Chapter 12 – Carol and Julien are fighting over Sharon

'I think there was something like this last week, too.'

The scene looked familiar to Julien. Sharon was sleeping again as Carol and he stood by, observing her. The only difference was that Sharon was squirming as she slept.

"Aaaah, no! You frigging shitstain!"

Julien was a little taken aback.

"What is she saying?" he asked.

"Dunno. But it sounds like she's cursing, doesn't it?" Carol smiled. She wriggled to lie down next to Sharon and played with her hair. 

Julien sat down by the bed and stared at Sharon as she mumbled.

"What language is that?" he asked. Julien had to learn at least four languages as part of his education as Crown Prince, but it was the first time he heard words like these.

"How would I know?" Carol said. "She sometimes says weird things when she takes a nap. Isn't it fun? But she gets really flustered if I imitate the things she says. I don't think they're very polite words."

Despite Carol's unexpectedly civil response, Julien didn't say anything. Sharon was strange in many ways. She didn't treat him differently despite the difference in their statuses, and she also treated him like a child.

That wasn't all.

She was also the first person to hold his hand. Not even his mother held his hand after he ascended to the position of crown prince.

Julien clasped his hands, as if he could still feel her touch. Furthermore, Sharon usually had an indifferent face, but she was quite zealous in anything that involved Carol.

'I… I want her to care about me too.'

He wanted her warmth and affection. He wanted to see himself reflected in her eyes.

Julien bit his lip. This week passed by so quickly as well. He didn't see his mother, and he had been busy because of some unexpected guests at the palace.

Because they were from the same country as Julien's great-grandmother on his mother's side, he had to devote all of his time to them. That was what his mother wanted him to do.

Julien was still afraid of disobeying her.

Remembering his mother's demonic face, he grabbed his shaking right hand with his left hand.

'It's annoying.' Julien's irritation soared from his inability to do anything. He wanted to monopolize Sharon. He wanted to hold her hand again.

Sharon said that she would come for him if he ever needed her… so he could just pretend that he needed her. 

Julien was used to wearing a mask, so it wouldn't be hard to do.

***

I woke up after the cookies had come out of the oven and cooled down.

"That was a nice nap. Let's eat the cookies quickly and go. The sun is about to set."

Carol nodded her head at my words.

"Go? Where to?" Julien asked.

"Home, of course."

"Oh." Julien frowned and scratched his forehead.

I took a bite of a cookie on the table. "Oh, not bad."

"Sharon, that was the one I made!" Carol said excitedly.

"It's delicious."

"That's because I made it!"

Julien spoke in a quiet voice to me, "Do you have to go? You can just live here. Since you're related to the Gratoni family, my mother might give you permission."

"Huh? No."

At my refusal, Julien impatiently said, "Why not? I'll make sure you're fed well and buy you clothes, and you could do whatever you want."

Why would I step inside this murky pool just for that?

As the prince, he really shouldn't be suggesting such scary things.

I shook my head. I was satisfied with the life I had now. I could do anything I wanted in the duchy under the shadow of Madame DeJoue.

"Hey! Sharon's my playmate!"

Carol tossed aside the cookie she was eating and jumped up.

No, but I wasn't going to go. She didn't need to get so worked up.

"I'm better than you," Julien said. Meeting his black eyes, Carol pouted, her cheeks puffing up with air.

Oh… my head hurt.

Carol was properly worked up now, and stamping her feet, she yelled, "You shitstain!"

…Wait. They were busy fighting right now, but I wanted to ask her just where she learned that word.

However, before I could even reach out to her, Carol jumped at the crown prince.

"Sharon is my friend! You're such a jerk!!"

Julien, who had always looked so mature, was pushed over the edge by Carol.

"Hey!!"

Carol and Julien didn't hear me, as Carol grabbed Julien's hair and yanked on it.

"Just stop!!"

"No!" Carol shouted as she panted. It was clear that the attendants in the room were uncertain about what to do between the fight between the two kids who had the highest social statuses in the room.

"Let go of me!" Julien said irritably. He tried to grab Carol's wrist to pull it aside, but Carol was unmovable.

Oh, these stubborn kids!

"I told you to stop!"

Before I could get between the two, Julien pushed Carol away. "She'll live much better with me than with something like you! Idiot!" 

Carol sprang to her feet.

"Your Highness, please stop it! Lady Carol, please…"

They ignored the attendants' words, and I was caught in the middle of their tense confrontation.

Seriously, these brats.

They didn't even ask me what I wanted before they started fighting over me. I was speechless at their rudeness.

"Both of you, stop. If you keep acting like this, I won't play with either of you anymore!"

At my declaration, Carol and Julien turned to me at the same time.

Yeah. What a surprise.

"That's not fair!"

"Yes, it is!"

At my sharp words, Carol took a step back. She was looking at me as if she was asking how I could say that to her.

"That's a little tough," said Julien.

"I'm the one that finds this tough!"

This time, Julien took a step back, looking shocked.

Finally, the two of them stopped fighting.

"Hmph!"

Stuck between Carol, who wasn't looking at me, and Julien, who didn't look any more eager to interact with Carol, I sighed.

It was hard to be popular.

Ugh, this popularity was going to ruin me. I didn't realize before what sort of relationship the two kids had. While they were seemingly friendly to each other, they had actually been fighting all along. I was a fool.

***

We only met with Julien once a week.

Since we saw him yesterday, I wouldn't have to meet him for a while. That was my only consolation. I sat down at my favorite spot in the study and put my head down where the sun was shining.

Ah… It was perfect. I loved taking naps.

"Sharon… Are you sleeping again?"

There was a whining voice and a pink ribbon was placed on the desk next to my head.

Aw. Why do I have to tie her hair?

I brushed Carol's head with my hand. Because I was still young and my hands were small, it didn't turn out as I wanted.

"Shaaaaron…"

"I'm sleepy."

"You're always sleepy."

"You should take a nap too, Carol. You have to sleep well to grow up tall."

"Hmph." Carol looked sullen.

I patted Carol's head again and closed my eyes. I couldn't sleep yesterday because of my recurring nightmares.

If you wake up at 3 a.m. and stay up all morning, you'll also feel sleepy at this time.

I yawned.

A clumsy hand put a blanket over my back as I yawned. It was Carol. Though it was summer, the interior of the house was still chilly, so I was grateful for it.

I smiled with my eyes still closed. I could feel Carol sitting down next to me.

Great. Maybe she'll read a book.

It was quiet and I was drowsy, and I was just about to fall asleep.

"My lady."

"Um… Madame DeJoue, Sharon said she was going to sleep."

"I know, Lady Carol. But this is urgent…"

A hand interrupted my sleep. I opened my eyes at the troubled voice of Madame DeJoue.

"What is it…?" I asked in a low voice.

Madame DeJoue smiled uncomfortably. "I think you have to go right now."

My blood turned cold.

"The crown prince needs you, my lady."

Madame DeJoue's answer made me jump up. 

"Huh? Where are you going? Are you going to see Julien?" I carefully removed Carol's hand, bunched up in my skirt.

"Carol. I'll be gone for about two hours. You'll be all right alone for a little while, right?"

"Why? Can't I come too?"

I hesitated. I didn't want to take Carol there. It was a complicated matter that involved not only Julien's pride but also may hurt Carol's heart.

Remembering Carol's reaction from last time, I realized it was better not to take her.

I shook my head. "No. You can't come."

As if she could feel my determination, Carol let me go. Sullenly, she asked, "How long is two hours?"

"Hm… About as long as it will take for you to finish reading these books?"

I picked two fairytales that I thought Carol might like and put them on the desk.

"If you finish reading all this by the time I'm back, I'll let you sleep in my room tonight."

Carol's face bloomed like a flower at my words. I patted Carol's head and followed Madame DeJoue, who hastened me forward.

"Is the medicine prepared? Did Julien say that it was serious? Should we call a specialist doctor?"

"That shouldn't be necessary. The Empress wouldn't harm him to that extent because she doesn't want others to know."

I closed my lips.

Carol's words about how Julien hated people touching him echoed around in my head.

'If you try to get close to him at all, he just snaps at you!'

He had a good reason for it.

"Is there anybody who is watching me or following me now?"

"…I've taken care of it."

I really respected Madame DeJoue.

Madame DeJoue had arranged for a carriage in advance, and so I headed straight to the location where I was to meet Julien.

Worst-case scenarios burdened my head. Being unable to see him and not knowing what had happened made it all worse.

When we arrived, Julien was on the bed of the little cabin, and he didn't look too bad.

Luckily, I had already asked Madame DeJoue to remodel the cabin. I would have felt horrible if I saw him sitting on the dirty cloth, crouching in the dust.

I approached the crown prince and gently brushed his head. "Julien," I whispered.

Even my quiet voice was enough to make him open his eyes with surprise. His eyes reflected the pain he was in.

"Are you all right?"

Julien didn't answer my question. But he also didn't push away my hand, which was still caressing his head. I felt that if I stopped, he might break down.

His pale face and bloodless lips stood out to my eyes.

How could the Empress do this to such a beautiful child? I just couldn't understand her.

The black eyes, which had been staring at me without blinking, were wet with unfallen tears like glass.

But he didn't cry.

"Why aren't you crying?"

At my question, Julien smiled faintly.

"Even if I cry… Nothing will change."

In other words, even if he did nothing wrong, the Empress would not stop. Nobody would listen to his cries for help when it was the Empress who was responsible.