TOPWL 38

“Ah, speaking of which, Your Highness, how are you so good at speaking Herut? Other princes can’t do it.”

“I have a friend from Herut. Actually, I wasn’t very good at it, but recently, I’ve learned a lot from that friend.”

“Aha, I guess that friend is from the East.”

“I’m not sure where they lived.”

“It’s probably the East. There’s a bit of an Eastern accent mixed in,” Wadiram said confidently. It seemed like it was probably true, considering his confidence.

“I also have a friend from the East, so I’m glad to hear that. What’s their name?”

“Yasin.”

“Yasin…?”

Wadiram’s expression immediately turned serious. Yudit wondered if he had said something wrong, but Wadiram opened his mouth.

“I don’t know anyone by that name…”

“Why are you saying that so seriously?”

“There’s no one from Herut I don’t know of.”

“Do you know how many people live in our country?”

Huyan scolded Wadiram. The way they bickered, it seemed like they were close friends.

As Yudit watched them with envy, Wadiram turned to him.

“Your Highness? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Yudit was just admiring them, but Wadiram seemed to think he had something to say. Yudit answered honestly.

“I envy your friendships.”

“Hmm, from the way you say it, Your Highness, you don’t have any friends.”

“Wadiram.”

Huyan warned him. With Wadiram’s bluntness, Yudit didn’t feel angry. He gave a light smile and spoke.

“Yes, but recently, I’ve made a few friends. Precious friends.”

Selena, Lyett, Sonia, Yasin. Just thinking about them warmed Yudit’s heart. Wadiram, who had been watching him, suddenly moved closer and said,

“Then, I’ll be Your Highness’s friend too.”

Wadiram confidently tapped his chest with his fist. Huyan covered his face with his palm as if he couldn’t watch.

“Shall we, then?”

“Sure! So, what number friend am I to you, Your Highness?”

“Hmm, maybe around the sixth.”

“Wow, you have a lot of friends.” Yudit silently laughed at Wadiram’s words.

“Huyan, you should hurry and ask His Highness to be your friend too. If I’m the sixth, then you’ll be the seventh.”

“That’s not how friendships work.” “Don’t be boring, hurry up.”

Wadiram pushed Huyan toward Yudit. Huyan and Yudit locked eyes.

“Well, you know, there’s that saying: ‘Yesterday’s friend is today’s foe.’”

“Fool, it’s the other way around.”

“Anyway.”

Huyan, standing in front of Yudit, looked embarrassed. As Huyan stepped aside, Yudit reached out his hand. Huyan hesitated but took Yudit’s hand. It was the hand of someone who had held a sword for a long time, calluses covering each joint.

“Alright. Now, you have two more friends.”

“Stop talking.”

“Got it. Your Highness, will we be able to meet again tomorrow?”

“Probably.”

“Great! Then, can you show me around the city tomorrow?”

“Wadiram. We came as an envoy, not tourists.”

“Envoys are people too. Envoys have feelings too. Envoys want souvenirs too,” Wadiram protested. After such a long journey, having only four days to stay before heading back, it made sense he might feel frustrated. Spending two or three hours during the day was fine, but Yudit worried about what Reginald or Hiore might think if they saw them. He didn’t mind being disliked, but he didn’t want them to face consequences because of him.

“Your Highness. Can you please go with me?”

Wadiram’s pleading eyes were impossible to resist.

“If it’s just for two or so hours during the day…”

“Yes!”

Wadiram jumped up in excitement. His tall frame seemed like it might hit the ceiling with the way he jumped. Huyan looked at Yudit with a worried expression.

“You don’t have to overdo it.”

“It’s fine. I have some things I need to buy too.”

Though Huyan didn’t seem entirely convinced, he didn’t stop him from going. While Wadiram continued to excitedly bounce around, Yudit carefully spoke.

“There’s one thing I’d like to ask…”

***

“Look at this, Huyan. Fruits! And they’re so cheap!”

“I see.”

Even inside the palace, Wadiram had been very lively, so Yudit thought it would be the same outside. But outside the palace, he was like a fish in water, excitedly running around. Yudit was struggling to keep up with him, while Huyan, as if accustomed to this, kept a little distance, observing the things he wanted to see.

“The cloth is falling off.”

Suddenly, Huyan whispered in Yudit’s ear. Yudit had been so focused on the merchandise that he didn’t notice the cloth covering his nose and mouth had fallen down. Panicking, Yudit quickly rolled the cloth back up to cover his face.

“Thank you.”

Yudit was wearing the same clothes as Huyan. Dressed in a white uniform with a turban covering his nose and mouth, he looked like a Herutian at first glance. Since it wasn’t ideal for them to be seen together, Yudit had asked if he could borrow some clothes, and Wadiram had readily lent him an outfit from another envoy. The original owner had fallen ill from the long journey and, after the banquet on the first night, hadn’t been able to leave his room since. It was unfortunate for him, but thanks to that, Yudit was able to comfortably go outside with the two of them.

“Did you not get any sleep?”

Huyan asked Yudit. Startled, Yudit looked at him.

“How did you…?”

“You have dark circles under your eyes.”

“Ah…”

Yudit rubbed his eyelids. Wanting to show them around the capital, he had woken up at four in the morning to prepare for the banquet. Thanks to his early preparations, he was able to make some free time for himself.

“Your Highness… No, Hain. What’s this?”

For the next two hours, Yudit had decided to go by Hain—the name of the person who had lent him these clothes.

“It’s yogurt topped with fruit and nuts. Want to try it?”

“I want to try it!”

Before Yudit could even take out his wallet, Huyan handed money to the street vendor. Yudit spoke awkwardly.

“I could’ve paid for it.”

“If you keep paying for everything, you’ll go broke.”

The vendor handed over a yogurt bowl made of earthenware. Yudit thought they had bought just one, but there were three. It wasn’t something they could just take a few bites of and be done with—they would need to find a place to sit and eat properly.

“Let’s go to the riverside. I know a place with seating.”

At Yudit’s words, the two followed him with their yogurt bowls in hand. Even though they were older than him, moments like this made Yudit feel like he was their guardian. He didn’t dislike the feeling.

“This is incredible.”

Wadiram murmured as he stood before the riverbank. The Denver River, the pride of the capital, was deep and wide. A round trip across it by boat took about ten minutes, and from time to time, thirty-passenger cruise ships glided leisurely along the water.

They were so captivated by the Denver River that they momentarily forgot about their snacks, simply watching it in silence. The river sparkled beautifully under the afternoon sun, and children played along the shore, laughing as they kicked a ball back and forth. Watching the two of them standing there, mesmerized, Yudit was the first to take a seat on the steps by the riverbank. As he scooped up a spoonful of yogurt, Wadiram and Huyan followed suit and sat beside him.

“The rivers here seem a bit different from the ones in Herut.”

“There are rivers in Herut too, of course—people live there, after all. But nothing this big. This is truly impressive.”

Still staring at the flowing water, Wadiram snapped out of his daze and shook his head.

“Herut is nice too. At night, the desert is filled with stars, camels are adorable, and there’s lots of delicious food.”

“Camels… They spit on people.”

Yudit recalled what had happened during the welcome ceremony. At his words, Wadiram let out a chuckle.

“You saw that? That’s my camel. He’s got a terrible personality, which makes him cute. He doesn’t listen well, stops to eat tree branches when we’re in a hurry, but he’s still adorable. Oh, this is good.”

Wadiram took a big spoonful of yogurt and ate it. After confirming that no one else was around, he spoke again.

“Your Highness should visit Herut sometime. I’ll show you around.”

“If I get the chance.”

“Hmm, what do princes and princesses who don’t become emperor usually do?”

“Usually… they die.”

At Yudit’s blunt response, Wadiram’s mouth fell open. Huyan, too, paused mid-spoonful and stared at Yudit.