NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 174.2
* * *
Time passed and Cedric gradually became a more normal human.
He learned how to eat.
He learned to read, gained knowledge, and learned manners.
The teachers always said, ‘The prince is a genius. He learns everything in just one day. He’s just a little late.’
His newly met family wasn’t afraid of Cedric. He learned all the necessary knowledge in just one year.
‘It turns out that when young, they are dumber than average kids, but as the body matures, intelligence follows suit, becoming smarter.’
It turned out this was also a characteristic of the wolf lineage.
As Cedric matured, he relentlessly researched his lineage in the forbidden section of the royal library.
“It’s about the engraving of the wolf lineage in this legend.”
“Yes?”
The old librarian raised his head at Cedric’s words.
“Will it bring happiness?”
“If you’ve engraved out of love, won’t it be happy? It’s said that the wolf lineage loves and follows only one woman in their lifetime.”
“But what if you can’t find her or meet her again?”
“Well… The legend says that the engraving is like a star following the moon. That person becomes the center of your world, and without them, you feel empty and lonely.”
“Yes, that must be the case.”
The librarian tilted his head, wondering why the young prince Cedric looked so empty.
“Wouldn’t it have been better not to engrave on someone who can’t always be by your side? There are some papers on this from 100 years ago.”
“I’ve already read all the royal-related papers.”
“Oh, how could I, before such a genius prince.”
The librarian humbly responded. Cedric gave a bitter smile.
Yet, his heart remained unfulfilled. He felt empty and missed someone, even though he didn’t even know who that person was.
It felt as if he had been discarded from the center of the world.
No matter what he did, it wasn’t enough, and he couldn’t genuinely love or care for anyone.
‘If I meet her again, I’ll kill her.’
Only then might I feel alive.
‘I have to sever this imprint to be freed from this pain, loneliness, and longing.’
That’s what Cedric thought.
He realized he had a special lineage in his desire to find her.
But he kept it a secret.
If it was revealed that Cedric was born a wizard, he would surely be proclaimed king in hopes of a royal resurrection.
‘I don’t need the likes of a king.’
Only Cedric knew of the vulnerability of being the son of a white wizard. Why would he become a king and cause turmoil?
‘Besides, I can’t even use magic because of the side effects.’
Using magic caused his body to grow abnormally, revealing a monstrous arm.
‘Is my life ruined?’
If I can’t find her, do I have to live like this forever?
‘Will I die lonely like my mother?’
A few years after Cedric ran away, his mother, who had suffered from mental illness for years, contracted a real illness.
To settle her life, she wrote a final letter to the king, revealing Cedric’s existence. Then, she went on a journey to die.
It was only years later that they found out she had died alone in a remote place.
‘If I find her, I’ll settle it… somehow.’
Then, one day, a miracle happened.
* * *
“What is this…”
That day he was on an errand to the Duke’s house.
“The Duke is currently busy with important matters.”
While waiting for the Duke in the reception room, suddenly his heart felt cold and painful.
‘Huh?’
When he came to, something began to shine in front of his eyes.
‘The thing that had come from my heart.’
It floated before his eyes.
He was drawn to the light and followed it. He ended up standing in front of a room where voices could be heard. The door was slightly open.
Ah, it was her.
Still barefoot, with messy hair and ragged clothes. However, those shining green eyes and small limbs remained the same.
His once-stopped heart began to beat again.