Don't Come Near Me, I'm Just a Background Character [BL Harem]

41 - Lucius' Feelings

Yes, any punishment is fine, just don't kill me! I sobbed inwardly. The prince stayed silent. He pulled himself up, sitting casually on the bed with his legs dangling off the edge. His strange gaze remained fixed on my face inexplicably. I shuddered.

He glided off the bed and sauntered towards me. I could only stand stiffly until his face was only a few inches away. I spotted him lifting up his left hand moving it towards my face, and braced myself with closed eyes. I'm really going to get mutilated this time. I thought. However, all I felt was light, gentle caresses of my cheek, the slight warmth seeping into my skin.

The silence was finally broken with the prince's low whisper. "Why... do you look so different now?"

I cracked my eyes open and saw his aggrieved, frustrated expression. I wanted to move back but was too afraid to provoke the prince. He gritted his teeth and mumbled, "I don't... understand..."

His lips were hovered directly in front of my eyes. I awkwardly tried to shift my gaze upward to compensate for the strange height difference, but as soon as I met his eyes, I felt a pang of inexplicable shame like I did something wrong and looked away hastily. His hand cupping my cheek slowly slid down to my lips to my neck before finally dropping back to his side. He leaned forward, his nose a hair away from my forehead. I didn't dare to look up and meet his gaze.

"What did you do to me...?" He said. I felt the hot breath slide across my skin. So... does this mean that I won't be punished, after all? I thought quizzically.

"Y-your highness, I'm afraid I don't understand." I finally seemed to break through my frozen state and say.

He gritted his teeth. "You—! No, I'm sure you understand! Why else would I feel this way when I see you...!" I saw his eyes slightly redden from frustration. I gazed at the dark circles under his eyes and shook my head inwardly.

He's exhausted, I thought. That's not good. I sighed. "Prince, you're not making any sense. Please, the sun is still rising and we both are tired. Go to sleep and we can talk about this later..."

"No! We're talking about this now!"

"Your highness—"

"I know you did something to me! What other explanation do you have for the weird feeling? What kind of magic are you using to do this to me!"

I groaned inwardly. What 'weird feeling'? He's too tired to think straight. "Prince, you're sleep deprived. I implore you to return to your quarters and sleep."

He bit his lip and turned his gaze downward in frustration. "Shut up, if I want to stay, I will! It's none of your business!" He exclaimed.

"As your aide, it is my duty to ensure your well-being, so it is my business." I retorted. His reddened eyes deepened and his cheeks flushed pink.

"See, you did it again! What kind of magic are you—"

"You're tired." I cut him off and lifted my head up to meet his eyes. "Look, prince. Your dark circles..." I lifted my hand and traced my fingers along his undereyes gently. I frowned as I felt his usually clear skin feel slightly rough to the touch.

He clenched his teeth and shifted his eyes away, flitting from one side to the other, not meeting my gaze. "I... I just..."

Before he finished his sentence, his eyelids fluttered and he slumped on my body, unconscious. I sighed. See, I told you, stupid.

I smiled helplessly and pushed his limp body back onto the bed. I lifted the thick, warm covers and wrapped it around him, carefully sliding a pillow under his head with a deep sigh. I brushed his hair back softly and whispered, "Sweet dreams, Lucius."

----

The prince woke up the next morning with his leg painfully throbbing from the burns. The sunlight streaming from the window burned his eyes. He tried to lift his arm to cover his face, but before he could, he felt a slight weight on his leg clamp down on his body, pulling him closer.

"Mmm..." The person behind him stirred, nestling in to prevent his life-sized teddy bear from escaping. Light breaths gently stroked Lucius' back, causing tingly, shivering sensations to zing up his spine. The prince's murky mind instantly cleared, and he immediately realized his predicament. He blushed furiously and felt the familiar breathlessness as his heart pounded out of his chest. He felt his blood rush through his body, tensing him up and leaving him starry-eyed.

Remis, who was sleeping soundly behind him, felt the stiffness of his teddy bear. The firm back made him uncomfortable. "...mmh... relax, stop moving..." The innocent words had a completely different meaning in Lucius's brain. His mind blanked and blood instantly rushed down to a certain place.

Lucius felt a rush of shame and immediately tried to twist his way out of his grasp, but that seemed to make the sleeping youth more displeased. He swung his arm around Lucius' waist, holding his lower abdomen tightly to stop the prince from escaping.

The prince's breathing quickened as he tried to calm himself down. However, his heartbeats didn't slow and instead quickened as his mind wandered into strange directions. His eyes reddened, feeling wronged. He had spent the last two nights exhausted and unable to sleep because of his interaction with the black-haired teen the other day. It kept replaying in his mind, making him all too aware of the other person lying on the bed. He was too scared to face the youth the day before yesterday, resulting in him waiting in front of the royal suite for the entire night, dismissing the guards only to stare blankly at the wooden door. Then, yesterday, he tried to lay on his bed and sleep, but when he started dreaming, Remis appeared, kissing him and...

The prince blushed, ashamed. The weird, overwhelming feeling surfaced. If he didn't cast magic on me, then why do I feel this way?