TAPGB - Chapter 45
The Abandoned Prince's Ghost Bride
Late May, 322 Imperial Calendar.
As the sun slowly heated up and summer approached, the Haunted Mansion was quiet as usual.
I finished the mountain of laundry and stretched out. On the drying rack were clothes that adults would wear, I played with him and remembered the clothes Lucian wore when he first came here.
[When did he grow so big?]
The Little Prince who had a soul wedding with me has now grown to the point where the word "child" is meaningless and has become a full-fledged teenager.
[He's 15 now, so it's worth it.]
3 more years until he becomes an adult. That means it has been 7 years since I lived with Lucian.
Time flies too fast.
Before I met Lucian, I hoped that this boredom would pass quickly. As I watched him grow day by day, I felt sad every day.
[... But this guy doesn't even know how I feel.]
Lucian these days is not as charming or friendly as he used to be.
When he was young, I was so busy hugging him, but now he doesn't like holding my hand, and when I try to stroke his head, he avoids my touch as if he's upset.
There was even a time when he threatened me not to enter his room.
[That child is all grown up.]
No matter how young you are in puberty, you still get angry at people who keep pushing you away.
[Besides, it looks like you're having some trouble.]
Lucian goes down to the village once a week to spend time with Dio.
At first, when he returned from going out, he was busy talking about what had happened, but at some point, he kept his mouth shut and became more shy day by day.
If I ask what's going on, the answer is nothing.
If we discuss it together, our worries might be resolved, so why hide it? Do you think you don't need my help?
Lia tidied up Lucian's blanket and looked around his room. The traces of the seven years had permeated everywhere.
The only time I can enter the room with peace of mind is when Lucian is not there. It's just ridiculous.
Suddenly his desk came into view. Specifically, the picture frame on the desk caught my eye.
[Hey, groom.]
I sat in front of the desk and brought a picture frame.
[Like when you were young, Leah! Leah! How good it is if you follow it.]
There was a picture I had drawn in the frame.
This is what it looked like when he first came here when he was 8 years old. A woman was depicted next to him, dressed in formal attire.
She was myself.
A finished product that has been modified, modified, and modified according to Lucian and Caesar's words to come close to its original appearance.
Even though it's my face, it's extremely unfamiliar.
Even though I received feedback and drew new pictures, I always had doubts.
[Am I this pretty?]
If Lucian and Caesar's eyes aren't covered in beanbags, then it's my face.
[Still, I'm still not used to it.]
It felt awkward as if there was another woman standing next to Lucian. One day, when Lucian becomes an adult and gets a new bride, will he feel the same way as he does now?
[Lucian, grow up slowly. I still want to be with you more.]
I whispered to Lucian in the frame and fell down on the desk.
***
At the same time, a street market in the capital.
The place where the stalls are lined up is the largest market in the capital. There is nothing missing, including fruit, food, furniture, and props. This place, which is normally noisy, was even more lively today.
"Wow, look at how many people there are."
Dio, who had barely escaped the crowd of people, stuck out his tongue.
"That damn Prince. What else can you do to hold a festival like this? Isn't that right, Lucian?"
"..."
Lucian was looking elsewhere in silence. As soon as Dio looked back at him, he saw the women around him glancing in this direction.
Those fierce gazes were not only of women but also of men with a mixture of curiosity and jealousy.
Dio glared at Lucian with flounder eyes.
"Unlucky bastard."
"... Are you talking to me?"
He couldn't even hear what Dio said a little while ago, but when he curses, he understands it perfectly.
"Yeah, man. Is there anyone else here besides you?"
"Why are you starting to fight again?"
"Hmph, it's because I'm a narrow-minded person, why?"
Lucian shook his head with an expression that said it was the beginning again.
"I think we were similar in popularity in the past..."
Because of Lucian, whose beauty is maturing day by day, Dio's popularity has become a stone on the side of the road.
Unlike his cute and elegant appearance, the fine muscles that are slightly visible through his clothes are Lucian's unexpected charm or something.
"Anyway, why is the pressure so low today? Did you fight with Leah?"
"Who fights? It's not like that."
"Then why are you doing that?"
"What did you say this festival was held for?"
It was obvious that he was going to change his mind, but Dio, who had a big heart, decided to skip it just this once.
"It's not a festival, but it's a welcoming party for the return of the Crown Prince."
Son of the Oddrian Empire. Crown Prince Leopold Odelion. He just returned to the imperial palace yesterday after two years of studying abroad.
"Besides, it's the Crown Prince's 15th birthday in two months. They haven't been able to hold a birth banquet for the past two years, so we'll have a grand one this time, right?"
An incomparably large number of people will gather in the capital.
"You have the same birthday as the Crown Prince. Let's go see the circus then and eat delicious food! I'll shoot them all!"
".... Yes, we have the same birthday."
Dio, who was excited, felt something strange and turned his head. This is because, unlike his previous expression, Lucian showed his murderous intent by gnashing his teeth.
What caught his eye was a poster with a message congratulating the Crown Prince on his return.
Lucian, who had been staring at it for a while, turned around.
"Hey, hey! Let's go together!"
Even when Dio hurriedly caught up from behind, Lucian didn't have time to look at him..
A year ago, Lucian happened to find out that the Crown Prince, whom he knew as his older brother, was the same age as him.
'We're the same age, so how can he be my older brother?'
Until now, he had not tried to find out anything about the imperial family. That's because he grew up in a place where people couldn't see him until he was 8 years old, and wasn't he sent to a haunted mansion under the pretext of a soul wedding?
Of course, meeting Leah was the greatest luck of his life, but apart from that, it is still true that he was completely abandoned by the imperial family.
Then, after finding out that the Crown Prince and he were the same age, he began to learn about the imperial family.
And Lucian was sure of one thing.
'I wasn't even born in the first place.'
Everyone in the empire knows that the only imperial son is the Crown Prince. Nowhere did he hear the story of the young Prince who grew up in the cold palace.
To make matters worse, yesterday, Lucian witnessed the Crown Prince's return ceremony with his own eyes, along with Dio.
And finally, Lucian realized why the Crown Prince was the same age as him.
'We were twins.'
Having been going in and out of the village for over 7 years, Lucian knows at least a little about the myths about twins. That's why he realized why he was the only one who wasn't even born into the imperial family.
Puberty is the time when you are just establishing your identity and slowly growing into an adult. Even before he went through puberty, Lucian was denied his very existence.
Confusing. He's angry.
He doesn't know where to release this lost anger. Lucian feels like he's consumed by endless anger every day.
[Your face doesn't look so good these days. What's going on?]
When Lucian suddenly remembered what Leah said a few days ago, the anger that had built up to the top of his throat quickly cooled down.
'I can't tell Leah.'
Now that he has grown a bit, he knows how much she cares and loves him. Also, how difficult it is to silently embrace a child who suddenly appears.
Lucian owes her a debt that he will never be able to repay. That's why he didn't want her to worry about him anymore.
However, unlike this state of mind, people have difficulty controlling their emotions because of their anger-filled minds.
These days, Lucian doesn't want to get angry at Leah, so he's avoiding her. They must solve the problem they are currently experiencing as soon as possible.
'But where do I start?'
The source of this problem is the imperial family. That too is resentment toward those who abandoned him.
However, he is officially a Prince who was not even born, and if he runs into the imperial palace right now and asks why they treat him like he doesn't exist, he will be kicked out before he even reaches the Emperor.
'What do I want...'
What should he do to capture the darkness in his heart?
Does he have no choice but to just rot away alone and wait for things to get better?
'I just want to ask. Why did you make me like this?'
Why have they never come to see him?
Did they just want to treat him like a child who didn't exist?
What on earth were they thinking sending him to the haunted mansion?
Was they trying to kill him like this?
If they going to be this irresponsible, just... ... Kill him when he is born.
'Ah, Leah won't like this."
The last thought that came to Lucian's mind immediately reminded him of Leah. A small pore opened in his frustrated heart.
'What would I be like now if Leah wasn't there?"
It was a hypothesis he hated to imagine more than his family abandoning him.
***
"I'm home."
Lucian came in just before evening and immediately took off his hat and necklace. His hair turned white, and his eyes began to turn golden.
Lucian, who was organizing his jacket, suddenly realized that the surroundings were quiet.
"Leah?"
Normally, he couldn't see anyone who would have come to welcome him. Lucian was scared and hurried around his mansion.
He looked around the entire mansion, including the kitchen, living room, library, and music room, but he couldn't see anything.
He was out of breath, and his hands and feet were shaking. It was a level of anxiety that could not be compared to any fear he had ever felt in his life.
"Leah!"
Lucian clutched his pounding heart and looked for Leah in the second-floor hallway.
[Lucian, did you call me?]
At that time, she came out of his room.
Lucian stopped and looked at her as if he were nailed to the nail. Leah just smiled and tilted her head as usual.
At the same time as the feeling of relief came, the emotions running wild gave rise to anger.
"Where have you been just now? I've been looking for you for a long time!"
[I was cleaning your room. Is that something to be so angry about?]
When Leah was pouting and asking why he was angry, Lucian became irritated without realizing it.
"And I told you not to go into my room without permission!"
[I just cleaned, just cleaned! This! Since when are you telling me not to come in just because I'm in and out? When I look at your room, every corner is full of dust.]
Leah flew forward, pointed to the room, and shouted. Lucian trembled and wrinkled his nose. Leah, who had a disapproving expression on her face, sighed and crossed her arms.
[Are you really okay?]
"..."
[You know that, right? You have been very irritated with me these days.]
"When did I..... !"
[Look, you are still irritated .]
Lucian, who was momentarily speechless, pursed his lips. She's right. But he doesn't want to admit it.
'I don't even know why I'm doing this."
He doesn't want to be as irritated as Leah. But he is strangely toxic and it causes him a lot of annoyance.
Once he gets angry, he may feel relieved, but soon he will be tormented by the overwhelming guilt.
[They say it happens when you go through puberty, but it doesn't seem like that's the only reason for you.]
Lucian glanced up and saw Leah who was only worried about him.
Suddenly Lucian wants to talk to her. What he had been thinking about, was his resentment and anger toward the imperial family, and the fact that he and an older brother were actually twins.
All kinds of complicated thoughts rose to the top of his throat.
[We didn't just see each other once or twice, we lived together for 7 years. Let me know if there is anything I can help with. It's because I'm worried.]
Lucian closed his mouth at Leah's next words.
Yeah, worry. He doesn't want her to worry anymore.
"... It's nothing, so leave me alone."
Even though he said some useless things, he didn't have time to look at Leah. Just controlling his emotions was exhausting.
Lucian passed by Leah and entered his room.
Clap.
Lucian locked the door and leaned against the doorway. He noticed that the room was cleaner than before he went out.
It's not that much of a mess, but there was a big difference between what was touched by Leah's touch and what was not. As he sighed and headed to bed, he saw something sitting on the desk.
Come back to the old little groom!
There was a sign pointing to the picture placed directly above along with a playful phrase. For a moment, Lucian burst into laughter.
He looked back at himself when he knew nothing.
"I've learned too much to go back to the past."
Lonely words that no one could hear were scattered in the air.
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