A low growling voice flowed out. It wasn’t words directed at anyone, but a voice muttered to himself alone.
My chest ached sharply again. I couldn’t believe that such words had come from Kalroy’s mouth, who was usually so arrogant that he’d be hurt if he came second to anyone in pride.
How difficult must things be for him to say he wanted to die? His desperate situation struck my heart.
“Your Highness, why do you say such things? That will never happen. How dare anyone do such a thing to His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Kalroy’s mouth corners twitched as if he was trying to smile. However, that expression was closer to self-mockery than laughter. It was the kind of expression one makes when they want to sneer but don’t even have the strength to sneer.
“I acted like a fool, but I’m not actually a fool.”
“……”
“Kelton, who had been my backing even if only in name, is dead, and Her Majesty the Empress, my mother, has passed away. There was also His Majesty’s order to debate my qualifications as Crown Prince. The punishment that will be given to me after stepping down from my position will be either death or exile—even the attendants standing there like statues know that, don’t they?”
I kept my mouth shut.
In front of someone who had lost everything in an instant, I couldn’t offer comfort saying it wasn’t so, nor could I tell him to take heart. All I could do was feel heartbroken watching someone crumble.
Kalroy, who had been consistent with silence and sighs, opened his mouth.
“Why did you come here? Did Rob kidnap you or something?”
I turned my gaze toward where Rob was. Meeting my eyes, he was shaking his head with a grief-stricken expression. Realizing that my kidnapping was Rob’s solo act, I quietly sat down beside Kalroy.
A pale, gaunt hand came into my view. I took Kalroy’s hand, which had nothing left but bones, and spoke gently.
“I came here on my own. I was worried about Your Highness, who lost your mother. Besides, His Highness William is also… very worried. He told me to convey this in his place because he thought his older brother would hate to see him. He said he hopes you can overcome your pain.”
Although tormenting William had been wrong, considering that was also due to the adults’ brainwashing, Kalroy was now receiving a much heavier punishment than the crimes he had committed. Feeling sorry and pitiful for such a Kalroy, I had no choice but to lie.
“With my humble Omega status, conveying His Highness William’s request… I can only feel honored.”
“Lies… Filthy Omega… go, with your filthy mouth only lies…”
Kalroy couldn’t finish his words and buried his face in his knees. From his occasionally trembling shoulders, I could tell he was crying now.
I stayed by Kalroy’s side until evening time.
On the way back to William after leaving the Crown Prince’s Palace, Rob, the most loyal knight of all, was walking beside me, matching my pace.
I walked silently, thinking.
While it was important for William to safely become Emperor, I also hoped that Kalroy could definitely be saved…
Worrying about Kalroy in this unstable world where even my own life wasn’t guaranteed might be meddling, but… my nature is like this, so it can’t be helped. Just because the world I live in changed doesn’t mean I as a person changed.
While walking with such thoughts, some sound began getting closer from far away. I stopped walking and listened carefully to the sound.
It was the sound of knights, or well-trained soldiers, approaching in a group. Hearing that sound, I wondered if Aren had already released soldiers to capture Kalroy, then shook my head.
Since no imperial order had been issued yet, that couldn’t be the case.
“It seems to be His Highness the Prince…”
At Rob’s words beside me, I came to my senses and saw figures getting closer.
“……!”
Armed William was leading more than ten soldiers toward me. Why suddenly…? Thinking about it, I realized I had been away for quite a long time. Smart William would have easily deduced where I had gone, and having gained power, he would have moved his guard unit without hesitation.
Oh my, my head…
I, who had been thinking to persuade William and Aren to prevent Kalroy’s exile, could do nothing while holding my forehead.
“Daniel!”
William, who spotted me, forgot his princely dignity and ran over to embrace me. Due to our size difference, it looked like I was the one being embraced, but William was the one who hugged first. Even that was so tight it felt like my ribs might be crushed.
The soldiers’ eyes gleamed fiercely from beyond William’s shoulder. They all pretended to look elsewhere with stern expressions, but mockery flickered occasionally.
If I were really a child, it might be different, but mentally I’m an adult. Such mockery couldn’t leave me unaffected. I squirmed, trying to escape from William’s embrace.
“Your Highness, there are many watching eyes.”
“What does it matter if I want to hold my Omega?”
“…Well, naturally! This isn’t the Prince’s Palace, so it does matter.”
William, who had been staring intently at me, reluctantly let go of my body. Then he glared menacingly at Knight Rob beside him.
“As I expected, I was right. You committed another illegal act. I absolutely won’t let this slide!”
Even while angry, William’s words were missing a subject. However, everyone here knew who had committed the illegal act.
Rob bowed his head before William.
“Your Highness… His Highness the Crown Prince did not commit any illegal…”
“I don’t want to hear it!”
William standing before the apologizing Rob trembled while clenching his fists tightly. The atmosphere suggested he might draw the sword he had dropped earlier and strike Rob’s neck at any moment.
In a situation where William suspected Kalroy, loyal Rob couldn’t just stand still. If William tried to harm the Crown Prince, he would risk his life to stop it.
Thinking this far, I quickly knelt before William.
“Your Highness, I should have told you in advance before going, but I failed to do so. His Highness the Crown Prince didn’t commit any illegal act—I went there on my own feet. If there’s any fault, it all lies with me.”
William grabbed my chin and lifted it. An expression unbelievably cold for a ten-year-old child was visible. A chilly aura swirled around as if cold frost had fallen. No one around made even a sound of breathing.
For a mere regular Omega belonging to a Prince who didn’t even have a Companion Omega to visit the Crown Prince without the Prince’s permission was in itself high treason. It wouldn’t be strange if William drew his sword right now and struck down my neck.
However, even facing William’s razor-sharp gaze looking down at me as if to kill me and the intimidating hormones emanating from his entire body, I didn’t reveal the fact that Rob had kidnapped me until the end.
It wasn’t that I had faith William wouldn’t question my crime. I just didn’t want to add another charge to pitiful Kalroy. Even if it threatened my life, that’s what I wanted to do.
“So that’s how it was…”
William, who had been keeping silent, spoke while raising his eyes. It was a plain tone without emotion, but his thoroughly angry expression remained. He clearly wanted to explode but was suppressing his anger considering the surrounding gazes.
I’m dead.
My heart sank. Should I take comfort in the fact that William didn’t rampage in front of all these people?
Just as I was having such not-very-comforting thoughts while hanging my head, William commanded in a low voice.
“Stand up. Your crime will be questioned after returning to the Prince’s Palace.”
“…Yes.”
***
William, who brought me to his room, had been keeping silent with his mouth tightly shut for two hours now. William sat on the bed while I sat on a chair at the table across from him. Even though I wasn’t kneeling, my entire body, stiff with tension, ached.
William hadn’t taken his eyes off me for even a moment, so I couldn’t move a muscle. I wished he would get angry and at least ask for reasons like before, but staying like this for two hours was suffocating.
Unable to bear it any longer, I spoke first.
“Your Highness…”
“Be quiet.”
“……”
“If you say even one word now, I feel like I might kill you. And I think I’d regret that. Even when the attendant I trusted tried to kill me, I wasn’t this angry. So please just stay quiet.”
William’s words clearly revealed the betrayal and anger he felt. I realized that to survive, I had to keep my mouth shut.
But I couldn’t do that.
I was afraid that if I stayed quiet, William would really think I had betrayed him. I was afraid that kind William, not properly knowing the state of his older brother Kalroy and thinking he had kidnapped me, would become even more enraged. So even if it meant risking my life, I had to speak up.
“Your Highness, I cannot do that. You’re thinking that I went there because I betrayed you, aren’t you? I cannot stay quiet and let Your Highness think that way. So even if I die right now, I must speak up.”
William didn’t move at all. Standing before him, I shamefully couldn’t continue my words. It wasn’t because I was scared.
Whether he was hurt, angry, or showing the calm before a storm… it was difficult to grasp William’s true feelings.
How much time passed like that? William slowly got up from his seat and began narrowing the distance between us. When he came close enough for my forehead to touch his stomach, he bent down to meet my eyes.
“Danny, you think I’m too much of a fool. I’m not foolish enough to think that loyal you would have betrayed me.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
