Chapter 13

“Daphne, if you’re willing to teach me… I’ll learn. How to use utensils.”

“Really?!” 

The hesitant prince raised his head. With a lingering sense of embarrassment, he couldn’t bring himself to meet my eyes, and remnants of broccoli soup clung to his lips.

No, seriously, is he a child? With one hand still holding his, I grabbed a napkin with the other and gently wiped his face.

The prince wrinkled his face but didn’t show any signs of disliking it.

“Oh, but wouldn’t it be better to learn such etiquette from Sir Janiche? Honestly, I don’t know enough to teach others.”

“Well, then I won’t learn.”

“Do you have to be so abrupt about it?”

“I want to learn from you, Daphne.”

Had the prince ever asserted himself so firmly? I was momentarily speechless and glanced at Sir Janiche.

He had already finished his meal and was sipping lukewarm tea. Perhaps he thought it wasn’t his place to intervene, as he shrugged his shoulders and set the teacup down.

“You used to work at a noble household, so you must have acquired considerable knowledge along the way.”

“I can’t say I know everything… but it’s still different from the proper noble etiquette.”

“Nevertheless, since the prince insists, I will excuse myself. I’ve been away from my seat for too long.”

I understood that Sir Janiche was trying to accommodate the prince’s wishes. Usually, he would enjoy his meal while refilling her tea, even engaging in conversation.

Today was an exception for him, but eventually, the prince would become accustomed to spending time with Sir Janiche.

I exchanged a silent nod with him as he rose from his seat. He knew I had grasped his intention to care for the prince. Though it wasn’t my intention for today, the prince would gradually become more familiar by spending time with him.

I turned my attention back to the prince. “Alright then. Since you’ve already finished the soup, shall we practice cutting the sausage?”

“Um, by the way.” The prince held the fork and knife in his hands, awkwardly gripping the utensils. He hesitated to put them in his mouth.

“Why do I have to learn these things when there’s no one to see? Besides, there’s only the three of us…”

“Someday, you might have to dine in front of others,” I said, trying to reassure him.

“But, but that won’t happen… I’m going to be trapped here for the rest of my life.”

“Don’t be so certain. The world outside is vast and beautiful.”

The prince tilted his head slightly, still not fully grasping my intentions. However, it seemed that he did have some desire for learning, as he watched carefully when I demonstrated how to cut a sausage with a knife and fork.

The sharp knife sliced through the plump sausage, and he used the fork to dip the small piece into the sauce. When I gestured for him to try it, the prince cautiously brought the fork to his mouth.

Perhaps it was his astonishing beauty, but even with such a simple action, the prince appeared even more elegant. I suggested that he try cutting vegetables, including carrots.

“Why do we need to cut them into small pieces when they all taste the same once they’re in our mouths? I don’t understand,” he said.

“Well… maybe it aids digestion? And you can eat slowly,” I replied.

“I’ve always eaten quickly, but I’ve never had any stomach problems.”

“Well, that’s fortunate. It’s a sign of good health.”

“Is it… good to be healthy?”

Obviously, it was. I couldn’t help but sigh at his woeful level of knowledge, but I was afraid he would transform again, so I held back and smiled.

“It’s very good. You don’t have to suffer from illness.”

“I’ve never been sick.”

“What about last night when you had a high fever?”

“That was… because I transformed into a… puppy.”

“A puppy, huh… It sounds adorable.”

“Stop calling me… adorable…”

While we conversed, the prince clumsily finished eating the vegetables he had cut. His face turned slightly red, and I couldn’t tell if it was from blushing or if his pale face always fluctuated between red and pale.

With my chin resting on my hand, I watched the prince eat as I began to eat my own portion. He approached cutting the bread with a serious attitude, as if he had taken on the most important mission in the world.

There was no more small talk, but even just eating took quite a long time for us. Although the dishes the prince ate were far from those of royalty, with stubborn stains and battered egg dishes, it wasn’t too bad, considering it was his first attempt.

By the time the prince put down his fork and knife, I had handed him a napkin.

“You should wipe your mouth at the end. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. But usually, I wipe it with my clothes…”

“I see. That’s why your clothes are always dirty?”

“Daphne always tells me that I’m… dirty.”

“But it’s true, isn’t it? Please don’t use the new clothes I bring as napkins.”

“Oh, okay.”

I’m not sure what he understood, but he stared at the napkin in his hand with a puzzled expression. I demonstrated by using the napkin to wipe my own mouth. 

In response, the prince furrowed his pretty eyebrows, seemingly unable to comprehend.

“I… I don’t even know where the food is on my face. How am I supposed to wipe it?”

“Is that a question for me, or are you asking yourself?”

“…Ah, I thought maybe you could wipe it off like earlier.”

“Is the prince a baby?”

“Ah, no!”

Certainly, this prince was undoubtedly lacking affection. Once he holds hands, he doesn’t easily let go, and he seems unknowingly pleased when I take care of him. I looked at him sternly and burst into laughter.

There’s no choice. Just for a while. As I gradually leaned my upper body towards him, the prince’s eyes widened, and he froze in place.

“Why are you doing that? You asked me to wipe it off.”

“Ah, no… I’m not a b-baby.”

“Can you do it alone then? You don’t even know where the food is spilled.”

“No… I don’t think I can.” The prince replied in a hesitant voice as he moved closer. 

If a man nearly 190 centimeters tall was misbehaving, it would normally be unacceptable, but if it was him, it was a different story. 

I lightly tapped his red lips with my finger, which were silently waiting for my touch, using his broad shoulders to suppress my laughter.

“Actually, it didn’t get as dirty as when you had the soup earlier. Look, it’s already clean.”

“Don’t you have to wipe it here too, Daphne?”

“No. I just wiped it a moment ago.”

“But there’s something… something dirty here.”

That couldn’t be. I shrugged my shoulders and handed him the napkin that I had placed on my knee. It was troublesome to think that he would consider wiping his face as part of dining etiquette.

He stared at me seriously, clutching the napkin tightly like a ball. Then he clearly rubbed the area I had wiped earlier.

…Huh? It was only then that I realized.

“…Your Highness. You’re seeking revenge, aren’t you? Because I wiped your face too vigorously earlier.”

“Ah, no. Th-th-that’s not it.”

“You’re saying no while stuttering so much.”

“It’s… I, I, I’ve always stuttered.”

“But it wasn’t to this extent.”

“….”

It had only been a day since he came downstairs, and he was already playing pranks. He had grown up. Truly.

The prince looked embarrassed and quickly lowered the napkin, avoiding my gaze. Although it seemed like he was trying to play around, it was quite awkward. But if he felt a sense of intimacy that allowed him to play pranks on me, I was satisfied enough.

As I burst into laughter and stared at him intently, the prince averted his gaze and tried to hunch his shoulders even more. It wasn’t very effective since his frame itself was large, but still.

“If you’re done eating, shall I clean up? I’ll start heading back to my quarters.”

“When… will you come back if you go to your quarters?”

“Well, I’m not sure. It shouldn’t take too long.”

“But, when… exactly.”

“By the way, Your Highness, the more you speak, the less you stutter.”

“Is that so?”

The prince covered his mouth with his finger, and his eyes sparkled. His long hair, which had become disheveled from being chased around, swayed slightly. Unable to wait any longer, I asked again.

“Ha… Your Highness. Why are you so handsome?”

“D-Don’t say that. Th-those kind of words…!”

The prince closed his eyes tightly and shouted. Was this what it felt like to see a romance novel heroine in real life? I, who had been a fan of romance novels in both my past and present lives, often wondered if the prince resembled the typical heroine.

If the main characters kept teasing him like this and he responded cutely and charmingly, they would probably keep teasing him. Having gained great enlightenment, I gently removed a silver strand of hair caught in the knot on his chest.

The prince straightened his posture with a start.

“I-I was surprised. You suddenly approached me.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. It just kept catching my eye.”

Even though I probably hadn’t done anything special to take care of it, his hair was perfect to the point of admiration. So, he really is the older brother of the heroine. I couldn’t hide my bewildered emotions and looked at him with an innocent face, then stepped aside.

“It won’t do. When I’m with you, I lose track of time. Since I mentioned it, I’ll go right away.”

“W-What about me?”

“What about you, Your Highness?”

“If Daphne isn’t here, what should I… um, what should I do?”

I chuckled at the prince’s confusion and replied, “Well, you can do whatever you want, Your Highness.”

Come to think of it, the prince has no reason to go to the top floor anymore. It’s not like he brought along the toys that were piled up there, either. The prince can’t even read, so I can’t lend him a book. After thinking for a moment, I spoke decisively.

“Do you want to play with Janiche?”

“I don’t want to.”

Upon hearing that, the prince frowned deeply and turned his head abruptly, without uttering another word.