Chapter 165 - 2-47
"Don't make that face every time you see me," His Highness said.
"That face...?"
I looked away as I answered. He walked over and sat beside me. I looked up in surprise, but his expression remained unreadable. His gaze held mine with an intensity that made it impossible to look away.
"Fear, anxiety... and disappointment, I suppose."
Disappointment. He had seen right through me. Whether he realized how much his words unsettled me or not, he simply stated the facts.
"Every time our eyes meet, you look as if you've made a mistake. You search for a shadow of someone else, looking so forlorn."
"I am sorry."
"I don't want an apology. Over the last few days, I've come to accept the existence of the Spirit of Darkness and the Dark Spirit King. I understand this world better than when we first spoke. And of course, I realize you are the Rachel I once knew."
This was our first real conversation since the day he woke up. Even then, despite his confusion, he had remained calm. But perhaps that was just a facade. He must have been far more bewildered than he let on. Now, he was finally beginning to grasp the reality of his situation.
"Am I truly so different from the version of me in this world?"
"Eh?"
"You can tell the difference instantly, can't you? Between the man I am now and the one you know."
The question caught in my throat. He didn't press for an answer, waiting patiently in the silence.
"...The core of your character remains the same. Your Highness has always been someone who cares for the kingdom and its people, putting the future above all else. You seem gentle yet possess a hidden passion; you are calm yet full of curiosity. I believe both versions of you share those traits."
"You 'believe' so?"
"Yes. I... I only ever looked at the surface of Your Highness. Your handsome features, your kind smile... and..."
"And the title of Crown Prince. It isn't just you. Most people who approach me do so for status, for their own pride, or to find a weakness. They all have an agenda. I am no different."
I remembered Louis-sama once saying he could only view relationships through the lens of profit and loss.
"I made you my fiancée because you were the daughter of a high-ranking noble and possessed great magical power."
"I understand. To a version of me without magic, there would be no point..."
"But I heard you lost your magic once. Even then, the version of me in this world didn't break the engagement, did he?"
"No..."
"Even with no guarantee your powers would return... Why? I cannot understand it, even if it was my own decision."
He fell into deep thought, frowning as he shook his head weakly. My hand moved instinctively toward him, but before I could reach his shoulder, Kuro's small paw swatted it away.
Kuro hates you. You're making Rachel suffer.
"K-Kuro, it's alright."
Kuro loves Theodore. Kuro likes Louis because he brings toys. You look like Louis, but you make Rachel sad, so Kuro hates you.
Kuro stood between us, shielding me, and turned his head away with a huff. His Highness widened his eyes in surprise.
"Incredible... He really is a Spirit of Darkness. Is he your contracted spirit?"
His demeanor shifted instantly. His eyes sparkled with curiosity, a look identical to the one Louis-sama often wore. There was no malice, only the pure interest of a boy fascinated by something new.
"Yes. His name is Kuro."
"Kuro? Because he's a black cat?"
When I told him the name, he blinked blankly before his lips curled into a faint, amused smile.
"Your Highness... You just thought it was a very simple name, didn't you?"
"Well, it isn't exactly a name one usually gives to a spirit."
I knew what he meant. If Theodore-sama had told me I was naming a high-ranking spirit when I first met Kuro, I might have chosen something else.
"There is a profound reason for this name!"
"For 'Kuro'?"
He teased me with a knowing grin, and I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment.
"Yes!"
At my forceful reply, he finally burst out laughing. I froze as I watched him. That laugh... it was exactly the same as the Louis-sama I knew so well.
"Louis-sa..."
The name slipped out before I could stop it. I clamped my mouth shut immediately.
"Is something wrong?"
He peered into my face with curiosity. My heart hammered against my ribs, the sound echoing in my ears.
"No... It's nothing... Nothing at all."
I forced a vague smile and looked away.