Tamed Monster - Chapter 12

The Crown Prince chuckled quietly behind her back and gradually closed the distance between them. Kuinan followed closely behind the Crown Prince.

“…Lancart? What are you doing back there?”

As he stepped closer than the knights attending him, the Crown Prince glanced back. Only then did the monster slow his pace a little.

Regardless of their exchanged looks, Sylvia hurriedly took a step toward the main hall, exposing the bare skin of her nape without any protection.

Passing through the courtyard and stepping inside, Sylvia led both the Crown Prince and the monster to the reception room.

Behind them, the clanking of the knights’ armor echoed sharply through the cold, barren castle halls.

* * *

A private audience with the Crown Prince.

Though this was a moment Lancart had long wished for, he found it difficult to focus on the man before him. On the other hand, the Crown Prince’s gaze was fixed on Lancart with keen interest.

“You look the same, but…”

Startled by the sharp remark, the monster finally fixed his eyes on the prince.

“It’s like you’re a different person. Can someone’s attitude change so much, even after dying and coming back to life?”

The Crown Prince had a deep interest in the monster’s kind. Of course it was not a friendly one, but a destructive curiosity.

Monster Kuinan tried hard not to meet that gaze with hostility. As a creature three centuries old, it was not difficult for him to mask such murderous intent.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

Brazenly dodging the question, the Crown Prince chuckled again.

“Is that so?”

“We must have been quite close, considering you came all the way to visit me in person.”

Even among monsters, it was known that human Lancart and the Crown Prince were extremely close. Though only a few intelligent monsters were aware, those few controlled all the others, so in a way, it was common knowledge among them all.

The Crown Prince rested his cheek on his hand and nodded dismissively.

“Right. We’re brothers, after all, even if we have different mothers.”

“Hmm…”

“I often entrusted you with important tasks. Of course, you don’t remember those either, do you?”

The Crown Prince’s visit was not out of concern for Lancart’s safety. In truth, he didn’t care if Lancart lived or died.

But using their brotherhood as a pretext, he came pretending to be close because of ‘that matter’—the secret mission Lancart carried out under the Crown Prince’s orders during the monster extermination.

“No, I don’t remember.”

“Hah… this is troublesome.”

Myers was unsure whether to remind his foolish younger brother of his duty or leave him be. He pressed a finger to his lips in thought before finally speaking.

“I don’t think bringing this up now will make any difference.”

Myers clicked his tongue as he stared directly at Lancart.

“We’ll talk later… at least after you fix that rude way of speaking.”

Lancart was probably the first person to speak to a direct imperial family with such insolence—”I don’t remember,” “I don’t know”. Unless he was an immature child, no one of noble birth would casually chatter while looking the Crown Prince straight in the eye. Even children of noble families are taught basic etiquette.

‘What’s wrong with my tone?’

The Crown Prince watched Lancart, who seemed puzzled and deep in thought, before completely losing patience.

“I think my business with my younger brother here is done. I want to have a moment alone with the Duchess… Is that all right?”

The monster’s gaze flicked once more to the platinum-haired handsome man who was watching the Duchess intently. The monster’s hostile look was just subtle enough not to be noticed by the Crown Prince.

“Is that really necessary?”

Though Lancart tried to be more polite as his wife had taught him, the more he spoke, the more the Crown Prince’s face showed undeniable displeasure.

“There’s no point talking with you. I just want to mention a few things to the lady of the house, does that annoy you that much?”

Kuinan thought carefully about why he kept getting prickly. He wasn’t interested in that woman at all. His attention was entirely on the Crown Prince.

Realizing his true focus, Kuinan slowly shook his head. Seeing this rude gesture, the Crown Prince frowned and rose.

“By the next time we meet, try to regain some of that manners you’ve clearly lost. It’s hard to tolerate, even for a half-brother.”

Even if Lancart had done some dirty things before, this was beyond excuse. The way he spoke casually, responding with a dismissive nod—he had committed disrespectful acts enough times in twenty minutes to be tried for sacrilege.

The Crown Prince slammed the door as he left.

Bang.

As the reception room door shut with a thud, the monster scratched his head, genuinely unable to understand.

“Why did I get so annoyed?”

Flopping down on the sofa, he replayed the conversation with the Crown Prince over and over. But after thinking, still unable to figure out why he’d felt so displeased, his brow furrowed relentlessly.