A Unicorn’s Docile Turn

Maple gazed at me with a melancholic expression, then carefully began, “You…”

“I was just playing along! Don’t take it seriously!” I quickly interjected, explaining myself.

“Did your mother pass away when you were very young?” he asked.

“Ah, apparently, she was poisoned,” I replied.

“I’m sorry…”

“You weren’t the one who poisoned her, so why are you apologizing?”

“I meant I shouldn’t have brought it up!”

“Oh, it’s fine. Who knows, maybe I’ll uncover the truth someday?” I said, spreading my hands.

The bonfire crackled before us, casting a warm glow. Maple, unable to help himself, leaned slightly towards me, his gaze filled with concern.

“Though you are a princess, these past years must have been quite difficult for you, haven’t they?”

I offered a faint smile. “It’s been alright.”

‘Actually, I have amnesia. How could I know what life was like before I lost my memories?’ Still, hiding my male identity for thirteen years truly hadn’t been easy.

‘Speaking of which, Maple, you still claim you’re not a cross-dresser? Yet your thoughts are so delicate.’

However, there was something I needed to get off my chest. Facing Maple, I declared, “It’s one thing that my mother passed away, but my imperial father… I truly feel he doesn’t care about me at all!”

“What makes you say that?”

“Since I woke from my coma until now, he hasn’t even spoken a single word to me!”

“Isn’t your imperial father incredibly busy—”

“Enough! I’m tired of hearing that,” I said, gesticulating angrily. “We were so close at the martial arts tournament, yet it felt as if we were worlds apart!”

“From an outsider’s perspective, I can sense that your imperial father actually cares about you,” Maple asserted.

I scoffed, a cynical smile touching my lips. “Ha? How much did my imperial father pay you? I’ll double it.”

“How do I put this… Take this martial arts tournament, for example. Your imperial father has actually been testing me, giving me a chance to prove myself. To prove to the entire world that I, Maple, am a boy worthy of you.”

His face flushed a deep red, and my own cheeks unexpectedly followed suit.

‘Oh no, oh no. I have a bad feeling he’s falling for me! What if I confess someday that I’m actually a boy? Will he completely shut down?’

I found myself unable to meet his earnest gaze directly, stammering softly, “I’m truly not worth all this for you…”

“What did you just say?”

“I called you a blockhead! What’s this ‘worthy’ or ‘unworthy’ talk? Even though I’m a princess, aren’t you a prince too? Why are you so lacking in self-confidence?”

Maple nervously pressed his lips together. “Because… I always worry I’m not good enough.”

“???”

Seeing me tilt my head and stare at him, Maple quickly explained, “Didn’t I say earlier? My mother always taught me from a young age how a boy should behave, so I’ve always tried my best to be a good boy.”

‘Why does that sound a little strange?’ I thought. ‘Isn’t he already a boy? Oh, I get it. He’s probably insecure because he was born looking so feminine.’

“Actually, you must have had it tough all these years too, haven’t you?” I said sincerely. I could tell that for his frail physique to be so skilled at fighting and riding, he must have put in far more effort than the average person.

Maple hugged his knees, shyly sticking out his tongue. “It’s been alright, mostly—”

Mid-sentence, he looked up, swallowing nervously.

“??? What’s wrong?” I asked, turning my head. Then I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Ugh!”

Oh, wow!

That unicorn had reappeared!

It stared at us from a distance. If not for its swaying tail, its stillness would have made it seem like a statue.

So… terri… fying…

“Maple! What do we do!” I desperately tugged at his sleeve.

“At this point… I’ll go fight it…!” Maple rose, his hand on his sword hilt, approaching the unicorn with a wary expression.

“Are you sure you can do it? Our opponent is a unicorn!” I asked, still shaken, from behind him.

‘Maple, Maple, I never thought you’d be so brave! Though your appearance is delicate, your heart is truly that of a man! I can’t even bear to watch what happens next—’

“Hey~” Maple suddenly called out to me.

“???”

“It seems quite docile, doesn’t it?”

“You’re lying! How could that be? Before, it was like a pervert, even giving us a philosophical smile!”

If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed what was happening—

The unicorn was rubbing its horn against Maple’s palm, wagging its tail like a golden retriever.

“How… is it like a completely different horse than before?” I murmured, utterly bewildered.

“Since it’s so docile, won’t we win if we just ride it back to the palace?”

“…Are you sure it can be ridden?”

I realized Maple was truly naive. Had he forgotten how it had chased us just moments ago?

However, observing from a distance, I came to a conclusion: this unicorn truly didn’t seem to mind cross-dressers.

The fact that even a cute boy like Maple could get along with it so harmoniously was undeniable proof, wasn’t it?

Did that mean I could also approach it without worry?