Leaving the Crown Prince behind as he sat face-to-face with the attendant on the sofa, Joel headed to the stables to bid farewell to Jack the mule.
Following him was not only a retinue of servants and attendants but also the 4th Imperial Knight Order under the Crown Prince’s direct command, led by Commander Abe.
“Jack!”
When he arrived at the stables and raised his voice, Jack, who had been resting inside, approached Joel with a snort.
He had a dignified air as if acknowledging an old friend.
A stable hand opened the gate to let the mule out.
“Have you been well?”
Joel, happy to see him, stroked Jack’s nose.
Strangely, the bridge of the mule’s nose was already sleek and shiny, as if someone had been petting him for a long time.
Wondering about it, Joel turned and asked, “Why is he so glossy?” Commander Abe then explained what had happened while Joel was resting.
“Many people came to see the mule earlier today. Didn’t this fellow lead the street procession today? Just as everyone was becoming curious, they heard the story of how this friend saved you from a crisis, and they couldn’t contain their interest.”
“Is that so?”
Joel pulled his gaze away from Abe and looked back at the mule.
Seeing that the hair on the bridge of his nose was all flattened down, he must have received quite a lot of affection.
As Joel looked on proudly, Abe informed him that the mule had allowed only the touch of pretty young ladies and ignored the men.
“One young noble approached him persistently despite being rejected, and this fellow just snapped his head away! It was so cold that I felt embarrassed just watching.”
“Ahaha. Our Jack is a bit haughty. No one bullied him, right?”
“Who would dare bully the mule that saved Young Master Joel? Even the rejected young man stepped back sheepishly amidst the jeers of the crowd.”
Joel took a carrot from Becky and held it out to the mule.
Jack was already full from all the delicious fruit he’d received from the noble ladies throughout the day, but he took a polite bite of the carrot Joel offered.
“Jack, you probably won’t see me starting tomorrow. I’m going to be very busy. I’ve asked my father to look after you, so live well there. Thank you truly for everything.”
Joel spoke warmly while scratching the mule’s cheek.
He actually wanted to keep the mule by his side, but the palace was noisy and crowded with people coming and going; he had made the difficult decision because he felt it wouldn’t suit Jack, who preferred peace and quiet.
“And… I’ve been thinking for a while, but the name Jack doesn’t seem to suit a clever fellow like you.”
In truth, Joel had been bothered the whole time by the fact that the mule’s name was the same as the mercenary who had abandoned him and fled.
Unlike the serious Joel, Jack just chewed his carrot with a bored expression, seemingly indifferent to whether he was listening or not.
Just as Jack, having swallowed his bite, was about to take another…
“So, what do you think about changing your name to ‘Jo’?”
Joel asked in a serious tone. It was, of course, a nickname taken from Joel’s own name.
The mule suddenly stopped his movements, turned around, and walked away from Joel.
Though Joel wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, he felt a lingering discomfort, as if the mule had glanced back at him with a look of pure contempt.
“…It seems he doesn’t like it.”
Abe, who had been watching from the side, chimed in quietly.
Jack’s expression of will was so firm that everyone gathered there understood the mule’s intent.
Joel dismissed the smirking Abe with a “Quiet.”
Surely, a farm animal couldn’t have the intelligence to feel contempt for its master.
But the mule’s expression was so human-like that he wondered if he really had been looked down upon.
When the mule suddenly refused the carrot he had been eating well, those suspicions grew even stronger.
Only after Joel followed him around for a while, apologizing with “I’m sorry, I was just saying it. Jack, I said it was a joke!” did the mule accept the carrot again.
The full Jack politely declined the second carrot Joel offered, and Joel gave him a hug before sending him back to the stable.
Even after Jack went inside, Joel couldn’t move for a while.
Perhaps he had grown attached, as he felt a sense of sadness and regret at sending him away.
“Um, Young Master Joel.”
Abe spoke to Joel, who had been staring at the stable for a long time.
Without taking his eyes off the mule, Joel answered shortly, “What?”
Joel felt Abe hesitating and put on an annoyed expression.
Throughout the journey back to the capital, Abe had pestered him like this more than once or twice.
The impatient Joel had directly told him several times to say whatever he had to say, but Abe only hesitated without revealing what it was.
As Joel turned to leave out of annoyance, Abe hurriedly caught him.
“That… Young Master! I want to apologize for rudely interrogating you the other day.”
“Huh? For what?”
Joel tilted his head with an expression that suggested he had no idea what nonsense Abe was talking about.
Abe felt a sense of distance, wondering if Joel had already forgotten something that happened at Lord Bennett’s estate—it wasn’t like it was decades ago.
However, realizing that with Joel, it was entirely possible, he dropped his bewildered look and began to explain the situation calmly.
“When the Crown Prince disappeared from Lord Bennett’s estate, didn’t I interrogate you? I’ve been reflecting the whole time on how I acted rashly without knowing you were pregnant. I’ve wanted to apologize all along, but the situation didn’t allow for it until now.”
“Ah… that.”
When Joel finally nodded with an understanding face, Abe squeezed his eyes shut.
He knew Joel’s notorious reputation that had spread throughout the capital over the last three years.
He was prepared to get slapped at least ten times, but unexpectedly, Joel spoke as if it were no big deal.
“It’s okay, I would have done the same. No, wait—have you been restless all this time just because of that?”
“I thought it was something serious. Let’s go.”
“Pardon? Is… is that it?”
Catching Joel as he tried to walk away humming, Abe asked pathetically, “Just like that? But, you haven’t even slapped me once yet.”
Joel looked down on Abe, who was showing a rare foolish side.
“Yes, so let’s just go back since the Crown Prince is waiting. Do you really want to be slapped by me that badly?”
Muttering that there were all sorts of strange tastes in the world, Joel turned away with an absurd face.
Leaving the stunned Abe behind, he led the remaining guards back to the Crown Prince’s palace.
“Did you see the mule off well?”
The Crown Prince, wrapping an arm around Joel’s waist, asked tenderly.
A fresh smile was on his face, but Joel had already witnessed the heavy look that had lingered there before he called out.
“I did. But… why did Marquis Meringue come by earlier?”
Joel hugged the Prince back, checking his complexion with concern.
He asked quite seriously, but the Prince suddenly burst out into a chuckle. It was only after he corrected Joel, saying, “It’s not Meringue, it’s Marquis ‘Langston’,” that Joel realized his mistake.
“Oh.”
His face turned bright red.
Joel immediately tried to loosen the arm around his waist and flee, but the Crown Prince wouldn’t let go.
Held in the arms of the Prince, who was smiling as if he were adorable, Joel vowed to memorize the nobility registry first thing tomorrow.
“Father says he will skip the morning greetings tomorrow. It seems his sudden decline in health has made him wish to refrain from activities and remain secluded in his bedchamber for the time being. He sent word for me to look after state affairs well.”
“Then…”
Hearing the Prince’s words, Joel’s expression turned worried.
Was the Emperor officially signaling his intent to abdicate?
Considering the Emperor’s health, it was a plausible situation, but even Joel could see this wasn’t a normal flow of events.
How could such a significant matter be conveyed through a servant without even seeing his own son?
The Emperor was clearly giving the Crown Prince the cold shoulder because of him.
Embracing the anxious Joel, the Prince soothed him: “Trust me. You don’t need to worry about anything.”
In the Prince’s arms, Joel could not easily shake his concern. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the Prince.
The Prince was smart, skilled in politics, and knew how to handle the Emperor, so he would be able to resolve this conflict.
The problem was himself. Joel didn’t want to dump everything on the Prince like this.
But realistically, all he could do right now was stay still, and Joel sighed deeply, feeling frustrated with himself.
