How the Sidekick Prince Lives Again Chapter 124

Published at 12th of July 2023 11:48:54 AM

“But I didn’t prepare anything……”

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Khalid muttered with a perplexed expression. The box small enough to fit in one hand felt as heavy as a stone.

“You gave me the pheromone perfume today. Please think of this as repayment.”

As Khalid felt apologetic to him, Renato smiled to say not to feel burdened. However, Khalid’s expression did not seem to relax.

“It was just a gift, not a wedding gift.”

In Khalid’s standards, gifts and wedding gifts were completely different. He looked down at the velvet box, not knowing what to do. He had been through numerous unexpected situations on the battlefield, but he was never as perplexed as now.

It was because Khalid didn’t even think of preparing a separate wedding gift like Renato. Before leaving for the kingdom for their engagement ceremony, Tristan had a private audience with Khalid again, saying to leave everything about their marriage to him.

‘If I’m in charge of the wedding, the Empress and Marquis Medus won’t be able to pull any tricks. I’ll take care of the wedding gifts and preparations, so just visit the kingdom comfortably.’

‘Is that okay?’

‘Of course. I haven’t done anything properly for the 1st Prince as his father…… So I want to hold a grand wedding ceremony.’

‘If that is Your Majesty’s decision, I will obey.’

‘I’ll take care of all the troublesome work, so you can just safely go with the Princes. Everything will be ready when you return to the Empire.’

‘Understood.’

‘……Take good care of the two children.’

‘Please don’t worry. I will protect them with all my might.’

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Khalid decided to respect Tristan’s wish to oversee Renato’s wedding preparations as his father. Hearing about Tristan’s decision from him, Renato was perplexed but then agreed with Khalid’s thoughts. After that, they went straight to the kingdom and had the engagement ceremony, so he completely forgot about the wedding gifts. But Renato didn’t seem to forget.

“My apologies. I was too inattentive.”

Khalid bowed his head, apologizing in a gloomy voice. He felt foolish not to think of preparing a separate wedding gift.

“Please don’t apologize. I didn’t give this to hear those words. I just prepared it as I pleased…… Rather than that, please try opening it.”

“Alright.”

At Renato’s urging, Khalid carefully opened the box. Then, a sword ornament, made up of a ruby and an amethyst blended just like a single gemstone from the beginning, supported by obsidian carved in the shape of a sword, appeared.

“This is?”

The red eyes gazing at the sword ornament gleamed. Khalid recognized at a glance it was an artifact.

“……It’s an artifact.”

“That’s right. It’s a sword ornament, but I heard it could be attached to a sword belt or scabbard instead of the handle. You can hang it wherever you want, your highness.”

Renato paid attention to Khalid’s expression while explaining the sword ornament. Casting spells was essential to creating an artifact. Khalid, who grew up with his shaman mother, couldn’t have known the ingredients used in shamanism. Renato could say he used hair or nails, but it might be better to confess in advance than cause a problem if he was caught later.

“It used Your Imperial Highness’ blood. There are also detoxification and protection spells.”

When Renato was pondering whether to honestly reveal that his fairy blood was used, Khalid, who was staring intently at the ruby ​​and amethyst at the ornament’s center, spoke first.

“……! How……”

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“My mother was a shaman, after all. I can’t cast spells, but I can see to some extent.”

Khalid stroked around the enchanted ruby ​​and amethyst with his thumb. He felt complicated that Renato had used fairy blood for him. He was both thankful to Renato for thinking of him this much, and also apologetic that Renato burdened himself unnecessarily.

“I’m sorry. I thought your highness might not like it, but I wanted to give it because it was already made.”

Renato was restless when Khalid’s face darkened. He plucked up his courage with difficulty, thinking he would never be able to give if not now, but seeing the man’s expression terrified him.

“I know you don’t like me using blood, but this one…… I had already placed the order before making the promise with you, your highness……”

What if he gets angry like last time? That thought came to his mind, making his voice smaller. Unlike Renato’s concerns, Khalid was not angry. On the contrary, he said thanks with a smile.

“You don’t have to be so cautious like that. Thank you.”

“Uh…… Are you not feeling bad?”

Renato seemed puzzled by the man’s unexpected reaction. He was glad that Khalid wasn’t angry or upset, but he was a little surprised. Perhaps that thought appeared on his face, as Khalid wrinkled his nose in embarrassment.

“How can I not like it when it’s a gift you made for me, Your Imperial Highness? I feel apologetic that you’re pushing yourself again because of me, but…… honestly, I’m very happy.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Khalid said about the ambivalence he was feeling. His happiness and regret were both sincere. Carefully holding the sword ornament, he smiled brightly at Renato.

“Thank you very much. I will always wear it from now on. Still, what should I do because I didn’t prepare anything?”

Khalid once again thanked Renato, then had a guilty expression.

“It’s okay, as I said before, I just prepared it as I pleased…… You also made the pheromone perfume for me. Let’s just say we have exchanged gifts.”

“Still, I feel uncomfortable to just move on like this…… Ah.”

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Khalid momentarily exclaimed. Then he hurriedly put his hand inside his sleeping gown and took something out. It was Jamila’s keepsake that he always carried with him.

“It’s hard to call this an exchange for the wedding gift, but I’ll give this to you.”

“T, this……”

Looking at the object Khalid held out to him, Renato blankly opened his mouth. Seeing the pocket watch with a faint light made the memories of his previous life arise like a tidal wave.

‘I will give you this watch as a token of my promise.’

Above Khalid’s sheepishly smiling face, the man that looked more mature than now was superimposed. It was Khalid from his previous life that only remained in Renato’s memory.

“This watch is my mother’s keepsake. I don’t know how it is in the Empire, but in our kingdom, family treasures or things that the married person cherishes are sometimes given as wedding gifts.”

“……”

“When I wondered what is the most precious thing to me, this came to mind. And carrying it as an artifact with a powerful protective spell will be helpful as well. I think this would be good as a wedding gift to Your Imperial Highness, what do you think?”

It has returned to its master safely. Renato thought as he heard Khalid’s voice explaining the pocket watch. Looking at the neat watch with no traces of breakage, something hot surged up in his chest.

I couldn’t give it back in my previous life.

Renato closed his lips to prevent the cries welling up in his throat from leaking out. The watch staying with him until the last moment of his previous life had disappeared after his regression. He thought of course Khalid, the original owner, would have it now that he had gone back in time, but seeing it with his own eyes made him choke up with emotions.

“Will you really give me…… something so precious?”

“I’m giving it to you because it’s precious. It’s something I cherish more than my life.”

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I know. Khalid said the same thing in my previous life. Renato reached out, desperately holding back tears. However, his hand could not reach the pocket watch and only hovered around it.

Perhaps due to the memory of his previous life, Renato feared that he might break it again if he had it. And then, the shattered watch overlapped on top of the intact watch, making him strongly feel he shouldn’t touch it. Knowing how much Khalid valued ​​this pocket watch, he didn’t want to break it twice.

“I, I think it’s too much as a wedding gift. It’s the keepsake from your highness’ mother……”

Renato retracted his hand and indirectly expressed his refusal. He shouldn’t make Khalid think he was being strange, but his throat kept choking up, making his voice tremble.

“Hmm, do you feel burdened because it is a keepsake?”

“No, it’s just that I’m undeserving of it.”

“How can you be undeserving? Your Imperial Highness certainly deserves…… Uhm, if you feel too burdened, please think of it as a token and not a wedding gift.”

Khalid thought Renato felt burdened because it was his mother’s keepsake. He had no intention of forcing Renato to accept if he didn’t want to, but a strange stubbornness welled up at his reaction. When Khalid decided to give Renato the watch, he had a strange desire to make him accept it.

“A token?”

“Yes, how about a token of my promise that I will do my best for our marriage and Your Imperial Highness’ goal? Later on…… you can give it back to me when you achieve what you want.”

Aah. Hearing Khalid’s suggestion, Renato sighed inwardly and closed his eyes. The corners of his eyes gradually became hot and moist.

‘Please make sure to carry it with you. It has a powerful protective spell on it, so it will save you from danger at least once. Please take good care of it and return it to me on the day I fulfill my promise to you.’

Khalid from his previous life has disappeared. Khalid in front of him was the same person, yet different. Still, he was saying almost the same thing as in his previous life. As if claiming that even if time had rewound, even if he had no memories, he was essentially the same person.

So he was happy, and sad. Renato just wanted to sit down and cry. But he couldn’t. Barely holding back his tears, he looked at Khalid with tears-soaked eyes.

Chapter end