Father, I Won’t Do Anything

“I’m sorry, but I’m not feeling well either.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

The old man who had been puzzled soon wore a troubled expression upon facing Rosian.

He looked so gaunt that he seemed even sicker than the old man, not normal at all.

“I would have helped you normally, but I’m worried you might catch my illness if you stay close to me. My apologies.”

Until then, Rosian had thought the old man had asked him for help because he was the healthiest person in the vicinity.

“Instead, I’ll try to find someone else to help you.”

“Uh, huh?”

Rosian approached some young men nearby and spoke to them. As the Crown Prince, he couldn’t ignore a sick citizen.

“Could you take this gentleman to a doctor? I’ll compensate you.”

Fortunately, the group of young men rose with friendly smiles.

“No need for compensation. It’s only natural to help those in need.”

“You seem very kind. I overheard that you don’t know this old man either, aren’t you being too nice?”

It seemed their conversation had been overheard. Rosian smiled warmly, thinking it was fortunate.

“I feel embarrassed to be praised when I haven’t done anything. Well then, I’ll leave it to you.”

Just as things seemed to be resolved well, the old man interjected urgently:

“B-But I want this young man to support me!”

“What? But you could catch my illness.”

“That’s fine!”

Rosian and the young men blinked in bewilderment. What was this old man saying?

“W-well… I… I don’t want anyone but this young man. I won’t catch the illness. I’m healthier than I look.”

It was sophistry. The old man was spouting nonsense, and Rosian and the young men’s expressions began to change as they watched him.

“If there was something unsatisfactory about our attitude, we apologize.”

The young men who had readily offered to help were too good-natured. They stepped in on Rosian’s behalf, seeming to think there was a problem with themselves.

But even with the young men going this far, the old man remained adamant.

“I just don’t like you boys for some reason. I want this young man to help me!”

At this, cracks began to form in the polite smiles of the young men.

“Grandfather. Is that any way to speak to people who came to help you? We feel quite hurt.”

“What, what! When did I ask for your help?”

As the old man and young men argued, Rosian stared intently at the old man before him.

His face was unusually flushed and he was sweating, so he did seem unwell.

However, his thunderous voice seemed oddly out of place.

He looked like he might collapse at any moment, but his voice didn’t match. And above all… to be so picky about who helps him?

“Young man, I’ll ask one more time. Can’t you take me home? I’ll compensate you well.”

“…”

“What a ridiculous old man. Why are you so insistent on this person when you firmly refused us?”

Rosian smiled strangely, as if he had realized something.

“Indeed. Why is he so desperate to keep me here.”

Shing-

The sword at Rosian’s waist made a clear sound as it was drawn. The old man’s eyes widened.

“Just like someone trying to detain me.”

Without hesitation, Rosian swung the drawn sword at the old man. It was a quick, concise motion.

“Are you insane!”

“Even if he was annoying, how can you suddenly swing a sword at someone!”

The young men nearby shouted angrily at Rosian, aghast.

But their faces soon filled with shock.

“What in the world…!”

Clang!

The old man, who they thought would be helplessly struck by Rosian’s sword, was easily blocking it with a barrier!

“Ugh, my identity has been exposed!”

“How could it not be, when you were acting so unnaturally.”

The old man’s face began to melt away. Rosian recalled that there was a magic that could temporarily change one’s face.

“I believe that magic is only used in the Magic Tower. Isn’t that right?”

“Crown Prince, I bear you no ill will, but you must stay here for a while!”

The magician who had been disguised as an old man quickly hid behind the young men and snapped his fingers.

Baaang!

Something huge erupted from the ground with a thunderous noise. It was an enormous vine.

Slash!

Rosian frowned as he cut down the vines reaching out to ensnare him.

“You’re quite underhanded.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let Your Highness go to where Miss Jaina is! My research project depends on it!”

Boom!

The vines erupted from the ground once more, shattering the pavement. Rosian swung his sword again to block the vines trying to restrain him, but the endlessly growing vines continued to pester him.

“The Magic Tower is determined to interfere with me!”

Tap-tap.

Rosian seemed to be dealing with the magician, but then suddenly turned and sprinted away.

“Huh? Wha? Your Highness! Where are you going? How cowardly to run away!”

No matter how poor his condition, there was no way Rosian would have difficulty facing a single Magic Tower magician.

However, the magician’s initial deception had cost him precious time – a commodity he could ill afford to squander further.

‘Every second is precious now. After confessing my feelings, I can’t afford to be late for our appointment!’

The Magic Tower people had used all sorts of methods to interfere on the day he decided to confess to Jaina.

Brillante’s sudden collapsing, and the magician approaching disguised as a sick old man, were all likely ploys to interfere with him.

But there was something they hadn’t anticipated – that Rosian was actually sick.

“Haa, haah…”

Pushing his body that needed rest, he quickly became out of breath. Though his vision was spinning, Rosian gritted his teeth and kept moving his legs.

Having left Brillante behind, he couldn’t rest even for a moment.

‘I’ve almost reached our meeting place…’

Ding-

Rosian hurriedly opened the door of the cafe where he had promised to meet Jaina. He had barely managed to avoid being late.

“Haah…”

“Your Highness? Why are you in such a state…”

Rosian looked at Jaina with unfocused eyes.

The person he kept thinking of even with his eyes closed. The person he missed so much it hurt his heart, yet was afraid to meet for fear of getting hurt, was right in front of him.

‘Yet in the end, I came.’

Rosian swept back his hair, struggling to catch his breath. His hair and shirt damp with cold sweat bothered him.

“Oh my, if you were sick you should have contacted me…”

“Then we wouldn’t have been able to meet today.”

“We could have made another appointment later.”

Rosian closed his eyes that were gradually growing heavy. It was the reaction he had expected.

Someone as perceptive as him couldn’t have failed to anticipate Jaina’s behavior.

And he also guessed the reason why Jaina had asked to meet today.

Perhaps she would, at this very moment…

“Ugh.”

“Your Highness!”

As if the tension had eased upon seeing Jaina, his body started to lose strength bit by bit.

No, it wasn’t just because of that.

The temperature difference between them felt too great, as if she didn’t think of him as much as he thought of her.

Perhaps that’s why he wanted to collapse.

‘I wonder how many I am to Miss Jaina.’

How nice would it be if their feelings for each other were the same?

How nice would it be if love was rewarded in proportion to the effort put in?

“Miss Jaina, I…”

Rosian exhaled deeply, then inhaled shortly. For a moment he felt dizzy, and Rosian leaned against the nearby wall.

“I… want to hear your answer to that day’s confession.”

Even though he knew it couldn’t be, if there was even the slightest, tiniest chance…

Rosian wanted to bet everything on that chance.

He who had never caught a cold in his life was suffering like this, so couldn’t miracles happen in the world too?

“I…”

Jaina looked troubled seeing Rosian’s clearly ill appearance.

She was originally going to say that while dating was nice, she wanted to spend more time with Diamid and the people of the Magic Tower for a while.

It was a conclusion she had reached after much deliberation, because she truly liked and cared for Rosian.

Someone who could give him plenty of affection suited him better than someone indifferent like herself.

“Your Highness!”

The moment she saw Rosian losing balance and falling, Jaina instinctively moved to catch his body.

“M-Miss Jaina?”

Rosian with his tall stature and solid build was quite heavy. Knowing this, Rosian was flustered and tried to leave Jaina’s embrace.

“Your Highness, stay still. You might fall if you do that.”

But Jaina wasn’t an ordinary human, but a dragon. Not long ago, she had successfully performed the Dragon’s Breath, which was said to be possible only for adult dragons.

As Jaina exerted strength, Rosian couldn’t easily escape from her.

Though Jaina was the one embracing, Rosian’s body was much bigger so it looked as if Jaina was the one being embraced.

The hot fever from the other person was transmitted directly.

“Miss Jaina? Let go. If we stay this close, you might catch my illness.”

But even in this situation, Rosian was worried about Jaina.

Jaina silently looked at him.

Someone as perceptive as him probably already knew. That she would reject him.

‘Yet he came to meet me like this with his sick body…’

Rosian was always like that.

While usually clever, when it came to matters concerning her, he would drop everything and come running.

Jaina didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but on the other hand, she wasn’t confident she could return the emotions he had given her.

“It hasn’t been long since I reconciled with my father, so I want to spend a lot of time with my family.”

Rosian lowered his eyes powerlessly, as if anticipating the rejection. Jaina spoke without taking her eyes off him.

“So if you could understand that…”

At that moment, Rosian’s eyes opened wide.

Looking at those eyes filled only with herself, Jaina said:

“Would you like to date me? Of course, I’m lacking in many ways, but…”

Seeing him nodding vigorously despite his sick appearance, he looked just like a puppy.

Rosian pinched his cheek and whimpered.

“This is strange. This isn’t a dream, right?”

“If it were a dream, someone better than me would be in front of Your Highness.”

“No, there’s no such person. So… even if this were a dream, it would be you in front of me.”

Even while rambling, Rosian squirmed in Jaina’s embrace. Then, Jaina spoke in a deliberately stern voice:

“Since I’ve practically awakened as a mature dragon, colds and such don’t affect me.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes, …so please stay still like this.”

Rosian immediately became docile. His face, already full of heat, turned even redder.

“Then, we’re really dating from now on…?”

“I even asked to meet first, are you mocking me now?”

“No! That’s not it, I just…”

At Rosian’s flustered appearance, Jaina burst into low laughter. Realizing Jaina had played a joke, Rosian relaxed and leaned on Jaina’s shoulder.

“It’s strange. I don’t know why I always become so restless in front of Miss Jaina.”

Then he added:

“No, actually I do know why. I know too well.”

“Is it because you like me that much?”

“Yes.”

After saying that, Rosian burrowed deep into Jaina’s shoulder as if embarrassed. While stroking his back, Jaina asked:

“Why do you like me?”

“If I were to explain all the reasons why I like you, even a whole day wouldn’t be enough.”

“That’s alright. I have a lot of patience. I can listen all day long.”

Jaina said this and closed her eyes.

Unbeknownst to her, the Magic Tower had issued a Level 1 emergency alert, and magicians were scouring every corner of the Empire with the slogan ‘Eliminate Rosian Delaide’.