How to Live as the Enemy Prince

Quite a strange but enlightening day had passed.

He had vaguely wondered that if he opened his eyes that morning, would he find himself back in Secretia? Or perhaps he would find himself in the afterlife? However the ringing of Yan’s bell shattered any expectations of that. Nothing had changed after all.

“Did you have a good dream, Prince?” Yan greeted him,

Calian sat up and savoured the morning tea that Yan had brought him, and it was only after handing back the empty cup and washing his face in the basin, he said to Yan,

“I want to cut my hair.”

Yan’s eyes widened and he blinked blankly in surprise, he looked unsure, as though wondering if he had heard wrong. Seeing that expression, Calian repeated, 

“My hair. I’ll have it cut,”

He motioned with two fingers and pretended to cut his fringe. Yan had indeed heard Calian correctly and shaking himself out of his stupor, he replied,

“Yes, your highness, I’ll make the preparations right away.”

Before long, the royal hairdresser was brought to Calian’s room. He carefully held his scissors in hand and hesitantly asked Calian once again, 

“Is it really alright for me to cut it, your highness?” 

Calian’s brow wrinkled and he frowned. Like most military men, Calian, a Knight, did not like to repeat himself and especially with something like this – what was so strange about a simple haircut that he’d had to repeat himself 3 times. 

Calian pointed at the scissors and spoke.

“Do I have to cut it myself?”

“No, your highness. My apologies.”

Only then did the scissors become busy, and after several careful snips Calian shook off the loose black hair so it no longer covered half his face.

Calian took a good look at himself in the mirror and it was only now, with the hair out of the way, that he could take a good look at himself in the mirror. 

“Hmm,” A smile worked its way to his lips, 

It was not a lie to say that he resembled his mother Freya, who was said to be the reincarnation of a goddess.

‘This face, is it not a fine legacy left behind by Freya?’

Calian nodded with satisfaction, and even Yan looked impressed. 

“You look great, your highness, it suits you well, but…” However, his voice turned subdued in anxiety.

“I am unsure of what reaction might come from Prince Franz. Considering his reaction at breakfast from simple eye contact, I fear we do not know how he might lash out in reaction to this change,”

Yan was worried for Calian, considering how disproportionately Franz had reacted yesterday. Calian stood up from his seat and smiled brightly,

“I thought you said I looked good? Besides, I can’t keep acting the fool for the pleasure of the ones who hate me,”

Yan looked surprised at the uncharacteristic words and demeanor of his master.

Calian bore a confidence Yan had never seen before, and he was uneasy about this sudden change. Not that this newfound assurance was bad, of course, but he was worried Franz might become even more belligerent.

Calian, sensing Yan’s nervousness all the way to the dining hall, sought to reassure his attendant.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,”

He went to the dining hall and took his seat, and it wasn’t long before Franz appeared. Franz walked in with his distinctive hazy eyes, and he looked at Randell’s empty chair before turning to Calian.

Those thin, light-blue eyes gazed down at Calian’s red ones. Calian did not avoid his gaze, he looked straight at Franz with his face no longer hidden behind his fringe.

With ridicule clear in his gaze, Franz let out a laugh then turned away. Yan hurriedly concealed his surprise.

‘Is it over? A single mocking laugh and it just ended like that?’

It was indeed incredible, but Franz sat down in his seat without saying a word and no longer paid attention to Calian.

Calian lifted an eyebrow. He had the same thoughts as Yan. For some reason the mad prince was sitting quietly, and he couldn’t fathom his whims.

The quiet tension seemed to stretch out for ages until Randell walked into the room that felt as if it had already been in the middle of winter for months. He sat down as usual with a simple glance at Calian’s face. The meal was served, and the three focused on their own food.

Yan was relieved that breakfast was going to end without any trouble.

“…Hey.”

However, it was not to be.

There was only one opponent here that Franz would talk so rudely to. And that one opponent acted as if he could not hear anything, and continued to eat with perfect etiquette. Of course, he couldn’t have truly missed Franz’s voice in this quiet hall.

Franz’s lips thinned harshly when Calian refused to look at him, a sign that his temper was about to explode. Yan could feel his heart pounding all the way down at his stomach.

But Calian’s face was completely tranquil. He looked like he couldn’t care less.

“Hey, bloody eyes,” Franz spat

Calian considered ignoring him again, but finally glanced up at Franz. When Franz was about to say something, he was interrupted, 

“Calian.”

He spoke quietly, and took a piece of sliced bread with a fork.

“…That’s my name.”

Randell was the first to react to this remark. Both of his hands, which were moving in silence, stopped. Randell raised his head and turned to look at his brother, whose attitude seemed to have changed overnight. But that was all. Randell was not the type of person who would interfere and soon made his hands busy again and continued his meal.

“Ah.”

Franz’s mouth twisted up. He closed his eyes very slowly and wondered for a moment how he should react to what he had heard. Then he looked at the knife in his right hand and tapped his fingers on the table with his left.

“Alright. I should call you by your name,”

“Yes.”

Calian’s answer came without hesitation. He took a sip of water.

Tap tap. 

A little louder, Franz’s fingers tapped against the knife on the table.

The blood drained from Yan’s face.

‘Is this what you meant by ‘taking care of it’ Your highness? What exactly are you trying to do on your own?’

Franz laughed once again. A childlike smile spread on his face, making him look more eerie.

In a flash, Franz flung the knife in his right hand toward Yan.

– Shiiiiing