I Start with a Bad Hand!

“I know that I’ve received more grace from you than I can ever repay. That’s why I’m trying to do as much as I can here.”

“Wait, wait a moment.”

The two people who never interrupted suddenly tried to speak at the same time.

“We, we didn’t take you in with the intention of getting something in return.”

They exchanged a quick glance and seemed to come to a silent agreement. The Baroness spoke first.

“What I mean is, we didn’t bring you here expecting you to repay us or because we wanted something from you. We just… we felt sorry for you, such a young child, having to be hindered by something that wasn’t your fault for your entire life. So we brought you here.”

The crackling of the fireplace blended with their steady voices in the quiet study.

“We were proud that you did your best at the academy. Truly. But we didn’t want you to go through it all alone, to hurt yourself like this.”

The Baroness’s dry hand stroked my back.

“And the fact that you made such a big decision without telling us, that you matured so early, it means we weren’t very good parents to you.”

A sharp pain pierced my heart again. This, too, wasn’t my emotion.

“It’s okay to be a little spoiled. If you’re having a hard time, you can lean on us.”

I wished Dietrich could have heard this. I wished that the real Dietrich, not just remnants of her soul, remained in this body. Someday, I would leave this place, and then these two would no longer have the Dietrich they loved.

“Don’t try to shoulder everything by yourself.”

It pained my heart with sadness. That feeling was mine.

***

“Ugh…”

“Prince? Are you awake?”

It was late in the afternoon when Icarus finally woke up. In the guest room of Baron Degoph’s castle, where the sunlight was the best, a warm fire burned, even though it was still autumn.

“…Dietrich.”

“Yes.”

“Your hair…”

Icarus touched the now neatly trimmed hair. Right after breakfast, Baron Degoph had offered to fix the jaggedly cut ends. As a result, I now had a bob cut, reminiscent of the style female knights wore about twenty years ago.

“We were worried. It’s been a year since you couldn’t wake up…”

“…What did you say?”

With a look of disbelief, Icarus shot up from his seat. It was understandable that he didn’t believe it.

“That’s a lie. It’s only been a day.”

At those words, his wide-open eyes quickly returned to their original shape. With a sullen expression, Icarus touched the ends of his hair again and asked.

“You cut your hair in that short time? …Just to pull a prank like this?”

I couldn’t bring myself to explain that I had sold it because I lacked the money to pay for the inn.

“Something like that.”

“…Was it worth it to cut your hair for this reaction?”

“Yes.”

That was enough. Icarus, with a face showing a mix of resignation and a bit of amusement, leaned back against the headboard.

“But this place is…”

“This is our territory. Heylem.”

“…Heylem? I thought you would take me back to the academy.”

There was a brief silence.

“Oh… right. There’s the academy.”

It would be safer, indeed, the academy. I answered calmly, but Icarus didn’t seem to care much. He ran his now brown hair through his fingers, got up from the bed, and looked out the window with curiosity.

“Still, this is nice. I was curious too. A place where people dig up potatoes with shovels, call insects by dialect names, and play string instruments by plucking them with their teeth.”

Icarus grinned at me. Damn. The lie I told without thinking was now coming back to bite me.

“…I’ll call the butler. He’ll bring you some clothes to change into. When you’re ready, let me know. There’s a meal prepared in the dining room. I’ll be waiting outside.”

I spat out my words like a rapid-fire gun and signaled to the waiting butler. I could hear Icarus chuckling inside. Damn it…

Before long, the butler came out with Icarus’s clothes. With a look of mild surprise, as if he hadn’t expected to wait here, I cautiously asked the butler a question.

“August, the friend who came to our castle back then… was it him?”

Inside, I assumed Icarus wasn’t the one who had brought the painting, but I wanted to be sure. However, my worries were unfounded as the butler provided a clear answer.

“Him? No, it wasn’t him. I remember the person being a bit slimmer and more slender, and shorter in height.”

And above all, their voice was completely different. The butler smiled slightly as he stepped aside.

Ha. I hadn’t realized how tense I was, but those words released a knot in my chest that I didn’t even know was there. I sank to the floor, crouching down. Still, I should ask the Baron and Baroness about it one more time.

“What are you doing there? Come on down with me.”

In that short time, Icarus, who now appeared completely groomed and refreshed, came out the door. Darker hair definitely suited him better.

***

“So, you don’t want to reveal that you’re a prince?”

“It’s a matter of security. If word gets out that I’m here, it could cause problems.”

And I also want to relax a bit here. Wearing borrowed clothes from Baron Degoph, Icarus looked around the castle.

That makes sense… but even if Baron Degoph is a rural noble, wouldn’t he recognize the second prince? However, Icarus seemed serious, so I nodded in agreement.

“Just act natural. Like we’re really friends from the academy.”

“I don’t know if I can do that. I tend to be quite formal, and my conscience would…”

“Just act like you usually do. You don’t normally talk with so much formality.”

We rehearsed a simple plan to pretend to be close friends and headed to the dining room.

As we approached, the expressions on Baron Degoph and his wife slowly turned from disbelief to stunned silence.

Noticing their reaction, I glanced at them, curious about their surprise. Icarus subtly tugged at my sleeve, signaling me to proceed naturally as we had practiced.

“This is my… uh, friend from the academy.”

“Friend?”

“Yes, his name is… Bob.”

Right? No, really? Icarus spoke confidently.

“Bob.”

The Baron and Baroness remained silent. Icarus then gave them a meaningful look, as if conveying a hidden message. The Baron, sensing the urgency in Icarus’s gaze, reluctantly spoke up.

“Bob… Is there a family name…?”

“He has no family name.”

“If there’s no family…”

“Yes. He’s a commoner.”

With those words, silence hung over the dining table. The awkward glances from the Baron and Baroness, Icarus’s intense, almost communicative stare, and the butler standing there uncomfortably—all of it created a bizarre harmony. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to ignore the tension.

‘They know he’s a prince.’  

And Icarus seemed to have realized that the couple knew as well. Thus began a foolish play, crafted by people who didn’t want to disappoint each other, where there were no deceived, only deceivers.

Baron and Baroness Degoph were the kind of people who would treat Dietrich’s friend with the utmost respect, regardless of their status. The table was laden with a variety of well-prepared dishes: freshly roasted pheasant, a salad garnished with autumn berries, and mushroom soup freshly picked from the forest. These were the best foods that Heylem had to offer.

However, they could never have guessed that the friend was a prince. In this tense atmosphere, only Icarus seemed to be at ease, smiling leisurely.

“So, how did you two…?”

“We grew close while participating in the play Dietrich organized.”

“Oh… I see…”

It was suffocating. Contrary to his claim of being a commoner who had never learned proper etiquette, Icarus displayed impeccable table manners. The butler watched him closely, his face filled with curiosity.

“The script Dietrich wrote had a profound impact on me personally, and I requested to join because I wanted to be a part of it.”

Her writing skills are remarkable. Everyone who read it was amazed. Icarus flashed a smile at me as he spoke.

“Dietrich wrote the script?”

“Yes. Oh, and her archery skills are exceptional. She even won the hunting competition organized by the royal family.”

“Oh… that’s right. I heard about that.”

But as the conversation shifted to me, the Baron and Baroness’s faces brightened noticeably. Feeling oddly embarrassed, I kept lifting my teacup to my lips and setting it down again.

“I was there as well, and she wasn’t just outstanding for an academy student; she could easily be considered a master archer. Her form was excellent despite not having learned for long.”

“Indeed, Dietrich has good posture.”

Baron Degoph interjected, agreeing with Icarus’s every word. But…

‘Stop it, stop it…’

From that moment, a string of compliments, meant to be kind, started to make me feel uncomfortable. I felt like I was going to choke, so I stood up from the table. The three of them were so engrossed in their warm atmosphere that they barely noticed my departure.

Only Sarah, having escaped the commotion, was watching the situation with a slightly sour expression.

“Miss, is he perhaps someone you are in a relationship with?”

And now she was asking a question that made me feel even more awkward.