I Became the Cure for the Cursed Prince - Chapter 120

“Why all the fuss? It’s not like someone that special is coming,” Michelle said to Sion. She looked baffled as he had been busy gathering children’s toys like he was under a spell ever since they heard the Lucas family would be visiting.

“I know you’re actually happy about it,” Sion replied with a small smile.

“There it is again. You’re still using formal speech? How long have we been married?”

“I just thought someone might be watching,” he said softly. He placed the toy he was holding into the box, then leaned over and gently kissed Michelle on the cheek.

“Our Grand Duke is quite good at pretending not to care,” Michelle said with a playful smile.

“And our knight tends to overreact too much, doesn’t she?” Sion replied.

“Well, it’s a moment worth getting excited about. You feel the same way, don’t you?”

“…Yeah, I do. Time feels so slow today. It’s a bit warm too.”

Michelle gave an awkward smile and stepped outside. Sion quietly followed her. Even though Michelle acted calm on the surface, she must have missed the Lucas family deeply. Because of the diplomatic relationship between the Empire and the Grand Duchy, casual visits were impossible. And hoping they would bring three children all the way to the North was asking too much. That was why the last time they met was about three years ago, when she went to visit them herself.

And now, a visit so sudden and unexpected.

Even if she was happy, she couldn’t show it freely. Even if she was sad, she couldn’t cry openly. Even warm, affectionate words were difficult to say aloud. The title of Grand Duke came with such heavy burdens.

All Sion could do was stay by her side, helping her hold her feelings together.

It was a little embarrassing, but…

Sion subtly stepped on Michelle’s shoe. When Michelle tried to step on his in return, not wanting to lose, he quickly dodged. The two of them playfully chased each other, stepping on each other’s shoes and running away, exchanging lighthearted laughter with no particular meaning.

And just like always, when her arms wrapped around his waist, Sion softly whispered the words he had once confessed to her.

“At the highest, most radiant place in the world, here in beautiful Lyon, I want to be with you forever.”

Tears welled up in Michelle’s eyes as she gave him a different answer than before.

“Thank you for filling the space Lucas left behind. And thank you for becoming my family.”

Snow began to fall again. There was no wind, so the snowfall felt warm and gentle.

Michelle looked into the distance, leaving footprints behind in the fresh snow. Just imagining Lucas coming with his little tiger cubs made her heart feel soft and peaceful, like the snow itself.

The children who arrived at Rion Castle didn’t seem tired at all. Even after a long and cold journey, they were full of energy, running around the castle and causing trouble as soon as they arrived. Because of that, Lucas barely had a moment to properly greet Michelle.

“I’ll take the kids to the greenhouse for a bit. You should get some rest,” Leon said.

“Are you sure? It’s a new place for them. They’ll probably be even more energetic.”

“They’re just little ones. How much trouble can they really cause?”

Leon gently pushed Lucas into the room. As soon as Lucas’s back touched the bed, his eyes began to close on their own. The warmth of Leon’s hand brushing through his hair and the familiar comfort of the bed made both his body and heart relax completely.

Just as he was drifting off to sleep, Leon’s hand slipped under his clothes. Lucas gently held Leon’s wrist and spoke quietly.

“…Leon, not now.”

Leon’s hand gently pulled away at the sound of Lucas’s sleepy voice, and without even realizing it, Lucas drifted into a deep sleep.

Leon stood by for a while, watching him rest, before quietly stepping outside. He placed the excited children inside the greenhouse and gave Jerry and Coco a special mission.

“Until I come back, do not let the children leave the greenhouse under any circumstances.”

Jerry grumbled in protest.

“What kind of tiger leaves tiger cubs in the care of a bird and a dog? That makes no sense at all!”

Coco chimed in as well.

“That’s right, that’s right! It doesn’t make any sense! There’s no way they’ll listen to us… huh? What is this soft feeling?”

Elisha had suddenly reached out and stroked Coco’s head, exclaiming, “So cute! Oh my goodness!” Without meaning to, Coco rubbed his head against her hand.

Leon looked at the two with a satisfied smile and said, “They’re a lot like me, so I think they’ll get along with you just fine. It won’t take long. I just need to speak with the Grand Duke of Ice.”

“Hmm, I can’t scare these little troublemakers this early. It’s probably best not to cross the Grand Duke of Ice.”

“Eek, not the Grand Duke of Ice! I’ll protect the tiger cubs!”

United in their fear of Michelle, Jerry and Coco quickly gathered their friends and formed a circle around the tiger children. The kids soon joined in, their eyes sparkling as they became fully immersed in the moment. At that point, it was as if they had completely forgotten their father watching from afar.

“This should be good enough,” Leon said as he stepped out of the greenhouse. It was time to have a serious talk with Michelle.

Michelle and Leon were locked in a fierce stare, their eyes blazing with intensity. A heavy tension filled the air between them. But Sion, who knew that this kind of face-off was just their unique way of expressing affection, held Michelle’s hand and smiled calmly.

Come to think of it, Leon and Lucas hadn’t been able to spend proper time together as a couple for months. No wonder Leon had been looking so tense lately. There was clearly a reason behind it.

Now that things had reached this point, it would have been nice if Michelle agreed to watch the children while they were away. But Michelle was not someone who gave in so easily.

She asked in a sharp voice,
“So? You’re planning to leave your children with me and go on a trip?”

“You already heard everything. Why are you asking again?” Leon replied calmly.

“Is this an official request from the Crown Prince of the Theian Empire?”

Leon answered with an exasperated look.
“This is just a personal favor. I’m simply asking my aunt to take care of her nieces and nephews.”

“And yet those children are now the royal heirs of Theian, aren’t they?”

Sion, sensing the argument could go on forever, gently pinched Michelle’s thigh. Her eyebrow twitched, and she bit her lip tightly. It was the kind of face you make when you’re trying not to laugh, even though you really want to.

But Leon, completely unaware of what that expression meant, furrowed his brows and snapped back.

“They’re the adorable nieces and nephews of Grand Duchess Michelle, after all!”

At that, Michelle couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. The sound of her laughter made Leon’s shoulders relax for a brief moment, but as soon as her expression turned serious again, Leon tensed up once more.

“No matter how desperate you are, you’re really planning to leave them with me? What if I did something to them? You must trust me an awful lot… I’m honestly touched,” she said with a hint of sarcasm.

Sion gave Leon a wink. The hardest part was over. All Leon had to do was say he trusted her because she was their aunt, or admit that the Grand Duchess was kinder than she looked. That would have been the end of it.

But even though Leon met Sion’s eyes, he deliberately ignored the cue.

“Would I really harm my own blood?” Leon said with a crooked smile.

Sion worried Michelle might get angry at Leon’s attitude, but thankfully, she simply raised both hands in mock surrender.

“It’s insulting, but I suppose Lucas does need a break. I have no choice but to agree. So, when are you planning to leave?”

“As soon as Lucas wakes up, we’ll be on our way,” Leon replied.

As soon as Michelle gave a small nod, Leon quickly left the room, as if he had been waiting for that very moment. Michelle stared at the closed door and muttered to herself.

“In such a rush, aren’t you?”

Sion gently squeezed her hand.

“You did well. Now you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy your nieces and nephews.”

“Are you sure it’s not you who wants that?”

“Of course I do. How could I not?”

Laughter filled the room where Leon had just left, the sound of Michelle and Sion’s voices overlapping in joy.

Lucas opened his eyes. One glance at the unfamiliar pattern on the ceiling told him that he was no longer in Theian. The cold was sharp enough to make him shiver without a blanket, and the familiar scents in the air made it clear once again that this was indeed Rion Castle. Out of habit, Lucas looked around for Leon, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“He must be with the children,” Lucas murmured.

After getting a full night of deep sleep for the first time in a long while, his body felt light, almost as if it could float. As he stretched and sat up, a knock came at the door, followed by its opening.

“Sister!”

“Yes. Are you feeling better after the trip?”

“Yes, much better.”

“Leon is at the greenhouse right now…”

Michelle trailed off, her words fading. It seemed like there was something she wanted to say but couldn’t bring herself to say it easily.

“It’s just the two of us here. You can speak freely if you’d like,” Lucas said gently.

But Michelle shook her head.

“It’s not that I have anything important to say…” Michelle said hesitantly as she took out something wrapped in luxurious silk.

“Go ahead and open it. It’s a gift.”

Lucas looked at the package, then back at Michelle with a puzzled expression. They had exchanged gifts on birthdays, both big and small, but this was the first time she was giving him something outside of that occasion. And usually, when she felt shy about it, she would tell him to open it later, when she wasn’t around.

“You want me to open it now?”

Michelle nodded.

What could possibly be inside?

Without hesitation, Lucas carefully unwrapped the silk in one motion.

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