I Became the Cure for the Cursed Prince - Chapter 55

They unpacked their belongings in the village to check for any remaining monsters and to prepare in case the still-unfound gargoyle made another appearance.

Staring at the narrow bed, Lucas spoke up.

“It seems we’ll have to sleep separately tonight.”

“Yes, I’ll take the room at the end of the hallway.”

It was the first time Leon had replied so readily, and Lucas looked genuinely shocked. After Leon gathered his belongings, their eyes met.

“Lucas, what’s wrong? Is something the matter? You don’t look well.”

“…It seems you’ve truly become an adult.”

“Of course. Did you think I’d stay a child forever?”

With a smile that was difficult to read—somewhere between proud and wistful—Lucas watched as Leon casually stepped out of the room.

Only after exiting did Leon finally breathe a sigh of relief. Truthfully, he had been the one anxious about Lucas suggesting they sleep together.

The gargoyle had not yet been captured. If it attacked during the night, Lucas could be in danger. Leon planned to secretly track it down through the night.

Just remembering the image of Lucas’s body ensnared by the gargoyle’s tendrils brought back a wave of pain, as though all the blood were being drained from his body again.

He could never let that happen to Lucas again.

‘So tonight, you’ll have to sleep alone.’

Murmuring to himself while staring at the door, Leon unpacked in the room closest to the entrance and lay his tired body down for a moment.

Thud. Pat. Thud.

When he first opened his eyes to the strange sounds, he thought it was just the now-thickening snow tapping against the window. It wasn’t unusual for this region, so he was about to close his eyes again.

But then—within the scent of Lucas that he could always recognize from afar—an unpleasant smell crept in. That’s when he knew an intruder had entered.

Leon sprang up and grabbed the sword he’d placed beside the bed. If the intruder realized he’d been noticed, they might flee—so Leon held his breath and stayed silent.

It wasn’t the scent of a gargoyle or any monster. It was definitely human, but not someone from the North.

Leon quietly climbed down from the bed. He arranged the blanket and pillow to make it appear as though someone was still lying there, then hid behind the bookshelf, holding his breath.

Click. A rope scraped against the roof, followed by footsteps scaling the outer wall.

A few moments later, the window slid open. A masked figure dressed entirely in black slipped inside.

The moment Leon saw him, he had a good idea who had sent the intruder. But he didn’t move. If he killed this man now, he wouldn’t be able to get any information out of him. He would need to keep him alive for questioning.

While Leon was thinking, the intruder drew closer and slowly raised his sword.

Now!

Leon closed the distance in an instant and wrapped his arm around the man’s neck, using the sheathed sword to choke him from behind.

“Ugh!”

“Who are you? Who sent you?”

“…Ghk!”

Seeing the movement of the man’s jaw muscles, Leon guessed he was about to bite his tongue. Leon quickly grabbed his chin, preventing it.

“Tell me who sent you, and I’ll let you live.”

“Grgh—ah!”

It didn’t seem like he would talk easily. Leon pulled the sled rope off the wall and tightly bound the intruder’s limbs. Then he tore a towel and gagged him so firmly it bit into the man’s cheeks, preventing any attempt at suicide. Once the man was restrained and forced to his knees, Lucas’s voice rang out behind him.

“What on earth is going on here…?”

Turning around, Leon saw Lucas standing at the doorway in his pajamas, looking horrified.

“You’re here? Well, it’s nothing serious, really…”

Leon spoke lightly, but Lucas didn’t share his indifference.

When he heard the commotion from the next room, he thought a monster had broken in. Worried for Leon’s safety, he rushed over—but he hadn’t expected anything like this. He wasn’t even this scared when he’d thought it might be a monster, because he’d already seen with his own eyes that monsters were no match for Leon.

However, the moment he realized the intruder wasn’t a monster but a masked man, it felt as though his heart had dropped to the floor.

There was only one person who would send an assassin after Leon, who was in the North—Duke Keaton. If Leon’s survival had been discovered…

“I’m not hurt, so don’t worry. But shouldn’t we first find out who sent him?”

Lucas stared at Leon for a moment, his face troubled, before replying.

“He likely didn’t come alone. There may still be others in hiding. We should deal with that first.”

After leaving Leon’s room, Lucas went straight to Sion, explained the situation, and ordered a search for any remaining accomplices. Leon was unharmed, and one intruder had been captured—so for the moment, the worst was over. But what came next was what truly worried him.

Lucas’s fears soon proved to be justified. It wasn’t long after the first failed attempt that another assassin was sent. Thankfully, Leon had managed to subdue him as well, and no harm was done—but Lucas couldn’t rest easy.

The reason was the symbol engraved on the dagger the last intruder had dropped.

Frowning, Lucas examined the mark in detail. A large dragon, mouth wide open, was biting into another dragon—etched delicately along the blade’s length.

The emblem was that of Draco, a name long whispered in rumors.

“Draco… of all places…”

He remembered from childhood lessons that Draco was a narrow, barren land, too inhospitable for ordinary life. It had survived independently all this time thanks to its temple that worshiped demons—and the dark sorcerers who served there.

He had never imagined the intruders might be from Draco. The fact that they had sent assassins after Leon meant only one thing: they had allied with Keaton.

“If that’s true… this is far worse than I feared.”

Lucas clenched his jaw, trying to think of any other possibility. But no matter how he turned it over in his head, everything pointed to an alliance between Keaton and Draco.

A secretive order of dark sorcerers. And now their threat was at Leon’s doorstep. The realization made his skin crawl.

He licked his dry lips and clenched his fists tightly. A feeling unlike anything he’d experienced while facing monsters washed over him—a suffocating, heart-tightening fear.

Draco was after Leon’s life. Leon could be hurt—or even killed.

It was all his fault. He should have stopped Leon from saving him from the gargoyle. If not for that moment, Leon’s identity wouldn’t have been exposed to so many.

No—he should’ve sent him back home the moment they left for this expedition. He never should’ve allowed Leon to leave the castle. Or perhaps the real mistake was trusting someone enough to reveal Leon’s identity at all.

He should’ve kept Leon away from monster hunting. He never should’ve let him leap into danger for his sake. The guilt consumed Lucas.

If Leon hadn’t noticed the intruder in time… if he had been just a little too late…

Lucas let out a shaky breath. Just imagining such a horrific outcome made his entire body tense with dread. If Leon were to suffer—even the smallest injury—it would be his fault. His own foolish, thoughtless fault. And so—

“…I have to send him far away.”

It was something he’d already considered. No—something that had been inevitable all along. Parting ways with Leon. He had just refused to face it. But now, it stared him straight in the eyes, tightening around his heart like a noose.

Ah… it was such a bitter, miserable feeling. To be forced to let go of a happiness he hadn’t even realized he had until now. To say goodbye to the one person who had brought a smile to his face.

To be alone again.

“…It’s safer to send him back to the capital than to let him remain in danger here.”

The reason the assassins kept coming was precisely because Leon was in the North. It gave the Empire the perfect excuse to eliminate him quietly, without drawing attention. Though he wasn’t yet of age, Leon had proven himself—he had slain a gargoyle.

Even so, Leon was still his responsibility. From the moment he took that young tiger cub into his arms. So now, Lucas had no choice but to embrace the sorrow—even if it shattered him inside.

Even if Leon came to hate him… he had to let him go.

“…The sooner, the better.”

Lucas slowly released the dagger hilt he’d been gripping so tightly. Clang. The dagger hit the floor with a sharp ring. His hand, flushed red, trembled slightly from the pressure.

He left the dagger where it was. Then, he called for the attendant waiting outside.

“Bring Leon to me.”

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