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"Valgu, Thanks! I love being your friend!"

"Haha, Haha. To have a friends.h.i.+p with a princess…… I love that too."

He then nodded. He did not dare to wipe the jam off my cheeks completely though.

Ante hadn't feared anything related to me because she couldn't imagine I would be outside. But this situation was different because someone like another guard could have a chance to look at us. I wasn't sure about how it would work out if it actually had happened.

Anyway, it was a good sign to me that Valk was cautious. It meant his position gave him some burden.

I nodded. I was thinking I would eat the jam that was left on my cheeks before coming back to Ante.

"Mirthy is going to look around outside with her friend."

"Do you mean that you want to take a walk outside?"

He is so smart. I nodded enthusiastically.

"Yup. Yup! Ante told me that it's really beautiful outside."

"Did she? This garden….uhhh…Yeah, it was beautiful."

From his sentimental tone of voice, I was able to catch what it had implied. I just pretended to not know anything.

Yay!

Making this sound, I stomped my feet with a delightful look. My adorable face and antics caused Valk to grin.

I guessed that the garden was in a mess before I saw it.

I guessed they weren't able to hire any gardener even though they had received money from the king. It's probably not enough. Or perhaps, it would have been better not to hire any gardener for them. If a gardener did well managing the garden where the abandoned princess lived, it would lead the king to become angry. This would probably cause them to land in trouble.

Think about it. If someone takes care of the one who you hate, how would you feel? Furthermore, if you were a real dad for the kid but others take care of the kid like they are parents, how would you feel?

It might be possible for them to be able to escape the wrath of the king. It was sure that the situation was utterly beyond their control. I knew well about this situation. It was because I had an experience in my previous life that my neighbor, a woman willing to be kind to me left after she became hated by my aunt.

"Is it beautiful?" he asked me.

"Yes, um, Yes. It is. Could we talk outside?"

"Yes, Yes."

I caught Valk's finger in my grasp so I would look like a pure child who could be led by a kidnapper.

"Shall we go?"

With my purple eyes, I looked up at him. He was at a loss what to do, but he couldn't help but grin at me.

"If you hold my finger like this, I would be scolded. However, I am going to do it so you, princess, would not fall down."

"Yup! I learned that I have to say thank you!"

I told him 'thank you,' as I waved my hand and held onto his finger tightly. In my mind, I could hear the sound 'hehehe,' but I pretended to know nothing.

"You are very well educated. Then, shall we go now?"

I nodded, and then I barely walked step by step, depending on his hand.

It's a lucky day! Finally, it's the time to see the world outside the palace, that I had been very eager to see.

When we made it outside, I admired the sound of birds with fresh air and the old garden that certainly used to be beautiful at one time.

"Wow! Yes! Mirthy has never seen this kind of beautiful thing! It was real."

The trees did not appear to be cared for and the garden was somewhat in a mess. However, there were also the old fountain, marble decorations, and fence that were sculpted artistically.

I felt like I came into a secret garden that n.o.body knew about. I was so excited that I saw a garden that attracted me than I had expected.

Valk's face was flushed with excitement as he grinned at me again as if a dad looked at his daughter.

"If I had known that you would love it so much like this, I would have led you here earlier."

I knew he had not thought of me before this but when I saw his face, I wanted to believe that he truly meant it.

I replied back.

I gave a smile on my face just as a pure and good child would do.

"It's ok! Mirthy is so happy to see it with Valgu for the first time! Because Valgu is Mirthy's friend!"

"Ha……!"

It seemed that my adorableness was effective on him.

I continued, though I pretended that I knew nothing and I glanced at him who was covering his face with his hands.

"Valgu, are you crying?"

"No. I am doing this because I am so so happy."

He certainly looked like he felt guilty.

Sure. He used to hara.s.s us, Ante and me, with firewood for my room. He had to feel guilty.

However, I was five years old who couldn't know such things.

"Then, Mirthy is also going to cry! Because I am happy!"

"Oh, No. No. Princess. How about taking a walk?"

"Yup!"

And my attack to his guilty conscience began.

Valk took me close to the place he had patrolled as if he escorted the princess. It's probably the first time when he realized that he was the chief guard after spending time with me.

As I continued to talk to him, he was beginning to look uncomfortable since I kept attacking his conscience. I pretended to do it as naturally as a good child would do.

Finally, Valk murmured and asked me quietly.

"……Princess, isn't your room cold?"

"Yes, a little bit. They said it's basically like that because it's made of stone! I am ok, using my blanket."

"Oops! Hmm. Yes. It's cold since it's a palace made of stones."

"So I sleep with my 'puppi'. That is my bear toy…… I'll introduce my puppi to you because you're my friend!"

"Thank you. I really…… My heart is torn with sorrow."

I tilted my head cutely and widened my eyes.

"Torn? Valk, do you want to tear me?"

My eyes were quickly filled with tears.

You can bet that I pinched my thigh to make this happen. He was not able to notice me doing that since my hands were covered with the baby dress.

When he saw my tears, he lost it.

"No, No! I don't want to tear you. I am your friend, princess!"

He seemed to not know what to do and he gently put my hand down.

"Just a minute, please. I'll be back soon and you stay put. I have something to do."

What is something to do, leaving a five year old child alone? I nodded and waved my hand to say goodbye.He ran away in a hurry. Seeing him, I smiled. Huhu.

It was a success. I thought I would be able to sleep in a warm room. I was slightly shocked that he felt that guilty to leave a five year old child alone and disappear like that. Is this power of an adorable face? From his action, I got a hint how to get a gold coin.

'Now I see what I should do to collect money……'

Anyway, I needed to grow a little more to do something.

I let out a big yawn. I felt sleepy from walking, it was only a little though.

"No. I shouldn't sleep here……"

My eyes became heavy. I yawned once again. I thought it would be all right if I slept here because Valk would take me back to my place.

Looking around, I found a big tree. The bottom part of the tree looked like a good place to sleep. I walked to the big tree and immediately laid down. Then, I felt like I was about to sleep and my began to close slowly.

Then.

"Who is this child?"

It was right when I was about to sleep.

It was the voice of a child. I thought the voice sounded pretty but my a.s.sumption changed after hearing this.

"She is sleeping like a worm, rolling her body like that."

……What? Worm? Who is this child's nanny? What did the nanny teach this child?

I was willing to say something, but I fell asleep. I got used to people saying bad stuff about me so what the child said wasn't that bad for me. I felt a small hand pat my hair.

Did my mom do this to me when I was a child? I think I used to fall asleep easily having that done to me.

"She has a leaf on her. …… She seems cuter than a worm."

I fell fast asleep.

When I opened my eyes, I felt something soft on my cheeks. The feeling was so good that I rubbed my cheeks on the cloth repeatedly.

"Hm……"

I had not felt this kind of soft before. My blanket in the princess palace is soft but it's old and worn out, so it's not so soft as this. Is this feeling from the bottom part of the tree?

But I was shocked when I was reminded of the place where I fell asleep.

'It's weird?'

Certainly, I fell asleep at the bottom part of the tree? But I was lying on a bed with a soft blanket.

Did Valk take me to my place? But the blanket was so soft, unlike mine……

"Do not rub your dusty face too much."

It's definitely not my place. I heard a voice.

I raised my head. There were ruby red eyes looking at me.

There was blond hair like the color of honey. There was a chubby child. Now, what did the child say? Pondering this, I unconsciously held the soft cloth tightly.

It's so soft. I feel happy.

The child frowned. In the first place, the child glared at me without any welcoming expression. Wow! That was a perfect face enough to be a child model. Even though the face was not welcoming, I kept looking at the handsome face.

"I said that do not rub."

"Excuse me?"

"I said that you do not rub your face on my bed."

Wow. A little child was telling me what to do like he's my boss or something.

I tilted my head sideways and looked at him. While I was opening and blinking my eyes, he sighed deeply.

"Your brain's so slow. I've brought you here who was sleeping like a worm."

"A worm?"

"Yes. Worms sleep like you."

"Mirthy is not a worm."

"But you slept like a worm."

As I kept on talking to him, my face went sour. Because of this, he became perplexed.

"Are you about to cry? Don't do that. It bothers me."

"Mirthy is not a worm."

Ok, no!

There are many living things that sleep, rolling their bodies, such as a mammal. But, why does he call me a worm? I did not know who he was but I would be able to forgive him since he's so handsome.

However, this was another matter. Calling me a worm was unforgivable.

"Mirthy is…… Not a worm."

The child became even more perplexed.

I got it. I know how to handle him now.

I realized he did not like a child crying. Then, I will certainly do what you dislike.

After I decided this, I filled my eyes with tears. It was quite easy for me to do this. My hand was already placed on my thigh to pinch.

"Mirthy is……"

"I know, I know. Not a worm. You're cuter than a worm."

Cuter than a word? Was that a compliment?

With my unsatisfactory face, I saw him.

I did not forget to look who he was while fighting with him over the worm argument.

published by pocky