"Crown prince!"
Hearing the cry even among the growling monsters, the soldiers briefly glanced at the crown prince but resumed their fight.
One wrong move and their lives would be lost as well.
"Are you alright?" Lucian gently laid Valen on his lap, checking for injuries.
Valen chuckled, confusing Lucian.
"Can you stop being nice for once? It's annoying."
"I… apologize…"
"No. Just let me die in peace, alright? No one will miss me. My family's gone. But you can't die. You need to live. I couldn't even protect Arisia. As your older brother, can you just let me protect you for once?"
Tears Lucian had been holding back fell onto Valen's face as his breath slowed and grew uneven.
"I'll ask the grand duchess to heal you."
