Chapter 54:……………………………………………………
I Can’t Be Your Personal Teacher! (4)
The bright light of the lantern I was holding reflected in his eyes.
“…Prince Enrique.”
A chilling sensation ran through me, as if he could see straight into my bones. I flinched but whispered his name softly.
Plan A first. He recognizes me.
“…How dare you.”
A cracked, dry voice escaped Enrique’s mouth.
“You set foot here without my permission.”
“…”
No chance.
Right, if Plan A had been enough, the knights wouldn’t have seen any blood.
Enrique dragged his sword along the floor as he staggered to his feet.
After six hours of seizures, his stamina should be drained, yet he still seemed capable of slashing me.
Not yet.
Next, Plan B. I’d dodge his attack with my Luck skill, then try to persuade him…
Enrique adjusted his grip on his sword and slowly raised it toward me.
“…?”
Huh?
The Luck skill didn’t activate.
‘This is bad.’
The Luck skill that always saved my life in moments of danger… why now?
And the points weren’t even accumulating.
I couldn’t just die here, could I?
My mind raced.
❝Kneel and listen carefully to your master❞ could buy me some time. Then I could execute Plan C.
‘…I really didn’t want to use Plan C if I could avoid it.’
First, I had to survive.
“Enri-”
Just as I decided to call out Enrique’s name,
Crash!
The sword that seemed ready to strike me snapped mid-motion, and…
“…”
He froze in place, holding me tightly.
Startled, I couldn’t even finish his name, my mouth hanging open.
Enrique’s embrace was chilling, and the heavy scent of blood clung to him.
He squeezed me as if to crush me.
“…”
Instead of screaming, I looked down at his hand.
His hand trembled violently, holding the blade of his sword in his other hand with a palm grip.
The scent of blood in the air intensified.
Even though his seizures were severe enough that he couldn’t control his hands,
“…Your Highness.”
I finally understood.
The reason the Luck skill wasn’t working, and no points were accumulating, was that this situation wasn’t misfortune for me.
When I looked up at Enrique, his red eyes shook violently.
He had stopped himself.
Astonishingly, just before striking me, he had clutched at a shred of reason.
…Plan A succeeded, just delayed.
“…Lilian Crimson?”
“…Yes. It’s me.”
His statue-like face twisted in pain.
“Why are you here?”
“…You summoned me, Your Highness.”
He spat the words as if chewing them.
“Leave immediately. You’re still here after seeing me like this?”
“It’s fine. I’m not bothered.”
It’s not like you’ve been sane for more than a day or two.
I regained my composure and spoke calmly to Enrique.
“Instead, try to relax and breathe slowly. You need to regain your senses.”
“……….”
“I’ll help. Close your eyes.”
“…Hah.”
Enrique groaned in his rough voice, as if scratching his neck, and shut his eyes tightly.
I struggled slightly in his firm embrace, realizing I couldn’t escape, and simply pulled his head to rest his ear against my neck.
His black hair was wet with sticky fluid—most likely blood.
I whispered, trying not to disturb him.
“You can hear my heartbeat, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Match it. Inhale deeply, exhale slowly. Relax from your thumbs to your little fingers.”
“You think it’s that easy.”
“You can do it. I’m here with you.”
As I hugged him tightly, Enrique, who had been growling like an angry beast, slowly tried to follow my instructions.
“…Huh.”
“Inhale through your nose, exhale slowly through your mouth…”
It was a breathing technique for hyperventilation, so it should help.
His chest, pressed against mine, slowly rose and fell.
A few minutes passed.
Clang.
Finally, the stiff grip of his hands loosened.
The sword he had been holding fell to the floor.
After holding him so tightly, my neck and back felt burning hot from the contact.
Enrique muttered in a low voice.
“I don’t want to kill my teacher.”
“…You didn’t.”
“I don’t want to kill anyone anymore…”
“Then that’s enough.”
“…….”
For a moment, Enrique’s hand tensed violently.
“Ugh.”
Even I, used to enduring pain, couldn’t suppress a groan.
“…I’m sorry, teacher. I…”
He hastily released my waist and returned to formal speech. Some reason had returned.
“It’s okay. You didn’t do it on purpose.”
At this point, it was fine.
What moved me more was that Enrique could apologize to someone.
I rubbed my aching waist and looked up.
Enrique’s gaze was fixed on the back of my neck.
“…?”
Why? Did he notice something?
I brushed my hand over my neck and saw dark red blood.
Ah. Maybe it got on me when he pressed against me? That made sense.
But Enrique seemed to think differently.
He muttered with a self-deprecating smile.
“But as I am, I’ll only be a monster who torments those around me.”
“……”
He clenched his fists and murmured.
“I don’t want to make your teachings useless. I…”
And then.
Whizz!
A sharp dagger flew from somewhere.
I could see it only because Enrique’s reflexes to deflect it with his forearm were unbelievably fast.
Clang!
The monstrous reflexes.
The dagger hit the floor, and Enrique’s red eyes shifted toward his longsword he had dropped earlier.
It was too far to reach.
Wait…
Ah!
Before entering the crown prince’s palace, Dietrich had given me a dagger for self-defense. Even a dull blade would be enough for Enrique.
I quickly fished it out and shouted.
“Your Highness Enrique! This!”
Thunk!
Enrique didn’t hesitate, took the dagger from my hand, hugged me tightly as if to protect me, and covered my eyes with his free hand.
Everything went dark.
Even without this, I had already seen him kill thugs in the alley.
Why now…?
“…!”
A low scream echoed.
I could feel the motion of his strikes through his body. Muscles swelling and retracting.
He transformed into a monster in an instant, as if his prior vulnerability had never existed.
“….”
A few drops of lukewarm fluid splattered on my cheek, then the noise subsided.
Enrique’s hands gradually relaxed from covering my eyes.
The heavy weight fell from my shoulders.
I felt his body shudder lightly.
“…Sometimes I even find myself terrible, how could you be any different?”
Even if he no longer wished to kill anyone, the scent of blood clung to every corner of Enrique.
“…Your Highness.”
I slowly reached out and ran my hands down his broad back, too wide for me to hug fully, as if to comfort him.
I knew what he needed.
A way to escape the madness.
If only I could teach him…
[ ㅇㅁㅇ)9 !]
The moment I thought that, a blue system window flashed.
[ ((ㅇㅁㅇ))9 !!!]
The system seemed to shake its head vigorously.
Right, it knew that the Master Teacher skill alone couldn’t solve this.
“Phew.”
Still, I had to try.
Looking into Enrique’s dim red eyes, I forced a smile.
I’m his teacher.
He was being so admirable, refusing to make my teachings useless—how could I ignore that?
This was the moment that led me to decide to become the tutor for the crown prince known as the “murderous prince,” and eventually to separate the title “murderer” from his reputation.
That day, Enrique’s gaze, fixed on my thoughtful expression, felt long and deep.
“Teacher, thank you so much.”
Dietrich bowed halfway in respect.
Lorraine, who had been pouting the whole time, was also there. She spoke up.
“But… how exactly did you knock out His Highness?”
Right. After the promised two hours passed and I hadn’t emerged, the reorganized Epsilon and Umbra knights stormed the crown prince’s palace.
They found Enrique unconscious on the sofa in the reception room, with me watching over him across from him.
I blinked awkwardly.
“…Um.”
How did I knock him out?
*+: ❝You’re a student, I’m the teacher❞ activated! *+:
▶ Activation condition: Inappropriate teacher-student tension detected
“He just… passed out on his own?”
That’s Plan C.
In the end, I used it.
