Don't Come Near Me, I'm Just a Background Character [BL Harem]

33 - Aggrieved Prince

Small, crystal tears dropped from his eyes, framing his cheeks with beads of gleaming water. My movements paused and my initial lackadaisical thoughts seemed to scatter away. I felt a bud of guilt spread in my heart and silently walked down the shallow staircase, patting his head with an awkward half-smile.

I pried the prince's hand off my shoulder and rubbed his back consolingly. Unsure of what to do, I first covered his tear-stained face with my figure and moved him to the side of the first floor.

"Hey, why are you crying?" I gruffly said. "S-stop crying..." I felt apprehensive. What exactly am I supposed to do with a crying prince? I fumbled around.

"Come over here." I grabbed his hand and pulled him away. He stuck close to me, with his head buried in the crook of my neck. I could feel his warm breath caress my nape. I tugged him up the stairs with slight urgency, moving him into the familiar isolated corner of the second floor. I set him on the floor and sat right next to him. I didn't know where his servants had gone since he started crying. I felt a bit sour, wondering why the responsibility was pushed onto me.

I tried to free my hand from his, but he seemed adamant, his grip growing tighter when I tried to push him away.

"It'll be fine." I ran my fingers through his hair soothingly. Eventually, I relented and simply let him lie his head on my lap.

I thought back to my first meetings with the prince. Ah, the things I excused just because 'he was my bias'. I exhaled. That was why I let him get away with his demands for sweets and his claims of 'forced meetings'.

I shook my head and snapped out of my daze. Sighing tiredly, I eyed at the pile of books just far enough so I couldn't reach it. Despite my utter dissatisfaction, I bitterly stoned my face and sat still to coax him.

Damn, where is Zier?

----

(A/N: Zier's POV.)

"Young Master Theodore, the mistress ordered that you finish the current records for the expenses in the mansion."

A servant walked in with quiet steps and bowed in front of the table, presenting the files in his hand. Theodore rubbed his tired eyes and stood. The table in front of him shook from his movements, making one of the stacks of paper fall onto the floor in a dramatic flourish.

Zier took a glance at the fallen files and immediately slammed the pen in his hand onto the papers in frustration. The servant's heart jumped. He had never seen an instance where his Young Master had such rage before, but he understood. The mistress had suddenly begun to pile on a tremendous amount of work on the Young Master, making it difficult for him to even sleep.

He, personally, didn't understand the motive behind her inexplicable actions. What was the point of pushing on such menial work when that work could simply be delegated to some servants?

The servant shook his head and sighed. Forget it, in the end, it was none of his business. He gently set down the records in his hand and dismissed himself. "Then, I must be going, Young Master."

Zier waited until the door clicked shut before he collapsed back onto his chair, sighing wearily. "Mother must be trying to kill me..." He muttered. He took the next set of papers, and with tired eyes, continued with his head propped on his hand.

----

The servant zoomed through the bright marble hallways and knocked on the mistress' study door.

"Come in." A flamboyant voice answered, and the servant hastily turned the doorknob and walked in.

"Lift your head. We aren't going to kill you, you know." A different voice, much more strict and sharp, commanded. The servant felt his heart quiver. I would rather keep it down, thank you very much, he thought, but afraid to disobey her, he still lifted his head reluctantly.