Jerald’s (Jed’s) Point of View
I met Gabrielle four years ago.
It was when the Fall Empire was hosting a large ball.
Of course, as an “Unnecessary Prince,” I was not allowed to attend.
The ostensible reason was that I was ill, but in reality, it was because they didn’t want anyone with lowly blood in their veins to attend.
My father tried to get me to join, but I refused. I hadn’t appeared on the stage for twenty years. I didn’t think I wanted to attend now.
On the day of the ball, noisy voices could be heard from afar.
All the residents of the Imperial City must have gathered at the venue.
“Right.”
Since there was no one here now, I can enter the Knights Order’s training grounds.
I’m not sure what a grown man like me was thinking, but I’ve always wanted to visit the place where the Knights Order stood.
That’s what I thought, and I slipped out of the room.
Just as I was about to pass through the garden, which was rarely visited by people, I heard a cracking sound.
The bench in the garden, that I had thought was empty, was occupied by someone else.
A girl gazing at the moon in a daze.
She was dressed in a silver and white dress, with crystal clear white hair and red eyes reminiscent of rubies.
The girl was as beautiful as a goddess, and I was instantly captivated.
“Who are you?”
I tried not to let anyone notice me.
That was all I wanted, but I was so taken with her that I couldn’t help but call out to her.
I wondered what kind of voice the beautiful girl had.
The girl trembled at the sound of my voice and looked at me timidly.
I thought she was beautiful in profile, but she was even more beautiful when I looked at her head-on.
“And who are you?”
She had a beautiful voice, like rolling a bell.
It was her stern gaze that didn’t give me time to fall in love with her.
I took a second look at my appearance. I was dressed in a simple training uniform, which was not appropriate for the Imperial Castle.
As a nobleman, she must have been wary of me.
“My name is Jerald.”
I’m someone whose existence is not supposed to be known by anyone.
I knew that, but I gave her my real name because I wanted her to know who I was.
“Jerald? That is the First Prince’s name, isn’t it?”
She blinked when she saw my hair color.
Red hair was the sign of Imperial family.
There’s no way that she, as a noble, didn’t know that.
I smiled at her as she stared at me in disbelief.
“Would you tell me your name?”
“It’s Gabrielle. Gabrielle de Olivier.”
Gabrielle rose from the bench and performed a ladylike bow so beautiful and graceful that even the untrained eye could see it.
I’m sure she was a little wary because she was not sure if I really was the first prince because of my modest appearance and inadequate clothing, despite the fact that I have the sign of Imperial family.
“I heard the First Prince was absent because of illness. Is that wrong?”
“I’m someone who is not supposed to appear before the public.”
She looked at me with an expression of incomprehension.
A hint of agitation in her bright red eyes.
“I’m an unneeded human. That’s why I’m not allowed to appear in public.”
I laughed self-mockingly.
I knew it was not a good idea to tell her the hidden secrets of the Empire, but I wanted her to know about me.
The girl gave me an angry look.
“Are you stupid?”
“Pardon?”
“There are no unneeded people in this world. Isn’t there at least one person who needs you?”
The image of my father flashed through my mind at her words.
She noticed this and smiled at me.
“From the looks of it, there is someone.”
“Yeah, there is. But…”
What my father really needs, what he really loves, is not me. It’s my mother, who has a somewhat similar vibe.
If he really cared about me, he wouldn’t have let people treat me as an ‘unwanted prince’.
“That person doesn’t need me in the true meaning.”
Gabriel muttered a meaningful, “Hmm.”
I shut my mouth, thinking that I shouldn’t have talked about this.
“Do you want to be needed by someone, Prince Jerald?”
Needed by someone?
I had been treated as an unwanted person since birth, so I had never thought about such a thing.
“… I don’t know.”
Gabrielle frowned in annoyance at my response, thought for a moment, and then clapped her hands together.
I was startled by the sudden loudness, and she looked at me as if she had come up with a good idea.
“Prince Jerald, won’t you become my friend?”
“Friend?”
“Yes, a friend.”
What exactly does a friend mean?
How can I be friends with someone if I can’t even leave my room?
“I cannot leave my room for reasons… I might never see you again.”
“That doesn’t matter. As long as I consider you a friend, and you consider me a friend, our friendship will last for eternity.”
Jerald’s (Jed’s) Point of View
Gabrielle’s smile was dazzling, even though it was night.
I was surprised to see her standing in front of me with her fluffy white hair blowing in the air, and a healthy white arm stretched out in front of me.
The hand that was held out in front of me was beautiful, without a scratch on it.
“Prince Jerald, please be my friend.”
I wanted to take her hand, but I wondered if I would stain it with my filthy hands.
“Gabrielle, is it… is it alright for me to be your friend?”
“If that is something you want, then yes.”
It was the first time someone had asked me to be their friend.
For the first time, someone asked me what I wanted.
There was no reason for me not to take her hand.
I gently squeeze her hand, doing my utmost best not to break it.
It was slender, yet soft and warm, and my eyes began to burn.
“Prince Jerald, you have become someone I need in my life now. So please don’t call yourself unneeded anymore.”
“Yeah…”
I shed a tear at her soft smile.
As I roughly wiped it with my sleeve, she handed me a gold embroidered handkerchief with not a single stain on it.
I shook my head and said I didn’t want it, because I didn’t want to stain her beautiful handkerchief.
“This is the token of our friendship. Please take it.”
“Is that okay?”
“This is something I embroidered myself, please take it by all means.”
A token of friendship.
She handed it to me to wipe away my tears, but I couldn’t use it.
I wanted to keep it with me.
“Please wipe your tears with it.”
“No way. This is something precious to me, so I won’t use it.”
I was being selfish, and Gabrielle looked at me as if she had given up.
“Thank you, Gabrielle.”
“… Prince Jerald, we are already friends. Please call me Elle.”
When I was puzzled by the abrupt statement, he said, “Friends are supposed to call each other by their nicknames.”
Elle, Elle, huh?
I practiced calling her by her nickname in my mind.
Okay, I thought with enthusiasm, and then I stared straight at her.
“E, Elle.”
I stuttered, even though I’ve practiced it at least twenty times.
I felt embarrassed when Elle giggled and frowned at her, “Elle, don’t laugh.”
“I’m sorry. So, do you have a nickname, Prince Jerald?”
I shook my head.
I’ve spent my entire life not even being called by my first name.
I can’t have a nickname.
“Let me call you Jed then. Is that good?”
“You can call me whatever you want, Elle.”
“Jed.”
My heart fluttered.
We called each other by our nicknames. It was just that, but I was so happy.
I wanted to talk to Elle more, but it was not possible.
“Elle? Where are you?”
Elle immediately responded to the young man’s voice.
“Prince Cyril.”
You can tell who it is just by his voice?
When I turned around, I saw a young man about Elle’s age looking around in the distance.
Elle’s cheeks reddened with happiness as she spotted him, dressed in luxurious clothes, with golden hair and clear blue eyes.
It was an expression she didn’t show me yet.
“I’m sorry Jed. It seems that I have to leave now.”
“Y, yeah…”
“You are now a needed person, don’t forget that. Let’s meet again.”
After reminding me not to forget, she smiled at the end and slipped past me.
When I turned around, I saw her walking amicably with the young man.
I pretended not to notice the pain that shot through my chest.
“Let’s meet again, Elle.”
I’ll never forget the day I made someone special.
It was very easy to find out who Gabrielle was.
She was the daughter of the neighboring Ansanse Kingdom’s Duke.
And the fiancée of His Highness Prince Cyril, the Crown Prince of the Ansanse Kingdom.
“The man from that time was her fiancé, huh…”
It’s no wonder they were so close.
Elle has a fiancé. When I found out this fact, I felt a pain in my chest. It was very similar to the pain I felt when I saw Elle and His Highness Cyril walking together in a friendly manner.
Oh, I see.
“I fell in love with her…”
It was the first time in my life that I had fallen in love.
However, no matter how much I thought about it, it would never come true.
Still, the day I forget her would never come.
Elle was my precious friend.
And four years later, I was reunited with her in the forest.
Jerald’s (Jed’s) Point of View
I met Gabrielle four years ago.
It was when the Fall Empire was hosting a large ball.
Of course, as an “Unnecessary Prince,” I was not allowed to attend.
The ostensible reason was that I was ill, but in reality, it was because they didn’t want anyone with lowly blood in their veins to attend.
My father tried to get me to join, but I refused. I hadn’t appeared on the stage for twenty years. I didn’t think I wanted to attend now.
On the day of the ball, noisy voices could be heard from afar.
All the residents of the Imperial City must have gathered at the venue.
“Right.”
Since there was no one here now, I can enter the Knights Order’s training grounds.
I’m not sure what a grown man like me was thinking, but I’ve always wanted to visit the place where the Knights Order stood.
That’s what I thought, and I slipped out of the room.
Just as I was about to pass through the garden, which was rarely visited by people, I heard a cracking sound.
The bench in the garden, that I had thought was empty, was occupied by someone else.
A girl gazing at the moon in a daze.
She was dressed in a silver and white dress, with crystal clear white hair and red eyes reminiscent of rubies.
The girl was as beautiful as a goddess, and I was instantly captivated.
“Who are you?”
I tried not to let anyone notice me.
That was all I wanted, but I was so taken with her that I couldn’t help but call out to her.
I wondered what kind of voice the beautiful girl had.
The girl trembled at the sound of my voice and looked at me timidly.
I thought she was beautiful in profile, but she was even more beautiful when I looked at her head-on.
“And who are you?”
She had a beautiful voice, like rolling a bell.
It was her stern gaze that didn’t give me time to fall in love with her.
I took a second look at my appearance. I was dressed in a simple training uniform, which was not appropriate for the Imperial Castle.
As a nobleman, she must have been wary of me.
“My name is Jerald.”
I’m someone whose existence is not supposed to be known by anyone.
I knew that, but I gave her my real name because I wanted her to know who I was.
“Jerald? That is the First Prince’s name, isn’t it?”
She blinked when she saw my hair color.
Red hair was the sign of Imperial family.
There’s no way that she, as a noble, didn’t know that.
I smiled at her as she stared at me in disbelief.
“Would you tell me your name?”
“It’s Gabrielle. Gabrielle de Olivier.”
Gabrielle rose from the bench and performed a ladylike bow so beautiful and graceful that even the untrained eye could see it.
I’m sure she was a little wary because she was not sure if I really was the first prince because of my modest appearance and inadequate clothing, despite the fact that I have the sign of Imperial family.
“I heard the First Prince was absent because of illness. Is that wrong?”
“I’m someone who is not supposed to appear before the public.”
She looked at me with an expression of incomprehension.
A hint of agitation in her bright red eyes.
“I’m an unneeded human. That’s why I’m not allowed to appear in public.”
I laughed self-mockingly.
I knew it was not a good idea to tell her the hidden secrets of the Empire, but I wanted her to know about me.
The girl gave me an angry look.
“Are you stupid?”
“Pardon?”
“There are no unneeded people in this world. Isn’t there at least one person who needs you?”
The image of my father flashed through my mind at her words.
She noticed this and smiled at me.
“From the looks of it, there is someone.”
“Yeah, there is. But…”
What my father really needs, what he really loves, is not me. It’s my mother, who has a somewhat similar vibe.
If he really cared about me, he wouldn’t have let people treat me as an ‘unwanted prince’.
“That person doesn’t need me in the true meaning.”
Gabriel muttered a meaningful, “Hmm.”
I shut my mouth, thinking that I shouldn’t have talked about this.
“Do you want to be needed by someone, Prince Jerald?”
Needed by someone?
I had been treated as an unwanted person since birth, so I had never thought about such a thing.
“… I don’t know.”
Gabrielle frowned in annoyance at my response, thought for a moment, and then clapped her hands together.
I was startled by the sudden loudness, and she looked at me as if she had come up with a good idea.
“Prince Jerald, won’t you become my friend?”
“Friend?”
“Yes, a friend.”
What exactly does a friend mean?
How can I be friends with someone if I can’t even leave my room?
“I cannot leave my room for reasons… I might never see you again.”
“That doesn’t matter. As long as I consider you a friend, and you consider me a friend, our friendship will last for eternity.”
Jerald’s (Jed’s) Point of View
Gabrielle’s smile was dazzling, even though it was night.
I was surprised to see her standing in front of me with her fluffy white hair blowing in the air, and a healthy white arm stretched out in front of me.
The hand that was held out in front of me was beautiful, without a scratch on it.
“Prince Jerald, please be my friend.”
I wanted to take her hand, but I wondered if I would stain it with my filthy hands.
“Gabrielle, is it… is it alright for me to be your friend?”
“If that is something you want, then yes.”
It was the first time someone had asked me to be their friend.
For the first time, someone asked me what I wanted.
There was no reason for me not to take her hand.
I gently squeeze her hand, doing my utmost best not to break it.
It was slender, yet soft and warm, and my eyes began to burn.
“Prince Jerald, you have become someone I need in my life now. So please don’t call yourself unneeded anymore.”
“Yeah…”
I shed a tear at her soft smile.
As I roughly wiped it with my sleeve, she handed me a gold embroidered handkerchief with not a single stain on it.
I shook my head and said I didn’t want it, because I didn’t want to stain her beautiful handkerchief.
“This is the token of our friendship. Please take it.”
“Is that okay?”
“This is something I embroidered myself, please take it by all means.”
A token of friendship.
She handed it to me to wipe away my tears, but I couldn’t use it.
I wanted to keep it with me.
“Please wipe your tears with it.”
“No way. This is something precious to me, so I won’t use it.”
I was being selfish, and Gabrielle looked at me as if she had given up.
“Thank you, Gabrielle.”
“… Prince Jerald, we are already friends. Please call me Elle.”
When I was puzzled by the abrupt statement, he said, “Friends are supposed to call each other by their nicknames.”
Elle, Elle, huh?
I practiced calling her by her nickname in my mind.
Okay, I thought with enthusiasm, and then I stared straight at her.
“E, Elle.”
I stuttered, even though I’ve practiced it at least twenty times.
I felt embarrassed when Elle giggled and frowned at her, “Elle, don’t laugh.”
“I’m sorry. So, do you have a nickname, Prince Jerald?”
I shook my head.
I’ve spent my entire life not even being called by my first name.
I can’t have a nickname.
“Let me call you Jed then. Is that good?”
“You can call me whatever you want, Elle.”
“Jed.”
My heart fluttered.
We called each other by our nicknames. It was just that, but I was so happy.
I wanted to talk to Elle more, but it was not possible.
“Elle? Where are you?”
Elle immediately responded to the young man’s voice.
“Prince Cyril.”
You can tell who it is just by his voice?
When I turned around, I saw a young man about Elle’s age looking around in the distance.
Elle’s cheeks reddened with happiness as she spotted him, dressed in luxurious clothes, with golden hair and clear blue eyes.
It was an expression she didn’t show me yet.
“I’m sorry Jed. It seems that I have to leave now.”
“Y, yeah…”
“You are now a needed person, don’t forget that. Let’s meet again.”
After reminding me not to forget, she smiled at the end and slipped past me.
When I turned around, I saw her walking amicably with the young man.
I pretended not to notice the pain that shot through my chest.
“Let’s meet again, Elle.”
I’ll never forget the day I made someone special.
It was very easy to find out who Gabrielle was.
She was the daughter of the neighboring Ansanse Kingdom’s Duke.
And the fiancée of His Highness Prince Cyril, the Crown Prince of the Ansanse Kingdom.
“The man from that time was her fiancé, huh…”
It’s no wonder they were so close.
Elle has a fiancé. When I found out this fact, I felt a pain in my chest. It was very similar to the pain I felt when I saw Elle and His Highness Cyril walking together in a friendly manner.
Oh, I see.
“I fell in love with her…”
It was the first time in my life that I had fallen in love.
However, no matter how much I thought about it, it would never come true.
Still, the day I forget her would never come.
Elle was my precious friend.
And four years later, I was reunited with her in the forest.
