I Became the Cure for the Cursed Prince - Chapter 131

Michelle’s letter, leaving out the usual greetings and focusing only on what mattered, read as follows:

Life is unpredictable, and right now, the House of Rion has no heir. That worries me.
Lucas, as you know, Sion and I are not able to have children.

Lately, I keep dreaming about the day I hurt my leg. I think it means I’m feeling anxious.
Sometimes I lie awake, wondering what would happen to the people of the North if something were to happen to Sion and me. They would have no one to turn to, and that thought won’t let me sleep.

The real purpose of the letter was shocking. Michelle wanted to add “Rion” to Elisha’s name and adopt her as a daughter. She loved Elisha deeply and hoped to see her more often.

It was a terrifying request, enough to make Lucas’s hand tremble as he held the letter.
How could anyone ask to adopt a ten-year-old girl, even if they were family?
No matter how much Lucas cared for Michelle and the House of Rion, this was unthinkable.

Even he felt this way. What would Leon think if he saw it?
It was the kind of proposal that could justify running to Rion immediately and confronting Michelle without hesitation.

Panicking, Lucas searched for a place to hide the letter.
Just then, of all moments, Leon walked into the room.

Leon’s eyes landed on the letter in Lucas’s hand.
His partner’s unsettled expression, quickened breathing, and trembling hands made it clear that the letter contained something serious.

“Lucas, what’s wrong? What kind of letter is that?”

Lucas quickly hid the letter behind his back, rather awkwardly.

“It’s from Michelle. Just a simple greeting, nothing important…”

He was lying.
Leon couldn’t believe Lucas was lying to him. Why?

“If it’s just a greeting, why are you trying to hide it so quickly?”

Lucas brought the letter forward again.

“I wasn’t hiding it.”

“Is it really from Michelle?”

“Yes, Leon. Why would I lie about something like that? Are you interrogating me now?”

Leon narrowed his eyes.

“Then is it alright if I read it?”

Lucas stayed silent.
The silence chilled Leon more than any answer could.
He couldn’t believe Lucas was trying to keep something from him.

“I asked you. Can I read it?”

Lucas slowly held out the letter.
His expression was distant and cold.
Leon knew what that look meant. Lucas believed that if he read the letter, Leon would think he had been doubting him.
If there was something meaningful inside, perhaps it would be justified.
But if the letter was harmless, then Leon would be the one who had mistrusted his partner.

He felt completely stuck.

“Lucas, I don’t want to doubt you. So please, just tell me. Is it really nothing more than a greeting?”

He hadn’t meant to sound like he was pressing him, but it came out that way.
He felt hurt that Lucas was keeping secrets from him, and the feeling came through in his voice.

“…Fine. It’s not just a simple greeting.”

As soon as Lucas spoke the truth, the tension in Leon’s shoulders dropped.

It felt like he had opened a box he was never meant to open.
Still, now that it was open, he had to see it through.

“Then what does it say? Is it something so serious you had to lie to me?”

“Leon, don’t say I lied. It really is from Michelle.”

“…I just don’t understand, that’s all.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t understand why you would lie to me when you have no reason to. And even now, when I’m asking you directly, you still won’t tell me what the letter says. That’s what feels strange.”

Leon’s voice was tense, with a sharp edge to it.
A wave of fear crept into his chest. He was afraid that all the effort they had made to avoid misunderstanding might unravel in an instant.

Lucas hesitated for a long time, his brow deeply furrowed, then finally spoke in a quiet and serious tone.

“Michelle said she’s worried because the North has no heir. That’s what the letter was about. The reason I tried to hide it…”

Leon was silent, listening, waiting.

“What’s the reason?”

Pressed by Leon’s question, Lucas finally answered, his voice low and filled with discomfort.

“Because she asked to adopt Elisha. She wants to give her the name Rion.”

The silence that followed made Lucas’s heart sink.
Leon said nothing. That silence felt heavier than anger.

Lucas understood.
He was the Empress of Theian now.
He knew that, from the moment he took on that role, his duty was to prioritize the Empire’s interests over those of the Grand Duchy of Rion.

But knowing it did not make it easier.

Leon’s expression hardened.
Lucas could see that he was doing his best to stay calm, but his lips were pressed tightly together.

“This is unbelievable. She asked for Elisha? That’s completely out of the question.”

Lucas had expected that answer. He agreed with it.
But still, the way Leon rejected the idea so quickly brought an unexpected sting to his chest.

“Elisha is my child too,” he said quietly.

That was the truth.
But he was also the Empress.
Michelle’s request clearly crossed a line. If she truly needed an heir, she should have chosen a child from among the northern noble families.

Lucas knew that was the right thing to do.
He understood it clearly.
Even so, the words would not come out.

After a long pause, Leon finally spoke, his voice calm but deeply subdued.

“Lucas, do you know what that really means? It means you’re separating me from you, and separating Theian from Rion. I never once thought of us that way. Even if I could never return to Theian, I always believed I would stay in Rion with you. But you… how could you say something like that?”

He seemed more hurt by Lucas’s words about Elisha being his blood than by the request to adopt her.

“Every time you turn your attention to the North, I get scared. I’m afraid you’ll leave me behind one day.”

Lucas’s eyes widened. He had no idea how the conversation had taken such a turn.
Ever since he accepted his fate, no—ever since he chose to go against it and stay with Leon—he had never once considered leaving him.

“You’ve never once wondered why the office and the children’s rooms all face south, have you?”

A chill ran down Lucas’s spine.
He had always thought it was simply because that side of the house got more sunlight.

“Why would you even think something like that…”

Leon gave no answer.

He had always feared this would happen.
He had grown up carrying that fear, never able to shake it off.
He had known, deep down, that he could never fully take away Lucas’s love for the Grand Duchy.
So he had decided that if he could not win his heart completely, he would at least keep Lucas physically close.

To Leon, this wasn’t just about Michelle asking to adopt Elisha.
This was about where Lucas’s heart truly belonged.

If there was no heir in the North, it meant no one could take Michelle’s place.
If something happened to her, then Lucas would be the one who had to become the Grand Duke of Rion.

Leon had never truly wanted to become emperor.
All he ever wanted was to live a quiet life in the North with Lucas.
But in order to protect him, he needed strength.
That was why he accepted the role of crown prince and became emperor.

Now it felt like everything he had done to stay by Lucas’s side was about to fall apart.

His thoughts grew heavy, and his heart ached with uncertainty.

Leon knew that he sometimes made things seem worse than they really were.
But the deep sense of fear that had lived in his heart since childhood was not something he could simply shake off.

What should he do?
Should he keep Lucas locked away so he couldn’t take a single step toward the North?
Or should he try to act like an adult and say, “It’s fine to let Elisha go, since she’s always dreamed of the North too, but you can’t follow her”?
What was the right choice?

His thoughts tangled endlessly, one question chasing another, until they suddenly stopped at a single memory.

“They each built a kingdom of their own, but after marriage, they united the two as one.”

The promise from their past life.
Now it was time to keep it.

If the two nations became one, maybe the fear would finally go away.

With the answer now clear in his mind, Leon approached Lucas with a face full of joy.
Lucas flinched at the sudden change in his expression.
Leon gently wrapped his arms around Lucas’s shoulders and whispered in a low, soft voice.

“It’s time to fulfill the promise we made in our past life. That will solve everything.”

“A promise from our past life?” Lucas asked.

“Yes. The promise to unite our two countries after marriage. The Grand Duchy of Rion will become a territory of the Theian Empire, and Michelle will become its lord.”

Lucas drew in a sharp breath, clearly shaken by what he had just heard.

“How can you even say something like that…”

It felt like his whole body was burning.
For as long as he could remember, Rion had always lived under the threat of invasion from the Theian Empire.
He and Michelle had lost their parents at a young age.
To them, the Grand Duchy of Rion had not just been a homeland.
It had been their nation, their parent, their family, and the one thing that must never be shaken.

“It was always one country to begin with. The division came from misunderstanding…”

“Stop it. Stop, Leon.”

“Just listen to me, Lucas. Don’t just get angry.”

Lucas felt breathless, stunned that Leon was actually trying to convince him of this.

“Leon. I said stop.”

“I don’t even understand why you’re so angry.”

Leon’s grip on Lucas’s shoulders tightened.
Lucas pushed his arm away with all his strength.
Right now, just being in the same room with him was almost unbearable. That was how furious he felt.

Leon, too, seemed to be overwhelmed with emotion. His eyes were sharp as he stared at Lucas.

“I think we’re both too emotional right now. If we keep talking like this, we’re only going to hurt each other. Let’s take time to clear our thoughts and talk again.”

“No. I’ve already thought it through. The only way both nations can be happy without fear is for them to become one.”

“Stop!”

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