Prince Leon had already noticed Joon-Woo walking beside another girl.
Seeing him with someone else made an unfamiliar feeling rise in his chest—jealousy… and anger.
Without another thought, Leon stepped out of his royal carriage and began walking toward them.
At that moment, Joon-Woo and Elvina were still talking near the gate.
Elvina smiled gently.
"I think I should go now," she said softly. "I often come to the capital to sell medicinal plants."
Joon-Woo looked at her curiously.
"Medicinal plants?"
She nodded.
"Once every month, I try to find Silverleaf medicinal plants. They are rare, but they sell for a very good price in the capital. That's why I went into the forest today—to see if I could find some."
Her voice carried a simple honesty.
Elvina had grown up in a poor farming village, and she rarely had the chance to leave the countryside. Selling rare plants was one of the few ways she could earn money to support her family.
Joon-Woo listened quietly.
But before he could say anything—
Someone suddenly stopped behind him.
A tall shadow fell over the ground.
Elvina looked up.
Her eyes widened in shock.
Standing behind Joon-Woo was Prince Leon.
The prince's blue eyes were fixed on them.
Before Joon-Woo could even react—
Leon suddenly reached forward and pulled Joon-Woo closer to him.
Joon-Woo blinked in surprise.
Leon's arm wrapped firmly around him from behind, holding him close.
For a moment, Joon-Woo froze.
…What is he doing?
He slowly glanced at Leon's face.
The prince's expression was cold, and his eyes were staring directly at Elvina with a faint hint of anger.
Joon-Woo's mind quickly began to race.
Wait… don't tell me…
Is the prince jealous because he saw me with Elvina?
After all, in the story, Prince Leon was supposed to fall in love with the female lead.
But then another thought appeared in his mind.
But if he's jealous because of Elvina…
Why is he hugging me from behind?
Joon-Woo felt even more confused.
Meanwhile, Elvina stood there, completely stunned.
Seeing the prince holding Joon-Woo so closely made her heart skip for a moment.
Leon's gaze remained cold as he looked at her.
Then he spoke calmly.
"Joon-Woo."
"Yes?"
"You're coming with me."
Before Joon-Woo could protest, Leon gently but firmly pulled him along toward the royal carriage.
Joon-Woo barely had time to glance back.
Elvina was still standing there, watching them leave with wide eyes.
A moment later—
Leon helped Joon-Woo into the carriage and entered after him.
The door closed.
And the carriage began moving toward the palace.
Inside the carriage, the air felt strangely tense.
Leon sat silently across from Joon-Woo.
But the faint irritation in his expression had still not disappeared.
Joon-Woo leaned back slightly.
…He's definitely jealous.
Inside the carriage, Joon-Woo sat quietly in his human form.
He didn't speak.
Didn't move much either.
From time to time, his eyes would flicker toward Leon—only to quickly look away again.
He had never seen the prince like this before.
Leon's expression was calm on the surface…
But something beneath it felt sharp.
Cold.
Unsettled.
The silence between them was heavy.
Joon-Woo could feel it pressing against his chest.
He's really angry…
And somehow, that made him uneasy.
The carriage continued forward, the sound of wheels rolling against stone echoing faintly in the background.
Neither of them spoke the entire way.
---
When they finally arrived at the castle, the carriage came to a stop.
Leon stepped out first.
Then he turned and looked at Joon-Woo.
"If you intend to walk through the palace," he said calmly, "remain in your human form."
Joon-Woo blinked slightly but nodded.
"…Alright."
He stepped out of the carriage.
Before he could fully steady himself—
Leon suddenly reached out and lifted him into his arms.
Joon-Woo froze in shock.
"L-Leon—?"
But Leon didn't answer.
He simply carried him through the palace corridors as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Servants and knights lowered their heads respectfully as the Crown Prince passed…
But more than a few of them glanced up in surprise.
Joon-Woo quickly lowered his gaze, feeling a strange embarrassment rise within him.
Why is he carrying me like this…?
Leon remained completely unfazed.
His steps were steady, his expression unreadable.
Without stopping, he carried Joon-Woo all the way back to his chamber.
---
The moment they entered the room, Leon set him down.
The door closed behind them.
Silence returned.
Leon turned to face him.
"Stay in your human form," he said firmly.
Joon-Woo straightened slightly.
Then Leon stepped closer.
His blue eyes locked onto Joon-Woo's.
"Why did you leave the palace," he asked, his voice low, "without telling me?"
Joon-Woo paused.
Leon's gaze sharpened.
"You were barely recovered," he continued. "And yet you went outside alone."
A brief pause.
Then—
"And that girl."
His tone grew colder.
"What is your relationship with her?"
Joon-Woo blinked once, then exhaled softly.
He didn't rush his answer.
Instead, he spoke calmly.
"I went outside to train," he said. "I needed to test my abilities. I couldn't do that inside the palace."
Leon didn't interrupt.
Joon-Woo continued,
"That girl… I met her for the first time in the forest."
"She was being chased by bandits. I just helped her."
He hesitated slightly before adding,
"You left early in the morning. I didn't know where you went… so I couldn't inform you."
Silence filled the room again.
Leon's expression didn't change immediately.
But slowly—
The tension in his eyes eased.
The sharp edge of his anger softened.
"…I see."
He exhaled quietly.
Some of the weight in the room lifted.
After a moment, Leon looked at him again—this time less cold, more controlled.
"You should have told me," he said.
Joon-Woo nodded slightly.
"I will next time."
A brief pause followed.
Then Leon spoke again, his tone calmer now.
"You must be hungry."
Joon-Woo blinked, slightly surprised by the sudden change.
"…A little."
Leon turned toward the door.
"I'll have dinner prepared."
---
Not long after, dinner was served.
The atmosphere was quieter than usual—but no longer tense.
Leon made sure Joon-Woo ate properly, occasionally placing food on his plate without saying much.
Joon-Woo noticed…
But didn't comment.
---
Later that night, the room grew quiet once more.
The earlier tension had faded completely.
Exhaustion slowly took over.
Without another word, both of them prepared to rest.
And soon—
Under the quiet night,