Chapter 28: Broken Prince, Love Saint Vritra

[Armed Palace, Royal Guest House]

Prince Lumis sat silently on his bed.

His face was lifeless.

『Wh-, What did I do wrong...?』

The room reeked of a foul smell because the young Deva hadn't left his bed or even thought to open his windows since the night before.

Even Zorin, who was forced to stand there and witness his prince's despair, felt deep pain. The more he looked at Lumis's broken state, the more he blamed himself for what had happened.

『This is all my fault. Honestly, I'm not fit to be the young lord's advisor... I barely even qualify as his spymaster. My job is to gather information that benefits the young lord, but the information I provided only served my own interests. You should be ashamed of yourself... Zorin Deva.』

If he had kept that information from his prince, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way.

The man clenched his fists tighter as he looked at his young lord... he knew what needed to be done.

『Sigh~ I must consult Lord Ymnes.』

Without hesitation, Zorin marched out of the room, not even bothering to ask for permission... after all, Prince Lumis wasn't even in the right state of mind to respond.

... BAM!

The door shut behind the spymaster.

Prince Lumis paid no attention to the disruptive noise.

He continued to stare blankly at the ceiling.

In that moment, nothing could break his focus... if you could even call it that. To have focus, you need a stable mind, and Lumis's mind was as lifeless as a wasteland.

『What's really going on...? Ever since I was born, I've always managed to succeed, no matter the situation... and sometimes, it took hardly any effort at all.

『I just can't understand why it's different this time... It feels like destiny is turning against me.

... Grrr~!

『I've never been humiliated like this before... and not just once, not even twice... but THREE times!』

With burning rage surging inside him, Lumis slammed both fists onto the bed, shattering the bedframe's legs into pieces.

『All this humiliation... by the same person...』

He gritted his teeth, every breath coming out like a low growl from a trapped lion, tense and ready to explode with rage.

But this time, his opponent wasn't a mere tribulation...

『Vritra...』

He was something far worse.

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[The "hero" Lumis Deva has become even more consumed by darkness. He's out for revenge against the host who humiliated him and is now trying to steal his fated partner.]

[The hero's Fate Value has reduced by 50!]

Prince Vritra saw this and gave a knowing smirk.

He then turned his attention back to the princess.

『Huh? She's still on this...?』

Since they left the restaurant a few minutes ago, she had been examining her breasts. She gently pushed them up with both her slender hands and looked at them with a curious kind of fascination... like she wanted to know the truth, even if it scared her.

Vritra sighed and said, "You know I was joking, right?"

The princess barely paid attention, her focus entirely on her bouncing chest, which she kept pressing and squeezing as if it were a chew toy.

Vritra looked ahead, starting to regret his words.

『It seems like people in this world don't have much of a sense of humor. I'd better avoid telling jokes at any of my Asura relatives' funerals if this is how a decent princess reacts...』

He wanted nothing more than to ignore the princess and let her keep squeezing until she gave up or something popped, but Neron's stern gaze from behind made him feel uneasy.

『That old fart can't let me rest, can he?』

Prince Vritra cleared his throat and spoke.

"I don't really get it. Is there something wrong with having breasts as big as Esmeralda's? I mean, just like how a man might take pride in his own manhood, I think a woman should appreciate having large breasts, don't you?"

Vritra was currently browsing through the opulent display case in front of him.

It held a variety of unique jewelry, from necklaces to rings, all of which looked expensive, from their decorated bands to their rare-colored gemstones.

He had a fairly calm expression as he considered his choices.

Butler Neron edged closer to him and asked, "So, what have you decided to pick for the lovely princess?"

"Nothing..."

"Hmm? What do you mean, 'nothing'? I would have expected someone like you to buy out the entire jewelry store for her. Not that she's the type to be impressed by that."

Prince Vritra chuckled as he shook his head smugly.

"Trust me, Neron. Leave this to someone who's read sixty cheesy romance books by Fumiko Montclair. I know exactly what this princess wants."

After that, Vritra smoothly slicked his hair back with his hand and started heading out of the jewel store. As he walked, he grabbed Luciana's wrist and pulled her along with him.

"Come. We're leaving..." he said in a serious tone.

It was a sharp contrast to how lively and playful he had been talking to Neron just a moment ago.

Startled, Luciana struggled to keep up with his brisk pace.

"G-, God, Vritra, please slow down!"

She was worried he might trip and fall.

Instead of looking at Luciana, Vritra glanced back at his butler and gave him a wink. Understanding the signal, Neron moved quickly and appeared right in front of Vritra.

"Is there a problem, young lord?" the elderly man asked.

Meanwhile, the jeweler stood at a distance, hoping for a positive response from Vritra.

『Please, please, please...』

He didn't have the courage to ask the prince himself, so he could only pray silently.

Finally, Vritra released Luciana's wrist, and she immediately glanced at it, blowing on the sensitive skin to ease the slight pain.

"If you don't want to buy me a ring or necklace, that's fine, God Vritra. I don't think I'm worthy of your gift. I only agreed to this because you insisted on getting me something to commemorate our first outing."

Though she tried to sound tough, she looked very sad.

She really did want a gift, but she wasn't sure why.

[The heroine is upset because you keep giving her hope and then letting her down. As a result, her feelings for the host have decreased by 20 points!]

... Hmph!

The young lord kept a straight face.

"This jewel store just doesn't do you justice. I refuse to buy you something here that doesn't truly reflect how beautiful and amazing you are. I'd much rather create something special for you myself because only something handmade by me would be right for a fair maiden like you."

He spoke with such confidence that, for a moment, even the jeweler wished he were the fair maiden in question.

Neron simply smiled and nodded in approval.

『The young lord is full of surprises...』

He wasn't expecting this romantic side from Vritra.

The princess was so amazed by his words that she was left speechless.

『Wow... the young lord is...』

She didn't even know how to respond.

[The heroine is amazed by your romantic side. Her affection for the host has risen by 60 points!]

[You have acquired a new nickname!]

[Love Saint Vritra.]

Vritra smiled inwardly.

『I almost feel sorry for these heroines. Fate sticks them with a protagonist who's the fantasy world equivalent of a normie, and somehow they end up falling for them, instead of falling for more skillful romantic lines like these. Tsk, tsk!』

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(T/N): Fun chapter. Still going to post more, stay tuned ????