Chương 20: FORCE A FRIENDSHIP

"YOU'LL SCARE your noonim if you keep on showing that face to her, Yvo hyung."

"I'm not your hyung," Yvo said to Cyrus Helion in an annoyed voice. "Why is Your Royal Highness here?"

He dragged the Crown Prince away from Gypsy for a moment in order to have a serious talk with him.

Right now, they were facing each other in front of the frozen lake.

He couldn't see Pierce Willard, but he could tell that he was just around.

Killian followed him, but his knight was standing far away to not hear his conversation with the Crown Prince– but near enough to reach him if something was to happen.

He left Winston Volk and the other knights to guard the carriage where Gypsy was.

"I just want to see your precious Noonim," Prince Cyrus said, smiling. "I was wondering why you're hiding her from me. Is noona that precious of a gem to you, Hyung?"

"Of course, she is," he said bluntly. "I need her if I want to succeed the duke title once I come of age."

"Is that only the reason why you're acting so possessive of Gypsy noona?"

"I'm just protecting her because if she dies, my greedy relatives will steal my inheritance–"

"Yvo hyung, do you believe in reincarnation?" Cyrus Helion asked, cutting him off. "Why do I feel like I've already met Gypsy noona? Perhaps in my past life?"

He wanted to say that the Crown Prince was saying something gibberish again.

Yvo didn't only believe in reincarnation– he was actually a living proof that it was real. After all, he was reborn, and he believed that it happened because of his strong desire to clear the Wolf Clan's name.

But why was the crazy Crown Prince talking about reincarnation…?

His eyes went wide a little.

[Is Cyrus Helion a reincarnated person, too?]

And if his hypothesis was correct, then could this crazy brat be connected to him in the past?

Cyrus Helion was a prince, so he was the descendant of Caleb Helion– the Crown Prince of his time that betrayed him and the Wolf Clan.

[Now I know why I never liked this brat.]

"If the concept of reincarnation was real, then we must have been enemies in our past lives," Yvo said with clenched hands. He was trying his best not to release his bloodlust directed at the Crown Prince to avoid a confrontation with Pierce Willard, but he probably failed to control his angry expression. "I was being honest when I said I don't like Your Royal Highness."

The always bright Cyrus Helion just laughed it off. "If we were enemies in our former lives, then maybe we were born again at the same period in order to fix the mistakes of the past. Perhaps we were reincarnated to be friends this time. Don't you think so, Hyung?"

"Bullshit."

The Crown Prince gasped exaggeratedly. "Don't say bad words, Hyung."

"Shut up," he growled at him. "Why are we talking about this nonsense anyway?"

"Nothing," Cyrus Helion said, smiling. "I just feel close to Gypsy noona as if we've already met before."

"Stop saying nonsense," Yvo said coldly. "Now that you've met the new Head of House Woolsey, go home."

***

[YVO IS really pissed, isn't he?]

Gypsy felt awkward while in the carriage with Yvo and Cyrus Helion.

The young master sat beside her, while the Crown Prince sat on the couch across from them.

Prince Cyrus insisted that he wanted to visit the mansion since he was already there. As the Head of House Woolsey, there was no way Gypsy would turn down the Crown Prince. Her decision obviously pissed off Yvo.

She stood her ground, though.

[I don't understand why Yvo hates Prince Cyrus. The Crown Prince looks sly, but he's a decent person. If the two of them worked together, I'm sure Yvo could prove the Wolf Clan's innocence faster.]

"It's cold," Prince Cyrus complained while hugging himself. He already wore several layers of thick clothes, but he was still cold. He must be used to the sunny weather in the Royal Capital. "Why is it stupidly cold here in the North?"

She could only smile sympathetically at the Crown Prince. [I know, right?]

"Ah," the Crown Prince said, his face beaming. "I know the best way to keep my body warm."

After declaring that, Prince Cyrus stood up and sat on Gypsy's other side.

So, she was now trapped between Yvo and the Crown Prince.

[Okay, it's more awkward now.]

"Prince Cyrus Helion," Yvo growled lowly, then he stood up abruptly and grabbed the Crown Prince by the collar. "Come here."

Gypsy gasped when Yvo suddenly pushed the Crown Prince down the couch across from them. "Yvo, what do you think you're doing to His Royal Highness?"

"Keeping him warm," Yvo said, then he sat beside the Crown Prince. "Does Your Royal Highness have any complaints?"

Prince Cyrus smiled while shaking his head, then he linked his arms with Yvo. "I like being this close to my hyung."

The young master let out a frustrated sigh. "You have older brothers, don't you?"

"They stopped being my hyung-nims the moment they tried to assassinate me."

She gulped, surprised by how the Crown Prince casually mentioned that his brothers tried to kill him. [Aigoo. The succession war for the throne is really brutal.]

"Ah," Yvo said, as if he thought of something great. "If I try to assassinate Your Royal Highness, then will I also stop being your hyung?"

"Yvo," Gypsy called him in a scolding voice. [You can't threaten the Crown Prince like that! Do you want to get arrested and questioned for treason?!]

"It's alright, Gypsy noona," Prince Cyrus said cheerfully. "I know that Yvo hyung is just joking. He won't kill me."

Yvo was about to say something, but she stopped her from opening his mouth.

"Your Royal Highness is right," Gypsy said with a smile. "Yvo is just joking. There's no way that the future Grand Duke Woolsey will threaten the Crown Prince." She clasped her hands together and put them over her chest. "House Woolsey wishes to stay on good terms with the future Sun of the empire."

"That's a relief, Gypsy noona," Prince Cyrus said, grinning. "I also wish to be friends with noona and Yvo hyung forever."

Yvo smirked haughtily. "A forced friendship doesn't bloom, Your Royal Highness."

Aigoo, talk about being a bummer.

***

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