TOPWL 67

“I didn’t think it’d be this bad.”

Yudit got down from the bed and dusted off his clothes. Just because the fur was short didn’t mean it wouldn’t shed. Ro let out a short whine, seemingly displeased that Yudit had gotten up. It looked like he wasn’t a morning dog. When Yudit turned his head, he found Shane staring at him. The blood vessels in Shane’s eyes had burst red.

“Shane. Don’t tell me you didn’t sleep.”

“I got some sleep here and there.”

Despite his words, the rough stubble on his jaw and his sunken eyes made it all too clear. He had stayed up all night.

“…Shane.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I asked His Excellency to assign you back to me as my escort because I liked the days we spent together. But I can’t keep you by my side if it’s going to be like this.”

This wasn’t what Yudit wanted. Shane hung his head, looking ashamed.

“I’ll try… not to cause you any worry.”

“If you don’t want to be my escort anymore, just tell me. I’ll understand.”

“That’s not it. Not at all.”

Shane said firmly. Yudit reached out his hand to him.

“Then let’s make sure neither of us regrets meeting each other again. Let’s get along.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Shane took his hand. The palm, hardened with a lifetime of sword training, was full of calluses. Truthfully, Yudit wanted to ask Khalid for one more escort. It was obvious Shane would push himself too hard alone. But rather than doing that, he might as well not hire Shane in the first place—there was no way he could make that kind of request to Khalid.

“Let’s go. There’s a lot to be done when we return.”

Khalid had already left early. He hadn’t said much, only left word for Yudit to be provided a proper meal. After finishing his meal, Yudit boarded the carriage. The coachman, who had been keeping the horse in the ducal stable, looked far more at ease here than he had been in the village—both in body and spirit.

“Thank you. You’ve gone through a lot these past few days.”

“N-not at all. It was an honor to serve.”

At Yudit’s kind words, the coachman shyly lowered his head, hiding behind his hat. At the front of the carriage, Shane held out a hand to help Yudit up. The moment Yudit accepted the escort, he felt someone’s gaze and turned back. But no one was watching him from the large mansion.

“What is it, Your Highness?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

Yudit climbed into the carriage. With the coachman’s word of departure, the carriage began to glide smoothly. Yudit looked out the window at the scenery passing by. The dense woods, filled not with flowering trees but tall evergreens, always gave off a majestic air. As he caught the scent of trees and wind tickling his nose, he thought the smell reminded him a little of Khalid’s scent.

“It’s a long way. You should try to get some sleep.”

“Mm, I will.”

But perhaps because he’d already slept well, he couldn’t fall asleep. As the carriage picked up speed and the cold wind began to blow through the open window, Yudit closed it and stared out through the glass. Before long, they had entered the city. It was late morning, and the fine weather had people bustling about in every direction. The golden sunlight shattered over the river, glittering like jewels. The sounds of flowing water, clopping hooves, and people’s chatter blended into a pleasant cacophony.

As they neared the market, the carriage slowed to a crawl and eventually came to a stop. Having dozed off, Yudit awoke as soon as the carriage stopped.

“You can sleep a little more.”

“Mm…”

He squinted against the sunlight filtering in through the window, and Shane pulled down the shade. But just before he could cover it fully, Yudit suddenly called out in a hurry.

“Wait.”

At that, Shane opened the shade again. He could’ve sworn he saw Yasin just now. Yudit sat up and scanned the crowd outside the window, but Yasin was nowhere to be found.

“Is something the matter?”

“No. I just thought I saw someone I know.”

Even after that, Yudit stayed pressed to the window, keeping his eyes on the passing streets. In the meantime, the carriage began to move again.

After returning, Yudit locked himself away in the imperial palace library from morning till night, working out plans for the maintenance of District 3 of Bern. Eventually, Shane began bringing him three meals a day and making him take thirty-minute walks after each meal. Yudit accepted Shane’s routines without much resistance.

But what Shane called a “walk” was essentially exercise for Yudit. On top of that, Shane would turn off the lights the moment midnight passed, standing guard from inside the room afterward—so Yudit couldn’t even sneak in some reading by lamplight. Forced to lie down and rest, Yudit settled into a routine of sleeping early and waking early. After about a week, he could feel the difference—in stamina and in health. Even now, he was on his way to lunch after spending the morning in the library.

Once seated in the dining hall, a servant brought meals for both him and Shane. Shane had initially been reluctant to share a table with Yudit, but since the table was shared with other servants anyway—and because it was easier to fulfill his escort duties that way—he gave in to Yudit’s reasoning and joined him.

Yudit let out a small sigh as he tasted the food.

The contents of the plate were meager: grilled bread, sea bass with cream sauce, and salad with dressing. The bread looked presentable on the outside, but it was hard and dry, as if it had been stored for too long. The meat was overcooked to the point of being tough and hard to chew, and even the sauce on top was greasy and heavy.

“Shane, don’t eat that.”

Yudit pushed away Shane’s plate, who had been quietly eating. Shane finally set down his utensils. Yudit dabbed his mouth with a napkin and turned to the servant nearby.

“Could you bring the nanny?”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

The servant nodded, glancing nervously at Yudit. Before long, the nanny entered the room. Her face bore an air of defiant pride. Yudit looked at her coldly as she came forward and gave a shallow bow.

“What is this meal, Nanny?”

“We’re short on budget. There was nothing to be done.”

She sounded completely unashamed. But according to the investigation, she had been wasting funds recklessly—and even using them for personal reasons. Because of that, Yudit had taken full control over the finances. The nanny had grumbled in protest, but Yudit hadn’t budged. And now, this was how she had chosen to retaliate—with a pathetic meal.

“That’s all you have to say?”

“What more is there to say?”

“Fine. From now on, you’ll be in charge of managing the food supplies and the kitchen. Divide the duties among yourself, the other servants, and the new kitchen overseer.”

Yudit looked toward the servant beside him. Both the nanny and the servant stared at him, wide-eyed in shock.

“Your Highness, still, this is—!”

The nanny started to protest, but shut her mouth when Shane’s presence bore down on her. With no way to object directly to Yudit, the nanny turned to glare at the servant instead. Realizing she had no choice, the servant bowed her head.

“I’ll… do my best.”

“If we ever get food like this again, someone none of us knows will take over that job. Understood?”

At the warning that a replacement would be hired if things weren’t done properly, the servant nodded in a panic.

“Yes, I understand.”

“You’ll be compensated for the extra responsibility.”

Typically, nannies who raised princes were given quiet, stable roles if they continued working in the palace. It was the same for those who had raised the other princes as well. Now that she was being moved to such a role and receiving compensation, the servant’s face gradually brightened—she was finally realizing this might not be such a bad deal after all. If she’d taken the nanny’s side, she might’ve ended up without a letter of recommendation and kicked out. There was no way she would risk that.

After the nanny and the servant left, Yudit rose from his seat in the now-empty dining hall.

“Let’s eat lunch outside.”

“I heard there’s a charity event today. If you eat out, Your Highness, you may be pressed for time.”

Shane voiced his concern. Yudit gave a faint, bitter smile.

“It’s fine. I’m not going.”

Shane, who understood why Yudit had made that choice, didn’t ask anything more. He only handed Yudit a cloak, saying it was cold outside.