I’m the Only One Who Can Guide the Tyrant to Sleep - Chapter 8

However, Caesar turned away, pretending not to hear.

“Hmph, I’ll prepare your bathwater, so stay put. You can at least wait quietly, right?”

Bam!

With a loud noise, the handmaid left, leaving Caesar alone in the room. He stared blankly, looking at the dirt covering his hands.

He had barely escaped, yet he went to that flower bed. He was frustrated with his own foolishness.

‘I can’t even muster the courage to escape.’

“Haa…”

Caesar let out a deep sigh, unfitting for a child.

Through the window, he could see the garden. He recalled the servant he had seen just a moment ago in the garden.

Evelyn, with her silver hair that shone faintly in the moonlight, like something out of a fairy tale.

Sometimes, when he was alone in his room, he would hear voices coming from outside the window. It was the voices of Floria and Evelyn.

“This is the first time I’ve seen her from this close…”

Caesar muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the garden beyond.

In fact, when seen up close, Evelyn was even more lively than he had imagined. Her voice was a vibrant tone, as if she was singing each word, and a wide range of ever-changing expressions.

It was also the first time that a servant had approached him, the Crown Prince, on her own.

‘Someone looking at me with that expression is also a first.’

The gazes Caesar had received until now had been either envy or disgust, especially the latter, which he was more accustomed to.

Caesar recalled Evelyn’s eyes once again. In her round, emerald-green eyes, there was an unmistakable sympathy.

“Am I pitiable?”

He clenched and unclenched his fists a few times.

With his family, he only exchanged necessary words. He followed a perfectly structured routine, waking up, eating, studying, and sleeping. Nutrient-rich meals were provided, and snacks were naturally not allowed.

And on top of all that… there was also that one thing he had never told anyone.

He had lived like this for fourteen years since he was born. So, Caesar didn’t know whether this was something to be pitied or how other people lived.

‘I thought she’s unusual, but she even pities me.’

“Next time. I’ll answer next time, Your Highness. I promise.”

“Next time…”

Why was that? Nevertheless, he didn’t dislike the sympathetic look in her eyes.

For the first time in a very long time, a faint smile appeared on Caesar’s lips.

***

The very next day, I sat in the garden as usual, talking with Floria.

However, my attention was entirely focused on the Crown Prince’s Palace visible behind Floria.

‘He said he watches us through that window.’

Could he be watching us even now? The face that used to say he could hear our laughter every day came to mind.

I thought I was hiding it well, but the emotion reflected in his face was clearly envy.

‘It would be nice if Caesar could join us too.’

My innate fondness for children manifested itself once again. I wanted to take care of Caesar.

Caesar was only two years younger than me. However, perhaps due to the surrounding circumstances, I couldn’t help but feel like I was looking at a younger sibling.

“Why do you keep looking at something behind me? Is something there?”

Floria handed me a cookie shaped like a flower and asked.

“Well…”

‘Floria said Caesar was scary.’

“Your Highness, who lives in that palace behind you?”

I asked as if I didn’t know, and Floria’s head turned away.

“It’s… my brother’s palace.”

Her expression darkened when she mentioned Caesar.

I suddenly became curious. Why was Floria so afraid of Caesar? After all, he was just a kid.

“What happened? Why are you so scared of him?”

If that was the case, it might be a hint to find the original work. I cautiously asked.

“Did something happen between you and His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“Huh?”

Floria was taken aback.

“If it’s difficult for you to talk about it…”

“It’s not like that… It’s just that my brother… he doesn’t like me…”

“His Highness the Crown Prince doesn’t like you?”

Caesar doesn’t like Floria? Why? Could it be out of jealousy?

The new Empress became Caesar’s mother after his mother died. If Caesar thought that the current Empress and Floria had taken his place…

“When I was younger, I used to get along with my brother.”

Even now, Floria’s words seemed childish, and I held back from saying what I wanted to.

“I thought my brother was my brother… for real…”

In Floria’s drawn-out words, there was a hint of guilt.

“I didn’t know anything… So, I went to the Crown Prince’s palace and asked him to play with me.”

“His Highness the Crown Prince played together with you?”

“Yeah. But my mom found out…”

“Did you get in trouble?”

“Yeah… It was the first time I got scolded so much. My mom told me not to go to the Crown Prince’s palace again, but I went anyway. Playing with my brother was fun. But…”

Floria’s eyes welled up with tears. I could guess what had happened.

“His Highness the Crown Prince told you that you couldn’t play together anymore, didn’t he.”

“He told me not to come. That he doesn’t like me. He said I’m not his real little sister… And that we shouldn’t play together…”

Finally, I understood the whole story.

Caesar had acted as the antagonist for Floria, all for the sake of his younger sister, when he was just around ten years old.