CHAPTER 3 The Cursed Prince

FELIX

I am the Prince of Fresonia.

My country may be small, but it is wealthy, safe, and thriving. I had my loving parents who trained me into an ideal successor of the throne.

Everyone in my country loved and esteemed the royal family, including me, the next King.

However, I am a cursed prince.

If I could not find my Destined Bride before I turned 30, I would die a slow, painful death. I hadn't found any clue about my destined bride until I saw Mila last night.

I know the word “curse” is seldom heard in modern society, even in Fresonia. Because none of its citizens know the truth about us: that the entire Fresonian royal family, including myself, are descendants of dragon knights.

Dragon knights are powerful and wise, but most importantly, we can control dragons. Dragons are not only fierce fighters, but also guardians of the all the natural resources available. Controlling the dragons means endless sources of energy. This is our secret of being one of the smallest but most developed country in the world.

As the Prince of Fresonia, I should've had nothing to worry about. But I was born with a strange stone necklace around my neck.

At first, my parents didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse, so they asked the Great Witch to see it.

For centuries, witches and wizards have served the royal family of Fresonia, using their magic to come to our aid. The Great Witch was the latest in that line, the most powerful sorceress in the kingdom, and who directly served our family.

After her search, the Great Witch concluded that it was a special curse in my blood, cast by someone who had passed away long ago. I was tied, through an old magic, to a Destined Bride – a young woman, whose pains and hurts the Knight feels as if they are his own.

Basically, If the destined bride was happy, I would be happy. She was sad, I would be sad. She wounded, I wound. She dead…I die. And if I couldn't find my destined bride before I turned 30, I would still die.

She wouldn't feel anything on her side though. It was a curse only for me.

I was my parents' first child. They asked about every possible way to find my destined bride and protect her immediately, but there were very few features for us to distinguish her from the crowd.

One way is to find the girl whose feelings and scars I shared with. The other is that the strange stone I had been born with actually had an all-seeing eye on it. No one can see it except my destined bride.

We are the royal family, and it shouldn't be that hard for us to find a girl, but the problem is that we couldn't announce this information publicly through traditional or social media. People would think we were crazy.

Fortunately, although sudden bruises and cuts appeared on my body from time to time, along with feelings that did not seem to be my own, my destined one is still alive. And I was still the strongest prince and my parents still saw me as the best heir.

Unfortunately, the older I got, the faster time seemed to run out. The pain in my family’s eyes only increased with each passing year. When I turned 29, I thought my mother was going to cry at my official royal birthday celebration.

I was also anxious. Everyone thought I was just a womanizer, but I was just desperately trying to spend time with as many women as I could.

When I met Mila last night, I had only a month left from my 30th birthday.

I was also a little tipsy because I could feel pain and sorrow that came from nowhere. Usually, it means that these feelings came from my destined bride and getting a few drinks would help.

The moment I saw Mila from across the street, I immediately noticed her. I knew something was different about her.

When she was deceived by the bartender as a foreign customer, I could feel her anxiety and despair, so I didn't hesitate before I walked up to her and offered help.

Not only that, but when we both couldn't resist each other and ended up in the bedroom of my apartment, she asked about the eye on my stone necklace.

I've seen so many women in my life, and I brought my necklace with me everywhere I went, but Mila was the only one that asked me about the eye symbol.

I think I knew exactly what she was the moment I kissed her.

After things getting more passionate, for the first time in my life, I took the stone necklace down my neck and gave it to her, telling her that she was my destined one, my meant-to-be.

I was thrilled to find my destined bride. I couldn't wait to bring Mila to my parents and the Great witch the next day.

However, I woke up this morning only to find that Mila was gone, along with the necklace I gave her.

I didn't worry about the stone necklace because it meant nothing without Mila, but how was I supposed to find her again?

My housekeeper, Mrs. Raven, was her usual grumpy self when I confronted her about it.

“That girl left,” she informed me. Mrs. Raven did not approve of my frequent female guests, and wanted me to find a nice girl and settle down. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that her dreams were likely impossible–until Mila.

When I rushed out on the street to find her, she was already gone. I pulled out my phone and called my assistant, Joseph.

“I need you to help me find a girl,” I told him.

Joseph sighed on the other end of the phone. “Don’t you know every girl in Fresonia at this point?”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

“She spent the night and took something from the apartment this morning.”

I could tell he was holding back laughter when he said, “What did she take? Your wallet? You have terrible taste in women, Felix.”

“My stone, and for your information, she is very likely my destined bride,” I said.

Joseph immediately grew serious.

“We will spare no expense, Your Highness. I swear on my life.”

“Her name is Mila.” I told him. “We must find her as quickly as possible. I have to speak with her.”