Chapter 18
It was still too early for Eugene to return to the inn.
Besides, if he had come back, he certainly wouldn’t have knocked.
Arzeo pulled Leira behind him, shielding her with his body as he stared at the door.
“I don’t remember calling for anyone.”
“A message of urgent importance has arrived from the imperial palace.”
Hearing the voice from beyond the door, Leira felt her heart drop.
Startled, she unconsciously grabbed the hem of Arzeo’s clothes.
“From the palace…?”
Her eyes clearly demanded an explanation.
Arzeo also hadn’t expected the person outside to openly say “imperial palace,” and he looked slightly taken aback.
“We received a report that a noble of the Valois Empire is staying here. His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered us to investigate. We will enter momentarily.”
“Wait. Stop right there.”
Arzeo quickly scanned the surroundings. They were on the second floor, but not high enough to prevent a jump.
Without hesitation, he grabbed a cloak and wrapped it around Leira.
“Arzeo?”
“Just stay quiet for now. Understand?”
His usual seductive gaze, lips curved in a sly smirk—then he gently pressed his finger against her lips.
Leira blinked at him, then nodded softly.
Arzeo immediately pulled her into his arms.
“So you plan to enter without permission?”
As he spoke, he walked toward the window, still holding her.
Leira’s face brushed against his solid chest.
He’s much more well-built than he looks, she thought, glancing anxiously out the window.
“We apologize. However, we were instructed to prioritize His Highness’s orders above all else, even in the event of resistance. Enter.”
With that, the door burst open.
A man stepped inside wearing the crest of the Lihidden Imperial Palace, followed by several soldiers.
But they barely saw them.
“Hold tight.”
Arzeo whispered only that.
And the moment the door opened fully, he jumped out the window with her in his arms.
“Your Highness!”
Urgent shouting echoed behind them.
Arzeo angled himself mid-air and landed on a large tent below.
The tent took the impact, allowing him to land safely on the ground.
“Stop! Your Highness!”
The man at the window yelled, soldiers moving sharply behind him.
“He… he called you Your Highness?”
“Run!”
Leira stared at him in disbelief, but Arzeo only laughed brightly and grabbed her hand.
Once his feet touched the ground, he pulled her along, weaving through the crowd on the street.
Leira had never run like this in her life.
Arzeo dragged her swiftly, darting through people.
Her legs trembled, and her heart pounded wildly.
When she glanced back, she saw soldiers chasing them in the distance.
But Arzeo—he was laughing.
Actually laughing out loud.
“Hahaha!”
Dodging through the crowd with impressive agility, Arzeo suddenly turned sharply into a narrow alleyway.
He knew these pursuers couldn’t be shaken off easily.
Without stopping, he darted left and right through the maze of alleys.
Then he slipped inside a small hidden shop.
He shut the door quickly and guided Leira deeper inside.
It was a shabby little herb shop.
“Welcome, welcome. Are you looking for any herbs?”
A rare customer had arrived, so the owner greeted them eagerly.
But he froze when the two brushed past him without a word.
“Sir…?”
“Shh.”
Arzeo pressed a finger to his lips and smiled.
The owner stared blankly—momentarily stunned by his beauty.
Seeing that Arzeo had no intention of explaining, Leira stepped in.
“We’re very sorry, but may we stay here for a moment?”
Even while panting from the run, her voice was gentle and polite.
The owner looked toward the window with a hesitant expression.
“You… you’re being chased?”
“That’s…”
“We’re being chased by terrible people. Heartless people. If they find us here, they might destroy your entire shop. Sorry, but could you please stay quiet for a bit?”
Arzeo narrowed his eyes and smiled sweetly.
The owner instinctively slapped a hand over his mouth.
For some reason… Arzeo looked more like the villain here, but the owner couldn’t bring himself to protest.
Something told him it would be dangerous.
“Th-then please hide over here…”
The owner led them deeper inside and began nervously pacing near the entrance.
Leira placed a hand on her chest and took slow breaths to calm her racing heart.
Arzeo, on the other hand, still had a smile on his lips.
“You look like you’re enjoying this?”
She was still shaken and breathless—surely because of the running and not entirely because of fear.
“It is fun. When else would we get to experience this? Isn’t it exciting?”
He sounded like a delighted child.
Leira couldn’t exactly say she was having fun—she was more startled than anything.
“… Shouldn’t you be explaining something first?”
“Oh.”
Arzeo’s smile finally faded at her narrowed eyes.
She glanced at the owner near the door, then lowered her voice.
“They called you Your Highness. I think you owe me an explanation.”
Her stern tone made Arzeo roll his eyes dramatically.
“This is not funny.”
“I think it is.”
“Please explain.”
“Explain what?”
“You said you were a merchant.”
“And you believed me?”
“Not completely.”
“That hurts.”
She gave him a look. He sighed.
“All right, all right. What explanation do you want exactly?”
“The ‘Your Highness’ part.”
“It’s literal.”
Arzeo shrugged as if it were no big deal.
Inside, he clicked his tongue.
He had no intention of revealing this unless the day came when he needed the aid of House Foresteia.
“Surely… You’re not actually a prince?”
Her voice was barely above a whisper, one hand even covering her mouth as if someone might read her lips.
Arzeo found the sight irresistibly cute.
“I am the youngest prince of the Lihidden Empire—Arzeo von Lihidden.”
Leira, who stayed calm even when he stood too close, finally showed shock.
The prince of Lihidden…?
Seeing her troubled expression, Arzeo wiped the smile from his face.
He’d seen this reaction before—
the look of someone who didn’t like his status.
People had many reasons for it.
Their relationships with him never ended well.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you cross the border safely.”
He spoke curtly, turning away.
Leira blinked.
“Why are you suddenly upset?”
“What?”
“You were grinning like a kid earlier, and now you look offended.”
Arzeo narrowed his eyes at her.
People don’t usually just ask that outright.
Most simply, tread carefully around a prince.
But she asked straight-forwardly—she really was a bit different.
“You don’t seem pleased about my status.”
“Of course not. I can’t keep a prince tied up for long. If you suddenly run off to the palace, what am I supposed to do?”
Leira spoke with a look that said, Isn’t that obvious?
“You’re not uncomfortable because I’m a prince?”
“I used to be an empress.”
Even if it was in the past.
Her matter-of-fact answer made Arzeo let out a short laugh.
“You already knew, didn’t you? You still spoke casually anyway.”
“Oh—did that offend you? It’s a habit whenever I’m outside the palace.”
“No, it’s fine. I prefer when you speak naturally.”
“Then there’s no problem.”
At Arzeo’s mischievous smile, Leira smiled back.
“As long as you keep your promise—helping me cross the border safely and return to Citadel Island—it doesn’t matter if you’re a merchant or a prince.”
She had experience being the consort to someone of even higher status—the emperor himself.
So his status wasn’t the issue.
The problem was that he really should be returning to the palace soon.
“Whether you’re a prince or not doesn’t matter. Just keep your promise.”
Leira glanced nervously toward the door again, worried soldiers might find them.
Then she turned back to Arzeo with a more concerned expression.
“But is it really okay for you to be away from the palace this long?”
“My older brother, the Crown Prince, is there. I act as his eyes and ears—traveling around the empire, observing how people live, and reporting back.”
Whatever the truth behind it, that was Arzeo’s current role.
Some nobles gossiped that he had been kicked out of the palace,
but he never cared.
As long as he was satisfied, their words didn’t matter.
“That sounds wonderful.”
Leira smiled softly.
She didn’t know the full circumstances or the politics of Lihidden—but she liked the idea.
A crown prince who paid attention to the lives of the people,
a prince who helped him fulfill that role…
Valois had nothing like that.
The Valois emperor, Lloyd, did have brothers—
but their situations were entirely different.
“His Majesty of Lihidden must really care about his people.”
Her round eyes curved gently as she smiled, and Arzeo found himself staring.
No—he had zoned out completely.
“Your role must be important too. You’re doing something admirable.”
That smile was directed at him.
Without realizing it, Arzeo clenched his fist tightly.
He had never once considered his work “admirable.”
To him, it was simply:
He did it because his brother told him to.
He did it because it was good for the people.
He did it because he was born a prince.
He had always thought his existence alone was a threat to the Crown Prince—
that staying outside the palace was the only way to survive.
But now—
Admirable…?
Hearing her say that made him suddenly want to do even better.
Like a child wanting praise.
“Oh, so that’s why you were in the Tanya region? You said you were moving under orders from someone important—and you really were.”
She smiled lightly, amused.
Her expression relaxed as naturally as when she handled flowers.
“That’s right.”
He smiled back, but her next expression grew worried.
“But… didn’t the people at the door say they came from the imperial palace? It sounded like they came because of me… Are you sure it’s okay not to go back?”
Arzeo’s lips curved into his usual relaxed smile.
