TMLOH 04

Chapter : 4

Of all people, I had to run into the one I least wanted to see.

How awkward.

The moment our eyes met, I froze. I missed the chance to either run away or greet him. The crown prince was no different.

“Uh, uh…”

Unlike me, who recognized him right away, the crown prince looked puzzled.

Seeing him scratch his cheek like he hadn’t expected anyone to be here, I wondered how I could naturally escape this situation.

‘It’s not snack time yet, is it?’

Judging by the way he looked around, he must’ve come here for a drink after playing.

I hoped he’d just walk past me.

But just as I was desperately wishing for that, his voice shattered my hope.

“What are you doing here?”

“Uh…”

I couldn’t bring myself to say I was just killing time.

With nothing to say, I blinked, drawing out the end of my sentence, and the crown prince tilted his head.

“Are you one of my friends too?”

“Uh, um. Uh…”

“Why aren’t you playing?”

Can’t you tell? I’m an outcast.

Still, I couldn’t ignore a question from such a noble figure, so I had to answer.

Fortunately, I had a perfect excuse ready.

“I’m too weak to play.”

“What?”

“I collapse even if I run just a little.”

“What? Really?”

The crown prince stared at me, looking completely unconvinced. His expression screamed disbelief.

I felt the same way.

Why was the crown prince suddenly interested in me?

It felt as overwhelming as the CEO of a company paying special attention to a new intern.

I wished he’d just accept my excuse and leave. But then—

“Do you really collapse?”

“Pardon?”

He looked at me like I was making it up.

“Do people really collapse just from running? You’re not lying?”

Unfortunately, yes. That trash body is mine.

I nodded casually, and his expression twisted oddly.

“Try it.”

“…Excuse me?”

Did I hear that right?

“Give it a try!”

Was he trying to kill me?

“You said you’re not lying.”

“I’m not, but…”

His eyes were dangerous.

Bright, curious eyes full of wonder. Isn’t there a saying—curiosity killed the cat? I didn’t know I would be the cat.

“I really do collapse.”

I tried to hold out, not wanting to fall, but it was useless. He was a child, and the crown prince at that.

Logic didn’t work.

“Sigh…”

To think he’d mess with me with such sparkling eyes. I won’t forget this grudge.

If I had to do it anyway, I might as well get it over with quickly.

‘What lovely weather to collapse in.’

As I stood up, the cute dress the maids had put on me was already wrinkled. Not that it mattered.

The crown prince watched me.

And I ran.

‘Ugh, this garbage body.’

I barely ran, and my head started spinning. Dizzy and unsteady, I came to a halt.

Strength left my body.

It was the textbook sign of imminent collapse.

I’d barely run at all, and yet my body didn’t disappoint.

‘You useless body…’

As my vision blurred, I could see people rushing toward me.

The crown prince’s wide eyes showed his panic.

And then, I collapsed.

Fession Allelemagne.

Firstborn of Emperor Edward and Empress Azeny, crown prince of the mighty Albrecht Empire.

A once-in-a-century genius who sensed aura at just seven years old and excelled in all fields of study including royal governance.

The flawless Crown Prince Fession, who was good at everything, now faced an unexpected dilemma.

‘What the heck just happened?’

Fession was in a state of deep confusion, all because of what had happened in the back garden earlier that day.

That day, Fession had been in high spirits.

It was one of the two days a week when his friends came to the palace.

‘Time for a new game!’

As usual, he had been happily playing knights with his friends when—

“Griam, water! …Huh?”

Oddly, his attendant Griam, who was always nearby, was nowhere to be seen.

He might return soon, but Fession was too thirsty to wait, so he decided to get water himself.

“I’m going to grab a drink! Play without me for a bit!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Leaving the twins behind, Fession took a shortcut.

‘They’ll scold me if I do this.’

Though his tutors always warned him to stay on the path, saying shortcuts were dangerous, there were no adults around—so he pushed through the bushes.

‘Hm? Someone’s there?’

Drawn by a faint noise, he parted the bushes.

And met someone’s eyes.

“…!”

A girl with shimmering platinum hair and a neatly tied red ribbon was staring at him with big, cherry blossom-colored eyes.

‘Uh… who is that again?’

Fession panicked for a moment.

It wasn’t just the sudden eye contact that startled him—he couldn’t remember her name.

‘Her face looks familiar… why can’t I remember?’

Recalling his mother’s advice to always be kind to everyone, Fession felt guilty.

She was probably one of his friends, but her name completely escaped him.

He was puzzled.

Why was she here alone?

“What are you doing here?”

“Uh…”

She looked flustered, lips tightly pressed together, avoiding his gaze.

She definitely looked uncomfortable.

‘Well, I am the crown prince. That makes sense.’

Thankfully, Fession was a very self-aware child, so he unwittingly gave the girl some unwanted attention.

And then came the conversation.

“What? Really?”

Someone collapsing just from running? Fession couldn’t believe it.

It didn’t make sense.

Where in the world did people collapse from just running?

Was that even human?

“People really collapse from just running? You’re not lying?”

The girl replied flatly that she did. She didn’t seem to be lying. But Fession just couldn’t accept it.

He had an incredibly sturdy body. A prodigy in swordsmanship, recognized by all.

He could run around the training ground 50 laps and not even flinch. Everyone around him was also healthy.

Even his mother, the empress—considered the frailest—wouldn’t collapse from simply running.

Unable to believe the girl’s words, Fession grew curious.

He wanted to check for himself.

Unaware of how dangerous that might be.

“Try it once!”

The girl didn’t look eager at all. Fession thought she was probably exaggerating. She didn’t seem like a liar, but…

‘Come on, no one like that exists. She’s just being dramatic!’

He asked her to do it without much thought.

“I really do collapse…”

She muttered bitterly, then began running. And then—

“Huh?!”

She really collapsed.

“…Unbelievable.”

A whole new world.

Fession was shaken to the core.

DUN DUN!

Crown Prince Fession, age 7, had just encountered an astonishing truth.

There really were people in the world who collapsed just from running.

Thanks to Fession rushing over and catching Arellin before she hit the ground, she didn’t smack her head.

While Fession stood frozen in shock, an attendant found him and immediately contacted the Halbern Duchy.

Arellin was returned to the duchy earlier than scheduled. Naturally, a royal physician was dispatched alongside her.

Everything had been resolved well enough, but for some reason, the incident lingered in Fession’s mind.

“Rion.”

“Hm?”

After his lessons, Fession took a break and went to see his younger brother. At five years old, Therion seemed incredibly frail—even more so than their mother, the empress.

So—

“Rion. Try running.”

“Huh?”

Therion tilted his head at the sudden request.

“What for?”

“Just try it, anyway.”

“Why are you being weird?”

“I’m curious about something. Run for a bit.”

Urged on by Fession, Therion reluctantly began running. Fession ran beside him, bombarding him with questions.

“How is it? Dizzy? Feel like collapsing?”

“No. Not dizzy. Just tired.”

Catching his breath, Therion replied, and Fession asked again,

“Really? You don’t feel like you’ll faint?”

“No! Why are you like this?”

Today, his older brother was acting very strange. As Therion stared at him in confusion, Fession clapped like he had been waiting for this.

“Right?! Not dizzy at all! I knew I wasn’t the weird one!”

“…Are you crazy?”

Even as Therion seriously questioned his mental state, Fession was too preoccupied to care.

He made not only the palace attendants but also his maid and his personal servant Griam do the same.

“Why in the world are you making us do such nonsense, Your Highness?”

Griam asked, exasperated.

With rumors of the crown prince’s bizarre behavior spreading throughout the palace in less than half a day, he seemed determined to get an answer.

“Uh, well…”

After ordering about 50 people to try running, Fession found that not a single one had collapsed.

No one even complained of dizziness.

This left Fession with a strange feeling.

What was that earlier, then?

A hallucination? A dream?

Or is she just… special?

Still, how could a real person collapse just from running?

Griam nearly fainted upon hearing the full story of Fession’s confusion.

‘So that whole commotion earlier was all because of the crown prince…?!’

In the end, the story reached Empress Azeny.

“Go apologize. Now.”

A stern order from the Empress came down on a thoroughly scolded Fession.

“If she doesn’t forgive you, know that there will be no snacks for a while.”

No… not my snacks!

That was how Fession arrived at the Halbern Duchy.

However—

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. Regretfully, it seems you’ll have to return for now.”

As soon as he arrived, Fession found himself in a predicament.