𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐓

THREE.

Three hours had passed.

Y/n did not know what he was still doing in the same place he had been three hours ago; namely—he had been with the Crown Prince for hours. His plight was almost inescapable; for their conversation had just gone on and on and showed no sign of stopping. He did not dare to interrupt Aristidis, for fear of offending him. It would have been pleasant to talk to him; for they had much more in common than he had realized, but time was ticking by.

Y/n almost thought that this whole thing—was orchestrated out. Was Aristidis doing this on purpose out of playfulness, or perhaps amusement to see Y/n sit there, unable to budge? How fitting of a love yandere game protagonist. They were sadists at heart, Y/n seethed inwardly.

Well, it wasn't like Y/n really had anything to do. But he was partially nervous; of letting anything slip by. And he needed the Crown Prince to leave, for any minute now Angelina would come in, and his whole plan would be ruined. Aristidis would take one quick look at his sister, fall in love, and proceed to destroy the whole Empire.

That was a reluctant thought.

"Your Highness," Y/n finally mustered the courage to interject, "I apologize for interrupting, but I'm afraid I must attend to some urgent matters."

Aristidis paused mid-sentence, his piercing dark eyes narrowing—jeweled blue, like shards of diamond— as he tilted his head. The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of the prince's gaze almost suffocating. Y/n's heart raced, unsure of how Aristidis would react to his interruption.

To Y/n's surprise, a mischievous smile slowly curved on Aristidis' lips, revealing a glimpse of his playfulness once more.

Y/n blinked.

Urgent matters, you say?" he repeated, his tone laced with amusement. "And here I thought you were enjoying our little conversation. "

Y/n's brow furrowed in confusion. Aristidis' response was not what he had expected. It seemed as though the prince had been aware of Y/n's growing restlessness, perhaps even deliberately prolonging their discussion to test his patience.

"I...know what you are doing," Y/n said at last, "I can see...right through you." A frown appeared on his face, as he crossed his arms. "I'm not some mere child that can't see your little plot."

"Hmm? Then what exactly am I doing? Enlighten me, dear lord." The last two words were said in an amused tone, but Y/n knew it was just to aggravate him.

"You're fooling around," Y/n huffed, "people like you feed off the power they hold, the control they exert. It's a game to them, a twisted amusement—no doubt you are one of them."

Aristidis' lips curled into a knowing smile. "Ah, so you think I'm one of them? A sadist, as you put it?"

"You said it, not me." Y/n gave a sudden chuckle, realizing that it would be fun to tease the playful Crown Prince to make him get what he deserved—tit for tat, as one would say—"there you have it. The Crown Prince, the Sun of the Empire and his Royal Highness, is a sadist."

"Glad to know you hold me in such high regards," Aristidis said smoothly, "well, what happened to that little urgent matter you had? Seems to have disappeared with your little witty retorts."

Oh right. Y/n snapped back to reality—"oh, about that.."

What kind of stupid event should he make up?

Y/n quickly gathered his thoughts, realizing he needed a plausible excuse for his sudden change of plans. He cleared his throat, his mind racing to come up with a convincing story.

"Your Highness," Y/n began, his voice tinged with slight mirth, "I apologize for the sudden change, but there has been an unforeseen development within the castle. And also, there's the matter...of my health. I feel rather..unwell."