The Boy Named Arthur

In his previous life, Arthur Pendragon had been known among the people as a cold and heartless man. Though royalty rarely interacted directly with the commoners, that reputation had spread after a particular incident.

“Thank you again for today. Lord Arthur, thanks to you, the Count’s life has been saved!”

“Hmph. That illness was nothing before my power.”

“No, no, even the saintess gave up on that case. As expected of Lord Arthur!”

That day, Arthur had just finished a treatment job arranged by Greed and was about to board his carriage with a pleased smile from all the flattery.

“Lord Arthur!! I heard you can heal any wound! Please, heal my son’s illness!! He’s only five years old and suffers so much pain!!”

“Ugh…”

A woman in tattered clothing rushed up to him, holding a crying child in her arms.

Arthur frowned at her rudeness, but seeing the desperation on her face, he thought, Whatever, might as well help, and reached for his healing power—when it happened.

“You dare!! Show some respect to Lord Arthur!! His power is not something to be used on mere commoners! Seize this woman!”

“Wait… I didn’t say—”

“Lord Arthur, please remember your place. You are special. That power of yours should only be used on those worthy of it.”

“Hmm… I see…”

Though uneasy, Arthur obeyed Greed’s words. Greed had been by his side since childhood, and Arthur—sheltered and naïve—had simply accepted his reasoning.

Besides, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.

As Arthur stepped into the carriage, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in his chest brought on by the screaming woman, someone else’s voice rang out.

“You call yourself the reincarnation of the Holy King?! You’re just a noble’s dog who only heals the wealthy!!”

A man shouted and suddenly fired a crossbow at Arthur. The guards moved to apprehend him, but they were too late. The bolt flew toward Greed, standing beside Arthur—

“Eek!!”

“You alright? Seriously… Everyone knows not to point weapons at others.”

Arthur stepped in front of Greed, taking the bolt in his hand. Without a change in expression, he pulled it out—and not a scratch remained.

The wound healed instantly.

“Thank you, Lord Arthur. As expected…”

“Don’t mention it. Injuries hurt, right?”

Arthur boarded the carriage as if nothing had happened. The surrounding citizens stared at him like he was something inhuman. Arthur Pendragon was born with extraordinary healing power—and could instantly recover from any wound or illness. What’s more, he had no sense of pain.

Pain was the body’s warning system. For Arthur, whose body knew no danger, that signal simply didn’t exist. The only time he could possibly feel pain was if his immense magic were ever sealed.

As the commotion settled, Arthur sat in the moving carriage and asked the noble beside him a question.

“What will happen to that man?”

“Well, he attacked the future king. Of course, he will be punished.”

“I see… Well, it wasn’t a big deal. Don’t make it into a bigger incident than necessary.”

“Yes! We’ll just make sure he gets a little pain in return.”

“Pain, huh…? Then that’s fine.”

As previously mentioned, Arthur had no real understanding of pain. But he vaguely remembered seeing his old nurse say, “Pain, pain, go away,” when his older brother had fallen and cried as a child.

If it could fly away that easily, it must not have been that serious, he thought—and gave his approval.

Later, the man who attacked Arthur was found covered in horrific wounds. Rumors that Arthur was a cold-hearted man spread across the kingdom—and became one of the sparks that ignited the revolution.

“Uwoooah, amazing!! There are so many people! I’ve never walked out here before—so lively!”

Arthur and Kei were walking through the castle town on their way to the orphanage. For someone who had always lived in the castle and only traveled by carriage, the bustling streets were a brand-new sight.

Part of that excitement stemmed from the fact that Arthur was living a second life. In his previous one, he had no interest in others. But after experiencing hell… and receiving kindness from Kei, he had slowly begun to take an interest in the lives of others. Seeing the world full of people felt deeply fascinating now.

Kei looked at the wide-eyed, curious Arthur and smiled fondly.

“Lord Arthur, you’re too excited. It’s your first time in the castle town, isn’t it? Then let me show you around. To avoid getting lost… let’s hold hands.”

With a confident big-sister move, Kei took Arthur’s hand and began walking. Arthur, having never walked the streets before, accepted it without hesitation, thinking, So this is how a personal maid and her master walk together.

What was this… perfume?

This sweet scent and the warmth of her hand… it’s kind of a weird feeling…

He wasn’t used to women at all. The softness of Kei’s hand, the newness of the experience—it all made his heart beat just a little faster.

“Hey, Kei. What’s that?”

Arthur pointed toward a nearby food stall, where chunks of meat hung sizzling, releasing a savory aroma into the air.

“Oh, that? It’s a street stall. They cook the food right in front of you like that.”

“There’s something like that? I think I’ve heard of it before.”

Arthur’s eyes sparkled at the unfamiliar sight. For him, food had always come from a private chef, served directly to his table. And during his time in prison… the so-called food had been barely edible scraps.

“It’s kind of mysterious, but food made at a stall like that somehow always tastes better.”

That was something Kei had told him while cleaning his body in the prison cell. He remembered wishing he could try it someday.

“I want to taste it…”

“Oh, no you don’t. Lord Arthur, you just had lunch. Overeating is bad for your health.”

“Ehh, but just a bite…”

“Nope. I’m saying this for your own good. But… I’ll secretly buy some for you next time.”

“Fiiine…”

He obediently gave up, listening to Kei’s sisterly scolding. To an outsider, it would’ve looked like a bratty little brother and his responsible big sister—no one would’ve guessed their actual relationship was prince and personal maid.

If Marianne or the other maids had seen it, they probably would’ve fainted. But Kei had a slight misunderstanding of their dynamic, and Arthur—who had only ever been scolded by the occasional visiting older brother—actually didn’t mind it one bit.

‘It’s rare for someone to push back on me like this… but I kind of like it.’

When Morgan scolded him, her tone irritated him. But Kei’s gentle voice and genuine concern made it feel… pleasant.

And maybe, without realizing it, he had always been looking for someone who would treat him like this.

He really might have a needy streak.

As they walked a little farther, a faintly sweet scent drifted through the air.

“I know that one—it’s called a cookie, right?”

Arthur pointed eagerly at the next stall. Rows of delicious-looking cookies were on display, and children were happily picking them out.

“Hehe, how knowledgeable you are, Lord Arthur. I doubt you’ve had them before, but unlike noble sweets, they don’t have cream, so they’re a bit plain—but they’re still quite tasty.”

“Yeah… I know.”

Arthur remembered. In his past life, when he was imprisoned, she had once secretly handed him one.

“These are my favorite. My dream is to eat as many as I want someday. I’m not sure if it’ll suit your taste, but… here, have one.”

It was simpler than any noble confection he’d had—but freshly after the revolution, when she herself surely wasn’t living comfortably, she had still shared her favorite treat with him. And he remembered how good it had tasted.

He approached the stall, looked at the cookies, and handed Kei a gold coin.

“Buy as many as you want. You like cookies, right, Kei?”

“Lord Arthur, this is too much!! With this, I could buy the entire stall!!”

Kei panicked at being handed such a large sum—it was equivalent to a month’s wages. While cookies were a luxury for commoners, they certainly didn’t cost this much. It really would be enough to clean out the stall.

“They keep well, don’t they? Brew some tea to go with them later, and let’s eat together. You can also share them with your family or whoever you like.”

“You’ll eat them too, Lord Arthur…? Um… they might not suit a noble’s palate…”

She instinctively tried to decline, flustered by how unexpectedly thoughtful he was—and unsure how to respond to his interest.

“It’s fine. I had one once, and I liked it. Besides, I want to know what your favorite things are. Is that… not okay?”

Arthur said this with a slightly embarrassed smile. Kei blinked in surprise, then smiled brightly in return.

That smile was so sweet, it tugged at her maternal instincts—not that she would ever admit it.

“Alright then. I’ll accept your kind offer. But I’ll only use half the gold coin. Carrying all that would be a pain anyway.”

Feeling the clumsy sincerity in Arthur’s gesture, Kei turned to the stall owner and began buying cookies.

She’d later regret how many she bought once she had to carry them all—but that’s a story for another time.