Tamed Monster - Chapter 11

The next day, the Crown Prince visited the Duke’s castle.

The entire Duke’s castle was thrown into chaos. The servants and the lady of the house had expected only the Crown Prince’s envoy to arrive, not the Crown Prince himself. From early morning, they scrambled to prepare for his arrival.

Walking gracefully and lightly through the house, but if no one was watching, they were running around frantically. This was the only way to minimize the time the Crown Prince had to wait.

Sylvia barely calmed her heavy breathing before stepping out of the castle with her husband, who was still groggy and just waking up.

“Ha… I’m tired.”

She quietly whispered for her husband to keep silent as he was about to speak carelessly, then straightened her back. The tightly laced corset, worn after a long time, mercilessly constricted Sylvia’s already strained breathing. She tried hard not to cough.

“Please speak respectfully.”

“To whom?”

“To the gentleman walking alongside with knights on either side — that’s the Crown Prince. Though related by blood to the Duke, he holds a much higher rank. When replying to His Highness, you must always speak your sentences politely.”

Sylvia didn’t have time to explain every detail of etiquette, so she taught him only the most important and simple part. The stubborn monster, half-listening, nodded roughly. As the Crown Prince drew within a few steps, the monster’s sharp blue eyes suddenly flickered.

‘So this is the bastard.’

He’d been scolded for lazing around, acting like nothing is happening. From the moment it was announced that the Crown Prince would arrive at dawn, he had sensed this guy approaching. As mentioned before, the monster was a light sleeper with keen senses.

The Crown Prince smiled gently and called out his name.

“Lancart.”

Caught absentmindedly inspecting the Crown Prince’s appearance, Kuinan came to his senses and made eye contact. The Crown Prince’s seemingly innocent blue eyes, twitched at the corner of his mouth in a half-smile.

“First of all, congratulations on making it back alive.”

“……”

“Is it true you have amnesia? We were inseparable. Don’t you remember that?”

Testing the waters, Kuinan cracked a wry smile inside. This bastard was his kind—also a monster. His skill at sarcasm, with no affection even for his own kin, was impressive.

Finally, the monster answered curtly.

“No.”

Sylvia, who had begged him earlier to at least be polite, staggered beside him. More than the tightening corset, her husband’s blunt answer made her head spin as if blood rushed to it.

Pfft!

Unable to hold back, the Crown Prince clutched his belly and exhaled loudly with laughter. Everyone but Kuinan, who stared blankly, turned pale.

The Crown Prince’s aides and the Duke’s retainers alike were struck anew with shock at the realization that the Duke truly had become a simpleton.

After chuckling quietly for about three minutes while shrugging his shoulders, the Crown Prince slowly straightened his bent back. Glancing around to confirm that Rossa was absent, he smirked with a bitter sneer.

“Your mother must be heartbroken.”

She was a woman obsessed solely with her son, so by now she must be completely unhinged. She would be frantically searching every possible way to restore her son to his former self. The Crown Prince flicked his gaze toward the brown-haired woman standing next to the Duke.

‘Still so young… looks like she hasn’t even shed her virginity yet.’

Perhaps that crazy woman was already trying to turn this situation into an opportunity. While the Crown Prince himself was making every effort to restore Lancart’s memory, she might be scheming to graft herself onto this befuddled Lancart and secure the succession.

If it were him, that would be the strategy he’d pursue. Suddenly, a dull ache settled in his lower abdomen.

“…Such a waste.”

As Myers muttered while eyeing Sylvia as if he wanted to devour her, Kuinan, of course, was intently observing Myers and realized the man’s interest in Sylvia.

To be more specific: a lustful interest in her.

At that moment, Kuinan unintentionally drew the Crown Prince’s attention toward himself.

“What brings you here?”

“Hm?”

“What is your business…? Ah, what’s wrong, Wife?”

Since Kuinan had started speaking, Sylvia, trembling like a leaf, squeezed her eyes shut and tugged on her husband’s sleeve.

With the title Kuinan addressed her, the Crown Prince’s blue eyes widened dramatically. He trembled as if about to burst into laughter again. Sylvia desperately signaled for him to keep quiet.

“Kuh…”

“Forgive me, Your Highness. As you can see, the Duke’s condition is not good. Would it be all right to move inside to a more private place?”

Sylvia spoke without meeting the Crown Prince’s gaze. He wiped away tears at the corner of his eye and stared at her. The monster watched the Crown Prince intently.

That greedy look kept scratching at his nerves, though he couldn’t understand why it annoyed him so much. The Crown Prince replied briefly.

“Do so.”

“Thank you. Then this way…”

“You seem even more fragile today, Madam. Worrying about your missing husband must be taking its toll on your meals.”

Sylvia gave a faint nod. Though she had endured hardships under Rossa’s oppression, she couldn’t bring herself to admit she hadn’t worried at all about her husband.