I Became the Cure for the Cursed Prince - Chapter 139

“I heard Elisha agreed to go to the North on the condition that she can marry Oliver.”

Lucas said nothing and gave a faint, bitter smile. He had always known that once children grow up, they must eventually leave the nest. But he hadn’t expected it to happen this soon. Now, he was beginning to fully understand how Asili must have felt back when she had to let Leon go.

Seeing the look on Lucas’s face, Leon gently walked over and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

“We’re not sending her off right away. Elisha has to be with us for our tenth wedding anniversary.”

The moment that thought crossed his mind, Lucas felt even more overwhelmed. A wedding anniversary wasn’t the only important family event. There would be birthdays, little celebrations, and even small joys and sorrows that they would no longer be able to share as a family in the same way. The reality of it hit hard.

Will I really be able to live without Elisha around?

It felt almost the same as when they had to send Leon away. Thinking he would have to go through that same sense of loss and sadness again made his whole body feel heavy and weak.

“Are you really okay with this?”

Leon slowly shook his head.

“Of course not. I don’t feel great about it either. But it’s not like we’ll never see her again.”

Lucas nodded, but his expression didn’t change. The tension in his face wouldn’t go away, no matter what comfort Leon tried to offer.

Leon gently rubbed Lucas’s back and continued speaking.

“You probably think that way. That I’m sending Elisha to the North and using her for the sake of Rion, the country I came from.”

Lucas turned his head and looked at Leon. In Leon’s dark eyes, a quiet ripple of emotion was visible.

“But that’s not true. I love all three of them, but as the Emperor of Teian, I have a duty to choose the next heir. I never told you this, but I’ve been watching them closely since they were very young. Out of the three, two of them clearly show the qualities of a ruler.”

Lucas’s eyes began to shine with curiosity.

“Who? I never thought one stood out more than the others.”

“Elisha and Dea. They both have a natural ability to lead. That doesn’t mean Andrea is lacking. It just means he’s gifted in something different, something not related to politics.”

A small smile appeared on Lucas’s face. Just thinking about it made him feel proud.

“Yes, our Andrea is definitely more suited for combat than politics. A good knight needs a brave heart, a clear mind, and strong decision-making skills.”

“Andrea is the one who takes after you the most. Elisha and Dea are more like me.”

Lucas had never really thought about which of their children might one day become emperor. But now, after hearing Leon’s thoughts, it started to make sense. He repeated the idea quietly, as if testing how it sounded.

“For Elisha’s future…”

“Yes. It’s hard to let go, but this is what she wants. Still, just like she gave us her condition, we need to set one of our own.”

“What kind of condition?”

“That if she changes her mind later, she cannot come back. This is not a child’s game. It is a serious agreement between two nations.”

The words felt cold. Lucas felt a chill run through him. It seemed far too harsh to expect something like this from a ten-year-old child.

“Then why don’t we just wait until she becomes an adult? If something changes before then, she might not have to inherit the throne in Rion.”

Leon shook his head at that suggestion.

“We need to teach her that words, once spoken, are not so easily taken back. And speaking from someone who has been through it…”

It was a frustrating memory to recall, but Lucas needed to hear the truth. Leon paused for a moment before continuing.

“Right now, Elisha probably has only one thing on her mind. Just like how, at that age, I could only think about you.”

Lucas wanted to say that a child couldn’t possibly feel that way yet, but when he remembered the things Elisha had said and thought back to what Leon had been like at that age, he couldn’t argue.

“Even if her body is still young as a human, she’s already fully mature as a tiger. So there’s no need to worry too much. What we need to do is trust her.”

“You’re right. I guess there’s no other choice.”

“If anyone heard us, they might think I came here to kidnap Elisha.”

Lucas turned around in surprise. At some point, Michelle had entered the room. She was standing with her arms crossed, and beside her, Ermon looked slightly uncomfortable.

“Sister, you didn’t even knock.”

“Excuse me? You say that even after seeing Ermon standing right here? We could hear your voices clearly from outside. I knocked several times, but no one answered, so Ermon opened the door.”

“I see. My apologies.”

Lucas replied, feeling embarrassed for doubting her. Michelle narrowed her eyes and gave both men a sharp look.

“I haven’t even said anything yet. So how did you find out so quickly?”

“Meow!”

Lulu suddenly jumped onto Lucas’s lap, her fur standing on end. Michelle looked at the scene and immediately figured out the culprit.

“You little rascal.”

She stared at Lulu, and the cat quickly buried her head between her front paws, pretending she had nothing to do with it.

Leon laughed quietly.

“Why are you scaring the poor animal?”

“Your Majesty.”

Michelle spoke in a calm and serious voice. Her face was composed, and she addressed him with formal respect, which made Leon open his eyes wide. He had expected her usual bluntness, not something this solemn.

“Wh-why are you suddenly being so formal?”

Michelle lowered her head. Her respectful bow was more proper than anything she had shown even at the coronation. Leon quickly straightened his posture and returned the bow.

“As the Grand Duchess of Rion, I sincerely thank Your Majesty for your decision. I understand how difficult it must have been.”

Leon felt a pang of guilt. His choice had less to do with Rion and more to do with wanting Lucas’s love—and the simple fact that no one could stop Elisha once she had made up her mind. Still, he saw no need to explain all of that.

“Once again, I owe you a great deal. Please take good care of our Elisha.”

After the formal exchange, the three of them sat together and shared tea and refreshments.

Lucas told Michelle that she should return to the North first, and they would send Elisha after the tenth wedding anniversary. He explained they wanted to spend that important day together as a family before sending her off.

Michelle agreed. She said she would finish her business in the North and return for the celebration before taking Elisha with her.

With that, the most important matters were settled.

“Traitor!”

“I will never forgive you.”

The moment Andrea and Dea heard that Elisha would soon leave for the North with Aunt Michelle, they shouted and glared at her, trembling with frustration.

Elisha stood in place, not knowing what to do, and looked between her two brothers. They had never been that close to her before, so she didn’t understand why they were reacting this way now. She began to think carefully, trying to figure out what they were feeling.

It didn’t seem like they were sad or upset. It felt more like jealousy, since everyone liked the North so much.

Elisha looked seriously at her younger brothers, who were acting immature, and said,

“You’re still too young to understand, but I’m making a sacrifice.”

Dea gave her an annoyed look and shot back,

“A sacrifice? Don’t lie. You’re just going because you want to see Oliver.”

Elisha flinched and her shoulders tensed for a second. But she quickly clenched her fists and looked Dea straight in the eye. Getting emotional and reacting to teasing was something only a child would do. If she wanted to reach her goal, she needed to gain as much support as possible.

She stayed calm and replied,

“Of course I want to see Oliver. But that doesn’t mean I’m happy about leaving our fathers behind.”

Andrea spoke up at that.

“Yeah, I want to train with Uncle Sion too. But that doesn’t mean I want to leave our fathers. I’d miss Grandma too.”

Elisha put on a serious face on purpose.

“You’re right. I’m worried too. I don’t know if I’ll be okay living away from Teian. But Aunt Michelle said this is something that needs to happen for the peace and safety of both countries.”

Dea was still squinting at her. Since Elisha mentioned Aunt Michelle, it was hard to argue back, but that didn’t mean Dea fully believed everything she said either. Elisha noticed the doubt on her face and decided it was time for her final move.

“I don’t have to be the one to go. But the truth is, one of us has to. Dea, would you rather go instead?”

Dea blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected that question. She did enjoy talking with Aunt Michelle, but that didn’t mean she wanted to live in Rion forever, where her hands and feet would feel frozen just from standing still. She didn’t want to admit it, but she had to face the truth. Elisha was the one making the sacrifice for them.

“Well, if that’s how it is, then I guess I understand.”

A quiet moment passed. Andrea felt relieved that his siblings hadn’t started fighting. Dea still felt a little uneasy, while Elisha smiled to herself, happy things were going her way.

Before Dea could get suspicious again, Elisha quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, our fathers’ tenth wedding anniversary is coming up soon. Don’t you think we should do something special?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea.”

“If you’re planning to make us dance around in silly costumes again, I’m not doing it.”

Dea frowned and shook her head. She still remembered what happened during last year’s festival. She had danced because Elisha encouraged her to, and then slipped a little and became the center of everyone’s laughter. She didn’t want that to happen again.

“I didn’t say anything about dancing. I just meant we should do something nice.”

“And what could we even do? We’d be lucky not to get in trouble for making a mess.”

“Hmm, what about this?”

Elisha carefully explained the plan she had been thinking about. Both Dea and Andrea listened and agreed it was a good idea.

There was only one week left until the anniversary. If they wanted everything to go smoothly, they had to start preparing right away.

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