6 years old 1. The Black Lion Prince hides in the bushes.

Translator: Michiko

Editor: Cranne

Ever since I, Theodore Medico, arrived in this country, I had constantly been in a state of awe.

It was prosperous, and tremendously so.

The main road that led to the royal capital was paved with cobblestones, and the people who were strolling on the sidewalks were also well-dressed. 

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There was not a single hint of poverty or crime. 

Indeed, as the royal capital reflected the country and its people, the main street naturally had to be splendid as well.

At the very least, it was immeasurably more  beautiful than Gemma, the city of enlightenment, where I was previously born. However, that did not mean that Gemma was run-down and unpleasant. 

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Ls, Qlxxy oyp pvkzz y alzyvkhlzu dknl rzynl, cwpvzkdt okvb pvweldvp alhlzzkdt kd kvp iwykdv yde lzltydv yvxsprblal.

Gzvbswtb kv oyp lxcyaayppkdt qsa xl vs alqla vs Qlxxy yp psxlvbkdt yzsdt vbl zkdlp sq “Mbl Ukvu sq Odzktbvldxldv”, kv oyp vawl vbyv wdkhlapkvklp qasx yzz shla vbl nsdvkdldv olal pkvwyvle vblal. Rv bye yzoyup clld vurknyz sq vbl Kyrydlpl vs cl ypbyxle sq plzq-rasnzyxyvksd.

Zlp, R bye xlxsaklp sq xu rypv zkql.

Eblvbla kv oyp y rypv zkql, y ealyx, sa y clzklq, vblal oyp ds sdl obs nswze fwetl kv, ps kv xktbv yp olzz byhl fwpv clld xu plzq-elzwpksd. Gv zlypv R alxlxclale zkhkdt qsa xsal vbyd pkm ulyap sq xu zkql kd y nswdvau nyzzle Kyryd.

Rv pllxle vbyv qasx vbl vkxl R bye pvyavle vs prlyj yp y cycu, R bye pvyavle hlacyzkpkdt qaytxldvp sq xlxsaklp vbyv hytwlzu alpwaqynle kd xu xkde. Wsavwdyvlzu, xu zyvl xsvbla fwpv zywtble yde pyke, “Rv’p yd kxytkdyau qaklde!” Yu qyvbla ytalle, “Xwa Mbls kp y tldkwp!”

Yu ryaldvp, obs olal qsaxla yakpvsnayvp, olal dsv fwpv lypu-tskdt, vblu olal nsdpkelale vs cl byrru-ts-zwnju yde lmvalxlzu nyalqall rlsrzl.

Rv oyp talyv vbyv vblu bye dsv xyel y bwtl qwpp shla bso R bye pwprknkswpzu rasczlxyvkn xlxsaklp, cwv vblu pbswze byhl yv zlypv clld y zkvvzl osaakle. Pwl vs bso vblu dlhla pwprlnvle svblap’ xsvkhlp sa ynvksdp, vblu olal yzoyup kxrshlakpble yde bye vs zkhl sqq vbl qsavwdl tkhld cu vblka qyxkzklp.

Gzsdt okvb xu dykhl qyvbla, R yaakhle kd Syhyaky, vbl talyvlpv nswdvau sd vbl nsdvkdldv.

Were we fleeing at night? 

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No, not at all.

My father had been personally invited and hired by King Bonaventura. 

Ravaria is the country of the Lion Beast people. 

Naturally, the King and Queen were of the Lion Beast race. Father’s eyes twinkled like a child’s at the thought of meeting the beast people in-person, so he sent an acceptance letter twice in response to the invitation.  

As his child, I was very worried about the fact that he seemed to take things too lightly. Although he was a scholar, being invited by the king was an honor that he would never  experience again in his life. 

My father, who had no means of earning a living before, finally secured a job. 

Rejecting it was not an option. 

The plan was to ride in the carriage that had been dispatched to send us to the audience chamber. 

The palace attendants were concerned that I, as a youngster, would feel bored, so halfway through the meeting in the chamber, I was allowed to part with my father and ended up going for a stroll in the garden.

Such a wealthy country really cared for its children. 

This was what you could call being “well off”. 

I’m counting on you, Father. 

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Even if I’m not there, be sure to greet the king courteously and show him how capable you are. I would like to believe that you can at least give a proper greeting since you were born into a noble family. 

I could not help but be worried over my father’s crooked tie I had spotted when we had parted ways.

And then, I was lost. 

No matter if I looked left or right, it appeared to be greenery everywhere.

Along the way, the towering trees that provided a nice shade had been beautifully trimmed, bare of lower branches or anything else that could be used as footholds. Hence, I could not climb up to view where I was at the moment. 

Of course, I could not just try to clamber up a tree in the garden of the royal palace when I had just arrived, and I would not. 

I could get dragged out. 

Besides, my body was delicate, with flawless pale skin unblemished by the sun’s rays and platinum blonde hair untarnished by any other colour.

It was the kind of appearance one might find farther north, but in this region, darker skin tones, hair and eyes were the norm. Although my skin tone was regarded as not too pale for a girl, but for a boy, it was too light.

The ultimate characteristic were my crimson eyes paired with my deteriorated eyesight. 

The memories of my previous life hinted to me that I might have had a pigment deficiency, but my father did not seem to think that it was abnormal. 

I do not know if it was red from the colour of the blood beneath seeping through, or if it was naturally crimson-colored. Either way, I was unable to see well in bright sunlight because it would be too dazzling. To shield my eyes from the light, I wore tinted glasses. 

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This extraordinary pair of glasses was a highly efficient magic tool that was capable of automatically adjusting itself to shield the wearer’s eyes, and it was the only item I could call my own.

Also, was it really too difficult to design a “down-sized” pair of magical glasses? Or was I just physically too small? 

Half of my face was covered by the glasses. Additionally, I looked like an idiot as my glasses would constantly slip down due to my low nose bridge.

In other words, my appearance was quite peculiar: a frail, helpless little boy wearing huge glasses that caused him to appear to have compound eyes. 

For my rebirth, I would have preferred to be more good-looking. Both my father and mother were not bad-looking, though, so I had no clue as to why I look like this.

As I fixed my glasses which were sliding down my nose, I had no other choice but to continue walking. 

I was surrounded by hedges which only grew to the height of an average adult’s waist, so I was confident that I would eventually find my way out. Even if I was unable to find it, I was sure that my father would notice that I had not returned and go looking for me.

You will notice my absence, right? 

I was worried. What if he noticed that I was missing only the next morning? 

I’m getting hungry. 

As soon as I started doubting my father, my chest began to ache, and anxiety steadily crept into my mind. 

A rational part of me reasoned that such a thing was not possible, but when faced with such a frightening scenario, I was unable to calm myself down. This was probably due to my childish tendencies. 

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“Father.”

I was so anxious that tears started to well up in my eyes. 

What should I do? What if he really doesn’t come? 

What if my father, who is so carefree and only cares about his own research, forgets about me? 

I wanted to believe it would not happen, but as I thought about how likely it could happen, I grew afraid. 

What should I do if it gets dark in this place, where there is nothing but green foliage in every direction? 

Even after I explored the area, I was unable to figure out where I had entered this labyrinth.

“Father! Father…”

To prevent myself from nearly crying out, I bit down on my lips. 

I took off my glasses and wiped away the tears that were about to overflow. 

I knew that as soon as I shed a single tear, I would be unable to cease my crying. 

“You are too noisy, little guy!” 

“Eh?”

All of a sudden, I heard a voice and in the next moment, I was roughly grabbed by the arm. 

I was so shocked that my tears subsided. 

Before I could understand what had happened, my mouth was covered and I was dragged along by a mysterious person. 

What is happening? Am I being kidnapped? 

My body cowered in fear. Although my mind was similar to an adult’s, my senses were comparable to a child’s.

“ーsama! Faustelaude-sama! Where are you?” 

“Please respond, Faustelaude-sama!”

I heard several women’s voices in the distance. 

Each time the voices rang out, the arm that held me down tightened in response.

“Damn, just go away already.”

The whispery voice belonged to a child who was probably of the same age as me. 

In other words, the person who held my body down was a boy as old as me!

“Hng-mmm!”

I thought about how my arm would be dislocated by him if he acted forcefully, and tried to resist his hold. In response, he unleashed more strength into his grasp and warned me to remain quiet. 

I looked up frantically and realized that I was hidden in the bushes. 

Through the gaps between the leaves, I saw the pathway where I had been standing just a moment ago. 

The voices of the women who were shouting his name were getting closer and closer. Eventually, they arrived, standing in close proximity to the bush I was in. 

It was time! 

If the women were to notice me, I could escape from this child’s arms. 

As I whirled my legs about, he murmured, “Be quiet. I will release you shortly.” 

I turned my head to face the direction of the voice, and there beheld a pair of iridescent golden eyes. 

They were the eyes of a beast, lurking in the darkness. 

The beguiling eyes of a hunter.

While I was captivated by them, the golden-eyed child’s attention was directed towards the pathway.

“…” 

“Just a little while more… Just a little while more, so quiet down, little guy.”

The hem of one of the women’s gown fluttered and slipped out of my view.

“Was there any sign of Faustelaude-sama?” 

“No, there was none in this direction.” 

“Good grief, where has he gone? His Holiness, Simone, is about to leave.” 

“Let’s look over there.” 

“Then I will go this way.”

The women who had finished discussing the issue eventually went away, and continued calling out the name. 

Once they were further away and out of earshot, he released my hand.

As I breathed out a sigh of relief, the golden-eyed child was crawling and peeking out of the bushes.

“Okay, they are gone. Uncle Simone should just quickly return to the temple.” 

With a dexterous wriggle, the child who had captured me burst out of the bushes. His long tail swayed in sync with the movement of his body. 

He was a beast person. 

His swinging tail was not a fabricated decoration. 

The tuft at the end of his long tail was black. If one looked closer, one would spot round ears sticking out of his bushy black curly hair. 

The way it twitched made my heart tighten up. 

It’s so cute. I want to touch it so badly. 

I wondered if I wanted to keep a cat in my previous life.

“Oi, little guy. I am sorry… Wait, what’s wrong? You’re a little too close.” 

“Eh… Umm… I thought you had wonderful ears.”

I tried to get a good look at his ears that caught my interest, and I unconsciously got so close that I could almost touch them. I quickly withdrew the idea of reaching out to them. 

His golden eyes narrowed in amusement. 

The dangerous glow reminded me that he was powerful enough to easily hold my body down.

“Humph… Of course. It’s because I’m a special Black Lion!” 

“Black lion? That’s right, both your tail and hair are black.”

Although the child was not much different from me in terms of his physique, the child acted proudly as he had grown used to the fawning attitude others had of him. 

“Faustelaude…sama? Can I touch your ears just for a little while…?” 

“How do you know my name, little guy? It’s suspicious.”

When I called him by his name, his golden eyes became sharp with suspicion. 

My heartbeat quickened. He is so cool. 

Even though I recognised his gaze as the ruthless eyes of a predator, I continued staring helplessly into them as if I were being devoured by them. 

“Well, those sisters were looking for you earlier, weren’t they? The fact that you were hiding from them means that you’re Faustelaude…” 

“Y-you… Don’t come any closer.”

I had unconsciously approached him to get a better look at him, and the black lion had backed away with an air of superiority.

Rather than focusing on his actions, my mind paid most of its attention to his name.

The names of the royalty had many syllables. 

The king’s name was Bonaventura, the queen’s Griselda, and the crown prince’s Valdassare. I believed the younger prince, who was much younger, was actually…

“Your Highness Faustelaude?” 

“Humph. Did you finally realize it, little guy?”

It seemed that my assumption had scored a bullseye. 

He appeared to be increasingly haughty and threw out his chest, his tail flapping. 

I’m curious about the fluffy tuft at the end of his tail.

“Though I was unaware, I had still made a mistake. Please forgive me, your Highness.”

His golden eyes blinked as I hurriedly knelt down.

“You’re acting like a grown-up all of a sudden… I’m actually not angry.” 

“I didn’t realize it was His Highness.” 

“That’s why it’s ok. I am not like my older brother. More importantly, little guy, you’ve been crying. What’s the matter? Did something terrible happen to you?” 

“…”

Embarrassed, I thought about how I was surveilled by His Highness. I had memories of being an adult in my previous life. It was shameful to become discouraged and cry over being lost. 

My face became hot and I looked down at the ground.

“Let me take a look at your face. It’s bright red.” 

“Pardon?”

Before I knew it, His Highness the Black Lion, who was sitting right in front of me, lifted my head.

“You’re so pale, but you’ve become all red and it’s cute. I want to see you more clearly.”

My glasses were then suddenly taken away. 

The light was so dazzling that I closed my eyes immediately in response.

“Er… Give it back!” 

“I thought you’d have a cuter face, but your nose bridge is too flat and your lips are too thin… Are you in a daze?” 

“…”

You took the glasses off as you had pleased, and now all of a sudden, you’re criticising me severely? 

Leave me alone, I would have said, if the other person was not a prince. 

For some reason, I had a rather flat face, and my past identity as a Japanese probably did not play a role in it.  

Many others had a rougher appearance in comparison to mine, thus I was not necessarily ugly, but I was average-looking. Even at such a young age of six years old, I knew what I looked like.

“But I like your marvelous red eyes. Open them and look at me.” 

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, I can’t.”

Now, with the increased brilliance of the sun’s rays, if I opened my eyes, I would get a headache from experiencing too much glare. 

I apologized with my eyes closed, and the Black Lion prince unceremoniously touched my cheek.

“You can’t? Try one more time. Ah, you smell good. I like your eyes and your fragrance.”

The Black Lion prince remarked as he sniffed at my nape, savouring my scent.  

As a beast person, he seemed to possess keen senses. 

Despite himself having such mesmerising golden eyes, the Black Lion prince had complimented my eyes. I wanted to open my eyes and grant his wish. 

Just a little bit. 

I also wanted to see the beautiful Black Lion prince again. 

I opened my eyes softly. 

I came face to face with the Black Lion prince who was peering at me with great interest. His golden eyes twinkled with delight.

“I knew they were beautiful. Your…” 

“Faustelaudeー! I found youー!”

I heard a booming voice as a gust of wind blew past us.

“O-older brother!?”

The Black Lion prince yelped. 

The shock in his voice was similar to the sound of a punch landing on the gut. 

There was a crunch, like the sound of breaking glass. My shoulders slumped at the sound. 

Speaking of ‘glass’, my glasses… 

As the shrouding dense dust settled, I spotted the Black Lion prince being grabbed by the scruff of his neck by a towering lion beast person, while pieces of my shattered magical glasses laid at his feet.

Those glasses are…That’s expensive.