The Author's Will

34 | Icicle Eyes

　　 The next morning, Mikael found himself stirring slightly under the sheets of his plush, comfortable new bed. As morning light crept into his room and hovered over his ivory lashes, the boy woke to a high ceiling - with pale blue and white walls surrounding him. It was so big in comparison to the little cell he lived in before coming here.

For a moment, Mikael was startled by his unfamiliar surroundings, before it occurred to him.

That's right... This is the Cherlianns manor. He sighed softly, running a small hand through his hair. Even though it's been almost two weeks, I still can't get used to it...

"Ah, you're awake, Your Highness?" A familiar voice suddenly resounded from beside him, and Mikael gasped at the sight of a peculiar little girl laying on the bed on his right.

Her short white hair that barely reached her shoulders, strewn across the pillow delicately. Round, golden eyes and soft white skin. A girl who was akin to a snow fairy, with the personality of a bothersome little monkey, was huddled up under his covers and smiling as if it was the most natural thing ever.

"I—Irene?!" Mikael jolted up, sliding away from her with a start. As his lapis-blue eyes were gaping at her in total bewilderment and shock. He knew she was a bit of an unusual person, but didn't expect her to sneak into his room of all places.

"Woah, you actually said my name for the first time!" She giggled. "Did I surprise you that much?"

Mikael's shock remained evidently plastered on his face, as his cheeks burned a bright red. "W-What are you doing here?!" He demanded, but his flustered expression was so adorable, Irene couldn't stop herself from wanting to tease him.

"Well, I figured you were keeping yourself locked up in your room because that way, I wouldn't be able to bother you," she smiled, lifting a finger. "So, I sneaked in here in the middle of the night! You're so cute and docile when you sleep! Did you know that you were calling out your brother's name? He-"

Irene was brutally interrupted when the boy suddenly whacked a pillow across her face, unable to suppress his shock.

Irene collided with the mattress, gazing up at him petulantly. "Ack!— Hey, what was that for??"

But the face Mikael was making only displayed his deep embarrassment and state of panic. The boy held up the pillow again, face burning red all the way up to his ears. "You perverted CREEPY predator!! Get AWAY from me!" He shrieked.

Irene burst out into a peal of laughter, as Mikael started to whack her over and over with the pillow. "Hey!- Hahahaha stop!"

Mikael, who finally managed to get a hold of himself, threw his pillow onto the floor, as he scurried over to the end of his bed and turned his back to Irene. Crap... I lost my composure there... He realised, heart racing.

As Irene finally calmed down her laughter, she sat upright, gazing at Mikael's back from behind. Ivory-blonde hair curled messily around a neck that had turned red from humiliation. As she continued to laugh softly, she couldn't help but feel she discovered a cute side of him.

What was that? He was so cute! She thought happily to herself.

"...You're crazy..." Mikael muttered, his voice quavering. "To think you'd go to such lengths...!"

"I'm a little offended you think so badly of me, Your Highness," Irene wailed, but she didn't sound very upset. "I only came here because you left me no choice. Didn't I tell you? I'm a stubborn Cherliann. I won't let you push me away!"

"And that means you sneak into my room and wake up in my bed?!"

"What's the harm?~ I do this with Brother Rayvis all the time!"

"But I'm not your brothe—"

It was then she suddenly tackled him, and Mikael gasped from the sudden contact. As Irene laughed, the prince attempted to squirm out of her arms, but the petite girl was a lot stronger than she looked. In the end, he found himself awkwardly laying on his belly across her lap, with his head buried into the bed and body held in place by her arms.

"Let go of me!!" He protested. "You little- I'll make you pay for this! How dare you insult me?! I'll use my royal authority to have you thrown into the mines!"

Irene only laughed in response. "Oh my~ should I grovel at your feet and beg for mercy?" She teased, her expression displaying amusement. "You're so small even though you're older than me, haha! You should call me big sister!"

Mikael paused for a moment, his cheeks flaring. "...You'll regret this..." He whispered, glaring up at her with icy eyes. "I'm going to make sure you suffer for embarrassing me!"

Irene noticed that the boy looked like he was serious, for a moment. Although his cheeks were still red, he looked genuinely angry. His lapis-blue irises were piercing into her like knives, and it was then that Rayvis' words replayed through her mind. "He has a dangerous look in his eyes, at times."

But instead of feeling intimidated by it, Irene reached a hand toward Mikael's face. He watched her in confusion for a moment, before her fingers suddenly flicked his forehead. "Ouch-" he yelped, his voice rather high pitched - in a cute way.

Irene then pouted at him, releasing the boy from her grasp and crossing her arms petulantly. "What could a measly prince like you do to me? Do you even know who my father is?" She smirked victoriously, sticking her nose up high. "Papa would protect me no matter what! He's the most dangerous man in the whole empire, after all!"

This girl sure is obsessed with her father. Mikael's brows narrowed for a moment, before he turned away. Even he knew he couldn't argue with that. Despite being a prince, he could do nothing because he had no power. "Royal authority"...? Hah... I must be delusional.

"I guess you're right." After that, it seemed that Mikael had finally let down his guard. He laid on his bed and had no care for Irene's presence, because he knew he couldn't avoid her anyway.

"... Ugh, do whatever you want," he told her, heaving a sigh. "I'm tired."

Irene looked at him in surprise. "Then... Does that mean you'll stop avoiding me?"

Mikael only shot her a look of disdain. "It's not like you'll give up even if I tried."

Even though Irene had gotten used to him looking at her with coldness, the smile on her face only widened. "Then, you'll be my friend right?"

"I didn't agree to that."

"I'll be back here tonight—"

"O-Okay okay fine! Just let me have my privacy! Tch, why do I have to put up with this..."

Irene only giggled happily at Mikael's mutters, since he was finally beginning to show a more open side of himself. It took her a long time of persistently annoying him, but he had finally given in. And she definitely wasn't going to let this chance go to waste.

After all these days of constant trying, he caved in! That was quicker than I thought! "Then, let's get along from now!" She beamed, leaning toward him and gently taking his hand. Mikael seemed to have no energy to refuse her, but he didn't exactly dislike the feeling of her touch.

In fact, he was scared of that fact. Mikael always hated being touched since physical contact was associated with pain in his head. However, Irene's hands were always so warm, his body didn't feel repulsed by her. And that made him afraid. It was like a part of him was trusting her - and in doing so, it would become weak.

She's not an ordinary idiot kid. Something about her is a lot different. As he gazed up into those gold-spun eyes, he wondered if he was walking into a trap by giving in to her whims. But all the same, he was tired of having to exert all his energy just to get away.

　　 Why is she so stubborn about someone like me? He wondered. Well, whatever. She'll get bored of me eventually.