The Crown Prince Thinks I'm a Guy

The Shadow of a Prince

Sneak was sneaking up to me.

For the rest of the day, my assassin trainee senses kept telling me that someone was tailing me. And whoever it was, he was doing a God-awful job at it.

First time I felt it was right after Assassin Vincentus had dismissed us (and after Leila had dismissed me as well). I was walking on my lonesome towards the cafeteria, feeling a sense of loss within my heart, when I heard a muffled cough from behind a pillar. Of course, since I already knew who he was, I simply walked on and ignored him.

The second time was when I was lining up in the cafeteria hall. It was a large room, with tall enough ceilings that I knew I couldn't reach without notes supporting me. But even with the hall filled to the brim with new students and old, I could still corner out the boy through my senses. I would glance at him through my peripheral vision, and every time, he would crouch down on his table like he could somehow be unseen if he simply just... tried his best.

'Idiot,' I called him. 'I can see you from a mile away.'

By the time I had my tray, I decided I didn't want to have him pitifully follow me a third time. So, I made a beeline straight towards him. He now held up a book in his arms, which he hastily raised up to hide his face. I almost laughed.

"Yes?" I asked, dropping my tray on the table with a resolute bang.

He took a long time to answer. He coughed a little, and then his voice came out very different from his usual pitch. "I-I don't understand. I don't know you?"

This time, I did laugh. "Come on, Charles. I know it's you. You've been following me since my class ended."

"... I don't know you," he muttered, his voice cracking back into his normal one. His hands looked like they might be shaking, especially since the book was quivering like a beginner having a try at a bow and arrow.

I reached over to pull down the book, but with a speed comparable to a trainee of the Order, he had jumped away, book still covering his face. "Sorry, dear stranger! I'll be leaving now!"

He had run off before I could put a word in.

I sighed as I gave up, knowing full well he'd still be going after me anyway. Sitting down, I took a sip at my mystery soup.

~~

His tailing after me has now passed a certain level. Before, he would only follow me through hallways. Now, a week after school had started, he had finally crossed the line.

'Why are you here in my classroom??' I asked him with my eyes, but he had already looked away hastily, whistling innocently at the air. He had taken a seat at the far back of the classroom, where a lone seat was probably prepared for an observer, and definitely not for him...

Alas, when our professor came in, he only glanced at the boy for a few milliseconds and then continued on with his lesson without a care.

'Why?!' I asked in incredulousness. In fact, it seemed like I was the only one who was bothered by this visitor. He was clearly not our classmate, but it seems like his addition to the group was perfectly normal. When the professor had ordered us to form two lines to head off to the academy botanical gardens, no one questioned him slipping easily into the edge of my line. Feeling annoyed, I went over the line to glare back at him. He only looked at me with a titled head.

"Sir Eleftherion, if you will just fall back into your line, please," the professor called out chirpily. "Yes, yes. Now, children, follow after me."

Afterwards, I could only gloat in silence. My first week in an actual educational institution (the first in my two lives!) had been ruined by a boy who did nothing but follow me around. What's worse was that he wouldn't even speak to me. In fact, I would try to catch him every single day, but once I got too close, he would promptly run away. It was a stupid game, but I was seriously getting tired of it. Every too often, I would find myself surveying my surroundings for his figure, even when I was truly alone.