厨房从后面挺进李婷

It would be a shame for Eric Holmes: aristocrat\'s son was picking quarrels in the street with commoners. How could he appear in high society after that? And Philip… His reason for not going to the emperor\'s dungeon was already quite obvious.

In any case, after wishing each other a final death in agony, the two m parted ways. The crown prince did not yet know if Erik would try to return for him again. Right now, however, it didn\'t really matter that much.

Ev though he hadn\'t be killed, Philip was still badly beat. There were many bruises and abrasions on his body, left by Holmes\'s bodyguards. And not to worry the family Serge lied that on the way they had be attacked by a pack of dogs. The girl herself escaped with only a slight bruise.

Mr. and Mrs. Ridley were very surprised: where are such rabid dogs?

After all this, the prince was so exhausted that he did not ev find the strgth to make a scandal: because he had be st to the market. Back in the house, the boy immediately wt to the hayloft to sleep there until morning.

True, Serge didn\'t let him do that. Borrowing ointmt from her uncle, the girl followed him to help treat his wounds. Philip resisted at first, but th he just let her do it.

They sat opposite each other on the roof of the house, where the boy had a makeshift bed of hay. A pleasure, of course, but what could he do if this poor family didn\'t ev have money for a new bed?

The Kronprinz sat with his eyes closed, and only occasionally grumbled unhappily as she dabbed at his wounds.

— What a…! Can\'t you do anything right? — He cried out wh Serg pressed too hard on the scratch on his face.

— Uh-oh… Excuse me, Your Highness…! — The girl hurriedly removed her hand.

— Are you treating me or crippling me? — He was indignant.

— Well… I…» she blushed, «I just don\'t do it that oft…

Philip exhaled angrily.

At that momt he wondered for the first time: why was this commoner so attached to him? She ev threw herself to defd him in front of Holmes\'s m, though she was the one who risked to get the most serious wounds in the fight… After all, compared to those musclem, the girl was like a fluff on the g.

Philippe had not behaved like an angel with Serge. So why did she keep taking care of him?

— You are…» he said slowly, «Strange indeed.

— What do you mean, Your Highness? — The one suddly wondered.

— Why do you keep doing all this? — The boy inquired bluntly,» Can\'t you see what I\'m like?

Of course, the crown prince was not so blind as not to notice his own behavior towards other people. But in his case, he took it for granted, since he was the noblest aristocrat in the empire.

True, he was now left with nothing. Serge might well have chased him away as well as all the other aristocrats he came to for help. But the girl, for some reason, still addressed him officially, ev though he no longer had the title.

Wh Philippe told her all this, Serge only smiled softly.

— I\'m not helping you because you\'re a prince,» the commoner suddly said.

— What?» the man looked surprised.

— I think… that you are a good man.

That answer made Philip want to laugh in her face. He had behaved disgustingly toward her since the beginning of their acquaintance. So why was he suddly «good» in this girl\'s eyes?

Does she have no brains at all?

— You\'re really stupid,» he said bluntly.

— Maybe I am. But I still think so,» said Serge stubbornly.

— And why is that?

Serge hesitated, and said awkwardly:

— The day we first met… Your smile at the orphanage seemed sincere to me. I was sure th that you were a man with a good heart!

The crown prince snorted.

This commoner didn\'t ev know what she was talking about. Commoners and aristocrats were differt. The latter needed to wear a mask at all times in order to survive. Without it, their own people would not honor them.

And, whether th or now, the crown prince had not changed. There was no way he would waste his time and go to some slums, unless it was for the reputation of the ruling family.

How could she not know ev such basic things?

— Idiot,» the boy sighed, «did you really believe that this game was real?

— But…

— If it hadn\'t be in the news later, I never would have gone to a dump like that.

Serge was silt, and for a while she ev stopped treating his wounds.

Th she spoke slowly:

— It does not matter to me whether it was done out of pure motives or not… At any rate, if it were not for your help th, I would not have lived to see this momt.

The prince looked at her in surprise.

— That year the orphanage was on the verge of bankruptcy. The caretakers could no longer support us, and were ev going to leave us on the street. And had it not be for the help of the imperial family… I might have died a long time ago.

— …

— So it doesn\'t matter how you feel about me. I will still be grateful to you for the rest of my life.

Hearing this, Philip froze. It was not at all what he expected.

And meanwhile, for the first time, a strange emotion he had never felt before had crept into him. It was very unaccustomed, and the boy wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible.

— A reason, indeed! — He snorted deliberately, turning to the wall, «I\'m going to sleep, so get out of here.

Serge was not going to argue and only smiled.

— As you say, Your Highness.

The crown prince fell asleep very quickly, and within a couple of minutes he looked peaceful in his sleep. Looking at him like that, you couldn\'t tell that the boy\'s character was like heav and earth compared to his appearance.

Serge decided to linger for a while and lay down beside him.

Involuntarily, she began to feel sleepy too. Her eyes were closing by themselves.

The girl ran her hand through his hair and smiled to herself.

Ev if Philippe Blanche would never love her, it was ough for her that right now he was near her.