Crowning My Feral Prince

“It is said that Countess Petrin’s birthday banquet was thoroughly controlled every year. Since it is already a famous fact, it is said that if someone who did not invite came, it would have been easily caught. And as a result of the comparison, there were no suspicious employees.”

 

“No?”

 

Leone frowned at him. The Archduke wouldn’t have made it that easy. But not even a speck of dust came out this far. He was frustrated because he couldn’t figure out how to do it.

 

Did you tell the Archduke to send the last letter from the Northern Margrave, who showed signs of not wanting to come to the capital?”

 

“The information seems to have flowed well over there.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Even if the Northern Margrave were to enter the capital, it was not to be known to the Archduke. Because the stronger the power, the hidden card had to be hidden to catch people off guard. Leone frowned and sighed.

 

“Let’s call the Archduke.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

Looking at Leone’s attitude these days, he kept asking myself. Adler was upset by that. Since it was the will of the lord, he wanted to faithfully fulfill it without asking. There were times when he had thought of this before. He was still trying hard to adapt… Was he taking a more radical step?

 

“There wasn’t really a wave coming out, but it was exactly- He was aiming for Trixie. The Archduke or who- would do something like this. This is an obvious provocation.”

 

He could feel the bloody anger in Leone’s voice. It was a reasonable inference. Other than the Archduke, no one was aiming for the throne. No, rather than not, the Archduke had eliminated them all. It was always funny to Adler that he was a human being who talked about public sentiment and worried that treason was not good for painting. In any case, there was no one in the capital who would dare to use violent methods against Leone, and even if there were, there was no one other than the Archduke who would know of Trixie’s existence and take advantage of it. In a way, it was not unreasonable to think that touching Trixie herself was a provocation against the imperial authority.

 

Adler agreed.

 

“Then that way… I’ll put in a contact to call. How is the content-”

 

“No. I will write it myself, so pass it on.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Leone clutched his quill. He wanted to pour out his anger, but it was better for him to be as calm as possible. Because he didn’t know anything about the methods he had. He spent quite a bit of time writing a concise sentence asking him to visit the Archduke because he wanted to see him. Still, he wanted to do it himself. Even Leone’s emotionally disturbed handwriting would be an element that stimulates the Archduke.

 

“It’s getting late, so let’s send it tomorrow. Rest for today, Knight.”

 

“Yes, Lord Leone.”

 

Trixie hadn’t woken up yet. Still, Leone did what she had to do. There were more urgent things to protect Trixie than shed tears beside her.

 

“Trixie.”

 

His lovely lover, who was sleeping peacefully with her eyes closed. Leone sat down on the bed and placed a hand on Trixie’s forehead. There was no fever. Really, she looked calm. Leone wanted to give anything she wanted, even with his life. But for him to give her what she wanted, a voice must come out of Trixie’s mouth telling him what she wanted. He wanted to hear her wishes. He wanted to hear a voice complaining about why he couldn’t protect her from harm.

 

“Trixie…”

 

Trixie’s loose, curly hair caught his fingertips. Leone wished for Trixie to let her hair down… How could the wind mold it? Only unwanted things happen.

 

“Wake up. Because I will protect you.”

 

So Leone sat by her side for a while. He wanted to nurse her all night, but he held back and got his body up. He couldn’t control his emotions yesterday and even brought her to his room. After examining her, he was given another room and dropped her off, but they continued to say that if he stayed by her side all night, she would come out among the people. She wanted to keep their love affair a secret, and he said yes. His promise was meant to be kept. Of course, he might have already been late just by letting her into the room yesterday, but yesterday’s Trixie was in critical condition. And she’s known to be his benefactor, so he’s still, he would keep his distance and she would be fine. Well, it wasn’t just because of a secret love affair. He decided not to vent his uncontrolled rage. Leone now knew when to keep his cool. In time to sit next to her and grieve, he prepared for after she woke up. She was the answer Leone had been looking for. There would come a future when she would stroke his hair with one word of her that he had ‘endured it well’.

 

Leone got her heart. If things work out, he would be able to get along with Trixie, so didn’t fret like that.

 

“Tomorrow, let’s face each other, Trixie.”

 

After greeting her, Leone left the room. He was very slow as he kept looking back all the way. After Leone left, several maids came in to turn off the lights, make the blankets, and adjust the temperature. A quiet night had come.

 

Deng- Deng.

 

After a long time passed, the bell announcing midnight rang.

 

“…ah.”

 

At the same time as the sound, Trixie opened her eyes. Her throat was locked because she had been asleep all day. Her voice didn’t come out well, and she was thirsty.

 

“Go… sun.”

 

But it didn’t seem to bother her, she muttered and pulled herself up.

 

“I have to go. Go…”

 

She got out of bed and staggered to her feet. Moonlight was pouring in through her window. The clothes she was wearing were pajamas. She moved instinctively. After she put on her maid’s clothes and put on her hood, she told her to take the money and leave. That way no one would suspect her as she slipped out of her castle at midnight. She said that if anyone had any doubts or quarrels, she would just hand over the money. To do as she was told, Trixie staggered like a corpse, with leather shoes crumpled over her bare feet. Fortunately, everything in her room was intact.

 

Trixie took some gold coins from her gold coin pouch, which she had been saving for her life. Even when a few fell to the floor, there was no sign of regret or surprise. Then she put on her maid’s clothes and tied her hood around her. After that she opened the door and stepped out of her room. As it was a bleak time, there was no one in the hallway. She wore leather shoes so that her footsteps could not be heard.

 

And just like that, she left the imperial castle.

 

* * *

 

Of course, Leone was the first to notice that Trixie was gone. As soon as he opened his eyes early in the morning, he turned to Trixie. It was before the maids got up and opened the curtains. Leone, who was walking down the hallway hoping she would wake up, immediately sensed something strange in her. The body odor of a person who should have been lying unconscious wafted faintly. It was the scent Leone was most sensitive to, so there was no way it could be wrong. Leone’s feet quickened. Did it happen already? Could she go around the palace already? Would she be in the room? Where did she go?

 

And as soon as he opened the door, he faced an empty bed. He had already thought that she might have gone, so he wasn’t surprised. Of course, he was a bit disappointed that he didn’t come right away. What surprised him was after he confirmed that it was not in Trixie’s room, where he had managed to chase after the faint remaining body odor, and in Adler’s office, which he ran to in a panic afterward. The same was true when she went back to his own parlor. He went back to Trixie’s room to check, just in case, and found that her blanket was cold inside. It meant it’s been a while since she got up and got out of her bed.

 

“Now- come in!”

 

Leone’s voice reverberated through the room. The ladies-in-waiting and attendants, who had just started walking down the hallway to welcome the morning, rushed into the room, startled by the prince’s angry call.

 

“Yes, Your Highness!”

 

“She is gone.”

 

“Yes? Uh, what…”

 

“Find.”

 

Leone pointed to the bed and gave a short command. The empty bed revealed its meaning.

 

“It’s okay to overturn the entire imperial castle. Find her.”

 

Everyone’s eyes widened and they quickly left the room. Looking at the backs of those who were scattering, Leone regretted the decision he had made last night to remain calm and dignified. He was the future Emperor, and he should have stuck by her side and not done anything to suppress his emotions. All the choices he went through as a human being were painful and difficult. No matter what choice he made, the results were not satisfactory.

 

“How… how…”

 

She must have been taken by the Archduke, but he couldn’t quite figure out how. After Leone moved her residence to the Emperor’s palace, her guards were getting tighter day by day, to the point where there was no need to disperse the guards, making it difficult to break in. And even if he succeeded in breaking in, there was no way that Leone would not know that the intruder had come. It was a difficult place to enter alone. After all, there was Adler, who was said to be the strongest knight in the Empire. After all, they were bound to come in groups, and Leone would have sensed their presence somehow. But there was nothing left but the smell of Trixie.

 

Then there was only one conclusion. She wasn’t kidnapped. Trixie went out on her own. But why? Why? He was a strong man who never wavered from fighting against the Archduke. She confirmed her feelings with Leone not too long ago, and one day she was the one who would throw away his small body to protect him.

 

“Did you receive a threat?”

 

But there was nothing that could intimidate Trixie. Count Burkett and his ex-husband were held in custody by Adler and under regular surveillance reports. Right away, yesterday’s surveillance report came up, and he confirmed that it was still the same. It was strange even if Leone’s life was at stake. She was struggling to keep it, but she suddenly left everything behind and ran away? It’s realistically best to assume that her heart has left him… That was hard to believe. Leone trusted Trixie’s eyes and her feelings. He was sure that the affectionate gaze she showed him was not going to change anytime soon.

 

He couldn’t understand anything from one to ten.

 

“Lor-Lord Leone!”

 

Upon hearing the news, Adler came running and gasped. Despair, anger, remorse and pain greeted Adler on his face. Adler moved closer to Leone and knelt down on his knees.

 

“I will make sure to track her down, sire!”

 

In the midst of this, this was the only consolation Adler could offer. Understanding the worried look in her Adler’s eyes, Leone continued to grow angry. He ordered, sweeping his face.

 

“On the Archduke’s side… letter to send. Either tear it up or burn it.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Because it looks like it will come from there anyway.”

 

It was no use thinking deeply. Because it was full of things Leone could not know. It was obvious what he would ask for Trixie as collateral. The problem was that even if he gave up the succession to the throne in order to get Trixie back, the Archduke was not the one who would leave Leone alone.

 

Trapped, properly caught.

 

Leone clenched his hands and gave his strength. He didn’t make a single sound until his fingers were pressed against each other and his hands turned from red to blue.

 

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