TAPGB - Chapter 123
The Abandoned Prince's Ghost Bride
The moment Serena turned around to leave, she belatedly found Leah next to Lucian.
When Leah glanced at Serena with cold eyes, Serena also looked at her with disapproving eyes.
"No matter how much you like the woman, it's the same. Should you bring her to a place like this? Distinguish between public life and personal life. I knew she was going to say something about your brother."
"Oh my! What are you talking about now?"
Before Lucian could say anything, Leopold jumped up and headed to the flagship.
"Leah came to check on my condition! And that woman! You can't say that to Leah!"
Although Leopold may have reacted more excessively than expected, it was convenient that Lucian and Serena did not have to fight pointlessly because he supported them.
Serena made an aggrieved expression, probably shocked by the fact that Leopold was siding with Leah and not her.
Soon, her arrow hit Leah.
"How on earth did you seduce such an innocent child?"
"Oh my!"
"Leopold, if it weren't for Lucian, she would have been kicked out a long time ago. So, please understand me this time."
Serena passed by, tapping Leah's shoulder. Leah let out a laugh as she left and saw her closed door.
"This is absurd. Does she have any resentment towards me?"
"Well, maybe it's me, not Leah. I'm sorry. Leah. She says things like that because of me."
"Lucian! Don't apologize! How could that be because of you! I didn't like that girl anyway! Even though I pretended to be very noble, I.....!"
"Leah."
As Lucian tightened his grip, Leah closed her mouth.
He was upset. When he thought about how she had been treated like that by his parents in a place she didn't know, he wanted to overthrow the imperial palace right now.
'Just wait and see. If I leave here, I won't leave you alone.'
Leah internally gritted her teeth and swallowed her anger towards Serena.
"Lucian! Is it true that Momma kept doing that to you?"
"Brother, calm down."
"How can I calm this down! Are you not even angry? Just get angry! No matter if you get angry, break things, or do anything, your parents have no right to say anything to you!"
"That's right! That's right!"
Fortunately, Leopold relieved him of his frustration. Leah was right next to him and agreed with Leopold's words.
Rather, the person involved, Lucian, did not show any reaction.
"My parents are really cruel too. Are they calling you this way and treating you differently as my substitute? I'm really not sure if that person is the mother I know."
"I didn't say anything because I was in front of my brother right now. When I do it, I do it too. So you don't have to worry too much. Ha, Lucian."
Leopold placed Lucian's hand on his forehead and let out a deep sigh.
"You need to know how to stand up for your rights more."
Lucian's eyes wavered as he saw Leopold's hard gaze for the first time in a long time.
Soon he smiled and nodded.
"Huh."
"Ugh, ugh, ugh! What should I do if the child is so gentle? Wasn't it difficult to act as my replacement? If you're an Emperor, there are a lot of things you have to worry about."
"It's okay because I took care of everything. There's Harry and Dio too."
"You are so unreliable. If any bastards have been harassing you, tell me everything! I'll give them a huge hit!"
It was truly reassuring, but somehow it didn't seem trustworthy.
'And Lucian is not gentle.'
This time, even his lover Leah could not agree with Leopold's words.
After that, Leah checked Leopold's physical condition as she always did.
It's been 5 days since Leopold woke up.
Even today, his soul was spotless and bright white.
As Age advised, I think I should never let go of doubt, but whenever I saw Leopold's appearance during a conversation or the color of his soul so vividly, my mind tended to lean to one side little by little.
'Isn't it really Leopold?'
Such hope.
But since it hasn't even been a week since he woke up, I won't be quick to judge.
"You're still weak, but your recovery speed is good. I think you just need to keep taking care of your body like this."
"Ha, I hope you get better quickly. It's frustrating because I can't get out of bed."
"You can't even hold a spoon yet."
"No. I can do that much. Look."
Leopold grabbed the ballpoint pen next to the table. He actually succeeded in holding it, but his hand lost strength and quickly fell to the floor.
Leopold's face became glum when he saw that.
"It's frustrating when your body doesn't move properly. If you continue to rehabilitate, you will be fine."
"You sound like someone who has been rehabilitated?"
"Because I've tried it."
At Leah's words, something appears in Leopold's eyes.
"You went through rehabilitation? What happened?"
Leah hesitated to speak for a moment. She still hasn't explained to him how she went from a ghost to a human.
As for the reason, there was no opportunity to explain it, and there was also the fact that she did not want to talk about sealing in a situation where he might be Leon and not Leopold.
Wondering what to do, Leah made eye contact with Lucian.
Lucian nodded silently. It was a gesture to speak.
Thinking that he might have something in mind, Leah had no choice but to tell Leopold about her seal. After hearing her story. Leopold showed an interesting reaction.
"So, you're saying you're from a long time ago? You're almost like an ancestor!"
"Ancestor..... Well, let's say so."
"Still, it's too much to do. Leah, what on earth did you do to make the first Emperor do something like that?"
"Haha..."
"It was definitely something the first Emperor did wrong. I'm glad you got your body back now."
Leah laughed silently. Looking at Leopold's reactions so far, she felt like it wasn't Leon.
Is it really true that Leopold's soul no longer exists in Leopold's body?
The thought began to sprout.
***
"So, after the handover, have you said anything about how your parents will treat you?"
While talking about future events, Leopold looked back at Lucian.
"I decided to return some of the wealth I had built to myself and receive a considerable amount of money per year of service. I've been doing it for a total of 5 years, so I won't have to worry about making a living in the future."
"Nothing else than that!"
Lucian rolled his eyes at the sight of his eyes burning. Leopold hit the blanket in frustration.
"Didn't I say that I would recognize you as the official Prince?"
"..."
Lucian's silence was like an answer. At this, Leopold's mouth trembled and veins stood out on his forehead.
"Okay, let's say there were circumstances before! But not like this! Does it make sense for me to use you as I please and then go back to acting like strangers?!"
"It's okay."
"I'm not okay! You keep saying it's okay, so your parents aren't treating you this poorly!"
"It's because it's really okay."
Leopold stopped hissing and looked at Lucian.
"It was for my brother that I was here in the first place. I don't want anything else."
"..."
"Well, it was half my own and half your own, but I knew better than anyone how hard my brother worked to prepare for this, so I didn't want to ruin it. I was just happy to help because I thought I could."
Leopold's eyes turned red at the sincere words.
"And I don't want to be here anymore."
"Why? Maybe it's because of my parents..."
"It's not like that. This place just doesn't suit me. I always have to keep myself in check, and I feel like I'm being watched by people around me. They almost beat me up a month after becoming my brother's double?"
The pressure of being Crown Prince or emperor always weighed on his shoulders.
"My original dream was to travel the world freely. To see the world with Leah."
As Lucian faced her with warm eyes, Leah held his hand tightly. As a pink air current flowed between the two, Leopold opened his mouth.
"... Are you really going to get married?"
Leah's body shook at the word marriage.
"Marriage...... with who?"
Leah, who is happiest now and dating Lucian requires great courage, has never thought about marriage at all.
No, more accurately, it would be closer to not being able to think of the next step.
Leah, who was in a panic, looked to the side with an expression of uncertainty. Lucian blushed and felt embarrassed.
'Has Lucian even thought about getting married?'
As she stared at him in surprise, Lucian noticed her gaze and turned to look at Leah.
Soon he stopped and tilted his head.
"Aren't you going to marry me?"
"No, that's..."
Lucian was quite shocked by the hesitation.
Even though their palms have to meet to make a sound, the two's palms didn't even touch each other, let alone make a sound.
"...You two agreed, right?"
Leopold, who spoke first, seemed to notice. Leah and Lucian, who had been staring blankly at each other, suddenly came to their senses at the sound of his voice.
Leah's cheeks got hot for a moment and she jumped up from her seat.
"..... I'll go first!"
In the end, she chose to run away. Lucian didn't catch her as she slipped out of the room in a flash.
Lucian stared at the closed door for a long time, covered his face, and sighed.
"Hmm... Cheer up, Lucian. Sometimes things like this happen. There are a lot of women in the world, so even if you get dumped..."
"Who got dumped!"
When Lucian shouted, Leopold became depressed.
"You two are dating, right?"
Lucian added that it was obvious, but for some reason, he couldn't say more than that.
'Could it be that Lia wasn't forced to accept me?'
Looking back on Leah's past, it's not that strange. Because she had been taking care of him since his childhood, she was skeptical about being in a romantic relationship.
'Still, I thought you liked me.'
Last time, out of fear that he might become anxious, didn't she promise to be by his side in the end?
Looking back, he can see that things have definitely changed from the past.....
Are she worried about dating and marriage because they are different issues?
Lucian suddenly became anxious that Leah might leave his side, saying that this wasn't the case.
Leopold looked at Lucian, wondering if it was because of him that the relationship between them had become strained.
"Well, I'm still jealous. There is a woman you like enough to even think about marrying her. I wish I were like you."
It was said from a consolation level. However, Lucian felt a sense of discomfort and raised his head.
"To the point where you even think about getting married?"
"Yes, that means you like Leah that much. I don't think it's Lia, but..."
Leopold's words pierced his heart, but there was something more important than that.
"Brother."
"Huh?"
"..... Brother also has a woman you like enough to think about marrying her."
Leopold opened his eyes wide. Lucian watched his older brother with calm eyes.
Comments
Post a Comment