I Became the Cure for the Cursed Prince - Chapter 44

Leon tilted his head in confusion as he turned around. The unpleasant scent of Alphas was fading. The knights, who had always kept a visible distance, had now completely disappeared from sight.

“Lucas, I don’t see the knights anywhere.”

Leon spoke as if something terrible had happened, but Lucas answered nonchalantly.

“They must be scouting the area. It happens often, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Alright.”

Leon obediently nodded and scanned their surroundings.

He liked being alone with Lucas, but the thought that they had left him unguarded like this even when he wasn’t around made an unfamiliar anger bubble inside him.

What if Lucas got hurt while traveling alone?

Brooding over this unspoken concern, he continued riding when suddenly, Rai halted. Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Leon pricked up his ears.

In the far distance, a deep, guttural sound—something akin to a beast’s cry—rippled through the air.

“Lucas, wait a moment.”

Lucas pulled on the reins and turned toward him.

Leon’s golden eyes had darkened with an eerie intensity, sending a chill through the air.

“There’s something here.”

Lucas scanned their surroundings. Normally, this path was filled with the chirping of birds, but now, everything was deathly silent—like the calm before a storm.

A monster.

He had deliberately chosen a route with fewer monster sightings for Leon’s sake and had even increased the number of knights in their escort.

Why now, of all times?

“Stay put and wait here.”

Lucas tugged on the reins and urged his horse forward, stepping in front of Leon to shield him. At the signal, his horse galloped forward as Lucas keenly observed his surroundings.

Fighting monsters was nothing new, yet an inexplicable sense of unease stirred within him—something deeper than fear, something more primal.

Then, it happened.

Just as Lucas reached for his sword, a deafening roar split the silence.

A massive creature burst from the thickets.

Lucas’s grip tightened around his sword as he studied the beast. It had the body of a hound but two heads—one resembling a snake and the other a bird.

Even with all his experience in hunting monsters, this was the first time he had encountered such a creature.

Just as he was about to strike at the snake’s head—

“ROAR!”

The ground trembled beneath an earth-shaking bellow.

A massive shadow streaked past Lucas’s vision.

With a gust of wind, an enormous tiger landed in front of him.

Despite still being young, Leon’s tiger form had already surpassed the size of a full-grown adult tiger. And never before had Lucas heard such a thunderous roar from him.

Leon’s sleek fur bristled as he growled, then, without hesitation, lunged at the beast.

“Leon!”

Momentarily stunned, Lucas quickly recovered and hurled his sword. But it missed.

Leon had already leaped onto the monster’s back, sinking his fangs into the bird-like head.

“Kreeeaaaagh!”

The monster thrashed violently, trying to shake him off, but Leon’s powerful jaws remained locked in place, piercing deep. The beast writhed, eventually choosing to abandon its bird head and focus on attacking with its snake head instead.

The snake’s long, coiling neck extended, its fangs aimed toward Leon.

No—it’s trying to constrict him!

Lucas shouted in warning, but Leon refused to let go.

The snake’s head slithered closer, attempting to coil around Leon’s body.

Lucas, realizing the danger, swiftly removed his gloves and crouched low, preparing to engage.

And then—something unbelievable happened.

With a powerful strike, Leon’s right paw slammed the snake’s head onto the ground, pinning it down.

With the bird’s head still clenched in his jaws and the snake’s head trapped beneath his paw, the monster was immobilized.

Sensing its impending demise, Leon dug his sharp claws into the snake’s throat. A putrid stench filled the air as blue blood gushed forth.

And with one final clench of his jaw, bones shattered—severing the last head from its body.

The massive creature collapsed with a final, feeble twitch.

Lucas, having watched the entire battle in stunned silence, finally snapped out of his daze.

Usually, he would have mourned a monster’s passing, acknowledging the tragic cycle of life and death.

But not this time.

This time, something more important had nearly been lost.

“Leon!”

Lucas called Leon’s name and rushed toward him.

Even though the monster’s body had already grown cold, Leon was still biting down on its throat.

“It’s over. It’s already dead.”

Lucas reached out and stroked the scruff of Leon’s neck. Only then did Leon finally release his grip.

Like a child seeking comfort, he rubbed his massive head against Lucas, letting out a deep, rumbling sound.

“Grroooowl…”

“There, there. You must’ve been scared, Leon…”

Lucas wrapped one arm around Leon’s back, burying himself in the thick golden fur. The warmth, the soft texture, and the steady heartbeat beneath it slowly eased his nerves.

A few seconds later, Leon shifted back into his human form.

“Lucas, Lucas! Are you hurt anywhere? I was so worried… I was scared.”

Despite having fought his first battle, the first thing he cared about was Lucas’s safety. That thought alone filled Lucas with pride and gratitude.

As Leon clung to him, Lucas held him tightly, patting his back reassuringly.

“I should have kept the knights closer. I put you through a terrible experience at such a young age.”

“It wasn’t the monster that scared me. What really frightened me was…”

Leon’s voice trembled with emotion as he whispered,

“The thought of you getting hurt again. Lucas, please don’t get injured. I can’t bear to see you in pain.”

“…”

Lucas hadn’t expected those words.

He was left speechless, simply holding Leon as the boy clung to him.

In the distance, the delayed sound of the knights approaching broke the quiet.

On the way back to the castle after their patrol, Lucas seemed to be in an unusually good mood, his lips curved in a faint, satisfied smile.

Leon, on the other hand, was tense. He was exhausted—not from the patrol but from dealing with the knights who kept trying to engage Lucas in conversation.

I just want to get back and rest with Lucas. If I turn into a tiger and roll around, Lucas will join me, right?

As Leon was lost in thought, the ever-oblivious Sion suddenly spoke up.

“Your Highness, why don’t you attend tonight’s celebration?”

Leon’s expression immediately stiffened.

Every time Lucas and the knights returned from a hunt, they would hold a gathering with drinks to celebrate their efforts. Because of his curse, Leon had never attended one before.

Why suggest this now?

“If I go, won’t it make the knights uncomfortable? Because of… you know, my curse.”

“Not at all. Besides, tonight’s gathering will be held in the grand banquet hall.”

Sion glanced at Leon before adding,

“And more importantly… today marks your first successful hunt. It would be fitting for both of you to attend and celebrate together.”

Internally, Leon was screaming.

Say no, Lucas. Please say no.

But Lucas, completely unaware of Leon’s silent plea, smiled warmly.

“Yes, let’s do that. I wasn’t even able to help, yet you managed to take down an unknown monster on your own. That’s something worth celebrating.”

Leon wanted nothing more than a quiet dinner alone with Lucas to celebrate.

But if he said that out loud, Lucas would just see him as a childish brat again.

So, instead, Leon forced a bright smile and nodded.

The banquet hall, only opened for significant events, was now alive with celebration.

Michelle had prepared everything in advance, and the long tables were laden with delicious food and famous wines from various regions.

The knights gathered, chatting among themselves as they took their seats.

“Isn’t it kind of strange? No matter how strong Lord Leon is, how could he have taken down that monster alone?”

“Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. And did you see the body? It looked like an animal had torn it apart.”

“Well, whoever killed it, the important thing is that we returned safely without any casualties. Lord Leon is skilled at taming monsters—maybe he found his own way to handle it.”

A few knights grumbled about how unfortunate it was that they hadn’t witnessed the fight firsthand. Others noted that from a distance, Leon now appeared almost as tall as the Grand Duke. Some even remarked on how his extreme-dominant Alpha presence made him feel different from the rest of them.

As the chatter continued, Lucas, seated at the head of the table, suddenly stood up.

Despite returning from countless grueling hunts before, he had never smiled this brightly.

Seeing his rare expression, the knights’ spirits lifted as well, and they eagerly raised their glasses.

“You all did well. This is a celebration of the safe return of the Rion Knights and Leon’s first successful hunt. Tonight, enjoy yourselves—eat and drink to your hearts’ content!”

The knights cheered loudly, clinking their glasses together.

Even Sion, usually reserved, wore a relaxed expression as he joined in the toast.

For the first time in a long while, the once-silent castle buzzed with lively conversation and laughter.

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