After 7 years, Conrad's living circumstances only got worse. He was left alone by the castle maids to approach the favored princess. Perhaps it was his fault; he's killed a few more people since Ces. He's been living on his own since he was ten years old. At this point, is he even still a prince? He came to a number of realizations during his four years of solitude, and most of them led him to the conclusion that he would never be loved. So he stopped, no matter how many maids he murdered to cause suffering to his sister; father, no, that guy would still cherish her. He let out a loud, resounding sigh in an effort to relieve the heaviness in his chest.
"Honestly, what's the use of all these lives except make me experience misfortune?"
When his stomach grumbled, Conrad put his thoughts to rest. He was obviously famished. "I used to be able to go a week without eating; perhaps a few years of living like a prince changed my capability."
He moved forward across the enormous forest, taking care not to come into contact with the castles of the princess and the emperor. The castles in the distance were sparkly and gleamed in the sunlight, indicating that they had been well-kept and maintained. He was a sinner, but he wasn't a fool. Stepping through that place would be awful, and he was certain he'd be decapitated right then and there.
He was gathering grass to heat up for his meal - living in these conditions was preferable to being locked in a cellar - when he was alerted by rustling in a nearby bush.
"A rabbit? Will I be able to eat meat today?" He took a cautious step closer to the rustling animal, making sure the thing couldn't flee.
He caught it effortlessly; this was easier than having to capture an angry horse.
"Wonderful, do black bunnies exist? No, could it be that you are a dog?" Conrad's hands were tightly clasped around the wriggling creature.
His nose caught a sweet smell on the dog, chocolates?
"Ah, are you related to that crown princess over there?" He forced the dog to face the large castle, which was located far from his residence. He grinned when he heard the little mutt yelp.
"Hey, if she discovers you dead, will she be in despair?" The mutt squirmed even more than before, as if it understood him. "How clever. Like your owner, you are constantly seeking out a way to survive."
Conrad flung the dog in the direction of the princess's palace. "Come on, you little coward's pet. Run up to your owner and ask for cuddles."
He continued walking, oblivious to the countless admiring eyes that were hidden in a section of the forest.
**
"Felix, what exactly is this?" The emperor massaged his pounding temple.
"It's something that's going around the slums, sir. We became aware of it when a young kid ran away with it."
They looked at the newspaper.
The words "OBELIA'S CROWN PRINCE" covered about half of the page in large, bold, black letters. A young teen's photo was plastered beneath the words, a charming teen with long blonde hair and the royal family's distinctive bejeweled eyes. A few more sentences followed, but they were quickly disregarded.
"How did they get a glimpse of his face? When even I, his father, can't catch him. "
'You never bothered to find him.' The bitter words burned Felix's throat like bile. He suppressed that emotion because, despite everything, the guy standing in front of him was still the emperor.
"Felix, bring him to the castle. You mentioned Athanasia was becoming lonely, didn't you?" It's possible that Felix might have picked up on the slight warmth in his liege's tone if he had paid closer attention. Unfortunately, the knight was too resentful. Too much bitterness from the memory of the hurt child who only wanted his father's warmth
"..Yes, your majesty." Felix bowed and left the room with heavy steps.
**
Conrad hummed a cheerful melody. After damaging one of Athanasia's prized possessions once more, he felt a little better. He claimed to have stopped killing, but that does not mean he would stop tormenting her in any way, no matter how insignificant.
"Should I have eaten it instead?" "The grass was insufficient to satiate Conrad's hunger. He had gone through all of the fruits in his mansion's yard, and the grass was the only thing that remained.
"Well anyway, I suppose I'll just hunt some rats in the east wing again."
"...Rats, your highness?" A dejected voice called to him. Conrad was taken aback; no one had ever addressed him as such since the maids had left.
He turned around to find a red-haired man and a group of knights frowning at his statement.
"Why.. are you here? " His long knotted hair glistened despite being caked in soot and grime. He was on his way to a nearby lake for a wash when the knights stopped him.
Felix bowed gently, still watching the young teen with concern. "His majesty requests for your attendance."
"Oh, that emperor? Indeed, I was wondering how long he would permit me to stay here. I'll pack my belongings; I know an orphanage that could take me in." Conrad flicked a strand of hair covering his eyes.
"Your highness–"
"I can use magic to change the eyes and hair if you're concerned about such things. No worries, just wait here." Conrad grinned gleefully, eager to get out of this shithole. Then, he teleported to the bedroom he was currently using after kicking his boot over some grass.
"–The emperor only wanted to meet you."
The knights were stunned as they stood there and debated how they might break the news that, no, your highness, you will not be exiled.
"Shit."
"Language."
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Problems | WMMAP
Fanfiction♪ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍꜱ - ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ | Conrad, a name meaning Bold and Mighty, is Admired by All. A sure elegant name for a prince. Except for the fact that Conrad De Alger Obelia was not bold and mighty, and all did not admire him. Warning: because the story...
