Chapter 2
Echizen Ryoma's POV
The days of my wounds healing, I've spent them in bed while the servants assist me and I don't mean in that way. Right now I'm feeling quite better and Jackal's here with me in the room babbling about meeting with the prince. I prefer calling him baldy though. It might just be a good chance for me to get started with my plans and then when the prince is completely turned off, the engagement will also be off. I laughed evilly to myself.
"Is there something funny, your highness?" Baldy asked me. I shook my head.
"Iya… Just thinking…" I said. "And don't call me your highness… I'm not even married to the prince…"
"But you will be married to the prince." he said. I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah…" I scoffed. "I will…"
Not. I already said I won't.
"And when will I be meeting the prince then?" I asked but I wasn't really interested. I just wanted to know so I could be prepared and I don't mean by making myself pretty.
I'm going to prepare my plans to turn off the prince.
"Today at lunch…" he replied and he looked quite happy. He probably thinks I'm willing to meet with him. Sorry, Baldy, but I'm not really willing. I just want to get this over with.
"Fine… Inform the prince I'll be more than willing to meet him." I said.
Yeah, right. As if..!
"Will do." he nodded compliantly.
"Anymore I need to know?" I questioned. He shook his head.
"He's just bringing along a friend, that's all. I shall take my leave now." he said and bowed then left the room. I slumped on the bed.
I wonder what the prince looks like… They say he's charming and handsome. I doubt that. He probably looks like a pig. Wanting to marry a 12 year old boy like me, it's pedophilia.
I shuddered. Yeah, that's right. He's a pedophile.
The prince is a pedophile and I'm his food. No, wait. Bad thoughts…
I scolded myself for that. I don't even want to know what the prince is like… I suddenly thought of leaving and forget about the meeting and the plan. I got out of bed, wore shoes, and opened the curtains to see outside of the window.
Oh, shit…
The whole place is huge… A lot of high-tech buildings and flying vehicles could be seen outside. It's like the future. Everything is better here than in my world. Maybe I should stay here…
No, stupid! Do that and you'll be married to the prince!
Or not… Just looking at the whole place, how the heck will I be able to go home? It looks like a maze… I groaned.
I guess I'll have a nice walk here in the castle or maybe I'll make my escape now…
I closed the curtains and went to the door and left the room. I walked around the castle. It was spacious and everything looked so expensive. It has nice taste. I wouldn't mind having this place myself. But even if I were to own everything here if I married the prince, I'd rather die.
I kept looking around the palace. Almost everything was made out of gold and silver… Priceless… This prince must be super rich. There are so many doors and rooms in this castle. It's just like another maze.
Oh, fuck…
I now got myself lost. Great…
No matter. I'll find a way out of this stupid castle myself.
Feeling confident, I searched the castle for an exit. Something like this isn't going to stop me. As if I'd let myself give up now that I've made it this far. There's no backing out now.
"Where do you think you're going..?" a deep voice of a man said. I froze. The voice was unfamiliar… I slowly turned around to face the man. He looked a lot older than me. He had short black hair, brown eyes, tanned skin, and was wearing black clothes which seemed really expensive.
"I… I was just walking around the castle…" I replied. He looked at me suspiciously.
"Is that so…?" he said with a raised eyebrow. I nodded.
"Hai…"
"Hey, you..!" I heard another voice called. This one seems familiar. I turned around and saw Bunta headed this way but then froze. I tilted my head in confusion and realized he was looking at the man beside me with a feared expression.
"P-Prince Sanada!" he said and bowed quickly. My eyes had widened at the word 'prince'.
Did he just say Prince? Prince? Does this mean this old man is my fiancé? Disgusting… He really is a pedophile… No, wait…
I felt a smirk slowly creep up my face. Now that I know my fiancé's face, I can proceed to my plan.
Perfect... Now I can get started…
"What are you smirking about?" the prince asked. I just smiled and shook my head.
"Betsu ni…" was my only reply. I can't just let my plan foil when I've only just started. I will show him that I, Echizen Ryoma, am not a person whom you should mess with…
I couldn't help but let an evil chuckle pass from my lips. Bunta looked at me as if I were crazy. Screw that. The prince looked at me in a more suspicious look.
Note to self, avoid making suspicions.
I cleared my throat and looked at the prince cutely. Definitely not something I would do, but if I were to act like those common whores, he'll probably be dejected and call off the wedding.
"Ne…" I began. Sickening, indeed, but if it's to protect my dignity, I'd do it. "Prince, we are supposed to meet at lunch, are we not?"
The prince looked at me weird. Odd. Did he forget? Bunta suddenly cut in.
"A-Anou… Your highness, he's-"
"Aa. We are." the prince said before Bunta could even finish.
"E-EH?! D-Demo…"
"We shall go to the dining room." The prince ignored Bunta and said with his hand held out to me which I took. We both just ignored Bunta and left him all alone. His hands were warm… A comforting source of warmth… It feels nice holding on to it. It feels much more like a father's. No, WAIT!
Baka! What are you thinking?!
I shook my head at the thought. I shouldn't be thinking about that.
"What's wrong?" the prince asked.
"Betsu ni…" I said and smiled a fake sickening sweet smile.
"Alright…" he said slowly. We walked all the way to the dining room while having a little chat. He doesn't talk much. How boring… Of course, he's an old man. A mature man. Of course… What's to be expected?
When we entered the dining room, everything was already prepared by the maids. The room was even bigger than our dining room… The food looked so delicious… Is this what they call heaven?
No, this is hell, Ryoma… Remember, you're getting married to a pedophilic prince…
I mentally hit myself for that. I must remind myself not to be overwhelmed by all these great things in this castle… They're highly contagious… I gave out a shudder. I went to the table and the prince helped me take my seat. I just thanked him. Gentleman much..? He's treating me like a lady. I frowned.
I can do everything myself, thanks…
I quickly changed my frown into a smile. Am I looking like a bipolar? Whatever…
"So… Echizen Ryoma…" he started. "You're not from here, are you?"
"Nope…" I shook my head.
"What's it like in your world..?" he asked. I started thinking and tried to resist a smirk.
"Oh… It's nothing much… Full of bullies, thugs, thieves, murderers, assassins, kidnappers, spies, LOTS!" I said with an innocent smile. The prince's face looked rather dark. I still kept the smile on my face.
This is going good…
"I… I see… I don't suppose you're one of those mentioned..?" he asked.
"Oh, no, prince..! I'm certainly not one of them!" I said politely. He looked relieved. I thought of something quickly.
"But I do beat the crap out of my enemies!" I said in a fake cheerful voice. The relieved look on his face immediately vanished. The servants gave me weird faces. Screw them! I'm working on my plan here!
Things are going just the way I wanted…
Bunta Marui's POV
Oh, this is not good! NOT GOOD! Who knows what will happen if he'll…
"Oi, Bunta…What's going on with you?" Jackal asked me.
"N-Nothing… I-It's just…" I bit my lips. I was sweating real hard.
What to do…The kid has gone off already… He might even fall for him… I watched the scene and didn't even stop him or say anything!
I scratched my head roughly, messing my hair up. Jackal over there, looked at me as if I've gone mad.
"T-The kid! The kid! He's-"
Jackal went pale. He must have understood what I was talking about.
"Don't tell me he's escaped!" Jackal grabbed me on the shoulders and shook me.
"Oh, no, it's not that… It's just-"
"What is going on here?" a voice asked. I knew perfectly well who the owner of the voice was. I looked at the direction where it came from.
Oh, no… IT'S THE PRINCE!
"Y-Your highness..!" Both Jackal and I said.
Jackal let go of me and we both bowed at the same time. The prince just looked at us confused.
"What's wrong?" he asked. I thought for a moment.
Should I tell him? Or should I not..?
"The kid from before… He…" I said, hesitating.
The prince may be nice but when he's angry, he's scary… This may cost me my life…
"Well?" the prince asked. A smile on his face… He may be smiling but I knew he was getting impatient…
It's now or never…
Echizen Ryoma's POV
The prince kept asking me about my life in my world. I answered his questions and answered him the darkest things I had in mind while I was just scarf down my food in a rather piggish manner, attempting to disgust the prince. I just had to pretend I had horrible table manners by talking with my mouth full and unintentionally spitting a bit of food on him.
How do you like me now, prince?
I tried my best to make him look down on me as possible.
Everything's running smoothly… This is so easy…
I was rather proud with my success. Now I'll be able to make him find another person as his fiancée and with that, he'll definitely send me back to my own world.
Nothing could possibly go wrong…
The door of the dining room suddenly opened. I looked to see if who had entered. It was a man with wavy blue hair and eyes. He had white complexion, a tall and slender figure, and also looked older than me. He wore an expensive formal white suite and golden accessories. But he looked younger than the prince who was seated at the other side of the table.
"Yukimura…" the prince said. The man named Yukimura just smiled and walked headed towards him and sits on the chair beside him.
"So… This is Echizen Ryoma?" Yukimura asked and looked at the prince.
"Aa…" the prince nodded slowly.
"I see…" Yukimura said. A smile still on his face… He looked at me next.
"I heard you're not from here." he said. "Interesting… So you're foreign?"
He looked at me with so much interest. I didn't mind that. He probably hasn't seen a foreigner before…
"Aa…" I nodded "I happened to enter a portal by accident so here I am now…"
"I see…" he said. "You must have freaked out when you first woke up seeing that you're in an unfamiliar such as this…"
"Yeah…" I sighed.
"What's it like there… In your world I mean… Is it better than here?" Yukimura asked.
"Nothing much… It's a world full of criminals… I, myself, beat the crap out of people who mess with me…" I replied and took a quick glance at the prince. Yukimura looked amused.
"I see…" Yukimura said softly with a mysterious smile.
What's he smiling about..? Che… Whatever…
"Yeah, and I'm stuck here and getting married to a pedo- I mean… To this prince right here…" I said and pointed my finger at Sanada. There was a little pause. Sanada coughed and Yukimura bursts out laughing. His laugh was soft and gentle. I liked it.
Stop that! You're doing it again and this time it's a complete and total stranger!
I mentally slapped myself. But this Yukimura guy isn't so bad. I'd prefer getting married to him than this old guy here. Yukimura stopped laughing. I wondered what was so funny. Yukimura noticed my confused look and spoke.
"I'm sorry… I-It's just… It's funny…" he said, trying to stifle laughter. I still didn't get what was so funny so I asked.
"Excuse me… But what's so funny?"
"It's nothing… It's nothing…" he shook his head and smiled at me. I somehow liked his smile.
"You are really interesting, Echizen Ryoma…" Yukimura said. "I'd like to get to know you more…"
"Same here, Yukimura-san…" I replied. I kind of liked this Yukimura person.
"Oh, call me Seiichi. My full name is Yukimura Seiichi and I'm the prince of this castle."
"Eh?" I froze.
Had I heard him wrong or did he just say he was the PRINCE of THIS CASTLE..?
"Y-You're..?"
"Aa, I am Prince Yukimura Seiichi. I was the one who took you into this castle and I'm the one who's going to marry you." he said.
"Then who…" I looked at Sanada and frowned.
"I'm Prince Sanada Genichirou and I'm Yukimura's best friend…" Sanada said.
"WHAT?!" I exclaimed and looked at Yukimura.
"It seems you must have misunderstood Bunta when he called Sanada Prince." Yukimura chuckled. "Oh, and Ryoma…"
I frowned deeper hearing him call me by my first name.
"Your foolhardy act isn't going to trick me. I've already decided I'm going to marry you and I AM NOT SHARING. Got it?" Yukimura smiled at me with an angelic smile.
God, why do you hate me so much…?
END OF CHAPTER 2
TheBitterMoon: Phew… Finished… Hehe… Sorry… My mind goes blank sometimes and it takes long for me to think of what to write… Sure, I have already planned what I want to happen in the scene but I just can't write it just how I wanted it… Hehehe… ^^" I do hope this is enough… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed… You'll have to wait for chapter 3 so be patient… ^_^