Marry Me, Your Highness

Prince Leonard got into his horse-drawn carriage. The troops led by him were finally back on their way to join the army that was heading to the capital. Huvel also got a carriage for him since he was the prince's guest. The chamberlain was very reluctant to arrange a carriage for Huvel but he managed to suppress his feelings and fulfilled his duty in the end.

But the servants did not have high mentality like him. They bad-mouthed the prince and Huvel as soon as they left. They spread the rumours of the prince in the city. The townsfolks that praised the prince when he first arrived ridiculed him after they heard the rumours.

"I thought His Highness, the first prince, is a smart person. Why did he favour that good-for-nothing?" said a merchant.

"Tsk! Tsk! I respected His Highness as a war hero but he was tainted by that rotten boy. What a shame!" A young man in a pub said before gulping down a mug of beer.

"What?! Is the prince also doing indecent things with that bastard?!!"

"Lord Duke had already exiled that boy and yet the prince invited him to the capital? He is looking down on our lord!"

The city was noisy with gossips for several days. But Prince Leonard was already far away from the city so the gossips could not bother him. What bothered him was the person who was sitting across him in the carriage without being invited.

"Lord Huvel, why are you here?" he asked flatly.

"Your Highness, I am a commoner now so just call me Huvel," replied that person.

"You will become a viscount once we arrive the royal court so I will just stick with calling you Lord Huvel." The prince expressed his intention to distance himself from Huvel.

"If you wish so, Sir." Huvel was still all smile. "But why are you only making me a viscount? At least, please make me an earl so that I can support you better."

"That… The highest title I can bestow is viscount."

"Huh? How powerless you are, Sir!"

"What did you say?! How dare you Huvel!"

"Oh! Now you are calling me just my name though you just said you won't. Hehe!"

"…That is…."

"By the way, Sir, I lost my surname so what should I do?"

"Just adopt a random name!"

"You are so cold to me, Sir. I know it! Marry me! I can adopt your name then."

The prince stared at Huvel. He had a loss for words at how shameless Huvel was.

"Do you flirt with all men like this? I know, your name should be Huvel, the Shameless!"

"What do mean 'flirt with all men'? I have high standards, Sir!"

"And I fit in your 'standards'? Should I be honoured?" The prince said mockingly.

At first, the prince was uncomfortable with Huvel's flirty attitude. But the longer they talked, he felt very free talking to him. Although Huvel used playful and blunt words, there was no contempt behind his words. As a prince, he had no one he could talk to freely and no one dared to talk to him the way Huvel do either.

"I believe your loss of memory is just a bluff to flirt with men freely." The prince said offhandedly.

"Wow! Your Highness already realized that? It's true. I've never lost my memories of my childhood." Huvel replied in an exaggerated manner.

"I am ri… What?! Really?" The prince had his doubts, but hearing Huvel admitting was still a surprise for him. "Why did you do that? No, don't tell me it is as I said."

"Yes, it is as you said. And also, if I don't pretend to be a retard, how can I safely leave that courtyard?!" Huvel felt he need to come clean about his action so the prince could actually believe in and rely on him.

"You…" The prince remembered Huvel's standing in his family. He felt empathy. "It must have been hard for you. But I think you did not have to go as far as to courting men."

"Hmm, courting men is not to lower myself. It is just my sexual preference. So, I was just seeking pleasure when I flirt with men."

"Sexu… sexual preference? What is that?"

"Sir, you don't know about that? Although your army have many people like me who prefer men over women?"

"Huh?! My army had people like you?"

"Tsk! Tsk! It seems I know about your army better than you."

"What nonsense! I have never heard of a man sleeping with another man. You are the only one that do such things. You must be lying about the army!"

"Ah! My apologies, Your Highness! I'm just joking when I said I know about the army better than you." Huvel became silent for a while. "I know that your education is extraordinary since Your Highness is a prince. But… it doesn't mean that you know everything about this world or everything you know is true."

Both of them fell silent, until someone from outside interrupted their trains of thoughts.

An attendant on a horse came close to the carriage and said, "Your Highness, there is a stream nearby and this is a good place to camp. Shall we rest here for today?"

"I see. We will rest here then." The prince replied without thinking.

"Yes, Sir!"

The attendant passed the order to rest. Huvel opened the door and went out of the carriage as soon as it stopped.

"Goodbye, Sir! I'll get back to my carriage now. Thank you for accompanying me even though you did not want to. Hehe." Huvel changed back to his usual playful self.

Prince Leonard did not reply him. He was still lost in his own thoughts. "What do you mean Huvel? Are you saying that my wisdom is lacking? I always think of you as a young, inexperienced, spoiled brat who does not think about the consequences of your actions. But you talked as if you were more experienced than me. Just what did you go through to have such insight?!"