I’m the Only One Who Can Put the Tyrant To Sleep

Chapter 26 “I don’t like it.”“Your highness….”The next day, as usual, I came to Caesar’s room early in the morning, holding Caesar’s arm and waving it, only because he had kicked out all the servants as usual.“I don’t like it.”“No, why?”“It’s my heart.”“However… After all, you have to attend a banquet a few times a year! Can’t you go now?”Caesar turned his head away without answering. I was taken aback by his unexpected attitude.The way to attend Duke Spiegel’s banquet with Floria was to convince Caesar.If Caesar attended Duke Spiegel’s banquet this time, I could also attend as his maids.Maybe there was an opportunity to sneak a chance and let Floria and Caesar meet, they’d barely seen each other since I was transferred to the Crown Prince’s palace.‘Floria’s request, meeting Duke Spiegel, and promoting friendship between the two. It was a way to kill three birds with one stone!’“I don’t see why we should go now.”But Caesar, who was expected to agree easily, was being stubborn.“But… You don’t have any other banquets you want to go to.”I whined, and Caesar clamped his mouth shut.“Please…. Huh? Your Highness?”“Then what are you going to do for me?”“Yes?”I shut my mouth this time at the sudden words. I realized that Caesar didn’t really want to go, he was just annoyed with me.‘I told him yesterday that he couldn’t follow me to the princess palace…!’“What do you want? I’ll do whatever I can!”After all, there wasn’t much a mere maid could do for the royal family. Caesar hesitated and asked.“If I ask you to… Are you really going to do it all?”‘Did you really want something?’I thought he was just saying that to tease me, but apparently not.“What is it?”“I want you to promise me that you’ll do everything.”“… Yes!”Hopefully, it’s not something that’s going to hurt my family’s fortune, or it’s a ridiculous request to make me wake up right now.“Then…”I gulped at the sound of his voice.“One day, just once, if I ask you to stay by my side.”“… Yes?”“No matter what happens, whoever calls you… Don’t go anywhere, stay by my side.”Caesar was staring at me again. The nape of his neck burned red, but his eyes did not waver.I looked dumbfounded at my unexpected request.‘Was it such a shock to you that I went to Floria yesterday, Otherwise…’It struck me anew that Caesar had been alone since childhood. Come to think of it, there was a time when he said that everyone around him was leaving. Maybe it’s the anxiety that comes from it.“Why don’t you answer? You said you would do it all.”“Ah… Yes! I will!”I replied enthusiastically. Caesar was still a child. So he must have felt my small kindness in a big way.‘In just a few years, he’ll forget about promises like this.’“Is that true?”“Yes! Then your highness will come with me to the banquet?”“Yeah.”Finally, Caesar nodded. ***** A few days later, Caesar and I arrived safely at Duke Spiegel’s banquet hall. I was accompanied by Erinne, who was in charge of Caesar’s outside schedule.“Evelyn!”As soon as I got off the carriage and entered, Floria recognized me and waved her hand. I waved back.‘Now, shall we go to Floria?’The reason I came to the banquet with Caesar was because of the verification process at the entrance.An invitation from a nobleman had a special effect: it granted entry to everyone, including the person to whom it was addressed and those employed by that person. In short, I was not allowed to attend the banquet unless I had an invitation from Caesar.In other words, it was said that no one cares whoever the maid is with whom after entering.Because in the first place, there was no one who remembered the maid’s face and questioned it. Moreover, it was Erinne, not me, who had to take care of Caesar externally, there was no benefit to being by his side.I was just about to go to Floria, but Caesar grabbed my hand.“Your highness!”Startled, I quickly removed his hand.Thanks to the guiding, holding hands with Caesar was already something I was used to. However, it was only in a room where there was no one there.If anyone ever saw a scene like this, it would be difficult for both of us if there was even a rumor.Caesar also knew that fact, so he had understood the rules to some extent. But holding hands in a place with so many eyes like this.I looked around just in case, but luckily, everyone seemed to be busy entering. I whispered to Caesar.“What’s wrong, holding hands in a place like this…”Caesar had a somewhat dissatisfied face.“Where else were you going?”“That… I told you, I was supposed to be helping the princess with her homework.”“But wasn’t I the one who helped you? You keep begging me to come with you.”“Your highness!”There was nothing wrong with the words, but the tone was odd.“Even in the carriage, you wouldn’t let me hold you when no one was there…”“However…!”‘There was someone there!’I just pressed down on what I wanted to shout. In the carriage, not only me and Caesar, but Erinne were with us.‘And even now, she’s right next to us.’I took a few steps away from Caesar, noticing Erinne’s reaction.“Anyway, go ahead and greet people.”“Greeting?”“Come on, you don’t want them to know what’s going on behind your back.”I whispered, and Caesar frowned again.The banquet hall was packed with high ranking nobles, as expected for a banquet hosted by Duke Spiegel.It was one of the reasons Caesar was required to attend the banquet in the first place, to show his access to the nobility.Of course, neither the aristocrats nor Caesar wanted to meet each other, but it was a way to keep up appearances.‘So, if you came to the banquet, you should greet them as a courtesy…’“Let’s go, Your highness.”Erinne, who came forward with good timing, and bowed. Caesar, who looked back and forth between her and me, clicked his tongue at my gesture to leave.Finally, Caesar took a reluctant step forward.“Phew…”I also hurriedly went to Floria. Floria, who was waving her hand, smiled brightly.“Evelyn!”“Yes, princess. Shall we take a look at the banquet, then?”“Yes!”It was the first time she had attended a banquet alone, not with the empress, so she was nervous.I took her around the banquet hall slowly and talked about different types of food.Then we settled at one table.“Isn’t it a bit much to write here?”Floria asked in a small voice. She wanted to write down some things for her assignment.“Uh…. I think it might look a little odd.”“Tsk.”“You’ll just have to keep an eye on it and write it down when you get back. Here, eat this.”I dragged the snack that was on the table. As I grabbed one and started to eat it, I caught Caesar out of the corner of my eye.“It’s brother…!”Perhaps noticing the people around her, Floria tapped my hand and muttered.“He looks so handsome today!”“Pardon?”At Floria’s words, I looked at Caesar as if scanning. He was dressed in his banquet clothes, not his daily uniform or training uniform.Had she been too close to him all this time? I thought I’d grown desensitized to Caesar’s beauty, but seeing him in the crowd was a new shock.‘He’s grown, really.’Although he had not yet grown as tall as the adult men, Caesar stood out.Thanks to the slightly darker hair color, the features seemed more distinct, and his body was quite sturdy, whether due to his growth spurt or the voluntary intensity of his daily training.Was it because I was staring at him for too long? Caesar turned his head in this direction as if he felt my gaze.‘Ugh!’Startled, I bowed my head.“Evelyn? What’s the matter?”“Ah… nothing.”What was I doing? I smiled at Floria and lifted my head again. Fortunately, Caesar hadn’t noticed and was back to talking.“How about marriage?”“… Yes?”“Mother said that such story would come out soon…”I finally realized who Caesar was talking to. He was a Count who didn’t belong to either the Imperial factions or the aristocrats faction.Next to him was a little girl, beautifully dressed and shy.‘What a joke….’Even though Caesar was a powerless crown prince, he was still royalty.A Marquis or a Duke would have been fine, but a nobleman at the level of Count would have had more than enough respect.‘Because he’s insanely handsome.’Upon noticing, I saw some young girls wandering around to catch Caesar’s attention.Regardless of marriage, status, politics, or anything like that, they just seemed to fall in love with Caesar’s appearance.“I don’t want to get married.”As I looked carefully, Floria said sullenly.“Why?”“I just want to continue living with my family, in my own room, and play with Evelyn.”I stroked her hair gently at her cute answer.“And, I wish my brother wouldn’t get married either.”Despite the fact that nothing had been decided yet, Floria was already glaring at the ladies.I also looked at him from the side.‘What if Caesar married that girl?’They would hold hands, kiss, get married, have children, and…. I felt a strange sensation as I imagined it.“… I know, right.”“Huh? What did you say?”Floria asked at my little mumble.“Nothing, nothing.”I shook my head and smiled a little.