Yuan bit his lip.
In fact, the cause of that trauma was the very person he had encountered today, High Priest Marius. Back when he was overflowing with magical power but was too young to know how to use his own strength, Marius had become fascinated by Yuan's immense potential. Just thinking about being trapped in the temple back then, endlessly subjected to torture and experiments, was enough to make him jolt awake from sleep and retch even now.
He knew that Marius could not touch the present Yuan. No, even when they had accidentally run into each other ten years ago, Marius could no longer defeat Yuan.
However, the nightmares of the past were frightening and persistent things, so even now, Yuan detested even the white priestly vestments that the priests wore.
'Are you worrying about me right now?'
He recalled what Gillen had asked just a moment ago, his eyes curving kindly in a voice tinged with laughter.
Worry? What worry. Yuan had only approached him to warn him as the only intelligent person who knew Marius's true nature. It was not because he was worried about Gillen, but because he knew all too well what kind of person Marius was, that he had personally gone over there.
"What a ridiculous mister he is."
Although no one was there, Yuan scoffed at him out loud, as if Gillen were right in front of him.
Suddenly, the unfinished chessboard caught his eye. If it were not for this chess game, he would never have come to a villa like this. Yuan thought.
Having forgotten that his original purpose was to meet Cecilia, he irritably snapped his fingers. At that, the chess pieces all floated up lightly and slotted themselves into the storage box, and the walnut chessboard folded in half.
In any case, he had to come to play chess tomorrow as well, so he needed to tidy it up properly. Yuan gave the neatly organized chessboard an unnecessary glare before leaving the Blake family's villa.
*
The Blake family's summer vacation was six weeks long, but Hexion returned to the capital sooner than that. It was because, as the Crown Prince, it was difficult for him to be away from his position for long.
After Hexion left, Cecilia became a little subdued. It was not visible to others, but it was clear in the eyes of her father, Gillen.
Those two, it seems their feelings did progress a little.
Gillen hid his feelings of half-pleasure and half-bitterness and suggested to Cecilia that they go on a picnic to a small forest on Capelli Island. Capelli was famous for its clear, blue sea, but it was an island that also had a dense forest and a beautiful lake.
Cecilia readily agreed to the picnic with Gillen. Until they entered the forest's entrance, their atmosphere was as bright and cheerful as it had always been.
"Papa, look at that. A squirrel is eating an acorn. How cute."
"Just like you, Cecil."
"Oh, come on, calling a person a squirrel. You're just blinded by love. You can't act like a doting fool in front of other people!"
"Ha! Ha! Ha! You'll forever be my little squirrel."
Gillen's hearty laughter echoed through the forest. The squirrel that had been eating the acorn was startled by the sound and quickly fled.
"Aww, it ran away!"
Cecilia exclaimed in disappointment.
It was then. The scurrying squirrel floated up into the air and began to fly leisurely toward Cecilia. The squirrel, which at first had been running in place, not understanding what was happening, became flustered and started to squeak and scurry about in confusion.
"Here, Cecil. Take a closer look."
From the moment the squirrel had flown up, Gillen had figured out what was going on. The only person who could use such magic right now was Yuan.
From behind, Yuan, mounted on a horse, approached elegantly. Dressed in a pure white riding habit with gold thread embroidery and riding a white horse, with his dazzling silver hair, he looked like an angel descended from heaven.
For a moment, both Gillen and Cecilia forgot to greet Yuan and just stared at him blankly. Overwhelming beauty naturally inspires a sense of awe.
The first to come to her senses was Cecilia.
"Yuan! Put the poor squirrel down."
"What's poor about it? I didn't hurt it or kill it. I just brought it over so you could see it better. Weren't you disappointed because it ran away?"
Yuan said as he floated the squirrel right in front of Cecilia's nose. Even though it was just a small animal, she could feel that the squirrel was terrified and did not know what to do. Cecilia's neat brow furrowed.
"Yuan Hampton. I told you to leave the squirrel alone."
"I find that hard to understand."
Yuan muttered as such, but he soon dispelled the levitation magic on the squirrel. The squirrel scampered away like an arrow. The acorn the squirrel had been holding dropped into Cecilia's horse's mane. Cecilia picked up the acorn and threw it at Yuan. Of course, it never hit him. That was because Yuan had stopped the acorn with magic before it could hit him.
"You're angry. Why?"
"You have no empathy, do you."
Cecilia said coldly and turned her reins.
"Hiyah!"
She kicked the horse's side. In the blink of an eye, Cecilia disappeared into the distance. The knights behind them looked at Gillen in surprise, and as soon as Gillen nodded, they spurred their horses and chased after Cecilia.
As a natural result, the only ones left behind were Yuan and Gillen.
"…This is not what I intended. You know that, right?"
Gillen, feeling preemptively guilty, asked first. Yuan snickered, then urged his horse forward. However, he did not gallop at full speed like Cecilia and the knights who had gone ahead. He simply sat on his slowly walking horse, his back held straight with aristocratic grace.
Gillen swallowed a sigh and matched his pace with Yuan.
"How did you know to come here?"
Gillen asked as if resigned. Of course, even without hearing the answer, he felt like he knew. He must have found out somehow with magic. He must have rushed over to spend time with Cecilia while Hexion was away.
"I came because I heard you were going on a picnic."
"Right, right."
"Because we need to settle the score."
"Right…, what, the score?"
"Chess, I mean."
Yuan said frostily. His tone was reproachful, as if asking if he could have possibly forgotten.
"Ha… Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Suddenly, Gillen laughed loudly. It was his characteristic laugh that Cecilia would chide him for, saying it was too loud.
Yuan frowned.
"Why are you laughing?"
"You're probably the only person who would follow someone so persistently just for losing one game of chess."
Such tremendous pride. Well, he was a guy who destroyed an empire to propose to a girl he took a liking to once ten years ago, so perhaps it was natural for him to be obsessed with a single game of chess.
"You're a truly amusing person, Hampton."
Gillen said with a laugh. Naturally, Yuan did not laugh. He glared at Gillen as if he were displeased.
"I am well aware that my sense of humor is superior to others. Please stop trying to win my favor by praising me for every little thing, Your Grace."
"Yes, alright, alright. I understand."
Hahaha! Gillen laughed again. Even the tips of Yuan's ears turning bright red with anger and embarrassment now felt cute to him.
Contrary to how he had been tense about Yuan being the second male lead and a villain-like weirdo from the original novel, Yuan was just a child. A child with strong pride and stubbornness, and a very strong sense of self. Thinking of it that way, Gillen's heart softened a little.
Yes, just because a child said 'Don't you dare like me!', was there any need for an adult to seriously retort and deny it? Gillen decided not to be wary of Yuan anymore.
Besides, seeing Cecilia's attitude toward Yuan, it did not seem like she would give him even a sliver of a chance. Even if her progress with Hexion was slow, it seemed there was absolutely no hope for Yuan.
"But what should we do about this, Hampton. The chessboard is at the villa."
"It does not matter. I brought it."
"Hahaha! Right, of course you did. Alright, when we get to the lakeside, let's play a game of chess. Let's settle the score today. Though I'll win again."
"Absolutely! Ahem, that will absolutely not happen."
Yuan got worked up, then cleared his throat and continued frostily.
"Since that day, I have even cast magic on the chessboard and undergone special training. There is no longer any way for you to beat me, Your Grace. Because I am a genius and also a hard worker."
"Hmm, I see. But Hampton, do you know this? The talented cannot beat the hard-working, and the hard-working cannot beat the one who enjoys it."
At those words, Yuan shot Gillen a venomous glare.
"I'm saying I'm the one who enjoys it. Haha! Hiyah!"
Gillen thoroughly teased Yuan, then kicked his horse's side and started to run. He could hear Yuan shouting "Hiyah!" and chasing after him from behind. To tease him, Gillen slightly turned his direction and steered his horse onto a side path. However, Yuan did not fall for it easily. He very skillfully turned his horse's head and even came to stand almost side-by-side with Gillen.
"I have a discerning eye for horse riding as well, you see."
Yuan said. His voice seemed slightly boastful, so Gillen suppressed a laugh.
"I see. That's amazing."
"Hmph. Of course. I am wonder itself."
Gillen caught a confident smile flicker across Yuan's lips and disappear.
Once I start thinking he's cute, he really does look cute.
Gillen held back the urge to laugh out loud and slowed down a bit. Then, Yuan also naturally pulled on his reins to follow suit. It seemed like an unconscious action, but the way he tried to match his pace with Gillen's was also quite adorable.
"But if we go this way, we'll have to take a roundabout route to the lakeside."
"Well, it's good for sightseeing. Anyway, Cecil has escort knights and a lady-in-waiting by her side, so there's nothing to worry about."
"Yes, I am sure you would say that."