Chapter 4 Stay Beside Me

The audience chamber remained frozen in silence.

Nobody moved.

Nobody dared speak.

Because the impossible had just happened.

The Crown Prince laughed.

And the reason was standing calmly beside him like he hadn’t just shocked the entire room.

Kael kept his expression polite, but internally he already regretted speaking so recklessly.

In his first life, he was careful.

Patient.

Elegant with words.

But now every time he looked at Duke Serdan, memories of blood and betrayal resurfaced so vividly that controlling himself became difficult.

Lucien leaned lazily against the armrest of his chair, crimson eyes still carrying traces of amusement.

Meanwhile, Duke Serdan’s smile had stiffened slightly.

Only slightly.

But Kael noticed.

Good.

“Lord Kael has a sharp tongue,” the duke said smoothly.

Kael answered calmly, “I prefer honesty.”

Lucien rested his chin against one gloved hand.

“How refreshing.”

The northern nobles looked increasingly uncomfortable.

Kael almost felt bad for them.

Almost.

Serdan quickly recovered his composure and continued speaking.

“The North hopes to strengthen ties with the empire through trade agreements and military cooperation.”

Kael’s eyes narrowed faintly.

Lies.

In the future, those “trade agreements” secretly allowed northern forces to move weapons through imperial territory.

That single mistake eventually fueled the rebellion.

And Kael had approved the documents himself.

A wave of self-hatred struck him unexpectedly.

Lucien’s voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

“What do you think, Kael?”

Kael blinked.

The room instantly turned toward him.

Even Serdan looked surprised.

In the past, Lucien never asked for his opinion publicly this early.

Kael carefully composed himself.

“The proposal sounds beneficial on the surface,” he said slowly.

Serdan smiled again.

“But?”

Kael met the duke’s eyes directly.

“But military cooperation requires trust. And trust should not be built through rushed agreements.”

The duke’s expression remained pleasant.

Yet something cold flashed behind his eyes.

Interesting.

So he was already impatient.

Lucien tapped his fingers lightly against the chair.

A habit Kael knew very well.

The prince was thinking.

Finally, Lucien spoke.

“The discussion will continue next month.”

The northern nobles immediately stiffened.

Serdan lowered his head politely.

“As Your Highness wishes.”

But Kael noticed the irritation hidden beneath that elegant smile.

Good.

Delay the agreement.

Watch the nobles.

Find the traitors.

This time, Kael would destroy the conspiracy before it ever reached Lucien.

The meeting ended shortly after.

As the northern delegation left the chamber, Serdan paused briefly beside Kael.

“You seem different from the rumors, Lord Kael.”

Kael smiled faintly.

“And you seem exactly like them.”

For the first time, the duke’s smile disappeared completely.

Then he walked away.

The moment the chamber doors closed—

Silence returned.

Lucien remained seated while the surrounding servants nervously avoided eye contact.

Finally, the Crown Prince spoke.

“Everyone leave.”

The servants instantly bowed and rushed out.

Within seconds, only Kael and Lucien remained inside the massive chamber.

Kael suddenly felt nervous.

Which was ridiculous.

He had spent years beside this man before.

Yet now his heartbeat refused to calm down.

Lucien slowly stood from his chair.

The sound of his boots echoed across the marble floor as he approached.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Kael stayed still.

Lucien stopped directly in front of him again.

Too close.

Far too close.

“You hate him,” the prince said quietly.

Kael’s pulse skipped.

“…Who?”

“Duke Serdan.”

Kael forced himself to remain calm.

“I only distrust him.”

Lucien studied him silently.

Those crimson eyes always felt overwhelming at close distance.

Like standing before a predator deciding whether to bite.

Then unexpectedly, Lucien reached out.

Kael froze.

Long pale fingers brushed lightly against Kael’s shoulder.

Removing something invisible.

Dust.

Just dust.

Yet Kael’s entire body tensed anyway.

Lucien noticed immediately.

The prince’s gaze darkened slightly.

“…You dislike being touched?”

Kael opened his mouth, then hesitated.

Because the truth was complicated.

In his first life, physical contact never bothered him.

But after dying?

After waking again with memories of blood, chains, and Lucien holding him while he died—

everything felt different now.

Kael lowered his gaze slightly.

“…No.”

Lucien’s voice became softer.

“Then why are you trembling?”

Kael realized too late that his hands were shaking.

Damn it.

He quickly clenched them behind his back.

“I’m simply tired.”

A lie.

Lucien clearly knew it was a lie too.

But instead of exposing him, the Crown Prince suddenly sighed quietly.

“You’ve been strange since this morning.”

Kael forced a calm expression.

“My apologies.”

“There you go again.”

Lucien sounded annoyed now.

“I told you to stop apologizing.”

Kael blinked.

The prince stepped even closer.

Their distance disappeared entirely.

Kael could smell faint cedar and steel from Lucien’s clothes.

Dangerous.

Everything about this situation felt dangerous.

Then Lucien said something Kael never expected.

“Did you dream about dying?”

Kael’s heart stopped.

For one horrifying second, he genuinely thought Lucien remembered everything.

Kael looked up sharply.

Lucien’s expression remained unreadable.

But his eyes…

His eyes looked strangely intense.

“You look at people,” Lucien continued quietly, “like you’re afraid they’ll disappear.”

Kael couldn’t breathe.

Because he was right.

Everyone did disappear.

Ethan died.

The knights died.

The palace burned.

Lucien—

Kael immediately looked away.

“…It was only a nightmare.”

A long silence followed.

Then suddenly—

Lucien lifted a hand toward his face.

Kael instinctively flinched.

The movement happened too fast to hide.

Everything went still.

Lucien’s hand froze midair.

Kael realized what he had done too late.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

The Crown Prince slowly lowered his hand.

His expression became colder.

Not angry.

Worse.

Hurt.

Kael’s chest tightened painfully.

No.

That wasn’t what he meant—

But before he could explain, Lucien stepped back.

“Leave the palace with me tomorrow.”

Kael blinked in confusion.

“…What?”

“We’re inspecting the western territory.”

That wasn’t scheduled.

In the previous timeline, Lucien never visited the western territory this early.

Kael frowned slightly.

“Why suddenly?”

Lucien turned away from him.

“Because I said so.”

Kael stared at his back silently.

Still the same terrible way of explaining things.

But then Lucien spoke again.

This time, quieter.

“So stay beside me tomorrow.”

Kael froze completely.

For a brief moment, the proud Crown Prince no longer sounded commanding.

He sounded almost…

lonely.

And Kael suddenly remembered the final thing Lucien said before he died.

Please… don’t leave me again.

Kael slowly lowered his eyes.

“…Alright.”

Behind him, Lucien’s fingers relaxed slightly.

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