The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL] novel Chapter 389

Chapter 389: Awareness

It really started off as curiosity.

A very simple, innocent curiosity and a never-ending thirst for knowledge.

After all, his brother said that it was important to understand what love was for the sake of cultivation.

So Luca bit the bullet and read.

Just a bit.

But now the guide had turned into a guilty one. One who felt like he’d committed a crime after reading a book.

It was just a little silly story with silly little words, but he read it.

And he didn’t even ask for permission, which especially horrified him after realizing that he kept reading.

It was just supposed to be for research. But now sentences from that material kept ringing in his brain, and if people from ancient times could tell him what was wrong, they’d tell him he’s got something, someone living there rent-free.

Worse, unbeknownst to him, that said someone was catching on.

The first time Xavier caught him, Luca was tucked into the corner of the lab, half-hidden behind an open crate of bolts, pretending to inspect them. But then those eyes, glued to what was likely his terminal projection, said otherwise.

But the prince didn’t say a word and merely passed by after ensuring he was alright.

The second time, Luca was under the overhead shelf.

Yes, under.

He said it was to "check for any assembly issues," but his fingers had frozen over like he was hovering over a projection.

Xavier looked at him for a long second before gently tapping the table.

"Need a hand?" he asked.

Luca yelped and hit his head on the shelf’s underside as he tried waving him off and said something about "loose screws," which made the prince raise a brow, but still ultimately chose to let it go.

Until the guy almost fell down the stairs, and Xavier felt the need to figure out what’s got Luca so distracted.

Only he probably wouldn’t expect the source.

Because how would anyone foresee how a mere book could cause this much chaos?

The little guide was actually having issues because reading was no longer just reading.

For some reason, the words that would normally just stay in his brain until called upon were leaking into his everyday thoughts and actions as the descriptions from the Chapters echoed in his head like a voiceover.

And now, after Chapter six, he was having difficulty looking at the man without remembering things like "chiseled jawline" and "towering, imposing presence softened only by the curve of his lips."

What lips?

Why did he have lips?

Luca almost choked on his own breath as the lines kept haunting him as if forcing him to turn to the side to look.

And now he couldn’t stop looking at Xavier’s face.

Obviously, he knew that the prince looked really handsome.

But he never really had the urge to stare at him like that—like he needed to see those eyes framed by those lashes, nor did he feel the need to double-check someone’s chiseled jaw.

Especially not when said person was trying to confirm if he still needed help expanding their new dedicated herb garden.

And here he was thinking of jaws, lips, and eyes.

Every now and then, he’d catch himself staring and would quickly look away, only to peek again out of curiosity.

It was a vicious cycle, one that he needed to stop because it felt like he was doing something bad.

So he tried refocusing, but that was apparently just the first of many moments.

When the face didn’t work, the poor guide tried to go lower this time. Maybe the neck? Safe zone, right?

But then he saw Xavier’s throat bob as he swallowed.

Poof!

Hands!

Xavier smelled like pine—fresh, and very male.