Rou stood in the center of the training arena, his feet planted firmly on the ground, his body tense. His heart pounded in his chest as he stared across at none other than the crown prince, Caelum Voss, who was standing on the opposite side of the ring, sword in hand and a confident smirk on his face. The prince's eyes glinted with amusement, as if he were enjoying the spectacle of what was about to unfold.
Rou's mind raced, still trying to process how he ended up in this situation. Rou, being considered as an 11-year-old demi-dragon, was about to duel the prince. The same prince who, in the game, was destined to be one of the key love interests and a future leader of the kingdom. And here Rou was, standing in front of him, ready to face off with someone who was supposed to be a major figure in the story.
Rou;
(How did things escalate to this point?)
Yesterday...
Rou sat quietly in his room, sipping his coffee as he gazed out the window, distracted by his thoughts. He had deliberately stayed out of class today, hoping to avoid any unnecessary interactions with the love interests, especially with the crown prince, Caelum. Rou was fully aware that something important was supposed to unfold today.
As Rou's eyes scanned the courtyard below, he saw Amelia standing face-to-face with Caelum. Her posture was stiff, her hands clenched at her sides, but there was an air of tension surrounding them. The scene was already setting off nostalgia in Rou's mind.
Rou:
(It's finally starting huh...)
Then, he saw it. Caelum stepped closer to Amelia with a grin on his face, clearly acting more forward than in the game. His eyes glinted mischievously as he reached out, his hand hovering near Amelia's cheek.
Rou got irritated by the view. He didn't need to guess what Caelum was thinking. He had seen this scene in the game, but this was different. Amelia—who was usually meek and obedient in the game—had no intention of letting this happen.
Suddenly, without warning, Amelia slapped Caelum across the face, the sound echoing in the quiet courtyard.
Rou blinked, stunned as he spit his coffee in shock.
Rou:
(Eh???)
In the game, Amelia had always been so passive, allowing the prince to get close to her. She never slapped him. This was completely unexpected.
Caelum, for a brief moment, looked stunned, his hand lingering on his cheek where Amelia had struck him. But instead of anger, there was a curious gleam in his eyes as he looked at her. His smirk deepened as he took a step toward her, a playful and almost intrigued expression on his face.
Caelum:
[Hmm, I didn't expect that, Amelia,] (Caelum said with a mischievous chuckle.) [It seems you have more fire in you than I thought.]
Amelia, for her part, looked conflicted. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she took a step back, as though regretting her boldness. But Rou could tell she was scared, nervous, and unsure of what to do next.
Then Caelum did something that threw Rou completely off guard. Instead of retreating or reprimanding her, the prince moved in closer, his gaze still locked on Amelia, his expression now one of amusement.
Caelum:
[Maybe I should show you how I handle this...]
Caelum murmured, his voice low and teasing, and he leaned in as though he was about to kiss Amelia. He saw how Amelia's shoulders started to shake in fear of what's about to happen.
Rou's eyes widened in disbelief.
Rou:
(Wait... Isn't this bad???)
He couldn't just stand by and watch this happen. In the game, this would have been a pivotal moment, but seeing it unfold like this, with Amelia looking uncomfortable and Caelum acting so forward, left Rou feeling… disgusted.
Before Caelum could close the distance between them, Rou's instincts kicked in. Without thinking, he rushed into the courtyard, his heart pounding as he got between the two.
Rou:
[Oy!]
Rou called out, his voice loud and firm, surprising even himself. He was standing between Caelum and Amelia now, facing the prince.
Rou:
[Back off, Caelum.]
Caelum paused, his eyes flickering with mild surprise, as if he hadn't expected anyone to interfere.
Caelum:
[What's the matter, kid?] Caelum asked with a grin, tilting his head. [This is none of your business.]
Rou:
(Kid? Aren't you also a kid?...)
Rou clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.
Rou:
(I can't believe I'm about to say this... I wanna puke...)
[... It is, she's a friend...] (he said, stepping forward to shield Amelia. His eyes locked with the prince's, unyielding.)
Caelum's grin widened, not in anger, but in amusement. He seemed genuinely intrigued by Rou's interference.
Caelum:
[You've got guts, I'll give you that. But you can't just interrupt like this.]
Rou:
[I said, back off] (Rou repeated, his voice calmer now, but still with an edge.)
Rou wasn't going to let Caelum pull anything on Amelia. Not today at least.
For a moment, the courtyard was silent. Then Caelum chuckled lightly, his expression softening.
Caelum:
[Well, looks like today's not the day for that, huh?]
He stepped back, his gaze lingering on Amelia for just a second longer before he finally turned to walk away, clearly not bothered by Rou's intervention.
Rou watched the prince retreat, his body still tense. He didn't know why he had stepped in like that. It wasn't like he owed Amelia anything—he was just... acting on instinct. His eyes flickered over to Amelia, who was still standing where Caelum had left her, her expression unreadable.
Rou hesitated for a moment, then cleared his throat.
Rou:
[...you okay?]
Amelia blinked, looking up at him as if she had just realized he was there. Her lips parted, and she seemed unsure of what to say. But then, after a long pause, she nodded.
Amelia:
[Yeah... thank you] she said, her voice quiet. [I didn't know what to do. He... I didn't want him to think that he could just...]
Rou raised a hand, cutting her off.
Rou:
[It's fine. You didn't do anything wrong.] (He couldn't help but feel uneasy for stepping in so suddenly, but at least the situation didn't escalate any further.)
Amelia offered him a small, tentative smile.
Amelia:
[Thank you, Rou. I appreciate it.]
Rou nodded, unsure of what to say next. He had no idea why he was doing this, why he'd acted like that. He certainly hadn't expected to be the one to step in and save her from Caelum of all people. But in that moment, he didn't regret it. Not one bit.