How the Sidekick Prince Lives Again

“I guess it was when His Majesty suddenly rushed to me and grabbed my wrist……”

“Has this happened often so far?”

Khalid interrupted Renato’s words and asked. Then, he moved his thumb along the scratches on the back of Renato’s hand. The sensation of swollen skin touching his fingertips caused a drop in his already bad mood.

In a way, it could be called an insignificant wound, but Khalid did not think so. He regretted leaving Renato and returning to the official residence alone yesterday. Had he known beforehand that Blanche would use violence against Renato, he would have brought Renato to the official residence for whatever reason.

“Today is the first time. Before this, he just shouted and threw things……”

“Threw things? Ha.”

Khalid inadvertently raised his voice before sneering with a shocked expression. The pit of his stomach, which had been hot as if on fire from the moment he discovered the wound, was now boiling.

“I didn’t expect the so-called Empress to be that kind of violent offender.”

“Violent offender……”

“It is not violence only when one directly hits and injures your body. Pouring out harsh words and throwing objects are undeniably violence.”

“Ah……”

Hearing Khalid’s words, Renato let out a sigh. ‘Is that so,’ he muttered in a voice so faint that even Khalid couldn’t hear.

Blanche yelling at him and throwing objects was something he had experienced since childhood. Renato had thought that Blanche, unable to hit him directly as the Empress, was expressing his anger with his actions.

But thanks to Khalid, he realized that wasn’t the case. He had been assaulted by Blanche not only today but all this time.

“Renato……”

Khalid looked at Renato, whose complexion had turned pale, with a pitying gaze. His anger toward Blanche was raging, but now he had to put up with it. Things could get messed up if he caused trouble before the wedding.

But he would never forget this debt. Thinking he would pay this back someday, Khalid took a deep breath to quench his anger. It was because he felt Renato was looking at his face.

“I was foolish. I shouldn’t have left you alone in that kind of place yesterday……”

Huu, Khalid took a deep breath and blamed himself. He was so complacent despite knowing how Renato had lived and what scars he had.

“It’s not something you should feel guilty about, your highness. This was just an unexpected accident……”

Renato was flustered when seeing Khalid’s darkened face. A serious injury would be another matter, but these were just scratches by fingernails. He was both embarrassed and touched to see Khalid upset by such an insignificant wound. So he didn’t know what to do.

“I was a little surprised by what happened today, but I’m alright. I wasn’t seriously injured.”

“Whether big or small, it’s still an injury, right?”

Khalid muttered heavily. His voice, one tone lower than usual, contained extreme upset.

Feeling that, Renato quietly closed his mouth. As if water was filling up, his chest was suffocated and his eyes became warm. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

Both happy and sad, is this possible?

Engulfed in indescribable emotions, Renato dropped his gaze. He didn’t know what he was feeling. Only one thing was certain: the fact that someone was heartbroken about his wounds and that someone was Khalid felt insanely good.

I wish you weren’t this kind.

Renato bit his lips to keep his expression from being distorted. The emotions surging up to his chin would flow out of his mouth if he didn’t do so.

But I also wish you will continue to be this kind. 

Almost at the same time, a brief chuckle leaked through his closed lips. Contradictory emotions had been overwhelming him since a while ago.

The reason he didn’t want Khalid to be kind was that his feelings for the man were growing stronger. Fearing that he would one day be unable to hold back and then confess, and that a single mistake would destroy the relationship they had built up so far, Renato didn’t hope Khalid would be kind. He thought it would be good for them to draw a line so that he would not have vain expectations.

Still, he kept wishing that Khalid would continue to be as kind as now. The time he spent with the man was so enjoyable, making him both distressed and happy, so he kept getting greedy.

“I’ll bring some ointment first. There might be scars if we leave it untreated.”

“Wait……”

“If you are going to say it’s okay to be left like that or that it won’t leave scars, please just stop. It’s not okay at all.”

Khalid said the words Renato would say before he could continue. As a result of his watching, Renato, who had been exposed to unilateral and unreasonable violence for a long time, tended to take his wounds lightly.

Moreover, he tended to be overconfident in his fairy blood. As Renato might react like that this time too, Khalid decided to stop it in advance.

“Scratches caused by fingernails should not be taken lightly. Please think of the scar on your waist. Having fairy blood does not always mean that you will heal without a trace.”

But that’s a different case. Protesting inwardly, Renato raised his hand and grabbed Khalid’s sleeve when the man was about to go get the ointment right away. He didn’t want Khalid to leave, despite knowing that he would be back soon with the ointment.

“It’s not like that…… But can I just get treatment later?”

Renato asked, looking up at Khalid hesitantly. His pale purple eyes shone with faint anxiety. Ever since he heard from Khalid that cursing was also undeniably violence, he kept thinking about what Blanche said.

‘The grand prince really has a unique taste. How could he like this kind of…… Tsk tsk, I don’t know what he likes of you, but how long do you think that interest will last? He’s an Alpha after all. Alphas can’t help but like Omegas according to their instincts! I’m sure he will leave you someday!’

‘You are just an odorless flower! You don’t even have the pheromone that fascinates Alphas, how can you keep him by your side? I’m certain that the grand prince will soon lose interest in you!’

Renato squeezed Khalid’s sleeve, trying to ignore Blanche’s words echoing in his head. He vowed to himself not to be hurt by Blanche’s spiteful remarks, but he failed.

But he couldn’t help it. It would be different with other remarks, but he couldn’t move on from anything related to Khalid. He pretended to be okay in front of Blanche, but the words no different from a curse already pierced Renato’s chest like thorns.

Feeling his heart pricked, Renato bit his lower lip. The moment of waiting for Khalid’s answer felt like an eternity.

“……All right.”

Khalid wavered when Renato looked at him with begging eyes, then sighed and sat down again. After that, he looked at the back of Renato’s hand once more.

“Something like this should never happen again, but if the Empress attacks next time, please don’t stop him and just avoid.”

“I will.”

Renato nodded earnestly at Khalid’s request. Silently looking down at the red scratches on the back of his white hand, Khalid suddenly lowered his head and kissed them.

Renato twitched his fingers as the man’s soft lips gently wandered on his wound. The tickle from the back of his hand quickly spread throughout his body.

“Your, highness?”

Ignoring Renato’s bewildered voice, Khalid kissed his hand aloud. Then, he stuck out his tongue and licked the wound. A faint but metallic taste reached the tip of his tongue. That feeling ignited his anger toward Blanche again.

“Ugh……!”

Renato shrank his shoulders and moaned when the moist, hard flesh licked his wound. An electrifying thrill different from the ticklish sensation ran up his arm.

“Nngh, wait, it feels strange……”

Renato curled his fingers, his waist trembling. Every time Khalid’s lips pressed against his skin and the man’s tongue licked his wound, the soft hairs all over his body stood up and goosebumps erupted.

Moving his lips away from the hand with a smooch once again, Khalid raised his head and kissed Renato. As soon as their lips overlapped, their breaths entangled.

“Mmph.”

Renato’s waist bent straight up when the man’s tongue came in following his lips, stimulating the roof, the most sensitive part of his mouth. His spine was trembling. His mind turned dizzy and his breath was clogged as if his body was floating.

“Huu…… ha, nngh.”

The kiss quickly turned deeper and more intense. Renato couldn’t come to his senses because of the pleasure Khalid gave. Stars twinkled in front of his eyes every time the man sucked his lips and nibbled his tongue. As their kiss continued, the obscene and wet sounds grew louder.

“……This won’t do.”

Having tasted the soft flesh and moist mouth for a long time, Khalid felt Renato struggling and slowly parted his lips. Their mixed saliva followed his movement, forming a thin line between them. Khalid rubbed his lips against Renato’s wet lips and whispered in a low tone.

“Sleep here today.”