I Was a Royal Palace Knight, But I Turned Out to Be an Omega, So I Had to Resign (BL) - Chapter 17

When I returned to the room, the fatigue from the three-day journey and walking around the fortress all day hit me like a wave.

“Ahhh, I’m so tired!”

I was about to dive onto the bed but stopped myself at the last second when I remembered that Prince Leon was there. I almost embarrassed myself by acting like a kid in front of him. Close call.

Instead, I sat on a chair. Prince Leon sat across from me, facing me.

“What did you notice during today’s inspection?”

Prince Leon’s question made it clear he wanted to discuss the day’s findings.

“Well, let’s see… First off, the training was way too basic.”

I spoke my mind honestly.

“For a border fortress, basic drills like that won’t help in a real emergency. There was no training focused on actual combat scenarios. It felt odd.”

Prince Leon nodded calmly.

“You’re right. Normally, border fortresses train with enemy attacks in mind. But here—”
“It’s like they’re sure the enemy won’t attack,” I cut in.

Prince Leon nodded again.

“I suspect the soldiers here know about some sort of secret agreement with the neighboring country. That’s why they don’t feel the need for serious combat training.”
“That makes sense…”

It all started to add up. I rested my chin in my hand, thinking it over.

“Also, the supplies in the warehouse seemed sparse.”

Prince Leon brought up a new point I hadn’t noticed.

“The rations, weapons, and medicines were far below the standard stock levels. Tomorrow, I want to do a thorough investigation of the warehouse and compare it with the list of supplies provided by the kingdom.”
“Understood. I’ll help.”

After I replied, an odd silence fell between us. Outside, the sound of insects chirping reached our ears.

“…Prince Leon,” I broke the silence, hesitating slightly.

“I remembered something at the outer gate today… Do you recall the incident a year ago? The battle that happened here?”

The moment I asked, a shadow seemed to pass over Prince Leon’s face.

“Of course.”
“I… don’t remember much because of the poison. Could you remind me what happened?”

Prince Leon thought for a moment before speaking softly.

“It happened during a routine inspection, just like today. Shortly after we arrived, a group of refugees claiming to have escaped from the neighboring country, Solderia, came to the fortress seeking help.”
“Refugees…”

I remembered that part. Women and children, their faces filled with fear, had gathered at the gates, pleading for assistance.

“It was a small group, about twenty people. Valen decided to let them into the fortress, citing ‘humanitarian reasons.’”

I tilted my head in confusion.

“Valen? That guy doesn’t strike me as the type to care about humanitarian reasons.”
“I think the same now, but back then, it didn’t seem strange.”

Prince Leon continued.

“Soon after the refugees were allowed in, soldiers from Solderia appeared. They demanded we hand over the ‘traitors’ who had fled to our fortress.”
“That’s when you started negotiating with them, right?”

Fragments of memory came back. Prince Leon stepping outside to speak with the enemy soldiers.

“Yes, but they weren’t interested in negotiating. From the start, they were strangely hostile.”
“And then, they fired an arrow…”
“Exactly. They shot an arrow at me, and you—”
“I pushed you out of the way and took the hit myself.”

The scene replayed vividly in my mind: the danger I sensed, my body moving instinctively, the sharp pain in my back… and then, everything became fuzzy.

“What happened after that?”
“The arrow shot triggered a battle. We retreated into the fortress, but somehow, the enemy had already infiltrated the inner walls.”
“What? How?”
“That’s still a mystery. This fortress is surrounded by walls; it shouldn’t be easy for them to get inside. And yet, they were already here, as if…”
“As if someone let them in?”

Prince Leon nodded slowly.

“Amid the chaos, Valen suddenly began negotiating with the enemy. He offered to hand over the refugees in exchange for stopping the fight.”
“You’re kidding…”

Prince Leon’s face darkened.

“Strangely enough, the enemy agreed and withdrew without resistance. Normally, an invading force with the upper hand wouldn’t retreat so easily.”

I shook my head. It didn’t add up.

“When I returned to the capital, I tried to investigate the incident. But the second prince and his faction in the council blocked my efforts. They insisted, ‘The matter was resolved by handing over the refugees. No further investigation is necessary.’”
“It’s like they didn’t want anyone to look deeper…”

I shivered. From everything I’d heard, it was clear that something sinister was happening at this fortress.

“…Cyril. Does the scar from that injury still remain?”

Prince Leon’s sudden question caught me off guard.

“Uh, yeah, a little.”

His gaze lingered on me, making me feel oddly self-conscious. I stood up abruptly.

“Do you want to see it?”

I took off my jacket and unbuttoned my shirt, revealing my left shoulder. A faint scar was still visible where the arrow had struck. The skin there was slightly sunken.

“See? It’s like a badge of honor for me.”

I smiled brightly. To me, it was a mark of pride—a knight’s duty fulfilled by protecting his lord.

But Prince Leon looked pained.

“Because of me, your body bears this scar.”
“No, really, it’s nothing! I might be an omega, but I’m still a man. A scar like this isn’t—”

My words trailed off as Prince Leon stood and reached out. His fingers gently traced the scar on my shoulder.

“It’s still here…”

His voice was softer, almost sorrowful, unlike his usual confident tone.

“Please, don’t worry about it,” I said, my voice slightly shaky.

His touch moved from the scar down my back. The sensation sent a strange jolt through me.

What is this feeling…?

The spots he touched felt warm, almost burning, and my heart raced uncontrollably.

Unable to handle the tension, I abruptly ended the moment.

“I-It’s late! We should get some sleep!”

I hastily buttoned my shirt and dove into bed, pulling the blanket over me to escape his gaze.

“Goodnight!”

I called out in the most cheerful voice I could muster, even as my heart pounded furiously.

“Goodnight,” came Prince Leon’s quiet reply.

The light went out, and the room plunged into darkness. But my mind was still in chaos.

He just touched me, so why am I so shaken…?

That night, sleep eluded me once again.