Since then, Prince Rezeda had moved into the detached house on Iris’s family estate.
Naturally, Iris was tasked with taking care of him. To alleviate everyone’s concerns, he was treated as an infected person to prove it was safe.
Every day, a messenger from the royal palace would come to check on him and then leave.
Rezeda seemed to enjoy the laid-back life at Iris’s place.
Since there was a chance that Rezeda might be infected, Iris took over all the duties of a valet.
They would eat meals that Iris brought, exercise together with swordplay and horseback riding, play chess, and study a little. Iris even helped Rezeda with his evening change of clothes.
Watching Rezeda obediently lift his head to make unbuttoning easier, Iris sighed. Rezeda was thirteen—a child by the standards of their world.
You should at least take off your clothes yourself… Aren’t we of age to be conscious of such things? There’s no way His Highness is interested in me. I know, but being considered damaged goods…
Iris thought, constrained by the customs of her world.
Of course, Rezeda could dress himself, but he kept silent about it, enjoying the rare opportunity to have Iris help him. He was fully indulging in the experience with a hidden agenda.
As Iris unhappily unbuttoned his clothes, Rezeda playfully pulled on her curls. They bounced amusingly.
“Please stop that,” Iris said sternly.
“But it’s cute.”
Blushing and speechless from being smiled at so closely by a handsome prince, Iris looked away. Even without romantic feelings, a handsome face is still handsome.
Rezeda played with her hair again.
Iris gave up scolding him. They were in humble circumstances compared to the palace. If playing with her hair comforted Rezeda, she was willing to endure it.
Once she finished unbuttoning, Rezeda chuckled.
“That’s enough. I can manage the rest.”
Iris stepped out to collect the clothes Rezeda would change into, all of which were to be discarded per her father’s instructions. Everything needed for his stay was provided by Iris’s family.
Oh, the nobility… Iris was astounded by a lifestyle unimaginable in her past life. To avoid waste, she secretly washed the less ornate clothes and took them to the cave.
Two weeks had passed since Rezeda began his stay at Iris’s place. Perhaps due to the physical closeness, they had become quite comfortable with each other. Being the only one allowed in Rezeda’s quarters, Iris often found herself his chosen companion for various activities. It turned out Rezeda was surprisingly playful and needy.
Perhaps being schooled as a prince left him starved for affection?
As she thought this, Iris playfully stuffed a piece of bok choy into Rezeda’s open mouth during breakfast.
After breakfast, they studied for a while. Mostly, it was Rezeda teaching Iris about the country’s history, palace mechanics, and intricate royal etiquette.
Having fallen behind in her studies due to her smallpox confinement, Iris had much to catch up on. Although she had studied the nation’s history, she was unfamiliar with the workings and manners of the royal palace. She wondered if all this detail was necessary, but Rezeda insisted it was essential for enrolling in the academy.
“Wouldn’t it be fun to attend school together?”
Iris nodded at Rezeda’s suggestion.
Indeed, enrolling would be wise. It would be best to stay close to Camille for guidance. I need to stop Nigel’s transformation into a pervert, and if possible, prevent Rezeda’s potential descent into possessiveness.
Rezeda, surprisingly knowledgeable for his age, kept Iris amazed. Despite being the same age, his breadth of knowledge far surpassed hers. He must have studied extensively.
He was also quite informed about the fairies, educating Iris about them extensively.
“There are seven Fairy Chiefs, each with different colored feathers. Lord Serj is the Purple Leader. I haven’t met him, but my father’s guardian fairy has orange feathers. They all wear sashes embroidered to match their feather colors, so you can tell who they are at first sight.”
“So, Lord Serj has sage embroidery,” Iris noted.
“That’s right,” Rezeda continued, patiently explaining about the other fairy chiefs as well.
“Is it really okay for you to tell me all this?”
“You’ve already met a leader, so it’s special for you,” he replied.
“Thank you!”
Iris was genuinely grateful, although she was unaware that her learning was part of her grooming as a potential consort.
After lunch, which they also took together, the afternoon was for siesta—a time Iris deeply appreciated given her nocturnal visits to the Black Forest cave and the town for vaccination checks. Rezeda, aware of her circumstances, never reproached her for napping. He would even joke, “Shall I lend you my lap?”
The moments when he gently stroked her hair as she slept soundly were blissful for Rezeda. He’d play with her curls, twirling them around his fingers.
When awake, she might reflexively twist his arm if he teased her, but in her slumber, she was utterly compliant. Rezeda found this endearing, almost childlike vulnerability in Iris.
They’d revitalize after siesta with some physical activity. Today, as on other days, Iris and Rezeda practiced swordplay. Iris was beginning to feel pressured as Rezeda’s skills had improved markedly. Frustrated, she even started doing secret strength training.
I’m about to lose! But I absolutely cannot lose! Not to Lord Rezeda, and certainly not to Nigel in terms of combat ability. Worst case, I’d have to fight and escape!
With a determined snort, she parried Rezeda’s sword, sending it spinning through the air. The wooden blade twirled and thudded into the turf.
“Whoa! You’re energetic, aren’t you?”
Prince Brule, the crown prince, stood there with a surprised expression, a contingent of knights behind him.
“Brother!” Rezeda started towards Brule but stopped himself, halting in his tracks.
Iris, noticing this, maintained her distance and bowed respectfully.
“You don’t need to worry about us,” Brule waved off the formalities.
“Your Highness!”
“Guards, stand down!”
Despite the guards’ admonitions, Brule commanded sternly and marched up to Rezeda, ruffling his peach-colored hair affectionately.
“You’ve got quite the spirit, don’t you?”
As the elder prince toyed with his hair, Rezeda’s face lit up with a mix of annoyance and affection.
“You’re not making this a big deal, are you?”
“I’ll inhale the vaccine too. It’s better if I do, to stand by your side, right? Iris, share the vaccine with me.”
“No, Nigel. You’re the eldest. You have duties to uphold,” Rezeda snapped back, and Nigel’s expression fell, reflecting his frustration.
Nobility and their burdens. Just because it’s a knight’s house doesn’t mean much; they might have physical strength but little magical power, Iris thought, almost as if it were someone else’s problem.
“Besides, after my safety is proven, we’ll need nobles willing to follow suit. That’s what I want from you, Nigel.”
“Understood,” Nigel reluctantly agreed.
“Don’t worry. Iris will protect me as a knight’s family should, right?” Rezeda turned to Iris with a playful smirk.
Caught off guard, Iris looked at the two men. Rezeda was smiling warmly, while Nigel looked unsure.
A knight’s family isn’t just a convenient label! But trouble would arise if it were abolished…
“…I’ll take care of it…”
Iris felt the weight of an unseen duty settling on her shoulders as she agreed reluctantly.
