I took another room for the Prince on the second floor of the dorm. I came in quietly to talk to him alone.
The Prince was happy even in a shabby bed, having suffered so much while wandering.
“What is your name? When you return to my kingdom, I will never forget you and will reward you greatly.”
“...”
Well, you're still in the stage of denying reality.
In that case, let's go with the official method!
...Actually, it’s too hard to think about it.
“My name is Vania. What is your name, Prince?”
“Huh? You know I’m a prince, but you don’t know my name? I am Crown Prince Merchen Farnese, the eldest son of His Majesty King Dominic Farnese III and Queen Anna Moltke Farnese, and the rightful heir to the throne.”
Long...
Anyway, I learned a name I didn't know.
"Yes, Prince Merchen. First, I have a question to ask... Why are you continuing to head south of the continent?"
“I want to return to the kingdom.”
I knew it. The Prince seems to be in denial right now. He thinks that when he returns, the kingdom will remain as it was, as if it were a lie.
'No, maybe that's what you want to believe.'
I felt sorry for him, but I calmly pulled myself together and said:
"I'm sorry, Prince. The Farnese is a dynasty that fell 600 years ago. At that time, they were attacked by demons who suddenly appeared. Since then, it's become a cursed land, periodically haunted by demons. There's nothing there, even if you go there."
“...”
Merchen bit his lip in silence. He'd probably heard this story hundreds of times from others anyway.
“...That’s not true. Once you go, you’ll know. Ah!”
Merchen grabbed my shoulder.
"Yes, you! You know me, don't you? If what you say is true, how could you know me, a man from 600 years ago?"
"Because the Prince kept saying it. Other people don't believe it, but I do."
“...”
“And the reason I believe you, Prince, is because I know there is a monster inside you.”
Merchen's eyes widened.
No one knows he's a monster. Probably, everyone who witnessed the transformation died.
"It's not that the Prince didn't die and live for 600 years. It's that the monster inside you lived and roamed for 600 years. To understand why the hell prince awoke after 600 years, we'll have to take that monster out and ask him."
"What, what are you talking about? Are you crazy? You know what that, that monster is!"
"Calm down, I'm not suggesting we do this now. Even if we take it out right now, there's no way to subdue it other than killing it..."
I haven't stolen my fourth brother's blessing yet.
“So, if you’re worried that I might attack the Prince and intentionally bring out that monster, you don’t have to.”
“Oh, no...”
Merchen's eyes shook.
I know that if he gets hurt, a monster will come out...
I'm sure you have a lot to ask.
“First, look at this.”
I waved the wanted poster for 'Ratan' in front of Merchen.
"The Prince has killed so many people while in the monster form that you're now wanted across the continent. Even if we report your transformation and ask for help, no one will be able to help. If it becomes clear you're a monster, the only solution is to kill him."
“I... I didn’t do it. I killed people...”
"I know. It's the monster's doing. But unfortunately, there's no way to separate the Prince from the monster. So, as cold as it may sound, I have to ask... Do you want to live or die?"
"What?!"
"If we continue like this, every time the Prince gets seriously injured, a monster will emerge and go around killing everyone. If you don't want that, just behead the Prince while you're still sane. Then, the monster will die too."
Merhen's face turned pale.
Ratan can be eliminated by killing him instantly while he is in a Merchen state.
Even if you clumsily poison it or wound it until it's close to death, Ratan will just pop out.
Either kill him in one fell swoop or get Ryan's help.
‘Or, since he already has <Instant Death>, he could do it...’
Oh, there's one more thing.
How Ratan personally cuts off his lifeline while he's a monster.
'But there's no way that bad monster would do that.'
Even before the return, it was Merchen who killed Ratan. This was because Merchen's ego had grown stronger as he switched between monster and human form dozens, hundreds of times.
He, who no longer wanted to kill innocent people, personally turned his own head into Ratan...
'It's terrible.'
I shook my head to shake the thought off and said.
“You know that even if you try to kill yourself by the Prince’s hand, if you don’t die instantly, you’ll turn into a monster, right?”
“...”
"If you wish to live, there is a way to subdue the monster within you. If it should ever break out, it will be unable to eat or harm people."
Merchen's lips trembled.
“Do you want to live or do you want to die?”
“You... who the hell are you...”
"I'm sorry, but I don't really have anything to say about that. I'm just someone who can help you live a peaceful life, even with the monster inside you. For now, just know that."
“...”
"Suspicious, right? I know. But please, believe me. I can't stand to see the monster inside the Prince kill any more people... So, out of good intentions, I'm trying to help everyone."
Merchen remained silent. His eyes wavered, as if he was pondering something, and he remained silent...
Then, after a long time, he said.
“So, you know how to control the monster inside me... and I want to live together for the rest of my life... is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes, that’s right. You have to stay with me for the rest of your life.”
“...”
“If you don’t like it, I have no choice but to kill the Prince. I’m truly sorry.”
He must know that if he keeps wandering around like this, Ratan will pop out again at some point.
Then, it also means that he will be massacring people unintentionally...
Anyway, only Merchen's choice remained.
Should he just die with the monster?
Or maybe he should just follow strangers and survive.
“Your Highness.”
I took his hand.
"The choice is yours, Prince, but I wish you could live. Waking up without a home or family... Of course, I know it must be so hard that you'd want to die."
“...”
"Still, as we live, there will surely come a day. Ah, I'm glad I didn't die then... That's the day when you'll think that."
My heart ached a little.
To this Prince, who was still too young to have lost everything and been eaten by a monster...
The reality is that if you don't like the only option, you have to die, and that's what I have to say so coldly.
I told Merchen to think about it a little more on his own.
Neither my father nor my brother knows that you are a prince and a monster, so if you don't want to be reported, you should keep quiet...
We're planning on leaving this place tomorrow, so he needs to make a decision by tomorrow.
And even though I was sleepy, I held it in.
Early in the morning, when everyone is asleep.
After slapping my cheeks to chase away the sleep, I squatted down in front of Merchen's room.
Wait.
Squeak.
The door opens quietly.
Merchen, who had been sneaking out, was startled when he found me sitting down in front of the room.
‘Yeah, I knew it...’
I asked with a sigh.
“Where are you going?”
“...”
Merchen glanced down the empty hallway and then ran away from me.
'Oh, geez.'
The Eyes of the Mirror - The Shackles of Bondage
"Ugh."
Marche froze in place.
He was embarrassed.
"What...?"
The Prince was happy even in a shabby bed, having suffered so much while wandering.
“What is your name? When you return to my kingdom, I will never forget you and will reward you greatly.”
“...”
Well, you're still in the stage of denying reality.
In that case, let's go with the official method!
...Actually, it’s too hard to think about it.
“My name is Vania. What is your name, Prince?”
“Huh? You know I’m a prince, but you don’t know my name? I am Crown Prince Merchen Farnese, the eldest son of His Majesty King Dominic Farnese III and Queen Anna Moltke Farnese, and the rightful heir to the throne.”
Long...
Anyway, I learned a name I didn't know.
"Yes, Prince Merchen. First, I have a question to ask... Why are you continuing to head south of the continent?"
“I want to return to the kingdom.”
I knew it. The Prince seems to be in denial right now. He thinks that when he returns, the kingdom will remain as it was, as if it were a lie.
'No, maybe that's what you want to believe.'
I felt sorry for him, but I calmly pulled myself together and said:
"I'm sorry, Prince. The Farnese is a dynasty that fell 600 years ago. At that time, they were attacked by demons who suddenly appeared. Since then, it's become a cursed land, periodically haunted by demons. There's nothing there, even if you go there."
“...”
Merchen bit his lip in silence. He'd probably heard this story hundreds of times from others anyway.
“...That’s not true. Once you go, you’ll know. Ah!”
Merchen grabbed my shoulder.
"Yes, you! You know me, don't you? If what you say is true, how could you know me, a man from 600 years ago?"
"Because the Prince kept saying it. Other people don't believe it, but I do."
“...”
“And the reason I believe you, Prince, is because I know there is a monster inside you.”
Merchen's eyes widened.
No one knows he's a monster. Probably, everyone who witnessed the transformation died.
"It's not that the Prince didn't die and live for 600 years. It's that the monster inside you lived and roamed for 600 years. To understand why the hell prince awoke after 600 years, we'll have to take that monster out and ask him."
"What, what are you talking about? Are you crazy? You know what that, that monster is!"
"Calm down, I'm not suggesting we do this now. Even if we take it out right now, there's no way to subdue it other than killing it..."
I haven't stolen my fourth brother's blessing yet.
“So, if you’re worried that I might attack the Prince and intentionally bring out that monster, you don’t have to.”
“Oh, no...”
Merchen's eyes shook.
I know that if he gets hurt, a monster will come out...
I'm sure you have a lot to ask.
“First, look at this.”
I waved the wanted poster for 'Ratan' in front of Merchen.
"The Prince has killed so many people while in the monster form that you're now wanted across the continent. Even if we report your transformation and ask for help, no one will be able to help. If it becomes clear you're a monster, the only solution is to kill him."
“I... I didn’t do it. I killed people...”
"I know. It's the monster's doing. But unfortunately, there's no way to separate the Prince from the monster. So, as cold as it may sound, I have to ask... Do you want to live or die?"
"What?!"
"If we continue like this, every time the Prince gets seriously injured, a monster will emerge and go around killing everyone. If you don't want that, just behead the Prince while you're still sane. Then, the monster will die too."
Merhen's face turned pale.
Ratan can be eliminated by killing him instantly while he is in a Merchen state.
Even if you clumsily poison it or wound it until it's close to death, Ratan will just pop out.
Either kill him in one fell swoop or get Ryan's help.
‘Or, since he already has <Instant Death>, he could do it...’
Oh, there's one more thing.
How Ratan personally cuts off his lifeline while he's a monster.
'But there's no way that bad monster would do that.'
Even before the return, it was Merchen who killed Ratan. This was because Merchen's ego had grown stronger as he switched between monster and human form dozens, hundreds of times.
He, who no longer wanted to kill innocent people, personally turned his own head into Ratan...
'It's terrible.'
I shook my head to shake the thought off and said.
“You know that even if you try to kill yourself by the Prince’s hand, if you don’t die instantly, you’ll turn into a monster, right?”
“...”
"If you wish to live, there is a way to subdue the monster within you. If it should ever break out, it will be unable to eat or harm people."
Merchen's lips trembled.
“Do you want to live or do you want to die?”
“You... who the hell are you...”
"I'm sorry, but I don't really have anything to say about that. I'm just someone who can help you live a peaceful life, even with the monster inside you. For now, just know that."
“...”
"Suspicious, right? I know. But please, believe me. I can't stand to see the monster inside the Prince kill any more people... So, out of good intentions, I'm trying to help everyone."
Merchen remained silent. His eyes wavered, as if he was pondering something, and he remained silent...
Then, after a long time, he said.
“So, you know how to control the monster inside me... and I want to live together for the rest of my life... is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes, that’s right. You have to stay with me for the rest of your life.”
“...”
“If you don’t like it, I have no choice but to kill the Prince. I’m truly sorry.”
He must know that if he keeps wandering around like this, Ratan will pop out again at some point.
Then, it also means that he will be massacring people unintentionally...
Anyway, only Merchen's choice remained.
Should he just die with the monster?
Or maybe he should just follow strangers and survive.
“Your Highness.”
I took his hand.
"The choice is yours, Prince, but I wish you could live. Waking up without a home or family... Of course, I know it must be so hard that you'd want to die."
“...”
"Still, as we live, there will surely come a day. Ah, I'm glad I didn't die then... That's the day when you'll think that."
My heart ached a little.
To this Prince, who was still too young to have lost everything and been eaten by a monster...
The reality is that if you don't like the only option, you have to die, and that's what I have to say so coldly.
***
I told Merchen to think about it a little more on his own.
Neither my father nor my brother knows that you are a prince and a monster, so if you don't want to be reported, you should keep quiet...
We're planning on leaving this place tomorrow, so he needs to make a decision by tomorrow.
And even though I was sleepy, I held it in.
Early in the morning, when everyone is asleep.
After slapping my cheeks to chase away the sleep, I squatted down in front of Merchen's room.
Wait.
Squeak.
The door opens quietly.
Merchen, who had been sneaking out, was startled when he found me sitting down in front of the room.
‘Yeah, I knew it...’
I asked with a sigh.
“Where are you going?”
“...”
Merchen glanced down the empty hallway and then ran away from me.
'Oh, geez.'
The Eyes of the Mirror - The Shackles of Bondage
"Ugh."
Marche froze in place.
He was embarrassed.
"What...?"
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