Snow Was Never Meant to Be Eaten

Eren was quietly watching the snowflakes drifting through the air.
The snow piling up looked serene and clean.

‘I’m hungry.’

To satisfy his hunger, he scooped up a handful of the last snow that had settled and shoved it into his mouth.
He couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten proper food.
His belly, which had been growling continuously, seemed to have given up now, making no sound at all.

Eren dazedly lifted his head, looked at the warm lights inside the houses, and pondered his misfortune.

Eren’s birth mother was a freewoman who had lived in the north of Longland, a colony of the Espel Empire.
He had never met her or spoken with her, but he had always imagined her.
The image of her happily running through the vast fields, herding sheep.

But when Longland was occupied by the Espel Empire, the free people of Longland were enslaved by the Empire and forcibly relocated.

Eren did not know how his mother had lived or how she came to have him.
The only thing he knew for certain was that having him had been a terrible misfortune for her.

It would have been better if he had never been born.

Collapsing onto the cold snow, Eren thought.
He wished he would never open his eyes again.
If he did open them again, he hoped this misfortune would not continue.

* * * *

And when he opened his eyes again, Eren’s vision was filled with dizzyingly splendid paintings.
He sat still, blinking a few times, and soon realized it was someone’s room.
And a tremendously luxurious, expansive bedroom at that.

What is this?
Am I still dreaming?

Eren thought, lifting his eyelids weakly.
The unfamiliar scenery contrasted so starkly with the past scene he had just seen that he couldn’t help but feel that way.

“Are you coming to your senses?”

Startled by the familiar voice, Eren turned his head.
There sat Harold on an elegant mahogany chair beside the bed.

“Your Highness?
Wh-why… cough!”

He tried to ask what had happened, but a cough erupted, perhaps because his throat was parched.
Startled, Harold bolted up from his seat.

“Your throat is dry.
I’ll get you some water.”

It wasn’t a servant, but a person of the Crown Prince’s standing offering to fetch water himself.
Startled, Eren hastily sat up.

“No, Your Highness!
I am alright!”

Perhaps due to the sudden movement, his head spun momentarily and all strength drained from his limbs.
As a result, Eren’s body flopped limply back onto the bed.

“The Imperial physician said you need rest, so lie still.”

“But, but….”

Unable to comprehend what was happening, Eren muttered dazedly.

As he gazed intently at Harold’s retreating back, the memory from just before he collapsed surfaced.
He had met Harold at the coffeehouse and collapsed while leaving together.
Naturally, he had lost consciousness, so he had no way of knowing what happened after that.

“Part your lips slightly.”

Harold, who had returned with a glass of water, said as he gently held Eren’s chin with careful hands.
Not only had he fetched the water himself, but he seemed intent on feeding it to him directly.

That Harold would go this far only made Eren more bewildered.
Beyond feeling unworthy, he was even afraid, so he grabbed Harold’s sleeve to dissuade him.

“Your Highness’s consideration leaves me at a loss.
Please allow me to drink it myself.”

“If I say it’s an order from the Crown Prince, will you comply?”

Eren was weak to the word ‘order.’
Still, he didn’t like making Harold do such a thing.
After a moment’s hesitation, he let go of the sleeve he was holding and cautiously parted his lips.

Harold delicately held Eren’s chin with one hand and tilted the glass with the other, letting the water trickle in little by little.
When his lips and tongue were just moistened, Eren raised a hand and pushed the glass away.

“Enough?”

“Yes, this is sufficient.”

Wiping his lips with the back of his hand, Eren let out a sigh of relief.
It was a bit awkward because Harold was staring so intently at his face, but his mood improved now that his throat was quenched.

“Feeling a bit calmer?”

Harold, who had stepped back, placed the glass on the bedside table and asked.

“Much better now.
Thank you so much for personally taking care of me like this.”

The dizziness having subsided, Eren sat up once more.
Harold reflexively reached out and placed a cushion behind his back so he could lean against it.

Having fainted, and now waking up in Harold’s bedroom—everything about the situation left Eren utterly bewildered.
Added to that, Harold’s kind demeanor made him feel all the more disoriented.

“Wh-what is going on…”

“Well, do you remember up to when you collapsed?”

Eren nodded dazedly, looking at the painting hung on the bedroom wall.

“Yes, I remember.
You caught me, Your Highness.
And then I think I lost consciousness.”

“That’s right.
Since you lost consciousness, it seemed you needed to see a doctor, so I brought you to the Imperial Palace.”

Does that mean Harold carried me here in his arms?

Eren felt terribly sorry for causing him trouble, and on the other hand, he was ashamed and embarrassed, heat rising to his face.

“Thank you sincerely for helping me.
But may I ask why you brought me to the Imperial Palace instead of the Ducal residence?”

From Eren’s memory, Harold had also said he was going to the Ducal residence.
Since Eren ultimately had to return to the Ducal household anyway, he was curious why he had been brought to the Imperial Palace.

“Well, the Imperial physician is the finest doctor in the Empire.
I thought he would take good care of your condition.”

He had never imagined such deep thought and consideration, so it was even shocking.
Eren bowed his head deeply, crumpling the innocent sheet in his hand.

“I am truly sorry.
To cause this much trouble…
How can I ever repay the favor I’ve received…”

“Enough, what favor?
Anyway, you looked tired; do you feel a bit better after getting a good sleep?”

“Yes, it feels like my body is lighter for the first time in a long while.”

His body, which always felt limp and soggy like waterlogged cotton, felt light for the first time in ages—it seemed he had slept deeply due to the collapse.
His head, which had been aching as if it would split, also felt clear and sharp as if a fog had lifted.

But soon after, Eren started and looked toward the window.
He could see the sky where the sun was already setting.
By now, Kazen would surely be awake.

“Wh-what time is it now?”

As Eren hurriedly looked around the room for a clock, Harold smiled wryly.

“Is it because you’re worried Kazen will be looking for you?
Don’t worry about that.
I sent word ahead that you’d be resting at the Imperial Palace.”

While grateful for that level of consideration, he also felt he had caused Harold that much worry and couldn’t bear it any longer.
Moreover, even if the Crown Prince had sent word, he was afraid Kazen would be furious beyond measure.

“No words can adequately express my gratitude for your concern for someone as lowly as me.
But I do not wish to be a burden any longer, so I should return now.”

As Eren tried to get out of bed, Harold grabbed his arm.
The firmness of his grip inwardly flustered Eren.

“The doctor said you should rest for a day.
So, just for today, don’t do any work and rest comfortably here.
I’ve already told Kazen as much.”

The word ‘rest’ was never welcome to Eren.
It meant that if he put off today’s work and rested comfortably, tomorrow’s work would double.

“But Your Highness, I have work I must do; I cannot rest.”

“I don’t know what it is, but I’ll help you.
As you know, the Imperial Palace has many hands.
I can lend you as many as you need, so don’t worry.”

Eren was only bewildered, not understanding why Harold was treating him so well.

He looked at the large hand holding his arm, then slowly raised his gaze along the forearm.
When their eyes finally met, he quietly spoke.

“Why are you being so kind to me?”

He could have asked indirectly, but Eren was curious about his honest feelings.
Harold’s eyes sparkled as if he found the question amusing, and he smiled.

“You are the aide to my friend Kazen, aren’t you?”

The moment Kazen’s name left his lips, Eren’s heart seemed to sink with a thud.

Ah, I see.
Because he likes Kazen, he’s being kind to me, Kazen’s aide.

Thinking that all this kindness was for Kazen’s sake made his heart ache.
It felt like confirmation that Kazen and he were indeed in love.

“I’ll get it all back from Kazen later, so don’t worry about repaying anything and rest comfortably.
You didn’t get to eat properly at the party last time either, so I’ll have a proper meal prepared for you today.”

Despite Harold’s considerate offer, Eren felt no joy at all.
Rather, the words ‘get it back from Kazen’ seemed to jolt him awake.

“Your Highness, I am deeply grateful for the kindness you’ve shown.
No matter what, I will be sure to repay you later.
But for now, I should really return…”

While Eren was rambling, a commotion was felt outside the door.
Then, before Eren could even finish speaking, a loud knock sounded.

“Seems a guest has arrived.
I’ll tell them to come in for a moment.”

With an apologetic look, Harold picked up the bell on the bedside table and rang it loudly.
The door swung open, and a tall man strode in.

Seeing the man entering the room, Eren’s eyes widened in surprise.