I Was Reincarnated as a Villain Prince’s Follower, but I Refuse to Be Ruined—Turns Out the Prince Is Surprisingly Competent - Chapter 16

“What were you thinking?! Doing something so reckless!”

The moment they returned to the room, Rufus raised his voice. It was perhaps the first time Jeremy had seen him so flustered. Jeremy, on the other hand, remained calm.

“In front of all those people, there’s no taking it back now…”

Rufus covered his face with both hands, letting out a groan filled with despair.

“Do you think I’ve just been lazy about trying to use magic…? This is completely different from everything else. Do you think I can just use magic if I change my attitude a little? That’s impossible. I am…”

In the diary, Jeremy had read about how much Rufus suffered over his inability to use magic. Being unable to use magic, combined with his mother’s low social status, had been used constantly as a way to look down on the Second Prince.

However, now that Jeremy remembered being reincarnated, the idea of Rufus not having magic felt completely wrong.

There was no way Rufus couldn’t use magic. In the original story, the major turning point for Rufus’s downfall was when he touched a forbidden grimoire. It contained dark magic that was said to have been wiped out long ago. Rufus, whose heart was vulnerable, was captivated and brainwashed by this book. Using that dark magic, he sought revenge not only against his rival, Reinhard, but against the entire noble society that had despised and oppressed him.

The only thing that could defeat dark magic was light magic, which was also thought to be extinct. Just when it seemed the world would end, the power sleeping inside Chris awakened. Chris wasn’t just an orphan; his parents were royal mages who were called geniuses before losing their lives in a political struggle. He carried light magic within him. That power awakened because Rufus used dark magic, and thus the world was saved.

No matter how many grimoires exist, a person with no mana shouldn’t be able to use magic at all. They certainly shouldn’t be able to find a grimoire that is heavily sealed with layers of magic.

In other words, Rufus had to be able to use magic. Jeremy didn’t know what had gone wrong in the past, but he was sure of it.

“Your Highness, you can definitely use magic.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because you are a finer royal than anyone else!”

“W-What are you saying…? Whether one can use magic or not has nothing to do with being ‘fine’ or not.”

“I will be right by your side to support you. As one of the friends who cares for you.”

“…Jeremy.”

“So, please… will you face magic just one more time!?”

Jeremy stared into the Prince’s beautiful, slightly misty eyes. Rufus’s face twitched as if he were tasting something bitter. It was a look of dread and fear. It was a hesitation born from knowing that no matter how much effort he piled up, it could all vanish into nothing in an instant.

Jeremy knew he was making a cruel proposal. The original Jeremy would likely never have done this.

(But the current Prince…)

Jeremy was certain that because Rufus had changed so much from the original story, he could overcome this. He wasn’t trying to make a creature with no wings fly. Rufus had the wings, and he had the will to fly.

Rufus bit his lower lip, let his gaze wander into the empty air, and whispered.

“…I suppose so. My father’s blood flows through me; I am royalty. Now that I am older, I might be able to do things I couldn’t do as a child. Besides, you will be there for me, won’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Then…”

“Your Highness! Thank you!”

“However, I have one condition.”

“What is it?”

“When it is just the two of us, no more ‘Your Highness’.”

“…………D-Do you mean I should call you… Ru-kun?”

Rufus’s cheeks turned red, and he looked away to hide his embarrassment.

“! I am not such a child anymore that I should be called that… though, personally, even that would be…”

Jeremy couldn’t quite hear the last part of what he mumbled.

“Your Highness?”

Rufus cleared his throat, and a strong light returned to his eyes.

“When we are alone, you may call me by my name without a title. Speak to me casually. If you say we are friends, then treat me like one. If you do that, I will swallow my pride and study magic once more. No matter the result, I won’t resent you. I have decided to face magic of my own free will.”

“I understand. Ru… Rufus.”

Rufus’s well-shaped lips relaxed into a soft smile.

“You need practice with that, too.”

“…I guess so.”

Just then, the King entered the room. Jeremy and Rufus hurried to drop to one knee in a formal salute.

“Jeremy! What was the meaning of that stunt earlier?!”

Jeremy had only known the kind version of the King until now, so seeing him with sharp eyes and a harsh tone made Jeremy shrink back.

“Your Majesty…”

“There is no backing out now! T-This is…!”

“Father. I have made up my mind to face magic once again.”

“Rufus. You…”

“So, please do not scold Jeremy. To begin with, it was the Crown Prince who brought the subject up.”

“That may be true but still…”

The King was silent for a moment, locking eyes with Rufus. He must have seen the strong light in Rufus’s gaze.

“Jeremy. Forgive me. I was flustered. It seems I lost my cool.”

“No. It was I who spoke so selfishly…”

The King took a deep breath as if trying to steady himself.

“I will send a top-tier teacher.”

“That won’t be necessary. I will learn from Jeremy.”

“But you should learn from someone with a proven track record.”

“Have you forgotten that didn’t work out when I was a child?”

Rufus spoke with a slightly stiff expression, and the King nodded. “…I see.”

“But make sure to consult me if you are ever in trouble. Before I am a King, I am your father.”

“Thank you.”

Once the King left, Rufus exhaled slowly and stood up.

“I’m counting on you starting tomorrow, Teacher.”

Rufus laughed jokingly.