I Became the Cure for the Cursed Prince - Chapter 129

“Why? Is it because you don’t like me?”

Oliver didn’t dislike her, but he felt a little scared. And he was afraid that if he admitted that, something even scarier might happen.

He swallowed quietly, trying to stay calm, then spoke slowly and carefully.

“No, it’s not that I don’t like you. It’s just… we’re five years old, so of course we need our parents’ permission.”

Fortunately, the sharp look in Elisha’s eyes softened, and Oliver finally let out a breath of relief.

They really are a tiger family. Even in human form, she’s scary.
While I’m here, I should be careful not to get on her bad side.

Elisha went quiet. Her mouth stayed slightly open, but no words came out.

Leon watched her carefully. He didn’t want to scold her. He just wanted her to understand.

“I know you like Oliver,” he said gently. “But liking someone doesn’t mean you have to leave your family right away.”

Elisha slowly lowered her eyes. Her shoulders sank, and she looked down at her plate.

Lucas reached over and lightly touched her hand.

“You can see Oliver again,” he said with a smile. “But not today. And not by leaving everything behind.”

Elisha nodded, but her expression stayed cloudy. She was still thinking hard, her little hands fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve.

Oliver, who had been sitting in total silence, glanced over at her with wide eyes. He didn’t say anything, but he looked even more nervous than before.

Capucci finally broke the silence, trying to lift the mood.

“Well, we still have plenty of time before lunch. Why don’t the kids go outside and play for a bit?”

Leon looked at Elisha and gave her a small nod. She hesitated, then quietly got up from her seat. Andrea and Dea followed her out, with Oliver trailing behind.

As they left the room, Lucas let out a quiet sigh.

“That was unexpected.”

Leon rubbed his temples and gave a soft chuckle.

“She’s just like me.”

Lucas smiled at him. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

Capucci leaned back in his chair and looked between the two of them.

“Raising tigers must be a lot of work.”

“You have no idea,” Leon said with a tired smile.

Elisha’s eyes filled with shock.

“If you stay here just because you don’t want to make Oliver sad, then Papa Lu and I will miss you every single day. We’ll cry thinking about you. Are you okay with that?”

She said nothing.

“I’m not saying you can never see Oliver again. If we ever visit Rion, you can stop by and spend time with him then. But you can’t do everything you want, exactly when you want. Sometimes, you have to wait.”

Elisha bit her lip. She clearly understood what they were saying, but it was hard for her to accept.
She was used to acting on her feelings, and now she had to hold back.

Seeing her struggle, Lucas gently wrapped his arm around her small shoulders.

“You’re a good girl, my daughter.”

Everyone began eating again, but Elisha didn’t touch her food.
Her cheeks were flushed red, and she just kept watching Oliver as he quietly chewed his bread and spooned up his soup.

Just thinking that she wouldn’t get to see those deep green eyes for a while made her throat tighten.

Leon noticed and leaned in close, speaking softly into her ear.

“You have to move slowly. If you go too fast, he’ll get scared and run away.
And if he runs, you’ll never be able to catch him.”

Elisha let out a long sigh.

Leon smiled and continued,
“You’re not losing him. You’re just waiting. Wait until the one you want comes a little closer on their own.
You only need to take one small step forward so wait, Elisha.”

Of course, it had to be Papa Re.
Elisha believed he would understand exactly how she felt. And he did.

She looked at Oliver’s bright, innocent smile and clenched her little fist.

Papa Re had never been wrong.
If he said to wait, then Oliver would come to her.
And when he did, she would catch him for sure.

Elisha’s eyes sparkled with determination.

Three years later, the children had grown enough to take care of themselves, at least to some degree.
Lucas and Leon were no longer caught up in the demands of daily childcare, but that didn’t mean they could finally relax.

They hadn’t had a single peaceful day.

The reason was Frederick’s declining health.

Even in an empire with a strong line of succession, the possibility of a change in emperor always led to unrest.

Already, border regions were troubled by foreign tribes looking for the slightest chance to invade.
And rumors had begun to spread that some of the local lords, who had been pushed out of central politics, were forming secret alliances and planning a rebellion.

“…So first, we’ll send knights to the most urgent areas.”

Leon had heard Ermon’s reports so often that his ears had grown tired of them.
He handed over a map to Ermon, where he had marked the priority regions.

“What matters most is what’s happening inside. I want every single lead related to treason tracked down and dealt with. Don’t miss anything.”

“Yes, understood. But… what should we do about the people who’ve crossed the border illegally? Some of the tribes have already snuck in.”

Leon rubbed his temple with his fingers.

With the empire in such a fragile state, it felt dangerous to welcome outsiders carelessly.
But at the same time, it felt heartless to drive away people who were fleeing monsters and raiders, people who had come seeking safety.

His eyes wandered, and then landed on Lucas, who was quietly reviewing documents nearby.

Whenever problems became difficult, Lucas always offered insight.
Maybe he had an answer this time too.

“Lucas, what do you think?”

Lucas looked up and answered calmly.

“We can’t accept them.”

Leon blinked in surprise.

He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Coming from Lucas, who was known for his deep compassion, it was completely unexpected.

“But if we drive them out, they might die.”

Even if they had fled because they had no choice, those who betrayed their people would not be spared.

“I understand,” Lucas said calmly. “But we must never forget that spies always appear in their weakest form.”

Leon knew that when Lucas became serious, he could be even colder than himself. Still, he hesitated.
Among the people who had crossed the border were the elderly and children. How could he send them into danger?

Running a hand through his hair, Leon asked again.

“Do you really believe sending them into danger is the best option?”

“I never said we should send them into danger.”

“Then what are you suggesting?”

“We can use the border regions. Create something like Fortress Pretus in Rion. Set aside a separate protection zone just for the foreign tribes. It might not be as secure as within the empire, but we can’t bring them in and we can’t push them out. So this is the most responsible way to protect them.”

Of course. That was Lucas.

Ermon, who had been quietly listening, slowly nodded in agreement.

Leon turned to him and said,
“You heard him. Start planning the protection zones.”

Ermon, now visibly energized, quickly unfolded the map he had set aside earlier.

“Yes, I did. Where would be best? Should we set up several across the borders?”

“Yes. Here, here, and here.”

Leon marked areas where illegal crossings had been the highest.

“These places used to be lively before the monster waves. There should be old castles and abandoned buildings we can repurpose. Since the situation is urgent, it’s best to repair and use what’s already there.”

Solving the problem so clearly seemed to ease some of the exhaustion burning behind Leon’s eyes.

He looked at Lucas and said sincerely, “You really are wise.”

The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window and lit up Lucas’s smiling face.

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