I Became the Cure for the Cursed Prince

“Your Highness.”

From a distance, Sion furrowed his brows and called out to Lucas.

“Yes, I know. It’s hard to believe, and it’s frustrating. But that child is undoubtedly Leon Theian, the first prince of the Theian Empire.”

Sion looked utterly baffled.

“Let’s say that’s true. Then shouldn’t we send him back to the empire as soon as possible? How could you even consider keeping him here?”

Sion had a point. Lucas had just declared that he would propose to the Imperial Palace that the north take care of Leon.

“Do you think the people of Rion—no, even just the people inside this fortress—would accept a Theian royal among them? And even if they did, do you think the imperial court would ever entrust their precious first prince to an enemy nation?”

“They will entrust him. Because they have no other choice.”

If a cure for Leon’s condition wasn’t found, the first prince was doomed to die.

Lucas was the only one who understood this truth, because he knew the future.

Sion’s concerns weren’t unfounded.

The founding myth of the empire was infamous—Theron Theian, the empire’s first emperor, had betrayed Haros Rion, the founder of the Grand Duchy, in order to seize control of the fertile lands of the empire.

For centuries, wars had continued between the two nations, embedding deep-seated hostility among the people.

Most northerners despised the empire.

And now, the idea of raising a Theian prince in the north?

To some, it would seem as foolish as nurturing a tiger that would one day betray them.

The fact that even Sion—Lucas’s most trusted aide—was expressing doubts meant that opposition would be intense.

Yet despite all this, Lucas was certain:

Leon, this small, bright-eyed child, had a better chance of becoming a wise ruler than the second prince.

And the north would benefit far more from Leon’s reign than from Viltor’s.

More than that, Sion was overlooking something crucial.

Lucas slowly removed his gloves and set them down on the table.

“…Sion, do you really think that’s all this is about?”

Sion froze.

The moment Lucas revealed his bare hands, the meaning behind his words became crystal clear.

Even if it was because of his curse, the young prince was the first person who could touch his master without hesitation.

If there was even a chance that Leon could hold the key to breaking the curse—or at least suppressing it— Lucas had to take it.

In the end, Sion bowed his head in submission.

“…I will send the letter as you commanded.”

“Good. I appreciate it.”

After straightening his posture, Sion gave a serious nod and left the room.

And then—

“Luca!”

Lucas turned toward the sound of Leon’s voice.

Peeking through the crack of the door, golden hair dripping wet, the child grinned up at him.

Lucas had sent the servants to wash and feed the prince while he discussed matters with Sion. Judging by the wet hair, Leon had bathed—but considering how quickly he had returned, he obviously hadn’t eaten yet.

Lucas had planned to quietly write the letter while the prince was occupied with his meal.

“Your Highness, have you eaten?”

“I was waiting to eat with you!”

Leon crept into the room, glancing around as if testing the waters.

Lucas let out a quiet chuckle despite himself.

Still, he couldn’t allow himself to be constantly dragged into Leon’s pace.

With a firm expression, he said, “I’m not hungry. I need to finish some urgent matters first.”

“Then I’ll just wait here until you’re done.”

“Didn’t you say you were hungry?”

Leon playfully smiled and plopped himself down at the table across from Lucas.

Resting his chin on his hands, he gazed at Lucas with bright eyes.

“But I want to eat with you, Fairy—no, Luca.”

Lucas sighed. How was he supposed to deal with this child?

When he didn’t respond immediately, Leon’s head drooped.

He was clearly worried about being rejected.

Lucas had never been accustomed to someone seeking his company like this.

He watched the round head in silence until Leon suddenly perked up.

“Oh! Right!”

His golden eyes sparkled with realization.

“When we write the letter to His Majesty, you have to write first, right? And then I have to write too!”

Leon’s eager gaze shifted to the desk.

Lucas followed his line of sight—there, a blank sheet of parchment and a pen lay waiting.

“Luca, you start! Then I’ll write my part!”

“Before that, you should dry your hair. If you don’t, you’ll catch a cold. I’ll call a servant.”

As Lucas reached for the bell, Leon immediately jumped down from his chair and ran to him.

Then, without hesitation, he shoved his head into Lucas’s hands.

“Dry it for me, Luca!”

Lucas froze.

He wasn’t used to this.

Someone touching him so easily.

Reflexively, he pulled on his gloves, just as Leon began rubbing his damp head against his stomach.

The golden strands of hair carried a rich chocolate scent that filled the air.

Lucas sighed.

With Leon still clinging to his waist, he reached for a soft towel hanging nearby.

Using the plush monster fur, he gently rubbed the child’s head, drying his hair in slow, careful strokes.

Each time the towel glided over the fine golden strands, Leon’s small shoulders trembled from the sensation.

Finally, with a deep sigh of satisfaction, the child grinned.

“Haah, that feels great!”

It was Lucas’s first time drying such a small head, and he nearly dropped the towel multiple times.

But Leon only laughed, clearly enjoying himself.

Once the moisture was mostly gone, Lucas set the towel aside and carefully ran his fingers through the boy’s hair, smoothing out any tangles.

Though he wasn’t using bare hands, the soft golden strands wrapped around his gloved fingers before slipping away.

“All done.”

Leon turned around, his round cheeks flushed pink, and gave him a radiant smile before returning to his seat.

Lucas, now seated at his desk, removed his gloves and picked up a pen.

Pressing the parchment down with one hand, he began writing—

“To His Majesty, the esteemed Emperor of the Theian Empire…”

Then—

A sweet scent filled the air.

Bittersweet dark chocolate.

Lucas didn’t even need to check—the source was obvious.

He glanced up to find Leon resting his chin on both hands, golden eyes sparkling, watching him intently.

His unwavering gaze made it difficult to focus.

Lucas sighed and reached for a book from the shelf—something simple enough.

[Ecological Studies of the Betax Region.]

“Do you like reading?”

Leon’s face lit up as he eagerly nodded.

Lucas placed the book on the table in front of him.

Leon glanced at the cover before looking back up expectantly.

“While I write the first part of the letter, you should read. I’ll ask you about it later, so make sure to pay attention.”

“Okay, Luca!”

Satisfied that Leon had started flipping through the pages, Lucas returned to his letter.

Without the weight of that intense gaze and the overpowering scent filling the air, he could finally concentrate.

The letter began with an inquiry about the emperor’s concerns regarding the prince’s safety.

It then detailed the attack, noting that the captured enemies had committed suicide before they could be interrogated.

Most importantly, it acknowledged that Lucas knew about the prince’s curse and proposed that the north take responsibility for him.

Frederic, the emperor, was a shrewd man—if Lucas didn’t mention any terms, the emperor would likely offer something himself.

Keeping his true intentions hidden would be to Lucas’s advantage in negotiations.

He carefully reread and revised the letter, then copied the final version onto a clean parchment, signing it with his official seal.

Now, all that remained was Leon’s addition to the letter before it could be sent.

Since the room had been silent for some time, Lucas assumed Leon had dozed off while reading.

But when he lifted his head—

“…….”

Leon was very much awake.

His bright golden eyes shimmered as he read, his lashes fluttering ever so slightly.

The book must have been interesting—his lips had parted slightly, and a faint blush colored his soft cheeks.

Until now, Lucas had been too preoccupied to really notice.

But at this moment, Leon looked exactly like an angel.

He found himself wondering—

Did his parents feel proud every time they looked at him?

Then—memories resurfaced.

When he was Kim Woojin.

There had been a time when Woojin had wanted to have a child.

Even without parents of his own, he had thought—

If I have a child, I could create a family.

He had wanted to give that child all the warmth he had never received.

But he never even had the chance.

He had never even found a partner—and when he had finally gone to a doctor, they had confirmed it.

Infertile.

It was common among inferior omegas—but even so, the confirmation had left him hollow.

Feeling a gaze on him, Lucas snapped out of his thoughts.

Leon had lifted his head, meeting his eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Realizing he had been staring, Lucas quickly recovered.

“Ah. I was just thinking about how incredibly intelligent Your Highness is.”

“Huh? I’m smart?”

When Lucas nodded, Leon beamed—his smile so bright, it was as if he had just won the world.

It was almost comical how easily a simple compliment made him so happy.

Lucas, unable to stop his lips from curling slightly, got back to the main point.

“The letter is finished. Now, you only need to add your part.”

At those words, Leon sprang up from his chair and ran straight into Lucas’s arms.

Lucas froze, hands awkwardly raised in the air.

“Your Highness. You should be writing now.”

Leon suddenly remembered and gasped, “Oh, right!”

Then—instead of going back to his seat, he climbed onto Lucas’s lap.

His small body was perched so precariously that Lucas instinctively wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him from falling.

At that moment, Leon turned and asked—

“Luca, do you want kids?”