The Third Prince Of Darkness

Chapter 165: Relationships

The dinner with Evangeline had become much livelier than it was a few minutes ago. The more I conversed with her, the more I became convinced of how cultured this woman was. She possessed enough knowledge, especially in history, to captivate me. Moreover, her worldview—or rather, her perspective on ruling as a monarch—was remarkably aligned with mine. How many values we shared genuinely surprised me.

After dinner, we continued talking outside until the curfew began. I can confidently say that after tonight, I knew Evangeline at least twice as well as I did before. This would certainly benefit our future marriage. Of course, it was still too early to engage in a sexsual relationship with Evangeline, and she still seemed to have some uncertainties in her mind. For now, it was best to let time take its course.

As my date with Evangeline came to an end, I returned to the dorm and lay down in bed, only to hear my roommate Taktav quietly crying under his blanket again. He was so silent that an average person would never hear him. Maybe I could have ignored it, as I had before, but at the very least, I could ask if he was okay. I knew Taktav had an extremely fragile personality... and to be honest; I was starting to worry he might harm himself.

After all, I had experienced something similar in a previous life. Now that I think about it, I hadn't cared much about that person back then, and it ended in the worst possible way. So I got out of bed and walked toward the other bed. Taktav, who was crying under a thick blanket, stopped crying when he heard my footsteps, but then started to sob.

"Hey, are you alright? If there's anything wrong, you can talk to me," I said.

Still sobbing under the blanket, Taktav quietly poked his pink head out from the edge of the cover. His eyes were tearful, his face exhausted. For a moment, he seemed unsure of what to say, as if any words might expose his vulnerability even more. But at last, he sighed and began to speak.

"E-Ethan… Sometimes… I just feel like this world is too much for me," he said in a faint voice.

Though his words might have sounded silly or weak, I somehow sensed the deep sadness behind them. This feeling unsettled me, as I'd always harbored a kind of aversion to such emotions. Still, my experiences had taught me one lesson: sometimes ignoring things came with a cost heavier than I imagined.

"What exactly happened? Is there anything I can help with?"

"... No. As a man, I must deal with my problems on my own… That's what my father used to say. I'm sorry for disturbing you. Please go back to bed; I won't make any more noise."

Taktav's words made me sense that his sadness stemmed from deeper roots. His father's insistence on him facing his struggles alone seemed to be part of the burden weighing on him. While I had little tolerance for such weakness, I didn't want to watch him destroy himself completely.

"Taktav, maybe your father told you to face your problems alone, but he didn't tell you to ignore everyone around you," I said. My tone was far from mocking; in fact, it came out unexpectedly gentle. This bothered me, yet I couldn't hold back my words.

Taktav slowly turned his head, the sadness in his eyes slightly lightened. Taking a deep breath, he attempted a faint smile, as if he was trying to unburden himself from the weight he had carried for so long.

"Thank you, Ethan," he said. "I guess… sometimes just knowing someone is there is enough."

I shrugged. I didn't believe emotional support was that effective; after all, people should solve their own problems. But apparently, to someone as fragile as Taktav, even simple attention could mean a lot.

"Look," I told him, "no one can survive in this world alone. You'll learn that, eventually. But if you're just going to bury your head in the sand like you are now, nothing will change. Sometimes, it's natural to feel weak; just don't let it go on forever."

Taktav nodded and tried to control his sobbing.

I had heard a few rumors about Taktav before. Probably because of his long pink hair and his other feminine features, he was often bullied. The things I'd heard about Taktav had always seemed ordinary to me. People belittling and isolating someone they perceived as weak had practically become a habit. Unfortunately, I could witness these kinds of things everywhere in society. But here, I found the importance of people placed on such wounded souls unnecessary. I had always seen it as weakness and thought it was best to focus on myself. But now, Taktav's sorrowful eyes and withdrawn state served only to remind me of painful memories from the past.

"Anyway. If you need help or at least want to talk, don't hesitate," I said, getting up and heading toward my bed. "Oh, and one more thing—I'd like you to join my unit. It would make me happy to see you as a member of our group, should you choose to accept," I added.

Taktav's eyes widened at my offer, but he said nothing. His surprise seemed to erase his sadness, if only for a moment. I could tell he was taking my words seriously and that my offer had affected him. He stayed silent for a while, looking at me thoughtfully. A faint glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes, though his hesitant expression suggested he was still struggling to decide.

"Really… this isn't a joke, is it?" he finally asked, his voice tinged with a faint desperation.

I shrugged and raised my eyebrows at him. "Taktav, you know I don't make jokes," I said firmly. "Yes, it's real. We need someone who can work alongside us. But that means you'll have responsibilities on your shoulders, so you'll need to stop acting like a child."

Taktav pursed his lips and nodded. After a moment's hesitation, he murmured softly, "I-I… I'll think about it…" It was clear that even giving that answer required him to gather his courage.

Then, I got into bed, trying to sleep. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my roommate smiling, with his bunny-like ears drooping slightly in happiness.

---

The next day, I wanted to meet Ellera, but I couldn't find her anywhere. So, I decided to visit Catherine, who I had interacted with the least among the girls. But this time, I sent a member of my unit first to let her know that I wanted to spend some time with her. The reply came quickly, and I learned that Catherine would be here soon. Now it was time to charm her. Enjoy exclusive content from mvl

Within an hour, Catherine arrived at my unit's building, and I was quite surprised when I saw her. She wore an elegant yet understated outfit. Her hair was tied back, with a strand of hair falling on each side of her face. She was undoubtedly beautiful. Achieving both sweetness and beauty at the same time is not something every woman can do, but Catherine seemed to embody this description flawlessly.

Thankfully, I paid attention to my appearance, even in everyday life at the academy, so I wouldn't look bad next to her. When I get close Catherine, I was momentarily at a loss for words. Her confidence and grace unconsciously reflected the same feelings back to her company.

Pulling myself together, I took a step toward her, trying to suppress my smirk, and bowed slightly. "Princess Catherine, it's an honor, as always, to see you here," I said.

Catherine turned to me with a smile. "Honor? No need to be so formal, Mr. Ethan; I just accepted your invitation," she replied with a slight tease.

I shrugged. "What can I say? It's impossible not to be affected by beauty."

Catherine rolled her eyes, but a pleased expression appeared on her face. The atmosphere of our conversation quickly became relaxed, and soon we were strolling through the academy's garden. At first, our conversation was about daily matters: classes at the academy, other students, casual gossip.

As our walk continued, our conversation took on deeper subjects. Although it seemed like a superficial exchange initially, I realized that Catherine's words contained emotions deeper than she might have realized. Her kind and affectionate demeanor clearly showed she had a fragile heart. She was so sincere and genuine that even when expressing her feelings, there wasn't a hint of insincerity.

Catherine's naturalness made me feel closer to her with every passing minute. As we walked together, I began to discover not only her physical appearance but also the depth of her inner world. The pure kindness in her eyes showed me that the person standing before me wasn't just compassionate toward me, but toward everyone and everything. You sometimes want to protect such a sincere and innocent person, but at other times, you just want to get lost in her world. With every step, Catherine made me feel the warmth and peace within her.

Now that I think about it, maybe we could have had a real relationship, not just using her as a tool.