TPOK 11

Chapter 11

In truth, it was difficult to even say that he had imitated my handwriting. I was a rather mature person in many

ways, but I was still clumsy when it came to holding a pencil. If anyone picked up a writing tool with their left hand

and wrote with it, their handwriting would probably end up looking like mine.

However, there was no denying that I was curious about who had written such a note.

“The person who cleans the garden probably found the watch strap and played a prank. You know how many people there are who dislike me.”

“Maybe…”

“Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Listen, child, don’t push too hard trying to find the culprit. The

Great King gets angry easily, so he’s just acting on his emotions right now. Once he calms down, he’ll realize you

weren’t at fault and probably forget about it completely. It would be bad if we stirred up a hornet’s nest and made things bigger than they need to be, right?”

I quietly nodded.

I did need to be careful around the Great King from now on, but in a situation where I couldn’t even prove my innocence, I didn’t want to insist on investigating any further.

“I’ll do that. Honestly, I don’t want to think about it anymore either. Earlier, I was so worried that I even ended up suspecting Chacha.”

“Chagatay?” Thunder King asked, having been listening from the side.

“Yes. I ran into him briefly during my walk earlier. It was right before I lost the strap.”

He made a thoughtful sound, “Hmm,” but said nothing else.

A brief silence followed.

Just before Clown King was about to take a breath and say, “Then shall we go inside? Sleep well,” Thunder King spoke first.

He turned to the Clown King.

“By the way, Angkbayar.”

“Hmm?”

He finally asked the question he had been holding onto for a long time.

“Oh, come to think of it, the note said that too. Was that what felt strange about it…?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You…”

Thunder King pointed at the leather strap wrapped around my waist.

“Why have you been calling that a ‘watch strap’ this whole time?”

“…Huh?”

Ah.

At that moment, it felt like a puzzle piece clicked into place inside my head.

“…Huh? Why wouldn’t it be a watch strap?”

Clown King maintained the smile on his lips as he answered. But his eyes were no longer smiling.

“The note said that as well. That’s why I couldn’t understand what it was talking about at first.”

Ah. So that was why he had seemed strange during dinner.

It was understandable that Thunder King had been confused. The note had clearly said that he was thankful for helping find the “watch strap.” But the leather strap, which had probably been made for the Great King’s large wrist, was not something anyone could immediately recognize as a watch strap.

And I especially had no reason to know.

I had stretched it out and used it as a bag strap around my waist ever since I received it as a gift. It had been the same when Clown King wore it. He had appeared at the dining hall with the leather strap wrapped around his forearm alongside various bracelets.

Unless someone specifically told them, there was no way another person could know what the strap actually was just by looking at it.

“This was originally a watch strap. I received it from the Great King after it was used on his wristwatch, and I’ve been using it as a bag strap.”

“Ah, so that’s why it was so long. Without someone telling me, I never would have imagined a watch strap could be that large. You were quite impressive to recognize it as one.”

“I told Clown Uncle about it the day before…”

Clown King rolled his eyes uneasily before speaking.

“…That. Well, isn’t it possible the person who wrote the note had seen the Great King using this strap?”

I thought back to the moment I received the gift.

“That can’t be. The Great King clearly said—”

It was a moment I would never forget.

The first time in my life I had received something that belonged only to me.

“—that it was practically like a personal item because he only used it when working in his study…”

Clown King was still smiling.

But the wrinkles around his mouth, visible beneath his makeup, were deeper than ever.

“Someone must have entered the study and seen it.”

“You said it yourself. The Great King doesn’t let anyone into his study.”

The fox-like eyes that were always so relaxed suddenly lost their composure and blinked rapidly.

The night air was growing colder, yet sweat was running down his forehead.

“No… no. Someone might have overheard us talking. Someone might have secretly entered the study. Yes, Chacha… Chacha might have been listening in. You said earlier that you were suspicious of Chagatay—”

“Angkbayar.”

Thunder King’s voice rang out frighteningly.

Not his usual loud roar, but a low, quiet murmur.

Yet it shook harder than any shout.

“I didn’t steal it… I didn’t! Really! After you went back to your room, I kept looking and looking. Even when the workers passing by pretended not to notice me, I searched alone. Really! I even went into the lake and looked through it. I searched everywhere. I didn’t steal it. That’s why I was late to dinner. Really… really, I didn’t steal it.”

“The note?”

“The note… I did write the note, but…”

Clown King’s hands trembled.

“I’m sorry… No, that’s not… Actually… actually, it was my servant’s doing. Yes, they must have heard me casually mention it. I probably said ‘watch strap’ without thinking, so—”

He instinctively glanced at Thunder King as if asking for help.

But Thunder King was looking at his friend with an expression more terrifying than ever before.

“No, it wasn’t like that…”

“Did you want to push Kiring off?”

“What? …No, no! That wasn’t me! I swear!”

He dropped to his knees and brought himself level with my eyes.

But it did not feel like he had knelt to meet my gaze. Rather, he looked like someone whose legs had given out.

His eyes, now lower than mine, looked up at me.

“We were just saying we should let it go nicely. You said you’d let it go too. Why are you suddenly doing this? Why are you questioning things like that? You’re strange.”

“Clown Uncle.”

“Wait, no… I… Even if I did it, it wasn’t because I wanted something for myself. I did it for you. Really… It’s true that I kept searching for it after you left. I went into the lake looking for it…”

“Angkbayar.”

“You’re trying to make me into a bad person again. In the end, I’m the one who found it, aren’t I? After everything I did for you, can’t you overlook just this?”

“Clown Uncle.”

“……”

Clown King covered his face with both hands as if he were tearing at it.

“I’m sorry.”

His voice was anxious.

“I was just… anxious… beforehand… I know what the Great King told you in the study. He said it would be more advantageous for you to choose him, right? That people like me or Thunder King have no backing.”

“Hmm? Actually, I do have some.”

“Shut up.”

“So… but… no, he’s right. The Great King isn’t someone you can trust too much. He’s dangerous. You shouldn’t choose him. So… I just wanted to put some checks in place. That’s all. Really. No, it wasn’t for me. It was all for you.”

The kneeling Clown King removed his hands from his face and looked up at me with a desperate smile.

Even in a situation like this, he seemed to be trying desperately to smile beautifully.

The corners of his lips lifted slightly, and somehow that made it a little frightening.

“Don’t hate me… okay?”

He grabbed my ankle with both hands as if begging.

“Why are you so anxious, Clown Uncle? You’re the one I’m closest to.”

“That’s because…”

Clown King bit his lips and carefully chose his words.

“…I don’t know either. I just acted on impulse.”

“I can confirm that. This guy has always done stupid things impulsively.”

Thunder King, who had been quietly listening, actually defended his friend.

Though I wasn’t sure whether that counted as defending him.

“However, you must tell everyone yourself. That you were the one who planned this.”

“That’s right.”

“Ugh…”

Clown King avoided my gaze.

His hand, which was fidgeting with his opposite arm, trembled.

“Can’t I do something else instead?”

“No.”

“Ughhh…”

He covered his face with both hands again and made a sound like a dying Chihuahua.

Still, he did not say he wouldn’t do it.

I carefully tied the leather strap back onto my notebook pouch.

This time, I tied it extremely tightly so I would never lose it again.

Thunder King let out a deep breath, then patted his friend’s back, who was practically sprawled flat on the ground after kneeling.

“Angkbayar, we’re going in now. It’s already too late for the child to be awake.”

“I don’t want to…”

“Why?”

“I’m embarrassed…”

Because his face was pressed against the ground, Clown King’s voice came out muffled.

“It’s embarrassing to go in with you… We’re even heading in the same direction…”

“Then I will take a walk around in the opposite direction before returning. For now, get up. You’re disturbing the child.”

“Mm…”

Sniffling, he barely managed to lift his upper body.

His face was still covered with both hands, so I couldn’t tell whether he was actually crying.

Thunder King grabbed him under the arms and lifted him up like one would lift a dog.

“Sleep well, child. Today, the adults truly owe you an apology.”

“It’s okay.”

“And also…”

Thunder King hesitated briefly before continuing.

“Thank you for not suspecting Chagatay too much.”

“Ah…”

Click.

The door closed.

“……”

The candidate for father I had been closest to had actually pulled a trick like this.

It was shocking.

But I didn’t particularly feel angry at him.

The part where he said he hadn’t intentionally stolen it was probably true.

He had simply made a foolish choice at an important moment because he wanted to put up a pointless defense.

He must have really struggled to find the lost item even after I left.