BXBX NOVEL Chapter 82
Chapter 82
Even though I had known this would happen ever since he introduced himself on the first day of kindergarten, I still felt sad. But I hid the truth and asked another question.
“I think I can understand a little bit of what you mean when you say that our level is not the same as Your Highness’. By the way, Your Highness, is this really the only reason…?
“What do you mean?” Nicholas paused.
I quickly added an explanation. “Literally, I wonder if that’s really the only reason you’re alone every day…”
Nicholas was at a loss of words for a long time upon hearing what I said. It took more than a minute or so to hear his response.
“We have only been together for less than a year. What’s the use of making friends during that time?”
I realized from his answer that perhaps this was closer to Nicholas’ true intention than the first one. Upon hearing Nicholas’s words, there was silence between the two of us for a while. As if neither I nor Nicholas had said anything, we went back to our original activities and did our own thing. But that was only on the outside. I was knitting with my hands and busy thinking with my head.
‘Nicolas drew an invisible line between him and everyone else from the beginning.’
‘What should I do to cross that line and become friends?’
‘Even if he spent only one year in kindergarten, I wanted to make it a good memory that is not futile…’
I wiggled my fingers and only did my knitting, feeling distressed. But even if I kept thinking about it, nothing would change. Despite that, let’s have a conversation regardless if it’s porridge or rice (regardless if it’s going to be successful or not).
“Prince.”
Oh, to be honest, I didn’t want to reveal myself as the secret friend already.
“I don’t really like books. No, honestly, I’m closer to disliking it. But starting today, I have decided to read difficult books. To be able to make friends with the prince.”
“……you.”
Nicholas, who had been pretending to read until now, responded.
“You are my secret friend.”
“Yes.”
“Huh……”
Nicholas smirked as if he was taken aback by my naive reply. After all, he remembered the contents of the note I sent.
“Are you my secret friend, Prince?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Following my question, Nicholas graciously admitted that I was his secret friend.
I smiled and continued, “I was so happy that you followed my letter. Thanks to that, I noticed it so easily.”
Then Nicholas who tried explaining himself made an excuse. “If I wrote it in my original tone, I would have revealed myself very quickly, so I wrote in line to your letter…”
“But even if you had hidden your tone properly, I would have found out.”
“How?”
“My identity was hidden because I wrote with the hand that I usually do not write with.” My shrug gave Nicholas a look as if he had been defeated.
“…ooh. I will keep it in mind when I play Secret Friend in the future.”
Nicholas didn’t say anything for a while, perhaps he thought his slip up was quite shocking. He spoke again sometime later.
“Then why did you suddenly reveal that you are my secret friend?”
“I’m here to tell you the truth.”
“The truth?”
“Yes. Like I wrote in the letter, I want to get to know the prince. Even though the prince will only be in this kindergarten for one year, even if we are together for a while, it will be good enough.”
So, let’s play together. Let’s talk together and sometimes read books together. Reading books is boring, so I think it would be good to go out and play on a sunny day.
“Just play with us for a year, Your Highness.”
* * *
Perhaps it was because he was moved by my remarks that starting from that time, he has changed remarkably… Unfortunately, there were no miraculous occurrences. But he was definitely different. At least he doesn’t read books alone anymore. No, even when he is reading a book, if I call him to play with us, he gets up and comes to me. Even though he was a little reluctant or had thoughts like, ‘Why did you call me for such a useless thing again?’ or ‘Why are you drawing grids on paper?’, Nicholas tilted his head as he watched me diligently draw something on paper.
“This is Five in a Row.”
“Five in a Row?”
“Yes. This is how you do it.”
I taught Nicholas how to play the Five in a Row game. Fortunately, because Nicholas can quickly grasp things, and he was able to make sense of a game that he had never heard of without explaining it twice. Of course, it was only a simple game.
‘As a result of what I have observed. Nicholas prefers to use his head rather than his body. I’m the opposite!’
So, in the end, I remembered things that didn’t exist during the games I played in my previous life, and I keep introducing them to Nicholas. Occasionally, though, Nicholas looked at me with eyes, which seemed to say, ‘How do you know such a game?’ Every now and then, I lied saying that the maids tell me what is popular among the common people.
“I won this time again.”
“……I lost again.”
But what’s really displeasing is, shortly after I teach him a game, Nicholas beats me, and I lose. Is it true that the innate abilities of the brain can’t be enhanced even after reincarnation?
‘This is really weird.’
Nicholas put down his pen as I cried.
“Let’s stop playing this.”
“I guess it’s not fun. I am no match.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“It hurts my heart for you to admit it so nonchalantly.”
It was not fun for me as well, so the game was forced to a stop. I stood up and followed Nicholas who looked back at me and said, “How about reading a book with me?”
“I hate books…”
“It’s not difficult. You just have to read a fairy tale book that you like….”
Actually, I don’t even like fairy tale books that much. I felt like crying. However, I can assure you that if I were to compare children’s books with the books that Nicholas enjoys, the latter is more likely to be enjoyable.
“I see. Then, let’s read books together.”