The Sweet Alpha Crown Prince Loves Me So Much Chapter 135

Chapter 135

After a long time, a warm breeze blew through Lindbergh Castle, filling it with life. It was all thanks to the news that the prince and the crown prince, who had departed for Heineken with a formidable spirit, were coming back.

“See that? Can’t even last a week.”

Lulu grumbled that she thought they’d stir up some trouble and maybe even make a baby, but here they were, coming back after just a few days.

Marco, who was helping the castle maids change the curtains, waved his hands dismissively.

“If you’re going to be cynical, would you mind going over there?”

Lulu clicked her tongue with a tch.

Frankly, Lulu, who had been doing nothing but hovering around him for a while now, was getting on his nerves. Marco deliberately shook dust right in front of Lulu’s nose.

“Achoo! Hey, what was that for?”

“If you’re bored, lend a hand. They’re only staying for a short while because of Her Majesty the Empress’s delivery, and then they’ll be heading back. We have to go with them then, you know.”

How many things would change then?

The people who had come from Heineken on a temporary dispatch were scheduled to return, so during the time it took to train and fill their positions with new people, there wouldn’t be enough manpower to tend to every corner of the castle.

“Alright, I get it.”

Lulu’s shoulders slumped as the harsh glares of the surrounding servants were added to Marco’s nagging.

Since he was usually the one getting picked on, Marco beamed with satisfaction at Lulu’s rare show of defeat.

Lulu moved to help take down the old curtains beside the maids whose faces were at least familiar and surveyed her surroundings.

Not just Marco, but all the knights and soldiers had rolled up their sleeves and were pitching in for the redecoration.

Once they returned to Heineken this time, Carl Lindbergh’s visits to Lindbergh Castle would become rare. And not just rare—it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it would be his last.

No matter how close he was to his sister, it was unnecessary for the Crown Princess of the Empire to visit a kingdom for personal reasons. If there was business, it made more sense for Princess Leia to go to the Empire.

Under these circumstances, the hearts of the servants, who wanted to plant at least one good final impression on the prince who had no pleasant memories of Lindbergh Castle, came together as one.

Cleaning and laundry were daily chores, but it had been a long time since they had done anything else, so everyone was excited.

‘Company loyalty really does stem from good benefits.’

That was Lulu’s thought as she watched the servants, who should have found the extra work bothersome, brimming with vitality instead.

Of course, there was also personal loyalty and affection for the prince.

Flutter.

Lulu and Marco’s eyes widened.

The dreary, thick, crimson blackout curtains were gone, and new curtains came cascading down.

“They’re beautiful!”

Lulu clapped her hands, letting out a small gasp of admiration.

The sheer inner curtain with delicate lace patterns at the hem flowed down with a soft rustle. The outer layer was made of a non-glossy fabric in primrose and greenery, gathered into large pleats instead.

“It’s a much lighter material, isn’t it? It’s lovely, but it’ll probably wear out and get dirty quickly.”

Another servant answered Lulu’s mumble.

“Her Highness the Princess chose the material herself, saying that thick curtains are just a pain to wash. And it’s not efficient if heavy curtains require two or three more people to help change them.”

Leia Lindbergh was, surprisingly, considering many things in great detail.

“She thought it would be better to keep them as clean as possible for as long as possible, and then have new ones made when they wear out.”

“How truly thoughtful of her,” the maid said, clasping her hands.

“What’s more, Lord Belfry chose this color. He said the new Princess-Regnant’s pheromones reminded him of a lemon tree.”

The servants all agreed that although they, as Betas, wouldn’t know, the color somehow suited the princess’s appearance as well.

Lulu clasped her hands together too, then let them fall uncertainly as she thought of Belfry.

Leia Lindbergh and Belfry were a good match in terms of appearance, but there would be many twists and turns before they could become true mates.

“It’s because of all their damn unrequited loves.”

Lulu bit her nails.

“What?”

Marco sent her a quizzical look.

The servants, who had paused for a moment to admire the curtains bearing the crest of the new principality, resumed their busy movements.

Someone nagged that clumsy hands were no help in delicate work.

Because of that, Marco and Lulu left the building with the knightly order, who had the old curtains draped over their shoulders.

Under the clear sky, the reconstruction of the main building was in full swing.

Having finished the exterior repairs and started on the interior construction, Belfry Hendrick stood there all alone.

“He’s out here again,” a young knight muttered upon seeing him.

The older knight clicked his tongue and sighed.

“No matter what, he must feel a sense of loss.”

The historic main castle, with its long history stretching from the Lindwyer Empire to the Kingdom of Lindbergh, had become almost unrecognizable from its former self.

The top was made into a flat rooftop, and the ceiling height was lowered. The number of unnecessarily numerous banquet halls was reduced, and in their place, spaces were created for high-ranking knights, teachers from all walks of life and various fields to hold meetings or share their knowledge.

With his head tilted all the way back, Belfry was looking at the only remaining spire.

His gaze was so wistful that one might think he was the abandoned prince of the Lindbergh Kingdom in a past life.

“Is he like this even though it’s another country’s affair?”

“The young lord has always lamented the loss of historic buildings. Whether it’s our country or another’s.”

At the senior knight’s words, the young knight glanced around and grinned mischievously.

“Isn’t it because it’s a place he might be staying in the future?”

“What did you say?”

The young knight put a finger to his lips, afraid someone might hear over his senior’s raised voice.

Lulu and Marco quickened their steps without realizing it, sticking close behind the two.

“A rumor has been quietly spreading that Princess Leia has her sights set on Lord Belfry as her mate.”

“On what grounds?”

“You can tell just by seeing them stick together every day when it’s this busy and chaotic. Others say that honey drips from their gazes when they look at each other.”

The older knight lightly tapped the younger knight on the head.

“You rascal! How can the young lord become a Princess-Regnant’s consort? You have to make sense. His Majesty will never allow it.”

“Why does their love need His Majesty’s permission? Besides, the young lord is the third son.”

The senior knight repeatedly clicked his tongue at the young knight’s naive words.

“Even if he is the third son, he is the Crown Prince’s closest confidant. If we send someone like that away to be the consort of a small principality’s ruler, a major position will be left vacant in an instant.”

“Ah, I see.”

Lulu pricked up her ears. The love life of her second-favorite character was just as important as her favorite’s. There was no way she wasn’t curious.

“More importantly, now that he has become a dominant Omega, the aristocracy will immediately raise their voices in opposition. And what’s more important is whether Leia Lindbergh, who is already busy rebuilding the principality, would be willing to endure all that and still want Lord Belfry.”

“Being a commoner, I didn’t know the details, but the nobles sure live complicated lives.”

“That’s only natural. It is a marriage of different weights. The union of those with secondary genders is even more so.”

Calling it a pity, the knights shook their heads.

Just then, Belfry’s head slowly turned to the side. Where he looked up at an angle stood Princess Leia Lindbergh and Princess Ayla Leva.

Ayla’s face, as she fiddled with the ends of Leia’s hair, was visibly flushed red.

“It would be more ideal if those two were to marry. Though I don’t know what the King of Leva would think.”

The knights disappeared ahead, chattering amongst themselves, while Marco and Lulu, who had stopped in their tracks, hid behind a tree.

“How long is Princess Ayla staying here?”

“Who knows? I heard some people saying it’s suspicious how she’s dawdling, since the urgent fire has been put out and the Kingdom of Leva should have been in touch by now…”

“Hmm.”

Lulu crossed her arms.

“I’m sick of things getting any more complicated here.”

The main couple’s angst is over, and now the side couple’s angst begins? I’m ready to drop this series right now.

Marco tapped the shoulder of Lulu, who was muttering with a serious expression.

“Won’t it work out somehow? Take a look at Princess Leia’s expression.”

“Huh?”

Marco pointed to the garden with a secretive gesture.

Unlike Ayla, who couldn’t hide her fluttering expression, Leia, with an indifferent face, was smiling gently as she looked at Belfry.

Her face, slightly gaunt from the many storms she had weathered, bloomed like a fresh flower whenever she looked at Belfry.

Belfry, who had been staring blankly back at her for a moment, belatedly turned away. The tips of his ears were flushed red.

“They’ll figure it out. Let’s just worry about the prince’s condition.”

Shrugging, Marco grabbed Lulu’s wrist and pulled her along.

Yeah, whatever. They’ll figure it out themselves. Whether I meddle or not, what’s meant to be will be, and what’s not won’t.

The moment Lulu left, Leia also shot up from her seat and went towards Belfry.

***

“You want to go in by carriage?”

Disappointed by his perfect attire, Carl’s shoulders slumped. Adrian promptly loosened his necktie.

Only then did Carl’s face brighten up, and as he personally retied Adrian’s necktie, Adrian spoke.

“Yes. I thought you’d be curious too. About the changes in the Kingdom of Lindbergh and how people’s perception of you has changed.”

“Of course I’m curious, but do we have enough time?”

This time, Carl Lindbergh craned his own neck.

Adrian kissed his chin as he draped a cravat around his neck, one with slightly wider and more abundant pleats than his own.

“We’ll only be taking the carriage inside the castle grounds, so there’s plenty of time.”

“In that case, I’d be grateful.”

The two’s sacred morning ritual was over.

Adrian, who had planted a smacking kiss on his plump lips, grinned, and Carl Lindbergh, as if it were the first time, grew shy and didn’t know what to do.

The time they spent tying each other’s ties had started as a joke.

Carl Lindbergh, surprisingly, knew various ways to tie a tie and was quite proud of it.

It was Adrian who had made this time a permanent fixture, for the reason that he could feel his breath up close and admire his clear forehead.

“You were curious, weren’t you?”

Adrian hugged Carl tightly, wrinkling their well-dressed clothes.

“Yeah. Very. While I lived in Lindbergh, it was hard for me to see with my own eyes how people lived.”

In truth, he had been afraid. To face poverty and all sorts of injustices directly.

Smiling bitterly in Adrian’s broad embrace, Carl patted his back.

“A prince in name, but I should be able to change at least one thing with my own power.”

When he said he couldn’t lift his head from embarrassment, Adrian replied teasingly, “You’re not even a real prince.”

Carl let out a strange chuckle, and Adrian pulled his nose.

They had been awkward for a moment, but now, things couldn’t be better.

Carl, whose gratitude for the fact that Adrian didn’t rashly pity him or tacitly pretend not to know the real him had piled up like a balloon, felt like he was floating on air these days.

“If you had known back then that you could use magic, would you have come to me?”

At the sound of a servant knocking on the door, Adrian stopped his playful antics, tidied his disheveled hair, and asked.

Carl thought for a moment before answering.

“I probably still would have gone, don’t you think? My sister’s last wish was, ‘Please let me see Adrian Heineken happy with his lover.’”

He would have gone to see him at least once, Carl promised, taking Adrian’s hand.

Adrian intertwined his fingers with Carl’s.

‘When I see her this time, I must give her a very big reward.’

For the first time, Adrian felt grateful to the witch.

After all, thanks to her, Adrian had been positioned as the protagonist in Carl’s heart from the very beginning.