Chapter 33. Flower and Voice

Translator: AdCaelum

Editor: meli

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Hi, Caelum again. I’m really sorry about the delay; it’s been a couple of months. Let’s just say that June was an extremely busy time with real life kicking me in the ass whenever it could. Hopefully the ending of this chapter can make it up to you.

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Neither Asher nor Theodore said anything as the clock’s ticks and tocks echoed between them. Then, all of a sudden, the door to the shop flew open.

“Mrs. Lucy! I heard the third prince was spotted around here—” A young man entered the shop, but when his eyes met Asher’s, his jaw dropped. Then, his mouth flapped like a fish and his whole body trembled. “I-I-It’s Prince Asher!”

“Come on, Drole! I told you not to shout in my shop. Besides, there’s no way the prince would come by this dingy, little place! Don’t make such a fuss!” The woman, Lucy, popped out from inside and chuckled.

Drole pointed a shaky finger at Asher and shouted again. “Prince Asher! Wh-why is His Highness here?! I’m telling you, it’s really Prince Asher!!”

Royalty was always accompanied by guards during birthday festivals, but walking openly through the town was only permitted on this day. It was also a public duty. Therefore, birthday festivals were the perfect opportunity for the people to interact with the royal family, but there was also an unspoken rule that you must not approach them yourself.

However, that still didn’t stop numerous people from flocking to catch a rare glimpse of the beautiful royal family from the sidelines. Back when Theodore had taken Asher’s arm and quickly pulled him towards this shop, people had witnessed this spectacle from the shadows of the side roads the two took. This man named Drole was one of them.

“Huh? But he’s Mr. Lewis’…” The dumbfounded Lucy looked at Theodore and then Asher and gasped. “Wait?! Prince Asher?! Oh my! I-I apologize for presenting Your Highness with such crude food—”

In a panic, Lucy reached to remove the plates from in front of Asher, but Asher stopped her with a smile. “Not at all. They were very delicious.”

“I can’t… I can’t believe I didn’t recognize Your Highness… I must have been so disrespectful…”

“You weren’t! You treated me to such delicious tea… But I’ll probably be a nuisance if I stay here any longer.”

Because of Drole’s recklessly loud shout, people began to gather outside the shop. They were likely just like Drole and were looking for Asher.

“Do you mind, um, if I pack some of this cake? You baked this especially for my birthday, so I’ll continue to eat it in the castle.”

“S-such a cheap cake eaten in the castle?!”

“Please?”

Lucy quickly packed the cake and handed it to Asher with a bright-red face. A part of Asher wanted to stay here a bit longer, but he doubted he could endure Theodore’s silence any longer. He couldn’t tell what Theodore was feeling or thinking about. As he thanked Lucy, he left the shop and headed back to the carriage with Theodore.

　

“Oh! Asher!!”

When Asher and Theodore reached the place where they left the carriage, Noah noticed Asher and excitedly ran over. With Ward following behind the youngest prince.

“Noah?” Asher asked, “You waited for me? Where’s Prince Hugo…?”

“Who cares about Hugo? Harumph.” Noah clung to Asher’s waist and puffed out his cheeks.

Ward looked tired with Noah and approached Asher. “Haha… sigh~. He really was a handful.”

“What?” Asher asked.

“Prince Noah threw a tantrum, yelling that he wouldn’t go back with Prince Hugo…”

“I didn’t throw a tantrum, Stupid Ward! I only said I would wait for Asher!”

Asher wryly smiled at Ward’s exhausted face and softly put his hand on the clinging Noah’s head by his waist. He said, “Thanks for waiting for me, Noah.”

Noah blushed at those words and gave a bashful smile to Asher. The disgruntled look on Ward’s face at Noah’s behavior indicated that Noah likely caused him quite the headache.

“Okay, then shall we go back together?” Asher proposed.

“Yeah!” Noah perked up. “But what took you so long? Did you go somewhere with Theodore?”

“Huh?” For a moment, Asher tripped over Noah’s question, but he quickly answered with a smile. “Oh, I was… a little thirsty, so we went for some tea.”

“Oh, okay… Wait! Is that cake?!” Noah’s eyes twinkled. Asher giggled and planned to secretly share the cake with him in the carriage.

Afterward, the two boarded the carriage. As the door closed, Asher met Theodore’s eyes, but as he didn’t know what face to make, he quietly turned away. He didn’t apologize to seek forgiveness, but he realized that he felt terribly dejected that Theodore hadn’t forgiven him, making him hate himself again.

“Asher, what’s wrong?” Noah asked.

“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing,” he answered.

Inside the rocking carriage, the bright feeling he had before coming to the castletown was completely extinguished.

What a birthday festival this was…

He chuckled to himself. He felt a bit guilty after making Noah wait for him, but he closed his eyes and pretended to sleep until they reached the castle. Noah sat quietly next to Asher, not wanting to wake him up, and held Asher’s hand throughout the whole journey back.

＊＊＊

As soon as Asher returned from the castletown, he was caught by Angela. She stuck right by his side and refused to let him be by himself. He also wanted to avoid Augustine, and naturally Hugo, after all that had happened, so while he knew he was being rude to avoid the royal family dinner on his birthday, he made the excuse that he wasn’t feeling well so he could relax by himself in his room.

Just as he finally could breathe, he heard a knock at the door. At first, he thought it was Angela, but she should be eating with the rest of the royal family presently, so it couldn’t be her.

“Your Highness, may I come in?”

He heard Theodore’s voice coming from the other side of the door. Although hesitant, Asher calmed himself down with a deep breath and answered, “You can enter.”

“Thank you very much.”

Theodore slowly opened the door and entered the room, although Asher couldn’t pinpoint the knight’s reason for coming here.

“Is there something wrong?”

“…” Theodore was about to answer Asher’s question but quickly shut his mouth.

Could it be about what happened during the day?

Asher waited for some time, but the longer Theodore remained silent, the more anxious he grew.

“Um… did I upset you… with what I said today?”

“You did not,” Theodore firmly denied. However, his face looked somewhat conflicted and his behavior showed his discomfort. “You did not… but I… I—” Theodore stumbled on his words. His brow furrowed. He seemed to want to say something to Asher, but he couldn’t find the right words, his face twisting in frustration.

Asher didn’t know why Theodore was making such a face. However, his heart ached seeing Theodore in pain.

“It’s fine, Theodore… I also told Miss Lillian this, but I didn’t apologize because I wanted to be forgiven… I simply apologized because I wanted to…” Asher forced a smile on his face. Theodore watched and bit his lips as if holding back something. “Thanks for everything today.”

Although Theodore hated Asher, he continued to diligently protect the prince, from risking his life during the beastfolk bandit attack to bringing Asher to that shop to cheer him up after that horrible experience today.

“Theodore?”

Theodore slowly drew close to Asher, allowing Asher to see how greatly conflicted Theodore looked.

“Your Highness…”

Theodore gently touched Asher’s cheek.

Asher sensed that he was going to be kissed again. He could easily avoid it if he simply took a step back, but he didn’t do that.

Their lips touched modestly before separating. But they quickly locked together again, with Theodore’s lips feeling burning hot. This was different from yesterday’s kiss. The way Theodore enveloped him made Asher reflexively close his eyes. As their kiss grew deeper, Asher’s body jolted, but Theodore wrapped his arms around Asher in a gentle embrace.

“Mmm…”

The loud smack that resounded the moment their lips separated echoed in Asher’s ears, causing his cheeks to flush bright red. Theodore’s face in this proximity looked the same as that day. The day Theodore ran his tongue over Asher’s finger and lapped up his blood.

That aroused look.

Asher’s heart pounded loudly in his chest and Theodore’s arm around his waist felt like it was on fire. Everything was a first for Asher, so he didn’t know what to do.

His chest hurt whenever Theodore touched him. But he didn’t hate it. He wanted more. He wanted Theodore to do more.

However, Theodore slowly removed his hand from the dazed Asher’s waist and placed something into his hand. He softly whispered into Asher’s ear before quickly leaving the room.

Asher flopped down on the floor and watched the door close. The words Theodore whispered in his ear continued to echo in his head.

“Congratulations on becoming an adult.”

And in his hand was a rose, the same bright blue color as his eyes.

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