Forced to become a delicate companion of a paranoid lord

Everyone in the entire Hayseton Empire knows that the Palace of Herris is the most luxurious and beautiful palace in the Gerdona Castle.

This palace for the eldest prince, built from sunstone, is dazzling during the day as if it were studded with jewels, and at night it is as hazy and bright as if it were bathed in moonlight.

Egbert was born and raised in this palace, and he believed that no one knew the palace better than him, except for Sophia, the head lady-in-waiting.

After all, his mother once said that before he could walk, he had already explored every corner of the palace with his hands and feet. For this reason, his father even had every jade stone floor tile in the palace covered with a soft carpet.

However, when he returned to the palace of Herris a few months later, everything he saw had become completely unfamiliar.

Stepping onto the dirty, sticky carpet, Egbert gazed at his mother across the encirclement of monsters and ghouls. He, like the monsters and ghouls, now reeked of decay and filth. Neither the monsters nor the ghouls had attacked him along the way, as if... he were one of them.

The barrier covering the Palace of Horis has trapped monsters that release poisonous gas, ghouls that feed on human flesh, and gray, filamentous alien monsters with black spots inside the palace. Also trapped inside are the survivors.

He searched the entire palace, encountering many maids and servants who had been transformed into ghouls after losing their lives. Those familiar faces caused the pain that Egbert had been enduring to surge back. His skin, corroded by the curse, felt as if flames were burning the last bits of rotting flesh and bone he had left. Sharp, fine pain coursed through his body, extending into the depths of his heart, burning away all his beautiful memories like a wildfire...

Trembling uncontrollably and on the verge of collapse, Egbert gripped his staff, ready to unleash the most powerful magic he could muster to attack the monster.

But then he suddenly heard his mother calling him.

"Aeger—"

That was a roar of shock, anger, and extreme pain that he had never heard before.

Looking in the direction of the sound, the monsters and ghouls blocked his view, so he turned around and climbed onto the corner cabinet. Once on the top, his view became clearer, and Egbert could see the protective magic circle in the center, surrounded by monsters. His mother and several people he knew were standing inside the magic circle.

Everyone saw him.

Given the distance, Egbert believed they couldn't see his current horrific appearance very clearly, and deep down he felt that no one except his mother would despise him.

But he couldn't help but pull his hood up, covering most of his face.

After discovering that his mother and the others inside the magic circle seemed unable to move, Egbert clumsily climbed down the corner cabinet. Then, taking advantage of his small size, he made his way through the layers of monsters and ghouls, striving to reach his mother.

He didn't notice that the peace talisman he wore around his neck was emitting a soft golden light. This light covered his entire body, preventing the poisonous miasma floating in the air from getting close to him, much less from invading his body.

……

“Aigler, I cannot and will not leave Gerdona Castle. I promised your father that I would wait for him to return in the capital. We also made a promise to protect the people and things that the other cherishes. He has never broken his promise to me, and I must fulfill my promise and obligation.”

Held gently in his mother's arms, Egbert's tense nerves finally relaxed a little. A wave of exhaustion washed over him, blurring his consciousness. The young prince, who had suffered so much in just a few months, failed to notice the changes in his mother's body.

The large mage's robe concealed Princess Florence's figure. In the dim light, no one noticed that her face was already frighteningly pale, while her amber eyes, which shimmered with golden light, revealed a chilling coldness and determination that sent shivers down one's spine.