Chapter 35. Nightmare

Translator: AdCaelum

Editor: meli

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Hi again! It’s your translator Caelum, here to announce that they have fallen deep into the danmei hole. It was nice to be a reader again, but I’m back with another chapter of Hated Prince! Enjoy~

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Asher heard distant voices. They sounded like children, but he couldn’t see their figures clearly. He watched from afar as two shadows happily played together. He wanted to approach, but his feet wouldn’t move. The moment he crouched down, his surroundings melted away into something else.

Now he was seated on a chair. And the voice this time was familiar and right beside him.

“Hence our great nation of Dias forbade all discrimination against beastfolk.”

It was Marquess Clarke’s voice. Asher attempted to look around, but his neck wouldn’t move. Additionally, he felt that his line of sight was lower than usual.

“What is the matter?” Marquess Clarke asked. “Your mind seems elsewhere.”

“I often… spot kids bigger than me outside.”

“Oh? I believe they are your older brothers.”

“They’re playing…”

“Why not call out to them the next time you see them? I am certain they will let you join them.”

“…”

“I doubt we’ll get through our lesson today. How about we take a break and have some tea?”

“Yeah! And snacks too!”

Asher cheerily answered and Marquess Clarke let out another of his signature laughs.

This was an old memory. And from the very young “Asher”.

Asher’s vision wavered again, and he was now in pitch darkness.

He looked around. Wh-where was he? He spotted the two shadows again, so he approached this time.

As he closed the distance, he could now make out the shadows’ figures. A silver-haired boy and a red-haired boy noticed Asher and froze. The red-haired boy roughly pushed Asher’s shoulders, causing Asher to stumble backward.

“Go away. No one wants to play with you. We all hate you.”

Asher was terribly shocked by the red-haired boy’s words and looked to the silver-haired boy for help. However, the silver-haired boy coldly looked down at him in disinterest.

“You’re hated. By both your brothers and father.”

Not wanting to hear more from the red-haired boy, Asher covered his ears and cowered. Tears started to spill from his eyes when he noticed that the two boys had disappeared and he was left alone in the darkness once more.

Then, he suddenly felt an enormous presence in the dark. As he stared into the darkness, that enormous presence slowly came into view.

A being with the head of a wolf and large, blood-stained fangs in its large mouth.

“A beastfolk…?”

The moment Asher muttered, the beastfolk locked eyes with him. Asher’s body was instantly struck with fear. He ran away from the beastfolk as fast as he could, but he was quickly caught. Asher cried and screamed in terror, but the beastfolk chomped down on his neck. The rancid body odor and breath reeking of blood made him nauseous. His struggles were useless as the beastfolk’s sharp claws dug into his arms. Despite Asher’s resistance, the beastfolk only continued to open its mouth wider to swallow Asher’s head.

I’m scared! No! Save me!

　

“Aaah!”

Asher’s eyes snapped open and he realized he was lying on his bed. He slowly roused his body up and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his hand.

“A dream…”

But Asher felt that it was rather realistic for a dream. Even as he sat there awake, the horrid stench remained stuck to his nose.

Wanting to get out of his pajamas soaked in sweat, he got out of bed. But it was in that moment that he saw that blue flower in full bloom in its vase, and the memories of yesterday resurfaced in his mind. His face flushed and he dove back into bed.

How could he have forgotten?!

After Theodore left the room last night, Asher was completely out of it. To the point that his maid Ellie had to continue to warn him to stop spilling food and to not sleep in the baths. But surely no one could blame him. His mind was an absolute mess from the string of never-ending surprises.

“I was k-kissed… and for the second day in a row…”

When he said it out loud, he felt his cheeks grow hotter. Not sure what to do, he kicked his feet around.

Two days prior, there had been that rough kiss on the balcony. At that time, his body froze, unable to move under Theodore’s cold eyes. He really couldn’t understand why he didn’t run away. And yesterday’s kiss—

“Aaaaah!”

He could have easily avoided it if he took a single step back. Yet he didn’t. He knew exactly what was going to happen as he stared straight at Theodore’s face drawing closer.

“I… I…”

His heart pounded in his chest, threatening to explode.

After all, he didn’t think Theodore would do th-that!

Yesterday’s events replayed in his head. Theodore’s expression had been the same as usual, yet his eyes, as they stared at Asher, were soft and gentle. And the way Theodore’s fingers were hot as they touched his cheek made his chest throb and ache.

He couldn’t understand Theodore. Why would that man kiss the very person he said he hated? Why would he affectionately whisper those congratulatory words in a low voice into Asher’s ears?

Recalling that voice, Asher covered his ears.

“I don’t know if I can even look him in the face!”

Unlike two days ago, Asher had consented to Theodore’s kiss yesterday. Feeling more embarrassed the more he thought about it, Asher flopped around on his bed.

He had hoped he could forget about it after a night’s sleep, so why did he even keep that flower in a vase right there? Was he an idiot? He had to be an idiot!

“I should put this flower… somewhere where I can’t see it…”

He reached out to remove the flower from the vase when his hand stopped.

Theodore hated him… yet Theodore also gave him a flower to celebrate his adulthood…

Asher felt his chest tighten, which confused him. Should this be painful? Should it make him happy? He couldn’t pinpoint the sensation. This had never happened to him before.

What was this feeling?

“Prince Asher, have you awakened?”

The maid Ellie appeared by the door. Asher was taken by surprise, but he quickly got off the bed.

“G-good morning, Ellie.”

“Good morning, Your Highness— Oh dear, are you feeling ill?”

“Huh?”

The concerned Ellie rushed over to Asher. “Your face is red. I shall promptly call for the royal doctor—”

“I-I’m fine!” Asher quickly stopped her before she could run off.

“But—”

“I’m really fine. I’m just feeling a bit warm.”

“If that is your wish. I shall fetch you your change of clothes,” Ellie said and left the room to summon the other maids.

The stiff smile on Asher’s face dropped, and he reverted back to being flustered. He covered his face with both hands, and the heat coming off him even surprised himself.

“Could it be that… this is…”

His racing heart. His hot cheeks. Theodore’s expression that refused to leave his head…

The reason he was suddenly self-conscious was that he simply lacked any experience with this stuff.

No. This had to be a mistake. After all…

He was someone Theodore said he despised!

He loudly reminded himself in his head, but he felt himself instantly turn pale. He couldn’t keep up with the torrent of emotions.

He slowly moved his hands away from his cheeks and wearily sat down on the bed. The blue flower once more entered his vision, but now he wryly smiled.

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