The sunlight poured through the windows as Belial, already humming, walked over to Theodore's bed. He leaned in with a mischievous grin.
"Rise and shine, my lord," Belial said warmly.
Theodore groaned, half-asleep. "Damn it, five more minutes," he muttered, burying his face in the pillow.
Belial leaned closer and whispered ominously in Theodore's ear, "The gods are here."
Theodore's eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright. "WHAT?!"
Belial burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. "It was just a joke, my lord. But you are late for class."
Theodore glared at him, rubbing his eyes. "That's not funny, Belial! I almost had a heart attack!"
Belial smirked but quickly pointed toward the corner of the room, where a pile of neatly wrapped presents had mysteriously appeared.
"Ah, but before you worry about class… care to explain this, my lord?"
Theodore blinked, still groggy. His eyes focused on the colorful mountain of gifts. "What the hell is all this? Belial, why are these here?"
Belial chuckled. "These arrived early this morning. They were sent by various nobles. It seems that after saving the Daunt Village, word spread that the king might finally be on your side. They probably think now is the perfect time to curry favor with the crown prince."
Theodore crossed his arms, frowning. "Unbelievable. Do they really think I'm that stupid? Accepting their trash just because I saved a village? What about the 'Disaster Prince' nonsense? Weren't they terrified of me before?"
Belial smiled knowingly. "Humans are fickle, my lord. Fear turns to flattery when it serves their purpose."
"Throw them away," Theodore said sharply. "Or better yet, give them to Luna. Kids like her might enjoy toys or silly gifts like these."
Belial nodded. "As you wish, my lord."
Suddenly, both Theodore and Belial froze as they felt a dark mana radiating from one of the gifts. Theodore stood up, his eyes narrowing.
"One of these boxes… something's off."
Belial stepped forward, shielding Theodore with his arm. "Allow me, my lord. It's my duty to ensure your safety."
Theodore scoffed. "Belial, I'm a dark mage. I can handle a cursed object."
"Humor me," Belial replied with a grin, diving into the pile of gifts. One by one, he opened boxes filled with expensive jewelry, gold pots, new socks, and jackets.
But the pile didn't just contain material luxuries,it radiated a sickly, holy energy. As Belial opened another box, a blinding light filled the room.
"Damn it!" Theodore yelled, shielding his eyes. Belial immediately stepped in front of him, spreading his arms to block the light.
Theodore, annoyed, pushed Belial aside. "Stop babying me!" He slowly walked toward the source of the light, squinting as he reached for the box. Inside, he found a transparent perfume bottle filled with a golden liquid radiating with holy energy.
Beneath the bottle was a letter, glowing faintly with the same sacred light. Theodore's jaw tightened as he picked up the letter and read it aloud
"Dear Prince Theodore,
As the first son of King Henry Dominick, we wish to express our sincere admiration for your good deeds in saving a cursed village on the Kiran continent. Your bravery and compassion have spread far and wide, and we celebrated when we heard of your heroic act. We pray to the goddess Gaia every day for your well-being, especially during your recent illness.
We hope this perfume serves as a token of our respect and appreciation, not only for your bravery but also to aid in your recovery.
Please know that you are always welcome to visit the Holy Temple if you ever feel the need for prayer or guidance. A guard from the Holy Temple will come to visit you soon to hear your decision.
May the goddess of life continue to bless you with health and strength.
Warm regards,
Holy Priest of the Holy Temple of Gaia"
Theodore sighed. "Great. I've attracted the attention of the Holy Temple now, too. As if my life wasn't stressful enough."
Belial tilted his head. "Why send perfume? Why not send a priest?"
"Maybe they're afraid the Disaster Prince will hunt them down,"
Theodore joked, earning a hearty laugh from Belial.
Belial's laughter stopped abruptly as he lifted four boxes wrapped in beautiful paper. A sinister energy oozed from them. "My lord, these ones are cursed." He read the names on the labels Marquis Donovan and three other prominent nobles.
Inside the boxes were innocent looking toys. But the curse energy spreading from them was unmistakable Belial frowned.
"It seems they intended to harm you, my lord. A normal person would've been killed instantly by this kind of forbidden dark magic that hasn't been seen in generations."
Theodore's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Unfortunately for them, I'm not normal."
He extended his hand, guiding the black curse energy toward him. It writhed in the air like a living thing before disappearing into his mouth. He grinned. "Mmm, delicious. Too bad for Marquis Donovan,he just gave me evidence to use against him later."
Belial chuckled. "Shall I wrap these boxes for safekeeping, my lord?"
"Do it," Theodore said, brushing off his hands. "We'll deal with them in time. For now, I have to prepare for class."
****
After a quick wash, Theodore changed into his royal blue blazer. Belial helped him with his tie, carefully adjusting it to perfection.
As Theodore headed for the door, he sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this day."
Belial smirked. "What makes you say that, my lord?"
Theodore didn't answer, but the moment he stepped into the hallway, his instincts proved correct. His classmates were waiting for him, swarming around him like flies on honey.
"Prince Theodore!" one shouted.
"Can we talk to you for a moment?" another called out.
"You're so amazing for saving that village!"
Theodore's eye twitched as he forced a tight smile. "I guess this day is going to be stressful for me…" he muttered under his breath.