‘Hah!’
Fortunately, the chaos didn’t last long.
The auditory and visual hallucinations, swirling like smoke, quickly dissipated. In my now-clear vision, only my small hand tightly gripping the teddy bear doll remained visible.
‘…A novel?’
That’s when it happened.
The boy who had been walking quietly opened the trash can in the corner.
And then…
“Uh…”
Rustle, rustle.
He flipped the glass jar upside down, dumping all the jelly into the trash. He even crumpled the scattered newsletters and flyers around him, neatly covering the discarded mess. One corner of his mouth curled up smoothly, his chin tilting slightly in satisfaction.
“Everyone’s so easily fooled…”
Arjen Eterion muttered indifferently, his face blank. The tantrum-throwing expressions, the sparkling curiosity—all buried in the trash alongside the jelly.
He pulled a small pill from his pocket and bit into it.
Click, clack. The sound of him rolling the pill in his mouth like candy.
I stared dumbly at Arjen. ‘What kind of kid is this?’
Nothing made sense. But the most unexpected thing in this situation was…
The prince, who had been moving like a languid predator, suddenly—whoosh!—whirled around.
“….”
“….”
I was done for.
I’d locked eyes with the prince who’d concealed his true nature.
He walked straight toward me, gaze unflinching.
Crunch. The sound of him biting the pill sent an inexplicable chill down my spine. Ridiculous—how could I be scared of a boy barely a finger’s width taller than me?
“Hey, you—!”
Just as I spoke, Arjen pressed a finger to his lips. “Shh.”
“These make me sleepy. So…” he whispered.
“…Oh. Okay.”
Though still distant, his soft voice lodged itself sharply in my ears.
“Keep the jelly thing a secret…” The prince flicked his finger downward with a faint smile. “…and I’d appreciate it.”
I nodded before I could stop myself.
“Thanks.”
His eyes aren’t smiling. What is he?
A servant’s shout echoed from below the stairs: “Young master! Please come down! We’ve secured the inventory and placed the order!”
“Wow,” Arjen deadpanned. “Thrilling. Got it.” He began walking without hesitation.
Our gazes kept colliding—ten steps, eight, five, two. As he brushed past me, his shoulder grazing mine, he murmured, “See you later.”
See me later? Does he even know who I am?
I blinked, watching his retreating figure. Then I suddenly darted to the trash can he’d used, circled back, and grabbed his shoulder just as he reached the stairs.
“Hey!”
“Hm?” Arjen smiled politely. “No time to play.” He patted my head. Amusing, how he acted mature despite being barely a year older.
I thrust out the item in my hand. “Shouldn’t you take this?”
“…”
“Or else everyone’ll know you didn’t really want it.”
It was the explorer’s lamp he’d thrown a fit over—a cheap children’s toy with a weak magical light that’d die after five uses. He’d forgotten it after dumping the jelly.
His sharp, childlike eyes fixed on me. “…Right.” He took the lamp with a courteous nod. But as he descended the stairs, he muttered, “…Didn’t want it for show. I need it.”
Why would a palace prince need a knockoff lamp? His room’s probably lit up like midday even at night. I held my tongue.
“Yaaawn. Bern, why am I so sleepy?” Arjen’s voice floated up.
“Ahem! Finally, the usual complaint. Focus—you have an oral exam with your father this afternoon.”
“Not my first failure. I’ll nap in the carriage. If I don’t wake up… oh well.”
I lingered, listening to their fading voices. Why play the fool? He was baffling.
Downstairs was chaos.
The second floor’s Pierrot performance resembled a warzone.
“Waaaah!”
“His mouth goes to his ears—scary!”
“Feet too big! Nose too big! Belly too big!”
Parents futilely consoled sobbing children. The Pierrot—a store employee—stood frozen, drenched in sweat, clutching balloons. “Hahaha… Special performance, they said… Last day of my life as Pierrot, ha…”
‘Why’s the staff so jumpy today?’ I wondered, noting their furtive glances toward the front row. VIP treatment? I shyly sketched ten stars in the air for the crying crowd.
“Teddy Bear Uncle will blow balloons here!” Other employees in animal masks herded the children away. “Rabbit fairy too! Bear! Balloooons!”
As the crowd dispersed, I spotted Grandpa and Theo sitting on the floor. “Grandpa! Theo!”
“Little one.” Grandpa smiled, Theo on his lap. “I picked everything!” I chirped, leaping onto his broad back like a squirrel. He hoisted me up with one arm, his steady presence calming my frayed nerves.
“Magnifying glass, Theo’s bag, collecting tools—let’s pay!”
“…Pay?” Grandpa frowned as if hearing alien words.
“I have pocket money from Grandma!”
“Me too. From Elisa.” We grinned, brandishing matching red velvet pouches.
Grandpa handed our items to a trembling employee, who placed them on a golden tray (why?!) before scurrying off. Baffling.
“Now to the seed store—oh, never mind.” Theo’s entranced face stopped me. His honey-round eyes sparkled, mouth agape, utterly spellbound by the despondent Pierrot.
Behind me, Grandpa inhaled deeply. “…Pierrot’s hands.” His cavernous voice rumbled. “Stopped moving. Why…? Perhaps he doesn’t need them.”
…Why does that sound like a threat?
