, I knew it was a good day. Mom was happy.” 

Edward closed the locket and leaned against me.

It wasn’t surprising that Edward was deprived of affection. I reached out and touched his hair. I had always wanted to touch it.

I didn’t need to ask if I could touch it. Edward closed his eyes.

As I gently stroked his hair, it fell through my fingers. It felt like touching soft, warm sand.

But the next class was about to start, and Edward had to leave.

“You two really hit it off.” After Edward left, Dot spoke while clearing the table.

“Do you think so?” 

I was glad if that was how Dot saw it.

“Even if Edward becomes King, he won’t execute me, right?”
“What are you talking about, Your Highness? Why would you be executed?”
“I was just saying.”

Dot’s serious expression surprised me a little. “What did His Highness Edward say?”

“Nothing. Nothing happened. You know what Edward is like.”
“Prince Edward is… He’s a good person. But Prince Joffrey is a hundred times better!“
”Thank you.“
”I’m worried because you’re such a good person!“
”Yes. Thank you.”

I was worried about Dot. How could he be so blind?

I had lost my objectivity about Edward. But even from a third-party perspective, it seemed that Edward and I had become close. It was a little unsettling that the third party was Dot, though.

Anyway, he wouldn’t kill his brother, who was such good friends with him, just because of a lover.

Everything was going well.

As soon as Duke Pie’s lesson ended, Edward grabbed me and said he would show me an interesting place.

I should have known that Edward’s sense of humor was different from mine. The direction Edward was leading me in felt ominous. As we walked, the area grew increasingly deserted, and we arrived at the abandoned palace in the north.

The abandoned palace had been closed for a long time. It had probably been ten years since the palace was closed and no one had set foot inside.

The servants told me that there were rumors of ghosts in the abandoned palace. Even Dot said he had heard something that sounded like ghosts crying in the palace.

Does Edward like ghost experiences?

If this were real life, I would have thought there were no ghosts, but this was a game. If we actually encountered a ghost, it wouldn’t be a joke.

“… If we open the door like this.” 

Edward put his hand under the iron door of the abandoned palace and fumbled around. A creaking sound echoed, and the back door opened.

A narrow path used by servants was revealed.

“We can go in. What do you think?” Edward asked with an expectant look.

What do you mean, what do I think? What are you doing wandering around in the middle of the night?

He wanted to scold him, but that wasn’t what Edward wanted to hear.

“That’s cool. Did you find it yourself?”

“Yeah.” Edward’s eyes narrowed. His cheeks flushed as he boasted, “I found it three years ago. “No one was around, so I came in and was surprised to find it was nicer than I expected. The hall is big, and the garden is large. It must have been an important palace in the past. It’s a shame it’s been abandoned. No one else comes here. I cleaned it up and made it my secret place.“

He chattered on. I just nodded. So you’re the ghost.

”If you don’t want to stay in the palace, you can come here.“

You don’t want to stay in the palace? Why? I was curious, but I didn’t ask. 

“Really?

When I asked with a smile, Edward generously agreed.

”Sure.”

I could get the answer to my earlier question later.

Light streaming through the large window illuminated the hall. Thick rugs and tapestries hung on the walls. Dust floated in the air like an abandoned cathedral.

It didn’t seem like a healthy place. But it felt like a hidden place, and I thought I understood why Edward was proud of it.

Kids love secret places.

“Do you come here often?”

“Not much lately…” Edward nodded. “I’ll show you around. We have everything you need. I put a mattress over there, and there are cups over here. I’ll show you where to get water outside. You can sleep here. It’s comfortable.”

“Have you slept here before?”
“No problems.”
“That’s not the issue. Doesn’t anyone come looking for you?”

Edward blinked and looked at me. “No.”

Of course not. That’s why he’s wandering around looking for abandoned places.

“I’ll come find you. If you disappear.”

Edward smiled and leaned against me. “I’ll wait.”

Edward was definitely the subject of the ghost rumors. He seemed to have brought all his belongings to the hall and was using it as his hideout.

The wooden sword I had lent him during our sparring was also standing in a corner of the wall for some reason, and a dining tray was placed in the middle of the hall. I pointed at the tray.

“Why is that in such an awkward place?”

“It’s easier to move things around.” Edward pulled the tray. The wheels made a creaking sound. Was it a hundred-year-old tray?

I think I’ve figured out the true nature of the Haunted Castle.

Edward continued showing me things and eventually brought out a music box he said he had found somewhere.

Edward showed me various items he had collected, including a music box he had found somewhere. Inside a round glass sphere were dolls dressed in ballroom attire, holding hands.

“Does it work?”
“Yeah. Want to see?”

Edward’s white hands wound the spring. Once, twice, the spring turned, and a slow, sparkling melody flowed from the music box. The dolls spun around and danced.

Amidst the floating dust, the scene looked magical.

Is this how Edward plays?

Our eyes met. 

“Joffrey, what are you going to do for the harvest festival?” Edward asked.

‘What’s that?’ was what I was thinking, but I just shrugged my shoulders.

“Am I going there?”

“Since His Majesty took you to the hunting grounds, maybe he’ll take you to the harvest festival too.”

The hunting grounds and the harvest festival. I guess they’re related.

“I don’t think so.”

The King’s face came to mind. The King who disliked Joffrey.

“You wanted to go, Joffrey.”
“Do you want me to go?”
“If that’s what you want.”

I thought Edward’s response was strange. He wasn’t the type to care about other people’s business.

“Nothing I’ve ever wanted has ever come true, but you’re different.”
“Is that so?”

Edward must be talking about Joffrey. But I wasn’t Joffrey, and I had always wanted so many things. None of them had ever come true.

Or maybe not. I once wished for money to fall from the sky and for someone to be by my side.

Thinking about it, both wishes came true.

But I didn’t mean for them to come true in this world.

“When you make a wish, be sure to add that you want it to come true in this world.”
“What if it comes true in the afterlife instead?”
“That might happen.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Edward took it seriously.

“What’s your wish?”

Does Edward want to leave the palace? Or does he want to be accepted and bring his mother back here?

Edward was about to say something. When he knew the answer, he never hesitated.

But then the look on Edward’s face changed, and he shut his mouth. “I don’t know.”

What do you mean, you don’t know? 

“You said your wishes never come true. There must be an empty wish from before.”

“That’s not important anymore.” Edward answered blankly.

“Really?”
“Yes. I don’t want it that badly.”
“Is there something else you want more than that now?”

Edward stared at me intently. 

“I think so… Joffrey, don’t abandon me.”

“What? Of course not.”

Edward leaned toward me. He wrapped his arms around my waist.

“You know, Lady Rosé didn’t abandon you.”
“I know. I remember. The situation forced me to leave her. But Joffrey, you can’t do that.”

That was exactly what I wanted to say. No matter what happens, don’t kill me.

I could hear Edward’s heart beating. What was he thinking? I patted him on the back.

The dancing music box kept turning in circles.