Breaking the Curse | A Royal Kiss for the Prince cursed by the Demon King ~ To Enjoy a Life with Meals, Snacks, and Naps as a Reward ~ - Chapter 3

“I’m sorry to have you called for so suddenly.”

The place I was guided to led me to the Crown Prince’s office. No way, right?

The Prince who greeted me was dressed impeccably, with a beautiful face and a gentle smile. However, there were visible dark circles under his eyes. Did he not sleep? Could it be that he hasn’t slept since then?

“I am Kanan de Moley.”

I introduced myself with a deep bow. This is unexpected, but what should I do now?

“You don’t have to be so formal. I am Felix Balthazar de Rivière. This summons is unofficial. Feel free to speak casually. First, come over here.”

He took my hand and escorted me smoothly. Before I knew it, I was sitting on the sofa. How did this happen so quickly?

Prince Felix sat down gracefully in front of me. As soon as he sat down, tea was brought and served. As soon as he took his seat, tea was brought and served. By the time he offered me tea and the servants all bowed and left, the door was slightly ajar. What’s this, such efficiency…

“First, let me express my gratitude. You saved me. I am truly thankful from the bottom of my heart. And I apologize. It was my immaturity that forced you to make a difficult decision. I’m sorry.”

“No, I only did what was natural.”

“N-no, unofficial~~~! Can’t you stop because I’m not good at handling this? While trying to maintain a vague smile, I looked at the Crown Prince who is apologizing to me. This is getting awkward. I’m starting to sweat. My palms are sweaty. I’m sorry, Aunt, please help me!

Whether my plea got through or he noticed my desperate situation, the Crown Prince smiled at me and spoke.

“As an apology, I want to explain the cause of the Demon King’s resurrection and the measures to be taken in the future.”

I wondered if he was serious or was he asking for my opinion? As I tilted my head ambiguously, the Prince began to explain.

“First, the cause of the Demon King’s seal being broken was due to a crack in the seal that had occurred over many years. The main causes of the crack were the absence of the true hero and the holy sword due to the inheritance of the holy sword. However, we cannot avoid the inheritance. If the inheritance is interrupted, the seal will be broken at that stage. We cannot change this.”

Yes, this is indeed the reason the Crown Prince was absent from his country.

Our country’s Crown Prince is the Hero (designate) chosen by the Holy Sword. The one chosen as the next Hero becomes the Crown Prince regardless of their bloodline, and at the age of 18, they officially inherit the national treasure, the Holy Sword, and embark on a journey around the world and the sacred lands, taking about five years. They receive the blessings of the gods to become the Hero (awakened). It is common for the next Hero to be the legitimate child of the current Hero. Prince Felix’s father is also His Majesty.

“A Hero’s term is approximately 25 to 30 years for one generation. The period until the next Hero inherits the Holy Sword is not fixed, but it is generally around that time. I am the 19th generation, and it is believed that the seal will be broken in about 500 years.”

The Crown Prince closes his eyes once and directs a focused gaze at me.

“The period of 500 years is just a conjecture. Along with the legend of the Holy Sword that ‘the day the Demon King breaks the seal will come,’ I swear to convey this matter with utmost seriousness.”

Next, the Crown Prince talked mainly about ‘why he ended up cursed.’ He regretted his own mistakes and began apologizing to me. Stop, please stop apologizing first.

Summing up his story, it basically goes like this:

That royal ball was a once-in-a-lifetime miracle moment for the Demon King. As it was a celebration of his return, the Holy Sword temporarily left his possession and was ornamentally displayed to signify that he had received the proper blessings. And the fact that the Demon King appeared as a well-dressed adult man at the ball, despite some slight discomfort, was also one of the causes.

The Prince had returned to his country after five years and was busy dealing with the nobles of his own country whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. After all, people’s faces and body shapes change a lot in five years. He was caught off guard for a moment, trying to remember who each person was in front of him. That’s when the meticulously crafted curse, developed over the long years while the Demon King was sealed, slipped through.

If he had the holy sword with him, or if his attention wasn’t distracted, the incident would never have happened. Makes sense, right?

“As a countermeasure, I decided to reconsider the ball. In the future, we will not display the holy sword as an ornament, and the Hero will carry the sword. If I had carried the sword, I wouldn’t have been cursed. At the very least, I would have sensed it the moment the seal was broken.”

The hands clasped on his knee tightened. It must have been incredibly frustrating.

“The Demon King now knows that the sacred sword is being properly inherited. Next time, he may disappear the moment the seal is broken, but with the sacred sword, we will be able to sense his whereabouts.”

The Prince let out a sigh, relaxed, and slightly furrowed his brows as he tilted his head.

“With this explanation and countermeasure, I would like to offer my apology to you. Will you be able to accept it?”

“Yes, of course.”

I nodded without hesitation. After all, the royal family is the one sealing the Demon King. If they can protect the whole world and provide proper measures, there’s nothing more to say. The Crown Prince wearing the sword, yes, I think that’s a good idea.

“Next, I would like to make amends for your dedication.”

The Crown Prince looked at me with sincere eyes. The moment has finally come. I clenched my fist on my lap.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve investigated a little about you.”