#30
‘I wish he would stop fluttering around and come back to bed.’
The thought that suddenly occurred to him made him a little irritated.
To be honest, it bothered him.
If he were truly a completed shadow, it would be right to consider that there was no soul left inside, so he wouldn’t have felt this way.
But Ersen was alive, only showing an endlessly ignorant attitude toward his own pain.
‘Yes, he’s alive.’
He had never once thought of him as dead, but that word that suddenly came to mind was somehow a little shocking.
“Why are you trying to approach that young lady in the first place?”
“Why do you think, hyung?”
When he skillfully hid his inner thoughts and asked with a bored expression, Ersen answered in a whisper.
Perhaps his energy was gradually fading, as there was no strength in his voice.
“My reason for moving has been consistent from the High Priest until now.”
“That means…”
Was Lady Marsien in league with the half-demons?
Duke Marsien wasn’t that kind of person, so it would most likely be the young lady’s independent action.
‘No, why am I believing it right away?’
Marcus hesitated when he realized he had unconsciously accepted Ersen’s words obediently.
“It’s just suspicion, so I want to observe.”
“…If that’s the reason, did you say you were going to the ball to observe other nobles too?”
“Think whatever you want.”
How annoying.
Does that brat know?
That while he keeps his truly important purpose tightly hidden, he doesn’t particularly try to hide anything else.
That his strangely soft attitude keeps provoking them.
Then Ersen said.
“Then hyung. I’ll be going back now.”
In a voice that sounded languid from exhaustion.
Marcus chuckled and got up from his seat.
“…And when he wakes up, hold onto him so he can’t go anywhere.”
Skyle’s hesitant but determined parting words came to mind.
Though he had left because he was the busiest among the three of them, Skyle had looked like he wanted to personally handle the task he’d entrusted to Marcus.
Because it was suspicious?
That’s how it appeared on the surface, but that wasn’t everything.
The looks, expressions, and actions that his monster-like friend occasionally showed toward Ersen were truly unlike that friend of his.
So Marcus became curious.
“Where to?”
“Well… if I’m not imprisoned, I should return to my palace.”
“Did you smear honey there or something, Your Highness? It just seems cold.”
When he got up and slowly approached while asking, Ersen tilted his head with a puzzled expression.
He didn’t run away and stood defenseless, and the eyes looking up at him were strangely clear.
Is this why?
Is this why Skyle…
“I didn’t smear honey, but… you know too, hyung? That place suits me.”
At his cheeky words while shrugging his shoulders, Marcus tilted his head with a “Hmm.”
While bringing his face close.
Even at a distance where their lips might touch if he wasn’t careful, the Prince showed no particular reaction.
Looking closely, he thought those ash-colored eyes were very clear, contrary to what he’d expected.
Just like someone who had lived virtuously their whole life…
“…That’s true.”
Marcus replied belatedly.
The Prince’s gray eyes curved softly without wavering.
“Right?”
“…”
Marcus unconsciously flinched and pulled back the face he’d brought close.
When he moved back a little, he could see the entire expression, not just the eyes.
The behavior he’d been observing all along finally came into view at a glance.
That annoying, unfathomable smile and lukewarm, languid movements. Yet moving swiftly and silently like a cat.
Taking a step back, Ersen naturally slipped out of his embrace.
“See you tomorrow, hyung? Though it won’t be hyung getting stepped on tomorrow.”
Marcus found himself unusually flustered while watching the Prince wave his hands cheerfully with a grin.
‘What was I staring at like I was enchanted?’
What’s so special about those gloomy-colored eyes being a bit clear?
Fanatics have clear eyes too.
‘Though you can’t compare them to such things.’
…Damn it.
He felt thoroughly deceived.
Marcus glared at the Prince’s retreating figure with narrowed eyes as he fluttered away.
“What are you walking around so naturally for?”
And grumbling bluntly, he strode over and lifted up the Prince who hadn’t even taken a few steps.
“Huh?”
When he swooped him up to sit on his shoulder, the guy made a pleased sound.
“Think of this as Your Highness’s palace until Theodore’s curse is lifted.”
“Ah. Right, so that’s why you put me on such a nice bed!”
How naive.
‘Nice bed, my ass.’
Yes, but compared to the one in that palace…
Marcus, who had frowned deeply, carefully laid Ersen on the bed.
“If you need anything, pull the bell cord.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Don’t even think about doing anything foolish, Your Highness.”
“Foolish things? Ah, don’t worry. As long as I don’t get in the way, I won’t touch anything.”
Marcus made a strange expression at the gloomy look that briefly crossed the Prince’s face.
And he left without a word.
* * *
‘This is a bit troublesome.’
I thought while quietly looking at the spot where Marcus hyung had left.
This way, I can’t hide that blood is needed when lifting Theodore hyung’s curse.
Let’s see, what I can hide is… that ‘my blood’ is needed, I suppose.
‘As long as the scene of drawing blood isn’t discovered, it doesn’t matter.’
Since we’ve already made a contract, they won’t completely exclude me from their affairs, but it was too early to feel relieved.
If I said I might go wrong before lifting their curses, they might instead prevent me from doing anything and force me to only lift curses.
‘It might actually be better this way.’
If it were someone else’s blood instead of mine, I could look more villainous in the current situation where I’ve shown such a frail appearance…
Whose blood should I say I brought to maintain appropriate villainy?
Thinking about it, I felt it was really a good situation.
‘Even if I bleed from being attacked by Lady Isabella, I can pretend it’s not my blood.’
Lady Isabella Marsien has a hidden ability.
She’s a black mage, not a officially registered black mage, but the type who illegally learned only bad magic and used it secretly.
She wielded charm auras and tentacles disguised as whips, mainly using magic that artificially induced fear to make opponents submit.
Her targets were young ladies and lords close to the Crown Prince among those she could touch without consequences.
‘Usually the fear magic alone would have resolved situations, but… this time I have no intention of obediently submitting…’
Thinking of how she tormented Sercil before my regression makes my teeth clench.
I don’t care if she does it to me, so please let it end with me this time too.
Soon, my eyes closed as if collapsing.
* * *
Speaking of Isabella Marsien, she was a popular figure in high society who received all sorts of praise.
Long wine-colored straight hair, jade-like skin, red eyes with a mysterious purple tint. Her coral-pink lips added a subtle delicacy to features that might otherwise be too strong.
Her height was slightly below average, but her proportions were good, making her appear taller than she actually was. Most importantly, she had good taste and knew how to choose clothes that suited her.
She wasn’t a flower decorating somewhere, but a ‘protagonist’ type person who stood at the center and made everything else background.
So when I first saw her, I was purely amazed.
‘Because of that mysterious power to enchant people, she sometimes looked like an angel.’
If she had been born in modern times, wouldn’t she have achieved tremendous success as a celebrity?
That is, if she just didn’t speak.
“Lindea. You mean that declining frontier family? Why don’t they stay there cutting off monster necks instead of coming up to the capital where they don’t belong and muddying the waters? Besides, if they’re going to appear at such occasions, they should have cleaned themselves up first.”
“…Clean up, you say?”
“Doesn’t the smell of monsters vibrate from your whole body? You might not know yourself, but… it makes me want to vomit. If you come out again next time, disinfect your whole body with fire first. Ah, and make sure you don’t speak to me without knowing your place like now.”
“But you spoke to me first, my lady…?”
“Refrain from barking like a dog too. I said speaking, not talking back. I meant don’t open your mouth. And when a superior speaks, you answer politely that you understand. Did you get that?”
Because the founder of the Marsien ducal family was a saint, that family had a tradition of being courteous to everyone. Should I call that fortunate?
Those were the kind of words she muttered upon seeing Sercil at their first meeting.
She was someone who treated everyone except royalty and ducal families like livestock.
Therefore, she didn’t hesitate to commit illegal acts against those livestock.
‘She was reluctant to kill because she’d get in trouble with Duke Marsien if discovered.’
Instead, she was someone who could do everything except killing.
Sercil faced life threats every time he went to balls because of her, was poisoned by all sorts of toxins whenever there was a chance, and faced various dangers whenever he left the imperial palace.
‘Just encountering her meant being gently touched by that illegal black magic, and whenever there was an opportunity, she’d try to crush him.’
Unlike the original story, since the minor villain Second Prince Ersen wasn’t tormenting him, I thought the situation would be better than the original, but because of my mistakes, it didn’t flow that way either…
‘Sercil had become terribly thin.’
In the early dawn when I woke up early and couldn’t fall back asleep.
I sat on the window sill, looking outside and muttering.
“It’ll be fine.”
Thinking of the ball that would happen today.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
