I Became the Cure for the Cursed Prince

Unfortunately, there was no one in Pretus Outpost capable of treating a wounded tiger.

A district for soldiers, with various shops and medical facilities, was located a short distance away, but with the raging snowstorm outside, it was impossible to carry an injured animal there at this hour.

As Lucas busied himself giving orders to the knights, Sion, who had been watching him cradle the small tiger in his arms, suggested that Lucas treat it himself. In the end, Lucas decided to bring the tiger back to his own chambers.

“That must have hurt a lot…”

Lucas gently touched the tiger’s nose.

Fearing it might die from the cold, he had kept it close to his chest during the ride. Fortunately, he could feel the faint rhythm of its breathing.

Carefully, he lifted the small hind leg and examined the wound. After wiping away the flowing blood with a clean cloth, he applied medicinal herbs with antiseptic and soothing properties before wrapping the wound in fresh bandages.

The little ears twitched slightly, as if the touch was rousing it from unconsciousness.

“Tsk.”

Lucas dipped a clean cloth in warm water and placed it against the tiger’s lips. Even with its eyes still closed, the tiny creature instinctively licked at the damp fabric.

The sight was both endearing and heartbreaking, leaving Lucas with an indescribable feeling.

Despite the turmoil of the day’s events, holding the small, warm tiger in his arms had a strangely calming effect on him.

…It’s been so long since I’ve felt this.

He had Lulu, of course, but even Lulu occasionally avoided him.

Even if animals couldn’t sense the curse itself, they seemed to recoil from his ominous presence.

In truth, all animals did.

But Lucas had never blamed them. He knew he wasn’t exactly the kind of person one would want to stay close to.

Dressed entirely in black, carrying a sharp and unapproachable air, surrounded by dark rumors—who could blame them?

That was why this encounter with the baby tiger felt special and precious.

Of course, once its wounds healed, he would have to release it. But until then, he would take care of it with the utmost devotion.

Lucas whispered softly to the sleeping cub,

“The north is a cold and terrifying place. Be careful.”

A moment later, the tiger’s soft breathing grew steadier and more audible.

“Hah… you made it.”

He placed a hand on its chest, feeling the steady, strong beat of its heart. Only then did he finally relax.

Exhausted, Lucas lay down beside the tiger, closing his eyes as he went over the tasks for the next day.

At dawn, he would send a messenger to the Imperial Palace, take the tiger to a physician, and visit the border guards…

Surrounded by warmth, Lucas, for the first time in a long while, fell into a deep sleep—not his usual restless, cursed insomnia, but genuine, restful slumber.

The next morning, Lucas woke up feeling something constricting around his neck.

When he opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of a small child—still covered in soft baby fluff—clinging tightly to his throat.

“…?”

Lucas bolted upright in shock, instinctively pushing away from the child. He practically flew out of bed, backing up against the wall with a face drained of color.

If the child had been exposed to his cursed energy up close, they should have been on the brink of death.

Lucas’s sharp eyes scanned the child from head to toe, searching for any signs of distress.

And then—something utterly unbelievable happened.

Instead of collapsing, the child looked up at him and grinned.

“Woooow…”

Lucas, mouth slightly open, stared in stunned disbelief.

Someone had touched him and lived? That was impossible.

Then, the child clapped excitedly and exclaimed,

“Fairy…? It’s really you! You are a fairy! It wasn’t a dream!”

Sitting up on the bed, the child bounced happily before finally throwing their arms into the air in celebration.

Lucas was utterly speechless.

What in the world was happening?

Still frozen in shock, he forced himself to ask,

“…Who are you? How did you get in here?”

The child tilted their head, clearly not understanding the question.

As Lucas locked eyes with the child’s golden irises, something in his mind clicked.

He quickly scanned the room.

The tiger—the one he had fallen asleep with the night before—was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s the tiger? Did you see a tiger?”

“Tiger?”

“Yes, the tiger!”

The child lifted a tiny finger and pointed at their own face.

“The tiger is right here! Last night, the fairy carried me in their arms and brought me here! Why don’t you recognize me? That’s so mean!”

The child, who had been beaming just moments ago, suddenly pouted. Their lips trembled as if they were about to burst into tears.

…This child is the tiger?

That’s ridiculous.

Lucas refused to believe it.

But as he stared at the child—who looked like they were about to start crying at any moment—he felt a pang of guilt.

It wasn’t as if the child had done anything wrong.

Children have wild dreams all the time.

So Lucas, deciding it was best to pacify them, spoke in his gentlest tone.

“Don’t cry. There was a wounded tiger in this room, but now it’s missing, and I’m only worried about where it went…”

“Hic… hic… waaah! The fairy doesn’t recognize me! Waaah!”

“Ah, no—wait… little one?”

How am I supposed to recognize you when I’ve never even met you before?

And what’s this about me being a fairy?

Lucas almost said it out loud but bit his tongue just in time.

He couldn’t upset the crying child any further, so he quickly improvised.

“…Now that I look closely, you do resemble the tiger from last night.”

The child finally stopped sobbing, wiping their tears with their sleeve. Then, without hesitation, they stretched out their arms as if asking to be held.

Lucas stared.

The child’s glistening, tear-streaked eyes, their soft, round cheeks, the faint pink blush on their skin, the tiny hands reaching out…

If it weren’t for his cursed energy, he might have scooped them up right then and there.

“See? I really am the tiger! So pick me up like you did last night!”

“You’re… a tiger, huh…”

Lucas trailed off, unsure how to even process this situation.

The child’s lips quivered again, as if they were about to cry all over again.

Lucas felt like his mind was being tied into knots.

None of this makes sense.

No matter how weak the curse had become over the years, a child this young should not have survived near me for this long.

In fact, if they had spent the entire night in the same room as him, they should have already collapsed or gone into shock.

Yet, not only had this child survived, they had slept beside him, held onto him, and woken up full of energy.

On top of that—his hands were completely bare.

No gloves. No protective barriers.

He had held the child with his own hands.

“…Hah. This is insane.”

Lucas ran a hand through his already messy hair in frustration.

Meanwhile, the child, having grown impatient, hopped off the bed and began walking toward him.

“…W-wait a moment.”

“Why?”

Lucas backed away until his shoulders were pressed against the wall.

“Does your head hurt? Are you having trouble breathing? Do you feel a burning pain where we made contact? If so, you need to leave this room immediately.”

Hearing Lucas’s words, the child paused mid-step, looking thoughtful. With a small finger pressed against their lips, they stood still for a moment before sniffing the air.

“Hmm… It just smells like vanilla ice cream, and I’m hungry. And also…”

Saying that, the child placed a hand over their chest.

“My heart isn’t hurting—it’s just going thump-thump! And also…”

This time, they pressed a palm to their forehead.

“My head doesn’t hurt either. I feel good. Haah…”

They kept sniffing the air as if drawn to the scent and took another step forward.

Lucas, still confused, quickly reassured himself that the child appeared to be in good health. Keeping calm, he reached for his gloves and put them on before leaning against the corner of the wall.

“Little tiger, I didn’t bathe yesterday, so maybe you shouldn’t get too close. Why don’t you sit over there instead?”

The child immediately halted and plopped down onto the rug.

For someone their age, they certainly listened well.

Lucas exhaled and continued, “Now, can you explain to me, step by step, how you got here?”

He braced himself, half-expecting the child to burst into tears or throw a tantrum again. But as he watched them, an odd sense of familiarity crept over him.

Where have I seen a child like this before?

Golden hair, golden eyes, a child who appeared around ten years old.

[The first prince and sole legitimate heir, Leon Theian, inherited his father’s golden hair and his mother’s golden eyes.]

No way…

It couldn’t be. It shouldn’t be.

The world was vast—surely, other children could have similar features.

But even a stranger could tell at a glance that this child was nobility through and through.

And then, there was the dark chocolate scent wafting unmistakably toward him, a scent so strong that even Lucas—an inferior omega—couldn’t ignore it.

There was no room for doubt.

Lucas abruptly stood up and, with urgency, lowered his head in a formal bow.

“Could it be… Are you His Highness Leon Theian?”

The child’s face brightened with a wide smile, and they nodded enthusiastically.

“I knew it! Of course the fairy would know my name!”

Then, placing a hand over their chest, they let out a deep, relieved sigh.

“Whew, I was so upset thinking I was the only one who remembered meeting you in my dream!”

No, this wasn’t a dream.

But that wasn’t the issue right now.

Lucas had hoped—prayed, even—that this child wasn’t the first prince of Theian Empire.

But his hopes had been completely shattered.

Leon, now staring at Lucas expectantly, asked,

“Now that you know who I am, will you hold me?”

“…What?”

“Like last night. Hold me like you did before. I’m still a tiger with a sore leg, aren’t I?”