♦　♦　♦

Be it academic, martial arts, public speaking, or anything else, I wanted to excel at them.

That way, I might best my older brothers and be appointed as the next head of the family.

…That way, my parents might be interested in me, or even praised me, saying “You did well.” Or “Excellent work.”

Regardless, I was nothing more than the third son. If I’d been a girl, I might have been made to wear a dress and be complimented for my appearance. Unfortunately, as a man, I couldn’t see that happening.

In my family, I was always treated like air. It didn’t matter whether I was there or not.

I didn’t like it—and before I knew it, I’d become more impulsive. Rather than ensuring a civil conversation, I’d resort to violence.

“Hey, who are you again?”

At a certain family gathering, if someone so much as offend me, my fist would fly.

I’m sorry that I’m so forgettable. I’m sorry that I’m such a bore. I’m sorry for being too conforming, I didn’t leave a lasting impression.

“What’s with you? You cause nothing but trouble.”

When the same thing kept happening, my parents eventually spared me a glance, a contemptuous one.

It was as if they were saying, ‘It doesn’t matter if you’re there or not. You shouldn’t have existed.’

Upon realizing that, I stormed out of the mansion.

Nobody chased after me. Even if I was like this, I was fairly famous. I wondered if my parents strictly advised the servants against following me.

Do they want me to disappear that much…?

Was it fortunate that they lived in a separate house in the royal capital? I didn’t die a miserable death, though. I caught the eyes of residents who lived in back alleys. They took me in, and I was grateful for that.

But when I began to settle down in my new home—

“—You seem familiar.”

—What is he doing in a place like this?

—How did he know who I am?

The first prince, Redmond Von Nerneige, someone a bit younger than me, suddenly appeared at a bar on the outskirts of town.

“H-how…”

Is he in a disguise? But in spite of his attire…

His ragged garments failed to conceal his noble aura, so I hurriedly grabbed his arm.

“No way, what are you doing in a place like this? Shall we talk outside for a minute?”

“By the way, who’s Grim?”

“No, there’s no way~”

While laughing ‘hahaha~’, I managed to drag the prince to a bright place.

“What are you doing in a place like this!?”

At my question, the boy called Redmond replied without hesitation.

“More importantly, why are you called ‘Grim’? Is that your new name?”

“It’s an alias! As if I’d use my real name! More importantly, where are your escorts!? I didn’t expect you to disguise yourself…”

“Oh, there’s no problem. I brought a [Shadow] with me. I’m glad the matter was resolved so quickly.”

For the entirety of my life, even though we were in the same place, I could only stare that boy—the crown prince—from afar.

After all, our worlds were different. I was the third son of an aristocrat family while he was the eldest son of the royal family. We weren’t born equal.

The significance of his existence was on full display, even his birth was crucial.

Not to mention, we seldom spoke to each other. We only ever exchanged greetings. Once, I heard his stomach rumbling during a party, so I assumed that he was so busy exchanging greetings that he neglected eating. Thus, as we shook hands, I gave him the chocolate that I had with me.

But that was three years ago. After that, he never had the opportunity to thank me. In the first place, I didn’t even know if he actually ate it.

—Nevertheless, the boy took my hand and spoke.

“All right, time to go home.”

“Huh?”

…Why did the crown prince come to pick me up instead of my parents?

It truly didn’t make sense.

However, the crown prince casually said something even more shocking.

“Why are you surprised? I heard that my friend had gone missing. Isn’t it natural for me to look for you?”

“Y-your friend…?”

“Three years ago, didn’t you give me sweets when I was hungry? I was told against accepting food from strangers, but if it’s from a friend, it should be fine. It’d be depressing if I couldn’t.”

—What is he talking about…?

Still, he tugged at my hand and repeated, “Let’s go home.”

I shook it off.

“Thank you for your consideration, but I have no place to return to! So leave me be—”

“—Then come with me.”

“Huh?”

My head was instantly filled with question marks.

However, instead of replying, the crown prince went off on a tangent.

“I quite like you. You’re kind and polite. You’re also smart. You blend in with your surroundings well. If you have nowhere to return to, that’s even better. Become my vassal. In return, you won’t have to worry about where to return to for the rest of your life.”

Upon hearing those words, I burst into tears.

With a serious expression, he said that he’d take care of me for the rest of his life… It was kind of like a proposal.

“Do you dislike it?”

…Even so, if he could provide a place for someone like me, someone who had nowhere to go, for the rest of my life…

“Then, from now on, I’ll be in your care.”

At that time, I bowed my head without any resentment.

---

***T/N: …Why do I feel like all these male leads have better chemistry with each other?

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