Don't Concern Yourself With That Book
Chapter Side Story 2-3

Side Story 2-3

Translator: yun

“Well, my prince…”

It was the 2nd Administration’s representative who first brought it up. As the Head Templar of Spears and Shields, he felt a strange sense of duty to ask. A duty to ask for answers as the representative of his administration. 

“What?”

Fleon was already in a bad mood. And it was all because of Ashley who had been sitting still for a long time now. 

Although he had no experience parenting, he knew, at the very least, that it wasn’t normal for children to be this still when they should be bored. 

‘Chick, did you pass out with your eyes open?’

Having that thought only dampened his mood even further. He turned his head to face the anxious elder. 

“That… kid…”

“Ki–d?”

“Ah, child.”

The Head Templar quickly corrected himself. 

“Khm, could we please know who on earth that child is?”

Who was she? The prince, who was famous for his temperament, was now holding that child gently as though he was carrying a ball made out of gold. And he had been holding her throughout the length of the meeting!

The Fleon the Head Templar was familiar with was not the type to hold a lump of pure gold that cautiously. 

“She’s my…”

Fleon who tried to reply nonchalantly failed to do so. 

They had decided to keep the fact that the baby was Ashley a secret. Especially since Dane had warned him to be careful because they did not know the culprit responsible for her transformation. Before he could answer that she was his chick, Fleon furrowed his eyebrows. 

Because Fleon had trailed off without continuing his sentence, silence befell the place which only made the spectators more attentive to his next words.

“My…”

The person most anxious about his answer was Ashley. What the hell was brother planning on saying? Anxiety she was used to feeling chewed into the back of her neck. 

Fleon who held everyone’s anxiety and anticipations in his hand spoke.

“She’s my daughter!”

And brother’s pathetic excuse only caused Ashley to let out an ear-splitting scream.

‘Oi, you crazy brat!

Accompanied by the baby’s cries, cold air sank into the meeting room. 

***

“Ahahaha.”

Dane rolled across the ground while holding his stomach. His back had hit a tree with a thud but he did not seem to care. He flashed a smile he rarely showed but that did not make me particularly happy. 

“So, you said that she was your daughter? Then, what happened after?”

“What do you think? That guy, Rex, suddenly got up and…”

“And then…”

“… Started crying.”

It was clear from Fleon’s crumpled expression that it was not a pleasant memory to recount.

On the other hand, Dane’s laughter only got louder. His laughs that were so loud even the heavens could hear him soon died down.

“I should have been there to see it.”

Disappointed, Dane muttered. Fleon then raised his brows. 

“What? If you had been there, none of that would have ever happened. You were supposed to come as the 2nd Administration’s representative.”

“You’re right. I should have been the one to go in place of the 2nd Prince”

Dane shrugged his shoulders.

“But something else came up.”

Dane added softly. 

Dane raised his head and stared at the sky for a while before lowering his head. In the blink of an eye, our eyes met.

The spring breeze flitted about us. 

There was no way of telling whether spring had just begun or we were already nearing summer but I could sense the seasons in the face pointed at me. 

For a moment, spring could be seen in his expressions. 

“I think there is only one person who can solve this problem right now.”

Dane clasped my cheek with a warm feathery smile. 

“You know… it is at times like this, I am ashamed that I am not a templar.”

He planted a soft kiss on my cheek. 

As Dane’s hands filled my sight, I was reminded of how small I had gotten. A littler later, along with another ray of light bursting between us, the handsome man drew a shockingly beautiful smile. 

“My Ashley.”

Up close, his crimson eyes sparkled in red. It reminded me of the brilliant smile. 

“When you return, please smile as brilliantly as you are now.”

Should I keep this smile of his all to myself? To be honest, Dane’s face suited my tastes the most. Why did he have to be my older brother? Whilst thinking that it was a waste of his good looks, I could not help but to smile.

“Kya!”

A baby’s muscles were softer than that of an adult’s. That was why the corners of my lips would lift more easily. 

“You smile much more when you’re a baby.”

Dane smiled a little plaintively. 

“Ray, bring Ashley to the 4th Prince’s palace.”

“What?”

Startled, Fleon pointed his finger. 

“Have you gone mad? Why would you leave that guy with something so important?”

“Then who should I leave her to?”

“Rather than leaving her in that bastard’s hands, I–!”

“Brother, you should be returning with me. You ran out in the middle of your meeting.”

Dane flashed a wide smile.

“We have to go. Both of us do.”

But after being with them for so long, I could tell. Dane both looked and sounded disappointed when he said that. 

“Ray, escort her with care.”

Ray lowered his head. 

“Of course I will.”

Behind Dane, I could see Fleon with a sullen look on his face. I was not worried. Though this big brother of mine would lose to no one in terms of his ego, he had Dane stuck to his side. Just as I expected, Fleon was dragged out of here. Obviously he did not leave quietly. 

“Hey, let go of me! You never know what he might end up doing!”

Because I could hear the barrage of his insults even as he disappeared down the hill. 

Ray, who had been wordlessly watching thus far, then spoke. 

“Sir Dane had been having a hard time too.”

Why wouldn’t he have been?

“Then, let us depart.”

***

“The weather is nice.”

Has the Empire ever had bad weather? But it was strange. This body of mine had never felt inspired by this sky but today, it looked pretty. 

This summer sky and its tepid winds. The light reflecting off the green leaves of the trees. Watching the leaves rustle, I blinked. 

Being an infantilised version of myself, my emotions seemed to have returned to a state in my childhood as well–before they died. 

Things had become clearer, brighter and more pure. 

“Princess.”

For some reason, Ray stared at me with a complicated mix of emotions in his eyes. Eyes that were telling me that I was doing something I could not handle, the same eyes that would turn my way after I would cause trouble. But that was not the case this time. 

“… You only smile this brightly when you’re a baby.”

He smiled albeit slightly bitterly. But his smile disappeared faster than it appeared, masked by the wind. 

“Miss Ashley, I may be being selfish, but I like how you’re staying still in my embrace.”

“Uwah.”

He hugged me tightly.

“Like this, at least you won’t be put in danger.”

I wondered why, I did not particularly like the fact that he was saying my name like that but the way he said my name did sound sweeter than before. 

‘Ray and sweetness.’

It was a strange combination like dry squid and wine. And yet, it did not feel out of place which left me with an unfamiliar feeling. 

“I talked too much.”

Carrying me in his arms, he continued walking forward. The sound of a pair of footsteps became two. Soon, we met someone in front of the Terena Palace. Ray lowered his head politely. 

“Lord Aquita?”

The person he encountered was Rebecca. She widened her eyes slightly in response.

“Where are you heading? Shouldn’t you be in the 6th Administration right now?”

“I am in the midst of carrying out Prince Dane’s errand.”

“Ah. I see. But…”

Rebecca’s black eyes turned gracefully towards me. 

“Kya!”

‘Hello, my dearest lady-in-waiting.’

When our eyes met, I waved at Rebecca. I put in a smile as a bonus. No, I never meant to smile per se but it just came out the moment I saw Rebecca. It seemed like I was still weak to beautiful people. 

Basically, I smiled automatically. Based on this fact, I realised the simplicity of a baby’s body. 

“Hold on.”

Soon, I noticed Rebecca had found herself in a dilemma. 

“Impossible, princess?”

Ah. As expected of my lady-in-waiting. Being the competent lady-in-waiting that she was, she seemed to have noticed immediately. Was it obvious because my eye and hair colour remained the same? 

“Did she become a b-baby?”

After hearing the whole story from Ray, Rebecca looked down at me with a complex mix of emotions from her gaze, just as Fleon and Ray did earlier. 

“… What trouble did you get yourself into again?”

No. Hold on. Why did everyone think that I caused this? 

I was perplexed by this situation too. 

I openly expressed my displeasure with my inflated cheeks. I felt wronged. I couldn’t point any of my fingers because my muscles were too weak. 

“… Lord Aquita. What is the princess saying?”

“Well, don’t you think she might be saying that she feels wronged?”

Ray guessed. 

“Wouldn’t she usually act as though she did nothing wrong after getting herself into trouble?”

“Ah.”

When had I ever? Rebecca, why was she nodding? Why was he right? Why was she agreeing? 

I felt immensely wronged. How did they usually view me for them to–instead of being surprised by my transformation into a baby–look at me like that?

“In any case. I was on my way to the Teret Palace under Prince Dane’s commands.”

“Ah. To the 4th Prince.”

“That is correct.”

Ray nodded lightly. 

“He might have a solution for this. He is someone who deals with medicine.”

“Yes.”

The conversation between the blunt knight and the proud lady-in-waiting did not last long. 

In fact, they were both characters who only said enough to express themselves without unnecessarily changing their expressions. I felt suffocated just by watching their exchange. 

Rebecca turned her head slightly before bending over slowly. 

“Yes, this might be the first and last time I will ever get to see the young princess.”

She whispered with her face close to mine. She called for me before smiling softly. 

“M, mistress?”

I carefully grabbed onto the finger that stretched out towards me. Widening her eyes in unexpected surprise, Rebecca soon curled her black eyes.

“You might have gotten smaller but you’re as pretty as ever.”

Woah. I realised this earlier with Dane but beautiful people only become more beautiful the closer you looked. 

Her clear white skin and lips that were as red as roses with elegant grooves. 

“I’m becoming tempted, how can one not be allured, mistress?”

“Huh?”

“For an instant, you make me want to watch you for a while longer.”

Her eyelashes, that were the same colour as her hair, fluttered like the wings of a butterfly. Her black eyes momentarily glowed as though they were bewitching me. 

“What do you think, mistress? Could you stay like this for 3 more days?”

She held my hand. Just then, her typical feisty and proud expression then drew a surprisingly giddying smile. 

“Would you like to stay in my room?”

… It just got a little dangerous. 

“Ppa!”

No, no, no! What horrifying things was my lady-in-waiting suggesting? What was she trying to do by seducing me like this? 

After hurriedly letting go of her hand and spouting some alien language that was just baby gibberish, Rebecca smiled.

“I was kidding.”

Before I realised it, she had returned to her usual haughty self.

***

After parting from Rebecca, Ray had arrived at the Teret Palace. I remained in his arms the whole time. 

“Oh my gosh.”

The maids in the 4th Prince’s Palace looked on warily when a knight with a baby in tow appeared. 

Ray approached one of them to announce the purpose of his visit. The head maid who later appeared then gladly led us to Amor’s room. 

“The prince will now be seeing you.”

And, like any other day, Amor, who was leaning comfortably against his bedrest, welcomed us.

“You’re… the 7th Prince’s knight.”

His calm expression soon turned to that of grimace. 

“What’s going on?”

No, from his expression, it was clear he did not welcome us. His usual grumpy expression looked more distorted now. Ray lowered his back politely. 

After staring at Ray without much thought, Amor quickly wrinkled his forehead in anger when his gaze turned to face me.

“… And what happened there?”

W-why was he looking at me like that? I tried to curl my eyes. Fleon and Rebecca got over it when I smiled so he should get over it too. But that only made him frown deeper.

“Ashley?”

To my surprise, Amor had guessed who I was in a heartbeat. 

How did everyone guess who I was at first glance? And they were so certain too.

Was my name written on my cheek? It was so frustrating being unable to see myself in the mirror. 

“The 7th Prince had sent me here because he thought that you, being well-versed in medicine, might know how to solve this problem, my prince.”

Slowly looking away from me, Amor glanced at Ray before scoffing.

“Medicine? I don’t do that, I deal with poison. Killing people.”

Amor lowered his head before smirking.

“Leave her here.”

“… Huh?”

“Didn’t you hear me? Leave her on the bed and leave.”

“…..”

“I can tell from your eyes that you’re displeased with this. Being a knight I am so familiar with, shall I explain it to you in good faith?”

“No, thank you.”

Ray walked slowly to prolong our eventual separation. Even from below, I could see his tightened jaw. Ray always gritted his teeth when he was displeased. 

Just before his hands left, I grabbed his finger.

“Kya!”

‘I’ll be alright.’

I looked at him to tell him that I would be alright. I then nodded at him. I wondered if he managed to catch that because of my short neck but I hoped that my intentions were conveyed. 

“… If it gets too late… I’ll come over to pick you up.”

Alright, Ray. Amor would never hurt me. It was only then was Ray satiated. 

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