My Childhood Friend Is An Archmage Chapter 145
Translated by d6y (ko-fi)
Chapter 145
The Crown Prince's question to Lancer leaves me dumbfounded.
Or, to be precise, my mind is all over the place like scrambled eggs.
Why would he suddenly ask him such a question? Was he trying to set up something? A rejection? That can't be, the Crown Prince isn't that kind of person. Unless he's finally lost his mind.
"What about you, Crown Prince, why do you like Skyla?" Lancer asks.
Closing my eyes, I focus on eavesdropping on their conversation. It's very Lancer-like of him to return the question back to the person who asks first.
The Crown Prince snorts. "She's the closest person to my ideal woman."
"And what is your ideal woman?" Lancer follows up.
Then, a thought occurs to me. When I first met the Crown Prince, he made it clear that he had no interest in women, and that he was only pretending to be engaged to me so that he could inherit the throne.
It seemed completely irrational and illogical that he would fall in love with me. Does he genuinely like me? Why?
"Kayla is witty and reticent, unlike the other ladies. She's also quick on her feet, which makes her very efficient. Of course, she's stubborn, which makes communication difficult, and I'd like to see her work on that, but otherwise she's a perfect fit for the Crown Princess."
"So you're saying that if Skyla had been a mindless chatterbox, you wouldn't have liked her?" Lancer asks.
The Crown Prince clicks his tongue. "No. Being straightforward yet perceptive is part of Skyla's personality, and without it, she wouldn't be Skyla…."
"No. Skyla can be anything." Lancer interrupts. A cold sweat runs down my back. How dare he interrupt a royal! He's being out of line again!
I can hear the Crown Prince's annoyance from here. "What are you talking about, Lancer?"
"If Skyla becomes more talkative, I'll still like her, and if she becomes less perceptive, I'll still like her just as much as before," Lancer says. "Your Highness asked me why I like Skyla, so I'll give you my answer."
The Crown Prince doesn't bother to interrupt Lancer, who speaks with confidence. I dare not imagine the look on his face right now.
"The reason I like Skyla is because I have no reason not to like her."
"...."
"Skyla is perfect just the way she is." Lancer's voice echoes through the cave, uncharacteristically cold. "I will love Skyla no matter who she is."
"...."
"And even if Skyla doesn't love me, I won't be angry or go on a rampage anymore. I'll wish her happiness.. I know it's hard, but if I can see a smile come over her face, I'll do… anything. Do you understand?"
"...Yes." The Crown Prince mutters.
Silence takes over. Only the sound of the wind blowing outside the cave can be heard.
It's a hard night to sleep.
* * *
I don't know how I slept all night. I suppose I must have kept my eyes closed for some time, and lay awake with Lancer's words echoing in my head until my body could no longer bear the fatigue and sleep slowly crept in.
And when I opened my eyes again, it was morning.
"...." I sat up, loosening my sleeping bag a little.
Sh*t. I slept too deeply. Outside the cave, the pure white snow glistened in the sun's reflection. It was a brilliant, mysterious light, like looking at a piece of jewel.
"Did you sleep well?" Lancer asks across the room as I gaze out.
"No... you?"
"Me? Well, I'm not very tired because of magic. So, why didn't you sleep well?"
"Wouldn't it be weirder if I slept well here?"
"From the sounds of it, yes. Still, if we go back to the mansion now, you'll be able to get some rest."
As Lancer says that, the Crown Prince stands beside him. His eyes are wide open, as he has woken up much earlier than me. His sleeping bag is rolled up neatly.
When our eyes meet, he waves at me with a small smile.
"Good morning, Kayla."
"...Good morning, Crown Prince."
It's an ordinary morning greeting. There's no uncomfortable undercurrent of air from yesterday.
"A good sign," I mutter under my breath as I sneak a glance at the Crown Prince.
Let's try to think of it as a good thing. Things can't get much worse from here. I crawl out of my sleeping bag and straighten my clothes.
"I will return to the mansion and bring a search party with me. Please wait in the cave." Satisfied that I'm roughly ready, Lancer proclaims to us. The Crown Prince nods in silence. Then, he disappears in a flash.
"...Did you happen to hear the conversation between me and Lancer yesterday?" The Crown Prince asks, less than a minute after Lancer disappears.
My heart drops. Ugh, that was the last thing I wanted to hear....
Had he noticed, had he seen me wiggling my toes? But how could the Crown Prince have seen the slightest movement of my toes, hidden beneath my thick woollen socks, and even more hidden beneath my thick sleeping bag? No, he can't realise I was awake.
I decide to trust my instincts and brazenly lie. "No, I didn't hear you go straight back to sleep. Did you talk about something important?"
Hearing my answer, the Crown Prince observes my face for a moment, trying to read me.
"...Yes, we did." After a long pause, he mutters.
"Lord Lancer thinks deeper than I imagined. I thought his mind was an empty barrel, but I was wrong."
What? Did the Crown Prince just call Lancer empty-minded?
I frown. Then he bursts out laughing, as if to acknowledge his mistake. "I'm sorry. I couldn't have been more blunt. In any case, please remember that I look at Lord Lancer differently now."
Lowering his voice, the Crown Prince continues. "Kayla, I thought I liked you."
That sentence makes me feel strange. My heart pounds in anticipation of what he will say next.
"Yesterday, in my conversation with Lord Lancer, I realised that I'm not in love with you."
"...." I can't help but be stunned.
I'm surprised by what he said, I'm surprised how he said it. I'm surprised at how bluntly and numbly he could accept that.
But I could care less. I don't feel bothered at all by his confession. On the contrary, I feel elated. A kind of liberation. A freedom that comes from the idea that I no longer have to be obliged.
And a celebration of the discovery that I no longer have to be tied to what others think of me.
"As you may or may not know, the Emperor and Empress were not married for love. There was nothing between them, but their care and respect for each other has made their relationship peaceful for many years."
This was something I learnt at Princess Julia's birthday party.
"Kayla, I grew up raised by those people, and as a result, I don't understand love. So I thought the attraction I felt for you was just the kind of affection that is common between a man and a woman. But now I understand."
A faint smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. A bittersweet smile.
"I just thought you were the only person who was similar to me, and any attraction I felt for you was merely an extension of my love for you."
"...." I remain silent. I don't know what to say. Should I comfort him, tell him it's okay? Or should I deny it and encourage him?
After a moment of deliberation, I make a choice: I choose to do nothing.
"By the way, we're off, Kayla. I'm sorry, but our engagement will never happen."
My jaw drops. "Wait, you mean...." I don't have to be his fiancée? I don't have to pretend to be in a relationship with him anymore? I can just stop caring about him and go after the guy I like?
"It's exactly what it means," he says. "But you are to be punished for breaking the contract. You dared to leave me and fall in love with another man, so I'm going to make you pay for it in full.”