Farmboy becomes King with the Lust System Chapter 268: Talk with sun

"Isn’t that him?" one whispered from the stairs, voice trembling with both curiosity and awe.

"The prince’s rival," another added, eyes wide as they leaned over the railing for a better look.

"No one expected that commoner to outshine him," a third said, tone a mixture of disbelief and admiration, echoing the murmurs rippling through the crowd.

Sun didn’t move. He stood stiff, dark eyes tracking Jae as the group climbed the steps with their usual calm ease. Every step the boy took seemed measured, precise, a demonstration of confidence that drew attention like iron to a magnet. Sun’s face didn’t change, but the faint twitch of a jaw muscle betrayed the tension coiled beneath the surface.

When he finally tore his gaze away, his hands clenched tightly at his sides, knuckles white under the thin gloves of his uniform.

Byun noticed first. His grin, which often masked any seriousness, faded into a quiet frown. He nudged Tirel lightly, catching her attention as she adjusted her stride beside Yuna.

"I’ll catch up," he muttered, the words low, almost casual, but threaded with intent.

Tirel arched an eyebrow, her usual smirk teasing in tone but sharp with understanding. "Going to poke the prince again?"

"Someone has to," Byun said simply, the weight of his voice belying the ease of his grin. He let the group move ahead, keeping his pace deliberate but unhurried, slipping down the edge of the steps toward Sun

The crowd began to disperse behind them, a wave of students chattering, calling Jae’s name, tossing quick greetings or small nods of respect. Some waved; others bowed their heads or whispered excitedly to friends beside them. Tirel laughed softly at a comment from one of the younger cadets,

Yuna smiled shyly in response to a greeting, and Fin flung his hands into the air, waving as if to say hello to every cadet he passed. Elise stayed close to Jae’s side, careful not to be caught in the swirl of attention, her calm composure keeping the group grounded amid the chaos of admiration and awe.

Byun reached Sun at the edge of the stairs, the space between them filled with the faint rustle of wind and distant laughter. He gave a casual smile, hands in pockets, trying to keep the motion light, almost conversational. "Didn’t expect to see you out here this early," he said. "Thought you hated crowds."

Sun’s eyes flicked toward him for the briefest moment, sharp and unreadable, before returning to Jae in the distance. "I came to see what all the noise was about," he said, voice calm, even, but carrying a quiet weight that didn’t need to be raised to command attention

"Yeah," Byun replied lightly, tossing his words over the small space between them. "Our boy makes a lot of noise these days."

There was no answer. The silence stretched between them, longer than either seemed to want, filled only by the hum of distant chatter, the scrape of boots on stone, and the rustle of cloaks in the morning breeze.

Byun sighed and shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, the movement both casual and deliberate, trying to ease the tension coiling in his shoulders. "You’ve been quiet since we got back," he said, tone softening but carrying a pointed edge, just enough to draw Sun’s attention without breaking the surface of calm.

"I’ve been busy," Sun said flatly, the words clipped, precise, but there was something in the way his jaw tightened that suggested the explanation was far from enough.

"That’s not it," Byun countered, voice firmer now, leaving no room for misinterpretation. His eyes didn’t flinch, staying fixed on Sun’s face, searching for the flicker of honesty beneath the surface.

Sun’s gaze snapped toward him, dark and sharp. "What do you want me to say, Byun?"

"Maybe the truth," Byun said, quieter now, measured but unyielding. "You’re angry. At him. At me. At everyone, I guess."

The prince’s expression didn’t change, his face a mask of stillness, but something sharper flashed behind his dark eyes, a tension that refused to dissipate. "You’re imagining things," he said, voice low but edged with quiet accusation.

"I’m not," Byun said, softer this time, leaning a fraction closer, letting his tone carry weight without needing volume. "You’ve barely spoken to me since the siege. And don’t pretend it’s just about the war."

For a moment, neither moved, both aware of the space between them, the sunlight catching the sharp angles of Sun’s uniform and the faint flicker of shadows over Byun’s face. The wind shifted, tugging at their cloaks, stirring the edges of hair, and carrying faint snippets of distant chatter from the courtyard below.

Finally, Sun exhaled sharply, the sound slicing through the quiet, tight and tired. "You chose him," he said, voice low, deliberate, and heavy with unspoken frustration.

Byun blinked, momentarily stunned. "What?"

"You chose him," Sun reiterated, his voice unwavering, resolute. "You once stood by my side. Then that... farmhand appeared, and suddenly you were laughing with him, battling alongside him, even calling him friend."

Byun’s smile completely faded, replaced by a gentler, more thoughtful expression. He ran a hand through his hair, looking away for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Are you serious?" he inquired, his voice steady yet tinged with disbelief.

Sun’s dark eyes sharpened, gleaming like cold steel. "Don't pretend to be surprised," he stated, his tone subdued but laden with accusation.

Byun turned back, his gaze meeting Sun’s, now unwavering. "I haven't chosen anyone, Sun. We fought together. That's all there is to it. He is not your enemy."

"He is not my friend," Sun declared with a sharp retort, the words cutting through the air with chilling accuracy.

Byun's expression softened, but his gaze remained locked with Sun's. He leaned in slightly, speaking in a low tone, each word carefully chosen. "He doesn’t need to be. But you and I..." He paused, searching for the most fitting words, the exact tone to bridge the chasm between their past and the present. "We've endured too much to start establishing boundaries now. You could still speak with him. With me. This situation doesn't have to persist like this."