Even If You Tear Me Apart - Chapter 31
The chapters are split like this so that the TL can update more consistently over time (✿ ＞◡❛)
Of course, the idea of butchering the pig had become a distant prospect. When Ezekiel offered to do it himself, Missus Babbin burst out laughing.
“His Highness? Ah, please—stop before the poor pig suffers even more.”
Apparently, cleanly severing a pig’s neck in a single blow was no easy task. Upon hearing that failing to do so would only make the pig pitifully suffer, Ezekiel immediately understood.
And when he saw Jean, the woodcutter from the village, fail to kill the pig properly and have to swing the axe ten times, he thought to himself how fortunate he was not to have been the one doing it.
“The pig is so plump!”
The knights, seemingly intrigued by the butchering process, gathered around to watch.
Jean skinned the pig and separated the meat by cut. It would’ve been wonderful to roast it whole, but with the rain continuing to fall, they had to divide the meat between the kitchen and a makeshift hearth outdoors.
Naturally, the entire estate was soon filled with the smell of roasting pork.
Felicia Arbois acted like she was about to faint.
“I’m going mad! The smell of meat is going to seep into my whole body!”
“Then wear clothes that can absorb the smell,” Ezekiel replied.
Felicia shot him a glare.
“Your Highness, you’re one to talk—stop wearing those old clothes already. You’re ruining your handsome face!”
“I’ve never worn clothes for the sake of others.”
Ezekiel was still wearing the clothes of Baron Quilluxia. They were comfortable, and remarkably durable. Compared to the clothes he used to wear in the Imperial Palace, they were unbearably coarse, but he felt truly at ease in them.
Felicia stomped her feet in frustration.
“Honestly, you’re getting more and more like Lord Étienne.”
“Me?”
“Your way of teasing people is exactly like his! You don’t even act like him otherwise, and yet—how can you talk like that?!”
“Haha.”
Étienne, lying nearby, laughed and motioned Ezekiel over. When Ezekiel approached, Étienne wiped some mud from his nose.
“You’ve got mud all over.”
“Thank you.”
Watching Felicia recoil in horror from the smell of roasting pork since morning reminded Ezekiel of the stone walls of this estate.
The gaps in the old walls were so wide and deep that smells and sounds easily slipped through. Unsurprisingly, the wind also passed freely through them, and Felicia had of course complained that it was freezing cold at night.
So Ezekiel had asked Jean for some plastering mud and was now filling in the gaps in the walls of the room Felicia was staying in. Naturally, he had already gotten the room’s owner’s permission.
“You should have asked the knights to do it. I don’t understand why you have to do something like this yourself, Lord Ezekiel.”
Felicia grumbled, but it was obvious that she was secretly pleased. Even though all the furniture had to be moved to one side and she ended up sitting right next to Étienne, the thought of a prince doing such rugged work for her sake surely felt good. Ezekiel replied indifferently.
“The knights aren’t meant for this kind of work.”
“Then you could’ve asked the villagers!”
“They’re busy repairing their own homes because of the rain.”
“Unbelievable. You won’t yield even a single word!”
“Should I be yielding to you?”
“Ugh, honestly!”
Felicia gave a dramatic shudder. Étienne chuckled beside her, clearly amused. Though she had been cranky the entire time, it was clear that Felicia didn’t truly dislike Ezekiel’s kindness.
“There’s still a bit of an earthy smell, but I think the food smell has started to fade a little… If only you were as considerate as Lord Ezekiel, Lord Étienne.”
Étienne didn’t miss the chance to make a jab.
“Oh my, Felicia. Then why don’t you marry Ezekiel?”
“What did you say? Lord Étienne! Please don’t say things that sound so sincere from you!”
“Ahahaha.”
Still, Étienne didn’t forget to throw in one last comment.
“Thanks to Felicia, Lady Iris will be able to stay warm this winter.”
Ezekiel was well aware that the room belonged to Iris. But he pretended not to and simply replied, “I suppose so.”
“Pretending not to know, huh?”
Étienne smiled faintly.
