The Crown Prince Thinks I'm a Guy

Combat Training and Unsteady Feelings

The assassin's long lesson still filled my head, and I had to compose myself before standing up. Looking around the now empty room, it seemed like I was the last one to leave. I had just stepped outside of the room when I heard her voice again. "You really seem to believe in that theory of yours."

Leila was standing by the hallway, right beside the door. Staring closer, I realized she was gently caressing a hanging figure of the Order's emblem; the carved figure holding a shocking likeness to the creature in my dream.

"I suppose you have your own reasons for having such a belief," Leila continued, her dark skin creating an even more mysterious aura underneath the dim corridor lights. "But I do am curious about one thing... Prophecy boy?"

I gulped down deeply. My contract with Eva had included partitions where I shouldn't disclose any information about my true sex and about how I might be the prophesied person the head assassin has seen in her dreams. Whatever that meant, I perfectly agreed that it shouldn't be shared to others. Not that I knew my job would be made harder by an assassin's loose lips.

"I don't know what Sir Lancer meant," I said, shrugging nonchalantly. "He might have a penchant for making nicknames for annoying, little children."

"Pft!" Leila laughed. "Well, I know you might be younger than most of us, but you definitely aren't annoying. Your inputs and way of speech have more than enough proved that you are worthy of being under his tutelage."

"... Maybe," I muttered.

Then, once again, hissing filled the bubble around us. I quickly stared down at her bare arms, but saw no black reptile. I glanced over her thin and simple dress, wondering where the serpent might be hiding.

Shockingly, she suddenly backed away and covered her torso with her arms. "What are you staring at?"

There was a hint of blushing on her cheeks.

Inwardly, I scolded myself for my untoward action. I've forgotten the sensitive balance that must be maintained in a conversation held by a girl and a boy. Well, in this case, between a girl and a girl pretending to be a boy.

I immediately bowed deeply to apologize. "It was incredibly rude of me to be staring at a beautiful lady, but I had no ill intentions. I was only searching for your pet snake."

"Asmodeus?" she uttered, to which I took as a sign to stand straight again. She looked at me quizzically. "Are you afraid of serpents, Therion?"

"... Well, not exactly," I murmured, scratching at my curly, short hair. "But, I won't deny that their presence makes me uneasy."

"Oh, well, you shouldn't," she said, suddenly approaching me. "Asmodeus is a tame little basilisk. He won't hurt you."

She carefully reached a hand out right in front of her, and a moment later, the snake emerged from her straps and coiled around her arm before it faced me with its diamond eyes. "Go on. You can pet him."

'I'd rather not pet him,' I wanted to say, but I knew I would come across as rude. I sighed inwardly before holding out a slightly shaking hand... and touched it. The snake didn't react much, and only slithered its tongue at me. His utterly black scales were cold to the touch and were hard with muscle.

"Well? Where's your animal companion?" Leila asked after I had taken my hand back.

"... I left it." I looked away, hiding my annoyance for the untamable bird.

"You know our training involves the accompaniment and training of our companion animals, do you not?" Leila told me, yet didn't really look like she was scolding me seriously.