En Travesti – I Became a Fake Prince

***

Hallik had a day filled with confusion and shock. And as a result, he learned quite a few facts.

First, the Grand Duchess wasn’t dead but sleeping, and now she’s in the process of resurrection(?).

Second, Tan, the dog that Chamuka was raising, wasn’t actually a dog but a person.

And not just any person, but the second son of the Grand Duke and Duchess. Five years ago, he had to become a dog right after birth.

“Why did the second young master have to become a dog?”

“Not a dog, but a wolf-dog.”

At Hilda’s firm response, Hallik almost shouted that this wasn’t the point.

“And I don’t know the reason. It was the last magic Her Grace cast before falling asleep.”

Let’s say Her Grace, who turned her second son into a dog and fell into a long sleep, had her reasons. After all, mages were an incomprehensible bunch.

As a person of common sense, Hallik sometimes found the Grand Duchess more frightening than the Grand Duke.

The prejudice against mages wasn’t prejudice but truth. They were truly madmen.

The Grand Duchess once even tried to dissect the Grand Duke because she was curious about the source of his physical abilities, which were so exceptional that people called him demonic.

While he could somehow accept the shocking truths related to the Grand Duchess, the third shocking truth was completely incomprehensible.

Third, the most preciously treated being in Basilinte’s main castle currently is the hostage prince from Herta.

“Why?”

“Because the prince is the key to awakening Her Grace.”

That was something Hallik had naturally learned while hearing the first two shocking truths.

What Hallik was curious about wasn’t why that Hertan prince was being treated like a treasure.

It was why the Grand Duke and the Basilinte family members were hovering around that prince!

“I’m not talking about giving him a nice room, good food, fine clothes, and granting whatever he wants. Those things could be provided to anyone if needed, even if they were from that annoying Hertan royal family.”

After all, the nearly emotionless Basilinte family members wouldn’t suddenly feel humiliated by such things.

“But this isn’t just treating him well out of necessity. Rather…”

Whether it was the first young master sneaking into the prince’s room at dawn just to watch him sleep, or the second young master—still not quite adjusted to human social norms—pulling the prince along demanding playtime, or even the Grand Duke himself insisting on sitting down with the drowsy prince to hear every detail about his day…

And he didn’t even want to mention Lord Gaien who tried to kidnap the prince – not occasionally, but almost daily.

Despite criticizing others for being weak-minded and falling for the prince, it was truly absurd how Lord Gaien would claim, ‘As expected, someone strong-minded like myself should be the one keeping the prince.’

Of course, none of the Grand Duke’s family members listened to those words.

“Rather, it seems like they’re all enchanted by that prince.”

Hallik said while gazing out at the garden.

Hilda followed his gaze.

The Grand Duchess and the prince were sleeping on a plush sofa placed in the garden.

And beneath that sofa, Basilinte’s second young master sat nodding off.

“Hilda, according to you, it’s natural for the second young master to follow the prince. Having lived longer as a beast than a human, he couldn’t possibly resist the instinct to be drawn to magical power. However.”

Hallik’s gaze shifted to the Grand Duke and first young master sitting opposite the sofa.

If he hadn’t tried to kidnap the prince this morning, Gaien would probably be there too. And he would have been staring intently at the opposite sofa with that characteristic expressionless Basilinte face.

“I don’t understand why the others are acting like this.”

“That might be their way of treating him well.”

Hallik scoffed. That?

“That’s not treating him well, it’s being a nuisance. Surely you know how exhausted that prince is from all this.”

If they truly wanted to treat him well, they should respect his wishes. Instead, this felt more like them simply doing whatever they pleased.

‘Following him because they want to follow, watching him because they want to watch… Oh, surely not.’

Hallik’s thoughts stopped there, and he suddenly felt a chill.

“Surely they’re not unaware of what they’re doing.”

Unfortunately, his ominous guess was correct.

The Basilinte family members thought their actions were necessary treatment.

Unfortunately for the prince, that is.

***

Leticia woke up from her nap.

As she blinked several times in the pouring sunlight, she soon met golden eyes staring at her intently.

“Are you awake?”

Leticia nodded at Chamuka’s question while straightening her back. The Grand Duke had been here before she fell asleep, but he was nowhere to be seen now.

“Father went to his office.”

“I see…”

“I’ll stay here, so it’s fine.”

Why is he staying?

Leticia had no complaints about the Grand Duke going to work.

Honestly, she thought Chamuka should probably go attend to his own schedule too.

However, today again, Chamuka sat across from Leticia, observing her.

Yes, observing.

He was just staring at her silently without any expression, and she could barely read any emotion in that gaze. So she could only call it observation.

Leticia found that staring gaze burdensome. Even when she slightly turned her head away, she could feel his gaze on her cheek.

The past when he was indifferent to Leticia was somewhat more comfortable. At least then, she could understand the intentions behind his actions.

But now she couldn’t understand why he was acting this way. What was the reason for him constantly hovering around her without any business – no, as if observing her was his business?

Leticia, avoiding Chamuka’s burdensome gaze, grabbed the shoulder of Tan who was dozing off under the sofa.

After all, Tan, who was still closer to beast than human, was a bit easier to deal with than Chamuka.

“Lord Tan. If you’re sleepy, please come up here and rest.”

When she patted the sofa seat beside her, Tan smiled and rubbed his forehead against her leg.

“Okay!”

Tan jumped up and immediately occupied the seat next to Leticia.

Chamuka’s gaze briefly turned to Tan. And he immediately ordered.

“Get down, Tan.”

“No!”

‘No’ was the word Tan used most frequently among the simple words he had recently learned to speak.

Tan ignored Chamuka, who kept giving orders he didn’t want to follow, and lay down on Leticia’s lap just as he used to do when he was a beast.

“Don’t do that, Tan. You’re heavy.”