Side story. Things I want to have

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Thud thud. Thud thud thud.

The child’s light footsteps echoed through the darkened hallway, and just in case anyone heard them, he lifted his heels a little higher and then stopped running. Nervousness filled his face as he walked slowly.

“……so it’s not yet…….”

“It’s too early…….”

At that moment, he saw Ronda and Veron walking down the hallway, talking about something. The child held his breath and hid behind the statues that decorated the hallway.

Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat.

His heart was beating fast. Sweat beaded on the tip of his nose. Veron and Ronda passed by, unable to spot the hiding child. But as the tense child peered at them, their steps came to a screeching halt.

“……?”

“Why?”

“I feel a presence somewhere.”

“There’s someone else awake beside us at this hour?”

The two of them turned around, eyes gleaming. The child’s body, hidden in the blue glow of the room, trembled like an aspen tree. He mustn’t be seen. The child squeezed his eyes shut tightly, unable to make a sound. And then.

“……!”

A sinister hand immediately covered the child’s mouth. As the child opened his eyes in shock, the world turned a dark red and his vision spun around.

“You. What are you doing?”

Benjamin’s eyes widened in disbelief as he released the hand covering the child’s mouth, and he looked around quickly. He had been hiding behind a statue in the hallway, and now he was standing in the middle of the garden. Benjamin had transported him here in a flash with his magic.

“……Brother Benjamin!”

“Aren’t you the Crown Prince now? Why are you running around here like a rat?”

Elexa looked up at Benjamin with tear-filled eyes, relieved.

“How did you get in? Ambrosia’s security isn’t easy to penetrate, even for a crown prince.”

“Claude said…….”

“Where in the world does our little brat keep coming up with things like that?”

Benjamin shook his head in disbelief.

“I can’t find Claude’s room…….”

“You’ve been here many times, and you can’t find it every time.”

Benjamin frowned, then glared at Elexa. He ruffled his hair in annoyance, though the sight of the child’s tearful face should have softened his heart.

“Anyway, I don’t understand why that little brat sent me away.”

“Claude sent you to get me?”

“Yes. It was time for you to come, but you didn’t come, so he threw a fit and told me to get you.”

Benjamin grumbled about why Claude kept asking him to do this.

‘I can’t let them catch me not sleeping! That’s why you have to go and pick him up!’

Benjamin, remembering Claude’s increasingly insolent face, finally sighed heavily, as if he had no choice. Unlike Benjamin, Elexa’s face immediately brightened as if she had just wiped away a tear.

“Quick, quick, take me to Claude!”

“Got it.”

Benjamin quickly grabbed Elexa by the nape of his neck and summoned his mana. Elexa’s vision flashed black and red, just as it had a moment before, and then his vision snapped back once more.

“Elexa!”

Claude, who had been waiting impatiently for Benjamin and Elexa, came running up to them as they entered the room.

“Claude!”

Claude and Elexa embraced like two people who had just met after being apart for a long time. This reunion of the cute, adorable children would have been enough to touch anyone’s heart, but not Benjamin’s.

“You guys played together already this morning.”

Benjamin sounded bored, and Claude looked up from cradling Elexa in his arms.

“But, why.”

“Are you happy to see him again today?”

“I wouldn’t do this if I wasn’t.”

Claude looked at Benjamin as if he were asking the obvious.

“You cheeky little brat.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

Claude growled, baring his teeth. Benjamin shrugged, knowing that any more and he’d bite.

“But you two, you should know this.”

“Know what?”

“That from the moment I cast a spell, Master knows where I’ve been and what I’ve done.”

“……!”

Claude and Elexa’s eyes widened at Benjamin’s words.

“You don’t mean……?”

Benjamin smirked as Claude’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“I’m sure Master has figured out that I took Elexa to your room. Of course, she’d know you weren’t sleeping.”

“Brother!!”

Claude lunged at Benjamin with both fists clenched tightly.

“I hate you! I hate you! You should have told me before I asked you to do this!”

“You kicked me out before I told you.”

“Then you shouldn’t have used magic!”

“You’re asking too much of a magician. You expect me to bring the Crown Prince of this country to you without using magic, and under the watchful eyes of the butler and the head maid?”

“Incompetent!”

“Isn’t that one of the things you’re learning these days, how to deal with people? Your lack of judgment in not using the right people at the right time.”

“I’m a kid!”

“And you don’t like to be called a kid.”

Claude and Benjamin argued without taking a breath. Rolling his eyes nervously, Elexa tugged at the hem of Claude’s shirt and said.

“Claude, Claude.”

“Huh?”

“Shouldn’t we hide for now? You can at least pretend to be asleep.”

“…….”

Even if he pretended to be asleep, it would be hard to fool Sarah, who would have known all along, because the mere thought of doing something without her knowledge was enough to make him feel guilty, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. So Claude just glared at Benjamin, who was staring at him.

“I hate you so much.”

“For the record, I don’t keep secrets from Master. Unlike you.”

“I don’t either!”

“Hmph, I’ll give you that.”

Benjamin succeeded in provoking Claude. In any case, he had done Claude a favor and given him a warning, so his job was done.

“I’m leaving. You guys handle it.”

“I will!”

Benjamin smirked and disappeared in a flash of dark red mana. Claude and Elexa were the only ones left in the room, and they both rolled their eyes nervously, then sighed heavily in resignation.

“I’m sorry, Elexa.”

“No, it’s just that I haven’t had the courage to talk about it, and I’d like to take this opportunity to come clean and ask for help.”

“Really?”

“Yes!”

Elexa sounded determined, and Claude smiled in relief.

“My mom will take care of it because there’s nothing she can’t do!”

“Yeah.”

The two children, now so determined, looked toward the doorway, waiting for Sarah to arrive.

“Oh my.”

Sarah was about to knock on the door when the sound of the two children’s earnest conversation made her pause and smile slightly.