“Here, this is yours.”
When Jeri met Henry’s eyes, heat rushed fiercely into his face, but he was able to hide it. After all, he had just been cooking in front of the fire.
Jeri ladled out a bowl of steaming tomato soup and set it down in front of Henry.
“There’s plenty, so you can have more.”
Henry had devoured four bowls of salad, so wouldn’t he eat at least five bowls of soup?
Back then, Jeri had fretted because he was afraid there wouldn’t be enough food, but not anymore. Thanks to their trip to the grocery store yesterday, they had plenty of ingredients.
“Is it good?”
“Yes.”
Only after watching Henry pick up his spoon and taste the food did Jeri finally pick up his own.
It was the moment he understood the saying, ‘Just watching someone you like eat is enough to make you feel full.’
* * *
After eating until he was full, Jeri intended to sprawl lazily across the bed as usual.
He would have, too, if Henry hadn’t stopped him.
Jeri blinked as Henry smoothly pulled him upright as though it were the most natural thing in the world, then put a coat on him that Jeri had no idea where he had gotten.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
“Would you like to go for a walk?”
“A walk?”
“Yes.”
Was that really okay?
Jeri worried that if they wandered around the garden, someone might spot them.
Or worse, they might run into the Emperor.
Taking a stroll through the beautiful, overgrown garden with Henry and then suddenly encountering the Emperor?
Just imagining it was so horrifying and frightening that goosebumps rose all over his skin.
He didn’t particularly want to go.
He just wanted to lie lazily on the bed with Henry like they had been doing and talk about this and that.
“You’ve eaten, so you should get some fresh air as well.”
The words, I got plenty of fresh air yesterday, so I’m going back to my room to lie down today, rose all the way to the tip of his tongue, but Jeri swallowed them.
Henry might want some fresh air.
“Mhm, okay.”
Besides, what were the chances they would actually run into the Emperor?
The imperial palace was enormous.
Ever since Jeri had opened his eyes here, he hadn’t met a single person, let alone the Emperor.
Well, he had met Henry.
But technically, Henry hadn’t been someone he happened to run into. Henry had specifically come looking for him, so it wasn’t really the same situation.
‘So…. Let’s not worry.’
Jeri swallowed hard.
They said worrying too much could make you sick, after all.
The garden had looked beautiful through the window, but once he was actually walking through it, it became obvious how poorly maintained it was.
The overgrown trees were thick enough to obstruct their view, and the weeds reaching up to his waist made it difficult to walk.
Even so, it was beautiful.
Was it because he was walking side by side with Henry?
Or perhaps because Henry was holding his hand so tightly.
“Shall we make a vegetable garden here?”
“A vegetable garden?”
“I think we could buy some seedlings the next time we go to the market. It’s winter now, but they should grow well in spring, summer, and autumn.”
Was it really okay to grow things like that in the Emperor’s garden without permission?
Of course, it would be fine as long as they didn’t get caught….
Still, Jeri couldn’t easily nod and agree.
He had no intention of remaining in this terrifying imperial palace until spring arrived.
“…Should we?”
“Yes. Or we could look for seedlings that grow even during winter.”
But Henry looked so bright as he said it that Jeri couldn’t bring himself to say no.
So he awkwardly nodded.
He desperately hoped Henry would return to where he originally belonged before that day came, and that what they were saying now would remain nothing more than a small memory.
“Mhm, let’s do that.”
Jeri tugged on Henry’s hand.
‘Should I at least give him some kind of hint now?’
Tell him he had no intention of staying in the imperial palace for long?
No. No, he couldn’t.
If someone questioned Henry later, Henry needed to know nothing.
Henry had to have absolutely nothing to do with Jeri’s escape.
That was the right thing to do.
Jeri needed to abandon his selfish desire for Henry not to be hurt and for Henry not to remember him badly.
“Hey, Henry.”
“Yes.”
Rustle.
At the sound of someone stepping on dry leaves, Jeri jumped in fright.
Half his body practically sprang into the air, and he instinctively yanked on the hand he was holding.
Nearly pulling Henry into an embrace, Jeri widened his eyes and looked around.
He craned his neck and searched the area, but no one was there.
“W-who was that?”
“Probably an attendant passing nearby.”
“…Right?”
“Yes.”
Jeri was embarrassed by how badly he had overreacted.
Of course it was probably an attendant.
It was only natural for attendants to walk around inside a palace….
He felt as though he had looked far too startled.
If someone else had seen him just now, wouldn’t they have thought, ‘He must have done something wrong’?
He could claim innocence when it came to most things, but not that.
After all, he was planning to escape from the imperial palace and had even made preparations for it.
Technically speaking, that made him a would-be criminal.
“Sorry.”
Only then did he realize that he was still clutching Henry’s head tightly against himself.
Jeri cleared his throat and carefully released Henry’s head.
Then he gently fixed Henry’s thoroughly mussed hair.
“What were you going to say to me?”
“Huh? Oh, it was nothing important…. Is there anything you need?”
The last time they had gone outside the palace, Jeri had bought the things he needed, so the next time they went out, he wanted to buy something Henry needed.
Of course, before that, he needed to receive his allowance for maintaining appearances and repay the money he had borrowed from Henry.
He could buy Henry clothes.
Jewelry wouldn’t be bad either.
Or maybe an expensive fountain pen.
But because Jeri knew practically nothing about this world, he hesitated to choose a gift too hastily.
“Hmm. Will you give me anything I ask for?”
“If it’s something I can give you.”
Instead of answering, Henry smiled and nodded.
He looked wonderful.
And yet, at the same time, just a tiny bit frightening.
It was a comparison that didn’t suit Henry at all, but….
It felt almost as though Henry were tasting something before swallowing it whole in a single bite.
‘No way.’
Jeri shook his head vigorously, driving away the pointless thought.
“Do you promise?”
“Of course! I’m not the kind of person who says one thing and then takes it back.”
“I believe you.”
It was the same smile Jeri had seen countless times before, so he had no idea why it suddenly felt so ominous.
Should he change his answer and say that maybe he could become the kind of person who took back his word after all?
“Lord Jeri, don’t you think His Majesty will summon you soon?”
Jeri felt as though his heart dropped straight into the ground.
W-why would the Emperor summon me?
Wasn’t he completely uninterested in me?
Why would he suddenly call for me?
Did he find out that we chopped firewood?
Or maybe….
The world spun before his eyes.
Jeri couldn’t think of any specific reason why the Emperor might summon him, but who knew!
If the Emperor wanted to find fault with him, there were plenty of things he could pick at.
“W-why would he summon me?”
“Do you not want him to?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to….”
He was afraid.
Jeri knew it was abnormal to feel that way about someone he had never even met.
But what was he supposed to do when he was frightened?
He wanted to get out of the palace without seeing the Emperor even once.
No, without even seeing the Emperor’s shadow.
“I’m just a little scared?”
“It seems you’ve heard quite a few bad rumors about His Majesty.”
But Henry… they’re not false rumors, are they?
Didn’t all of those things really happen?
Jeri desperately suppressed the urge to ask and gave an awkward smile instead.
He lifted the corners of his mouth as naturally as possible and could only hope it didn’t look strange to Henry.
“I-I’ve heard about as much as everyone else has….”
“For example?”
“Uh, um….”
Jeri tried to think of a rumor he could actually say out loud.
That the Emperor had visited several nobles he disliked in the middle of the night, threatened them, and cut off pieces of their collars and several of their fingers?
That sounded entirely plausible, so he couldn’t say it.
And there was no way he could mention the rumor that the Emperor had to spill blood regularly or he would go insane, which was supposedly why he swung his sword around.
‘Right, there was that rumor, wasn’t there?’
This one seemed safe enough to say aloud.
Jeri gestured for Henry to come closer.
“They say that sometimes people fall from the bedroom window where His Majesty stays, but when someone gets startled and goes to check, there’s nothing on the ground.”
“What do you think about that rumor, Lord Jeri?”
“Hmm. Maybe people just imagined it?”
Jeri felt a chill run through him as he watched Henry silently raise the corners of his mouth in a smile.
There was no wind, but goosebumps kept prickling along the back of his neck.
It almost felt as though Henry were telling him that the rumor was true.
Jeri’s eyes darted around before he reached out and grabbed Henry’s hand.
“Sh-should we head back now?”
He knew he had changed the subject awkwardly, but he didn’t want to talk about the Emperor anymore.
Henry absolutely could not discover that Jeri had no memories or that he knew nothing about this world.
If they kept talking about the Emperor, Henry might notice something strange.
“The sun sets early in winter, so….”
Fortunately, Henry didn’t ask anything else.
Though perhaps Jeri was imagining it, Henry did seem just a little displeased.
Trying to change the mood, Jeri gently tugged on his sleeve.
“Hey, Henry.”
“Yes.”
“Tomorrow, we….”
At that moment, a round shape suddenly sprang up from the bushes and immediately leaped forward.