"You can put me down now."
Mika deadpanned as Cyrus continued holding him up like a grumpy cat, the squire's face radiating pure happiness. His smile never faltered, glowing with an unwavering joy that seemed almost contagious.
Luna and Sol clung to him as if it were the most natural thing in the world, making Mika wonder—just how close was he to the royal children?
Mika recalled the novel. Cyrus had been mentioned briefly—just a childhood friend to Kyle and Kyren. But how? How could someone as cheerful, as ridiculous as this man, have grown up alongside those two? They were ice incarnate, locked in their own cold world.
Yet Cyrus… Cyrus had melted his way in.
Despite being a squire, Cyrus came from nobility. He was the youngest son of the prestigious Andeline family—the Marquis himself. Of course, he had met the twins through their families.
But how had they bonded so quickly?
How had Cyrus managed to slip past the barriers of their frozen hearts?
"Heeey, third princeee~ I would be sooo jealous if youuu thought of other people wheeen you're with meee~"
Cyrus' whining voice snapped Mika out of his thoughts.
Blinking, Mika looked up, only to find Cyrus grinning mischievously, amusement twinkling in his pink eyes.
Finally, he set Mika down.
"That's what I waaant~ The twins would be saaad if you didn't say anything."
Cyrus turned to look at Luna and Sol.
Without hesitation, Luna claimed her spot, gripping onto Mika's leg as if she were staking her territory—her tiny fingers clutching his pants as if refusing to let him leave.
Sol, meanwhile, still hugged Cyrus' leg, but his gaze flickered toward Mika. He hesitated, glancing up at Cyrus, who simply gave him an encouraging smile.
Biting his lower lip, Sol slowly pushed himself away from Cyrus—then, with determination, ran toward Mika's other leg, hugging it tightly.
Mika felt something tighten in his chest. A strange squeeze.
A warmth.
Sighing softly, he kneeled down, lowering himself to meet them.
Then, without a word, he pulled the twins into a hug.
Their eyes lit up instantly—like stars bursting to life.
And in the next moment, they hugged Mika back, clinging to him with unwavering affection.
"Cuuute~"
Cyrus stretched out his muscular arms as if he intended to join the hug, but the twins immediately shot him glares, making him giggle nervously and take a step back.
"Sooo greedy! Kids shouldn't beee greedy, you know?"
"W-we can be greedy!"
Sol looked up at Cyrus, clinging to Mika even tighter. Beside him, Luna nodded furiously before adding, "As long as it's Big Brother Mika! We're allowed to be greedy with him!"
Cyrus blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting them to be so defensive.
"Eeeh~ And why is that?"
Sol and Luna exchanged a glance, silently confirming their answer before speaking in unison.
"Because Father said Big Brother Mika must be so lonely!" Sol declared. "We grew up with Father and Mother's love, but Big Brother had to be alone!"
Luna nodded aggressively, her small hands clutching Mika's pants as she added, "Yes! That's why we want to make Big Brother feel loved here!"
'...W-what good kids!'
Both Mika and Cyrus thought the same thing, their eyes growing teary as warmth flooded their chests. To think—seven-year-old children could be this mature, this pure.
'Ahhh~ I want a little brother!' Cyrus grinned brightly.
'That's it. I'm protecting these two from the queen!' Mika clenched his fists, his thoughts resolute.
"You two sooo cute~ But, you need to be mindful too!"
Cyrus kneeled down, lowering himself to eye level with the twins. Yet even on one knee, he still towered over Mika and the children, his presence unwavering.
"It's okay to love someone," Cyrus continued, his voice softer now. "But sometimes, that love can be sooo suffocating that instead of feeling loved, they feel trapped."
Reaching out with both hands, Cyrus gently tapped the twins on their noses.
"You don't want Mika to feel trapped, right? It's his fiiiirst time here~ We should shaaare him instead of being sooo greedy!"
The twins hesitated, looking up at Mika for confirmation. Slowly, reluctantly, they loosened their grips.
"We want Big Brother to feel welcomed here…" Sol murmured.
"We don't want to make you uncomfortable…" Luna added, her voice smaller.
Then, in perfect unison, they bowed their heads.
"We're sorry, Big Brother."
"Good children~"
Cyrus ruffled the twins' hair with exaggerated enthusiasm, his grin stretching wide. "Now then, how about we leave Mika to rest? I'm sure he's sooo tired! See, he's eveeen in his pajama~"
At his words, Luna and Sol snapped their heads toward Mika, their eyes widening in realization.
"He's still in normal clothes!"
"I'm going to choose Big Brother's clothes!" Luna suddenly shrieked, excitement bursting through her voice as she dashed off in the opposite direction.
Sol let out a startled yelp before chasing after her. "N-not fair!! I want to pick out Big Brother's clothes too!"
Mika sighed, watching them disappear around the corner with an unimpressed expression. The chaos of these royal children was something he was starting to accept, though he wasn't entirely sure if he liked it.
Standing upright, he turned toward Cyrus, who still wore his usual carefree smile.
"...About my room," Mika started, but Cyrus didn't even let him finish before pointing toward the door on their left.
"In hereee~"
With one hand, Cyrus pushed open the door, and with the other, he pressed a firm hand against Mika's back, guiding—no, nudging—him inside like he was some lost kitten.
Mika let out a quiet exhale, catching himself before he stumbled.
The room was simple—normal, at least by royal standards.
Obviously, Mika didn't have his own designated space.
Maybe after the coronation, he'd finally be assigned one? Not that he particularly wanted to stay here long, but having a room in his own palace wasn't an unreasonable thought.
He walked toward the bed, running his fingers along the silk sheets. Predictably, even the guest rooms were lined with luxury.
Then—
A click.
The door shut.
Mika barely acknowledged it.
Had Cyrus left without saying anything? Good. That would at least give him a moment to—
"?!"
A warm grip curled around his wrist.
Before Mika could react, he was suddenly pushed down onto the bed, the force sending a dull shock up his spine.
The mattress dipped beneath him, and before he could blink, Cyrus was above him—his larger frame pinning Mika down effortlessly, his arms pinned above his head.
Mika stared up at him. Unamused. Unbothered.
A slow, lingering silence filled the space between them.
"...What are you doing?"
His tone was flat, unimpressed, as if this wasn't the first time someone had tried something ridiculous like this.
Cyrus didn't answer immediately.
Instead, his lips curled, amusement flickering in his gaze as he leaned in—just close enough for Mika to feel his breath against his cheek.
"You looked sooo lonely standing there, little prince~"
His voice was soft, teasing, dripping with flirtation, and yet Mika's expression didn't shift in the slightest.
He simply blinked at Cyrus, staring at him like he was a mildly annoying inconvenience rather than a towering flirt pinning him to a bed.
"...And?"
Cyrus' grin stretched wider.
"Ooooh~ sooo cold~ Should I warm youuu up?"
Mika exhaled, slowly, like he was dealing with a child rather than a full-grown nobleman hovering above him.
"You could get off me," he deadpanned. "That would be great."
Cyrus hummed, tilting his head as if genuinely considering the request.
"Mmm… nah~"
The two stared at each other—Mika, with his blank, unreadable gaze, and Cyrus, with heated intensity burning in his eyes.
Cyrus sighed dramatically, leaning back onto his heels—but his hands remained on Mika, now gripping the third prince's hips with a teasing hold.
"This suuuck~ Why aren't you affected?"
Mika raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
It took him a second to recall what Cyrus meant.
'Right. The effect of being blessed by gods.'
In the novel, blessings came with influence—an effect unique to each chosen one.
Cyrus—blessed by the God of Love—was naturally irresistible.
To men and women alike, his charm pulled them in effortlessly, ensnaring them like bees to honey. His beauty, presence, and aura ensured that people flocked to him without resistance.
Yet Mika felt nothing.
Cyrus was undeniably attractive, undeniably manly, but his charm held no power over Mika.
Well—to isekai Mika.
Mika, who had spent his entire lonely life in the modern world, worrying about survival while working himself to the bone in a black company.
Of course, it wouldn't work on him.
Instead, it annoyed him that Cyrus assumed he was just like everyone else.
"In case you forgot."
Cyrus tilted his head at Mika's words, confusion flickering in his eyes.
"I might be an illegitimate son, but..."
Cyrus' eyes widened slightly as Mika's expression darkened.
Wide-open eyes. Devoid of emotion.
The air in the room dropped, heavy and suffocating, as Mika spoke—soft, cold, commanding.
"I'm still Verhault."
Cyrus' breath hitched.
His face turned bright red—not in fear, but excitement.
His grip on Mika's hips tightened, his body trembling slightly, and his lips curled into a wide, eager grin.
"A-aah~ That faceee~ You remind me of Kyre~"
Kyre?
Mika frowned slightly, confusion flickering across his face.
But Cyrus wasn't finished.
His voice lifted—higher, breathier, filled with anticipation.
"That glareeee~ It's like youuu look down at eveeeryone~"
Mika narrowed his eyes as Cyrus leaned closer—his nose mere inches from Mika's.
"Like eveeeryone didn't matter~ It's scaaary on Kyre buuut~ Mika~ You make me excited insteaad~"
Mika tensed as he felt Cyrus' large hands slip beneath his shirt—bare fingers tracing against his skin.
"Mika~ Noo~ Prince Mika~ You're sooo~ sooo mysterious~"
If this were an anime, Mika could practically see the hearts in Cyrus' eyes.
Mika exhaled through his nose.
Tiring. This was tiring.
He opened his mouth, ready to tell Cyrus off—
But then—
SLAM!
The door burst open.
Both of them snapped their heads toward the entrance.
Kyre stood there.
Silent. Still.
His gaze remained off to the side—as if outright refusing to acknowledge Mika or Cyrus.
"...."
Cyrus, completely unfazed, lit up with his usual bright smile—as if he wasn't just pinning Kyre's brother to the bed.
"Heeey~ Is it timeee for training?"
His eyes flickered down to the sword Kyre was holding.
Kyre didn't answer.
He didn't look at them—his dull gaze remained fixed on the vase beside the door.
Yet, even that seemed enough for Cyrus to understand.
"Okaaay~ I'm coming."
Cyrus hummed, giving Mika a cheeky wink before finally climbing off him.
Kyre turned around without a word, walking away without waiting.
Cyrus giggled as he followed after him.
"Sooo cold~"
Then, just before stepping out, he glanced back over his shoulder—his grin playful, teasing.
"Seee you, Mika~"
And with that, he shut the door behind him, leaving Mika alone in the room.
"Give me a break."
Mika let out a long, exhausted sigh, the weight of the day pressing against him like an invisible force. This—this was exactly why he wanted to live a quiet life as the forgotten prince.
Everyone here drained him.
His brothers. His childhood friend.
Always pulling him into their world, demanding more than he was willing to give.
'I miss Louis.'
Mika exhaled, covering his eyes with his arm, allowing his mind to drift to the one person who wasn't suffocating.
At least Louis wasn't as tiring.
Louis was simple—straightforward. Eager to do anything, especially if it meant earning money. He was loyal, unwavering, and spoke his mind without hesitation. Mika never had to guess with him.
His loyalty was unquestionable.
Louis was just a big dog.
Devoted. Protective.
He would even draw his blade against the king himself to prove his loyalty.
Mika respected him for that.
While the others—
The others were foxes.
Sly. Cunning. Always watching—calculating every move.
They didn't know Mika.
They didn't know what he was capable of.
So before Mika could rise—before he could become a threat—they wanted to bring him down.
Just like the queen.
She despised him.
Just like how she wished Mika had never stepped foot inside the royal palace—
Mika wished the prophecy had never happened.
His throat felt tight.
His mind heavy.
He closed his eyes.
"...I need another nap."