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Chapter 02
“No, this—this was a mistake!”
I quickly pulled my hand away from his chest. Friedrich bit his lip hard and hastily straightened the front of his open robe.
What was with that outfit? And more importantly—why on earth was he here instead of in the dungeon?
I stared at him in disbelief.
“Why are you here?”
Friedrich just bit his lip again and lowered his head without answering.
He looked adorably demure—but it was frustrating. I frowned and pressed him.
“Who brought you here?”
Then Friedrich lifted his head and met my eyes directly.
Wow, even his eyes are handsome. Too bad the look he gave me wasn’t a kind one.
“By your command, Your Highness.”
Nice voice… sounds like a voice actor. Wait—
“By my command?”
That was news to me. I shook my head, dumbfounded.
“What are you talking about? I’ve been asleep this whole time.”
“Since Your Highness commanded it, the maids must have brought me here.”
“…My maids?”
That’s when I remembered what Elsa had said before I went to bed.
“Then I’ll make sure everything’s prepared for a comfortable night’s rest, Your Highness.”
Wait—by “comfortable,” did she mean preparing my prospective husband to attend to me for the night?!
No wonder she was looking at me like a cat with all its fur on end.
Well, I suppose everyone thinks I brought Friedrich here to use him like a slave for… various things.
He probably thinks that too.
“If Your Highness intends to violate me…”
That was when Friedrich spoke, with a grave look on his face.
“You’d best give up. I’ll bite my tongue right here and—”
“Whoa, wait, calm down! I haven’t done anything yet.”
I quickly raised my hands to stop him—then awkwardly added, remembering what I’d done earlier,
“That earlier thing was an accident. I didn’t even realize someone was next to me.”
“…”
“Sorry for having you dragged here. My maid’s a bit too resourceful for her own good.”
His violet eyes flickered faintly—maybe he hadn’t expected an apology.
“She probably thought I’d ‘need’ you tonight. But I don’t plan on doing anything with a kid.”
At that, Friedrich’s eyebrows twitched.
Offended? Probably. But it’s true.
I ignored it and gestured over his shoulder with a finger.
He looked confused for a moment, then noticed the water glass and handed it to me.
Long, slender fingers—prettier than mine, honestly.
I downed the water in one go and gave it back.
“So yeah, you can relax and sleep. Isn’t this place more comfortable than the dungeon anyway?”
“…”
“We’re leaving for a long journey tomorrow, so better save your strength.”
With that, I turned away and lay down.
But no matter how much time passed, I didn’t hear any movement behind me.
I must have dozed off waiting for him to lie down.
When I woke again, he was gone.
Yawning, I sat up and checked the clock—it was just past midnight.
“Guess now’s the perfect time to make a run for it.”
Might as well go find him.
Quietly, I slipped out of the room.
There’s only one place he could’ve gone.
Knowing Friedrich’s thought process inside and out, I headed for the deserted royal garden.
I’d noticed a small hole in the wall there—just big enough for a child to crawl through.
I waited on the outside, and soon enough, I heard grunting noises—then a small head popped out.
A child of about ten, with long black hair and violet eyes.
Smiling brightly, I greeted him.
“Hi there!”
The kid froze, eyes wide in horror, and tried to wriggle back through the hole.
No chance.
Still smiling, I caught his shoulder and helped him squeeze the rest of the way out.
He struggled, but I easily pulled him free.
“You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”
I asked kindly, and the child gave me a sharp glare, looking utterly confused.
I watched him for a moment—then my expression hardened.
“Friedrich Kill.”
The boy flinched, his face clearly showing that I’d struck a nerve, even though he’d probably guessed I already knew.
“What do you think would happen if people found out the fallen prince of Kiel tried to escape—and that he turns into a child at midnight?”
Friedrich’s face went pale.
He looked at me as if to ask how I knew. I just shrugged.
“I’m a sorceress, Your Highness. You think I wouldn’t notice a spell like that?”
“…A curse,” he muttered bitterly.
“It’s a curse.”
Fair enough. From his perspective, it would feel that way.
In the original story, that curse earned him the title ‘the Monster Prince’ and got him shunned by his own kingdom.
So it wasn’t that they were hiding him because he was too beautiful to show the world after all.
He’d been cursed since his fifteenth birthday—five years. Imagine the torment.
He’d been the kingdom’s beloved youngest prince before that, so the sudden rejection must have hurt even more.
Thinking about it now, he seemed almost—
“What are you doing?!”
Blood welled from his mouth.
I quickly reached for him and pried his lips open.
He’d bitten his tongue—blood was seeping out. He glared up at me, furious.
“Just leave me,” he said hoarsely.
“Ha, you expect me to watch you die right in front of me?”
“I’m a dead man anyway.”
Friedrich spoke calmly, almost too calmly.
“If they find out I tried to escape and that I’m under this wretched curse, I’ll be branded a demon and burned alive. So before that happens—”
“Who said I’d let you die?”
I cut him off sharply, and he blinked at me in confusion.
Then I remembered what I’d said earlier and added awkwardly,
“That was just to scare you, okay?”
Call it establishing dominance.
“I told you—I plan to make you my husband.”
I ruffled his hair roughly.
“And that means I won’t tell anyone what I saw tonight.”
He looked even more baffled.
“…Why?”
“Why not? Killing you wouldn’t benefit me in any way.”
“There must be plenty of men more suitable for you, Your Highness.”
“Maybe. But none of them are as pretty as you.”
I said it sincerely, and his face went slack with shock.
He probably thought I was joking. I wasn’t.
Even in the story, he was the most beautiful man in the entire world.
I chuckled, tore off a strip from my dress sleeve, and rolled it up into a little wad.
“So open your mouth. If you don’t stop the bleeding, you’ll really die.”
Thankfully, he hadn’t bitten too deep—it didn’t look fatal.
He hesitated, then slightly parted his lips. I gently pushed the cloth inside.
“You thought I’d heal you with magic if you bit your tongue, didn’t you?”
When I said that knowingly, he glared at me in astonishment.
He mumbled something against the cloth, but it just came out muffled.
“Sorry, but I’m not that kind of magician. I can barely keep myself alive, so don’t do anything stupid.”
“Mmph, mmph!”
“Alright, quiet now. Let’s go.”
He tried to pull his hand away when I offered it, eyes defiant.
“Now, now, children should listen to adults.”
Smiling, I grabbed his hand anyway. He struggled a few times, but—
As expected, he didn’t stand a chance. No matter how strong he’d become later, right now he was just a kid.
Eventually, he gave up, letting me hold his hand, only fidgeting now and then as if it tickled.
He looked adorably sulky—like a pouting child.
And I had to admit… it was kind of cute.
