Amaku Yasashii Sekai de Ikiru ni wa – Chapter 5
“—-Your Highness, the Prince, how nice to see you! Do forgive me for my rude behavior from before.”(Doyle)
I kneeled and bowed to him as if he were the king. I also did not forget to activate the skill [Aristocracy Aura]
“Raise your face, Doyle.”(Prince)
“It has been awhile, hasn’t it your highness?”(Doyle)
“Yes, it has.”(Prince)
I raised my face at his words and saw him giving me a complicated look. I noticed that there was someone behind him, that must be the new person he added after leaving me huh? That guy was giving me a more complicated face than the prince. Hey don’t worry, I’m not going to steal your position.
“I am quite glad to see you in good health your Highness. In the oath ceremony, your speech of protecting the country, and keeping up the good intentions and deeds his majesty the King has done over the years was quite admirable. I was quite touched and felt my heart mo-“(Doyle)
“Stop, I am not here to talk about any of that!”(Prince)
When I looked at the prince, he was red as a tomato from hearing what I said. I said everything with respect and sincerity but I guess he didn’t like that. The prince has always put on a gentle and kind appearance in front of everyone, thus when he spoke out in anger against me it left everyone shocked. I actually felt like laughing at this point because he had just gotten rid of the image he spent so long to create. He never got angry in public but when we were little or when he was alone with me, he had always been like this.
When we were young, his little sister, the princess had always chased me, but I was jerk back then and did not care about the princess and made her sad… a lot…..
I know that’s really bad but anyways, after each time she got sad, the prince would always get mad at me. This was the pattern we lived in during our childhood.
But when we got older and my behavior became worse, the princess stopped chasing me and opposed her surroundings about me while the prince stopped getting angry at me over the littlest things. Thus, seeing him being angry like this toward me was so nostalgic that I started to laugh over the joy.
“What’s so funny!?”(Prince)
His anger finally reached max when I started laughing which in turn made me laugh even more. I stopped laughing after a little while and looked at my surroundings, the people went from shocked to the gla.s.s shattering image breaking status. Some people looked like they wanted to leave but couldn’t or else they would be noticed when they do. Oh, this is so sad for you guys…
While I was looking at my surroundings, the prince’s anger increases beyond his full power.
“What is so funny!!?”(Prince)
As usual the Prince has a low boiling point. I am really worried about his health, with such anger, how is his blood pressure? But Prince, it is not like I was laughing at you…….man once the blood gets to his head, it does not come down. He was always so easy to anger, I am glad to see that in the 5 years we spent apart my friend had not changed.
“No, it is nothing your highness, it’s just that I was feeling nostalgic because you were getting angry at me.”(Doyle)
“What?”(Prince)
“I remember that you had always used to get angry like this in the past and felt happy at the fact that you are still like this, even now. I am sorry if I have given you an uncomfortable feeling.”(Doyle)
As I spoke honestly the prince started to make a very distorted face with both sadness and a slightly tired face. The prince looked like he was about to say something but after a while he gave up and closed his eyes. He took some deep breaths and opened his eyes again.
This is time the anger and sadness in his eyes disappeared and only a slight hint of red was left on his face. I am quite proud of you, old friend, that you have finally developed this adaptability to change like that in an instant. I also felt somewhat sad and lonely at the fact that I was so far away from him now.
“…Why did you not tell me?”(Prince)
I tilted my head at his words. What is he talking about? What is he trying to ask me? Tell you what?
I had no idea what his highness was talking about but his eyes told me that he was serious and that he would not let me go right now.
I looked at his eyes closer and saw sadness, anger and helplessness. I thought that he had fixed his att.i.tude but it seems that he has just gotten better at hiding it.
“—I am sorry, your highness but I have no idea what you are talking about, what do you mean tell you? What about yourself?”(Doyle)
“No, I am talking about you!”(Prince)
“Me?”(Doyle)
“Stop acting stupid! If you felt that the Aghinis name was so heavy to bear that you wanted to run away, then why did you not tell me! If you had told me, I would not have said those things, I would have been able to persuade Lord Zeno and your father too. I could have helped you…… why did you not rely on me?”(Prince)
I felt like he said “rely on him.”
“(Seriously, my surrounding is filled with people who are too sweet and kind….way too sweet…)”(Doyle)
The Prince was trying his best to hold back his tears and looked like he felt completely powerless. He was trying to hide his face from the rest of the crowd but I, who was still kneeling down could clearly see his face. His expression was fill with emotions; sadness, anger, helplessness and feeling worthless was all on his face. Seeing those expressions made my heart burn.
Apparently this childhood friend of mine seems to be angry at the fact I did not ask for his help. He is also regretting the fact that he did not notice the situation Doyle was going through.
What a troublesome person, I remember when we were little he always acted like the big brother to us and was both kind, angry and strict. Please your highness, do not worry about this foolish person who went down the wrong road and look forward. I will catch up very soon. Even if I say it was all my fault and I was afraid of causing trouble for him, I am sure he would not accept it.
So I will say this.
“….It had nothing to do with your highness.”(Doyle)
“What?”(Prince)
“It had nothing to do with your highness, all of this was because I was weak, I was afraid of the weakness in my heart.”(Doyle)
“But still you could hav-“(Prince)
“….No, regarding this matter, I will not listen to anyone’s words, because this involves my resolve and heart, all the fault and mistakes I committed lies with this immature and weak heart of mine. No matter how much the king had absolved my past crimes, they still lie with me and it is the responsibility of mine to atone for it.”(Doyle)
His face looked like he still did not accept my words. But his hands were trembling and his body looked like he was waiting for me to finished speaking before saying anything.
“Your highness, I have finally resolved myself to be prepared to take on the world. I have found the will and resolved myself to carry the Aghinis name and face my weakness and foolishness…..I also have to atone to the people who love and care for me. I will walk this path with my head held high and walk towards the path I finally see before to meet up with the ones who carry the expectations they have for me in their hearts.”(Doyle)
The prince did not say anything and his hands stopped trembling. He listened to me intently and looked like he was fully swallowing my words.
“This is why I cannot let anyone else bear this burden, I have to become someone who is able to carry the burden with his back straight. I have returned to the path I once saw with you your highness but I am still not as far in the path as you thus please continue I will be next to you in no time.”(Doyle)
I finish saying my speech and smiled at his highness. His highness who heard my words looked like he was struggling to find what to say. I patiently wait for his highness to say something. I know it must have been quite shocking to hear that I did not need him anymore. But I had to say this, until you say that you need me, until I become that kind of person, I believe that this is what it takes to face our past.
“Doyle…” (Prince)
“Yes, your highness?”(Doyle)
“I will be waiting.”(Prince)
His hand were firm but his face had a very lonely expression. I am sure he wanted to say many other things, such as how do you plan to do that or are you sure, but he held it in and told me he was waiting.
I have to respond as such to his kindness.
“Please be waiting, I will surpa.s.s all of your expectations and more.”(Doyle)
“Do not run away this time, I will be waiting forever if that happens.”(Prince)
“Yes.”(Doyle)
“I will be waiting forever….with….Claire”(Prince)
I felt a fear when his highness said that name. his gave a slight bloodl.u.s.t when saying that.
Why did he mention the name of the princess.
“You have been looked after by Claire a lot…..At least send a letter to her.”(Prince)
“Ah, about the third princess……”(Doyle)
“If you say that another women is good or that you won’t even do that, then I will not even have to wait a second. You will soon become rust on my blade.”(Prince)
His eyes were serious, and in fact he had his hand on his sword when saying that.
“…..A person like me is not fit for a person like her.”(Doyle)
“Well you may think that, Claire does not. My sister insists that it has to be you, My father and I tried very hard to persuade her otherwise but it was all for naught. Claire is one of things you must carry on your shoulder like you said, thus for you to atone to her, you must make Claire happy.”(Prince)
I wanted to say to the prince that what I said before and this matter were two totally different things but he still had his hand on his sword. He was always very doting on his one year younger sister Claire. He always chased away the guys that came to her and said “I must accept the man you marry otherwise they will be rust on my blade.”
I was to confess here, Claire, the third princess is actually my first love. She was a brilliant and pretty girl, intelligence and beauty were both hers and she had dark green eyes with long black hair. She liked me when were children but since I was trying to be a bad boy I saw in book, I kept teasing her until she cried, this lead to the prince, her brother to scold me.
I want her to be happy because I love her still.
This is certain, but I do not believe that I can make her happy. She is brilliant and adorable, there are millions of people in this world who could make her ten times happier than me. She is a princess too, thus she could get married to another country’s crown prince and thus become a queen.
I wonder if I even have the qualification to stand next to her. But since the prince is telling me to cherish the princess and make her happy, I can only respond with one thing.
“With all my heart.”(Doyle)
I know that this was the answer his highness wanted.
But, right now I cannot promise to give it, I have to think about this properly.
But, the prince seeing my actions and hearing those words accepted my answer for now and nodded.
“Well then, I will be waiting……but Doyle, do not make Claire wait long.”(Prince)
“…..I will advance with force, my lord.”(Doyle)
I dropped my head to his highness when I said that, his highness also took one step forward and stopped in front of me. I felt like he wanted to say something to me but he stopped himself.
The distance between me and his highness is about one person. I always felt this distance was ma.s.sive and no matter what I will never be able to cross it but now I feel this distance has shortened a significant amount and soon I will able to stand beside him.
I will face him from the front and then stand by his stand . His highness knows this thus he had done this actions.
“Catch up to me Doyle, I will be waiting……Let’s go Jin.”(Prince)
“Yes.”(Jin)
His highness left the lobby with the guy named Jin, I kept my head lowered until I could not hear their footsteps anymore. I got up slowly after that.
“….Doyle-sama!”(Ballad)
Ballad called my name in worry, I kind of laughed at that reaction.
“I am going to back to my room, can I ask Ballad to clean up here? Come back to the room after you are done.”(Doyle)
“Yes!”(Ballad)
After seeing Ballad had started to clean up the teaware and other stuff on the table, I started to leave the lobby. I walked down the hallways and saw people giving me stares in awe, I also felt that the air was somewhat elegant and intimidating. I found out the cause soon, it was my Skill [Aristocrat Aura] and the presence of his highness that was giving off this feeling and air. It seems to have still remained. I did not see his highness in the hallway while I walked, I felt a little lonely at this fact but I quickly changed from that. I got him to say that he will wait for me thus I can’t have him waiting long.
I seem to have longed to be with his Highness. I have been longing for that conversation. I will remember today forever.
My oath ceremony went great, which caused a ripple effect and lead me to the unexpected encounter with the Prince. This encounter was not disaster but a great fortune to me.
I once again realized that many people have always cared for me and loved me. I feel that me getting sick was the best thing to happen to me in my life. It gave me a chance to reflect and redo, walk a path that I want to walk and help stand beside the prince again. Although there are still many things left to do and left to think, I feel I will be fine. I can leave most of it for later except that one, Claire, my first love and the third princess, I will be busy tomorrow.
There was no one in the dorm hallway but there was still a hour until the freshmen curfew. I feel that the hallway will soon become noisy, so I am thankful I left before that. Thinking about the days ahead I felt happy somewhat.