Chapter 111: Prohibited

“If His Highness says it’s fine, then alright. Listen, Lelia-sama, you should accept his kindness, say thank you.”

He was annoying, so I pretended that I hadn’t heard him. By the way, what should I do? I left Linus, who was still saying something and approached Nico’s desk. There was something that I was interested in since I first saw it.

“Whath’sh thhish?”

It looked like a pencil. It was like a black crayon wrapped in paper so that your hands wouldn’t get dirty. It was a little different from the pens adults used, and it was short to fit into a child’s hand.

“It’s a pencil.”

“Penciw.”

“If you write like this on the paper then…”

“Wow, ith’sh wiwe a pen.”

It was thin, but the lines are properly drawn.

“And, if you do this…”

When Nico rubbed the paper with a chunk of cloth lying next to him, the line disappeared.

“Ith dishappeared!”

“You can use it lots of times, I heard it’s an ex-exceptional item.”

“Amazing! Leth me borrow?” I pestered him a little.

“Hmm.”

Nico generously agreed to let me borrow his pencil. I grasped the pencil correctly and drew a line.

“Wow, I did ith!”

“Buufo.”

The person who was disqualified as a guard was behind me. I was impressed by the pencil, so I took the paper and tried to draw. A big mouth, small hands, big feet and a tail. I looked up at Nico. “What is this?”

“This is… A Rug Dragon?”

“Yup! Nico, amazing!”

I didn’t care that a small voice said, “I can’t believe you can tell with that,” from behind me.

“Lei, you’re pretty good.”

“Ai.”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t borrow someone else’s pencil forever. I reluctantly gave it back.

“You’re finished with your greetings, haven’t you? Then, Your Highness, let’s finish your studies for today. We’re already late,” The tutor said. Nico looked bored as he adjusted his position on the chair. Then, what should I do? I turned to the adults.

Linus, 4 guards including Hans, two maids including Natalie, a total of seven people. There are a lot of them, so I’m sure they’ve thought of something for me to do. I stared at them in anticipation.

Even though Nico had started studying his vowels, no one said anything to me. Everyone looked awkward because of my gaze.

Otou-sama said that they need to increase the guards and maids, that’s why I had to wait for a week. In other words, they worked hard on increasing the guards and maids that they didn’t think about what the Prince’s playmate should do.

I sighed and folded my arms.

“Buufo.”

It seems like they haven’t thought of what I should do. I have to think of something to do if no one else will. Which means I’ve decided.

“I wanth paper and a penciw, and a chair and deshw.”

“Bring a child’s desk and chair! And a spare pencil and paper!” Linus soon issued orders, and people started moving around. I wonder if he can study like this. Nico looked over with interest, and he got lectured, “Your Highness, you haven’t started writing yet.” I sighed a little. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to.

“Linus-sama, we have the paper and pencil ready, but we can’t find the desk and chair we’d prepared.”

They’re not well-prepared. You told Otou-sama he was late, but you haven’t made the proper preparations. I looked up at the ceiling in amazement.

“Then, give me thhe penciw and paper.”

“But you need a place to write… do you want to use an adult’s desk?”

“Ith’sh fine, sho give ith tho me.”

I took the pencil and paper and moved next to Nico. Then, I laid down.

“Say, Leila-sama. You can’t, as a lady, no, a baby, but you’re a girl, but you’re not yet?”

Linus panicked. But, I leaned on my shoulders, put my body up and began drawing with the pencil. My legs were bent to my knees. My hands won’t move how I want them to, so I’ll draw whatever I want.

“Fwowersh, one, thwo, thhree, over here, wizard.” (Lizard)

Doesn’t it look pretty good? But, I’ve already drawn a lot on the page. I picked up the cloth to erase it.

“Rub ith outh withh cwothh. Draw a Rug Dragon. Ah.”

I ran out of paper and ended up writing on the floor. Oh my. When I was troubled, I saw someone’s shadow on the floor.

“It’s alright, Leila-sama. Let’s wipe it off quickly with this cloth.”

“Nathawie.”

“Leila-sama, so you like drawing?”

“Ai. Buth thhere’sh no paper ath home.”

Natalie talked to me while wiping the floor.

“Paper and pencil are a little expensive, but commoners can buy them too. If you tell Master, then he’ll get them for you straight away.”

“Reawwy?”

“I think there’s paper for Luke-sama to use. Let’s ask him.”

“Ai!”

This will relieve my boredom a bit. Now, let’s draw carefully so I won’t draw outside of the paper this time.

“Now, Nico. Round face and yewwow eyesh. Chubby cheewsh and wipsh. And…”

*SMACK*

“Huh?”

I looked up because I’ve never heard this noise before, and Nico was holding his left hand with his right hand while looking down.

“Focus, Your Highness. If you don’t focus, then you won’t remember your vowels. You are part of the royal family, so you must not be distracted by normal babies,” the tutor scolded, and in his hands was a small branch.

“Now, let’s write your vowels again.

Nico thinned his lips even more. The tutor hit Nico with the branch again because he wasn’t writing.

*SMACK*

“Ith hurthsh.”

There was a slight red line on my hand which was on top of Nico’s. This hurts.

“You can’th do thhath,” I told the tutor quietly. Hans tried to come to me, but another guard stopped him. Natalie has been standing behind me for a while. I kept my hands on top of Nico’s and stared at the tutor.

“He won’th remember even if ith hurthsh. Don’th hith him.”

“But His Highness doesn’t remember these vowels even though we’ve been at it for months. Even though he’s smart and remembers arithmetic quickly.”

I’m stumped even if you tell me that. Doesn’t he just like arithmetic and isn’t interested in reading or writing yet?

“Give me branch.”

I held my hand out to the tutor. He reluctantly gave it to me. I stuffed it into my Rug Dragon pocket. Of course, it was sticking out.

“Branch prohibithed.”

“Prohibithed?”

“You can’th ushe ith.”

“Prohibited, was it?”

I feel like the tutor had said, “What right do you have?” but I have no right. It’s a request from a cute baby.

I removed my hand from Nico’s and took his hand. It’s a little red, but he’s not hurt.

“Pain fwy away!” I chanted and blew on the red place. Then, I looked at Nico.

“Doesh ith shthiww hurth?” (Does it still hurt?)

“It didn’t hurt in the first place,” Nico, who had said that, was quite stubborn.