I Was a Royal Palace Knight, But I Turned Out to Be an Omega, So I Had to Resign (BL) - Chapter 26

At night, when I headed to Prince Leon’s study, strangely, there was no one around. None of the usual servants who come and go in front of the study were in sight.

Must be Edgar’s doing? That guy’s clever…

Taking a deep breath, I knocked.

“…Who is it?”

The voice from inside sounded weak—nothing like the usual strong voice of Prince Leon.

I slowly opened the door.

“Your Highness…”

There stood Prince Leon, looking like a completely different person.

His usually neat blond hair was messy, his complexion pale, and dark circles marked his tired eyes. On his desk was a mountain of piled-up documents. But unlike usual, the papers were scattered messily on the desk and floor. I had never seen his room this cluttered before.

“Cyril… you came.”

There was surprise in his voice. He tried to stand but stumbled slightly.

“Your Highness! Are you okay?”

I rushed closer. Up close, his condition looked worse. He was clearly sleep-deprived and seemed to have hardly eaten.

“…Why are you like this? The neat freak prince making such a mess on the desk and floor?”

I tried to joke gently, but Leon only gave a faint smile without replying.

“The fortress, a key strategic point of the kingdom, was taken. I lost the knights. And now, I’m about to lose you too. How could I be okay with this?”

His words hurt my chest. I had never seen him blame himself this much.

“Your Highness, the fortress wasn’t your fault! That was…”

“No, the responsibility is mine. I suspected something was off about that fortress, but I wasn’t cautious enough.”

Leon sat back down, sighing with his head hanging low.

“Anyway, I’m glad you came. How have you been?”

“I… I’m managing somehow.”

I lied. Honestly, I didn’t know what to do or where to go next. But I couldn’t say that—I didn’t want to worry him more.

“I’m leaving the palace in a few days. I haven’t decided where to go yet… Maybe back home or live in some town.”

“I see…”

Leon’s voice dropped. Silence filled the room. I wanted to cheer him up, at least a little. All I could do was try to encourage him. I thought maybe if I joked, it might lighten the mood.

“Well, even though we broke off our engagement, in hindsight, it’s better this way. It was just a fake engagement anyway. If it had been real…”

Before I could finish, Leon’s expression suddenly changed. He stood up quickly and grabbed my arm tightly.

“!”

Before I could understand what was happening, Leon pressed me against the wall. He trapped me between his arms, leaving no chance to escape. His eyes burned with an intense heat.

“It wasn’t fake. I was serious—”

The next moment, his lips covered mine.

“Nn…!”

The sudden kiss stunned me, making me forget to resist. His lips were dry but warm, sending heat through my whole body.

One hand supported the back of my head, the other wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. The kiss wasn’t rough, but it was passionate—like he was trying to say something important, desperately.

Leon bit my lower lip lightly, and I couldn’t help but let out a small sound. Taking the chance, his tongue entered, stealing my breath. His fingers tangled in my hair, tilting my head to deepen the kiss.

What is this, what is this, what is this…

My confused mind couldn’t keep up, but my body responded honestly. My hands found their way to his chest. I meant to push him away, but instead, I gripped his clothes tightly. I could feel his heartbeat under my palms.

After a while, our lips finally parted. I stood there dazed, my legs weak. Without the support of the wall and his arms, I might have collapsed. I could hear my heart pounding loudly near my ears.

“…It wasn’t fake.”

Leon said softly, his voice trembling as if squeezed from deep inside his throat.

“Eh…?”

I searched for words, but before I could say anything, Leon closed in on me again. Trapped between the wall and his arms, I had nowhere to run. His body heat burned my skin.

So close… Did Prince Leon always smell this good?

For some reason, his scent was stronger tonight, making my head feel dizzy.

“My feelings were real.”

His gaze pierced through me. In those blue eyes burned a fire I had never seen before.

His fingers slowly brushed my cheek. I gasped at the gentle touch. Had I ever felt such kindness before? His hand slid from my cheek to my neck, sending chills down my spine. As I tried to move, he pressed even closer. It was so hot, my head grew foggy.

“I’ve always been attracted to you… since our days as apprentice knights.”

His fingertips grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up. Holding my gaze so I couldn’t look away, his other hand wrapped around my back, pulling me in tightly. Our chests almost touched.

“Eh… You’re joking, right?”

“Not a lie.”

Leon shook his head softly.

“Do you remember the first day we met at the training ground?”

His eyes narrowed as if looking far away.

“You were different from the others. While the others kept their distance because I’m a prince and treated me overly politely, you…”

With those words, Leon’s lips moved close to my ear.

“You said, ‘What’s with this scrawny guy? Are you really a prince?’”

His whisper sent shivers down my whole body. His warm breath tickled my neck.

“D-Did I really say that? Sorry…”

Embarrassed, I apologized. Leon smiled faintly and finally pulled away a little. But his hand never left my arm.

“You were someone who treated everyone equally, no matter their rank—for better or worse. I found myself drawn to you. But we were different in status, and on top of that, we’re both men. I thought there was no way you’d return my feelings.”

His hand touched my cheek again. Gentle but with a hint of possessiveness.

“So, I locked these feelings deep inside my heart. I thought it was enough if you just stayed by my side as my knight. I lived with that for years. But when you suddenly appeared in the study and said you were quitting as a knight because you became an omega…”

Leon chuckled bitterly as he continued.

“And when I heard from you that you planned to marry somewhere else, I…”

Suddenly, he pressed me hard against the wall. His expression changed sharply, jealousy blazing in his eyes. He grabbed both my arms, pinning me against the wall with force.

“—I almost went crazy.”

His voice lost its calmness, turning into a low, beast-like growl.