I Became the Cure for the Cursed Prince - Chapter 105

“Is he still not ready?”

Exer asked with a grave expression. Ermon, who had been waiting for Leon to come out, anxiously stamped his feet and shook his head. Though it was something they experienced every morning, today felt unusually urgent.

Although they had finished all preparations the day before, Leon still needed time to dress and make himself presentable. No matter how many times they knocked on the door, there was no sign of movement inside.

“Could something has happened? Should I just go in and bring him out?”

At Exer’s presumptuous suggestion, Ermon replied calmly.

“We anticipated this and came early. We still have some time left. However, if it takes much longer…”

Just then, the door swung open, and two neatly dressed figures stepped out simultaneously.

“Ermon, why are you rushing so much?”

Ermon let out a silent sigh of relief and answered politely, “From now on, we must hurry. Your Highness will proceed with Exer, and I will escort Lord Lucas.”

At those words, Leon turned to look at Lucas, his eyes filled with concern, as if silently asking whether he could walk on his own. If he was so worried, he should have exercised more restraint. Lucas shot Leon a brief glare before following Ermon, bracing his back and legs with all his strength.

The place they arrived at was a room filled with attendants. It was here that Lucas would be dressed and adorned for the ceremony.

Although he had once been the Grand Duke of the Kingdom of Leon, Lucas had grown unaccustomed to others’ touch due to the curse. Awkwardly smiling, he stood before the mirror. Over five attendants immediately began their work, layering multiple garments, fastening ornaments, and anointing his face and hair with scented oils.

As he received these unfamiliar touches, Lucas worked to steady his breathing. Each time an attendant’s hand brushed against him, an instinctive rejection flared up. The only touch he had ever found comfortable was Leon’s. Closing his eyes, Lucas silently endured until finally, the hands withdrew.

“It is finished, Lord Lucas. Would you like to see yourself in the mirror?”

The attendants who had been clustered around him stepped away, leaving him standing alone. Only then did his tension ease, and his blurred vision cleared. He approached the mirror.

The ceremonial attire was primarily white, adorned with golden sashes and crimson ornaments. Having lived his whole life in black clothing, the reflection in the mirror looked utterly unfamiliar.

The nearby attendants, admiring his appearance, began to comment:

“You are the most handsome gentleman I have ever assisted.”

“Indeed! You radiate the dignity befitting today’s protagonist.”

The ‘protagonist,’ they said. Was there any word less suited to him?

Throughout his life, Lucas had been someone who remained unnoticed wherever he went—or rather, someone who was lucky not to be bullied or to suffer misfortune. And now, he had become the ‘protagonist.’ Lost in thought, he did not notice Ermon approaching.

“Word has just arrived that everything is ready. Please, come with me.”

Lucas rose from his seat and walked toward the ceremonial hall.

The investiture ceremony began. Nobles lined up on both sides, with a statue made from northern magic stones serving as the center point. A long, fine silk carpet stretched down the middle.

Waiting near the entrance with the knights, Leon wore a stiff, tense expression. Standing closest to him, Exer grinned and offered a lighthearted scolding.

“Your Highness, you might want to loosen your expression a little.”

At those words, Leon glanced at his reflection in the polished glass.

“Is my attire lacking today?”

“No, not at all. It’s just that your face is far too stiff.”

“…In that case, it’s fine. I just wish this could be over quickly.”

Inside, an announcement declared the Crown Prince’s entrance, and the doors slowly swung open. Leon straightened his shoulders and walked down the center aisle.

Familiar faces passed by one by one—nobles who had supported him since childhood, new allies he had recently gained—and at the far end of the path stood Lucas.

Leon halted a few steps in front of Lucas. Dressed in the splendid, vibrant colors of his ceremonial attire, Lucas shone with breathtaking beauty, a stark contrast to his usual black clothing. Their gazes met in the air.

“……”

“……”

Lucas, seeing Leon hesitating to approach, smiled warmly and extended his hand. Only then did Leon finally move. As he drew closer, he whispered softly,

“It took you far too long to reach me.”

Although no tears were shed, Lucas’s voice was damp with emotion. An indescribable feeling welled up inside his chest.

“It’s alright. From now on, we’ll face everything together.”

Lucas gripped Leon’s hand tightly. The warmth radiating from the hand he held seemed to gently melt away the scars of the past. As Leon had said, they had taken a long and arduous journey, but in the end, they had found their way back to each other. No matter what paths lay ahead, Lucas felt a hopeful certainty that they would always meet at the journey’s end.

Hand in hand, the two stood side by side before the high priest. In the name of the gods, the priest blessed them, praying for their happiness and for the prosperity of both nations.

The Emperor himself then approached and placed crowns upon their heads, thus concluding the formal rites of the investiture ceremony.

After the ceremony, the two changed into more comfortable clothes and headed for the banquet hall. Lucas glanced around, searching for Michel and Sion. Just the thought of meeting them now, dressed not in his homeland’s attire but in the robes of the Teian Empire, made cold sweat bead on his back.

“Your hand’s all sweaty. Lucas, are you still that scared of Michel?”

“It’s not fear, it’s just…”

It was embarrassment. Even though he had braced himself for it, he couldn’t predict just how much Michel would tease him over seeing this unfamiliar side of him for the first time.

At that moment, someone appeared from behind Leon. It was Sion.

“Your Highness…”

Sion approached, his face full of emotion. He was so close that Lucas could see the trembling of his eyelashes and the slight quiver of his jaw.

“To think… to see you from this close…”

“Thank you for coming.”

“And what about me? Am I invisible?”

At the sound of another familiar voice, Lucas turned to meet Michel’s gaze. Though Michel’s tone was gruff, his large pupils were glistening with unshed tears. After a few quick blinks to force them away, Michel’s eyes shifted suspiciously toward Sion and then down to Leon’s hand, still tightly gripping Lucas’s wrist.

“Now that Your Highness is Crown Prince, isn’t it about time to let go of your guardian’s hand?”

Leon met the provocation with good humor.

“Now that I’m Crown Prince, I’ve also taken a Crown Princess. If anything, I should hold his hand even more firmly.”

“Hah, you haven’t changed at all, have you?”

“Neither have you, Grand Duke.”

Their hearty laughter echoed together, and Lucas, too, found himself laughing along. After a moment, Leon sighed and said, glancing around the banquet hall,

“I seem to be lacking intact. I still have to greet the other delegations. I’ll leave you all to catch up.”

“Your Highness, I will accompany you.”

Lucas couldn’t bear the thought of letting Leon wander the hall alone, but Leon shook his head.

“The delegations are here to make their appearances, nothing more. As for the nobles eager to meet the Crown Princess, I can arrange a separate gathering later.”

Leon lightly squeezed Lucas’s shoulder before heading toward the foreign emissaries. The three left behind moved to a small private room at the corner of the banquet hall, where they sat around a table.

Sion reached out a hand toward Lucas.

“May I ask for a handshake, just this once, as our first and last?”

Lucas gladly accepted. Though not quite as large as Leon’s, Sion’s hand was strong and reassuring. It struck Lucas that Sion must have carried many burdens with these hands over the years. The thought filled him with deep emotion.

“So warm…”

Through the simple act of holding hands, Sion’s feelings were conveyed perfectly—the sorrow of a friend who could never even touch him before, and the heartfelt joy for a master who had finally broken free from his curse.

Watching them, Michel clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“Looks like you’re getting sentimental with age. Crying over nothing.”

“Even if you pretend otherwise, I can see right through your heart, Your Grace.”

Michel gave an exaggerated scoff.

“See through me? You think you know my heart?”

The sudden sharpness in his tone froze Sion’s expression. Lucas had to bite his lip to stifle a laugh. Seeing how they still bickered like this, it was obvious their relationship hadn’t fully warmed up yet. In fact, Michel’s bluntness reminded Lucas of himself—cold on the outside but warm deep down.

“Sion, is it still not done?”

“…What? What do you mean?”

Michel tapped the table impatiently, then jabbed Sion in the side.

“What do you think? I’m asking if you haven’t confessed yet.”

“C-Confessed?”

“Yeah. You’re not a block of stone—you’ve been dropping hints thick enough to trip over, and still nothing?”

“I-I couldn’t possibly…”

Sion’s face turned deathly pale. Lucas, feeling strangely proud, thought: Now that they have this opportunity, surely, he’ll finally confess when they return.

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