The Villain’s Aide Has Run Away - Chapter 122.1
The carriage was heading toward the Imperial City.
Each time the wheels jolted over uneven ground, the windowpanes trembled softly. Inside the confined space, only the sound of their breathing and the creak of leather seats filled the air.
“I was planning to visit the Empire anyway. Now, I just happen to have company.”
The Crown Prince answered as though surrendering to Leslun’s repeated question of whether he truly did not need to return.
Even though the Prince had assured him several times that there was nothing to worry about, Leslun still felt uneasy.
“Are you sure this is truly all right?”
He asked one last time, again and again, until the very end. There was a quiet urgency in his voice that made the Crown Prince unable to hold back his laughter. It was a laugh mixed with a sigh, as if he found the whole situation absurd.
He secretly liked that Leslun worried for him, but he did not wish to cause him distress.
“At this rate, I almost feel sorry for the Crown Prince.”
At those words, Leslun’s expression stiffened. He immediately sensed that the remark did not hold a kind meaning. His eyes trembled faintly.
“Am I that inadequate as an attendant?”
That small, trembling voice pierced straight into the Crown Prince’s chest.
He hastily raised both hands, but with his large frame, the gesture looked awkward, almost like a bear clumsily surrendering.
“No, not at all. That’s not what I meant. I was only… joking.”
Even though the Crown Prince denied it sincerely, Leslun’s expression did not soften easily. The words had already struck deep within him.
The Crown Prince hurriedly added,
“I might envy him, but I have never thought of him as pitiful. Truly.”
Only after revealing part of his real feelings could the Crown Prince calm Leslun down.
“Truly…?”
At that earnest question, the Crown Prince, unusually for him, nodded.
“Yes.”
At that single word, Leslun’s face relaxed, and a faint light of relief spread across his features. He then bowed politely.
“Thank you.”
For a moment, silence filled the carriage. Only the rattling of the wheels continued. But the Crown Prince’s heart remained unsettled.
“So, he accepts that I envy the Crown Prince without hesitation.”
Leslun smiled faintly, as if he had never been hurt moments ago.
“I am proud to serve the Crown Prince. Of course, His Highness already has a long-time friend as his attendant, so I am not that remarkable.”
The Crown Prince’s gaze wavered slightly, as though someone had pressed upon the most sensitive part of his heart.
“When I say I envy the Crown Prince, I mean that I envy having you as his attendant. I wish I could keep you as my own.”
He had gone as far as mentioning the position of attendant, letting a part of his true feelings slip out.
He wanted Leslun to understand. Now that he had appeared before him as the Crown Prince, perhaps it was finally time to reveal what he felt.
Even before leaving the Empire, he had wanted to ask Leslun to come with him. Maybe now was the best chance.
Wishing to carry the mood a little further, he began to speak.
“Do you remember when you said you knew what I was going to say back then?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Then what do you think now? Do you still believe that I…”
The Crown Prince trailed off deliberately. He still wanted Leslun to understand his heart, yet deep down, he also wanted to hear his answer.
Even if Leslun refused, it would be all right. There was no Kailos here, no Imperial Crown Prince. He believed he had time to persuade him. He was ready to use every bit of skill he had honed while living as a prince.
Leslun did not avoid his gaze and instead spoke clearly.
“It suits you well.”
“…What does?”
“Your Highness suits the role of Crown Prince far better.”
The Crown Prince did not immediately understand his words.
“What do you mean by that?”
He spoke sharply without realizing it, pressing Leslun for an answer. Then he stopped himself and spoke again in a gentler tone.
“You said before that I had become frightening, did you not?”
“Ah, that too, but…”
Leslun hurried to continue.
“Even without that, Your Highness truly fits the position of Crown Prince. Much more than when you introduced yourself as Prince Tarensiu.”
The strength in the Crown Prince’s jaw loosened, and his mouth opened slightly in disbelief. Yet inside, he felt utterly hollow.
It had all been a misunderstanding. Completely.
Leslun, unaware of his feelings, continued to look straight at him as he spoke clearly.
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