Born As A Prince

The moment the dark vision brightened, what reached my ears was a joyful female voice. And as I fell asleep again and my vision darkened, I couldn’t help but open my eyes again at the female voice that sounded once more.

Blink, blink. My vision seemed quite blurry. What was this situation where I could only see outlines in front of me? I wondered. Where on earth was this place, and what was I doing? How long had I been asleep?

‘I definitely… think I died?!’

I couldn’t help but be startled by the sudden realization. I had definitely died. That last moment’s memory was absolutely not a lie. Then what was this current situation? Could it be that instead of dying, I had been captured by someone, my vision taken away, and I was trapped? Was this place some kind of prison then?

“Wah-ah!”

‘Huh? What is this…?’

A sound came out of me without my knowing, and along with a muffled sound as if water had entered my ears, I heard a cry. Was that the cry of a baby? Was there even a newborn baby here? But a baby inside a prison?

Just as I was thinking of such an absurd possibility, I could once again hear a small female voice near my ears. Along with the fact that it seemed to be the voice I had heard the moment I briefly fell asleep, a rather beautiful female voice and a feeling as if something had been lifted suddenly spread throughout my body.

‘She, she picked me up?!’

The moment I was startled by the fact that someone had held me in their arms after so long, a fragrant scent seemed to immediately fill the air. At the same time, I could feel my body slowly moving. In the gentle rocking motion, I strongly felt as if I was being treated with great care.

‘They’re treating me with care?’

It felt like it was the first time in my life I had received such treatment. No, it had happened quite a long time ago, but it was a touch that couldn’t happen now. I didn’t know who it was, but I thought, what was a woman doing holding a grown man? With the thought of saying something, anything, I opened my mouth, but it didn’t work as I intended.

‘Ugh, why can’t I speak? Did someone seal my mouth shut or something?’

I couldn’t help but think, how could they treat me like this? I had made a big mistake, that was true, but I couldn’t be subjected to such humiliating treatment. At the same time, I thought I should use my power to get away from the woman holding me right now.

Tingle-

‘Ah, no! What is this!?’

“Waaaaah!”

I couldn’t help but be startled by one fact. I was so out of it that I hadn’t even properly recognized that the crying coming from my mouth was actually coming from my own mouth. What was important now was not anything else, but the fact that my superpower was not manifesting.

‘Did, did my superpower disappear? No, that can’t be. I definitely still feel it?’

This power that had been with me for so long was a power that could never disappear. The important thing was that the power I had developed so much was not manifesting at all. I could only feel its presence, and this fact was quite shocking.

‘Why isn’t my superpower working? Could it be… that those researchers opened my head and did something? Is that why my eyes are like this and I can’t hear properly? Damn it! Sealing my powers, those crazy bastards!’

I wanted to tear them to pieces right away, but I couldn’t help but feel helpless about my own powerlessness. How was I going to live from now on? The realization that I might have to live my whole life as a test subject while being trapped here filled me with despair.

At that moment, I felt a gentle patting on my back. The feeling that it was meant to comfort me made me shout even louder, thinking, was this just adding fuel to the fire? But the sound I had been hearing since earlier was a baby’s cry. I kept feeling something was strange.

It felt like it was coming from my own mouth. No. It really seemed like it was coming from my own mouth. Without realizing it, I choked, unable to breathe. Along with that, I felt a sense of urgency in the touch. Surprised by this fact, I couldn’t help but be bewildered by the confusing reality.

The moment I could finally breathe again, along with the worried, tearful voice and the desperate touch, I could tell who this woman was. It was unbelievable, but it seemed I had somehow been reincarnated. I had been reborn as a baby.

‘Was I really dead?’

The hope that I might not have died disappeared. The fact that my life had ended like that felt so empty and shocking. At the same time, I should have felt both bewilderment and excitement from the fact that I had been reborn.

‘….I died, but I’m alive, right? And I was reborn as a baby. So isn’t that a good thing?’

It seemed like I was thinking quite positively, but in a way, I had also quickly accepted reality. Having lived such an extraordinary life, I had a strong mental fortitude. Moreover, my power hadn’t completely disappeared. The feeling itself was still there.

‘Does that mean my power was just reset?’

Perhaps being reborn was a great blessing. I didn’t know the reason why, but the fact that I retained my memories was fortunate, and at the same time, if I developed my power from now on, I might have a much more advanced power in the future than the one I had achieved in my previous life.

I vaguely remembered the theories put forth by scientists who studied superpowers in the past, suggesting that the ability itself might be closely related to the soul. They were just theories, but seeing this, I could tell there was definitely some connection.

‘First of all, where is this place? Aish! My vision is so blurry, I can’t tell anything. They say a newborn baby’s eyes aren’t well-developed at birth, and it seems that’s true.’

The fact that my ears also felt blocked made me think it would be difficult to get any information right away. Meanwhile, the small whispers I could hear didn’t sound like any familiar language, which made me think that perhaps the place I was reborn in wasn’t Korea but another country.

Seeing that it wasn’t a familiar language made me wonder if it was one of the third-world countries. In the midst of that, I suddenly felt something being pushed into my mouth. It felt soft, and I tasted something slightly fishy and pulled at my lips.

‘Huh!? Could this be a nipple!?’

Being a baby now, I tried to push away the breast being offered to me. However, my head wouldn’t turn at all, so I couldn’t easily get it out. On top of that, I was unknowingly sucking on it. It didn’t feel lewd at all; I only felt thirst and hunger, which gave me a strange feeling.

‘Have I really become a baby?’

Perhaps I should just accept this situation and live accordingly. Of course, as someone with the mind of a grown man (?), this moment was truly perplexing.

“It seems he was definitely hungry.”

“Oh, thank goodness…”

“Why are you crying?”

“It’s just, I’m so happy. It feels so strange and wonderful that my child is born, tears just keep falling.”

Sitting on a lavishly decorated large bed, a beautiful woman with flowing green hair was nursing a baby with red hair. She looked at the son in her arms, drinking her milk, with loving eyes.

“Perhaps it’s because he resembles the concubine’s face, but the prince is truly handsome.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course. He’s still a baby, but when he grows up, he will surely become a wonderful person.”

“I hope so too.”

Saying so, she couldn’t help but look worriedly at her child, who had been crying fitfully just moments ago. Perhaps because it hadn’t been long since he was born, his face was swollen, but according to the expert, the swelling would subside with time. Even to her own eyes, he looked swollen, but his features seemed distinctly alive.

“Still, I think His Majesty is being too much. The prince is born, and yet he doesn’t even come to visit.”

“Shh, Leni. Watch your mouth. I told you, you mustn’t speak carelessly in this royal palace.”

“Ah, I know. But it’s too much. No matter that she’s the eighth concubine, it’s the day his son was born, and he doesn’t even come to visit.”

“….He’s busy with state affairs, what can we do? We must understand.”

“It’s not that, anyone would…”

“Leni.”

At the quietly spoken name, the maid named Leni had no choice but to shut her mouth tightly. The person in front of her was Emily, the King’s eighth concubine. As the daughter of Count Tarsos, she was once known in society for her beauty, and the thought of her being treated so poorly was infuriating.

In fact, she had brought Leni who was originally a maid of the Tarsos family. She was a special case, becoming a palace maid from the status of a servant. Considering that usually daughters from carefully chosen noble families became maids, it was a lucky thing, but naturally, due to her origin, her treatment was the lowest.

Until just ten months ago, the King truly cherished Emily. In a way, he was captivated by her beauty, but the important thing was that the King was a very famous philanderer, and while Emily’s belly began to grow, he was already searching for a new woman and had made a new woman his concubine, on whom he was now infatuated.

In other words, as the eighth concubine, she would have to spend her entire life in this place, one of the detached palaces for concubines within the imperial palace, waiting for the moment the King would visit. Thinking about that fact, she was in a truly pitiful position.

For reference, the child born today was the King’s ninth prince. He had as many as eight older brothers who were also princes. In a way, his place in the line of succession to the throne was far behind, meaning his future was not necessarily bright.

“…I’m sorry.”

“It’s enough that you know. But I’m worried that your mouth will hurt you. Please, from now on, don’t speak so easily. I don’t want to lose you in this royal palace.”

“Yes, I will be very careful from now on.”

At Leni’s words, spoken with her head bowed low, Emily lowered her gaze to her son, who, having had his fill, was no longer nursing. Inwardly, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment towards the King, who hadn’t come to see them.

‘Still, it’s the day his own child was born, couldn’t he at least come to name him? He’s being too cruel.’

Thinking about the gaze that no longer held its former warmth, she decided to think only of her son. Now that she had entered the royal palace, her only support was her son, the prince. Before she knew it, tears welled up in her eyes.

Gulp, at the burp she heard, her tearful eyes widened slightly, and then, hohoho, she couldn’t help but laugh. Yes, perhaps there would be many days to laugh because of her son. Just as she thought this, the outside suddenly became noisy.

“Oh? What’s going on?”

“Who knows?”

The two looked at each other, seemingly puzzled. In fact, no one ever came to this detached palace. But at the words they soon heard, they couldn’t help but be startled. Someone they hadn’t expected had come. No, perhaps it was the one they had been waiting for.

“His Majesty the King has arrived!”

With these words, the door opened, and a man in his early thirties with red hair entered. He was Hugo di Polia, the King of the Polia Kingdom.

He had thick eyebrows and a sharp jawline, and was quite a handsome man in a masculine way. At this appearance, Emily hurriedly straightened her top and had to get off the bed while holding her child. Leni quickly assisted her from the side.

Having gotten off the bed and stood up, Emily bowed to the King.

“I greet Your Majesty, the ruler of the great ocean.”

As Emily spoke on behalf of them, the King’s gaze was already directed at the baby, who seemed to have fallen asleep in her arms. At this gaze, she quickly showed her son more clearly and said,

“This is Your Majesty’s son.”

“Hmm, he’s quite handsome. He’ll be worth looking at when he grows up.”

“Your Majesty, would you grant me the honor of naming the prince?”

“A name, you say. Let’s see, the names that come to mind right now are Dian, Jian, Ian… that’s about it. Why don’t you decide?”

It felt like he had just made them up. At these names, she paused for a moment, but since they had already come from the King’s mouth, she had to choose one of them. To have the child’s mother decide his name, it felt truly unfair. Still, since it was a name he would carry for the rest of his life, she had to choose properly.

‘Should I go with Dian? Or Ian?’

Among the four names, these two were the most pleasing to her. Just as she was hesitating, at the King’s gaze urging her to decide quickly, she had no choice but to say one name.

“‘Ian’ would be good.”

“Yes, ‘Ian’, that’s a nice name. I thought that one was good too.”

“Thank you for naming him.”

“Ahem, more importantly. I came here today because I wanted to see you.”

As he spoke, he was sending her a subtle gaze. It was a look of pure lust as he looked down at her. Come to think of it, she could faintly smell alcohol on him. So that was it. The King, rather than coming because his son was born, had come here because he had briefly thought of her and wanted to embrace her.

To come to hold a woman who had given birth just a few hours ago was truly not a normal way of thinking. But that was originally the King’s way of thinking. He was the kind of person who wouldn’t feel satisfied unless everything went the way he thought it should.

At this moment, the maid Leni seemed about to say something, but Emily, noticing the sign, subtly raised her hand to stop her. If Leni were to say something against it, the King’s mood would be spoiled, and Leni could face beheading.

‘Really, what kind of person are you…’

She couldn’t help but sigh at his appearance, wanting only to possess her body rather than even thinking of holding his son. But soon, she had no choice but to comply. She knew it was the path she had chosen and the path she had to walk.

Before she knew it, she entrusted her son to Leni and had no choice but to leave the room following the King’s lead.