TTQI 21

The news came that the prince had been denied an audience for the fifteenth time already. The king, who had begun treating the prince coldly at some point, had been ignoring the prince’s requests to meet for dozens of days. It was rumored that the vassals, upon hearing the news that was now more unsurprising than shocking, whispered into each other’s ears.

Since some time ago, the once peaceful royal palace had become a hotbed of ceaseless rumors. The catalyst, above all else, was the falling out between the prince and the queen. The mother and son, whose relationship had been so tight-knit and intimate that it was hard to believe they were not related by blood, serving as a model for others, had overnight become sworn enemies, busy growling at each other.

No one knew how such a harmonious relationship had deteriorated so rapidly, but the moment their volatile relationship was revealed to the whole world was clear. It was the day a certain incident occurred a few days ago.

It had been several months since the prince was confined, which had fanned the flames of rumors about the royal family’s discord, and after which the prince, seemingly shocked by the event, had secluded himself for several days before reappearing. Around that time, it was an open secret that both the queen and the prince had become noticeably more active in their political activities.

Ostensibly, these were social activities, but in truth, both were forming their own factions and flaunting their influence. Still, up to that point, no one knew that the two were hostile to each other.

Then one day, it happened. Just past noon, the prince and the queen happened to run into each other in the corridor leading to the Great Hall. The nobles led by the gallant prince and the royalist nobles including the queen came face to face.

And in that moment, a strange, inexplicable tension filled the corridor. The vassals who knew nothing, and even the nobles who were not heavily involved in politics, found themselves unconsciously watching the two. The atmosphere was that unusual.

Despite the large number of people confronting each other, the corridor was excessively silent as no one uttered even a common greeting. Above all, the prince and the queen, standing face to face, were not acting as warm as usual but were merely staring at each other for a long time. For a time that could be considered short or long, the two exchanged glances without a word.

Perhaps it should be called a relief, but their war of nerves seemed to end rather anticlimactically compared to the serious atmosphere. It was because the group, who had been exchanging meaningful glances for a short time, began to move on all at once. The prince and the queen passed each other peacefully, except for the fact that they did not exchange their usual warm greetings. Even that was a significant enough event for those who loved to gossip to chatter about excitedly, but it was not a huge deal. The people watching them also tried to mindlessly go on their way. However, just at the very moment when everyone was letting their guard down, the situation changed completely.

“Queen. Just make one tiny mistake.”

The queen, who was about to pass the prince, came to an abrupt halt. The prince was not looking at the queen but remained stopped in his place. Perhaps because of the prince’s intimidating presence, the low, stiff voice that suddenly came out was clearly quiet, yet it was heard by everyone present.

“Because that will be the moment I will end you.”

The crowd watching them froze all at once. The majority of them were doubting whether what they had just heard was an auditory hallucination, or if the prince had gone mad. It was that shocking of an incident.

But unconcerned by the gazes of those staring at them with mouths agape, the two glared at each other again. And the queen’s subsequent reaction was particularly a masterpiece. The queen scoffed. Far from being afraid, she was calm and composed, as if finding it ridiculous. After letting out a chuckle as if she had just seen a cute little trick, she then turned and left without even a word of reply. The prince stood there for a moment with a hardened expression, then soon led his group and left the scene.

Only the witnesses who had observed everything were thrown into chaos. A fierce murmur began in the place they had passed, and in just a few days, the news that the two were at odds reached the ears of every noble residing in the capital.

After the start of the rumors, the two methodically made their discord official. News of their friction being witnessed was heard almost every day. It was said they had a verbal dispute because their opinions didn’t align, that they glared at each other all day at an official gathering, that the king now only invited the queen to meals and would not even dine with the prince… The news varied.

And just as a crow might find its way into a flock of swans, among the true reports, wicked rumors also slyly joined in. Ominous rumors that had been secretly circulating even before the dispute began to be mentioned more openly. For example, things like, ‘I heard the prince secretly harbored wicked feelings but was rejected,’ ‘I heard he held a grudge over it and they became enemies,’ ‘I heard that in fact, Aion is a wicked witch and the prince figured out his true identity…’ and so on.

In any case, although the rumors were plentiful, one thing was certain: no one knew what was true and what was false. As the king had also started to treat the prince coldly at the perfect time, everyone could only vaguely speculate that it was a family feud within the royal house.

“I heard the prince pointed out that the queen’s way of greeting was not in accordance with court etiquette and had him flogged on the calves today.”

“The queen is from Komnena, so it’s natural for him to be clumsy with Yonaras etiquette. Isn’t the prince being too harsh?”

Even after that, the protagonists of the hot rumors continued to show themselves clashing. In the garden, in the corridors, in the hall, in the audience chamber and the council, an endless stream of trivial incidents occurred that would make any rumor-loving noble go crazy with gossip. Ironically, a sense of liveliness even began to pervade the once-quiet entirety of Yonaras.

Once, the prince even held a sword to the queen’s neck. The cause was likely that one day, when the queen’s servant was bringing him ink, he spilled some on the floor, and the queen slapped the attendant’s cheek.

The queen’s hand was exceptionally stinging, but it was common for a master to punish a servant by slapping his cheek. However, the prince, who happened to be watching nearby, suddenly drew his sword, making the situation serious. But witnesses said that what was more frightening than the bloodthirsty sword was the prince’s gaze as he glared menacingly at the queen without a single word.

Fortunately, the tense atmosphere seemed to enter a lull as the queen yielded first. The queen looked at that vicious expression for a while and then calmly admitted his fault. Compared to the prince, who had been on edge and easily agitated since a certain day, the queen was excessively generous towards him. To the point that rumors circulated about whether he had some kind of weakness that had been exploited.

The queen offered a humble apology to the servant, who was on the verge of fainting, and upon seeing this, the prince thankfully put away his sword meekly. The incident was thus settled. However, the next chapter of the event was witnessed by an attendant working in the office that night. In the evening, while the prince was giving orders to the soldiers as usual, the king, having finished his official duties, burst into the room leading his attendants. And what’s more, he had supposedly slapped the surprised prince’s cheek without any warning. The attendant recounted that even now, his knees trembled when he recalled the bloodthirsty atmosphere of that moment.

“Are you out of your mind? Have you completely lost all sense of propriety?”

Amidst the murderous scolding, the prince, who had fallen to the floor, slowly picked himself up. Compared to the astonished crowd, his own reaction was far too calm. Belying the temper that had made him draw a sword against the queen, the prince admitted his fault obediently without a single excuse when facing the king. As the prince acted submissively, to a point that could be seen as servile, the king, though fuming, was quickly satisfied and went back.

As the prince was usually doted on by his father, the witnesses to the series of events had thought the prince would show some sort of strong reaction. But the prince, even with a bright red handprint on his cheek, returned to his seat as if nothing had happened.

With this kind of news being heard every day, it was clear even to those who knew nothing that the relationship between the three of them was smoothly deteriorating. Unverified rumors grew rampant, and the atmosphere in the royal family grew more hostile by the day, and people, one by one, began to sense, whether by reason or instinct, that some huge disaster was approaching them.

[When will you come again?]

The prince looked at the small note placed on his palm. The piece of paper, small enough to fit snugly in his hand, contained a short message in a scraggly handwriting. Zizlon looked at the writing for a moment with a complicated expression, then quietly crumpled it in his fist.

The letter was from Mona, an orphan cared for by Brother Collins. He had sent an attendant to ask if they were all right, and unexpectedly received this note in return. Zizlon was quite surprised, as he hadn’t thought Mona would know how to write. Then again, Brother Collins was a monk and the son of a noble family, so it made sense that he knew how to write, and Mona had probably already started learning from the brother. The thought of the child writing each letter with his own small, fern-like hands instead of asking someone else to do it made his heart ache.

The aching feeling soon turned into a stinging pain in his chest. Sitting by the pond in the deserted garden, Zizlon spent a long time calming his troubled heart. His heart in recent days was a ruin, to the point where a moment of comfort was tearfully moving.

‘I wonder if they still haven’t fixed that fence? It would have been better if I had sent soldiers to help with the fence repair when I sent the person…’

These days, he had to pay more attention to maintaining his image than ever before. As the conflict with the queen came to the surface, the queen’s followers, seeking to damage his reputation, were constantly looking for opportunities to speak ill of him to the king. In a situation where he was reluctant to even leave his post for a moment, he couldn’t dare to imagine what kind of rumors would circulate about him if he disappeared without announcing his destination. Especially these days when the king was displeased with him, Zizlon had to be careful with every single action. He particularly needed to refrain from frequent outings, something the king had already taken issue with once.

Suddenly, a deep, dark sorrow cast a shadow over Zizlon’s face. His hand slowly moved to his abdomen. He felt that his lower abdomen, which had been only flat, seemed to have become slightly rounded.

For several days immediately after his confinement ended, Zizlon had spent a hellish time in unspeakable fear. Not daring to see a doctor, he had snuck around among the commoners like a thief and had done everything in his power that was said to help with contraception. He drank hard liquor like water or found herbs that commoners used for abortions and chewed on them until his tongue throbbed. Anyway, he had done everything he could.

But he could not escape the anxiety. Because there was no doctor who could assure him that a child had not been conceived. He could only try to comfort himself that the contraception must have worked.

For about two months, tormented by anxiety while trying hard to deny the possibility, Zizlon couldn’t shake the thought that his belly seemed to be growing lately.

‘What if… what if I really have a child? Putting aside giving birth, how am I supposed to hide it once my belly starts to show?’

It was truly terrifying to be tormented by this kind of fear, which no normal man would ever experience. He felt like he was about to go crazy, so he tried hard not to think about it, but whenever he had free time, he would feel the presence of the child. Every time, Zizlon’s vision would go dark, as if a huge curtain had fallen before him.

Zizlon tried hard not to remember. When he became conscious of everything, he felt such an intense suicidal urge that it felt dangerous. The self-loathing for trying to erase a young life as if it were a matter of course. The self-disgust that came from having an unnatural body. If he were to face these overwhelming emotions head-on, he would be crushed to death by their weight.

Ironically, what kept him tied to this world was the existence of the hateful Aion. As one of the few people who knew his true identity, Zizlon had a responsibility to defeat him. The responsibility to root out the evil queen from the royal family, and the sense of mission to rebuild his family, were preventing his suicidal urges. Above all, his life was not his own until he could save his beloved father from the queen’s evil clutches.

However, Zizlon was already too tired. It was a struggle to endure each day. Perhaps because he was so exhausted, Zizlon would intermittently become empty. If he let his guard down, his reason would blur, and he would lose his sense of reality, as if his soul had been sucked into a distant, different world.

It was the same now. Zizlon, who had become dazed in a moment of inattention, was caressing his belly for a long time. It was then that a voice he suddenly heard pulled him back to reality.

“Zizlon!”

Startled, Zizlon flinched and raised his head. He must have been deeply lost in thought, for Ade was waving his hand and approaching him. Zizlon recognized his face and slowly got up. In fact, the person he had been waiting for by the pond was Ade.

“Zizlon, you called for me?”

“That’s right. Good morning, Ade.”

When Zizlon extended his hand to Ade, who greeted him cheerfully as always, a calloused hand firmly grasped his. The rough hand had never felt so welcoming. From the cheerful air and the distinct tactile sensation exuding a strong sense of reality, Zizlon managed to shake off some of his gloomy thoughts. The two patted each other’s shoulders in a friendly greeting and then parted.

“So what’s up? You’ve been so busy lately you haven’t even shown your face.”

“I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Well… would you let me sleep at your place for a while?”

“What?”

Zizlon brought up his request somewhat hesitantly. When Ade raised his eyebrows and tilted his head, Zizlon felt a pang of guilt and deliberately looked away. It was because the reason for his request was not honorable. It was for no other reason than to avoid the queen’s visits.

“It’s not a difficult thing to do, but why?”

“Umm, it’s not for any particular big reason, but I thought we could talk about work for a while…”

Zizlon made up various excuses, but none of them were particularly valid. To anyone watching, it would surely look like he was rambling on with whatever excuse came to mind. Zizlon felt his face flush with embarrassment.

However, Ade, who was watching him quietly, guessed that he must have some unspeakable circumstances. He was a good enough friend to grant the request without prying in such a situation. Although he was curious about the reason, it was the first time he had seen Zizlon so desperate, so he even felt a sense of duty that he must comply.

Once he made up his mind, Ade deliberately threw a jest in a nonchalant voice. It was out of consideration to not make Zizlon feel embarrassed.

“Hmm! Now I see, your intentions are obvious.”

“Uh, huh?”

As if startled, Zizlon blinked his wide, rabbit-like eyes rapidly. Ade grinned at the sight.

“You’re planning to sneak into my bed at night, aren’t you. Hmm? This body of mine is so popular, things like that have happened quite often. But still, I never thought the great Prince himself would attempt a physical assault. If you pounce on me with that voluptuous body, even I might be swept off my feet.”

“…Ha, haha.”

Zizlon laughed, his forced laughter painfully obvious, and Ade wore a satisfied expression as he got the expected reaction. A brief awkward atmosphere passed between them, but it was just like their usual selves. When Ade threw a tasteless joke, the prince would always react with disgust. They had been together for so long that one would think he would have gotten used to it, but the prince’s chilly reaction was always the same. It was a secret, but Ade even felt a strange thrill when he was rebuked by the prince.

Ade blinked his eyes innocently.

“Hmm? Am I wrong?”

“Your bizarre jokes never change… How can you say something like that to me on a day like this? It’s disgusting.”

“What’s wrong with it? Well, but, to be serious, among nobles with a taste for men, a body like yours is more popular than you’d think…”

“That’s enough. Anyway, does that mean you’ll allow it?”

Just as the unpleasant conversation was about to begin, the prince cut it off firmly. Listening to it any further was starting to make his stomach turn. Ade, oblivious, just laughed heartily, “Haha.” Fortunately, he seemed to have missed Zizlon’s tormented gaze. Just then, Ade let out a short sigh as if he remembered something.

“Ah, come to think of it, I had something to tell you too.”

“What is it?”

“It’s not that, but the queen asked to have a meal together…”

Zizlon, who had asked without much thought, hardened his face as soon as the queen was mentioned. Although he tried his best not to show the people around him about the dispute between them, he couldn’t help his face from stiffening, given what the queen had done. At the drastic change in expression, Ade, this time too, stopped talking in surprise. Zizlon, still failing to manage his expression, waved his hand.

“I’m sorry, but tell him I don’t have time. I’ve been eating with the soldiers lately.”

Ade seemed to be gauging the situation for a moment before returning to an indifferent expression.

“Well, this is just my thought, but isn’t it actually His Majesty the King who wants to have a meal with you? And perhaps the queen, knowing his inner thoughts, gave you a hint?”

There was a reason Ade brought this up so cheerfully. The moment he heard the queen’s subtle tone, he had guessed that the queen might be trying to give him a nudge after reading the king’s intentions. He had run over excitedly, thinking Zizlon would be pleased, but unexpectedly, the prince’s reaction was nothing but cold.

“Ha, that person? That’s a useless thought.”

Zizlon sneered coldly. His strong reaction was so unexpected that Ade ended up shutting his mouth. As childhood friends, he had been close with Zizlon for decades, but it was almost the first time he had shown such an aggressive side in front of Ade. In fact, Ade had thought Zizlon was someone who didn’t even know how to hate anyone. To him, Zizlon’s reaction was even a minor shock.

Subsequently, Zizlon belatedly became aware of the uncomfortable atmosphere. Noticing Ade’s surprised expression, he slowly relaxed his face and apologized with an embarrassed look.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to blame you…”

“I’m fine.”

Although Ade reassured him that it was okay, the stiff atmosphere was still quite chilly. Zizlon, unfamiliar with the awkward mood, fidgeted, not knowing what to do. Watching him, Ade gave a bitter smile and offered advice cautiously.

“I heard you fought with the queen?”

“Ah… you knew?”

“I don’t know what happened, but don’t let it get too serious. You still live under the same roof, right? You’re not one to get angry without a reason, but still, I’m sure the queen didn’t make a mistake with bad intentions.”

“……”

“Hmm, anyway, hang in there, and I’ll see you at my quarters tonight. I’ll prepare something delicious.”

Ade patted Zizlon’s back with an exaggerated motion to diffuse the somber mood. While receiving his encouragement, an utterly gloomy shadow fell over Zizlon’s face. But Ade failed to notice that change and, after bidding farewell, briskly left.

Aion lay stretched out on the sofa, fiddling with a piece of wood he held in his hand. It appeared to be a roughly carved circular frame with a sacred symbol engraved on it. In any case, it did not look like a luxury item that a member of the royal family would possess. His follower, Count Luca, who was in the middle of delivering news beside the queen, noticed it and asked.

“Are you interested in woodcraft? I know a good craftsman…”

“No.”

Aion shook his head coolly. He rolled up the paper that had been spread out on his lap, placed it on the table, and rose to his feet. Knowing it was a signal to end the meeting, Luca also got up to follow him.

“I will summarize the rest of the report in writing and submit it.”

The quick-witted and astute count spoke up on his own without Aion giving any specific instructions. He was a bright subordinate, good to have by one’s side. Aion nodded expressionlessly and called an attendant to see him out. Once Count Luca had withdrawn, Aion called for a servant. Pym, along with two or three other servants, approached him.

“Let’s finish for today and go to him.”

Aion ended the meeting earlier than usual. It was for no other reason than the desire to see the prince as soon as possible. His heart impatient, Aion began to lead the way down the stairs, and the attendants hurriedly followed behind him.

“……”

As he descended the stairs, Aion suddenly broke into a smile. Since some point in time, just thinking of the prince’s face made him smile automatically. That time was probably after the day he had gotten the prince pregnant. It was also the point when Zizlon found out the truth and they became complete enemies, but conversely, Aion’s attachment to Zizlon had grown even stronger. It was a natural thing. As a man, his feelings for the one carrying his seed were bound to become special.

This was also the reason why Aion couldn’t bring himself to treat him harshly, no matter how rude Zizlon’s words and actions were, no matter how fiercely he growled. It made sense; thinking that while Zizlon was baring his teeth at him, he was in fact preciously carrying his child deep within his body, just made him seem cute. He couldn’t stay cool-headed, to the point of wondering if he could be this soft. On the contrary, he just wanted to hold the him who glared at him murderously, kiss him, and shower him with affection. Thinking about it again, creating the child was a good choice.

Moreover, the fact that the prince had started to rebel was of little significance, as Aion’s situation these days was nothing but smooth. Thanks to thorough preparations under the surface, not only were his plans proceeding smoothly without any hitches, both publicly and privately, but it was also good that Zizlon rarely wandered outside the castle, as he was busy watching the king’s mood and keeping an eye on Aion himself.

Until a few months ago, hadn’t he been going out almost every day and gradually showing strange behavior after returning? During that time, Aion had secretly felt anxious. Compared to then, the current situation where he was focused on him while growling was a hundred times better.

So Aion found himself wanting to see Zizlon all the time. He wanted to meet Zizlon, who would bristle with sharp thorns and throw a fit at him, and love him to his heart’s content. Just today, Aion had been listening to Count Luca’s report when he suddenly thought of Zizlon. One thought led to another. He decided that he would soon hold the struggling prince tight and kiss his belly. Having made his decision, Aion did not hesitate and immediately put his thoughts into action.

In the middle of the night, Aion walked along the dark-shrouded corridor. He had come and gone so often that he could probably find his way even with his eyes closed in the middle of the night. Walking along the familiar corridor, he soon reached his desired destination. The prince’s door, located in the most secluded part of the castle, came into view. Just seeing that door already made his stomach tingle.

Presently, the queen gripped the doorknobs tightly with both hands. Until the moment he flung the door wide open, contemplating how to catch the tantrum-throwing prince and press his lips to his belly, Aion’s spirits were soaring.

But immediately following, his heart turned cold as if doused with icy water at the sight of the dark, unlit room that unfolded before his eyes.

“……”

It was time for the prince to have already returned and be sitting there. But the room, empty without a single sign of life, was cold and dark. Like Zizlon’s heart towards Aion, it contained nothing.

Aion stood silently, his hands still on the doorknobs. The servants who had also witnessed the empty room all held their breath in unison. Behind the silent queen’s back, they busily exchanged anxious glances. Pym also swallowed hard.

Most of them thought that Aion would explode into a fit of rage at any moment. As Queen Aion was of a tyrannical nature who would often take out his anger on innocent bystanders when his mood soured, their anxious faces naturally turned pale.

However, contrary to their expectations, Aion did not show a strong reaction. He spun around violently without a word, but his turned face was stiff and his two tightly clenched fists were white. The servants lined up behind him were startled. And for fear of getting caught in the crossfire, they scattered out of the way in a flash. Fortunately, Aion did not take his anger out on them. It seemed he was too preoccupied with a greater emotion to even notice the servants.

Sure enough, Aion brushed past the servants and started heading somewhere on his own accord. As if his mind was elsewhere, he didn’t even give a separate order for the servants to follow. The quick-witted servants followed the queen on their own. Trailing behind Aion’s back as he walked in ominous silence, they erased their presence as much as possible, as if they were dead mice. It was because it was obvious that if they were to be noticed, they would receive a truly harsh punishment.

At night, after finishing their official duties, the prince and Ade reunited at Ade’s quarters, located on the southeast side of the castle wall. The quarters, with three or four servants, a kitchen, a living room, and two small additional rooms, were modest for the son of a high noble family but represented a fairly good standard of living for a soldier residing in the castle.

Ade warmly welcomed Zizlon and had his servants serve a warm meal. Although the schedule was arranged suddenly and time was limited, a magnificent spread of smoked meat, wine, freshly baked bread, and high-quality cheese, diligently prepared by the servants, was laid out.

“Here, eat as much as you like.”

“Um… thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Your complexion has been looking pale lately, so I wanted to take special care.”

The two sat facing each other at the dining table. As Ade cheerfully urged him to eat, Zizlon hesitantly picked up his fork. In truth, he was not in the mood to put any food in his mouth. But it was difficult to refuse in front of the host who had prepared the meal with such care, so he forced himself to pick up a piece of meat and push it into his mouth.

However, trying to eat forcefully when his body was not accepting it was the cause of the problem. As soon as Zizlon put the food in his mouth, he gagged.

“Ugh.”

“What’s wrong?”

Ade is startled and raises his head. And just as he is about to call a servant and ask if it contained figs, Zizlon raises his hand to stop him. Zizlon forces himself to swallow the meat and then puts down his utensils with a listless expression.

“Actually, my stomach isn’t feeling so well today.”

“What? Then you should have said so earlier.”

“I feel bad.”

“What’s the big deal between us? If you really can’t eat, I’ll have it put away. Don’t force yourself to eat.”

Ade called a servant and ordered him to clear Zizlon’s portion, and Zizlon, while watching this with a gloomy expression, did not stop him. Ade, who was suddenly left to eat alone, made a simple meal out of a few pieces of bread. The rest of the food became the servants’ share. Zizlon felt so sorry that he apologized repeatedly.

“I’m really sorry. You went to the trouble of preparing all this.”

“No, it’s okay. By the way, what’s wrong? For someone who’s all about health, you’ve lost your appetite. Anyway, that’s a shame.”

Still, after the meal, they forgot about the brief disappointment and enjoyed a pleasant chat. Being alone together for the first time in a while made them quite merry, and the two endlessly sipped wine and water while laughing and talking. So engrossed in conversation that they lost track of time, they only prepared for bed well past their usual bedtime.

There was no separate guest room, so the servants brought a bed into the bedroom where Ade slept. Thanks to the spaciousness of the room, they were spared the fate of having to sleep in the same bed. The servants and the host showed signs of apology, but Zizlon was satisfied.

“Well then, sleep well. See you tomorrow.”

“You too.”

The two waved to each other and then got into their respective covers.

The unlit room was pitch black without a single speck of light. Only the small window, through which the moonlight faintly seeped in, revealed its outline as if it were floating in the darkness. Zizlon felt a faint breeze and pulled the blanket over his shoulders. For some reason, sleep did not seem to come easily. It was not because the bed was uncomfortable. Ade had decorated the room with only luxurious bedding, no less than that of the royal family. It was something else that made him anxious.

Whoosh…

The wind seeping through a crack in the wood somewhere made an eerie sound. For what must have been the umpteenth time, Zizlon flinched and opened his eyes. He would invariably open his eyes and look around every time the sound of the wind was heard intermittently. His palms were already damp with cold sweat.

It was safe to say that this was almost the first time he had not met the queen at night since ‘that day’ several months ago. Although he had not had sexual relations with the queen since that hellish seven-day confinement, Zizlon had always waited for him, warming the bed like a chamber servant waiting for his master. This was the first time he had not waited for the queen in his bedroom at night like this, so he couldn’t possibly imagine how he would react. Although he had dared to escape with the determination to cut ties with the queen for good, it was an irresistible force that fear would arise when he imagined how the queen would react.

Would he get angry with that creepy, expressionless face as usual? Or would he think I haven’t arrived yet and wait for me? Perhaps he would think one day is no big deal and let it pass?

Zizlon tossed and turned, unable to sleep, tormented by his worries. Perhaps because his senses were heightened by fear, useless noises kept making him uncomfortable. Cold sweat kept breaking out in anxiety, and every sound around him got on his nerves. In the end, every sound of the wind, every rustle, sounded like Aion.

Knock knock…

“!”

Just then, there was a sound like something knocking on the door. In that moment, Zizlon was so startled that he almost jumped out of bed.

Zizlon, who had long since lost any intention of falling asleep, suppressed a scream that was about to burst out and pulled the covers over his head. Zizlon held his breath so that the intruder would not hear him. And like a paranoid patient, he began to rack his brain fiercely about what the source of the noise he had just heard was.

‘Was it the sound of something flying in the wind and hitting the wall? Or was it the sound of something falling outside the room? It might be the sound of water dripping from the eaves and hitting the window…’

However, no matter what he thought of, nothing seemed quite right. Before long, Zizlon was possessed by the thought that the sound he had just heard sounded too much like a person knocking on the door. The interval and volume of the sound, no matter how he thought about it, seemed to be a sound made intentionally by a person. While thinking it was absurd, the image of the queen standing beyond the door kept being drawn in his mind.

No. There’s no way the queen would do such a thing…. But, doesn’t he know better than anyone? The queen who commits shocking acts without batting an eye. What should I do? Should I go check? Zizlon was conflicted. It seemed he could only fall asleep if he confirmed that there was no one outside the door….

“Zizlon?”

It was then. Ade’s voice was heard, and Zizlon was jolted out of his thoughts.

“……”

Zizlon opened his eyes in the darkness. He held his breath like someone who had just woken up and quickly darted his eyes around. The scenery of the dark room came into view. He became aware of his skin, which was damp with cold sweat, and realized that he had been repeating paranoid delusions under the covers like a madman.

While he was at a loss for words, Ade’s voice was heard again.

“Is something wrong?”

“…Yes.”

Zizlon managed to answer with a low sigh. Then, because his answering voice was very subdued, he hastily cleared his throat.

“……”

He could feel a gaze watching him in the darkness. It turned out that Ade had been paying attention to his movements. He must have asked because he knew he was tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

After a while, Zizlon, having mustered up his courage, slowly turned around. Ade was lying on his back, looking at the ceiling with his eyes closed. It was a relief that he didn’t seem to have seen him wiping his cold sweat. Zizlon, feeling much more at ease, rustled the covers up again and focused on falling asleep again.

Whoosh… Clatter, clatter.

As soon as the human voice disappeared, all sorts of noises came again.

Clatter, clatter… Thud. Knock knock.

Zizlon’s shoulders trembled again as he opened his eyes. The sound he heard from time to time was, no matter how he listened, unmistakably a knocking sound. Every night, when he waited alone in bed, Aion would knock on the door with that exact sound.

His heart began to pound like a drum, ‘thump thump,’ but Zizlon squeezed his eyes shut and tried to shake off the thoughts. It must be a mistake. No matter how insolent the queen was, there was no reason for him to barge into a room that was not his alone like this. The worry that he would come was, to anyone, nothing more than a crazy fantasy.

Thump, thump.

Zizlon’s closed eyes flew open.

Wait, isn’t that the sound of footsteps?

The knocking is one thing, but how can I hear a sound like this?

No matter how he thought about it, it was strange. As soon as he sensed something was wrong, his suspicion amplified without limit. His heart was beating as if it would explode.

How can I keep hearing sounds like this? Can auditory hallucinations be this clear and distinct? Could it be that Aion really did something outrageous? Could he have shamelessly barged into someone else’s house and be standing at the door, laughing as he watches how I act and get scared?

—Or could this all be Aion’s wicked sorcery? Is there such a thing as sorcery that makes people hear auditory hallucinations? Could it be that I am going crazy? Could it be that Aion has been putting something in the food he eats, making both his body and mind sick….

“You know…”

“Uh, huh?”

At that moment, Ade spoke again. Zizlon was pulled back to reality with great speed. He swallowed the scream that was about to erupt.

Fortunately, Ade didn’t seem to have noticed his ragged breath. He thought he had fallen asleep, but it seemed he had been lost in thought ever since he called his name earlier. The reason was unexpected. Ade spoke in a calm, yet affectionate voice.

“I heard you’ve been a bit distant with His Majesty lately.”

“…Yes.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but it will be okay. I hope it gets resolved well.”

It seemed he had been unable to sleep and had been hesitating for a long time about whether to comfort him or not. His voice, which must have been a result of long deliberation, lacked its usual playfulness. Instead, it was filled with a very serious and considerate concern.

“……”

Zizlon’s throat choked up. When he quietly turned around, he could see Ade’s back as he lay facing the wall. He couldn’t see his expression, but he could imagine it well enough.

“…Thank you.”

Zizlon muttered while looking at his back. Then he saw Ade nod his head without answering. Watching him, Zizlon tasted the inevitable sense of gloom. His heart was so heavy that for a while, he wasn’t bothered by other noises, and in that gap, he somehow managed to fall asleep.

It was one day in the afternoon. On his way to a meeting with Marquis Yngsen and his supporters, Zizlon suddenly thought of Collins and Mona. He had not been able to visit them for several days. It was still too much to go in person, but the fence, which seemed so broken that wild animals could cross it freely, weighed on his mind. On his way out of the room, he called one of the royal guards.

“You, come over here. I have something to ask of you.”

The soldier approached him, bowed his head low, and waited for Zizlon to give his order. Zizlon was about to order him to go to the monastery in the small fief next to them, see how the people were doing, and fix the fence while he was there, but he thought it would be better not to reveal his true intentions as much as possible, even though he was a soldier under him. Since it was a time when it wouldn’t hurt to be careful, Zizlon first took out some money from his pocket, put it in a pouch, and said.

“There is a small monastery in the small fief next door called Sen. With this money, buy a good bottle of wine and deliver it to the monk there as a gift from me.”

The prince said this even though he knew that Brother Collins would refuse a gift of wine. The soldier obediently took the money and put it in his pocket. Then he asked Zizlon cautiously.

“Prince, if I may be so bold as to ask, what is your relationship with that person?”

Zizlon answered smoothly without being flustered.

“The head monk there is from a noble family, and his father is a renowned noble whom I know well. I am trying to build a friendship with him, so please treat him well and come back.”

“I see.”

As the prince had been actively engaged in social activities recently, the intention to build some connections was not particularly suspicious. The soldier indeed nodded his head without much reaction. Then Zizlon added as if he had just remembered.

“But I hear he is a man with little desire for material things. If he doesn’t seem very impressed by the gift, then do something that will leave a good impression on him instead. I’ll let you skip training today.”

“Something that will leave a good impression, you say…?”

“Nothing major, just help out if there’s anything that requires strength. Don’t be too upset about being asked to do menial tasks. If you carry it out well, I’ll give you a little reward money too.”

“I understand.”

The soldier bowed deeply, and Zizlon gave a slight smile and raised his hand. Knowing it was a signal to withdraw, the soldier backed away and disappeared, and Zizlon once again headed towards the place where Marquis Yngsen was waiting.

Meanwhile, the soldier left the corridor where the prince had been and headed not towards the castle gate but in the direction of the spire. Presently, he climbed the long, spiral staircase up the tower. At the end of it, naturally, was the queen’s room. The soldier knocked on the door with a very familiar demeanor, and when he heard a voice from inside telling him to enter, he opened the door, stepped inside, and bowed his head respectfully.

“Queen.”

Aion, who was sitting almost lying down on the sofa in the room, having his nails tended to by servants, responded without even a glance at him.

“Did the prince order you to do something?”

The soldier nodded his head.

“Yes. He sent me on an errand to a small monastery in Sen, so I was just about to leave.”

At that, Aion, his interest finally piqued, turned his head in the soldier’s direction.

“Sen? For what reason is he sending someone to such a remote and humble place?”

“Yes. It’s nothing else, but it is said that the father of that person is a rather powerful noble. It seems he is trying to build a friendship with him.”

“I see. Go and come back.”

At the soldier’s words, Aion seemed to have lost interest again. He turned his head back to the document on his lap with an indifferent expression, and the soldier bowed deeply before going down the stairs.

The soldier then went straight to the stables. After receiving the horse prepared for him, he led the horse and first stopped by the town to buy a bottle of high-quality wine from a shop well-known for supplying wine to noble families and the royal family.

After that, he immediately crossed the castle walls and rode his horse along the road to Sen, and it wasn’t long before he reached a small fief with only a few households. The village itself was small, so it didn’t take long to find the monastery with its all-white exterior walls. The soldier looked around as he stepped into the courtyard, and there he found a child gathering laundry in the yard and an old man standing next to him.

The soldier handed the wine to the man who was said to be the head monk there. Of course, to meet the prince’s expectations, he did not forget to say that it was a gift from the prince.

“From the prince? Wine for me?”

However, the monk named Collins seemed to have no idea why someone as high as His Highness the Prince would bestow wine upon him. Although he was from a noble family, he had devoted himself to religion a long time ago and was living a poor life day by day in this small monastery, far removed from politics, so it was understandable that he would be puzzled. The soldier kindly gave a short piece of advice for the country monk who didn’t know the profound world of politics.

“Brother, please give my regards to your father. Even if it’s been a long time since you’ve been in touch, if you send him a letter, many good things will happen in the future.”

However, even after hearing the soldier’s words, the monk kept tilting his head, unable to grasp the clue. Then, all of a sudden, he started pushing the wine back into the soldier’s arms, telling him to take it back. When the soldier was bewildered, he said with a very calm expression that it was a matter of course that didn’t even need to be considered. He said that as a monk, he should not be attached to wine and wealth.

Belatedly, the soldier, thinking of the disappointed prince, tried to persuade him, but it was in vain. The monk, on the contrary, seemed to have hardened his resolve upon hearing that the other party was the prince.

The prince, being of a gentle nature, was not the type to reprimand someone for such a trivial matter, so the soldier thought about going back as he was. But then he suddenly remembered what the prince had said. If it was someone who did not welcome the gift, he should do something good that would leave an impression, and then he would be rewarded. Half out of a sense of regret for not having properly carried out his assigned task, and half out of a selfish desire to earn some decent pocket money, the soldier asked the monk if there was anything he could help with.

The monk firmly shook his head, saying that of course there was nothing for a guest to do, but just then, one of the monastery’s servants who had been listening to their conversation all along, interjected and asked if he could fix the broken fence. The excited soldier, of course, answered yes, and setting aside the troubled monk, he neatly fixed a couple of fences.

“Thank you so much.”

“Not at all. Are there any other tasks that require a helping hand?”

The monk shook his head, looking extremely grateful, and the soldier, satisfied with that, prepared to leave. He was going to untie the reins of his horse, which he had tied up outside the monastery, when the servant boy he had seen at the monastery suddenly ran out. When the soldier looked down at the boy, wondering what was wrong, the boy thrust out a small something made of wood. The soldier furrowed his brows and looked at what the boy had handed him. It was a crudely carved piece of wood with a small, engraved sacred symbol.

“What is this?”

The little boy, who was called Mona, answered with his eyes shining brightly.

“It’s a token of gratitude for the prince who showed us kindness. Please deliver it to him.”

The soldier chuckled and replied.

“Little boy. That person has mountains of things a hundred times better than this. He’ll only find it a nuisance to receive something like this.”

“Please deliver it anyway.”

The little boy, despite the soldier’s words, did not bend his will and kept insisting on giving the token of gratitude. The soldier, feeling annoyed and that arguing with the little boy was a waste of time, answered perfunctorily that he would after a few words of bickering. But the boy, not satisfied with that, only went back inside the monastery after seeing the soldier put the wooden pendant in his pocket.

The soldier shrugged his shoulders and muttered.

“What a strange kid.”

He then leaped onto his horse. And, looking forward to how much of a reward the prince would give him, he hummed a tune and leisurely set off his horse towards the royal castle.

Upon returning to the royal palace, the soldier first went to report to the prince. The prince, who had been staring at documents for a long time with a tired face, showed a faint smile upon seeing the soldier’s face.

The soldier reported to the prince that he had met the monk named Collins as instructed, but that he did not accept the wine. The prince did not seem very interested in that fact. When the report was over, he said perfunctorily that he understood and told him to leave. When the soldier offered the wine he had brought back, the prince just told him to do as he pleased with it, whether to keep it or not, and even gave him a hefty sum of money as a reward for his work. Thanks to the prince who was generous despite the lack of results in the assigned task, the soldier ended up with a nice bit of pocket money and a bottle of good wine.

The soldier, having received the wine and money, hid the wine well and stopped by the queen’s room. Perhaps he was about to go to bed, as the queen had changed into his sleeping clothes and was left alone in the room with a servant named Pym. The soldier opened the door, went in, and briefly reported on what had happened that day, and the queen listened to the report with the same indifference as when he had sent the soldier.

“You’ve worked hard. You may leave now.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the queen waved his hand. He looked as if he was just annoyed. The soldier, who was about to rise from the floor and leave in obedience to the order, remembered something just as he was about to cross the threshold. It was the piece of wood that the little boy at the monastery had given him. He thought, what does a toy like that matter, but just in case, the soldier went back in front of the queen. The queen, who had stopped on his way to get into bed, was looking at him.

“Uh, Queen. By the way, a child living there gave me this.”

The soldier rummaged through his pocket, found the said piece of wood, and held it out. The queen, who had looked at his hand with an indifferent attitude, changed his gaze as soon as he saw the piece.

“This is…”

The queen furrowed his brows and slowly approached, and the soldier, flustered by the unexpected reaction, asked.

“Is there something wrong?”

“No. You may leave now. Give this gift to me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Queen Aion took the pendant from the soldier’s hand. The soldier was bewildered. He couldn’t understand why the queen would show such a serious reaction to a crude piece of wood given by a dirty little boy. He was dying to know the identity of the pendant he had received, but he couldn’t presumptuously inquire about its identity. He obediently bowed and disappeared.

The queen, after sending the soldier away, opened the drawer of the wooden side table. Inside was the wooden pendant he had taken from the prince and forgotten about. Taking it out and placing it side by side with the one he had received from the soldier, he saw that the two looked very similar. So much so that anyone could tell they were made by the same person.

Aion, who had been making a strange expression while looking at the two pendants, finally gave an order to Pym.

“As soon as the day breaks tomorrow, go and summon Lord Luca and the administrator of Sen.”

Night came without fail.

Ade finished his work by ordering the night shift soldiers to patrol and then returned to his quarters. He had been busier than usual, so by the time he returned to his lodgings, the lights in all the neighboring houses were out. His residence was the same. Since the lights were out, Zizlon had either already fallen asleep or had not yet returned.

Ade, thinking he should close the door quietly for his sleeping friend, carefully placed his hand on the doorknob, but stopped dead just before applying pressure. And he could not move easily. It was because a hesitation had arisen in his heart for a moment.

Even to Ade himself, his hesitation was quite bewildering. There was no reason to be reluctant to enter a house where his best friend was. But it was an undeniable truth that he was currently feeling uncomfortable. That discomfort stemmed from none other than Zizlon. He had recently been feeling a disquieting sense of strangeness from his closest friend.

First of all, it was an obvious fact that his recent actions were quite different from usual. In fact, the entire royal family was in disarray. The fact that the bond of the royal family, which had been second to none in its harmony, was shaking, that the prince’s political moves had somehow become aggressive, and that Zizlon, who had seemed only good-natured, often wore a dark expression and sighed frequently—all of these were changes from the usual, and Ade was trying hard to ignore them and not to be concerned. But it wasn’t just because of these things that he felt his friend was like a different person.

It had already been several days since he had let the prince stay at his lodgings. He had never felt unpleasant about giving up his bed. The servant who had to prepare meals for two might have had a hard time, but he had never found eating with his friend to be a bother. However, there was one thing that made Ade tense and feel as if he were with a different person. It was the strange behavior that the prince sometimes exhibited in the dead of night.

Since sharing a bedroom with Zizlon, Ade would sometimes wake up in the dead of night, feeling an unseasonable sense of strangeness even when he was sound asleep. At such times, nine times out of ten, Zizlon was also awake. And he wasn’t just awake, he was engaged in bizarre behavior.

At first, it was no big deal. On the second night of having him over, he was sound asleep when Zizlon suddenly called his name in an urgent voice and woke him up. When he asked what was wrong, rubbing his eyes while still drowsy, the prince, who had been shaking his shoulder, fidgeted and said something out of the blue, like whether he had heard a noise.

“A noise?”

“Yes, I thought I misheard, but no matter how I think about it, it’s strange… Didn’t someone just knock on the door?”

“Yawn… Well, I was sleeping, so I didn’t hear it.”

“Wasn’t it a servant?”

“No way. If it were that urgent, they wouldn’t have left in the middle of it.”

Ade answered perfunctorily, feeling only annoyed and sleepy. But Zizlon, even with his answer, couldn’t put his mind at ease and was flustered. Then, all of a sudden, he pricked up his ears and said with a pale face.

“That’s… Wait, wait! Didn’t you just hear… footsteps?”

As the prince became serious, Ade also tensed up and listened intently. But all he could hear was the sound of the wind, and he couldn’t hear anything even remotely similar to the footsteps he was talking about. Ade tilted his head.

“I don’t know.”

“Really?”