TTQI 16

Lord Villeneuve, the vice-captain of the Royal Guard and a man known by the moniker ‘the flirtatious knight’, set foot in the palace gardens one day. As there were no official schedules for the king that day, he was enjoying a stretch of leisure when, after wandering the castle grounds wherever his feet took him, he happened upon the vast royal garden.

Low rose bushes lined the garden path like the walls of a maze. Despite the fact that winter was nearly upon them, the garden, with its white, pink, and red blossoms in full bloom, was beautiful, as if time had stopped.

Recently, a romantic story had been born in this very garden, one that the noble ladies would adore. It was a tale about the king, who, wishing for flowers to bloom year-round for his queen who loved them, had specially selected and planted cold-resistant flowers. The story even claimed that since the cold had begun, he had stones heated in fire placed on the ground to make the flowers bloom until late in the season.

Whether the rumor was true or not was something even the vice-captain of the Royal Guard could not know, but it was an undeniable fact that the fresh rose beds, showing off their beauty even as the season entered mid-winter, symbolized the king’s profound love for the queen.

Even Lord Villeneuve, who had no interest in floriculture, was impressed by its mysterious beauty. ‘Right, so there was a place like this,’ Ade realized, and since his steps had led him there anyway, he decided to take a stroll through the garden. He toyed with the hilt of his sword and stepped between the tall trees.

As it was an early hour, walking among the silent rose bushes without a single sign of human presence made him feel dazed, as if he had entered a dream world. As he passed by the clusters of countless roses that watched him quietly with their large eyes, a strong and bewitching fragrance brushed past the tip of his nose. It was so intense that he worried the scent of flowers might seep into his armor. It was ecstatically beautiful, yet on the other hand, Ade received a somehow chilling impression.

It was then. A strange sound reached the ears of Lord Ade, who had been strolling through the quiet garden. Catching a faint noise that repeated at a regular, steady rhythm, Ade stopped dead in the middle of the path and listened intently. Clank, clank. A minute sound, like small pieces of iron clashing against each other, was coming from between the bushes. Sensing something was amiss, he transformed from a wandering idler to a member of the Royal Guard in the blink of an eye. With his nerves on edge, Ade began to quietly approach the source of the sound.

Click, clack.

What finally came into Ade’s sight was a servant, crouched among the bushes, cutting roses with a pair of silver scissors. The suspicious sound was the noise of the boy snipping with his scissors. The servant, of an ambiguous age where one could not tell if he was a boy or a young man, was wearing the white servant’s uniform that indicated his affiliation with Queen Aion and was squatting in front of the fully bloomed roses.

Watching silently for a moment, he saw that the servant was searching between the leaves of the bushes, finding the most beautiful and flawless rosebuds, and cutting off their heads. In the basket placed beside him, a heap of rose blossoms he had been collecting for some time was piled high. The boy was so engrossed in his work that he did not even notice Ade’s arrival.

Upon spotting the boy, Ade immediately scowled. One might consider them mere weeds, but as these flowers bloomed in the royal garden, they were a breed that boasted a price tag commoners could not even imagine. Not only were they a superior variety that had undergone repeated breeding to be cold-resistant, but they were also a veritable luxury item, tended to day and night by dozens of servants, to the extent that a rumor circulated about chasing away winter by placing fire-heated stones on the ground. How dare he snip, snip off the heads of such precious flowers? Besides, the existence of a greedy servant laying hands on his master’s luxuries was a common, common tale. Believing he had discovered a rose thief, Ade pushed through the thicket and strode toward him.

“!”

Ade grabbed the servant’s wrist first. Startled by his appearance, the servant’s eyes widened as he dropped the silver scissors with a thud. Villeneuve bellowed in a voice filled with the dignity of a Royal Guard officer.

“How dare you lay a hand on the royal roses? What is the meaning of this?”

“Gasp…”

“I am Villeneuve, the vice-captain of the Royal Guard. What is your affiliation?”

The servant’s face, now finally seen up close, was colored with shock. His youthful face, as small as his slender body, was covered in cute freckles, and his curly hair looked as soft as wool. His two large eyes were wide and seemed ready to pop out at any moment.

Ade thought to himself that while the boy looked so innocent he probably couldn’t kill a single bug, he sure was one gutsy fellow.

“Lo-Lord Villeneuve? W-why…”

Indeed a royal vassal, it seemed the other party recognized Villeneuve’s face. He showed signs of panic and shook his captured arm, but Villeneuve just scoffed and tightened his grip instead. But at that moment, Villeneuve also felt that the other’s face was somehow familiar. Where had he seen him?

It was then.

“Lord Villeneuve! Please let Pym go.”

Someone’s cold voice echoed through the garden. Instantly recognizing the owner of the voice, Villeneuve loosened his grip in his surprise, and as soon as he did, the servant shot to his feet and scurried over to the speaker. And there, indeed, stood Queen Aion, ramrod straight in his usual white robes, his posture impeccable.

The servant, hiding behind his master’s back, rubbed the wrist Villeneuve had grabbed and shot a wary look at Villeneuve. Seeing his distorted expression, something finally clicked in Ade’s mind. There was a small, unnoticeable servant who followed the queen wherever he went. Because he was always overshadowed by the glamorous queen, Ade had never properly acknowledged his existence.

“Your Majesty.”

Putting his bewilderment aside for a moment, Ade first offered a polite greeting in accordance with court etiquette. The queen responded with a slight nod of his head. Then, Aion explained in a calm voice.

“There seems to have been a misunderstanding. This child is my personal attendant, Pym. He was gathering flowers on my orders.”

“So it was Your Majesty who personally commanded it. I misunderstood, as there are often incidents of valuable plants being stolen from the domain.”

Ade looked down at the fallen petals and the silver scissors on the ground. Come to think of it, the small scissors used to cut the flowers were made of silver and looked like an expensive item with ornate engravings. They were probably the queen’s possession.

But who on earth would have thought that someone would take the time to order the lopping off of flower heads? Inwardly clicking his tongue, Villeneuve glanced sideways at the servant named Pym, who had been unjustly accused of being a thief. In his opinion, he had not threatened him in any particular way, yet the boy was glaring at him with his hackles raised, like an innocent little animal bitten by a beast of prey. Villeneuve felt awkward. If it was a misunderstanding, he could have just explained that it was a misunderstanding. What was with him staying foolishly silent and then looking at him as if he were some shameless scoundrel?

Villeneuve picked up the fallen basket and silver scissors and held them out in Pym’s direction.

“I apologize for the misunderstanding. Here, take them back.”

However, Pym merely glared with a gloomy expression and did not step forward readily. Just as his hand was about to be left hanging awkwardly, the queen fortunately stepped forward and took the basket and silver scissors instead. The queen certainly keeps a disagreeable attendant, Ade thought to himself.

“On that note, why are you gathering roses? And so many of them, at that. You’ve clipped them without stems, so they will surely wilt soon.”

As Ade handed over the basket, he spoke in a friendly manner, and Aion replied in a blunt tone.

“They have their use.”

“That is what I am curious about.”

“…They will be used for decoration.”

“This many to decorate a single room? Besides, you’ve cut off the stems, so you won’t even be able to put them in a vase.”

Out of pure curiosity, Ade tilted his head, and for some reason, Aion was staring at him with narrowed eyes. The servant standing beside him seemed somehow restless.

“…I will be holding a banquet the day after tomorrow.”

Finally, after a short silence, Aion answered.

“Pardon? A banquet?”

Ade, letting out a short exclamation, immediately asked back. It was only natural for him to be puzzled. As the captain of the guard, he would have been notified in advance of any such official event. For an event he had never heard of to be held in the castle, his place of work, he had asked out of pure bewilderment, not with any particular ill intent. But unexpectedly, Aion’s returning voice was stiff.

“Why do you ask? Do you think it does not suit me?”

“Pardon? That is not what I meant…”

Aion’s immediate reply was as cold as a winter gale. If Ade was not mistaken, Aion did not seem to be enjoying their conversation very much. To be precise, it seemed he very much did not want to talk to him.

Ever since the queen had personally made and sent him an ointment for his injury, Ade had been regretting his discourtesy during the hunting competition. It had made him re-evaluate the queen’s character, and in fact, since then, he had been waiting for an opportunity to make up for that mistake and foster a friendship with the queen. But the queen seemed to have no intention of building a friendship at all. Perhaps, the queen was still holding a grudge over what happened that day. It was a disastrous situation.

‘Darn, it’s going to take some time to reconcile.’

Ade, who was affable and liked people, did not for a moment consider that someone might dislike him without reason, and just comfortably thought to himself that it would simply take some time.

“If you have no further business with me, then I shall…”

And just as Aion was about to bid farewell to end the tedious conversation, they suddenly began to feel the presence of many people. Not just Ade, but the queen and the servant all turned their heads at once toward the direction the sound was coming from, and discovered the solemn procession of the king approaching through the bushes. Judging by the king’s expression, he must have been watching their conversation for some time.

Ade cursed his own carelessness and hurriedly bowed, while Aion also clicked his tongue in a barely audible whisper before bowing his head.

“Your Majesty… For what reason have you come all this way…”

“The queen was not in sight, so I came, thinking you might be here.”

The king approached with eyes full of affection and helped the queen to his feet. Ade rolled his eyes to peek at them. The two, raising their heads to face each other, looked to be on truly intimate terms. The king wrapped an arm around the queen’s shoulders, then gestured for Ade to rise. Ade bowed his head once in thanks and then rose from his prostrated position.

“By the way, what were you two just talking about?”

the king asked, and Aion answered, demurely casting his eyes down.

“It was not a matter of any importance.”

“If I heard correctly, it seemed the queen was preparing for a banquet.”

“……Yes, that is correct.”

“Why did you not tell me?”

“…It is merely a small gathering to share conversation with two or three close acquaintances, so I did not feel the need to trouble you with it.”

“I thought as much. But listening to the queen’s words has given me a good idea.”

“Pardon? What do you mean…”

As Aion tilted his head, looking perplexed, the king turned to look at Ade with a boyishly mischievous expression. Ade was looking at them in a daze. The king spoke to him.

“The idea of holding a rose banquet just before the roses wither truly appeals to me. Since it has come to this, how about we officially hold a grand banquet and invite all the nobles from the vicinity?”

Aion silently pressed his lips together firmly. On the other hand, Ade, who would do anything for a banquet, let out a small exclamation.

“Ah! You mean to say we should throw a grand banquet.”

“That’s right.”

“Your Majesty, that sounds like a wonderful idea. Shall I have my men prepare the venue then?”

“There will be no need for extensive preparations. As for the place, this garden where the roses are in their most beautiful bloom will do, and the butler will write the invitations. However, Lord Villeneuve, have your men arrange chairs and tables for the guests in a good spot. And please deliver the guest list to the guards on the outer walls.”

“I understand.”

“My queen, what do you think?”

Ade bowed his head once more, and the king turned to Aion with a pleased face, as if wanting to be praised for his brilliant idea. Aion wore an ambiguous expression, neither smiling nor crying. The king, thinking Aion was worried out of a sense of apology, gently patted his back.

“After coming to the castle, the queen has been lonely since he does not have any acquaintances in Yonaras. I thought if you drink and talk on this occasion, you might make a good friend. Does my decision perhaps displease you?”

“…Your Majesty, I am moved by Your Majesty’s consideration.”

Standing there expressionlessly was only for a moment; as soon as the king finished speaking, Aion quickly bowed. As if he was truly deeply moved, his beautiful, dulcet voice was trembling slightly. Seeing the delighted queen, the king’s heart fluttered as if he had the whole world, and in his happy mood, he forgot his decorum and burst into a hearty laugh.

“No, no. It is all thanks to the queen for offering a good opinion. Now, instead of standing here, why don’t you come with me and we can talk about the banquet?”

As if he had no interest in anything else, including Lord Villeneuve, the king placed a hand on Aion’s back and turned towards the castle. Aion hesitated for a moment but followed him obediently.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Just as they were about to leave, the king turned only his head to look at Villeneuve.

“Oh, right, Lord Villeneuve. How much time will it take to prepare?”

“As soon as the guest list is finalized, we can begin preparations immediately. As long as it is not every noble in all of Yonaras. For us, it is just a matter of moving some chairs, so a day will be sufficient.”

“Haha. In that case, we will also need time to send the invitations, so a week from now should be good. We will just need to send invitations to the nearby territories. Queen, is that all right? You are not disappointed that the scale is too small, are you?”

“Yes. I like it.”

“Good, then let us return.”

The king turned to the attendants and ordered them to head to the castle. The attendants assisting him followed the king and queen in a line as they made their way to the castle. Villeneuve, who was watching the royal procession, bowed his head towards them as per etiquette, but perhaps it was just his imagination, he felt that in that brief moment, the queen had shot him a sharp glare.

As the king and queen turned away, Pym, who had been watching for an opportunity, also scurried out. He seemed to be trying to hurry and catch up with the procession of attendants.

“Ah, wait! You there.”

Just then, Ade grabbed the wrist of the boy who was about to run off. As the boy jumped in fright and whipped around, Ade showed him a very kind smile. Ade was of noble blood, but he was not an authoritarian person, so he thought he should properly apologize even if the other person was his subordinate.

“You said your name was Pym? Again, I am sorry for the misunderstanding. It was my fault.”

However, the other party did not seem to welcome Ade’s apology very much. Far from accepting Ade’s apology, his face turned deathly pale, and he hastily shook his arm free as if he had seen something he should not have. And at this unexpected reaction, while Ade was momentarily stunned, the boy quickly turned and, before anything could be done, swiftly fled.

After he had run far away in the direction of the castle, Ade slowly straightened up. It felt as if a sudden gust of wind had swept through. Standing alone in the empty garden, he just scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Six days later, in the middle of the night, the prince’s bedroom.

After a round of passionate lovemaking, the two were sitting apart, taking a short break. Zizlon, with only a blanket covering his naked body, was leaning against the head of the bed, just staring out the window, while Aion, in a gown, sat at a table watching the pages who were coming and going from the room.

At the master’s command to prepare a simple meal, a mute page was entering the room holding a tray. The servant, who had placed two servings of wine and food on a silver tray, brought it to the bed. He then placed it on the corner of the bed opposite Zizlon, but Zizlon, seemingly lost in deep thought, did not even glance at it. At this, the queen, who had been watching quietly, stepped in.

Aion rose from his chair and gracefully approached the bed. He picked up the tray himself, crawled onto the bed, and sat down next to Zizlon.

“Prince. Please have some.”

Aion personally speared some food with a fork and offered it. It was quite a coquettish gesture. The prince’s melancholic face briefly turned in his direction, but just as quickly, he turned his head away again.

“I have no appetite.”

His low voice was wretchedly hoarse. It was the aftermath of being overworked by Aion just a few minutes before. Aion looked at such a prince lovingly, and not giving up, moved even closer to him.

“Please do not be like that. You have not been looking well lately, have you? I hear you barely eat your meals. You should not do that. You must replenish your strength, especially when you are busy.”

“I am sorry, but I really cannot eat.”

“Then please have some fruit at least.”

This time, Aion picked up an apple and held it out. As a pale hand holding a bright red apple suddenly appeared over his shoulder, the prince squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head in the opposite direction.

“Are you really going to be like this?”

Aion’s voice, coming from behind him, had sharpened a little. Normally, his heart might have pounded, but for some reason, today Zizlon just felt like he did not care.

“I am sorry.”

He apologized humbly, even though he felt no remorse.

As Zizlon, lost in other thoughts, repeatedly answered absently, Aion quietly lowered his arm. Regardless, Zizlon was simply lost in deep thought. His mind was not in this prison-like place, but at a small monastery in the countryside.

He thought of the innocently smiling Collins and Mona. The scene of the peaceful monastery and the two lovely humans looking at him while leaning on each other shimmered before his eyes. A modest wooden house with a small chimney from which white steam would rise at mealtimes, and the white, snow-covered yard spread out before it. The bucket used to draw water every morning was rolling around, and the fence that needed to be repaired, but had not been fixed because there was no suitable handyman.

Even with the ill-tempered queen behind him, thoroughly displeased, Zizlon was absorbed in an absurd thought like, I should fix that fence sometime. For some time now, Zizlon’s mind, if he let his guard down for even a moment, would invariably fly off to that small, distant monastery. Life in the castle was so painful, and the only comfort for his heart was his faith.

The only place that was ready to embrace him, the sinner. As if his mind was trying to keep its owner from breaking down, Zizlon would think of the monastery very habitually. Because he so often ignored reality and got lost in his thoughts, people had recently started saying that he always looked like someone who was distracted.

Aion felt the same way. He was the queen who had felt satisfied even seeing the prince grow gloomier by the day. Gripping their secret tightly and wielding it like a weapon, watching the prince lose everything to him, he had felt not sadness but a sense of fulfillment. But the prince’s recent behavior was making him anxious.

Lately, Aion could not read what the prince was thinking at all. For Aion, who wanted the prince’s mind to be completely filled with him, so that he would not dare to think of anything else, this was not a good sign. The prince would habitually space out, and even in front of Aion, whom he so feared, he would often get lost in other thoughts.

Even if he tried to deny it, Aion was feeling a clear sense of anxiety in this situation. He had thought he possessed the prince perfectly without a single gap, but strangely, a thought that he might lose him had recently begun to pop up unexpectedly. Even after thinking it over, there was no way for him to escape, yet it still happened. It was not the result of rational reasoning, but a thoroughly instinctive premonition.

The anxiety made Aion irritable. As Aion was fiddling with a fork and chewing on his lip, the servants distractedly moving about nearby caught his eye. Aion’s mood, which was already unpleasant, rapidly turned cold.

“Stop being annoying and get out now!”

The fork, thrown to the floor, made a harsh metallic sound as it rolled across the floor. At his fiery command, all the attendants in the room jumped in unison, and to avoid offending their venomous master’s temper, they all scurried out of the room. With the servants gone, the room, now with only the two of them, became silent in the blink of an eye.

When Aion, who had been glaring as they left, turned his head again, the prince had been looking at him since sometime before. His face was rigid as he looked at the queen who was being violent with the attendants. But Aion liked that the prince was looking at him, whatever the reason. His demonic expression once again softened into one that was elegant and gentle. As if nothing had happened, he pushed the fruit in his hand towards the prince.

“Zizlon, please have a bite, if only for the sake of the effort I put into bringing it.”

At that, Zizlon momentarily showed a look of disgust. Aion was inwardly startled at this, because Zizlon had never before shown such blatant contempt. In the first place, Aion had not even known until this very moment that the affectionate Zizlon could even make such an expression.

And Zizlon retorted in a cynical voice.

“Does someone who speaks of considering effort treat servants that way? The ones who took pains to carry it were those very servants.”

“You know I often make mistakes when I get excited. It is all because you were not looking at me and acting strangely, so I got anxious. If you just take one bite, I will not do it again.”

Aion giggled playfully. But Zizlon remained expressionless. Turning his head away again, he muttered in a cold voice.

“Do you think I am joking? So this is the courtesy between lovers you always speak of.”

“…Why are you being so sensitive, Zizlon? You are strange today. You keep getting lost in other thoughts even with me right in front of you.”

“I was not lost in other thoughts. I am perfectly aware of what I have done today. In the future, I will pay the price for today’s events. Both I, and you.”

“—Stop, do not say anymore. I really feel like I am going to be sick. You are really determined to get on my nerves today, aren’t you?”

Finally, his patience exhausted, Aion’s face turned cold as he put down the utensils. But unlike usual, the prince did not back down an inch either. Zizlon, having thoroughly frayed the queen’s nerves with his cryptic words, returned to that state that drove Aion crazy. He would clam his mouth shut and stare out the window. Seeing that, Aion was on the verge of exploding from impatience. He glared at the prince’s profile and muttered in a menacing voice.

“Look at me.”

“……”

“Look at me right now, or you will see blood for the first time in a while.”

Despite Aion’s bloodcurdling threat, Zizlon was stubborn. Zizlon, for his part, was now sick and tired of Aion’s complaints. Hearing him whine endlessly to look at him was more painful than being whipped. In any case, he no longer had much attachment to his own life. Through a series of reflections, he had learned to appreciate the pain he was experiencing. From his perspective, if he could see blood and escape this hardship, he would be grateful.

“……”

“……”

In the silent room where a cold air had descended, it felt as if time had stopped for a while. For some time now, the relationship between the two lovers had been this volatile. Unlike a typical affair, which, though immoral, was between two people madly in love, the two of them created a murderous atmosphere worse than that between enemies. This was the kind of ferocious energy that suffocated servants like Pym, which the two of them exuded daily without any regard for prying eyes.

As Zizlon stubbornly kept his head turned, the impatient queen suddenly grabbed his chin. With a pained grunt of “Ugh!”, Zizlon tensed his body to resist. Aion also put strength into his hand, trying to force him to face him. At this, Zizlon firmly gripped Aion’s shoulders and pushed him away in defiance, and a back-and-forth physical struggle broke out between Aion and Zizlon.

“Open your mouth!”

“I will not!”

“What are you trying to do by acting like this to me? You are not in a position to be doing this to me.”

As expected, Aion attacked his weak point. However, Zizlon, who had let go of everything, just scoffed in return. On the contrary, as if he had been waiting for it, he shouted in a voice more filled with malice than ever before.

“I do not need it anymore. Go out and tell His Majesty the truth right now, or do not, do as you please! It is for the better. I am sick and tired of being treated poorly while listening to your ridiculous demands. You speak of respect and courtesy, but you are the one who should have shown me those things!”

“Do not put on a bluff that will not even work! You cannot do anything even if you shout like that!”

“Yes, I was a coward! But do you think I will remain such a coward forever? You truly do not know how to be grateful that I am tolerating you! I have been letting you win all this time, hoping you would realize it yourself, but you show no sign of understanding. If that is what you want so badly, then fine. Let us pay for our sins together on this occasion!”

“That damned sin, sin, are you not sick of it? The world is full of people who live nonchalantly even after committing worse deeds! By now, you should know how to be content with reality and enjoy life within your means!”

“Reality? What is reality? Do you think this is all a finished story? Do you think it is already over? Not a chance, the situation can change at any time!”

It was at that moment, when their argument was at its peak, that the prince reached out his arm like the wind and snatched something from the tray. When Aion, startled for a moment, let go of his hand, he saw the momentary glint of a cold blade. In that instant, Aion, his mind reeling, hastily raised his hand, but it was a step too late. In the blink of an eye, he saw Zizlon mercilessly stab the knife into his own arm.

“Zizlon!”

Aion let out a piercing scream. Shaking off the pale hand that was belatedly trying to grab his arm, Zizlon coolly pulled out the knife. As soon as the knife was pulled out, blood gushed forth. Aion, his face deathly white, rushed to his arm and, frantically calling for the servants, pressed down on the wound. Only after seeing blood did Zizlon obediently give up his arm and mutter with a pale face.

“Did you see? Aion, do not be arrogant and think you possess me ever again. The situation can change at any time. As you can see, I can ‘end it’ at any time. I am merely contemplating the method. If you bring it upon yourself, then I will not refuse an ending that involves seeing blood.”

While the servants who had rushed in ran about in all directions treating the wound, Aion, his face hardened, was powerlessly pushed aside. He watched clearly the distinct premonition of death that spread across the prince’s face as he slowly closed his eyes, surrounded by the servants.

In his mind, numbed with shock, only the sharp intuition of a sorcerer was shouting over and over again. The single phrase that he must stop his escape. The flashing insight that he must create a reason for him not to be able to die.

The next day, the ‘Rose Banquet’ was held. This mysterious early winter banquet, said to have been first proposed by the young and beautiful queen of Yonaras, was held in a romantic space that gave birth to the story of winter being chased away with stones heated for love, and though it is unknown now, it was a monumental event that would later be passed down through generations and remain a royal tradition for a long time. In reality, the banquet was just a light tea party for a small number of nobles, with tables of drinks set up in the garden for guests to converse amongst themselves, scheduled to conclude simply with some light entertainment prepared by the royal family.

And another point of note was that the king himself had named this banquet. It was called ‘Aion Sisi Fiaga’. This phrase, in the Komnena regional language, meant ‘Aion’s Rose Party’, and for a while, it became a topic of conversation, with people wondering how much he must love Queen Aion to name a royal event in the queen’s native language. On one hand, some praised the king’s love as romantic, while on the other, some cautious concerns were raised about why a foreign language was used to name a royal event of Yonaras.

In any case, leaving aside such external reactions, the ‘Aion Sisi Fiaga’ was held. That day, as if helped by the heavens, the sunlight shone so warmly for the beginning of winter. The rose garden, with its fully bloomed buds thinly covered in snow, created a mysterious scene as if spring and winter coexisted. Some saw it and gossiped that such an unusual climate was an ominous sign, but that too was merely the opinion of a few disquieting individuals.

The guest seating was prepared in the center of the garden, in a circular vacant space. This was also the place where a large artificial pond was scheduled to be built at the queen’s wish. It was planned to be a considerable large-scale construction, and an architect from a distant land specially invited by the royal family was already drawing up the plans. The nobles joked that the king, who had originally been frugal and without greed for wealth, had apparently discovered the joy of spending money late in life because of his young queen.

Fortunately, the construction had not yet begun, and thanks to the ground in the middle of the garden having been leveled to make way for the pond, an unintentionally perfect venue for a party had been prepared. Chairs diligently carried by soldiers the day before and luxurious canopies were spread out, and beautiful rose blossoms decorated the seats everywhere. Guests could smell the rich fragrance of roses from any seat in the audience.

Wealthy lords, noble ladies, and their pampered children, who had been spending tedious days of peace and a monotonous daily life without anything to talk about, dressed up with all their heart for the banquet held after a long time and took their seats one by one.

Meanwhile, among the guest seats, the best spot was reserved for the royal family. The area for the few family members of the royal family was much smaller in area than the other seats, but it was not lacking in decoration. Three large chairs, adorned with beautiful carvings that seemed to rival the throne, were placed prominently in a position with a good view of the stage.

In particular, the seat where Queen Aion would sit was covered with a white, thin cloth like his skin, making it look like a chair crafted from snow. It was to the extent that even a noble who had never seen the queen in person could guess, Ah, that must be the seat where the queen will sit. And to its left was the prince’s seat, and to its right was the king’s seat. The king was scheduled to arrive after finishing his official duties, so his seat was empty, while the prince and queen had arrived just before the banquet began and filled their seats.

At the point just before the official opening, one thing that felt out of place was that, apart from the quite amiable and plausible atmosphere, the expressions of the royal family, the main characters, did not look very good. Leaving aside the fact that the seat of the king, who had taken the lead in preparing the banquet, was starkly empty, the queen, who was thought to be all excited about the banquet he had prepared himself, was expressionless, and the prince sitting next to him looked terribly bored, looking elsewhere for the entire duration of the banquet.

They seemed indifferent to everything even before the banquet began. Because of their dry expressions, as if they were bored to death, the atmosphere under the canopy was nothing short of gloomy. The only fortunate thing was that the guests, who were visiting the beautiful royal garden for the first time, were so excited that no one paid close attention to their expressions, and thanks to that, the mood did not become somber.

“……”

Aion, who had been staring at the guests expressionlessly, at some point glanced at the prince out of the corner of his eye. In truth, though no one had noticed, Aion had been conscious of Zizlon all day whenever he had a chance. The banquet, which he had been forced to hold, was already out of his mind.

Looking at Zizlon sitting on his left, Zizlon was lost in thought, looking at a distant mountain. Aion looked at his unreadable, expressionless face, and then at the arm he was resting his head on. A white bandage was wrapped tightly around the wrist, slightly revealed between the sleeves. The moment that caught his eye, a faint shadow fell over Aion’s face.

Meanwhile, Zizlon was not in a very good state. It was because his heart was set on going to the monastery, but he could not leave the palace because of the banquet scheduled for today. Moreover, the scent of roses, which he had come to hate terribly for some time now, was thick all around. He felt nauseous and was suppressing the urge to vomit that was about to come out at any moment. In fact, just sitting steadfastly in this seat was him doing his best, and far from thinking of enjoying the banquet, he only thought of escaping the royal castle immediately and becoming free.

And Pym, who stood behind Aion to assist the queen as on any other day, could see the strange current between the two at a glance, and so he was anxiously watching his master’s expression.

“His Majesty the King is arriving!”

A short while later, the king also joined them. The king, who approached his seat surrounded by greeting invitees, embraced the queen with open arms and then sat in the seat prepared for him. The seats of the king and queen were right next to each other. It was a position where their hands would slightly touch if they both placed their arms on the armrest. But the queen’s gaze was directed not to the right, but only to the left. On the other hand, the prince did not turn his head to the queen even once. What a cruel twist of fate, the hearts of the three lovers in one space were all different, each dreaming their own dream.

Aion, who had been peeking at the prince for a long time, for some reason suddenly dropped the cup he was holding. When the sound of the silver cup falling to the floor was heard, the prince reflexively looked in that direction. As if it were an ingrained habit, he got up faster than anyone to pick up the cup.

At that moment, Aion also rose quickly. He shrewdly extended his arm at the moment the prince was about to grab the cup, intending to touch his injured wrist. But the prince, sensing his ulterior motive, quickly pulled his hand back, and Aion’s hand only fumbled in the empty air.

The prince, as if nothing had happened, placed the cup on Aion’s armrest and sat back down. After the short incident was over, the queen also returned to his seat as if nothing had happened. The guests who had been watching them from nearby at some point whispered something into each other’s ears. It was a fleeting moment, but the king too, with narrowed eyes, glanced at the whispering nobles and the fallen cup.

Just then, a small commotion arose among the nobles. It was in the direction of the garden entrance. From there, people’s joyous screams erupted. The person who appeared amidst the enthusiastic welcome of the people, especially the noble ladies, was none other than the knight, Lord Villeneuve.

“A pleasure to meet you, my lords. And you, lovely ladies.”

With his characteristic affability and a broad smile, Ade continuously offered his greetings. Today, he was not in his formal attire but was wearing a ceremonial armor specially crafted with a focus on decoration. As if prepared for today, the reddish armor was splendidly embossed with roses. Villeneuve, who had clearly spent a great deal of money to look stylish, not only captured everyone’s attention at a glance but also made his already outstanding looks shine even more.

“A pleasure, a pleasure. Are you all having a good time?”

The guests were delighted as Ade provided an unexpected surprise. Indeed, as befitting a famous and popular man, people crowded around him.

“Oh my, Lord Villeneuve! What is this attire?”

“In a short while, the knights will hold a simple swordsmanship competition. Of course, I will be participating as well. I took great pains to dress up to capture the attention of the ladies. Will you cheer for me too, my lady?”

“Oh my, hahaha.”

“How amusing! Now that I look, this splendid pattern is all roses.”

“That is correct. For today, dozens of artisans worked on this one suit of armor.”

“Truly worthy of the Villeneuve family! It is an outfit that one could not even dream of without considerable wealth. Seeing your attire today, Lord Villeneuve, you are a flower knight without a doubt.”

“Then you are the Rose Knight! The Rose Knight, Lord Villeneuve.”

Laughter continuously spread among the people who had gathered in a friendly atmosphere. Ade, who had already earned the nickname of the Rose Knight, instantly became the star of the banquet and even received roses from several people. Ade, laden with roses that people had pinned on his ears, the joints of his armor, and his cape, soon emerged from the crowd of people. Zizlon, seeing him approach, finally showed something resembling a smile. Ade first offered his greetings to the queen and the king, and then approached the prince.

“Your Highness the Prince!”

“Lord Villeneuve, what is this attire?”

Zizlon’s voice was weak, but quite cheerful. A smile graced his face for the first time since he had entered the venue.

“A dandy man like me does not miss such opportunities. So, with that said, will Your Highness the Prince also be participating in the duel?”

“Me?”

When Zizlon answered, looking a little surprised, Ade retorted as if to say, what are you talking about.

“Yes, of course. Does it make sense for the best knight in the kingdom, Your Highness the Prince, not to participate in the competition? Besides, fighting with you is also a way for me to shine brighter today.”

Then Ade whispered lowly. “To be honest, apart from you, the participants today are not very impressive. I feel like I might win too easily.” At those words, the prince let out an involuntary chuckle, causing the queen, who had been looking elsewhere, to reflexively turn in his direction. Aion’s gaze was peculiar as he looked at them, their heads together, giggling.

Meanwhile, as Aion was watching them, the king also soon took notice of them. “What are the two of you talking about so intently?” he asked, and Ade, turning around, said nonchalantly.

“I was asking if His Highness the Prince would also participate in the competition.”

“Hmm? Will the prince also participate in the competition?”

“I am…”

The prince was hesitating, drawing out his words. Before he could express his intention, Aion cut in sharply.

“He cannot. His Highness the Prince is currently injured.”

“Hm? What do you mean by that?”

“Literally, Your Majesty. The prince has injured his arm.”

The gazes of the king, Ade, and the nobles who had been eavesdropping on their conversation turned to the prince. The prince, who had been about to reply, stopped and just stared at Aion, then the next moment, he smacked his lips bitterly and answered.

“…Yes. That is correct.”

The king’s eyebrows twitched.

“Where did you suddenly get injured?”

“I made a mistake due to my own carelessness while practicing with a live blade and got hurt.”

As he said that, this time Ade’s eyebrows shot up, but he could not interject in the royal family’s conversation, so he kept his mouth quietly shut.

The king turned his gaze to the queen with a strange expression.

“How did the queen know of this?”

“I saw that he had a bandage wrapped around his arm.”

Aion’s calm reply was seamless.

“Is that so? Let me see.”

“It is nothing serious.”

Zizlon, embarrassed, rolled up his sleeve, and the king could see the white bandage adorning his wrist, just as the queen had said. The king clicked his tongue.

“Why were you not more careful?”

“I was careless.”

“In any case, it seems it will be difficult for you to participate, as the queen said. Lord Villeneuve, though you may be disappointed, I hope you will understand this time.”

The prince’s cheeks, with his head bowed, turned reddish. On the other hand, the king did not even glance at the ashamed prince and asked for Ade’s understanding. As the king’s eyes turned to him, he, who had been looking at Zizlon, quickly placed a hand on his chest and bowed his head respectfully.

“Who would I dare to be insistent with! I do not mind. However, if it is not an impertinence, may I make a suggestion?”

“What is it? Go on and say it.”

“It is nothing other than, how about Her Majesty the Queen personally pinning a flower on the chest of today’s winner?”

“Oh, I see.”

It seemed Ade had come up with a plan, concerned that the competition would appear dull. His scheme was that no matter how unexciting the match, if such an event was prepared, the atmosphere would liven up. It was a glimpse of the veteran skill of a pleasure-seeker who attended every famous banquet without fail. Indeed, the king also seemed to think it was a good idea, as a spark of interest appeared in his eyes. Instead of answering right away, he asked the queen for his opinion.

“What do you think?”

“I have no reason to object.”

Aion replied politely, and the king nodded in satisfaction.

“Excellent! Then let us do that. Did everyone hear? The queen will personally pin a rose he has picked on the chest of today’s winner.”

The king announced it to the people, and the guest seating became even more boisterous. Fortunately, Ade’s plan seemed to have worked well. It was a result born of Ade’s experience that wastrels who enjoyed amusement were bound to get excited over trivial formalities.

“Then, I shall be on my way.”

Villeneuve offered his greetings once more and then briskly turned back towards the people. The prince, who had been wearing a slightly disappointed expression, once again slumped limply in his chair. Aion also began to glance at him sideways again.

The king was watching this scene carefully. When he gestured discreetly, an attendant who was waiting by his side approached and whispered something in the king’s ear. The king, while listening to his report, kept looking at the king and the prince, and then finally dismissed the attendant and turned his gaze to the knights clashing swords on the stage. And then again, there were nobles who were secretly watching the entire royal family.

Dozens of eyeballs were busily rolling around, each with its own purpose.

The prince felt little interest even in the duels of the knights he so loved. It would be more correct to see it as involuntary rather than voluntary; first, the scent of roses was too overpowering, being surrounded by people was agonizing, and more than anything, the fact that the queen was by his side was too distracting.

It was understandable, as today the queen’s behavior was a little different from usual. If it was not Zizlon’s delusion, it seemed that today the queen was not acting as thoroughly as he usually did. While he had been terribly coquettish at night, during the day he had been a queen who handled things impeccably without a single flaw, but today he was acting suggestively to a dangerous degree. Trying to brush his hand against his at every opportunity, glancing at him so persistently that it was impossible not to be conscious of it, and his attitude of rashly interjecting and reporting to the king when he was with Lord Villeneuve was also problematic.

Zizlon felt a cold sweat break out. The entire time he was seated, far from concentrating on the duels, he had to suffer from the miserable worry of whether the queen’s arm would touch his. As he was constantly paying full attention to such a trivial worry, a headache naturally developed.

It was tedious and pathetic. Every minute and every second coexisting with the queen felt like a terrifying tightrope walk. The impulse to throw everything away came to him several times, and the ominous thought of tearing his own arm with a knife was repeated in his mind.

“Prince, are you not feeling well somewhere?”

The king once asked him, perhaps because his poor condition was showing. Indeed, for the prince of usual days, losing his composure in front of the officials like this would have been unimaginable. However, as the sole heir to the royal family, he could not be neglectful in such a place, so the prince swallowed the words that he wanted to leave and consistently said he was fine. He endured the feeling of his stomach about to turn over and displayed superhuman mental strength to straighten his back.

The result of the duel was not much different from what was expected. Ade, the deputy commander of the Royal Guard, defeated the challengers one by one and took the victory. With the exception of a few knights, the challengers were all not up to his level, but Lord Villeneuve provided the guests with some entertainment with his dance-like, ornate movements and fluid sword dance. Following that, the vassal who was judging loudly declared that the ‘Rose Knight’ Ade had earned the honor of receiving the queen’s flower.

When his turn came, Aion tactfully rose from his seat. Amidst everyone’s expectant gazes, Aion spoke.

“Congratulations, Lord Villeneuve. It is reassuring to think that a skilled person like you is protecting us day and night.”

“You praise me too highly.”

Though it was merely a formal greeting, Ade grinned and bowed deeply. Regardless, Aion was unimpressed. Then, extending his pale arm before him, he said.

“It is an honor for me as well to present a rose to the brilliant winner. So, with that said—there is a way to make this occasion even more brilliant. How about His Highness the Prince choosing the rose to be pinned on Lord Villeneuve?”

The gazes of the king and Zizlon simultaneously turned to the queen. The guests busily looked back and forth between the prince, the queen, and the king. As soon as Zizlon heard the queen’s words, his face flushed with humiliation. After being shamefully injured and just now being forced to withdraw humiliatingly by another’s will in front of all the officials, what would people whisper if he were seen holding nothing but garden shears and cutting flowers? Putting that aside, how could he, unless he was insane, show a hint of a connection between them like this in front of everyone? The prince momentarily suspected that the queen had gone mad.

Given the situation, it was impossible for polite words to come out. Zizlon’s face hardened irresistibly, and a sharp voice reflexively came out.

“I must decline. It is the queen’s role to congratulate the winner.”

It was a direct refusal, certainly distant from the euphemistic language of the upper class, in short, a remark that boldly trampled on the queen’s dignity. At the prince’s frosty voice, the atmosphere of the banquet cooled down as if cold water had been thrown on it.

The audience began to whisper fiercely, lowering their voices.

“My goodness! Is that the prince we knew?”

“Indeed. He seems like a different person today.”

“They said their mother-son relationship was so close, but I guess that was not the case.”

“They must have fought for some reason.”

“Be that as it in, the queen went out of his way to give him a chance to shine, so does he really have to go this far…”

The prince, his face pale, turned his head away. Aion, who had been watching him quietly, calmly accepted a pair of silver scissors from an attendant. He approached the rose bush obediently without a word, but his back, as he quietly cut the rose without a single complaint, looked particularly pathetic, arousing sympathy in the hearts of some tender-hearted nobles.

“They said the prince was kind and gentle regardless of status, but I guess that was not the case either…”

It was at that moment. “Ah!” The queen let out a single cry. A surprised attendant approached and saw a bead of blood forming on his finger. He had pricked himself on a thorn while trying to cut a rose. A sympathetic sigh of admiration erupted from among the nobles. The face of the king, who had been watching all of this, had been hardened for some time.

As the disgraceful discord of the royal family was revealed to the whole world, the atmosphere of the banquet was heading towards a touch-and-go situation without a moment’s rest. The stubbornly silent prince, the queen clutching his finger, the king with his lips pressed tightly as if about to explode at any moment. Lord Villeneuve, who had been busily looking back and forth between the three royals, watching their expressions, at that very moment, opened his mouth nonchalantly.

“It seems something is about to happen to me soon! Where else could I find such an honor as to receive a rose imbued with the blood of the beautiful queen?”

The cheerful voice broke the silence and refreshed the air that had been frozen cold. People’s gazes turned to Villeneuve, and then Villeneuve spoke in an even more nonchalant voice.

“There is only one rose in the world imbued with the queen’s blood, that one right there. Where else could there be such an honor? Look. Does that one rose not seem redder than the others?”

The voices in the guest seating, which had been cut off, began to murmur again. Those who had been watching the frozen atmosphere cautiously finally let out a breath and chuckled. People made a fuss, saying, “Indeed, one could give it that meaning as well,” and expressed their admiration. Those who found Villeneuve’s idea amusing also burst into laughter, saying ‘ho ho’. The atmosphere had dramatically improved just before it crossed a point of no return. Pym, who had been watching all of this, also secretly stroked his chest in relief.

And during the course of these events, there was one person who had been silently watching the royal family, keeping his mouth shut. It was the young heir of the House of Count Insent of the Vetlen territory, one of the powerful figures, Marquis Insent, with his salt-and-pepper hair stylishly swept back. As the public atmosphere became gentle again, he stealthily rose and quietly disappeared somewhere.

Then, pushed by the silent criticism, the prince found a suitable blossom and cut it with the scissors. He handed it to Aion while pointedly looking away, and then Aion’s finger brushed against his hand. At that moment, Zizlon’s shoulder trembled slightly, but he instantly feigned composure. A faint, bitter smile also seemed to flash across the lips of the queen who had finally achieved his goal. The king’s beard, who had been watching all of this, twitched very slightly, and while Aion was pinning the rose to Villeneuve’s chest with melted wax, he left only the words that he had urgent business and disappeared in a flash.

Not long after the king left, the prince also got up from his seat, making the excuse that he was not feeling well. The queen tried to stop him, saying something, but the prince did not even listen and left as if he were fleeing. Only his attendant, Pym, noticed the queen’s expression hardening slightly.

Then, the queen also did not stay long and left his seat, and before the banquet was over, the few seats of the royal family were completely empty. Fortunately, thanks to the fun-loving nobles and the great performance of Lord Villeneuve, the first ‘Aion Sisi Fiaga’ ended successfully. Excluding what conflicts were born and exchanged behind the scenes, that is, if one were to look only at the surface.

Queen Aion strode across the garden with angry steps.