Chapter 425: A Promise to Protect
Brat had been made to promise not to overwork himself, and as a reward for his efforts, he was sometimes given delicious sweets and meals.
He had been spoiled beyond measure.
His body had felt heavy, but his heart had been nothing but happy.
He had been able to keep going because of him.
He had been able to endure hardship because of him.
Even without blood ties, Qiong Xing was his family.
No, now his sister was here as well, and although not family, Sergei was also by his side.
"...He will treat you the same regardless of whether you become king or not. But if you call him Mother in earnest, then gain strength. Strength enough to protect him. Strength enough to silence anyone who speaks against you."
Sergei had likely noticed it as well.
Qiong Xing was kind.
Some might even call him overly gentle and almost naive.
But how many people in this world could truly remain that way?
They called him soft and kind, but he would properly scold others when needed and clearly understood right from wrong.
Do not hesitate to learn.
Do not discard the weaknesses of others, for they may be needed someday.
Even a brief interaction was enough to understand that he was not just a gentle person.
Qiong Xing was kind, but not only kind.
If one were simply living an ordinary life, that might be enough.
But they had dragged him into their world.
They had involved him.
That was why Sergei told him to gain the strength to protect someone like that.
"In the current state of this country, there will be many times when he will be made to suffer and be hurt. His spouse, his children, even that Rohen. They were all hurt at least a little by him because of those so-called common sense values. Because of assumptions that people simply accepted as normal."
The pain of having someone important to you denied must have been unimaginable.
Because he himself had been denied by his parents and those around him for so long, Qiong Xing understood that suffering more than most.
"If you are grateful to him and truly wish to remain by his side, then you must change this country. He is kind, so he would never demand such a thing from you, nor even wish it. We have only been given things by him. We only keep asking of him. But... no, that is exactly why we must repay him as well."
Sergei said that this was precisely why he had given Brat so much knowledge without reservation.
So that he could protect both the country, and above all, him.
"If he has allowed you to call him Mother, then you should understand, yes? He is a kind person, but not foolish enough to deal with those he dislikes, nor is he a saint. He permitted it because he acknowledged who you are now."
The fact that he recognized and accepted Brat himself brought him more joy and pride than anything else.
"...I will do my best. There are still so many things I lack, but I want to become someone who can stand proudly before him, and above all, someone who would not be ashamed to stand beside Qiong Xing... no, I will become that person, I swear it!"
At Brat’s words, Sergei slightly softened his usual stern expression and nodded.
As he steeling himself, Brat once again turned toward the documents that had been given to him as tasks.
Several years had passed since then, and although the number of times they could meet had drastically decreased, neither his determination nor his feelings had changed in the slightest.
Precisely because they could not meet often, the joy of seeing him was all the greater.
The fact that he had rushed ahead so quickly that he had even left his sister behind had been completely unconscious, but she simply laughed and forgave him, and together they finally headed toward the room where he was waiting.
And so, upon entering the room and barely managing to offer greetings.
"Mama, Mama! The prince! The prince is here!!"
At the child pointing directly at Brat while saying that, he could only panic and think, "P-Prince? Well, I am indeed a prince, but..."
The prince, prince, prince...
"Ah, she means the prince from the Tale of Cryo Princess that she like to read."
"Yes! Big brother, just like a prince, all sparkly!"
"..."
A prince... like?
It was a complete misunderstanding.
Brat was, in fact, a prince.
Not someone who merely looked like one.
"Hmm, Lian? This older brother is—"
"The older sister looks like a princess! So fluffy and pretty!"
Ah, the misunderstanding was spreading even further.
"Oh my, how lovely. Thank you very much."
Qiong Xing quickly tried to correct the misunderstanding, realizing it was his fault for not explaining beforehand, but the princess only smiled happily at the compliment about her beauty.
She did not seem upset, which was a relief.
"Lian. These two are not just ’like’ a prince and princess. They are real ones."
"?"
Lian tilted her head in confusion, clearly not understanding.
"How should he explain this..."
"Um... well, this prince in the picture book is a prince, but this older brother is also a prince. So... um, in other words, a prince is not just the one in picture books. There are many different princes in the world."
Explaining reality versus picture books was difficult for a child to understand.
So Qiong Xing explained it vaguely, saying there were many kinds of princes among many people.
"Isn’t that explanation way too sloppy?"
"Then please explain it better, prime minister."
"...."
When he said that was already his limit, Sergei fell silent.
See, he could not do it either, Qiong Xing thought with a small complaint.
"Um... is this child your child, Qiong Xing?"
"She is my daughter, Lian. Do you remember? She was the crying baby when you first came to the castle. She has grown so much, hasn’t she?"
"That baby from back then!"
They both looked surprised as if unable to believe she had grown so much.