Notes:
() - Heroine's thoughts, Blue Text - Flashbacks
Nepenthes - Prince of Vilastin - Main Story
Chapter 1 - A Tasty Looking Person!
Kingdom of Flower Spirits, Vilastin, June...
Deep in the forest of the Kingdom of Flower Spirits... In the underbrush of an abyss, where the sunlight can't reach, a prince of sleeping there.
MC: ...!!
Suddenly, light came out from the ring and engulfed the area. Then, when he woke up, the first thing he said was...
Nepenthes: ...Mm... This place... is the forest near the castle...? You are?
MC: Are you okay? I'm MC.
Nepenthes: MC-sama...
With a sharp gaze, he looked as if he doesn't know where he is.
(Is he one of the Vilastin princes?)
The man that had vines coiled around him looked at me.
MC: Um...?
Nepenthes: Aah... This sweet scent... Soft looking skin... You... You look so juicy and tasty!!
MC: Eh...!?
(I look tasty? What does he mean by that...?)
Just as I backed away, the prince gave me an odd look.
Nepenthes: ...Oh, pardon me. I'm the prince of the Pitcher Plant household that was chosen by the Goddess of Land and Water, my name is Nepenthes. Due to being asleep for so long, my gourmet spirit just became drawn to the nice scent that you're emitting. However, now's not the time for that... I'll wait until you've ripened some more.
After Nepenthes-san said that, he held his hat and bowed.
(What a strange person...)
As there was a little bit of fear remaining in my heart, I looked at him again. That was my intense meeting with Nepenthes-san...
Chapter 2 - The Way of Gourmet Food
A few days later... When I woke up Nepenthes-san the other day, I got invited to see the kingdom, so I visited the city in the Kingdom of Flower Spirits, Vilastin...
(Uh, the castle of the Pitcher Plant household was supposed to be here, but...)
Even with the doorman guiding me, Nepenthes-san wasn't in the castle.
Doorman: ...That's strange, he's always in the castle at this time. My deepest apologies, even though you've been called over here, but... It looks like Nepenthes-sama is absent right now.
MC: I see...
Doorman: Maybe... He could be in the forest.
MC: In the forest...?
Doorman: Yes. Since he searches for gourmet food with his tongue quite often, he goes to the forest for some incomprehensible things.
MC: I-Is that so?
(What do I do... But, since I'm here, I might as well try searching for him.)
After I thanked the doorman, I headed to the forest that he might be in with a touch of uneasiness holding me...
......
When I entered the dense forest and walked through it for a while...
??: ...U-Uu...
MC: ...Just now?
Just as I heard someone groaning, I looked around the area. Then, at the corner of a tree's shadow, I found someone collapsed there.
MC: Are you okay!?
Nepenthes: ...Uu... I'm fine... I just got some food poisoning...
MC: ...! Nepenthes-san!?
Nepenthes: That voice... So, you came, uu...
While holding back his strained voice, he got up.
Nepenthes: My apologies... I couldn't really find any ingredients around here, so I just put that in my mouth...
What Nepenthes-san pointed at was... An unusually shaped plant with an oddly colored jewel beetle on it. When I compared the two of them...
///Choices///
- This plant? (☼)
MC: Did you eat this plant?
While growing around the tree, the leaves on the plant were showing some poisonous looking specks on them.
Nepenthes: Yes... Doesn't it have a pretty tasty looking form and color?
MC: ...
- This bug? (☽)
MC: Did you eat this oddly colored bug?
Nepenthes: Yes, I see this bug in thie forest quite often. The flavor inside it is pretty low in quality.
(So, he did eat it...?)
Nepenthes: Although, what I ate today was the leaf that the bug is on. Doesn't it look tasty?
MC: This... being tasty...
He pointed at the vine-like plant that was growing as it covered the tree eerily.
///Choices///
MC: Such a dangerous looking plant, why...
As I covered my mouth, I looked at the plant that seemed to be extremely harmful to the body.
At that moment, Nepenthes-san straightened himself up and held his chin.
Nepenthes: How wasteful! There's no meaning if you don't taste it. I say that finding a new treat is more like discovering a heavenly body that's a blessing to the world. Whenever I see something new, this tongue must taste it.
MC: ...I see. But, let's return to the castle now. Can you walk?
Nepenthes: Yes, a little...
When I saw that Nepenthes-san's legs were shaking, I lent my shoulder to him.
(...What is this? This scent.)
I could feel myself becoming intoxicated from inhaling the scent that was like a sweet nectar.
Nepenthes: ...Is something wrong?
It felt like I could melt from him staring at him...
MC: ...N-No, it's nothing.
I quickly turned away to avoid Nepenthes-san's gaze.
(I'm getting a bad feeling from him looking at me...)
As my heart was being noisy for some reason, I carried him to the castle...
Chapter 3 - The Pitcher Plant Household
After finding Nepenthes-san collapsed in the forest from food poisoning, I took him to the castle.
When we finally arrived at the castle, the doorman carried Nepenthes-san to his room as if he was used to it.
(...Will he be okay?)
Since he fell asleep just a while ago, he was put on top of the bed... An attendant of the castle was tending to Nepenthes-san, so I left the room.
When I went to the courtyard, I saw the king of the Pitcher Plant household.
King: My apologies. Nepenthes is always getting stomachaches like that.
MC: It's okay. I just hope he gets better soon...
After the king bowed apologetically, he raised his head and stared at me...
MC: W-What is it?
King: It's nothing, you just look so youthful and tasty.
MC: !?
(Just now, what...?)
Even so, the middle-aged king looked very serious.
-Flashback-
Nepenthes: Aah... This sweet scent... Soft looking skin... You... You look so juicy and tasty!!
-Flashback-
I could still hear what Nepenthes-san said when we first met.
(The people in this castle are a little scary...)
When I made a brief response, I left the courtyard...
(I want to hurry and leave, but...)
Even though I wanted to leave the castle, I was curious about Nepenthes-san's condition, so I went to his room to check on him again.
MC: Nepenthes-san, are you awake?
Nepenthes: ...Go ahead. Come in.
When I got that response and opened the door, Nepenthes-san was standing near the window. His complexion was back to normal, but he looked a little unwell.
Nepenthes: Haa... I ended up coming back to the gloomy castle again...
MC: Nepenthes-san? Is your body okay now?
As he was sighing, I slowly approached the window and...
MC: ...!!
Nepenthes-san suddenly became aware of me and held my hand. A warm sensation caressed the top of my hand. With his gaze on me, Nepenthes-san showed the tip of his red tongue from his lips as it slithered on my hand. I...
///Choices///
- Call for someone (☽)
MC: S-Someone!!
I called for someone without thinking. As my eyes were wandering around aimlessly, I headed towards the entrance of the room.
Nepenthes: My apologies, please wait! I never thought that you would be this surprised...
- Shake him off (☼)
MC: Stop it!
Nepenthes: ...!
I frantically shook him off my hand. While hiding from his gaze, I covered the top of my hand with my other one. The area where his tongue touched was warm...
///Choices///
Nepenthes: It's in this tongue's nature to savor things.
MC: ...Savor...?
Nepenthes: Yes. Pitcher plants are weak by nature and lacks nutrients, so they catch other living things by preying onto them. As a prince that was chosen by the Goddess of Land and Water, it wouldn't be strange to have that kind of power. Even so...
When he closed his eyes, he took a deep breath of air into his lungs.
Nepenthes: This splendid scent... Also, just touching you lightly leaves a subtle taste on my tongue... No...! Like I thought, you're a good person! The goddess has my gratitude for letting me encounter such a taste...!
Overcome with emotions, he kneeled before me.
MC: U-Um...
///Choices///
- Are you okay? (☼)
MC: Are you okay?
Nepenthes: ...Am I okay? Nothing about me is different than usual.
When he got up, he questioned me with wide eyes.
- Don't say anything (☽)
(I thought that he was a strange person, but...)
As I was perplexed, I looked down at him silently...
Nepenthes: ...I suddenly lost my composure, my apologies.
When he quietly got up, he licked his lips.
///Choices///
MC: ...I'm sorry, I was just surprised.
Nepenthes: No, there's no need to apologize. I've just taken a complete interest in you.
As he traced my lips into a beautiful semi-circle, Nepenthes-san smiled. From that ominous smile... Fear slightly took hold of me as I was unable to move from that spot...
Chapter 4 - A Gourmet Trip
A damp and humid atmosphere filled the room.
-Flashback-
Nepenthes: It's in this tongue's nature to savor things.
-Flashback-
Nepenthes-san said that when he licked my hand. His ominous smile made me speechless for a while, but...
MC: I-I'll be going now!
Just as I was about to leave to escape, he grabbed my arm.
Nepenthes: You can't... Just a bit more! Please stay in this castle for a bit longer!
MC: H-How troubling...
Nepenthes: I know! I don't mind if it's for the last time! Let me apologize by serving you the best gourmet food!
MC: But...
Nepenthes: I beg of you!!
In the end... Overcome by his forcefulness, I went with Nepenthes-san on a gourmet tour in Vilastin just this once...
Although... We were at a restaurant that could be mistaken for an eerie looking black market.
(It's pretty on the inside, but...)
When I nervously sat down in a chair, we waited for our food to arrive.
Nepenthes: Oh, looks like it's finally here, this restaurant's specialty, the dark full course that is only known to a few... Hmm... A fragrant scent as usual...
MC: ...!!
Although, when I looked at the food on the plates, I almost let out a shriek.
(W-What is this...)
The various kinds of strange food on the plates made me hesitant to eat. One looked like an eyeball with an odd mucus jelly around it. Still alive, some kind of insect creature was being grilled on an iron plate.
MC: ...!
When I covered my mouth, I desperately tried to resist whatever was coming up from my stomach.
Nepenthes: It may look scary, but they're all pieces of perfection. How about trying this soup?
As Nepenthes-san smiled, he recommended the dish in front of me.
///Choices///
- Thank you for the food (☽)
MC: ...T-Thank you for the food.
For now, I spooned up some of the soup in front of me...
(This red color, what kind of color is it?)
My hand stopped as it was holding the spoonful of the eerie color.
Nepenthes: You're not going to try it?
MC: N-No!
With my eyes shut tightly, I put it in my mouth...
- You go first (☼)
MC: ...You go first.
Nepenthes: Are you sure? In that case...
He happily took a spoonful of the red bloodlike liquid into his mouth.
Nepenthes: ...Yes, it's really delicious! The flavor of this soup is the best in Vilastin, no, in the world!
MC: ...Is it really that good?
From Nepenthes-san's reaction, I nervously brought the same spoon into my mouth too.
///Choices///
MC: ...!! Eh... No way, it's really good!
Despite how it looks, the flavor of the soup was the tastiest thing that I've ever had.
Nepenthes: Fufu... Isn't it?
MC: But, you seem to have eaten this quite often.
Nepenthes: My reason for living, that is gourmet food... Whatever has distinguished looks is what I'll eat. When you ate that, it was like a living being that is ▽▽ as it was XXX...
T/N: Yep, he actually said that
MC: ...!!?
After he said those repulsive words, I suddenly got up from the chair and covered my mouth...
Nepenthes: Oh, are you okay? You look so pale.
MC: ...
Nepenthes: ... It looks like my excitement is a little too strong for outsiders.
When Nepenthes-san sighed, he stood next to me.
MC: Eh...?
Nepenthes: You really are adorable.
When he whispered that to me, he gently rubbed my back.
Nepenthes: Fufu... You're so cute that I just want to eat you right now.
As he looked down at me with a small smile, he licked his lips.
MC: ...!
Just as I was about to back away from him, he firmly caught me by the waist. I was unable to move from that unexpected strength.
MC: ...
Nepenthes: Please don't be scared.
MC: ...Um, could it be that all the people in the Pitcher Plant household are-
When I was about to ask him that, I gulped.
Nepenthes: Fufu... I wonder. However, I know what food is in season. It's not like I'm going to eat you now. So, don't worry.
MC: ...
(Then, from here on...?)
With a suspicious feeling rising, I was unable to eat at all...
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