May Every Wound Be Fatal - Chapter 52.2
Priscilla felt guilty about the situation, so she personally looked after Lucian despite having a nanny. However, she frequently fell ill, making it difficult to spend as much time with the child as she desired. Perhaps feeling the lack of her presence, Lucian often lingered in front of his sick mother’s bedroom.
The servants of the detached palace felt pity for the young prince, who was only six years old and prone to loneliness.
Consequently, whenever the Prince suggested a game of hide and seek, the entire detached palace joined in, creating a quite remarkable sight.
Lucian took great joy in those moments. Everyone wore a warm smile at the sound of his innocent laughter echoing through a bleak corner of the royal palace.
There was only one problem.
“Your Highness? Please come out now!”
Lucian was generally well behaved, but he was a curious child. There was no nook or cranny in the detached palace he had not visited, and he was a clever boy who knew how to utilize his small frame.
Once Lucian set his mind to it, the attendants could not find him. Eventually, they would resort to pleading with him to please show himself. Lucian found that situation quite amusing.
“Where on earth could he be hiding again…”
As Lucian remained out of sight, Hilda grew increasingly anxious. In fact, just a short while ago, Lucian had suddenly slipped out of the detached palace alone while searching for a place to hide.
No one knew how the young Prince had managed to evade the eyes of so many guards. Regardless, the fact that Lucian had gone out alone had thrown the detached palace into an absolute state of upheaval.
It had not even been a month since that incident. Hilda believed that the normally gentle Lucian would surely not have gone outside again.
“Your Highness?”
However, as sweat began to pour down her forehead while searching for him, her faith in the Prince quickly evaporated. Although the intense heat had broken, it was still summer. An exhausted Hilda paused between the trees and scanned the surroundings with an anxious gaze.
“Could he really have gone outside the detached palace…”
It was then that a familiar voice drifted down from above her head.
“Hilda.”
…Above her head. Hilda looked up in bewilderment, her eyes growing wide.
“Oh, Your Highness…”
With blonde hair bordering on wheat colored and blue eyes sparkling like the sea, the young boy who was the spitting image of Prince Kassian sat on a high tree branch, looking down at her.
“…How did you even get up there? Stay right there, do not move! I will go fetch a guard immediately… Oh my!”
But while Hilda was making a fuss, Lucian slid down the tree trunk in an instant.
“Your Highness!”
Horrified once again, Hilda hurriedly bowed her head and checked the young Prince over.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Lucian simply shook his head with a triumphant expression.
“I won again, didn’t I?”
At that innocent sight, Hilda lost her strength and let out a hollow laugh.
“…Goodness, you really are something else.”
She straightened her back and reached out her hand, and Lucian obediently took it. Only then could Hilda feel completely at ease.
“Let us return to your room now.”
She was about to move when she reflexively looked up at the tree. She wondered how he had even thought of climbing up there. It occurred to her that Lucian might not be such a quiet child after all.
“So, have you been up there the whole time?”
“No.”
“Then where?”
“Mmm. That is a secret.”
“…Your Highness.”
A suspicious thought crossed Hilda’s mind. She instinctively lowered her voice and peered into the Prince’s eyes with a serious look.
“You didn’t actually go outside, did you?”
“I didn’t.”
Fortunately, she could detect no sign of lying in those blue eyes as he spoke. Instead, his gaze seemed aggrieved and hurt, as if asking how she could possibly doubt him. While gently soothing the Prince, Hilda did not forget to remind him once more.
“Of course, I believe you. Still, please promise me again. That you will never go outside the detached palace alone.”
“…I said I understand.”
He seemed somewhat dissatisfied, but the Prince eventually nodded his head obediently this time as well. Hilda looked at the Prince as if he were quite adorable.
“Now, let us get back to the room quickly.”
She tried to start walking again, but for some reason, Lucian did not move.
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