Thump, thump.

The sound of quick footsteps came from afar, carried by the wind.

“Tch.”

Just like any other time, Agares cringed and covered more tightly with his wings, but Evelia, who had already heard the sound, sleepily rubbed her eyes and poked her face out.

Considering how hastily he had run, the boy’s cheeks, which rarely flushed, were stained bright red, and rough breaths were heaving from his beautiful lips.

“Eve, are you okay? Huh?”

The red eyes of the boy who had sprinted to his childhood friend were full of concern.

For as long as six days since the day he was driven out of the Duke’s house and returned to the Imperial Palace.

During that time, Ludwig was unable to do anything, was in a state of distress.

At the regular meeting where all the nobles gathered, it was basic to frighten the nobles by tapping the desk with his short nails.

He even stared blankly into space and was scolded by Count Ert for what was hurting him.

It was all because of this little friend.

Are you okay? You’re not sicker, are you?

When will Largo come flying to announce the news of a friend’s secret base visit?

From the moment he woke up in the morning until he closed his eyes at night, he was only worried about his first friend, and he didn’t notice that the Emperor’s eyes, who was secretly watching him, were glowing with satisfaction.

His heart had already run to the Duke’s house dozens of times, but he didn’t want to be hated by the Duke for some reason, so he struggled to restrain his steps.

It was a friend he met after a long and long time of patience, after six days.

At the moment when a soft smile was about to hang on his lips out of sheer pleasure.

“Louie!! You, you… are the crown prince? No, Your Highness the Crown Prince?!”

Ah.

Ludwig’s beautiful lips, which were about to make a line, stiffened.

The sound of his heart dropping seemed vividly audible.

‘He found out……’

He thought, someday, someday, the land thief would find out.

There’s no way he wouldn’t. The land thief is the imperial princess of the Artina family.

‘I knew this would happen.’

Someday, this land thief will also look at him with wary eyes. With greedy eyes looking at the object of power. With burdensome eyes hoping he would become the solid sun of the Empire. He knew that day would come.

‘I just wished we could spend a little more time as friends.’

Knowing that he could not make a real friend in this empire.

He had hoped impossible hope, leaning on the innocence of a child beyond his means.

“……”

“……”

As the silence grew longer, the little friend seemed to have confirmed the answer to her question.

Judging by how her already large eyes got even bigger.

The wind, which had felt warm until just a while ago, is now cold enough to make his body shiver.

The oceancolored eyes that were fascinating just to look at, today, the question contained in them is scary.

Just in case, can’t we remain as we are now, not as the crown prince and a highranking noble, but just as a land thief and a food thief, as the owner and guest of a secret base.

Ludwig joked to himself, hoping in his heart.

“There’s no way.”

There has never been such a person. Not a single one.

The little mumbling was buried in the wind and flew away. The rippling crimson eyes calmed down.

He consoled himself, saying that he had just been enchanted by a mirage he encountered in the desert, a place of death.

A mirage unreachable even with a dry throat.

The little friend was so earnest and yet not someone he could forcibly keep by his side.

Scared of what would come out of the mouth of the child who had been a dear friend until a moment ago, Ludwig looked at the ground to escape the seacolored gaze.

Without realizing, he bit his red lips.

‘Say it quickly.’

Seeing the crown prince, it’s been rude so far, it’ll be difficult to be friends from now on.

On the other hand, Evelia, watching the red eyes that had been rippling like waves become calm like a windless sky, and then quickly turn to the ground, made a big misunderstanding.

‘He’s so grumpy!’

From the beginning, status wasn’t a criterion for Evelia to decide friends.

Even if she initially thought he was a criminal, learned his name was Louie, and now found out he’s a royal family member. That doesn’t determine the essence of her childhood friend.

‘I’m sure he’s glaring at me like that because I didn’t use honorifics!’

I’m not scared that I’ll be imprisoned or executed, I’m using honorifics because you’re the crown prince. Because you’re the crown prince.

“……huh?”

For some reason, the timidly attached respectful speech that came very late reminded him of the moment when they first met.

A restrained chuckle escaped from Ludwig’s mouth.

The following words were far beyond expectation.

“Damn it. I’m totally confused because I’ve never had a friend who was a crown prince. Now I shouldn’t throw snowballs at the back of his head.”

…There must be many more things that shouldn’t be done, right?