THE CROWN PRINCE

"IT'S been a while since we had food delivery for dinner, Dad. I thought you didn't know how to eat fried chicken and pizza anymore."

Nikolai couldn't blame his son for thinking that way.

After all, ever since he woke up from his coma, he had only eaten fancy and healthy food.

As a result, Nero was forced to follow his diet as well.

"Well, we have something to celebrate tonight," Nikolai said as he opened a can of cider with one hand. "I've regained my memories, after all."

"Does it mean you won't divorce my mother anymore?"

"That's right," he said as he picked up a chicken drumstick with his chopstick and put it on Nero's plate. "I have no intention of divorcing your mother."

Nero looked at him suspiciously. "Does Eomma want to stay married with you, Abeoji? I was young when you fell into a coma, but I know that my grandparents treated them badly. I was spared because I'm a boy– which makes me your successor."

"How did you know all of that?"

His son shrugged. "My grandparents never failed to remind me that I should be grateful that I was born a boy despite having a "low-class woman" for a mother. Apparently, if not for the thing between my legs, they would never accept me as their grandson because they don't recognize Eomma as their daughter-in-law."

To say that Nikolai was upset would be an understatement.

Nero may have shared that casually, but he could tell that his son had been tormented by his grandparents' harsh words all this time.

[And I didn't even notice that– then and now.]

"If your grandparents say something like that to you again, tell me right away," Nikolai said firmly. "I'll send your grandfather to prison and I'll make sure your grandmother can never show her face to the public again."

Nero looked shocked by his claim. "Really, Abeoji? You can do that?"

"As you said earlier, I'm the Crown Prince of the Moonasterion Group," he said to his son. "Even though your grandfather has more power as the chairman, that doesn't mean he's invincible. Your grandfather is already old, and he can't stay in power forever. But, most of all, I'm more competent than my own father– and most people in the company will agree."

His son raised an eyebrow. "Abeoji, are you saying that you have more people on your side now? That if our company suddenly held an emergency meeting right now, they would vote for you to become the next chairman?"

"Well, I'm getting there."

"You're making me nervous, Abeoji."

He rolled his eyes at his son's complaint. "Hey, are you that concerned about being the Crown Prince of your school?"

Nero was currently attending the Royal Moon Academy– the most prestigious high school in South Korea. All the children and grandchildren of chaebols and other rich families were probably enrolled there.

The fact that Nero was considered the Crown Prince in that school was a testament as to how big the Moonasterion Group was in all Korea.

"Abeoji, I'm dating Hanna Baek."

"Hanna Baek?" Nikolai asked with furrowed brows. "Quinzel Group's heiress? Why are you dating that crybaby's daughter?"

The crybaby would be Baek Rufus.

When he was a freshman in college, Rufus was working as a TA (Teaching Assistant) in one of his major classes.

[I believe he's four years older than me?]

He remembered Rufus suddenly burst out crying while teaching in class when he received a message saying that his wife was in the middle of childbirth.

Nikolai had to drive Rufus to the hospital because the crybaby couldn't.

[Well, back then, Mona had just given birth to our twins. As a new father, I empathized with Rufus Hyung, so I offered to drive him to the hospital since he was shaking so much. If I had known that crybaby would stick to me like glue after that, I wouldn't have lent him a hand.]

Anyway, Nero and Neoma were only three months older than Hanna Baek.

Nikolai and Rufus were both new fathers back then, so they still got along pretty well despite their age gap.

[Mona and I really had children early, huh?]

"Abeoji, you're the one who told me that Hanna is the best candidate to become my future wife because of her background."

Nikolai blinked. "I said that?"

"You did," Nero said while nodding. "That's why I dated Hanna. She's the school's Crown Princess, after all."

He let out a sigh. "If that's your only reason for dating Hanna Baek, you better break up with her now. Don't date someone solely because of their background. I hope you marry out of love just like me and your mother, Nero."

"I can't break up with her, Abeoji."

"Why? I thought you didn't like her that much."

"Hanna is scary," Nero said while shaking his head. "She'll ruin me if I hurt her."

Pfft.

Nikolai couldn't help but laugh at his son's self-made problem. "Good luck, son– you need that."

Nero just rolled his eyes at him, then he changed the topic. "Abeoji, I heard you talking to Uncle Glenn on the phone earlier."

Yes, his son had grown close to Glenn that he was calling him 'uncle' now.

"Why did you ask him to buy an apartment?"

"I bought the apartment next to your mother's apartment," Nikolai explained. "I plan to live there until your mother finally forgives me and decides to become a family with us again. Do you want to move in with me?"

"Abeoji, have you forgotten that I live in a dorm?" his son reminded him. "I'm only here now because it's the weekend."

Right.

He just came from the future, so his memories were still a little messy.

"But it would be nice to reunite with Eomma and Neoma," Nero said, smiling sadly. "Halmeoni and Harabeoji made sure Eomma wouldn't be able to get near me. They even threw all the gifts that Eomma has sent to me over the years."

Nikolai clenched his hands tightly.

The more he learned about what his parents had done to his family behind his back, the angrier he got.

[Eomma, Abeoji, you're making it easy for me to hate you…]

"I do check Eomma and Neoma's social media accounts from time to time. Eomma is a famous, award-winning screenwriter, and Neoma has many followers," Nero said, a little cheerfully this time. But his face soon turned crestfallen as he opened up to him more. "I don't have the courage to send them a message, though. After all, I feel guilty for simply watching on the sidelines while they were being mistreated by Halmeoni and Harabeoji before."

"None of what happened back then was your fault, Nero," Nikolai said firmly. "Son, even if your mother doesn't forgive me, I promise to reunite you with Mona and Neoma."

***

NIKOLAI smiled when he saw Mona come out of the apartment where she lived with Neoma. "Good morning, yeobo."

Mona looked at him, shocked. "Are you stalking me now, Nikolai-ssi?"

He smiled and shook his head. "I'm your neighbor starting today, yeobo."

"Excuse me?"

He pointed at the door behind him. "I just moved in here this morning, yeobo."

"Are you crazy?!"

"No– but I feel like I'd really go crazy if I don't win you back, yeobo."

Mona opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"That's so freaking cringe."

Hmm?

That wasn't Mona.

Those slightly crass words came from the young lady who appeared behind Mona when the door behind his wife opened.

And then his heart swelled with happiness.

"Neoma," Nikolai said softly, and he almost burst into tears when he finally saw his teenage daughter again. It was a painful reminder that he had missed the chance to watch his little princess grow from a baby to the young lady that she was now. "Don't grow up too fast, aegiya."

***

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