The Life, Death, and Relife of the Mushroom Mage

Chapter 18

Mally was not having a good time. They were not having a good time at all. First the prince inserted himself into their outing with Artesia, which they didn't even want in the first place, and now the goddamn ML was here. They should have just not shown up. They were on a first name basis with everyone, and they were beyond annoyed. They were so annoyed.

Irritation was ramping up as they outstripped the posse of Daddy's money, and they marched down the street in a fine bad temper, but the prince caught up with them easily with his long-legged stride, smiling down at them.

"You seem to be upset," he said, and Mally looked straight forward.

"Certainly not," they replied. "I'm just hungry."

"You're so prickly," the prince teased. "Relax."

"I am relaxed," they insisted, and he slyly poked their cheek.

"I have an appointment set up with Baron Highguard next week. Twosday," he said, and they twitched. Right. They had to get their house. "He'll find you a house and good furniture makers."

"Thank you," they said, and he peered at them.

"Are you sure you don't want anything else?" he asked, and they inhaled slowly.

"No, Your High---"

"Aht, aht," he said and pressed a finger to their lips. "No Highnesses right now. I'm Jacques."

They flushed angrily, and he grinned at them before he peeled his finger away.

"Anyways, let's get you some food, so you'll stop being so grumpy," he said and stopped outside of a stall selling meat skewers dressed up in barbecue sauce. "Can I get eight, please?"

"Of course, my lord," the vendor said and procured eight skewers. The prince paid, and Mally watched him with suspicion. He was just an extra in The Saint's Life, so they assumed Artesia had a better understanding of him as a character than they did. The prince turned around with all eight skewers and passed out two to each before he bit into one vigorously.

"You know, sometimes I sneak out to enjoy commoner food," he said conversationally, and Artesia looked like she knew that.

"That's not befitting of your position," Edwin said flatly, and the prince laughed.

"Oh, you've always been such a stickler for the rules," he teased as he turned to saunter off. "It's fine."

"No, it's not," Edwin said as he followed along behind him. "Do you go with guards?"

"I can defend myself," the prince said dismissively.

"The wrong person could overhear that and---"

"And what? There's no schedule to follow. I do it when it suits my fancy," the prince said dismissively. "Besides, it's refreshing to go out among the common folk. I can learn all sorts of things about how people really feel but would never say to my face."

"That's dangerous," Edwin insisted, and the prince rolled his eyes and took a bite of his skewer.

"Stop fussing and eat your skewer," he said as Mally bit down on their skewer.

"They really don't get along, do they?" Artesia whispered, and Mally looked over at her.

"I assume what they're really fighting over is you," they said, because Edwin was probably half in love with her at this point, and shit, why not throw the second ML into the mix?

"What?" she asked in confusion as Edwin gave them the stink eye. Oh, he heard that.

"I would never fight the prince over a woman," he said and looked straight forward. "Besides, the Saint can't be a princess."