I Became the Cure for the Cursed Prince - Chapter 111

In the end, Lucas couldn’t hold back his tears anymore.
Michelle gently patted his shoulder in comfort and said,

“It’s okay. You can cry.
But still…”

Michelle hesitated for a moment.
It felt wrong to bring it up while Lucas was crying, but it was something that needed to be said.

“You made a difficult decision. I support you, more than anyone.
But… leaving your mate alone on your wedding night doesn’t seem like the right choice.”

Lucas wiped his tears with his sleeve and let out a deep sigh.
Of course, if he could, he would have stayed by Leon’s side.
But after hearing the report that Leon had gone straight to Exer, he couldn’t just overlook it.

When it came to matters concerning his health, Leon could be terrifyingly ruthless.
If Leon ever let darker thoughts get the better of him, things would spiral out of control.

“I know.
But right now… it’s too dangerous.”

Michelle swallowed dryly.

“I’m just worried.
If things keep up like this, Rion Castle might explode.”

“We’ll be leaving for Theian tomorrow.
You don’t need to worry about that.”

“You’re leaving?
I thought you would stay here until after the birth…”

Lucas knew that was always going to be difficult.
Still, the thought of leaving brought a pang of regret.

“I plan to keep some distance for about three weeks after we return.
The physician told me after three weeks, the herbs would no longer be effective.”

“……”

Michelle fell silent.

She wanted to ask if Lucas really understood all the risks, if he had a backup plan, if he would at least bring a northern physician with him…

But she knew better.
Lucas might look soft and gentle on the outside, but when he believed he was right, no one could sway him.

“There’s no point adding anything else.
Just take good care of yourself.
And if you can… try to make up with Leon.
Three weeks apart… that’s going to be unbearable for him.”

Lucas smiled weakly and replied,

“Thank you for worrying about me.
I’ll handle the rest.”

Receiving Michelle’s congratulations, even if it was just once, gave Lucas a small spark of strength.

For the sake of the child he was carrying, he needed to be stronger than ever.

The next day, Lucas climbed into the carriage to return to Theian.
Sion accompanied him to ensure a smooth journey, and Rai himself pulled the carriage, refusing to trust such a precious task to careless horses.

Lucas had been worried about how Leon would react, but according to Asili, Leon had agreed to come separately without any fuss.
She had also assured Lucas that if Leon tried anything reckless, the knights of Theian would stop him.

Everything was going smoother than expected.
It was a relief that nothing had happened yet… but Lucas knew Leon wasn’t the type to stay quiet forever.

Staring out the open window, Lucas murmured,

“Please, let there be no trouble.”

Sion, hearing him, offered comfort.

“It’ll be fine.
His Highness Leon wouldn’t be foolish enough to fight his own knights.”

“You’re right.
He’s wise, thoughtful… and most of all—”

Someone who loved too deeply.
Sometimes it hurt, but Lucas could never hate that about him.

The carriage continued down the road peacefully—until suddenly, Rai came to a stop.

Sion stepped down to check what was happening.
Rai snorted and pawed the ground anxiously, trying to say something, but Sion couldn’t understand him.

Actually, Rai had sensed something strange since they first left.
Even though Leon had promised to stay behind, his scent had been lingering nearby.

At first, Rai thought it was his imagination.
But when Lucas opened the window, he became sure of it.

Leon had shrunk his body down and hidden inside the carriage.

That damn tiger had thrown away all his dignity just to cling to his mate like a cub.

“Rai, what’s wrong?
Are you feeling sick?” Sion asked, stroking his mane gently.

<Leon is inside the carriage!> Rai tried to say.

But Sion just tilted his head in confusion, not understanding a word.

Then, Rai heard it—a voice from inside the carriage, cold enough to freeze his blood.

<Rai, shut up.>

The sound sent a chill down Rai’s spine.
His fur bristled, but even though he was scared, he stood his ground.
He had to protect his nephew.

Now that he thought about it, it did seem strange.
Leon loved that dark-haired man more than anyone else.
There was no way he would hurt him.
Besides, what kind of fool would harm their own child?

Then what about everything he’d heard before?
Maybe it had all been a misunderstanding.

Rai wasn’t the brightest when it came to thinking things through—he was more about action.

Finally reassured, Rai began walking again, and Sion, having calmed down, climbed back into the carriage.

“What was that about?”

“Nothing serious. Rai settled down on his own.”

“Good boy, Rai,” Lucas said with a gentle smile, leaning back against the seat.

There were about three weeks left.
If he could just hold out until then, Leon would have no choice but to accept it.

Meanwhile, Leon, still in his shrunken tiger form, was hiding under a pile of straw inside the carriage.
Shrinking down wasn’t easy now that he was fully grown, but there was no way he could spend three weeks away from Lucas.

For a moment, Leon felt deeply ashamed.
He remembered sneaking into a carriage like this the very first time he had come to see Lucas.
And now, even after marrying him, he was still sneaking around just to stay close.

No matter what he said, Lucas wouldn’t let him near before three weeks were up.
This was the only way he could stay by his side.

But…

Leon carefully crawled out from the straw and whispered to Rai.

<Rai, stop the carriage and get Sion to come outside.>

<No.>

<…Your sly tiger.>

The carriage came to a halt.
Sion, concerned, stepped down to check what was wrong.
Seizing the moment, Leon leapt out of hiding and bounded toward Lucas.

Lucas’ eyes widened in shock when he saw the small tiger suddenly transform into Leon right before his eyes.

“How…?”

Without wasting a second, Leon wrapped his arms around Lucas and clamped a hand over his mouth.

“I don’t want to cause a scene, so just be quiet and listen to me first.”

Feeling the change in Leon’s demeanor, Lucas nodded.

“I’m sorry,” Leon whispered, voice tight.
“I’m sorry for even thinking about doing something so awful.”

Lucas didn’t speak, only watching him.

“No matter what I say, you probably won’t believe me.
So I’ll just be honest.
Part of me still wants you to give up.”

Lucas reached for Leon’s wrist, trying to push him away, but Leon didn’t let go.

“But you won’t give up.
You never would.
So… I’ll be the one to give in.”

Lucas’ tense expression finally softened.

When he nodded, showing he understood, Leon gently pulled his hand away from Lucas’ mouth.
Lucas let out a shaky breath.

“How?” Lucas asked quietly.

“We’ll have the baby,” Leon said.
“But under one condition.”

Lucas tilted his head slightly, signaling him to go on.

“No matter how much it hurts, no matter how scared you are—you stay with me.
Even in the moment you’re giving birth, I’ll be right there with you.”

“If you don’t pull anything stupid, I will,” Lucas replied flatly.

“…I would never hurt you. Or our child.”

Leon avoided Lucas’ gaze, feeling strangely embarrassed.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, he continued,

“And if your body… if it starts rejecting the baby…”

Just saying the words made his voice tremble.
It was a possibility he didn’t even want to imagine, but if they were serious about this, it had to be faced.

“You have to promise you’ll give up.”

Lucas flinched. A harsh breath escaped his lips.

But Leon didn’t let up. He stared into Lucas’ eyes and pressed again,

“Promise me.”

Lucas clamped his mouth shut.
The seconds dragged on unbearably, each one stretching like an eternity.

What is he thinking?
Leon wondered.
What if Lucas refuses? What if he says he could never give up?

Leon had hoped they could find some kind of middle ground.
But seeing the stubborn set of Lucas’ face, he felt a growing sense of dread.

His heart raced painfully, and finally he couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Answer me, Lucas.”

Instead of speaking, Lucas reached out and took Leon’s hand.

Leon instinctively tried to pull away, sensing resistance, but Lucas held on tightly.

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