What Happened When I Gave Everything to the Girl Who Sold Herself as a Prostitute After Losing It All - Chapter 4.2

Chapter 4.2

“Take it easy.”

“I will handle it properly.”

I don’t trust that at all.

Fine took one step closer to Arno.

“Thank you for your advice.”

“Y-yes, of course. I was only thinking of His Highness.”

“Then may I confirm one thing?”

“Wh-what?”

“What do you know about His Highness?”

“Huh?”

“How do you tell his mood in the morning?”

“…”

“Which do you serve first, sweets or salty food, to raise his work efficiency?”

“…I don’t know.”

“After sword practice, he has a slight lingering fatigue only in his right shoulder. Did you know that?”

“No such thing.”

“When the number of documents increases, his pen pressure gets stronger and the handwriting becomes a little messy starting from the third page. Did you know?”

“…”

Arno fell silent.

Hey.

Why do you know even that much?

“That even though His Highness says he is bored, he has actually been hungry all this time?”

“…”

“That even when there are people around, he is someone who is alone?”

“…”

“Without knowing any of that, what makes you think you can speak for his sake?”

The air grew cold.

Even I held my breath for a second.

Fine’s voice was quiet, but that quietness made it even scarier.

“You—”

I couldn’t help but cut in.

“That’s enough.”

“Excuse me.”

Fine stepped back smoothly.

But she never took her eyes off Arno.

“I simply cannot allow misunderstandings.”

“Misunderstandings?”

“I am not serving him on a whim.”

When she said that, I got a bad feeling.

This was probably a flow that even stopping her wouldn’t help.

“Being saved by His Highness and feeling gratitude is not enough.”

“Hey.”

“If it was only gratitude, I could repay it fully and then leave.”

“Hey.”

“But for me, it is no longer like that.”

Arno was completely overwhelmed.

I was a little overwhelmed too.

“Fine.”

“Yes.”

“Right now you look like you’re about to say something really dangerous.”

“It is not dangerous.”

“Really?”

“It is true.”

And the times when this girl thinks it’s true are exactly when it’s the most dangerous.

Fine moved to stand beside me.

The distance was close.

But we weren’t touching.

She was just there, like it was the most natural thing.

“His Highness changed my life.”

“…”

“He connected tomorrow for my younger brother and sister.”

“…”

“He gave me the freedom to choose.”

It wasn’t just Arno.

Even the maids and guards a little farther away had gone quiet and were watching us.

“So I—”

Fine spoke calmly, but each word was careful and certain.

“If His Highness wishes it, I will learn.”

“…”

“If necessary, I will gain the position.”

“…”

“If I am told I am not worthy to stand beside him, I will pile up until I am.”

“…”

“If there is anyone who looks down on His Highness, I will remove them accordingly.”

“Don’t remove anyone.”

I jumped in immediately, and Fine looked up at me.

“It is just a figure of speech.”

“Your eyes look completely serious.”

“Your Highness.”

“What?”

“I dislike Your Highness’s enemies.”

“They haven’t been decided as enemies yet.”

“Then I dislike anyone who treats Your Highness carelessly.”

“That covers a wide range.”

“It does, doesn’t it?”

“Don’t admit it.”

Fine continued quietly anyway.

“But what I dislike the most is…”

“…”

“His Highness himself treating himself carelessly.”

This time it was my turn to stay silent.

I hadn’t expected that.

I thought she was going to say something heavy again like “I won’t let anyone approach.”

Well, it was still heavy, but the direction was a little different.

“Your Highness gives away everything with a casual face.”

Fine said.

“Trust, forgiveness, carrying burdens… you offer them all so lightly.”

“…”

“But if everyone around starts thinking that is normal, someday only Your Highness will be left empty.”

“…That’s a bit dramatic.”

“It is not dramatic.”

She stated it very quietly and firmly.

“That is why I will become heavy.”

“Huh?”

“So that the things Your Highness offers lightly will not be received lightly.”

“…”

“I will return them properly, with weight.”

“…………”

“So that everything Your Highness has given will not be treated as if it was light.”

A breeze blew.

Outside the greenhouse, the sound of rose leaves rustling reached us.

I even forgot for a moment that Arno was still there.

Ah.

So that’s what she meant.

The “heavy” she talked about wasn’t just obsession.

Because she received the things I had tossed out casually with the full weight of life, the result was that she became heavy.

The lives of her brother and sister.

Status.

Future.

The freedom to choose.

To me, I had just done what I could.

But to Fine, it had changed the very axis of her life.

That is why this girl does not return anything lightly.

She does not laugh it off.

She holds everything seriously and gives it back.

…No wonder it’s heavy.

“…Your Highness.”

Fine lowered her voice just a tiny bit.

“Am I being a bother?”

“What is?”

“That I…”

For the first time.

For the very first time, a small, uneasy look appeared in her eyes.

Ah, that’s sneaky, I thought.

She comes at me straight on like that, but at the crucial point she actually gets scared.

“You are not a bother.”

I said.

“You’re just heavy.”

“…Yes.”

“Pretty heavy.”

“I am aware.”

“But…”

I smiled a little.

“It’s not bad.”

Fine’s eyes widened.

“Actually…”

“…”

“Maybe someone like you is just right.”

“…Your Highness.”

“However, stop with the removing.”

“I will handle it properly.”

“That’s exactly why that answer scares me.”

Only then did Arno seem to come back to himself and clear his throat.

He had been completely left behind.

“…Excuse me, Your Highness.”

“Yeah.”

“I said something unnecessary.”

“Good that you understand.”

“And to Lady Fine as well.”

“Please do not worry.”

Fine said with a gentle smile.

“From now on, please observe a little more before speaking about His Highness.”

“You’re still poking at him.”

“It is the truth.”

Arno left with a stiff face.

Yeah.

That guy probably won’t come near us for a while.

＊＊＊

Inside the carriage on the way back to the detached palace.

I kept staring at Fine, who was sitting across from me.

At first she stayed calm, but eventually she looked uncomfortable and furrowed her brows.

“…What is it?”

“No, nothing.”

“Something?”

“You know…”

“Yes?”

“You really are heavy.”

“Yes.”

Instant answer.

Don’t just accept it like that.

“You are aware, huh.”

“I am.”

“Any intention to fix it?”

“If Your Highness wishes.”

“…”

“But I do not recommend it.”

“Why?”

“A lighter me would probably not be as useful as the current me.”

“The fact that you judge it by usefulness is already heavy.”

Fine thought for a moment, then spoke.

“Then I will rephrase it.”

“Go on.”

“I do not want to treat lightly the fact that I was saved by Your Highness for the rest of my life.”

“…”

“So I cannot become light.”

I was done for.

When she said something like this straight to my face, I really was done for.

“…For the rest of your life, huh.”

“Yes.”

She nodded without any hesitation.

“That’s a long time.”

“I am aware.”

“What if I get tired of it midway and kick you out?”

“I will chase you until I catch up.”

“Scary.”

“After I catch up, we will talk.”

“You actually plan to talk properly?”

“Of course. As long as you do not run.”

“The premise is already heavy!”

I could sense Gareth shaking his shoulders outside the driver’s seat.

That guy is definitely listening.

Fine glanced out the window for a moment, then looked at me again.

“Your Highness.”

“What?”

“If I caused you any unpleasant feelings today, I am sorry.”

“You mean the tea party?”

“Yes. I am still not used to softening my words at court.”

“That’s really true.”

“But…”

“Yeah.”

“I hated seeing you treated carelessly.”

She hesitated a little there.

“…That alone, I just couldn’t…”

The setting sun came in through the window, making her ash-silver hair glow softly.

Her profile was beautiful.

Beautiful, serious, and a little dangerous.

But well.

Maybe having someone come at me this seriously suits me better.

“Then next time do it a little more skillfully.”

“Skillfully?”

“Yeah. Even when you poke, make it so it doesn’t show.”

“Understood.”

“You learn fast!?”

“It is Your Highness’s wish.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

Fine gave a small chuckle.

I had started to notice lately. This girl only smiles just a little when she is genuinely enjoying herself.

“But, Your Highness.”

“What?”

“Today, I felt a little relieved.”

“About what?”

“That my heaviness was not only a bother to you.”

She let out a very small sigh as she said that.

“I’m glad.”

That “I’m glad” stayed in my chest in a strange way.

The things I had tossed out lightly, she was holding onto them so carefully.

In that case, I should probably take them a little more seriously too.

“…Fine.”

“Yes.”

“I can’t get used to all that heaviness of yours right away.”

“Yes.”

“But I don’t dislike it.”

“…Yes.”

“So, well…”

I looked away just a little.

“Let’s adjust it from now on.”

“Adjust?”

“Like the sense of distance and stuff.”

“I will handle it properly.”

“I’m really counting on you.”

Fine stayed silent for a few seconds.

Then she smiled with the softest face I had ever seen from her.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Yeah.”

“Then I will spend my whole life searching for just the right weight.”

“The whole life part is heavy, you know…”

When I muttered that without thinking, Fine narrowed her eyes happily.

“Yes. So please do not get tired of it midway.”

“I probably won’t even have time to get tired.”

“Then there is nothing better.”

The carriage moved through the imperial capital at dusk.

Outside the window, the stone pavement was dyed golden.

Just seven days.

It had only been seven days.

Yet the person sitting next to me already felt like she belonged there.

Quiet, serious, always watching closely, a little scary, and ridiculously heavy.

—But strangely, it wasn’t bad.

I would probably get used to this heaviness much faster than I had thought.

And by the time I got used to it, Fine would probably have gone even further ahead.

…Yeah.

I really did pick up something outrageous.