I Tamed the Monstrous Prince - Chapter 14
Chapter 14
“Cesar.”
“Ugh….”
“Cesar.”
“Uh.”
I hadn’t yet found the courage to unbind the chains that held him. But I couldn’t leave him like this. His growls softened, losing the initial ferocity.
“Cesar.”
At the third call, his growling ceased.
Slowly, I reached out and touched his forehead, my voice firm. “Aren’t you hungry?”
“Mmm.”
His “Mmm” was difficult to interpret. Was it a continuation of his growls, an affirmation, or a denial? I couldn’t tell.
I stroked his hair, my movements slow, almost hesitant. “I’m hungry. I don’t think we’ve eaten anything since yesterday. How about you?”
“…Uhhh.”
I was truly famished. Yesterday, preoccupied with bridal makeup and the constricting corset of my wedding dress, I hadn’t had so much as a crumb.
And today, from dawn until now, I’d been relentlessly questioned about why I was still alive, without even a sip of water. The realization intensified my hunger pangs. My stomach growled audibly. Cesar’s eyes widened in apparent surprise.
“You hear that?”
“…Mn.”
I moved my hand to the chains binding him. “I’m going to untie these now.”
Cesar reacted with extreme sensitivity the moment I touched the metal.
“Uh!”
“It’s alright.”
Just as I had last night, I reassured him, repeating it until he finally nodded.
“It might be a little loud.”
I remembered how acutely sensitive he’d been to the thunder last night. He must be sensitive to sounds in general. Unlike the gag, which had been easy to remove silently, the chains looked as though they would be difficult to undo quietly.
“Is that… alright?”
Cesar slowly closed his eyes and then opened them. I took it as a sign of assent.
“Then I’ll untie them.”
Resolute, I grasped the chains. The sturdy metal only emitted an ominous creaking, refusing to budge. With each chilling metallic groan, I felt Cesar flinch.
“This is… hmm.”
I was never one for brute strength, and untying the chains silently proved even more challenging than I’d anticipated.
Then, everything happened in a flash. Cesar tensed, and the chains snapped with a sharp crack. Freed from his restraints, he moved with startling speed.
“Eek!”
A short cry escaped my lips before I quickly covered my mouth. I followed Cesar with my eyes. He had already retreated to a far corner of the dining hall, cowering beneath a curtain. The sight of him huddled there sent a fresh wave of sympathy through me.
‘Just how terribly have they treated him to make him this wary?’
“Cesar.”
“…Ugh.”
He was still trembling, his gaze guarded and distrustful.
‘What should I do? I can’t get through to him like this. I need to get him out from that corner.’
“Uhhh…”
Cesar continued to growl, a low rumble in his throat. The memory of his sharp, menacing demeanor from last night sent shivers down my spine.
The vial of tranquilizer the knight had given me was in my pocket, its presence acutely felt against my thigh with each small movement. A cold sweat broke out. The metallic sounds echoed in my ears, along with the beastly noises that seemed impossible for a human to make.
‘I recommend you refrain from touching the gag or the chains.’
‘Perhaps my approach was wrong. Perhaps it was arrogance, a miscalculation, to think I could connect with him.’
‘Should I have simply followed their instructions? If I’ve made a grave mistake…’
‘It’s for Her Highness’s safety.’
‘If so, I’ll be the one to pay the price. This time, it will truly cost me my life.’
“Uwaaa, Aagh!”
Suddenly, Cesar clutched his head and cried out in agony. His horrific screams sent chills down my spine. “What, what’s wrong?”
Hadn’t he clutched his head like this yesterday, right before his sudden outburst?
“Ah, guh…”
His pained groans continued, accompanied by the scraping of his fingernails against the stone floor and the sickening crunch of bones. How long did it last? Then, his writhing abruptly stopped.
A powerful, ominous premonition flashed through my mind. I took a deep breath. He was different. I couldn’t pinpoint it, but I knew he had changed.
A chill ran down my spine, making me tremble. Cesar slowly raised his head. His eyes, like those of a reptile, were devoid of emotion. Despite their fiery red hue, they were cold and glacial.
“Ah.”
It was instinct. I desperately fumbled for the tranquilizer in my pocket. Then, as if struck by lightning, I froze.
‘If I do this… how am I any different from the knights who restrained him?’
Regret and self-loathing washed over me.
