Four
1092 Words
A small crown rested perfectly atop his head, partially covering his purple hair. With every step he took, all eyes followed him, as if everyone was waiting for him to make the slightest mistake. Being the crown prince since birth meant people expected nothing less than perfection from him.
“Do you ever get tired of wearing that fake crown?” Heather whispered to his friend. He was supposed to inherit the title of crown prince, but his family ignored the possibility because he had always been a stubborn child who never listened to anyone.
“Why would I? It’s just a heavy piece of metal. I don’t feel anything,” Kyle replied, instantly putting on his practiced smile as several nobles approached to greet him.
“Did you hear? They almost captured one of the Park children, but the kid disappeared as fast as lightning,” another prince suddenly said, clearly eager to share gossip like always.
“Justin, stop spreading rumors. Nothing’s been confirmed yet,” the oldest among them scolded, grabbing the younger prince to keep him quiet, making Justin look even more childish.
“Let me go, brother!” the youngest whined, causing the others to burst into laughter. Despite their royal titles, they were still just a bunch of teenagers fooling around.
Their laughter died down when someone let out a fake cough.
“What on earth is happening here this early in the morning?” asked the Duke of Rarely City, Heather’s father.
Heather grinned at the sight of his father dressed sharply in his official suit while wandering around the academy grounds.
“We’re just having fun, Uncle,” Kyle answered politely.
“I can see that.” The duke turned his gaze toward his son.
“What do you want, old geezer?” Heather muttered.
A punch immediately landed on his head.
“That’s no way to speak to your elders, brat,” the duke hissed through gritted teeth.
Everyone stared at them with wide eyes, shocked by how casually the two interacted.
“I was just joking, Dad! You don’t have to resort to violence!” Heather complained while rubbing the sore spot on his head.
“Now answer my question. What are you doing here?” the duke asked again before tossing a pink Hello Kitty bento box toward his son.
“If you weren’t dumb enough to leave your lunch at home, your mother wouldn’t have punched me for it.”
Heather quickly caught the box, instantly panicking from embarrassment when he realized everyone had seen it.
“Father!” he groaned while his friends laughed uncontrollably. The duke only shrugged innocently.
“I’m leaving now.”
As soon as the duke walked away, Heather glared at his friends. Justin noticed immediately and nudged the prince beside him.
“If the two of you don’t stop laughing, I swear I’ll kill you both with my bare hands,” Heather warned.
“Alright, alright, we’ll stop,” Kyle said between laughs. “But your bento is seriously cute.”
He grabbed his two friends by the arms and started running.
“Come on, we’re gonna be late!”
---
Andy remained hidden beneath the cloak, feeling the carriage shake with every bump along the road while listening to Mr. Grin chat with every person they passed.
“Kid, you can sleep if you want. Your home is only a few miles away. But be careful not to show yourself. Everyone in this town hates your bloodline,” the old man warned softly.
Andy heard him clearly, but he wasn’t sleepy anymore.
“I want to look outside. Is that okay?” he asked quietly enough for the old man to hear.
Mr. Grin studied him for a moment before nodding.
“Yes, young sovereign.”
Andy lifted the curtain covering the carriage window. He instantly regretted it when the sudden sunlight blinded him, but he quickly adjusted.
They had entered a busy marketplace, judging from the loud chatter surrounding them.
“Look! Mr. Grin has a child inside his carriage!” some children shouted excitedly.
Andy noticed everyone wearing medieval-style dresses and suits. He never imagined people like this still existed, especially when the world was steadily advancing toward modern technology.
“Mr. Grin, where are we?” he asked.
The old man chuckled softly.
“This is Persistence City, where the former king’s second son once lived. Now, a noble family governs the city instead.”
Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt, causing Andy to nearly fall from his seat. After fixing the cloak hiding his red hair, he lifted the curtain once more.
A woman in her forties casually approached the carriage.
“I never knew you had a child, Grifoius,” she teased.
“It’s a long story. I’ll explain later,” Mr. Grin replied with a small smile.
The woman’s gaze shifted toward Andy, confusing him.
“He doesn’t look anything like you. Maybe he got his features from his mother,” she laughed.
Everyone nearby froze in shock.
“The Leader laughed…” one man gasped, stunned to see their strict and merciless leader smiling so openly at her old friend and his supposed son.
“He’s not my child,” Mr. Grin clarified immediately.
Once again, he began explaining everything to her in a whisper only she could hear.
“How could you bring him back here?” she whisper-yelled. “Do you realize that if that vixen Kim sees him, every sacrifice his ancestors made will be wasted?”
“Divina,” the old man said calmly, gaining her attention. “You know I can hear them. When they said it was time, I simply followed what they wanted. I brought this young man back to where he belongs.”
Divina sighed heavily. She knew the others trusted Mr. Grin enough to place the young heir under his protection.
“Fine. But both of you stay here for a while.”
The two exchanged glances.
“Helena misses her uncle. I think you should visit before leaving. Besides, I heard that fake ruler has started searching for a certain person.”
Mr. Grin turned to Andy silently, asking for permission through his eyes.
Andy had been listening to everything the entire time. Staying for a little while didn’t sound like a bad idea. Besides, he wanted to explore the city too.
“Is that alright with you, Andy?” the old man asked.
“Sure,” Andy replied softly. “I don’t mind.”
- Writer
