(KRIS POV)

Life isn’t always easy. Sometimes you get what you want but at other time you didn’t. But as for me, I never get anything that I wanted. It was hard but I learned not to be so hopeful in something.

Since I was born, I never knew the feeling of love. I was despised even by my own family. It’s all because of one thing; the prophecy. A decade ago, when our country first found peace, there’s a prophecy saying that one day, the son of the devil will be born in the royal family. The cursed prince was said to have a tattoo on his left arm with the symbol of a dragon which will brought bad luck for the country.

You guys might want to know who I am. Well, like you all had guessed, I am the cursed prince. I was imprisoned in my family’s mansion in the heart of the forest. I wasn’t allowed to get out even a single step outside the mansion.

But still, I guessed I am lucky. I was supposed to be killed when I first was born but my mother wouldn’t allow it. Maybe in her heart, there was still some love for me. Even it was just a little, I felt relieved. At least, there was someone who cared for me when I was born.

I was told by the servant that I had a brother. Let me guess! You guys were shocked to hear that there was a servant in this mansion. I bet you guys thought I lived here alone. Well, like I said before, I wasn’t allowed to get out of the mansion so someone should look after me. But it was only a servant not too many servants. They wouldn’t want too many people to know that I still lived and haven’t been killed.

Talking back about my brother, the servant or should I call my butler (well, he didn’t like me calling him my servant), Suho told me that he was two years younger than I am. He was announced as the crown prince and I was jealous of him. He got all the love from our family and the people. Sometimes, I always thought why I was born with this curse? Why I was hated by my own family? I always hoped that one day; I would know the feeling of love. I wanted to know how it felt to love and being loved.

Then, that one fateful day had come. Everything changed. I never thought that all of this would happen, that one day I would meet the one that I always jealous of.

 Suho came to my room and informed me that my family had arrived at the mansion and they wanted to see me. I was shocked at first and at the same time I was scared. Maybe the time had come for them to actually get rid of me. I went downstairs with a heavy heart. I tried my best not to show my true emotion to them. I wanted them to know that even without them, I still could live and I’m not scared of anything. I didn’t need love or anything, all I need was only myself.

When I entered the living room, I was met with two figures. One was the figure of the woman I know, my mother, the queen and the other was the figure of a young man which I assumed as my younger brother.

“What brings you here?” I asked in a cold tone. My eyes were fixed on my mother.

“Shouldn’t you greet your mother nicely?” my mother asked with a warm smile on her face. I never see this side of her before as the only time I met her was when I was six years old.

“So, you still think of me as your son? I thought you have abandoned me,” I said, cynically. I quickly sat on a couch in front of her. I could sense that she was shocked to hear my words. But all that I said was the truth. There’s nothing that could change the fact that I was left alone, living in this lonely mansion.

“I…I never meant to leave you here. It’s all for your safety. If…if you were to stay in the palace, the people might try to kill you. I don’t want that to happen to my children,” my mother said. I could hear that there was sadness in her voice.

Yes! She might not mean it but she could at least try to visit me even once a year. But all she did was met me once in my whole life.

As if she understand what I was thinking, she continued, “I couldn’t meet you before because you father wouldn’t allow it. And if I went out of the palace almost every year to the forest, wouldn’t they get suspicious. I was able to come here today was thanks your brother.”

I frowned. “My brother? You mean him?” I asked while pointing my finger towards the young man who was sitting next to my mother. My mother nodded and took the young man’s hand into hers.

“This is Tao, your little brother. He is two years younger than you!” my mother introduced. I stared at Tao, analyzing him from head to toes. He seems like a good boy but well, who knows what inside. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Living alone for 18 years made me realize that I shouldn’t trust anyone in this world.

“Tao really wanted to meet you. We were able to be here only because your father thought that Tao and I are going to visit your grandparents’ grave. You know that it’s far from the palace so, we were able to stay here with you for a long time,” she continued. Her eyes were shining with happiness as if she was happy to be able to spend time with me. But, nothing matters to me anymore. I didn’t care whether she was here or not. I lived alone before so I’m used to it already.

“Well, you two could stay here but please, mind your own business. Don’t you ever disturb me!” I said as I got up from the couch.

 I know that I’m being rude to my mother but I don’t want to stay with them any longer. It’s hurt a lot when I saw how close my mother and Tao are. I wished I could be like that with my mother but I know it would never happen. My own mother was scared to even touch me. I knew all this because she used to push me aside when I first met her before.

It’s been two days since they came to the mansion. In those two days, I only met them during lunch and dinner. It’s not like that I didn’t want to spend my time with them, in fact, I long to be with them. But, when I thought about the fact that I was left alone, I started hating myself for thinking that way.

Just like any other day, I spent my time in the reading room. It was the only place I could spend my time in. Every now and then, Suho would always bring me new books to read. But, that day, I was disturbed by someone.

“You hate us so much that you didn’t want to spend some time with us?” asked a voice from across the room. He was leaning against the door. His eyes were fixed on me.

At first, I ignored him and kept reading but my concentration was disturbed again when he suddenly took the book I read from my hand. I was about to shout at him but stopped when I saw that he was about to cry. He looked so sad that I couldn’t bring myself to look straight into his eyes.

“What do you want?” I asked coldly. I could hear that he was sobbing while trying to restrain his tears.

“I wanted to stay here!” he said with a sob. I shook my head. I couldn’t allow him to stay here. I knew that I couldn’t.

“You are the prince. What will the people say if they knew that their prince weren’t in the palace? And what will the king do if he knew you were here with me? Don’t you think I would get trouble?” I asked while looking straight into his eyes. I wanted him to know the consequences of his action. Not only him but I would also be in trouble.

“But I’m not happy in there!” he shouted. I smirked while shaking my head.

“Happy? Do you think I’m happy here?” I asked cynically.

He was speechless. Maybe he did understand what I felt. Living alone was not a happy thing especially when you were left since you were born. It was the cruelest thing to do for a child. He should’ve been grateful for what he had. Parents that took care of him and those people who would always look up at him, admired him from afar not someone like me; hated and never been cared by anyone.

“But…” He was about to say something but I stood up and kissed him. I didn’t want him to say anything stupid again. It’s hurt to hear him wanting to throw everything that I wanted so easily. I wanted him to think straight about his action.

“If you really wanted to live here with me, listen to everything I say. Will you do that?” I smirked. His cheeks turned red. His eyes were unfocused. That was the only way that I could do to make sure he stopped thinking of staying here.

“W..What do you want me to do?” he stuttered. I was a bit shocked to hear him asking but then I smiled sweetly and his cheek softly. “Come to my room tonight.” I whispered then left him there alone.