Crowning My Feral Prince

“These eyes… this haircut, this face. That’s right. You are Lydia’s child.”

There was no way he knew the shock that Leone had received, so the Emperor smiled brightly without suppressing his thrill. The woman who gave birth to Leone, Lydia, was the Emperor’s half-sister. Lydia was born with black hair and eyes instead of golden hair and purple eyes, which were the trademarks of the royal family. Usually, if she was of the Emperor’s blood, she was never persecuted regardless of whether she was an illegitimate child or not, but she grew up being glared at because of her appearance, which did not have the imperial family’s proof. People looked at her badly, even those who spoke kindly in front of her, calling her, “Princess Agi,” turned around and said that her mother was a prostitute, that she was of low bloodline, and that her rotting-colored hair had no dignity. However, the Emperor at that time cherished Lydia as his family. Both her mother, who believed that her father loved only himself, and her father, who had to watch her mother’s suffering throughout her life, suffered because of Lydia’s existence, but there was nothing wrong.

Although he took care of her with his love, Lydia eventually ran away from the imperial castle. She gave birth to a child from an unknown father in a faraway place. Upon hearing the news that her child, whose hair and eye color were the symbol of the imperial family, had been abandoned deep in the mountains, the Emperor immediately set up an expedition to rescue his nephew. It was the information that had come into his hands thanks to his searching all those long years, wondering if he could ever find her.

A year passed like that. The fruit of emptying the imperial castle by taking a risky gamble of leaving the aristocratic forces threatening the throne free was finally borne.

An Emperor without an heir finally found his only bloodline. He was messy and skinny. His condition was so bad that he was worried about whether or not he was ill.

He let out a beastly cry and looked at the boy shaking, and the Emperor smiled.

“Finally, the family, the bloodline, the successor…! I have found it.”

“And… Wow!”

“Long live the Emperor!”

“Long live the Atarta Empire!”

“You’ve worked hard, gentlemen!”

In an era without war, it was a long, one-year campaign. It was an arduous road. Since they couldn’t go back until they found the prince, there was no definite promise, and they couldn’t be sure whether the emperor’s power would remain the same or the seat of the knights would remain. The Emperor with dazzling blonde hair and the prince with messy but vivid purple eyes prove that he was of the imperial family. The look of the two facing each other was like a scene from a fairy tale. Even though one was confined in an iron cage and crouched down like an animal, it didn’t bother him at all.

The knights showed tears of emotion for that moment. The loud shouts of the knights drowned out Leone’s cries. Leone made a fuss that no one could hear.

After the emotions of the knights subsided, the procession moved. Leone had to lie down because he was exhausted from running amok for a long time. When they got out of the forest, the wide sky opened up. He had never seen a wide sky in the woods. Only the shattered sky was their roof.

‘Brothers, you will never be able to see this scenery in your lifes.’

That made Leone suffer. On days when he had wild dreams, it was difficult to distinguish between reality and dreams. The eyes of the brother who had looked at him affectionately for the last time followed him. Leone often ran into anything as his senses became extremely sensitive. If he smelled it, he would bite it, if he heard it, he would scratch it.

When Leone ran amok, the humans bound him with strong force, cursed at him, and screamed. He became sleepy every time he went on a rampage. There was no strength in his body and he fell asleep as if he had passed out. At that time, he fell into a strangely deep sleep. There was only darkness without a single dream. Was it because of this that he became more violent and wilder? He wanted to forget everything.

Even when he woke up, there were only people around him who hated him. There was no familiar and nostalgic smell. After Leone left the castle at some point and went into the woods, he was able to calm down a little more than in the castle where he had to keep running into the Emperor. For he could be in the moonlight, call his brothers, and run among the green trees. But he wasn’t happy. The newly arrived forest was too peaceful for beings like him as his brothers to live. He felt infinitely lonely when he realized that no matter how much he walked through the woods, he would never come across his brothers. 

Time passed just like that. Leone growled when he opened his eyes, had nightmares when he closed them, was angry with everything, and feared everything. How long had it been since he fell asleep and had an irrational time? It was difficult to tell whether the time since he was brought into this world was longer or shorter than the years he had spent with his family. It was strange that his body had grown. He came to his senses one day and found that he could not pass the cleft in the rocks he had passed before.

He became more and more lonely. Was it right that he was alive, and why should he be alive? He couldn’t know.

Then he met Trixie.

She was a human being who was initially unfamiliar and repulsive. But she held out his hand, met his eyes, and shared her kindness. Just like his family did. It’s like trying to let people know that such a mind existed. At some point, she became the reason for his life. Rather than escape into sleep and forget about his life, Leone began to focus on his time with her. It happened so quickly that even Leone didn’t notice.

* * *

The face of Trixie sleeping peacefully, the face of his brother with her eyes closed. The last of his brothers who gave him a friendly smile. Trixie’s friendly smile before collapsing… The scenes that had been intertwined in Leone’s head were gradually overlapping into one.

What if Trixie dies?

Leone’s heart started to waver. Like the laughter of his brothers, might Trixie hand over her last affection and disappear? Really, what could he do? 

It had been the fourth day since Trixie had been asleep. Leone’s palms were covered with scars from clenching his fists without realizing it.

“Wake up, Trixie.”

‘Open your eyes.’

Other than that, nothing came to mind. It seemed that Trixie would die at this rate. Since he was sitting without sleeping or eating properly, his reasoning was quickly leaving him. Maybe she was already dead. Maybe he was stupid, he was not good at it, maybe that’s why he didn’t know.

Leone’s eyes twitched. He jumped up and approached Trixie. He seemed to be relieved by checking her breathing. The moment he put his face close to Trixie’s lips.

“Leo, yes…?”

A weak voice pierced Leone’s ears. Trixie’s face formed in Leone’s eyes, who suddenly came to his senses. The color of the wide sky that his brothers would never have seen. It was in Trixie’s eyes.

Free, sad, beautiful, painful colors. Clear eyes looked at Leone.

From a distance where one of her fists could barely fit, Leone looked at Trixie. His salvation, his love, his life.

Trixie opened her eyes, back to the living world.

Leone would not lose someone important to him again. That alone made the world look beautiful.

Trixie, who had just woken up, thought as soon as she saw Leone’s face too close.

‘It’s a surprise. Why are you so close?’

The next thing that caught her eye was Leone’s emaciated face. How much time had passed? Since when did that emaciated sickly beauty add to that beautiful face? Trixie was taken aback.

“What. Me… how much.”

As she spoke in embarrassment, her voice cracked like the bark of a tree.

“How much, that… Cough, cough.”

A dry cough came out. It was only natural that she couldn’t properly hydrate throughout her sleep. Leone propped Trixie upright from her neck to her back, then brought her a glass of water. Like those who drugged the unconscious Trixie, he held a glass of water over Trixie’s lower lip. The hot red flesh pressed lightly against the cold surface.

Trixie was taken aback when she was suddenly embraced. Why was he hugging her when he could just hand her a glass of water? Wasn’t Leone taking care of her overly reliable? It must have been a really long sleep.

“Thank you.”

There was no strength in her body, so she couldn’t push it out, and it was true that she had to drink, so Trixie eventually accepted and drank the water Leone gave her. Leone’s hands were still clumsy, so he drifted aside little by little.

“Sorry.”

Leone quietly apologized. Trixie gulped down and shook her head.

“No. Thank you.”

“Lie down again.”

After she finished drinking the water, he laid her down for stability. Then he wiped the water from Trixie’s neck with his big hand. Every time his hot hand touched the nape of her neck, a chilling sensation arose.

“Are you okay?”

At Leone’s question, Trixie averted her eyes and nodded. As soon as she woke up, what the hell was this? Trixie was unconscious.

Leone let out a low breath. It would be more comfortable to sit on the chair next to her, but Leone didn’t even think of sitting down, but put one of his hands on the bed to support him, and leaned over to stare at Trixie.

“Thank God…”

Trixie, who was embarrassed for nothing thinking that they were close, was taken aback when she took a good look at Leone. He had a face as if he was about to cry. It was the first time Leone showed that face. And it was a face that looked pitiful as if his heart would be torn apart.

“What… Leone.”

She had no energy, but Trixie struggled to raise her hand. Leone’s cheek touched her hand. His skin was rough.

“I… slept too long Sorry.”

Wanting to reassure Leone, Trixie laughed.

“It’s nothing. Haha. I was worried about my dog and… Oh, oh, oh, oh.”

She deliberately gave him affection in a more exaggerated voice. But Leone didn’t show a relieved face or a friendly look.

“…Trixie.”

Rather, his eyes were shaking. His eyes looked shocked.

‘…why?’

And seeing that face, Trixie couldn’t help but be embarrassed.