The Fragile Weight of Pity

“It’s finally tomorrow.”

Time had flown, and the start of the Holy Festival was finally upon us. Seimus, participating for the first time, was already fidgeting with excitement, while Ethan watched him with a disdainful snort.

“Brother, can I sleep in your room tonight?”

Since they had to begin preparations early at the palace tomorrow morning, the two decided not to return to their townhouses but to stay in the guest rooms within the Inner Palace.

Ethan, seemingly eager to flaunt that he was the more beloved one, pestered me to let him sleep in my quarters—even though Seimus didn’t seem to care one way or the other.

“Very well.”

“Hehe!”

When I nodded, Ethan shot Seimus a look of pure triumph. Seimus, however, didn’t even grasp the competitive subtext; he simply smiled and said it was a good thing.

Finding his opponent’s reaction dull, Ethan looked a bit deflated, but his joy soon returned as he clung tightly to my side. But something felt different. His arms, which used to be soft, felt strangely firm?

“Ethan, your arm……?”

“Brother!”

You noticed! Ethan’s eyes began to sparkle with an almost overwhelming intensity. He unbuttoned his sleeves, rolled up his shirt, and flexed his arm to show off a bicep.

“Look at this! I have muscles now!”

In the past, his arms were so scrawny I feared they might snap like twigs. While he was still lean, it was true that a bit of muscle had developed; a small, rounded bicep popped up when he flexed.

Could such a thing really happen in just a few days? It’s not like he was flaunting a six-pack, but I was surprised at how easily a bicep could form.

When I poked it with my finger, it was remarkably solid. Involuntarily, I gripped my own forearm.

“…….”

“Brother?”

I was struck by the soft, squishy reality of my own arm. Before I could call Ethan young and weak, I realized I was exceptionally fragile myself. Of course, I had the “cheat key” of Divine Power, but still.

Watching me contemplate whether I had any right to call him frail with a body like this, Ethan spoke with boundless confidence.

“Don’t worry, Brother! I’ll protect you!”

“……Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it!”

Ethan beamed at my subtle response.

As night fell, it was time for bed. Usually, Ethan would whine about wanting to play more, but knowing how long and exhausting tomorrow’s ritual would be, he stayed quiet for once.

“He’s already asleep?”

Perhaps because he was still a child, Ethan fell asleep the moment his head hit the bed. After poking his cheek a few times—as he slept with both arms stretched upward—I stood up. The Crown Prince’s fastidious body did not fall asleep easily, and I found myself a bit envious of Ethan.

‘Maybe a short walk will help me sleep.’

It wasn’t just my body being picky; the awkward tension between Chase and Seimus over the last few days had been weighing on me. I suppose it was because I was the one who caused it.

Yet, since neither of them was lodging a formal complaint, it would be a blow to my dignity to go and meddle directly. Being the Crown Prince has its perks, but these social intricacies were a nuisance.

The magical lights hung around the palace emitted a soft glow. Individually they were faint, but together they were more intense than most lamps. The surroundings were momentarily bathed in brilliance.

Seeing them reminded me of the Christmas lights from my previous life. They weren’t as bright as LED bulbs, but the way they shifted colors and rhythmically flickered felt familiar.

With every change in hue, the white roses in the garden shimmered—turning cold blue, then green, then pink, then purple. They seemed to forget their original color, boasting whatever shade the light dictated they should be.

As I stood there smelling the fragrance of the roses, I heard a rustling sound and turned my head.

‘What was that?’

I thought I might have misheard, but then I heard a low mumbling, like someone chanting a spell. A chill ran down my spine. Was it a ghost? My rational mind scoffed at the idea, but in a world with Gods, Demons, and Dragons, surely a ghost wasn’t out of the question?

‘Or it could be an intruder.’

A malicious intruder could be doing something strange in the garden. Prepared to use my Divine Power to “exorcise” them if necessary, I crept closer. Upon seeing a familiar head of hair, I withdrew the power gathering in my hand.

‘Seimus?’

The one chanting was Seimus. Listening closely, it wasn’t a spell at all. He was merely reciting the sequence of the ritual he had practiced with me.

“Hold the water basin and ladle…… pour water once every three steps……”

“Seimus.”

“Hieeeek!”

Seimus let out a yelp and jumped. He leaped nearly twice his own height in shock and lost his balance. I reflexively grabbed his arm, but…

‘Damn this body.’

My muscle-less frame couldn’t support a boy who was a full head taller than me. I fell right along with the wobbling Seimus, landing squarely on top of him.

The white rose vines were crushed beneath him. Petals scattered into the air, falling between us like snow.

“Ugh.”

“Are you alright?”

“……My back hurts a little.”

Seimus mumbled from beneath me. I hurriedly scrambled off him. I wanted to reach out and pull him up, but fearing my feeble body would just fall again, I could only stand by awkwardly.

The gardeners had clipped all the thorns to ensure I wouldn’t get hurt, so he likely wasn’t wounded, but I checked him just in case.

“Show me your back.”

His clothes were white and thin; if he were bleeding, it would show instantly. I ran my hand along his back to check for any stray thorns, causing Seimus to flinch.

“Yo-Your Highness?”

“It doesn’t seem like any thorns got stuck.”

“Ah……”

“I see,” Seimus answered sheepishly. When I sat down beside him, he grew anxious, worried that grass stains would ruin my clothes, but I didn’t care.

“You’re sitting on the ground too, so why only worry about me? Do your clothes repel grass stains?”

“……No.”

“Besides, if it stains, it stains. It’s not like it seeps into the skin, so why is it a problem?”

Of course, the servants would have a hard time washing it, but that was their job. Worrying about laundry wasn’t the concern of a Prince or a noble. Seimus tilted his head at my words and then nodded.

“I suppose you’re right. It’s not as if the grass stains will harm your Imperial body.”

Seimus scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. I rested my chin on my hand, leaning on my knee as I looked at him.

“Why were you out here reciting the ritual sequence?”

“Ah…… I just happened to come out.”

“Instead of memorizing it in your room?”

“Just because…….”

Seimus’s shoulders slumped. After a moment of silence, he whispered, wondering what he would do if he made a mistake tomorrow. The anxiety in his voice was palpable.

“If you make a mistake, you make a mistake.”

“……What if they laugh at me?”

“Who? Ah, Ethan might.”

He’d probably jump up and down, screaming about how Seimus stole his spot just to mess it up. Seimus chuckled at the mental image.

“The only people in the ritual besides the priests are you, me, Ethan, and Chase. What is there to worry about?”

When I mentioned Chase’s name, Seimus’s body flinched. I knew there was trouble between them, but seeing his reaction confirmed my fears.

“Seimus.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Did something happen between you and Chase?”

“It was just…… something happened.”

A faint blush crept onto his face. I didn’t want to get involved in a lover’s spat where I’d gain nothing, but since I was the catalyst, I felt I should say something to smooth things over.

“Chase is……”

“…….”

“He’s still very young.”

Seimus looked at me as if I were talking nonsense. Understandable—Chase and I were only a year apart, and Seimus was only two years older than him. To call him “very young” with such a small gap sounded absurd.

I felt my face heat up in embarrassment.

“So, try to be understanding. He’s still a child.”

Seimus looked dissatisfied. His face clearly said: Chase is the one who did something wrong, so why are you telling me this?

“He is still my brother. If I don’t take his side, who will?”

Seimus fell silent as he watched me smile bitterly.

“Do you regret it?”

“What?”

“The past…… when you bullied him.”