CHAPTER 5

All the spies planted around the Crown Prince were kicked out. Taehyung had fired a large number of senior servants and courtiers. The Duke of Mingyue and his half-brother Minjae were furious, but Richard smiled inwardly. Not only was the spy they had planted kicked out, but all his father's spies had disappeared. The result was a success. The maid who had been aiding Jungkook was a good card, but he had an even better card left. It was Taehyung who became the Crown Prince.

Taehyung liked Richard. He had seen him glancing at Richard every now and then. Taehyung was a little boy who longed for familial love, so coaxing him was a piece of cake.

When Taehyung heard he would be married off to the Crown Prince, he attempted suicide out of desperation. Lamentably, he managed to survive and would have to live the rest of his hellish life with the monstrous Crown Prince.

Seducing a little boy who was in loneliness and despair was a simple task. If he could make the Crown Princess his puppet, it would be more effective than planting ten spies.

Richard smiled lightly and headed to the Crown Prince's palace.

"Taehyung, you're nice, so you understand my heart, right? You like me."

Was there anything else that was as easy as winning the heart of a boy starved for affection?

Richard put on a sad expression on the surface while he laughed at Taehyung inwardly, but for the first time, his prediction was off. Taehyung's gaze towards Richard was full of irritation instead.

Richard was shocked.

Had he always looked that pretty? In fact, he had always been pretty. Diana's bright refreshing beauty at an early age was quite famous in social circles, but in fact, Taehyung's features were much more prominent than hers, making him appear more beautiful. However, his timid personality and longing for affection was obvious on his face, and it made him appear miserable, seeming like a jewel that lost its light.

But now he looked like a completely different person. With his beautiful appearance and imposing dignity, he was not just a ten-year-old boy, but the perfect 'Crown Prince'.

Richard thought he was just one of the many boys who liked him. He thought he was a stupid boy who became a prince so would be a little more useful.

"Taehyung, are you still angry?" Richard somehow became impatient and took Taehyung's hand, but soon, someone seized his hand. It was Jungkook, the Crown Prince.

'How dare you touch me when you're just a monster?' He thought.

Richard did not believe the rumors that the heir of the curse would transmit their curse to others, but he did not intend to be close to a cursed monster with no value. Richard angrily tried to strike Jungkook's hand, but at that moment, a powerful force spewed out of Jungkook's body. Mana (magical power) burst out from his hand, as if it was ready to pierce Richard's body.

"Get lost." Jungkook said with cold voice.

As soon as Jungkook let go of his hand, Richard hurried out of the palace.

________________________________________

After returning to the mansion, he looked at his hand.

It had been one hour since he left the palace, but his hands still hadn't stopped shaking.

What happened? How could a cursed monster wield such a powerful force? What did the Emperor do? Although the Emperor pretended to ignore the Crown Prince, he knew that the Emperor was trying his hardest to lift his son's curse. He may have found a way. Richard shook his head. That can't be it... Emperor Deahyung left for the Valley of Chaos to seal the gate of darkness. Even if he wanted to release his son's curse, he didn't have time for it. He didn't have time to do that even if he wanted to. Looking back at his hands, Richard recalled what had happened in the palace. The cursed inscriptions that covered the Crown Prince's hand remained the same. Perhaps it was not that he had used some power, but simply the energy that sprouted from the curse.

"Richard, he's no longer a normal omega. He's the Crown Prince" Jungkook glared at Richard and proudly expressed his intention.

The Crown Prince had changed. Something fundamental had changed, along with his use of power. Was it because of Taehyung? Did his presence affect the monster?

At that moment Richard's crimson eyes flashed with a deep possessiveness.

Interesting...

Richard thought of himself as a man without greed. He had never been interested in anything except for wanting to become the Emperor ever since he was young. But today...

'Taehyung. I want him.'

________________________________________

The next day, Richard sent Taehyung a gift with a letter saying he was sorry.

'What's wrong with him?' Taehyung thought irritatingly.

Did I look like I was worth using? Was he trying to seduce me, making me a spy of the Crown Prince?

He had to refuse more firmly, so he sent his presents and letters back. Melissa said it was not polite to refuse the letter too, but it seemed that that arrogant son of a bitch would only give up if Taehyung sent his letters back too.

However, another gift arrived the next day, and the day after. He kept refusing. Rather than stopping the gifts, the scale grew bigger.

"Your Highness, Richard has sent you another gift," Melissa informed him yet again.

Without looking at the gift, Taehyung said nonchalantly, "No need to tell me everytime. Just refuse them directly."

He was attacking Taehyung with gifts every single day.

"I tried to, but I heard it's a valuable treasure." Hans said.

Finally, Taehyung raised his head and looked at them, "Treasure?"

Hans nodded, "Yes. It's a ring made of mermaid's breath."

He was crazy. Taehyung almost spat out a curse without realizing it.

'The breath of a mermaid' was a mana stone with the power of the sea, a jewel that looked like a pearl. In the original story, Richard gave Diana 'The Breath of the Mermaid' a rare treasure, but why was he giving this to Taehyung instead? His mind must've become muddled just because he wanted to plant a spy in the Crown Prince's palace.

To be honest, Taehyung wondered what 'The Breath of the Mermaid' looked like. It was a jewel that was praised for its beauty in the novel.

Still Taehyung refused, "I don't need it. Tell him not to send anything again because I won't accept any of them."

"Yes, Your Highness." Hans went out with a big smile.

He told him that the present had arrived, but he seemed happy to refuse. Hans felt good.

_______________________________________

The days had only been happy since Taehyung came.

Warm light began to pour into the Crown Prince's palace. Although he was nervous for a moment because Richard showed interest in the Crown Princes, he flatly refused all of Richard's gifts and letters.

Rather than conceding to the rare treasures, Taehyung was rather annoyed. He passed his days peacefully, devouring various books, and making delicious exotic dishes. At night, he'd fall asleep holding the Crown Prince's hands tightly. He'd also help the Crown Prince bathe and didn't pay any attention to Prince Richard's blatant courtship.

Hans, Melissa, and Edon saw that and vowed once again to be loyal to him.

"But I didn't think he'd refuse 'The Breath of a Mermaid'." Melissa said.

Hans happily agreed, "I couldn't believe that he didn't even look at the treasure. There would be less than thirty of them found, even if someone searched the whole world."

Hans prepared refreshments for the Crown Prince with a heart full of emotions.

He cracked a smile as soon as he saw the boy. "Your Highness, what brings you to the kitchen?"

The Crown Prince rarely came out of his bedroom. The Emperor was not interested in Jungkook and the courtiers despised him for being a monster. But Jungkook never got angry. Nor did he resent his cursed fate. He just stayed in the bedroom alone with empty eyes, like a person who couldn't feel sadness, anger, loneliness, or even pain. He spent each day expressionlessly, as if he wouldn't care even if he died under the curse. Though hidden, his mind seemed to already be dead.

But now, the Crown Prince had changed. Laughter, tears, surprise, embarrassment, he started revealing his feelings to the fullest. His eyes used to be dim and covered with despair, unlike a normal eight-year-old boy.

"Hans." Jungkook called him softly.

"Yes, Your Highness."

After marrying Taehyung, Jungkook began to call the courtiers by their names. Before that, he gave orders, but did not call out their names or build relationships with anyone.

Jungkook had distanced himself from the people around him as if he would disappear at any moment. But now, it was different.

"When is Taehyung coming?" Jungkook hesitated and opened his mouth.

Hans had a warm smile on his lips. "He went to the blacksmith. I think he'll be back soon."

Taehyung went to the blacksmith's, saying he'd make a 'cauldron.' It was his first outing since he got married.

Jungkook pouted, "It's been two hours..."

"He's been outside for a long time. I think he stopped by somewhere else in passing." Hans informed him.

Jungkook's brows frowned, "There's a lot of dangerous people in the square..."

Jungkook had never left the palace before in his life as he was the heir to the curse. The people of the South were in a state of uneasiness and opposition because of the Crown Prince's curse. Such a prince couldn't leave the palace and go out in a leisurely manner.

For Jungkook, the square was an unknown territory. It was a place that he could only think of in his imagination, such as the Valley of Chaos or the Snow Mountain in the north.

Furthermore, in novels, the square was always described as the source of all kinds of problems that lead to problematic events.

"Don't worry, our security is the best on the continent. Besides, Sir Edon went with him." Hans reassured him with a gentle smile.

Jungkook nodded hesitantly, "Okay..."

"Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Jungkook's dim expression didn't lighten up, so Hans was also worried.

"Taehyung won't leave me, right?" Jungkook continued to pour out worries.

When Taehyung first helped him take a bath, he hesitated when Jungkook told him not to leave him. It was only for a few moments, but Jungkook kept thinking about it.

Jungkook was afraid that he might suddenly run away one day.

His life was a series of losses. Not long after his birth, his mother died and his father abandoned him. The servants also despised him. Sure, his father showed sympathy, but when he saw the cursed inscriptions, he, too, ran away. Jungkook was so used to losing. Despair was his long-time friend.

But when he thought about Taehyung leaving him, he was scared and his heart felt like it was being torn apart even if he just thought about it.

Hans smiled as he looked at the young boy standing with his head down.

There was a sense of fear in Jungkook's eyes. It was a better sign than his usual worn-out expression, though it would be better for him to smile instead.

"Your Highness, don't worry. He will never leave you." Hans said with confidence.

Hans had observed Taehyung carefully.

The world was rife with groundless rumours surrounding the heir of the curse. Regardless of gender, age, status, they made up rumours simply because the cursed inscriptions looked ominous. However, even though Taehyung was young, he was not swayed by those false rumours.

Hans thought his loyalty for the Crown Prince was second to none, but he reflected on himself after seeing Taehyung.

He had been defeated.

"Should I check on them...?" Jungkook's eyes glistened.

Soon, when Hans said he was okay, his expression visibly brightened.

Hans wondered how worried he must have been...

He hoped the two of them would be happy for a long time.

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