Waking up after what seems to be a good, long sleep, I felt my body stretch languidly, but something felt weird and made me open my eyes.
"W-Where am I?" I asked myself before sitting up to look around.
Then, my hands touched the soft mattress beneath me. "Bed? But I don't think I ever laid on one before." I murmured to myself, feeling it some more.
"Ah! Prince Ancé, you're awake!" I heard someone say, interrupting my train of thought.
"Prince? Ancé? Could I have been reincarnated to this body?!" I shrieked in the back of my mind, in the thought.
Then, the lady tried to touch me as if reaching for something, and that made me panic and dodge, causing me to fall off the bed.
My fall elicited a loud crashing sound and somehow alerted someone else nearby.
"What the hell are you doing?! Why is the prince on the ground?!" A man in knight clothes comes in, asking the lady gruffly.
The lady was shocked herself, unable to answer the knight, looking at me as if pleading with me to tell the truth or she would be beheaded.
As the knight scooped me up from the floor, it then settled me back to the bed and knelt before me. "She won't say anything, my prince, how about you tell me what happened instead?" The knight told me, its gruff voice turned to deep mellow.
With a nod, I give the lady another look before speaking to the knight. "She didn't do anything, it was my fault that I fell down."
Then the lady let out a relieved sigh before explaining herself, "I was just trying to reach for the prince's shirt to get him dressed and ready for breakfast, when he suddenly dodged and fell."
The knight then once again looked at me, asking. "Was that all true, my prince?"
I nodded and bit my lip. "I-It was all true. I just don't feel comfortable with a lady now. Could I ask a guy to do this task for me from now on?" I murmured shyly, my eyes focused on the knight, as I am more comfortable with him.
Then the knight nodded at me, before looking at the lady. "You heard the prince, you may go." It said with full authority before looking facing me once again.
As the lady went out of the room the knight spoke to me. "Is it okay if I do the honors, Prince Ancé? You really have to prepare now and join the King, Queen and your siblings for breakfast." It said, holding my clothes for me.
"B-but I can dress myself up already! Does it really have to be someone else!" I asked, looking at him with a pout, as I am feeling shy.
The knight then let out a hearty chuckle, before nodding and looking at me. "You sound like you don't know it is a must, my prince! Does the high fever make you forget that you are the crown prince of Erodia?" He asked, obviously teasing.
Hearing that is when I finally snapped into realization. I was right, I was actually reincarnated to this body after dying because of that jealous bitch.
And the Kingdom of Erodia, is one of the kingdoms that hires us, guild warriors, to fight for and help them protect their kingdoms, but never I heard about a prince called 'Ancé' all I know is that there is Prince Zane and Princess Yumi.
"What kind of crown prince am I then to be hidden?" I asked wistfully, hoping it doesn't sound so weird.
Then, the knight settled beside me and looked into my eyes. "You are a brave and hardworking crown prince, Prince Ancé. Despite being sickly, you never used it as an excuse not to do your duties." It said before finally reaching for the hem of my shirt to carefully yank it off me and change it to something more princely.
So that's why I didn't hear anything about him before. Maybe the king and queen were protecting his identity, but if this knight is telling the truth that he is sickly, and I am the one inhabiting this body, then the real soul of Prince Ancé was already dead.
"Oh god, I'm sorry for taking your body, Prince Ancé! I have no intention of being reincarnated, but I was in this body of yours, so let me promise you something. I, Nuancé, a wanderer sage, will make this body fit and healthy and I promise to make your name known to each and every one." I murmured in the back of my mind, feeling sorry for how it ended for him and yes, I promised all that because I know I can.
It was my second life now, thanks to him, and I have no intention in living the same life I had when I am just the push-over and kind Nuancé, this time, I will make sure to show the world of what I could really do, and with this body, I will rise and do what is it I wanna do, to be in love and actually be loved, and it won't be a woman, because it will be men.
"I'm ready, sir knight!" I cheerfully said, after changing my pants and checking my appearance in the mirror.
It then smiled and nodded. "Just call me, Sua, my prince. Sir knight feels too old when we are actually just a few years apart in age." He said.
"Sua it is then." I said before facing him and proceeding to say my thanks. "Thank you for your service today, I know this isn't a part of your duties, but you still did." I murmured sweetly before pressing a kiss on his cheek.
–
Sua's POV
"My prince, y-you kissed me…" I said, flushed and stammering.
Prince Ancé then nodded. "I did, was it bad?" he asked, hinting playfulness on it.
But I remained flushed as I shook my head. "N-no, my prince, it isn't bad. I-I was just surprised that my first kiss wasn't just anyone, but a prince…" I murmured, my eyes locked on him.
And there, he looked at me, amused. "Really? That was your first kiss, Sua?" He asked, obviously in full disbelief.
I then shyly nodded. "I-I was too busy training to be a knight, I guess I forgot to live my life" I admitted.
"Ah! That won't do then, I should have gone for your lips!" Prince Ancé then groaned, already leaning in to redo the kiss.
Shocked, I then carefully pushed him away, keeping us a safe distance to one another. "T-that won't be right, my prince. W-we are both men, and you are a prince, it isn't proper!" I muttered gently, hoping it was enough for him to stop.
But to my surprise, he didn't even insist and I stood there, baffled, almost feeling disappointed that he gave up so soon.
Then as he pulled away, he immediately went out, not even bothering to wait for me to escort him out of the room and lead him to the dining.
"Was it just me or Prince Ancé was actually acting weird after finally waking up after that fever?" I asked myself, following him down the hallway.
But, when I reached down to the dining room where the royal family is already having their breakfast, he was not there.
"Ah, Sua! Where is the crown prince?" The king asked. "We were told that he finally woke up and about his request from the servant." It adds, looking at me.
"I-I am actually here because I thought he was going here, your majesty. The crown prince stormed out of his room." I said.
The Queen then stood up, and looked at me. "Go and find him, Sua! You know how easily he gets tired!" It commanded me anxiously and of course, I obliged, telling my fellow knights about the matter.
But as I tried to find him, I was honestly wishing that it was my fellow knights to catch him, I just don't think I have the right to face him after what just happened in his room.
Not until I saw him, sitting in the field, his body floating with an immense power of mana covering him like some shield. I mean, he is a prince and I know that he is powerful, but I never seen him brimming with this amount before, in fact, he tells everyone that it drains his body with very little use of it.
And as I stood there frozen, I sensed few presence from behind, so I tilted my head and saw the royal family behind me, all baffled as I was, obviously questioning themselves if it is really Prince Ancé we are looking at.
"He's doing resonance isn't he, my king?" The queen asked, her hand clasped tight on her husband's arm.
The king then nodded to answer. "And he's doing it so steadily, like he has been doing for years." It immediately seconded.
"But isn't big brother's magic like ours? Why is his mana purple? not green?" The princess asked, looking at its other brother.
"No, it's green, just with a touch of purple." The younger prince replied.
And like I am part of the conversation, I said. "Isn't this some kind of awakening, your majesties? I mean, after that high fever, he suddenly becomes like this…"
There, the four of them looked at me, all agreeing to what I thought is.