The Crown Prince Arrived Too Early

I kept my lips curled in a forced smile while tapping my fingers on the table. Tap, tap, tap. The dark brown wood echoed my anxious heart.

“Anything else? Is there nothing else?” “Ummm…”

Erkel’s brown eyes darted around, avoiding mine. It wasn’t that he had run out of words; it was that none of the thoughts coming to mind seemed fit to speak aloud.

“Like, running away to a foreign country?” “To leave the Empire, you’d have to enter the territories of other races or take a ship for months. Even then, the language and appearance are different, so it would be tough. Besides… according to the settings, Llewellyn’s face seduces men with just a fingertip. It probably won’t be much different elsewhere…”

In other words, even if I escaped the four main leads, I’d still be a man-magnet wherever I went, so I should just give up. A groan escaped my lips. Erkel comforted me, saying he’d go back for now and try to remember more about the original plot.

Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will find victory in a hundred battles.

His point—that we needed to organize the facts of the original work before deciding whether to flee or face it head-on—made sense. Accepting that there was nothing I could do right now, I nodded gloomily.

When Erkel told me he’d wash my handkerchief and return it, and I told him to just keep it, I naively thought that as long as I was careful, I could avoid a simple first meeting. I must have sold off my sense of crisis while intoxicated by peace.

If I had to squeeze out an excuse, it would be that I actually enjoyed a peaceful daily life for several weeks after that day.

“It has been a while.”

At least, until I saw the Crown Prince visiting the 4th Prince’s palace.

I ground my teeth, keeping my head bowed alongside Erkel’s other playmates. Dammit, you said we were supposed to meet in the garden when I was twelve!

02. A World Brimming with Dreams and Hope

Golden-red hair that shone like the sun and piercing red eyes. The boy, who clearly inherited the symbols of the Imperial family—whose ancestors were said to be dragons—walked gracefully across the room. I was certain that even if his hair and eyes had been different colors, and even if I couldn’t recognize him as the Crown Prince by his appearance, I would have known exactly who he was in an instant.

He was born a king. A ruler.

I know it sounds ridiculous coming from someone who lived for over twenty years in a place where, despite the reality of “dirt spoons” and “gold spoons,” everyone is theoretically born with equal rights. But seeing the Crown Prince in person, with a presence that literally overwhelmed the space, I had to admit: some people are just built to be kings.

And his face… to be honest, I had grown somewhat indifferent to beauty since becoming Llewellyn. My own face was extravagant, and my brothers’ looks were extraordinary. Since entering the Imperial Palace, I had seen only the finest things the Empire had to offer. I had even seen the beauty that captivated the absolute ruler.

But the Crown Prince’s face was staggering. It was an excellence that made comparing it to everything I had seen thus far utterly meaningless. To the point that it made me absentmindedly scan his features, forgetting that he was the number one person I needed to avoid.

Did he say he was fourteen? His cheeks still held a hint of childhood softness, but his stubborn lip line contrasted with his purely cast-down eyes. His arrogantly tilted chin and straight back—it was a look no painting could ever truly capture. If he was already like this, I was almost excited to see what he’d look like later. Truly, he deserved the “Main Lead” spot among a cast of already brilliant men.

Receiving Erkel’s greeting, the Crown Prince gave a single gesture, permitting his half-brother’s playmates to lift their heads. Louis, Aiden, and Elliot—who had behaved like casual friends until now—were visibly terrified. Technically, there was only a four-year age difference.

Yet, looking at his stiff neck and relaxed shoulders that seemed as though they had never bowed to anyone in his life, the word “only” didn’t feel right. Even if Erkel and I were possessors who hadn’t perfectly mastered palace etiquette, he possessed a dignity that couldn’t even be compared to the adult Lady Annette.

Though they were half-brothers sharing blood, the difference in status between the Crown Prince and Erkel was stark. The future Emperor versus the ignored son of a concubine. Even someone who knew nothing of the situation could recognize the incomparable gap at a glance.

The Crown Prince, who claimed the best of everything even in a palace where all the world’s treasures were gathered, slowly scanned the room. The 4th Prince’s palace was modest, according to Erkel’s wishes. Being an imperial palace, it was fundamentally spacious and grand, but it lacked expensive decorations and finery. Compared to Annette’s palace, the word “humble” actually came to mind. It was Erkel’s choice to avoid offending her. Everything was as neat, plain, and far from the current trends as possible. The maids had tried to stop him, but they couldn’t dissuade Erkel, whose priority was staying invisible.

Naturally, to the Crown Prince, it must look pathetic. The maids, knowing this, reacted sharply. Their eyes moved busily, not missing a single spot where the Crown Prince’s gaze landed. Now that they had an excuse—protecting the palace master’s pride—they would likely replace the decorations, wallpaper, and paintings very soon.

Meanwhile, Erkel seemed not to notice their reaction. He had been so confident that Llewellyn’s first meeting with the Crown Prince would be in the garden. It looked like his soul had half-departed his body at this sudden visit. I could understand. If a brother who usually never visited, let alone said hello, suddenly showed up to rummage through my room, I’d be flustered too.

Regaining his senses with difficulty, he tried to host his guest. “There is a tea imported from Derta; the scent is quite lovely.” “I do not need tea.”

At the refusal that indicated he wouldn’t be staying long, Erkel said, “I see,” with a strange expression. It took a moment for me to realize he was trying to smile. At least Erkel was in a better state than Rooster next to me, whose hands were trembling. It seemed the Crown Prince’s notoriety, despite being only fourteen, was quite high.

“Are you Jeremy Lowell?” “That is correct.”

A few meaningless exchanges followed—how have you been, is your studying going well, and so on. During this, the Crown Prince’s gaze shifted to a statue in the corner. It was an ivory sculpture of a man struggling to hold up a sphere twice his size. While not objectively “beautiful” in a traditional sense, the folds of the clothing and the muscles were incredibly detailed. I could guess why Erkel kept it in his room; it was reminiscent of the myth of Atlas holding up the sky.

“It seems you like that.”

I was keep my eyes down, thinking he was talking to Erkel, when the second son of the Dylan family nudged my side. The Crown Prince’s red eyes were directed at me. Flustered, I checked Erkel behind him. Erkel was blinking his eyes frantically. It seemed impossible to expect help from him, as he was even more panicked than I was.

How should I answer in a situation like this? I was more nervous than I’d ever been during a job interview. Fortunately, the Crown Prince—who was supposed to fall for a twelve-year-old—didn’t seem to be enough of a pervert to fall for a ten-year-old kid. The eyes meeting mine were cold enough to freeze the air.

Ten years old. What would a normal ten-year-old kid say in this situation? I racked my brain desperately. If it were my brothers asking, I could just act cute and say, “Yeah, I looked because it’s pretty!” But if I did that in front of the Crown Prince, he might issue an order to never let that “insane child” set foot in this palace again.

“Since Your Highness gave it your attention, I wondered if it was a precious item.”

I chose the most modest answer possible and bowed my head, but the Crown Prince gave no particular reaction. Was it an answer that didn’t meet his expectations, but wasn’t a total failure either? Honestly, judging by his attitude, he didn’t seem to expect much from the people in this room anyway. It was pathetic that I was being intimidated by a middle-schooler, but in a strict caste society, rank was law, and the Imperial family were gods.

“An unusual eye color. You must be an Edwill.” “Yes. I am Llewellyn Edwill, Your Highness.” “Your brother often spoke to me of his youngest sibling.”

Brother? As I wondered if he meant my eldest brother, Cale, or the second, Leopold, the Crown Prince added, “Sir Edwill is my guard, so we spend a lot of time together.”

Realizing it was the second brother who had talked about me, I failed to control my expression. I probably looked worse than Erkel did a moment ago when he was trying to smile. I knew that the “youngest brother stories” coming out of my second brother’s mouth were nothing but embarrassing, over-the-top praise that was hard to listen to with a sane mind. That… goddamn… useless guy. I couldn’t even guess what he said or how he said it. Surely he wouldn’t just say anything to his superior? But my second brother was the most “special” among my three peculiar brothers. It was entirely possible.

“He spoke… of me?” “When I first heard it, it was all ‘cute,’ ‘lovely,’ and ‘pretty,’ so I thought he had a younger sister. No matter how much I thought about it, there are no daughters in the Edwill family, so I found it quite strange. If it weren’t for the Count’s reputation, I would have thought he kept a woman on the side.”

Shit.

Next to me, Dylan and Chloe glanced at me. They were trying to get a look at the “cute, lovely, and pretty” Edwill youngest. I wanted to die of embarrassment. If I could dig a hole in the floor and hide right now, I felt like I could shovel with all my might. I took a massive chunk out of my second brother’s internal score. No matter what desserts he brings this week, I am absolutely not giving him a kiss on the cheek.

I kept my lips curled in a forced smile while tapping my fingers on the table. Tap, tap, tap. The dark brown wood echoed my anxious heart.

“Anything else? Is there nothing else?” “Ummm…”

Erkel’s brown eyes darted around, avoiding mine. It wasn’t that he had run out of words; it was that none of the thoughts coming to mind seemed fit to speak aloud.

“Like, running away to a foreign country?” “To leave the Empire, you’d have to enter the territories of other races or take a ship for months. Even then, the language and appearance are different, so it would be tough. Besides… according to the settings, Llewellyn’s face seduces men with just a fingertip. It probably won’t be much different elsewhere…”

In other words, even if I escaped the four main leads, I’d still be a man-magnet wherever I went, so I should just give up. A groan escaped my lips. Erkel comforted me, saying he’d go back for now and try to remember more about the original plot.

Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will find victory in a hundred battles.

His point—that we needed to organize the facts of the original work before deciding whether to flee or face it head-on—made sense. Accepting that there was nothing I could do right now, I nodded gloomily.

When Erkel told me he’d wash my handkerchief and return it, and I told him to just keep it, I naively thought that as long as I was careful, I could avoid a simple first meeting. I must have sold off my sense of crisis while intoxicated by peace.

If I had to squeeze out an excuse, it would be that I actually enjoyed a peaceful daily life for several weeks after that day.

“It has been a while.”

At least, until I saw the Crown Prince visiting the 4th Prince’s palace.

I ground my teeth, keeping my head bowed alongside Erkel’s other playmates. Dammit, you said we were supposed to meet in the garden when I was twelve!

02. A World Brimming with Dreams and Hope

Golden-red hair that shone like the sun and piercing red eyes. The boy, who clearly inherited the symbols of the Imperial family—whose ancestors were said to be dragons—walked gracefully across the room. I was certain that even if his hair and eyes had been different colors, and even if I couldn’t recognize him as the Crown Prince by his appearance, I would have known exactly who he was in an instant.

He was born a king. A ruler.

I know it sounds ridiculous coming from someone who lived for over twenty years in a place where, despite the reality of “dirt spoons” and “gold spoons,” everyone is theoretically born with equal rights. But seeing the Crown Prince in person, with a presence that literally overwhelmed the space, I had to admit: some people are just built to be kings.

And his face… to be honest, I had grown somewhat indifferent to beauty since becoming Llewellyn. My own face was extravagant, and my brothers’ looks were extraordinary. Since entering the Imperial Palace, I had seen only the finest things the Empire had to offer. I had even seen the beauty that captivated the absolute ruler.

But the Crown Prince’s face was staggering. It was an excellence that made comparing it to everything I had seen thus far utterly meaningless. To the point that it made me absentmindedly scan his features, forgetting that he was the number one person I needed to avoid.

Did he say he was fourteen? His cheeks still held a hint of childhood softness, but his stubborn lip line contrasted with his purely cast-down eyes. His arrogantly tilted chin and straight back—it was a look no painting could ever truly capture. If he was already like this, I was almost excited to see what he’d look like later. Truly, he deserved the “Main Lead” spot among a cast of already brilliant men.

Receiving Erkel’s greeting, the Crown Prince gave a single gesture, permitting his half-brother’s playmates to lift their heads. Louis, Aiden, and Elliot—who had behaved like casual friends until now—were visibly terrified. Technically, there was only a four-year age difference.

Yet, looking at his stiff neck and relaxed shoulders that seemed as though they had never bowed to anyone in his life, the word “only” didn’t feel right. Even if Erkel and I were possessors who hadn’t perfectly mastered palace etiquette, he possessed a dignity that couldn’t even be compared to the adult Lady Annette.

Though they were half-brothers sharing blood, the difference in status between the Crown Prince and Erkel was stark. The future Emperor versus the ignored son of a concubine. Even someone who knew nothing of the situation could recognize the incomparable gap at a glance.

The Crown Prince, who claimed the best of everything even in a palace where all the world’s treasures were gathered, slowly scanned the room. The 4th Prince’s palace was modest, according to Erkel’s wishes. Being an imperial palace, it was fundamentally spacious and grand, but it lacked expensive decorations and finery. Compared to Annette’s palace, the word “humble” actually came to mind. It was Erkel’s choice to avoid offending her. Everything was as neat, plain, and far from the current trends as possible. The maids had tried to stop him, but they couldn’t dissuade Erkel, whose priority was staying invisible.

Naturally, to the Crown Prince, it must look pathetic. The maids, knowing this, reacted sharply. Their eyes moved busily, not missing a single spot where the Crown Prince’s gaze landed. Now that they had an excuse—protecting the palace master’s pride—they would likely replace the decorations, wallpaper, and paintings very soon.

Meanwhile, Erkel seemed not to notice their reaction. He had been so confident that Llewellyn’s first meeting with the Crown Prince would be in the garden. It looked like his soul had half-departed his body at this sudden visit. I could understand. If a brother who usually never visited, let alone said hello, suddenly showed up to rummage through my room, I’d be flustered too.

Regaining his senses with difficulty, he tried to host his guest. “There is a tea imported from Derta; the scent is quite lovely.” “I do not need tea.”

At the refusal that indicated he wouldn’t be staying long, Erkel said, “I see,” with a strange expression. It took a moment for me to realize he was trying to smile. At least Erkel was in a better state than Rooster next to me, whose hands were trembling. It seemed the Crown Prince’s notoriety, despite being only fourteen, was quite high.

“Are you Jeremy Lowell?” “That is correct.”

A few meaningless exchanges followed—how have you been, is your studying going well, and so on. During this, the Crown Prince’s gaze shifted to a statue in the corner. It was an ivory sculpture of a man struggling to hold up a sphere twice his size. While not objectively “beautiful” in a traditional sense, the folds of the clothing and the muscles were incredibly detailed. I could guess why Erkel kept it in his room; it was reminiscent of the myth of Atlas holding up the sky.

“It seems you like that.”

I was keep my eyes down, thinking he was talking to Erkel, when the second son of the Dylan family nudged my side. The Crown Prince’s red eyes were directed at me. Flustered, I checked Erkel behind him. Erkel was blinking his eyes frantically. It seemed impossible to expect help from him, as he was even more panicked than I was.

How should I answer in a situation like this? I was more nervous than I’d ever been during a job interview. Fortunately, the Crown Prince—who was supposed to fall for a twelve-year-old—didn’t seem to be enough of a pervert to fall for a ten-year-old kid. The eyes meeting mine were cold enough to freeze the air.

Ten years old. What would a normal ten-year-old kid say in this situation? I racked my brain desperately. If it were my brothers asking, I could just act cute and say, “Yeah, I looked because it’s pretty!” But if I did that in front of the Crown Prince, he might issue an order to never let that “insane child” set foot in this palace again.

“Since Your Highness gave it your attention, I wondered if it was a precious item.”

I chose the most modest answer possible and bowed my head, but the Crown Prince gave no particular reaction. Was it an answer that didn’t meet his expectations, but wasn’t a total failure either? Honestly, judging by his attitude, he didn’t seem to expect much from the people in this room anyway. It was pathetic that I was being intimidated by a middle-schooler, but in a strict caste society, rank was law, and the Imperial family were gods.

“An unusual eye color. You must be an Edwill.” “Yes. I am Llewellyn Edwill, Your Highness.” “Your brother often spoke to me of his youngest sibling.”

Brother? As I wondered if he meant my eldest brother, Cale, or the second, Leopold, the Crown Prince added, “Sir Edwill is my guard, so we spend a lot of time together.”

Realizing it was the second brother who had talked about me, I failed to control my expression. I probably looked worse than Erkel did a moment ago when he was trying to smile. I knew that the “youngest brother stories” coming out of my second brother’s mouth were nothing but embarrassing, over-the-top praise that was hard to listen to with a sane mind. That… goddamn… useless guy. I couldn’t even guess what he said or how he said it. Surely he wouldn’t just say anything to his superior? But my second brother was the most “special” among my three peculiar brothers. It was entirely possible.

“He spoke… of me?” “When I first heard it, it was all ‘cute,’ ‘lovely,’ and ‘pretty,’ so I thought he had a younger sister. No matter how much I thought about it, there are no daughters in the Edwill family, so I found it quite strange. If it weren’t for the Count’s reputation, I would have thought he kept a woman on the side.”

Shit.

Next to me, Dylan and Chloe glanced at me. They were trying to get a look at the “cute, lovely, and pretty” Edwill youngest. I wanted to die of embarrassment. If I could dig a hole in the floor and hide right now, I felt like I could shovel with all my might. I took a massive chunk out of my second brother’s internal score. No matter what desserts he brings this week, I am absolutely not giving him a kiss on the cheek.