Chapter 217: Hold Your Head High
Was she truly that reluctant to admit it?
"If the prime minister knows, then please tell us. Whose child is he?"
If she would not admit it willingly, then he would make her.
When Qiong Xing turned to Sergei, Sergei let out a deep sigh, clearly finding the situation troublesome.
"...Sigh. The Crown Prince is the child of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Que—"
"There is no way such a creepy child could be mine! M-my only child is Zoryana!"
After she said that, the queen who is hardly resembled royalty at all stormed out of the room with hurried ungraceful steps.
"..."
"What a creep," she said.
What part of him was creepy?
Was her mind alright, making such a fuss over something as trivial as the color of his eyes?
"Brat?"
"I’m fine. I already knew that. It’s just that... this is the first time she has said it directly to my face."
Qiong Xing knew that it must have hurt him.
Even so, the small hope he had held onto had been completely denied by the queen.
"...Prime Minister. In your opinion, who is suitable to be the next king?"
"His Highness the Crown Prince, Bratislav."
Then there was no problem.
Qiong Xing gently lifted Brat’s lowered face and pinched his right cheek.
"Q-Qiong Xing?"
"Fufu, what a face. Don’t make such a pathetic expression. You have the prime minister’s full approval. If you are my child, then hold your head high."
"Ah... hehe. Yes... um... Mother."
It seemed he had properly remembered what Qiong Xing had said earlier.
Though embarrassed, Brat said it clearly and he looked truly happy.
"You’re quite good at dragging people into things."
"I’m honored by the compliment."
"That wasn’t a compliment."
"That makes the prime minister my accomplice. Or perhaps... my comrade in battle?"
"Isn’t ’partner in crime’ more accurate?"
It seemed he did not deny being called a friend.
When Qiong Xing looked at Sergei with a cheerful smile, Sergei seemed to realize what he meant.
He then made a slightly bitter face and looked away.
He really was shy.
"Hey, hey, you said you were his tutor to that woman. Is that really okay?"
...Ah.
He had forgotten.
...
A lot had happened but somehow, Qiong Xing managed to return.
He felt completely exhausted, so he went straight to his room, only to be met with an intense welcome from his children tight hugs and full-force tackles.
Of course, in his worn-out state, there was no way he could withstand it and he was easily knocked flat onto his back.
That hurt...
"Welcome back!"
"Mayo~ Mayo~!"
Overwhelmed by their youthful energy and strength, Qiong Xing managed to say "I’m back," and then promptly lost consciousness.
Good night.
"Qiong Xing! Don’t die!"
He’s not dead.
"Idiot, he’s not dead!"
Exactly.
"If you fall asleep, you’ll die!"
That’s freezing to death.
That’s not happening.
"No! Don’t die! Don’t leave me behind!"
Why was Iseul taking that seriously?
And please stop shaking him like that.
His head was spinning... he felt sick... ugh.
"H-hey, stop it! Qiong Xing’s face looks pale—"
"No! Don’t die!"
At this rate, he really might die because of them.
"Didn’t I tell you to stop, you idiot!?"
With Joa’s shout, the shaking finally stopped and the sound of something hitting something else echoed two or three times... no, four or five times.
It seemed Joa had misjudged his strength.
The voices filled with panic followed as he checked on Iseul.
"...You’re all too loud. At least be quiet when I’m sleeping."
"Qiong Xing!"
"Mom!"
"Mayo~ Mayo~!"
The overwhelming flood of family affection caused Qiong Xing to once again drift between life and death.
"—So? How did it end up like this?"
"It was just how the conversation went... and I got a little annoyed... and also, surprisingly, I got along with someone unexpected."
At Qiong Xing’s carefree answer, Joa and the others held their heads, but perhaps thinking that this was just like him, they did not press further.
Qiong Xing had been telling them everything that happened, dragging Albe into the explanation as well.
While he did get scolded for going overboard, no one said anything about him potentially leaving the country.
"That prince kid is one thing, but can you really trust that prime minister?"
"It’s fine. He’s not the type to waste time dealing with fools, nor is he twisted."
"You’re probably the only one who can say something like that about him. He was surprised on the way back too."
When the conversation had settled and they were about to leave, everyone had been shocked to see Qiong Xing walking briskly despite supposedly injuring his leg.
When the prime minister asked what happened to his leg, Qiong Xing said he had healed it with magic, which only made the man angry, asking why he had not healed it sooner.
"I just thought it might make them feel more guilty."
"..."
Though he felt a little bad for Katarina and the others who had been worried about him, he had left it as it was so he could make it clear that his injury had been caused by them.
"...You endured the pain just for that... no, I’m the one at fault. The rescue was delayed. I am truly sorry."
Even though he had not done it himself, Qiong Xing thought the prime minister was very sincere.
"It’s not your fault. And you even carried me all the way here. Honestly, it made things much easier."
Even though it had been Qiong Xing’s own choice to leave the injury untreated, the prime minister had personally carried him and he felt grateful for that.
"You... should learn to express your anger more."
He thought he was angry, at least to some extent.
Qiong Xing was the type who when truly angry, he would instead become quiet and calm.
It just took a long time for him to reach that point, not that he never got angry.