The Doll and The Prince - v3 Chapter 29, v3 Chapter 30, v3 Chapter 31 (Patreon)

Naruhito (52)
Grandpa let me off in front of the room. My legs couldn’t gather enough strength, but I wanted to walk into Sai's room on my own. Grandpa helped me walk in a way that wasn't noticeable to those around us.

"Sai, welcome back."
"Naruhito…"

Sai watched me silently as I slowly walked from the door to the bedside. When I reached the side of the bed, he called my name with tears in his eyes.
Is he in some kind of pain?
Mutsumine, who was in the room, brought over a chair with a backrest.

"Naruhito, would you like to sit?"

I shook my head. If I sat down, I might not be able to stand again. Besides, I wanted to see Sai's face clearly.

"Is your head hurting?"

I spoke to Sai, who was crying a little. The hat on his head was a matching set handmade by Yoshino, mine was red, and Sai's was dark blue. I chose the red one because it matched my scarlet clothes. Does Sai like blue?
Sai gently shook his head.

"I’m home, Naruhito. I’m not in pain anywhere anymore. How about you?"
"I'm fine."

Sai smiled very happily. Tears spilled from the corners of his eyes.

"Are you sad?"
"People cry even when they're happy, too."

Ohh! I didn’t know that.

"Are you happy?"
"I'm very happy that you are well, Naruhito."
"Yes. I'm well."

Though I'm a bit tired from standing. I leaned against the bed with my right hand.

"I’m satisfied. Seeing you well again gives my life meaning."

Sai smiled softly and closed his eyes.

"Let's have dinner together."

I said, and he opened his eyes again, looking surprised.

"Everyone will be eating together."
"Even you, Naruhito?"
"Yes. I’m eating a lot."
"Not really that much."

Mutsumine, who had been silently beside us, interjected.

"The yellow stuff is delicious."
"What is that?"
"Food tastes better when we eat together."

With that, Sai closed his eyes again.
Is he tired?
I’m tired too.

"See you later."

I was supported by Grandpa, who had come close without me noticing, and left the room.
As soon as we left the room, Grandpa lifted me up. I was tired, so I gratefully leaned against him.
Sai wasn't very well. I hope he gets better soon.
I thought about that while being comfortably carried in Grandpa's steady arms.

Sai didn't come to eat dinner.

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Naruhito (53)
Sai didn't come to breakfast either. Is it because he's in too much pain to eat? The dining room is closer to his room than mine.
I should bring him something.
Maybe he can eat ice. Ice is tasty.
I opened the freezer and realized that not long ago, I ate too much ice and got a stomachache, so it was taken away from me.

"There’s no ice for you."

Hiiro said.
There's none. He can't eat any. I wasn't trying to eat it. Somehow, I felt annoyed.
There's no helping it. I'll use the one candy I hid. When I took it out from under the bed covers, it was sticky.

"You hid candy in such a place? It's melted all over. Oh no, the covers."

Jeez, Hiiro, you're so noisy.
Since I couldn't give this to Sai, I thought about eating it myself or putting it back, but it was taken away from me.

"What are you doing? You just had breakfast, didn't you? You left some porridge, yet you're snacking? No snacks. And don’t hide things under the bed covers. Look at this."

Hiiro said while lifting the covers. They were stained and sticky, giving off a sweet smell.

"It's a hassle to clean when it gets this dirty. You can't hide candy since it melts. No hiding things under the covers."

Then where should I hide it? If I put it in my pocket, it would get washed. I got scolded before for that, too.
Well, right now, the more important thing is what to bring to Sai.
I climbed onto the bed and lay face down, thinking. How about a puzzle? Should we do it together? Or should I leave one with him? Aoba and Rikimaru gave me three. They’re fun because you can play with them over and over after you mix them up.
As I was thinking, I was suddenly picked up, which surprised me.

"They're going to change the bedding, so move for a bit. They said they'll wash all the sheets too."

Leaning against Hiiro, I decided to go with the puzzle.
Two female servants came in, lifted the bedding, and took it out. Hiiro threw the melted candy into the trash.
Oh no.

"Hey. I can still eat that candy."
"No. What if you get a stomachache again?"
"I'll be fine."
"Who said that? Not long ago, you cried because your stomach hurt."
"I didn’t cry. I stopped eating ice."
"Melted candy is also no good."

Feeling annoyed, I turned my face away from Hiiro.

"I'm going out, so put me down."

Hiiro looked surprised but put me down. I huffed, picked a puzzle, and left the room.

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Naruhito (54)
I started to descend the stairs, just like yesterday. Since my hand was occupied with the puzzle box, I couldn't hold onto the handrail. It’s inconvenient to only have one hand.

"Your Highness, where are you going?"

I heard Hitachimaru's voice. Since Hiiro was following me, his guard Hitachimaru was likely following too.
I was getting tired, but I didn't want to sit down in front of Hiiro, so I kept moving my legs. The stairs were tough...
My knees buckled and I missed a step. I didn't have the strength to catch myself anywhere. I wasn't even halfway down yet.
I faintly felt Grandpa’s presence, then it disappeared.

"Whoa, that was close. Man, that scared me."

Hitachimaru kneeled on the stairs and caught me. When I said thanks, he sighed heavily.

"How... did you get there yesterday?"

Hiiro, sitting on the stairs with a pale face, asked.

"I went with Grandpa."
"Toshitane?"
"No, not Gramps, Grandpa."
"Grandpa?"
"Probably Lord Ichinose Murashige. He was here just now."
"Grandpa was here."
"Where...? No, never mind. Naruhito, you’re banned from using the stairs alone."

Huh? Then I can't go to Sai.

"If you fall from this height, you'll die. You can't die, right?"

Yeah, that's true. I’d die, considering my current state.
I reluctantly nodded.

"The stairs are definitely a no-go. We need to get a house. A one-story house like the last one is the best."
"Indeed. This place is a bit too spacious."

Hitachimaru carried me and took me to Sai's room while I fully leaned on him.
At the door, I asked to be put down, and he gave me a puzzled look.

"I want to walk on my own."
"That's impossible."
"I want to show Sai that I'm fine."

Even when he put me down, I couldn’t stand properly, which frustrated me. As I squatted, Hiiro tried to pick me up, but I resisted, not wanting that. I just wanted support to walk!

"Grandpa."

I summoned Grandpa.

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