[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-seventh-prince-wants-to-bail":3,"chapter-the-seventh-prince-wants-to-bail-the-seventh-prince-wants-to-bail-chapter-17":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Seventh Prince Wants to Bail",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1222743,1619,"Chapter 17","the-seventh-prince-wants-to-bail-chapter-17",17,"\u003Cp>Episode 17 — Experiment (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"C-Cute!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless she had grown an absurd amount of courage, there was no way she would say such irreverent words to the 7th Prince, so I frowned and asked back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although I had asked in an unusually dazed manner, she was looking at my feet as if her gaze had been completely stolen by something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I followed that gaze and turned my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Squeak?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner of a familiar face was shamelessly looking at me while swishing its fluffy, striped tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did I remember the strangely heavy bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the owner of the sense of déjà vu I had not thought deeply about because I had come in a bit of a hurry was this thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This squirrel looked up at me with its cheeks bulging, as if it had carefully packed the acorns and hazelnuts inside the bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, you were an ambitious squirrel after all?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah! Y-Your Highness, t-there is a forest nearby, so it must be a squirrel that wandered in by mistake. I-I will quickly chase it outside!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I glared at the squirrel, Anna seemed to misunderstand something and stammered while watching my reaction, defending the squirrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child’s voice trembled so much that it was obvious she was worried I might be thinking about how to skin the squirrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she hurriedly reached out toward the creature standing on the floor with its front paws raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eek!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, based on my experience, that tiny thing was not a very gentle animal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The squirrel instantly avoided Anna’s hand and began running around here and there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"W-Wait! Hold on!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna could not collect herself at the squirrel’s quick movements as it began circling around her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aaah! Don’t!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The squirrel, which had a reckless personality that did not match its adorable black eyes, finally climbed up Anna and stuck itself onto the child’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna was almost on the verge of tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How do you work in the kitchen when you cannot even catch one little rat?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed and grabbed the small creature stuck to Anna’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I-I am sorry, Your Highness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps embarrassed that she had confidently stepped forward only to scream, Anna lowered her head and answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, what should I do with this thing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I simply put it outside, I could not know whether it would find its way back to the forest on its own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be lucky if it did not get eaten by some stray cat nearby on the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I was thinking various things, the creature, completely restrained in my hand with only its face sticking out, began making kkwek-kkwek sounds, as if dissatisfied with its posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It happened in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could avoid it, the creature bit my hand quite hard, then took advantage of the loosened strength in my grip and slipped out, scurrying up the bookshelf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing it like this, squirrels were stronger creatures than I had thought, so it seemed like it might be able to repel something like a stray cat with just its teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I threw it outside, it seemed like it would survive just fine on its own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gasp! Your Highness! B-Blood!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Anna’s shock, I looked at my hand and saw that blood was dripping in drops, perhaps because it had bitten quite deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will!!! Go get medicine!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to say that this much was nothing and that she should not make a fuss, but before I could even open my mouth, Anna caused all kinds of commotion and ran out of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, from the child’s perspective, she had seen a member of the imperial family get wounded right before her eyes, so it was understandable that she would nearly faint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the fact that the wound had been caused by a squirrel that had been stuck to her face probably contributed to her panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accepting that, I looked at the cause of all this commotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The adorable creature perched on the top shelf of the bookshelf had been grooming its head with its hands when its eyes met mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why not come down now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even at my words, the creature twitched its nostrils a few times, then turned around and began taking out the tree nuts it had stored in its cheek pouches between the books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only I could climb up, I would catch it immediately and send it outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thought occurred to me for just a brief moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha, unbelievable..\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absurdly enough, the sensation I had waited for all afternoon covered my entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar heat began wrapping around me from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when I opened my eyes again, I had become a palm-sized squirrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I looked down at my tiny hands, a hollow laugh escaped me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Betrayal, my foot. It was nothing that complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, all I had to do was touch the neck?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Squeak?! Squeak squeak! Kkwek!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled a little as I looked at the squirrel that had witnessed a person turn into a squirrel right in front of it and was about to faint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My body felt light as I climbed the bookshelf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Small things changed that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First of all, Anna seemed to come to respect me a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna, who had made a fuss and brought emergency medicine, was surprised to see that I had not only caught the squirrel but also made it obedient, and she muttered softly, “As expected, his gaze is….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was loud for a mutter, but I pretended not to hear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, it would be good if she thought I was frightening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I began coming to the forest a little more often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On days when there were many, I secured three animals I could transform into, and on days when there were few, none.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since there might be a limit on the number, I focused on animals with useful abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through this, the characteristics of my ability that I learned were as follows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, it is true that animals have quite a lot of goodwill toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As could be seen in Anna’s case, the wild animals of this world are not particularly friendly or affectionate toward humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because of the influence of my ability, when I first met them and approached first, they did not show much wariness and did not reject my touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a great help in stroking the napes of their necks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, however, the more intelligent the animal is, the harder it is to touch the nape of its neck with only the goodwill it initially has toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third, before, when I wanted something, I only knew how to transform into an animal suited to that desire, but in truth, I can also transform into a specific animal simply by thinking that I want to become it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When there were only two, if I thought I wanted to fly or wanted to run, I could automatically transform into the most suitable animal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as the variety of animals I could transform into increased, I learned that if I wished to become a specific animal, I could simply change into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I want to transform into a weasel.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I opened my eyes, I had become a long-bodied weasel with glossy fur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Squeak!! Squeak squeak squeak!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the squirrel riding on my back began crying in fright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This, too, was one of the small changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that this squirrel began following me wherever I went.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that day, even though I transformed into a person and sometimes briefly transformed into other things, it seemed to firmly believe that, fundamentally, I was one of its own kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And perhaps because it found me fascinating, it absolutely refused to return to the burrow in the forest where it had lived before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The very next day, to return the squirrel to where it had originally been, I set it down near the place where it had appeared and tried to leave, but the creature followed closely behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried avoiding it and hiding from it in various ways, but the creature was stubborn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were several clashes, but I ultimately lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I could not beat a creature that, while chasing me after I transformed into a crow and flew into the sky, slammed its head into a tree and fainted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to that, the creature ended up completely following me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On days when I went to the forest, the creature would climb onto my back after I transformed into a crow and stroll through the forest with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Squeak!! Squeak squeak!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though for now, when I suddenly transform into a different animal, it gets angry and hits me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, I had to leave the forest without any particular gain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among small animals, it seemed there were no longer any abilities I especially needed, and as I said earlier, if there was a fixed number of animal types I could transform into, it seemed better to secure medium or large animals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I go to the medium-animal section starting tomorrow?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I left the forest in the form of a crow, checked the surroundings, and flew through the window of my room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was quiet, no different from a few hours ago when I had left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the employees who truly followed my order not to let anyone in as sharply as a blade, I was able to spend several hours a day in the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems no one came this time either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reassured, I took off the bag I had been carrying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because I had spent the last several days flying and running around the forest, fatigue slowly began to come over me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To rest, I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should get a little sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Hurry and call the 7th Prince??!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though that plan was completely ruined by a hysterical voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I heard the sound of someone using force to knock down a knight who was only repeating that, regrettably, he could not open the door by order of the 7th Prince, I had no choice but to sigh and get up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imagining the noisy situation in front of the door, I abruptly opened it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gaze of a red-haired young man gripping the knight by the neck clung to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was my damn younger brother with red blonde hair and red eyes, the 8th Prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You really do live in a place as beggarly as yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 8th Prince, Celos Abiran, looked around my office and clicked his tongue as he muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, compared to where the 1st Prince lived, this place was a bit old and shabby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, compared to the old villa where I used to live, it was luxurious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I was thinking about the relativity of wealth, I looked at the 8th Prince, who was sitting unstably like a dog that needed to relieve itself, and opened my mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then I suppose I should personally visit every day to see how my younger brother, who lives like a prince, is doing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?! There is no need for that. Do not come. Do not come even if you die.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I shrugged and spoke, the guy flinched and tried to stop me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because I live so beggarly, and because I do not know what a place where one lives like a prince looks like, my younger brother should teach his uneducated older brother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it! You are also living without being beggarly, so do not come!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guy glared at me and eventually corrected his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did I nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine. I doubt you came to look at your older brother living like a prince.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I brought up the subject, he hesitantly watched my reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had not been very visible when he was grabbing someone else by the collar at the door a little while ago, but seeing him sitting on the sofa, I could tell how hard of a time he had been having.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The area under his eyes was dark, his face was rough, and he had lost weight, making his cheekbones stand out a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he did not open his mouth, I simply looked at him as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Y-You’re going to reveal everything today, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hesitating for a long time, the guy shut his eyes tightly once and asked me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I know what he is talking about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because today is the first imperial family ritual held after the hunting competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the siblings will gather and sit around that long table again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must be worried about how I will run my mouth there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 8th Prince making a move was within my expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather, I was surprised that he had not come looking for me until today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had thought he would come running on the day of the hunting competition, or at the latest the next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because it was too quiet, I even wondered whether, like Rasia, he had hired an assassin and was sharpening a blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to think he had simply worried and worried before finally coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his uncharacteristic timidity, I let out a faint laugh and answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does that......!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celos, apparently irritated by my lukewarm attitude, struck the desk and was about to shout, but when I stared at him intently, he lowered his voice again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does that mean? If yes, say yes. If no, say no. You should say it clearly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It means whether I say it or not is up to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it, if there is something you want….\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You will do anything?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With what means?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celos did not answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, I suppose he could grant most things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could give me money, buy me people, or perhaps even change this castle he had called beggarly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because there is a person like the genie of the lamp protecting him from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it seemed he had not told that person about me yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had spoken about me, that person might give me what I wanted at first, but not long after, they would probably try to kill me without anyone knowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I cannot say I will keep my mouth shut for the rest of my life, but at least not today. Perhaps not this year either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since I did not know what would happen if I pressured him too much, I reassured him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other party looked at me with eyes that were instead puzzled and uneasy, so I failed to achieve my purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected of a hot-blooded teenager, he had a lot of complaints and a lot of anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it? Were you expecting something? If you want, I can climb onto the table as soon as we enter the banquet hall today and shout. That the 8th Prince’s Manis can actually barely light a candle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You, just because I am like this, you seem to be mistaken and think you have become something. You are forever a cripple and a half-wit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my sarcasm, his eyes shone quite sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How rare of him to say something correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded as if agreeing with his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is exactly right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guy, who had been glaring at me fiercely, asked back, as if he had not expected me to agree instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I said that is right. It means you said something correct, which is truly rare. Since it is not a common opportunity, savor it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you mocking me right now?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when I told him he was right, Celos quickly grew heated again and raised his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I examined him carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My half-brother, who was half a head taller than me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A guy who was only large in body, no different from a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since you said something correct for once, you should keep it in mind. Just because the other party becomes a cripple does not mean anything about you gets better. You just said it with your own mouth, didn’t you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“....”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remember that well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guy looked at me with an expression that said he did not understand, and since I did not have the kindness to explain it to him one by one, I chased him out, telling him to get lost if he was done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 8th Prince looked dissatisfied, but perhaps thinking that if he stayed any longer, I might change my mind, he turned toward the door relatively obediently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he grabbed the doorknob, I remembered something I had forgotten and called him to stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You said you would do anything, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You said you did not need anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I never said that, did I?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 8th Prince glared at me with an annoyed expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you want?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cutting off the guy’s attempt to continue by saying that he could give me as much money as I wanted, I casually spat out,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Use honorifics.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celos looked at me with an expression like he had just seen the emperor tap-dancing with a full smile on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why is he so surprised?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am your older brother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are you my older brother!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because I am the seventh prince and you are the eighth?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is….\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am two years older.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, I am eleven years older, but there was no way he would know that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you do not want to, then it cannot be helped. As promised, I will….\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who said I do not want to! Fine!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine….sir.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if his pride was so wounded that he was about to go mad, the guy hurriedly closed the door and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been about to tell him to rest assured because I would keep his secret as promised.\u003C\u002Fp>",2987,"2026-06-04T16:12:46.831Z",1,"revengernovel.com","04ac76b995acf8b4c57866a876eba3139214773398820c24b4ff27e5817a7d4b","the-seventh-prince-wants-to-bail-chapter-18","the-seventh-prince-wants-to-bail-chapter-16",33,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-seventh-prince-wants-to-bail-cover.jpg"]