I’ll Become the Tyrant’s Tutor - Chapter 21

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“The Prince will not change.”

At the unexpected reply, Reynsis’s hand stopped from reaching up to her.

Her tears were still full on her face as she did not wipe them. She determinedly said,

“The red roses won’t change your curse, it didn’t change you at all.”

“……”

“Like I said before, you will be fine. My existence proves that the prophecy is wrong.”

“……”

“Your Highness didn’t even hurt me at all in our previous meetings. It won’t matter if you see the roses. The prophecy is on the wrong side.”

Prim explained seriously while staring at his eyes.

“You can confirm it if you want to. I will always be there for you.”

‘Let’s go see the roses together. This is purely nonsense.’

“…..How can you be so sure?”

His tone trembled as if he was holding back.

“What if I killed everyone in the Empire?…. No, what if I ever kill you? I will end up as the prophecy foretold.. I don’t even recognize myself… How can you ask me to confirm this so casually.”

“Your Highness..”

Prim called out to him quietly. The words that she wanted to say were cut off as his eyes trembled.

“Even so, I will always be by your side, dear Prince.”

Prim smiles gently.

“You do know that I’m persistent.”

Tears were formed again in her eyes.

His fist that he clenched a while ago finally loosened up.

Reynsis, including his parents, were afraid of him. He may destroy the Empire. The future of the Empire depends on him.

However, her face did not portray any fear. The eyes that resembled the night sky which Reynsis once hated. No, her eyes were shining like stars in the night sky.

He can gain confidence from her…

“… I don’t want to confirm this in the Palace.”

Would I be able to find something that is called hope?

“I don’t want to. I don’t like it…. I hate the roses as much as I hated this Palace.”

“…..”

Reynsis’s eyes were full with fears.

He wouldn’t mind looking at the roses, but he wouldn’t be able to put his anxiety at rest easily.

“Then I’ll set up a separate place. Where no one is looking, it will be just the two of us.”

“…..”

“Will that be alright?”

Reynsis nodded slowly.

If only Reynsis could gain confidence. Then, he wouldn’t be lost with the pain in his heart.

If he could, he would want her to stay by his side.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there for you.”

Prim said as she wanted to make their situation more comfortable. Reynsis was able to calm his mind while listening to her giggles.

He didn’t know why her smiling face tickled his heart.

As she once said, he could feel that his future was slowly changing for good.

In Reynsis’s mind, there is something like a ray of sunlight beginning to shine.*1

(note: means that there is hope.)

***

“You want me to tell you where the roses are?”

Lise asked back in surprised as Prim nodded casually.

“Yes.”

“Why all of sudden. Are you trying to get some evidence?”

“No. It’s not like that.”

Despite Prim’s denial, Lise looked at her suspiciously. Prim tried to give a plausible excuse.

“It’s…. for a date.”

“Date?”

Lise’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh my my, Prim! Finally!”

Lise slapped Prim’s arm in excitement. The slap made a loud sound.1

“Then of course I will tell you. But, It’s going to be hard for you to find the place. The roses are raised at the old temple that has been abandoned. The place was hidden between the woods, so you have to walk directly into the forest. Once you get out from the carriage it will be like this….”

Lise started to draw a map. Prim nodded after hearing her explanation.

“Thank you, Lise.”

After the brief meeting, she waved her hands as the red haired girl disappeared from her sight. Lise who was ready to leave suddenly stopped and realised something.

“Wait a minute.”

‘I think I marked the map wrong. Maybe, it was supposed to be right, not left.’1

“…That’s confusing.”

Lise was anxious to go back and tell her the errors. Eventually, she just shrugged it off.

“Well, that’s alright.”

The scent of roses was pungent when Lise reached the temple. Some people used the scent as the sign to find the roses so she didn’t think she had to correct the map.

Lise walked to her destination again.

***

Prim glanced and studied the map that was drawn by Lise. The distance is pretty far away.

‘How long will it take to go back and forth?’

Prim was counting the average time for her to go back from the place as she turned around to the corner.

“You are late.”

Reynsis was standing right around the corner of the hallway.

“Oh gosh! You surprised me!”

She was too surprised and almost crumpled up the map that was given to her.

‘Wait, was he originally this tall?’

Of course when she was 16, she grew up a little as an adult.

However, Reynsis seems to grow taller day by day.

‘You are already tall enough, how much taller can you be?’

Prim was staring at him as she thought that.

“What’s that?”

Reynsis asked about the paper on her hand.

“Ah, it’s a map for the roses place.”

“You got it that easily?”

“I just said that I was looking for the roses to give it for my date. It was easier to give that kind of reason.”

“…..”

Prim said as she glanced at the paper. But there was no reply. So, Prim raised her head.

“….. Go quickly then.”

Reynsis turned his head to the side. Because he turned his head, she couldn’t see his expression.2

“Uh, let’s go together.”

Prim saw someone walking behind Reynsis and rushed towards them.

She poked Gillian’s side as she chuckled. Gillian looked at her with a puzzled expression.

(note: it’s the horseman from the previous chapter.)

“Are you going out with the Prince, Miss?”

“Gillian has to keep it a secret. Also, to remind you that the rumours about him are lies. Look at me, my hand, my eyes are still fine. Well that’s not important since I can still see well, I can also count your freckles too.”

“No, don’t count.”1

Gillian was at loss of words. He can’t believe that she is going out with the Prince.

Of course when Prim said she wanted to go out, he thought that she wanted to go to her usual teahouse. But going out with a royal is a big problem.

Prim stepped closer to Gillian because she was frustrated.

Gillian stepped back as his eyes met the Princes. With his fierce eyes, Gillian quickly lowered his gaze.3

“…….”

Looking at Gillian like that. Prim made a sad expression.

“You don’t believe me, do you? Even when you see me in a good shape like this.”

“That’s not true. I -“

“Gillian.”

Prim sighs heavily.

“I already made it clear. Gillian said that he liked Sera, but being shy and timid makes you look unattractive.”

“Sera?”

Gillian’s eyes widened when he heard his unrequited past lover’s name being brought up.

“It’s not attractive, girls like assertive men.”

“Oh, they do?”

“Yes. When other servants tried to approach you, Gillian was shaking because you’re so timid.”

“…..”

It all made sense. Gillian nodded with a pitiful face.

“Okay, I’ll keep all your advice in mind”

“Also, take those words to heart.”

“I will.”

“Now, would you mind giving us a ride? And don’t tell anyone too.”

It was easy to deceive the innocent Gillian.

Prim opened the carriage door with confidence. Reynsis stared at her with the most ridiculous face.

“Aren’t you coming, Your Highness?”

“As expected, you…”

“Are you going to say that I am a liar again, dear Prince.”

“……”

Prim chuckled slightly.

Reynsis was quiet for a while before he muttered something.

“I’m not saying you’re a liar.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.”

Reynsis brushed past her and sat inside. Prim was clueless.

“Miss Prim, aren’t you getting on?”

With Gillian urging her, she quickly sat inside.

Reynsis looked outside the window with his leg crossed over the other. Unlike the expressionless Prince, Prim wriggled her fingers with a nervous look.

“…….”

Prim slowly looked for any hints from him. She wasn’t the least bit afraid of Reynsis if he would suddenly change his mood and kill her after seeing the roses.

It’s just…. She couldn’t imagine what he felt.

Then, Reynsis turned to her and met her eyes.

“Why do you keep staring at me?”

“Huh?”

Reynsis asked her calmly, but Prim was hesitant to say all the things that was bothering her. Prim mumbled as she flashed an awkward smile,

“Because you are beautiful. Haha.”

“…….”

Reynsis was silent.

Did she say something that she shouldn’t say? He couldn’t tell what’s on her mind from time to time. A minute of silence pass by before Reynsis decided to speak,

“…. Do you like pretty things?”

Prim was about to say yes, but she hesitated.

“Well that’s true…. But I will still like Your Highness even if he is not that good-looking.”

“……..”

“How should I say this… I just can’t close my eyes. It keeps bothering me for some reason, but it also makes me feel better. And I want you to smile or talk to me.”

“…….”

Maybe you can tell that he’s the main character that she wrote in a novel. But, she was sincere to him even if he wasn’t that pretty.

“Looking back at the past, I don’t think your face really matters.”

“…….”

At Prim’s words, Reynsis made a confused face for a moment.

“…..I thought so too.”

“Pardon?”1

“Are you deaf.”

Reynsis said bluntly.

Prim had a confused face. She wanted him to repeat what he said but he already turned away.

“I hope you didn’t hear that.”

Reynsis, leaning his arm by the window, turned his eyes away with his mouth shut.1

‘Seriously, our* beast really had the nicest personality.’

(note: our is uri in korean in an affectionate way of addressing someone close to you.)

He could hear that Prim grumbling opposite to him.

His face was a little red, but his big hand covering his face combined with the dark interior of the carriage hid his face from Prim.1

With a quiet atmosphere inside the carriage, it was nearing their destination.