The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL] novel Chapter 291

Chapter 291: Cherished

Scratch that; there weren’t just one but four people who would probably benefit from Lulu’s majestic presence right now.

One would be Duke Leander, who was on the far side of the lobby. He stood quietly beside the remnants of the conflict, his eyes looking at every alleged passenger.

After all, it wouldn’t be the first time someone could possibly attempt to pass off as a hostage to escape punishment.

He hadn’t spoken in several minutes, arms crossed, surveying the injured, the shaken, and the quiet hum of his son moving through the crowd.

He looked calm.

But it was the kind of calm that required tremendous effort.

His knuckles were white where they gripped his forearm.

Butler Gary approached him, offering a report. "Minor injuries, a few moderate cases, but no criticals. The Young Lord’s aid came just in time."

Leander said nothing.

His eyes were fixed on his son, who knelt beside a sobbing grandmother as he helped her stand.

Leander didn’t blink.

He hated this.

He didn’t hate that his son was someone with this kind of personality; he just hated how he just got back and had to keep on dealing with increasing responsibilities and the after effects of people’s greed.

But more than that, he hated the idea of pulling him away.

His son wasn’t meant to be tucked behind walls and guards.

He was out here. Healing people, figuratively and literally.

Even if the very thought terrified him, Leander didn’t say a word.

His son looked back at him once, maybe to check if he’d done the right thing.

The Duke gave the smallest nod before deciding to deal with their exit plan.

And maybe it was a good thing that the Duke had left for the command center, or he would’ve seen something not for the faint of heart.

Or, well, not for protective fathers.

The precious son had walked the entire stretch of the passenger lobby twice over.

He’d checked on the families tucked together in clusters of exhausted relief and reassured every person who looked like they were on the verge of falling apart.

Even now, his eyes scanned the edges of the crowd, looking for anything—or anyone—he might have missed.

Eventually, his feet led him to Ollie.

The little mop had gone from blubbering into people’s sleeves to handing out roll-ups and comforting sobbing children with the kind of cheerful awkwardness that only he could pull off.

At present, he was showing a little girl how to peel the edges of a fruit strip like it was a sacred art form.

Ollie looked up, eyes wide, arms full of candy, and smaller limbs. "Brother!"

He was pretty excited to see Luca but recognized how somber he was with how dim those golden eyes were.

"Brother, here, have some milk. Maybe this would help!"

Luca smiled faintly. "Thanks, brother."

Ollie gave a thumbs-up, followed by a too-bright grin. "Go sit down. I think you need to rest, too."

He wasn’t wrong.

So, with a small sigh, Luca found a corner of the room—just off to the side, where the lights were low and the edge of the wall curved into shadow—and finally allowed himself to sit.

He folded his legs before him, drawing his knees up, and loosely cradled the half-empty bottle of milk Ollie had stuffed into his hands earlier.

For the first time since they arrived, Luca let himself feel the weight of it.

It was one thing to hear about Ollie’s plight and feel partly at fault, and another to see actual people getting hurt in front of him.

Not to mention how it could’ve gone worse if Xavier hadn’t stepped in.

His chest tightened.

He pressed the bottle to his lips just to have something to do, but the milk did nothing to distract him from the way his thoughts spiraled.

Then, quiet footsteps approached.

He didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

The Imperial Crown Prince settled beside him, not saying anything at first, just sitting close enough that their shoulders brushed.

They stayed like that for a while, saying nothing.

Eventually, Luca broke the silence, his voice soft and a little shaky.

"Xavier, I—I’m sorry. I was reckless. I acted without thinking."

Xavier’s brow furrowed slightly, though he didn’t turn to face him just yet. "You acted when it mattered."

"But—"

"But if you had waited, then you would’ve hated yourself forever. I know you."

That silenced him.

"It’s because you know you could’ve done something. Anything." Xavier said as he looked at the people still gathered together.

"And I told you I’d round them up. If anything, I should apologize for dealing with them before asking."

"I’m always the wife," Luca insisted, clutching the milk like a lifeline. "But isn’t that unfair?" he looked up at Xavier, eyes serious.