Your new favorite self proclaimed Ikemen

(…?)

I felt something touch my lips and from a deep sleep, my consciousness surfaced.

The soft warmth is pressed firmly and then reluctantly pulls away, repeating this process over and over.

(Oh, this is--…)

I forcefully chased away the remainders of sleep and slowly opened my eyes.

In front of me was my beloved, peering down at me.

Ellis: “Ah...Sorry. Did I wake you up?”

Seeing his slightly apologetic expression with his eyebrows lowered, I couldn’t help but smile.

Kate: “It’s okay...It was a wonderful awakening, just like the Thorn Princess.”

To reassure him, I reached up and lightly kissed his lips this time.

After blinking in surprise for a moment, Ellis’ expression suddenly softened.

Kate: “Good morning, Ellis. And...Happy Birthday.”

I gently pulled my lips away and offered him my heartfelt congratulations, and his twilight-colored eyes narrowed happily.

Ellis: “Thank you, Kate.”

(I wonder if you’re feeling ‘happy’ now?)

(...I hope he will be.)

--Today is July 4th. It’s Ellis’ birthday.

Just as he gives me such overwhelming happiness that I could barely breathe, I wanted to make him happy too.

I’ve always thought this way, but when it came to his birthday, I felt even more motivated.

(Today, let’s bring Ellis the greatest happiness yet.)

July 4th this year is on a weekend, so a summer festival is being held in Summerfield Park near the palace.

Since we were already there, I invited Ellis, and we decided to enjoy a festival date together.

We shared sweet treats and tried out some simple games.

Just being next to him like this filled my heart with a gentle warmth.

(...Today, I want to make Ellis even happier.)

(Therefore...I must fulfill my ‘promise’)

Kate: “Ellis, I’m sorry! I’m going to go flower picking for a little while!”

Kate: “You can look around the food stalls and stuff, so let’s meet under that clock over there in about 30 minutes?”

Ellis: “...Okay. I understand. Be careful.”

Seeing him nod gently, my heart ached a little.

(I’m sorry for lying. But I’ll make you even happier than you are now, Ellis…!)

I weaved through the crowd and rushed to my true goal.

This was the preparation tent for the ‘Early Summer Fairy’ themed fashion contest to be held at this festival.

Kate: “Sorry to keep you waiting!”

Woman: “I’ve been waiting for you, Kate! Now, change into this right away!”

She offered me a summer dress in refreshing colors.

The fabric, faintly translucent in the light, is pure and lovely, and the embroidery of tiny butterflies and flowers was reminiscent of a flower garden…

Colorful beads sewn into the garment sparkled and glittered with every movement.

Kate: “It’s so beautiful…!”

Woman: “Isn’t it just? Now, make sure you show off my dress!”

William & Liam: Welcome to William and Liam’s “All Night Crown” radio talk show! 

Liam: In this segment, we’re going to be answering questions and messages you send in. 

William: We’re accepting submissions until the 28th. Have you thought of what you’d like to ask or tell us yet? 

Liam: We’ll be sharing some of the entries we’re received too, so you can use them for inspiration! 

–

Liam: We received lots of submissions, Will! 

William: We’ll start answering them tomorrow evening at 07:00PM. 

Liam: Wow～ I’m so excited, I don’t think I can sleep tonight…

William: Shall we go through the submissions until you get sleepy? 

–

Liam: It’s finally time! William and Liam’s “All Night Crown” starts tonight at 07:00PM～! 

William: I’ve been looking forward to it as well. Let’s respond truthfully to everyone’s desires. 

–

William: Now then… 

Liam: This is William and Liam’s… 

Liam & William: All Night Crown! Giving into the darkness of your wicked hearts—! 

…

From: R.N. I Love Everyone! Long-Haired “Big Brother”

Q: I love everyone in Crown so much that it’s become a problem! How can I convey my love to them? 

William: Let’s kick things off with our first submission. 

Liam: I feel like I can already tell who the sender is. 

William: I assure you that they can hear your love loud and clear. 

Liam: Thank you, always ♡ 

–

William: We received a follow-up message from R.N. I Love Everyone! Long-Haired “Big Brother”.

Liam: “Oh? Huh? Wasn’t the answer to my question too brief?? But I love you guys anyway—!!”

William: I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. 

…

From: @.loex_tg34

Q: This question is for both Liam and William! Liam, you’re a great actor, and William, you’re a talented pianist. But what is something you’re bad at? 

Liam: I once got to test-drive a steam car, but I went too fast and Harry banned me from ever driving again. What about you, Will? 

William: I don’t cook often, so there might be some processes I’m not the best at. 

Liam: I can totally see you taking one look at the recipe and deciding it’s only a suggestion. 

…

From: @.sakura_5758 / R.N. A Cherry In Love With Will 🍒

Q: This might be a very simple uninteresting question, but does Will ever get drowsy or has he accidentally dozed off before?? He always has such a perfect image that I just can’t imagine him doing that, so now I’m really curious 🤭💕💕 (R.N. A Cherry In Love With Will 🍒). 

Liam: Yes, YES! I’ve seen it happen! 

William: Oops, I got caught. 

Liam: You were leaning against a window with your cheek in your hand, basking in the sunlight, fast asleep! It was during a meeting, by the way. 

William: The weather was simply pleasant that day^^. 

…

From: @.liam_o9o6

Q: Question for Liam! A veeery long time ago, I heard you’d style your hair yourself before a performance if there wasn’t anyone to do it for you. What kind of hairstyles do you do? I want to know your No.1 hairstyle too❤︎ ࣪ 𑊢 .ᐟ .ᐟ

Liam: I once played the role of a pirate with my hair braided along the sides! The audience loved that look, so I’d like to do it again sometime～ 

William: Come to think of it, I’ve never seen you with long hair. 

Liam: Maybe next time I go on stage, I’ll trying wearing a wig long and silky like Victor’s hair. 

…

From: R.N. Let’s Become Family

Q: We’re preparing to welcome a new family member with silver hair and red eyes. How many rooms do you think he would want? 

William: There used to be a stray cat in the area that looked similar to the one our sender described. Looks like Darius has adopted it. Make sure to give it a nice room to live in. 

Liam: (He clearly knows what the sender’s implying and is playing dumb on purpose. I’d better not say a thing about that one…) 

–

Liam: Will, we got another one from R.N. Let’s Become Family… 

William: “I want to know what kind of room you’d consider to be “nice”. This information will soon become necessary.” 

William: I’d say it should have a cat tower and some cat toys. Don’t you agree?

Liam: … Right. On to the next question! 

…

From: @.harunoki_iksr

Q: This question is for William. Director Darius seems to often go out of his way to interact with you in particular, but have you had the chance to talk with the twins? If you have, I’d love to know what you talked about. 

William: When I happened to run into them at the palace the other day, we talked quite a bit about Darius. 

Liam: Eh? About WHAT!? 

William: They told me that night after night, Darius talks extensively about what he’d do if he possessed my curse’s ability, and the extremely attractive recruitment letters he occasionally mails me…

Liam: (Wow…) 

…

From: @.kurobiyoko / R.N. Just A Human

Q: I heard there’s a certain fluffy little angel 👼 who’s been quietly planning to expand his family, and has Crown in his sights. Will and Liam, has anything happened that made you aware of that? (I want to know what that 👼 is up to). R.N. Just A Human.

William: The other day, three of us went out together, thanks to Ellis for making the arrangements. That was when I found out Darius knows my exact clothing size, and every single thing I have in my room. 

Liam: Does that mean he went into your room without permission!? 

William: It might be good to tighten security. 

…

From: R.N. A Model English Gentleman of Excellent Conduct¹

There is a wordplay here. The correct phrase should be " 品行方正" which, yes, means "excellent conduct". But Alfons here changed the last character to "性", which means "sex". There's no english equivalent of this.

Q: I recently bought a very gentlemanly toy. I’m looking for a woman who’d like to use it with me. 

Liam: A… “gentlemanly” toy…? Uhh… is this really something we’re allowed to talk about on air? 

William: It appears the sender has mistaken this program for a message board. 

–

William: We received a response to this submission from another one of our listeners. 

Liam: Let’s see… this is from R.N. I Want It All. “The toy looks very… bumpy. What is it used for…?”. 

William: You’ll have to ask him directly for an answer after this. 

…

From: @.ay8wcsa9bv31

Q: Question for William!! I see that you’re friends with Lord Elbert. When did your friendship start? How did you both meet, and what was your first impression of Lord Elbert? 

William: We first met at a party for high society, before he became a member of Crown. He was deathly pale while being swarmed by people of all ages, so I intervened and whisked him away. 

Liam: Wow, like a prince charming. 

William: My first impression of him would be that he’s like the sea in nighttime, calm yet impossible to see the bottom of. 

…

From: @.zomi_2769

Q: Question for Liam. Do you and your partner-in-crime Harry hang out on your day offs? Also, if there’s an unexpected side of Harry you can share, please do! 🙏

William: I often see you two at dessert shops. 

Liam: I help with his proofreading work too, like checking whether the names of places and shops mentioned in the books actually exist and match up. As for an unexpected side of him, he’s very popular but never indulges his admirers. Even when girls try to flirt and asking him lots of questions, he’s amazing at dodging them. 

…

From: R.N. Representative of The Extreme Sweet Tooth Club

Q: I’ve been eating so much sweets and desserts that my doctor warned me to stop. Can you two please talk some sense into him for me? 

Liam: After seeing you clear out the entire display case at a cake shop the other day, I’m a little worried too… sorry. 

William: If you plan to negotiate with your doctor in person, I’d like to be there to watch. I’m curious to see which one of you wins. 

–

Liam: We got a reply for R.N. Representative of The Extreme Sweet Tooth Club from R.N. Ale’s Stomach Is Mine (Attending Doctor)!

William: “Come to the basement tonight. I’ll explain to you all the fatal consequences of consuming too much sugar”. 

Liam: … Harry, I’m going with you. 

…

From: @.15myumyu

Q: William, you often refer to Liam as “our cat”. When did you start calling him that? Was it right after you learned about his Fairytale Curse? 

William: I believe it started not long after he joined Crown.

Liam: Yeah, yeah. It was almost immediately after. Back then, I was always wondering how I could break the ice between us, so it made me really happy when you started calling me “our” cat. 

William: You often disappeared without warning, then suddenly come wandering back. You were indeed exactly like a cat. 

…

From: @.6yyuppfgrbiqam6

Q: A question for both of you. You receive visitors from other countries all over the world, like Germany and France. Are you fluent in any other languages besides English? 

William: French and Latin. I also read books and sheet music written in German, so I’d say I’m fairly proficient in that as well. What about you, Liam?

Liam: I don’t really speak it, but I’ve been studying Latin to read the original version of stage plays～ 

William: Our cat is a diligent student.

Liam: Ehehe. 

…

From: @.kudaka_sibyy

Q: To the cool, amazing, and sparkly Liam～! 💕 Could you give William, who I’m sure is sitting right next to you and smiling right now, a big surprise hug from me～!! (ˊ꒳ˋ)💕 (P.S. This is secretly a test to find out whether William is ticklish 🤫 ✨)

Liam: Biiigg huggg! And then… tickle tickle～! … Huh. Didn’t work at all.

William: They say you’re more likely to feel ticklish when someone you fancy touches you. 

Liam: Wha—… does that you don’t like me…? 

William: Of course not. I’m simply very good at controlling my reactions. 

…

From: R.N. What Am I Supposed To Write Here?

Q: I want to be friends with Mr. Sparkly Pink. I’m not sure if I should ask him to hang out with me. Any advice?

William: Sparkly Pink is right here. 

Liam: Of course～! Let’s hang out! I’ve been wanting to be friends with you too.

William: The world can be so wholesome. 

–

William: We received a follow-up to that last question. It’s from R.N. I Love Money More Than Having Three Meals A Day. “Looks like my younger brother thought of a new R.N. It’s R.N. Thank You. Thanks for being friends with my brother”. 

Liam: What a sweet older brother. 

William: Although I think that R.N. was meant to be his reply. 

…

From: @.hizuki999

Q: Question for both of you. I absolutely love Liam’s nickname “Mr. Sparkly Pink”, I think it’s both cool and adorable. If you were to give Will and Harry similar nicknames ending with “～～ Red” and “～～ Mint”, what would they be? I want Liam to make one for Will, and Will for Harry. 🥹

Liam: “Selfish Red”, probably. Even when we’re already running late, he still suddenly turns around and goes all the way back to a shop we’ve already passed just to buy something. 

William: For Harrison, “Worn-Out Mint”, perhaps? He’s always busy getting caught up in Crown’s antics. 

Liam: “Popular Mint” too.

William: I’d call him “Good Guy Mint” too. 

…

From: @.tukituki3456

Q: Question for both! What do you think is your own “charm point”? Also, when you take a bath, which part of your body do you wash first? 

William: I’d say I quite like the outer corners of my eyes when I smile. Since I’m always smiling, I think they seem softer than most people’s. 

Liam: The little flaps at the ends of my hair! No matter how I try to flatten them, they’ll always spring back up. It’s kind of funny～ 

William: The body part I wash first would be my legs.

Liam: I start with my arms～ I’m surprised everyone starts differently. 

…

**From: R.N. 

Q: My favourite senpai hasn’t cursed at me lately! What should I do for him to kick me? 

William: Wouldn’t this be something the “senpai” in question should answer? 

Liam: I agree! We’ll be waiting for you, “senpai”! 

–

Liam: Oh, it’s here! Ah, wait. It’s not from “senpai”, but from R.N. “Right Hand Man Who Wants To Make Senpai Happy”. It says, “I got an answer from Jude-senpai. “Gross”. That’s it. Does this make you happy?”

William: Some people have quite the peculiar worldview indeed. 

–

William: Here’s one from “R.N. Broker Who Got Cursed At By Senpai ♡”. “Since we’re here, can I get advice for my coworker’s problem? He destroyed his 29th closet and is currently on the run from boss. Where should he hide?”

Liam: I think he should just apologise…

William: How about the bushes in front of the palace? 

–

Liam: Oh, this must be that coworker from earlier. The message is from R.N. “Assassin On The Run”. “The hell you doing giving me away, you piece of shit! Why don’t YOU go get caught instead, sick masochistic bastard!?”

William: That’s some awfully foul language.

Liam: This might be the first time in my life those have ever come out of my mouth. 

–

Liam: This is a message from someone who left their R.N. blank. Huh? Maybe they forgot to fill it in. Uhhh, “I’ve captured him. Thank you for the tip-off”. They’re referring to that potty-mouthed assassin…? 

William: So he really did hide in the bushes in front of the palace? Ahaha, as vulgar as he may sound, he’s surprisingly obedient. 

–

Liam: Oh, here’s one from R.N. “I Don’t Care”. “That creepy broker from Libra came bargin’ in. Tied him up and dumped him in front of yer headquarters, ya better come pick him up yerselves”. Looks like he really showed up uninvited～ 

William: Things certainly aren’t easy for R.N. Blank. 

–

William: We received a follow-up from R.N. Blank. 

Liam: “We’ve picked him up. We’ll interrogate him on our end.” … is what it says! 

William: He appears to be the type who enjoys being roughed up. Are you sure that’s a good idea?

… 

From: @.juujujujujuuu

Q: Congratulations on the announcement of your sequel! ㊗️ This question is for Liam! Of all the presents you’ve received from Jude, which one left the biggest impression on you? Also, please tell me what was that “favour” Jude asked of you at that time…!! 

Liam: Surströmming was definitely a memorable one… 

William: The day you opened it at the castle, the odor was quite impressionable indeed. 

Liam: He had me accompany him to a business talk back then. Also… those “world’s worst pancakes” really stuck with me too. 

William: Looks like our cat is brimming with curiosity today too. 

…

From: @.rebuildinguoza

Q: R.N. Dearest William. I want you to command my vacuum cleaner to “clean the room”. Would your ability work on a machine? If not, please command me to “clean the room until it’s spotless”. 

William: My “commands” require the other party to have a consciousness in order for them to be effective, so I doubt they’d work on a machine. Unless your vacuum cleaner happens to have ears and a brain, of course. In that case, I shall command you instead. “Clean the room until it’s spotless.”

Liam: I’m rooting for you! 

William: Let’s have tea together after you’re done. 

…

From: @.clemenshajun

Q: To my beloved Will, have you never caught a cold and ended up bedridden from walking in the rain? 

William: I did catch colds occasionally when I was younger, and I’d be reprimanded for it. It hardly ever happens these days, though. 

Liam: I’m surprised you had that phase too. 

William: That so?

Liam: I've always imagined you to be the kind of kid who never caused trouble. 

William: Who knows? Maybe you should ask Ethan about it the next time you see him. 

…

From: @.h_ux_xunt

Q: If you could spend a day with all of Crown and the little robin this summer, where would you want to go!? 

William: How about visiting a lodge deep in the mountains? It seems like the perfect place for a cool, comfortable summer. 

Liam: … A lodge? The kind of place where murder mysteries always happen…

William: It would be a fine chance to witness Detective Harrison’s skills firsthand. 

Liam: Hang on. You’re not planning to cause the murder, right? 

…

From: @.midokumaa__

Q: A question for Liam. When it comes to your girlfriend’s clothes, do you prefer her to wear dresses or skirts? And for hairstyles, do you like long or short hair better? I’ll be so happy if I’m your ideal type, so I really want to know 🥹

William: Do you have a preference? 

Liam: When it comes to skirts and dressss, I think I prefer them to be longer. I can’t help but get worried if they’re too short. I’d rather you only wear the short ones when you're with me～. I don’t really have a preference for hairstyles, I think you’re cutest when you do your hair in whatever way makes you happy! 

…

From @.shimoaya_flute

Q: I started practicing the flute again after seven years because I want to play a duet with Will, but there are so many music pieces I want to play that I can’t decide! Please give me a recommendation!

William: How about Mendelssohn’s Spring Song? 

Liam: I’d love to hear a piano and flute duet! 

William: If you’re going to practice, I recommend not doing it in the morning. 

Liam: Why?

William: Make too much noise at dawn and a furious Jude will kick your door down. 

…

From: @.marie_anne1789

Q: This question is for Liam. I love you so much, and as your robin, I want to watch more of your stage performances. Of all the roles you’ve played so far, which one is your favourite? 

Liam: Hamlet! I’ve played him before in the past, and now I’m going to play the role again on a bigger, more wonderful stage. I’m so excited! 

William: The rest of us in Crown have been talking about going to see it together. 

Liam: Then I’ve got to do my best to meet your expectations! 

…

From: @.ioy0pa

Q: Question for William and Liam 📨♡ What’s something about each other that you admire because you feel you don’t have it in you? 💭 

William: I’d say it’s how naturally Liam adapts to the people around him. It's what makes everyone feel comfortable being around him. 

Liam: Ahaha, thanks. For me, I admire how composed Will is. Even when he’s done something bad, he can still smile like nothing happened at all.

William: Let’s not encourage the good kids to try imitating that. 

…

William: Thank you all for your submissions!

Liam: That was so much fun～! I hope you all had as much fun as we did. 

William: It seems there are a few more announcements coming your way, so stay tuned.

William: Well then…

Obviously I had to make his braid bigger, and longer. I extend most of the guys hair a little anyway, not even on purpose, but with braids, those tiny ones just don't cut it.

I also simplified the pattern on his collar (?) because the original was complete nonsense. And I didn't know what was going on with the inner sleeve so I just made up what I thought it should be.

And I painted his nails, because why not. Originally I wanted to give him the dead coral (?) pattern from his sword, but it was hard to make out that small and I thought painting each nail a different color was more his personality. It feels childish and whimsical.