How to Live as the Enemy Prince - Chapter 2.1 - This Life Is Truly a Joke

Chapter 2.1: This Life Is Truly a Joke

The maids’ hands busied themselves as they drew the heavy curtains open, allowing the Ashuri dawn to stream into the bedroom. The prince’s servant, a young-faced boy, entered the room and stood by the sleeping prince’s bedside.

One must ne’er use their hands to awaken the royal family nor cause a loud ruckus.

The attendant said cautiously, “It’s time to wake up, Your Highness.”

The prince usually sat up at the sound of the door opening, but today was out of the usual. He had slept in longer than intended.

“Did you tire yourself out?”

At that thought, the servant was handed a small bell from the maid who stood behind him. A subtle chime rang out, announcing the early morning light.

Ding… ding…

The boy’s eyes opened.

He blinked for a moment as he gathered his senses and sat up in a whirl.

Startled by his sudden movement, the servant bowed slightly. “Have you had a good dream, Your Highness? It’s time to rise.”

He held out a morning tea to the boy, a regular routine for the boy before washing himself clean.

“Since when do I drink tea?”

The boy… no… Bern thought and absentmindedly reached for the cup. He noticed his hands looking awkwardly strange.

The wounds and calloused skin were replaced by pale hands and slender fingers. A sense of alienation washed over him and Bern turned his head to look at his skinny left arm.

There was not a single blemish.

But this was not the issue… the issue was his left arm.

“My arm was cut off…” he muttered softly before quickly shutting his lips right. His voice was too young to be his own.

“Your Highness, did you have a bad dream?”

“A nightmare…”

Yes… the fall of Secretia was more than a nightmare!

He did respond to the servant’s words. He’ll figure out why his severed arm was reattached later. He needed to confirm immediately the condition of his brother, King Chase.

“Where’s my brother?”

“Both of them are still in their rooms,” at Bern’s sense of urgency, the servant’s replied with a puzzled expression.

“Both?”

This time, Bern mirrored the servant’s bewilderment. He only had one brother.

“I’m sure Prince Randall is all dressed up. Prince Franz too.”

Randall and Franz…

Strange but familiar names.

One of them, in particular, he cursed to the depths of hell.

“Kailis.”

It was Franz, the King of Kailis.

Bern’s eyes narrowed at the name of the man not worthy of his kill.

“Come, Your Highness. You must get ready first,” noticing Bern’s lack of reply, the servant spoke up again.

He thought the prince had awoken on the wrong side of the bed. The servant called to the maid holding a bucket of water behind him.

Bern, watching their actions, murmured lowly, “Yan.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the servant turned his head answered.

A regenerated app… and Kailis… Bern said no more and drowned in thoughts with his mouth shut.

He’d never seen the bell before nor the attendant serving him, yet he knew his name.

Why?

No… even he knew the names of the maids tending to him as well.

Ignorant of Bern’s growing confusion, the attendant poured water in the basin with a flowing motion.

“It was a bad dream.”

Bern recalled the servant’s words as he cupped his hands into the water. The only explanation he could think of was that he had been dreaming a bad dream.

He bent his face over the sparkling solver basin.

No matter how terrible reality was, he was not someone who’d run off into some wild fantasy.

Upon seeing his reflection in the water, Bern stopped. Red eyes that were not his were reflected in the water.

“Mirror,” Bern requested softly.

“What do you need a mirror for, Your Highness?”

Bern did not answer.

“I’m sorry. I’ll fetch it right away,” Yan, who realized his mistake due to the prince’s unusual behavior, quickly apologized.

He turned around and beckoned towards a maid to bring him a mirror.

There was no mirror in the prince’s room. Because of this, one of the maids hurried out and brought back a mirror.

Yan hurriedly accepted it and held it to Bern’s face.

Without a word of thanks, Bern looked at his appearance.

“…”

In the mirror was a little boy with black hair. His two eyes of ruby peered through his long fringe.

Bern raised his head.

There was a phrase inscribed on the edge of the bell. It belonged to Kailis Kingdom. It was only after seeing that the servant called him prince, not the emperor did his lips burn.

“Prince Calian.”

Yan watched Bern wordlessly staring at the mirror.

“No. I’m Prince Bern:”

He repeated his name not wanting to lose himself. But as if it wanted to defy him, memories assaulted his head like a never-ending whisper.

“No. My name is…”

And a long name that he hadn’t memorized before suddenly slipped out of his mouth without realization.

“Calian Rain Kailis.”

Calian, the Third Prince of Kailis.

That was his name. Not Bern.

Bern furrowed his brows and looked at Yan. “What did you say my name was?”

Thinking that the prince was in a joking and hearty mood, Yan replied with a slight smile, “You are Prince Calian and I am your servant, Yan, who’s supposed to take the prince to breakfast right now.”

Suddenly, unfamiliar memories burst inside his mind.

“The Kailian royal court, the etiquette, the weather, the schedule, the horseman, the flower garden, the wizard, the king and queen, and his two older brothers…”

Yan was right.

He could not be late for breakfast.

His memories clamored loudly in his head. He needed to get up now. He could not be late by any means.

Now named Calian, he asked quietly, “What’s today’s date?”

“April 28th. The weather is fair today, Your Highness.”

After hearing this, Calian looked around and took his surroundings. They weren’t at war with Secretia right now.

Calian asked again, “What year it?”

“Year 522.”

Calian’s eyes trembled.

The Year 522 of the Kailis calendar was year 525 of the Secretia calendar.

“Ten years back into the past…”

Ten years back… and now the Third Prince of Kailis…

Memories of the other two princes came to mind as if urging him to ready up and leave for breakfast.