The Sweet Alpha Crown Prince Loves Me So Much

〈He’s quite a lucky charm. You wouldn’t believe how pleased His Majesty is. You’ll be seeing him often from now on, so treat him with respect. He might seem confident, but deep down, he has a bit of an inferiority complex. He tends to underestimate his own abilities.〉

James tilted his head at Count Bourbon’s words.

Inferiority complex? The prince was renowned for his beauty and near-Dominant Omega status, doted on by all of Lindbergh. What was the Count talking about?

James, momentarily harboring the disloyal thought that perhaps the Count, sprightly and sharp despite his age, was losing his touch, quickly understood upon meeting Carl Lindbergh a couple of days later.

“Ah, Hoegaarden. I mean, Young Count Hoegaarden. Thank you for all your hard work.”

At Lindbergh Castle, where James arrived carrying a chest filled with magic stones collected from the monsters, he found himself sweating under Adrian’s piercing gaze.

Carl Lindbergh, who had been anxiously pacing around the audience chamber, rushed towards James the moment he arrived, clasping his hand and bowing his head.

“I should have been there myself. I’m ashamed that I entrusted you with such a task and didn’t even check in once.”

James, forcing a smile along with Carl Lindbergh’s cheerful one, started sweating again and let out an awkward cough. 

Belfry, massaging his forehead with a groan, watched as Adrian’s eyes blazed with possessiveness, fixated on their clasped hands.

“To sweat like this in the middle of winter… It must be tough guarding the Mibari Forest. I apologize for burdening you all with this task when I myself am practically clueless about monsters and demon beasts.”

Carl Lindbergh, with a slight frown, then proceeded to personally wipe the sweat off James’ forehead with a handkerchief.

The knights standing behind them froze, exchanging uneasy glances towards their fuming Crown Prince. Only the crown-princess-to-be, who should’ve been the most conscious of the atmosphere, seemed completely oblivious.

There was a personal reason for Carl Lindbergh’s behavior. He was overwhelmed with guilt, remembering the soldiers struggling in the dead of winter on the outskirts of Lindbergh while he was here in the warm castle, dressed in fine clothes, and engaging in romantic affairs. 

“Oh, um, well…”

James, frozen like a statue as it felt wrong to pull his hand away from the crown-princess-to-be first, could only manage a strained smile.

He looked around, but there was no one to come to his rescue.

Leia Lindbergh and Belfry Hendrick, having experienced this countless times, expertly ignored the situation, while Adrian gritted his teeth, suppressing his surging jealousy and maintaining the façade of a loving fiancé.

Adrian Heineken wanted to appear as an understanding fiancé, capable of accommodating even Carl Lindbergh’s overly friendly nature.

However, his pheromones betrayed him. Some of the knights, all of whom were Alphas, pretended to warm their noses, fearing their nasal passages might be scorched by the potent pheromones otherwise.

Eventually, James hurriedly pulled his hand back, stammering, “It’s my duty as a knight of Heineken.” Carl Lindbergh shook his head.

“The demons are incredibly strong. On top of that, you have to keep an eye on Parman’s movements. It must be a huge burden. Please, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Carl Lindbergh began ticking off items on his fingers, explaining the extent of the support he would provide.

“Twelve knights and one hundred soldiers. We used a magic circle to get here, but they had to cross the border on foot, so they’ll arrive the day after tomorrow. Also, I hope your accommodations aren’t too uncomfortable. The budget allocated for improving the villages near the Mibari Forest is larger than any other. It’s the most vulnerable area if anything happens. I noticed on my way here that the atmosphere and the look on people’s faces have significantly improved. This is all thanks to you knights. I can’t thank you and your families enough for sending your sons and daughters to such a dangerous place.”

He was so worked up, he didn’t even realize how passionately he sounded. Anyone listening would have thought he was pouring his heart out in a love confession.

Of course, Carl Lindbergh was simply overcome with emotion, thinking about the soldiers separated from their families in this harsh winter. He remembered how he’d clung to his little sister, Jae-young, and cried when he unexpectedly received his draft notice because of his uncle’s unilateral adoption, even though he’d been expecting an exemption due to being an orphan.

Most of the knights and soldiers were young men in their early twenties.

His heart went out to them, imagining them enduring the harsh winter on the desolate border of Lindbergh, facing danger and bloodshed.

Naturally, the knights, oblivious to his inner turmoil, were just bewildered.

A few of the knights, their hearts melting under his gaze, which sparkled like the Eugenie Strait, already seemed touched.

“I will personally express my gratitude to your families. Once the situation stabilizes, we will arrange for rotations so that everyone can take leave and reunite with their families. Consider it a token of our appreciation for your hard work.”

The young knights cheered at his words, fists pumping in the air.

Although they were accustomed to sleeping on the cold ground with only straw mats for comfort, most of them longed for their warm beds back home.

Perhaps it was due to the crown-princess-to-be’s captivating beauty, but even his casual gestures and simple attire seemed to make the knights flustered.

Leia Lindbergh was listening to reports from the acting lords, while Belfry diligently took notes beside her, stealing glances at Carl Lindbergh from time to time.

James clicked his tongue under his breath, noticing the way Adrian Heineken’s eyes, though still smiling, had turned icy cold. 

James thought.

“Are the soldiers being supplied with meals on time? Even a seemingly insignificant nutritional imbalance can lead to unexpected injuries.”

James, who’d been caught off guard by the prince’s motherly concern, blurted out his grievances without thinking.

“When we first arrived, we couldn’t secure food locally and had to rely on rations from Heineken. Fortunately, the quality of our food has been gradually improving, but now that it’s winter…”

Moreover, their location was far from the city, where all the food and supplies were concentrated, making resources even scarcer.

The prince nodded in understanding.

“I thought that might be the case, so I sent along a supply of dried vegetables with the reinforcements.”

“Dried vegetables, Your Highness?”

Carl nodded at James’ question.

“Yes. I also sent some fresh vegetables that don’t wilt easily, but I figured those would be gone in a day or two at most. It’s physically demanding work, and a lack of minerals could be detrimental.”

“Minerals, Your Highness?”

Carl Lindbergh smiled kindly at James, who was starting to sound like a broken record.

Ironically, despite the novel’s setting being based on Korean culture, where the climate and ecosystem were similar to Lindbergh and Heineken, the culinary culture leaned heavily towards Western cuisine. It was a contradiction, a plot hole in simpler terms.

He’d often seen edible plants growing wild in the castle gardens and forests, treated like weeds.

Carl Lindbergh had an epiphany when he saw carefully dried ‘herbs’ stored in a cool, dry place, waiting to be used.

When he suggested distributing them to the soldiers, people were aghast. However, faced with Carl Lindbergh’s determination, who meticulously sorted through the dried herbs until his fingernails were stained black, they eventually relented. Of course, this was also largely due to the unwavering support of Adrian Heineken, who probably would have devoured even dog food if Carl Lindbergh offered it to him.

When Carl Lindbergh demonstrated by borrowing the kitchen and cooking with the herbs, even Emperor Glenn had wondered if the prince’s madness had resurfaced.

Of course, all doubts vanished after tasting the food.

Carl thought that if he’d known about this back in his original world, he could have tackled the food shortage more effectively.

As James gaped at him, the prince quickly added an explanation.

“Ah, by minerals, I mean various nutrients that, while not immediately essential, can impact the body if they are deficient. Consuming only bread and meat might seem fine in the short term, but it will definitely cause problems in the long run. Not all vegetables are like this, but some, when dried, retain their nutrients even after losing moisture. They might not look appetizing, but with a bit of salt, they’re quite palatable.”

He even provided instructions on how to cook them, either by stir-frying without oil or boiling.

James found himself glancing at Crown Prince Adrian.

Adrian, who seemed to have understood the unspoken question, simply shrugged.

His smile, brimming with pride, spoke volumes, and James let out a small sigh.

“Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.”

“It’s nothing, really.”

“I’m truly amazed. You’re very knowledgeable.”

Finally at ease, James let out a hearty laugh, while Leia and Belfry, standing a short distance away, nodded in agreement.

Only Adrian, who couldn’t get enough of Carl Lindbergh, pulled the prince closer, beaming.

“That’s Carl for you. He has many interests and talents.”

Carl Lindbergh, suddenly embarrassed, scratched his head.

“Ah, I just tend to pick up new hobbies and end up learning a lot.”

“Having diverse interests is a good thing. Please continue to lend your expertise to both Lindbergh and our Heineken.”

“Of course, that’s the least I can do.”

As he laughed awkwardly, masking his inner relief, Carl was reminded once more of the tightrope he was walking.

He needed to find the balance, to figure out how much of his true self he could reveal while pretending to be Carl Lindbergh.

Carl Lindbergh looked up at Adrian. 

If it weren’t for Adrian, who’d trusted him wholeheartedly from the start—well, maybe not entirely from the start, but he’d certainly grown to trust Carl more as they got closer—Carl was certain he wouldn’t have been able to take a single step forward after being thrown into this novel.