By Zephyria 
The limbs of the ominous person who has followed me…? I would have been less embarrassed if he had roared at me for deceiving my identity in the castle and insulting the Grand Duke. However, I instinctively realized it. This was truly the Grand Duke’s ‘favor’.
I don’t know how much the Grand Duke guessed about the relationship between me and Carlisle, but the fact that he stopped me, who was about to leave, and made noises about the growth of the Young Master… It was as good as realizing that I was the one who made Carlisle grow.
“Your Highness.”
Before I knew it, cold sweat that had formed on my chin dripped to the floor. But the Grand Duke didn’t seem to have any intention of bestowing any more favors than the hint he had given me. His cold gray eyes were already fixed on the pile of documents, not me.
“Leave the territory as it is. I will not allow you to meet anyone else. Unless you clean up the shadows.”
“……”
“I hope that the wise young Hamilton has fully understood this person’s intentions.”
The Grand Duke’s intention was clear. Unless I accepted his favor and cleaned up the ‘limbs’ in question, I should not approach Carlisle.
The calculation was quick and the decision was even faster. After all, the goal from the beginning when I first arrived at the Ducal Palace was just to get to know Carlisle and raise his favorability to some extent. If that’s the case, I’ve already exceeded my goal. In addition, Carlisle, who had entered the stage of growth faster than in the original game, would also come to the capital faster than the original time.
It wasn’t the time to ruin things by being caught up in lingering attachments. Toppling a massive structure always started with a small, unnoticed crack. Around me. There was a change I hadn’t noticed, and if someone had intended it…
“…Yes, Your Highness. I will.”
Before the scope of the change grew any larger, it had to be uprooted without a trace. I smiled nonchalantly and bowed politely.
“Young Master. Did you finish your greetings well?”
Nicole, who had been waiting for me outside the office, approached with hurried steps and whispered. I thought I had become somewhat immune to the Grand Duke’s residence after staying for over a month, but it seemed he was still scared.
“Yes. Then it’s best to leave right away.”
“Yes? I thought you had somewhere to stop by…”
“No. It’s alright. There will be another chance to come again.”
“Hmm, what to do. The knights aren’t ready yet. I thought you would need more time.”
“…Ah.”
Suddenly, my mind cleared. The ones who rarely crossed paths with me except when descending with the Crown Prince, disguised as Hamilton’s retainers, his underlings.
“Hey, Nicole. How many Royal Knights from the Imperial Palace came with us in total?”
“I didn’t count exactly, but, um, I’d say about a dozen or so?”
Ha. Adrian Pearson, that son of a bitch, really…
The ones the Crown Prince had sent with me weren’t just simple knights. Among the Royal Knights, they were specially selected and trained based on their abilities and character, his most loyal and capable hands and feet. I was stupid. Even if I had to foolishly close my eyes to the love affair, it wasn’t an expendable number of personnel to be deployed to escort a mere candidate, not even the real Crown Princess.
Exactly a month ago. Leaving behind so many trustworthy knights while leaving me, his expression, unusually anxious, remained vividly in my mind. Along with the magical tools he had showered me with more than necessary, telling me to use them freely and without hesitation if I found myself in a dangerous situation.
I ground my teeth involuntarily. Daring to use me, like this pawn?
More than betrayal, my pride was hurt. The Crown Prince used me to his advantage, and I didn’t know anything until the Duke subtly told me, I couldn’t stand how pathetic I was. Above all, what hurt my pride the most was…
‘Noah.’
‘Yes, Your Highness.’
‘…’
‘Your Highness?’
‘No, nothing. I’ll see you again in a month, in good health.’
‘Yes, Your Highness, please stay well too.’
I thought he was genuinely worried about me, and I was disgusted with my weak self, Noah Hamilton, who melted for even a moment when he showed something resembling affection, even after being treated like that so many times.
“Young Master, Young Master. What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“…No, I’m fine. Let’s go to the carriage. I want to go home quickly.”
I moved my feet, slowly cooling my excited head. Whatever the case, nothing would change. There was no room to waste time on self-reproach. If Adrian Pearson used me, then I would scrape him to the bone and use him even more viciously.
I didn’t want to force my calmed mind to rise, so I was just looking out the window quietly. The wheels of the carriage, which had been slowly rolling forward, suddenly stopped, and the door swung open.
“Long time no see. Did you miss me in the meantime?”
The sudden burst of light was blinding. Without permission, he strode inside and sat next to me as if it were natural, it was Adrian Pearson, as expected. I successfully suppressed the urge to spit on his shameless face and put on a bright, perfunctory smile.
Yes. As he said, it had been a long time. It was hard to believe that it had only been a month. That sentiment was also due to his plan, which had tainted my peaceful trip with nightmares.
“Noah?”
“…Your Highness.”
When I only smiled tepidly without answering, the Crown Prince grabbed my chin and brought his face close. For some reason, I felt a surge of emotion. No, endure it. Don’t be emotional, Noah. You must only appear emotional. Suppress your emotions. I muttered to myself as if hypnotizing myself.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen? Is that so?”
The Crown Prince asked as if he were truly worried and couldn’t bear it.
“Just… I just missed Your Highness so much…”
Muttering vaguely and burrowing into his arms, the Crown Prince stiffened slightly as if embarrassed, but soon embraced me tightly. Instead of shaking off his arms, I burrowed deeper into his embrace. I wrapped my arms even tighter around his neck.
“Goodness. The sun must be rising in the west tomorrow. You’re showing so much that you missed me.”
“…”
“I should send you on an outing like this once in a while. If only to see you acting so lovely.”
“Have I ever acted unlovely in front of you?”
“No, you always act lovely in front of me.”
The Crown Prince muttered in a laughing voice. As I remained in his arms, the carriage slowly began to move again. He closed the slightly open window curtain all the way before grabbing my shoulders with both hands and pushing me away.
“I think the greetings are over.”
“Yes…”
“I need to take a closer look. To see if there are any scratches on my mischievous acorn.”
Did he mean to undress me? It was ridiculously obvious. I had expected this much, so I entrusted myself to the Crown Prince’s touch without any sense of crisis.
“Yes… I’m glad, really, there’s no injury anywhere…”
I sensed something was wrong after the Crown Prince, who had unbuttoned my jacket and shirt, carefully checked to see if I was really hurt with a cautious touch rather than kissing me.
“Even though I know there won’t be any problems, I can’t help but feel uneasy. Seeing it with my own eyes, touching it with my own hands, I can finally feel relieved.”
“Your, Your Highness…?”
“I’m really glad you came back safely.”
…I couldn’t manage my expression at all, so I quickly hid my face in his arms again. The Crown Prince’s reaction was too much for someone who had simply heard about the incident at the Duke’s estate. If all the speculations were just my delusions, and the Duke’s subtle hint about the henchmen of a rebellious person referred to others, it wouldn’t make sense at all. Isn’t that right, the official report he received must have only said that there was a sudden intrusion, but Young Master Hamilton was safely protected by the knights.
My head cooled down. Fortunately, I wasn’t foolish enough to turn a blind eye to the truth, naively thinking, ‘Surely not, there’s no way.’
The attack on Graham Castle should have happened at least a few years later. It wouldn’t be a threat to Carlisle, who had already met Allen and finished growing, and it would only enhance the affectionate feelings between the two, a not-so-special event.
But why did it happen so early this time, before Carlisle had even grown up?
“Your Highness.”
My voice turned cold involuntarily.
I felt like I knew the answer I hadn’t even heard. The person who crossed the gates of the Graham Duchy with his underlings as the Crown Prince’s lover, officially or unofficially…
“No, Noah. You must always act lovely in front of me.”
“…”
It was because he had appeared so quickly.