The white prince leaned against the carriage frame, arms crossed, smiling like a cat who just cornered a mouse.
"Are you sulking?"
Across from him, Chengyu was firmly pressed into the far corner of the cushioned seat, legs straight, hands neatly folded on his lap, and eyes stubbornly turned to the window.
"Your Highness," he replied, prim and stiff, "there's no way I am."
"You are sulking."
"..."
Arsene laughed, soft and warm, and the sound made Chengyu's ears twitch slightly.
"Your Highness, there is nothing funny about this situation," Chengyu muttered, face perfectly straight—except for the way his lips were slightly downturned and his shoulders just a little hunched.
"Oh, I disagree," Arsene grinned. "It's more fun this way. I much prefer seeing a little color on that stone statue face of yours."
Chengyu looked affronted. "Do you not enjoy my company, Your Highness?"
"I enjoy it tremendously," Arsene said with a mock sigh, resting his chin on one hand. "Especially when you treat me like I'm invisible. Truly, I've never felt more special than being ignored in my own house."
Chengyu's shoulders stiffened. He looked away again, guilty.
"In my defense, Your Highness," he said after a pause, "a servant should not recklessly speak to their employer unless spoken to. It is a matter of basic respect."
"Hmm. Fair enough," Arsene conceded with a teasing tilt of his head. "Then next time, I'll talk first. Would that be acceptable?"
Chengyu turned to him, eyes slightly wide.
And then—
A soft pink crept up his ears and cheeks.
He looked away so fast it might've caused whiplash.
'What the... he can smile like that?'
That smile was straight out of a romance visual novel. Chengyu swore he saw sparkles. Maybe even a soft glow effect. It was illegal.
'Now I get it,' he thought grimly. 'Why people fall for fictional characters... If characters in those games looked like this, no wonder they lose their minds.'
He cleared his throat and shook his head, trying to banish the thought.
'What am I thinking? Absolutely not. Forbidden territory. I'm not into men, I was simply complimenting his appearance!'
Chengyu looked down at his hands and muttered something about needing to check if his sleeves were uneven. Which they weren't. At all.
He turned his gaze back to Arsene, quietly observing him. The prince's complexion had improved—his pallor less ghostly, and his eyes a little brighter than usual.
Chengyu narrowed his eyes slightly and at the same time, the second prince noticed it.
"You're staring again," Arsene said, chuckling, the corners of his lips curling in amusement. "Am I that handsome?"
"Not really…" Chengyu replied flatly. "I just realized I took care of you well."
Arsene's smile twitched downward, a little pout forming on his face.
"That's a bit disappointing."
Then, without warning, Arsene reached out, gently brushing his fingers under Chengyu's eye.
"You have eyebags," he murmured. "Right here."
"Ah, that's normal. In my world, almost everyone has this... Your Highness," Chengyu replied, barely flinching.
"You look more tired."
"Because I am. Always."
Arsene's teasing expression faded into something more serious, his brows knitting together.
"Then it's clear I haven't taken care of you well enough."
"You don't have to." Chengyu's voice was even, like stating a fact. "I never saw a boss taking care of their workers... At least not in my previous sweatshop[1] jobs..."
That only made Arsene's frown deepen.
He could tell when Chengyu was dodging. That dismissive tone, that polite calmness—it was a wall, brick by brick, stacked to keep people out.
Arsene leaned forward slightly. "How long do you sleep usually then?"
Chengyu glanced away. "Around… four to five hours?"
"That's not enough!"
Chengyu blinked at his outburst. "In my world, I only slept two hours."
There was a long pause.
Arsene stared at him, scandalized.
"What kind of inhumane, god-forsaken world did you come from?!"
Chengyu blinked again. "…Earth?"
Arsene looked personally offended.
Time paused when suddenly, Arsene leaned in.
Chengyu tensed immediately, his back pressing slightly into the carriage wall as their faces closed the distance.
His mind raced.
'Too close, way too close—what is he doing?'
He raised his hand, half-prepared to place it between them.
But Arsene didn't stopped as he rested their foreheads together.
The moment they touched, a strange stillness settled in the air.
It wasn't uncomfortable.
In fact… it was soothing.
A cool breeze seemed to sweep through Chengyu's body from the inside out, like a gentle wind clearing out fog.
The stiffness in his neck, the tension in his shoulders, the dull weight behind his eyes—all of it melted away. His breath left him in a quiet sigh, eyes fluttering shut for just a second.
He hadn't realized how tired he was until it disappeared.
When Arsene finally pulled away. There was a soft smile on his lips—not the mischievous grin he usually wore, but something gentler.
"How's your feeling now?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
Chengyu blinked back into focus, then straightened with a sudden spark of life. "It was so great!" His eyes lit up, bright and earnest. "What was that thing you just did?"
Arsene chuckled. "It's magic."
Chengyu gaped. "Seriously?! That's—amazing! I feel like I just got hit with a ten-hour nap and a full-body massage."
"It's a minor healing spell," Arsene replied, clearly amused by the excitement. "Just enough to ease fatigue."
Chengyu's hands clasped together in genuine awe. "That's so convenient…! If you can do that, then I can work more without worrying about burnout—ACK!"
A sudden, not-so-gentle tap to his forehead made him flinch and groan.
"What was that for?!"
Arsene raised a brow, smug. "That's exactly why I hit you. You're banned from working past ten. That's a royal decree."
Chengyu stared at him, utterly scandalized. "You can't—!"
"I can, and I just did," Arsene replied smoothly, arms crossed.
"That's abuse of power!"
"That's called affection," Arsene said with a smirk. "You take care of everyone else. Let someone take care of you now and then."
Chengyu blinked. His lips parted, a retort ready—but the words never came.
'Affection my ass...'
[1] Slang for low payment jobs