Being picked up by the knights made me so embarrassed that I didn't know where to hide my face. My image looks so ordinary and weak. I quickly waved my hands, trying to pull my body away from him.
“It's okay now.”
Every time he said that, his arms tightened around me, making my cheeks turn as red as ripe apples.
Anyway, carrying someone like that... is a bit too much, isn't it?
“Let… me down.”
“Ren hurts.”
He said so.
"Ah, no, I'm not hurt. It's fine."
I can't say that it hurt because he bit too hard, because so many eyes were watching.
Worried if anyone would suspect anything, the knights' faces showed no signs of change.
So I had no choice but to find a way to be let down and adjust the hem of my dress. If unfortunately a new wound is exposed, it will be troublesome.
Surely, in their eyes, everything just seemed like a frantic rush. Doing two things at the same time is not easy at all.
“It's okay now, let me down.”
This time I whispered into his ear with a slightly serious voice. He looked at me with eyes that seemed to ask: "Are you really okay?" That scene made me both laugh and helpless.
Soon, he suddenly changed his attitude. Just a few days without seeing him, he seemed like he wanted to "devour" me, and now he was so docile. Really, I can't get used to his dizzying changes in emotional temperature.
What makes me laugh out loud is that it's hard to completely hate him. No matter how hateful he is, I still can't hate him.
“Uff.”
He had no intention of letting me down. I couldn't resist that strength, so I just kept being hugged tightly like that and walked towards the dining room.
In the hallway, our eyes met the servants. They immediately bowed their heads and raised their hands to cover their mouths. Looking at that scene, I became even more embarrassed, not daring to raise my head.
“…I said drop it.”
Even though I knew it was useless, I still whispered into his ear. Just standing still was uncomfortable, so I had to speak.
"Are not."
The answer remains the same. He said and even smiled with satisfaction. It is true that it is difficult to subdue this stubborn person.
“Um.”
I heard Mercedes snort after me. Looking back, she looked very serious, which made me feel even more pressured.
Why is he so stubborn? No matter how much I struggled, it only wasted my strength. If the fluttering hem of your dress reveals a wound, that's miserable. So I had to be obedient like an object being carried into the dining room.
Just in time for lunch.
Because it is Friday in Lent, today is a meat-free day. But after all, this is a royal palace, the food is lavishly presented.
On the long table were smoked salted herring marinated in vinegar and olive oil, omelets with spinach, mushroom and lentil soup, steamed cod with mustard sauce, dessert of hazelnut nougat and almonds, and fried lemon cake.
Fortunately, after Countess Elvira visited, the meal improved significantly. This is a light meal, not an official menu. It's convenient for me to teach him some etiquette.
When I sat down, I motioned to him, and he immediately sat next to me. Mercedes also brought a small chair, sitting close to the side.
Everything is fine here, but the problem is him. There wasn't enough food on the table, so he reached out and reached for it.
Even Mercedes, sitting right next to her, had no intention of stopping. She just smiled, observing the scene, making me both confused and amused.
"What are you doing?"
I mean, why don't you stop him from taking the food with his hands? But she replied:
“Is there a problem?”
Honestly, her face looked like she didn't know anything. I didn't need to look in the mirror to know that my eyes definitely showed fluctuations.
"Yes."
Mercedes sighed softly, then reluctantly used a towel to wipe around his chin. She cut the food into small pieces, placed it on the knife and fork, those movements were so natural that it was unbelievable.
“Don't do that.”
I had to take action to stop it. Otherwise, nothing can be taught to him. She looked at me, looking like she didn't understand why I did that.
“I just want to help the Prince.”
An uneasy feeling arose. This is the same feeling that has bothered me many times before.
I tried to keep my tone calm. Mercedes was definitely on his side, but she also promised to be on my side.
“Last time I said I would teach the Prince etiquette, right?”
Will she understand? But Mercedes remained silent, just manipulating the fork, feeding him food like a five-year-old child, no one does that with older children.
“Don't treat them like children.”
She still didn't react, just wrapped the towel around his chin, as if she didn't listen to me.
"It seems like the Prince hasn't eaten in a few days. I'm worried about the impact on his health."
“But there's no need to do that.”
However, looking at her holding the fork again, I realized she had no intention of listening to me. I immediately raised my hand to block it.
“Miss.”
This action is quite impolite, but I cannot be humble.
Mercedes looked up at me.
“What are you going to do?”
I didn't answer, just took the fork and put it in his hand.
“Like before, use this when eating.”
"YES."
He picked up the fork, looked once, then immediately threw it into the corner of the table. Mercedes immediately smiled.
"Difficult, isn't it? Let me do it."
As if he was waiting, I had to stop her.
"Not yet."
I shook my head and signaled Delfina to bring a new fork and give it to him.
“Don't throw it again this time.”
Say it again. But he seemed to have fun and was about to throw it again. I quickly held his wrist tightly.
Mercedes looked at the scene, her face turned red, as if she wanted to say something.
“Uh―”
In a moment of absentmindedness, the fork flew into the air again.
“Hehe.”
He just smiled innocently. Delfina brought another fork. I smirked.
“Let's try it, huh?”
He seems to think this is a game. Truly a stupid husband.
But for me, fighting with this stubborn person has become a habit. Yes, I can do this dozens of times, even hundreds of times.
After a while of struggling, Mercedes finally fell silent, bowing her head and whispering something.
I was about to open my mouth, when she said:
“You will attend the banquet, right?”
She kept her head bowed, her expression unreadable, but her body radiated energy that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
"That's right."
Mercedes squeezed the hem of my dress tightly. The force was so strong that the bones on the back of his hand turned white.
“Aren't… are you being too ambitious?”
I slowly shook my head.
"Are not."
Her back twitched, then she looked up. The expression seems to be enduring something repetitive.
“…Are you planning on making the Prince a laughing stock?”
"What?"
Her face stiffened.
"At that banquet! In front of so many people... The prince will..."
Her body trembled. Make him a laughing stock? I didn't mean that at all. But she was so emotional, I didn't know what to say.
“A joke, you're too exaggerated.”
Mercedes' eyes turned red. Even though there were no tears yet, those brown eyes exuded a terrifying murderous aura.