TTQI 23

The news came that the prince had been denied an audience for the fifteenth time. The king, who for some time now had grown cold toward the prince, was ignoring the prince’s request to meet, which had been going on for dozens of days. Rumor had it that the vassals, for whom this news was now more unsurprising than shocking, whispered amongst themselves.

From some point on, the once peaceful royal palace had become a hotbed of endless 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, had become sworn enemies overnight, busy snarling at each other.

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

It had been several months since the prince was placed under probation, fueling rumors of discord within the royal family, and after which the prince, seemingly shocked by the event, had secluded himself for several days before reappearing. Around that time, it was public knowledge that the queen and the prince were becoming noticeably more active in their political activities.

Ostensibly, it was social activity, but in truth, both were forming their own factions and flaunting their influence. Still, no one yet 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 retainers who knew nothing, and the nobles who were not deeply involved in politics, found themselves unconsciously observing them. The air was that serious.

A large number of people were facing each other, yet not a single one offered a common greeting, making the corridor overly quiet. Most importantly, the prince and the queen, who stood facing each other at the forefront, were not being as affectionate as usual and were instead just glaring at each other for a long time. For what could be a short or a long time, the two exchanged glances without a word.

Perhaps it was fortunate, but their war of nerves seemed to end rather anticlimactically compared to the serious atmosphere. This was because the group, which had been exchanging meaningful glances for a short time, all at once began to move again. The prince and the queen passed each other peacefully, with the only difference being that they did not exchange their usual affectionate greetings. That in itself was a significant enough event for gossip lovers to chatter about excitedly, but it was not a major incident. Those who had been watching them were also about to mindlessly go on their way. However, at the very moment when everyone was letting their guard down, the situation changed completely.

“Queen. Make just one tiny mistake.”

The queen, who was just 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, though certainly quiet, was heard by everyone present.

“That’s when I will finish 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 event.

But heedless of 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 scared, she was nonchalantly composed as if it were ridiculous. After letting out a chuckle as if watching a cute little trick, she then turned and left without even a single word in response. The prince stood for a moment with a hardened expression before soon leading his group away.

It was only the witnesses who had seen everything that 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 all the nobles residing in the capital.

After being the source of the rumors, the two steadily made their discord official. News of their friction being witnessed was heard almost daily. 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 function, that the king now only invited the queen to meals and would not even dine with the prince… The news was varied and colorful.

And just as a crow might join a flock of swans, insidious rumors stealthily joined the truthful news. The ominous rumors that had been discreetly circulating even before the dispute began to be mentioned more openly. For example, ‘the prince secretly harbored wicked feelings and was rejected,’ ‘he held a grudge because of it and they became enemies,’ ‘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 abundant, what was certain was that no one knew what was true and what was false. The king had also begun to treat the prince coldly right on cue, so everyone could only vaguely guess that it was a family feud within the royal house.

“They say the prince pointed out that the queen’s 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 main characters of the hot rumors continuously showed themselves in conflict. In the garden, in the corridor, in the hall, in the audience chamber and the council, trivial incidents that gossip-loving nobles would go crazy for and wag their tongues about occurred endlessly. Ironically, a sense of vitality even spread throughout the once-still Yonaras.

Once, the prince even held a sword to the queen’s neck. One day, a servant of the queen was bringing him ink and spilled some on the floor, and the queen slapped the attendant’s cheek, which was likely the cause.

The queen’s hand was exceptionally stinging, but it was a common thing for a master to slap a servant’s cheek as a form of punishment. However, the prince, who happened to be watching nearby, suddenly drew his sword, making the situation serious. But witnesses said that what was scarier than the menacingly sharp sword was the prince’s gaze as he glared at the queen forbiddingly without a single word.

Fortunately, the tense atmosphere seemed to de-escalate as the queen yielded first. The queen stared at that ferocious expression for a while before calmly admitting 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 being held over him.

The queen offered a humble apology to the servant, who was on the verge of fainting, and upon seeing this, the prince thankfully sheathed his sword obediently. The incident was thus settled. However, the next chapter of the incident 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, stormed into the room leading his attendants. And didn’t he, without a word, slap the startled prince’s cheek. The attendant relayed that even now, his knees tremble when he recalls the murderous atmosphere of that moment.

“Are you out of your mind? You think you can do whatever you want now?”

Amidst the savage scolding, the prince, who had fallen to the floor, shakily picked himself up. Compared to the horrified 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 dealing with the king. As the prince acted submissively to the point of seeming servile, the king, while fuming, was quickly satisfied and went back.

Since the prince was usually doted on by his father, the witnesses who had observed the series of events 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 news like this being heard every day, it was clear to anyone, even those who knew nothing, that the relationship between the three was deteriorating smoothly. As rumors of unknown authenticity grew rampant, and the atmosphere in the royal court grew more hostile day by day, people began to sense, whether through reason or instinct, that some great disaster was approaching them.

[When are you coming again?]

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

The sender of the letter was Mona, an orphan cared for by Brother Collins. He had sent a servant to see if they were all right, and unexpectedly received a note like this. Zizlon, who hadn’t known Mona could write, was quite surprised. 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 little fern-like hands, instead of having someone else do it, made his heart ache.

The ache in his heart immediately turned into a stinging pain in his chest. Sitting by the pond in the deserted garden, Zizlon spent a long time calming his tormented heart. His mind had been in ruins lately, so much so that a moment of comfort was tear-j**king.

‘Could they still not have fixed that fence? It would have been better if I had sent soldiers to help with the fence repair while I was sending someone anyway….’

These days, he had to work harder than ever to manage his reputation. As his conflict with the queen came to the surface, the queen’s followers, seeking to damage his reputation, were constantly looking for an opportunity to speak ill of him to the king. It was a situation where even leaving his post for a moment was reluctant, so he couldn’t even 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 especially needed to refrain from his frequent outings, which the king had already taken issue with once.

Suddenly, a deep, dark gloom cast over Zizlon’s face. His hand slowly moved up to his stomach. His lower abdomen, which had been flat, felt as if it was slightly, convexly protruding.

For several days immediately after his probation ended, Zizlon had spent a hellish time in unspeakable fear. He couldn’t dare to see a doctor, so he hid like a thief among the commoners and did everything he could that was said to help with contraception. He drank hard liquor like water and even sought out a plant that commoners used for abortions and chewed on it until his tongue stung. In any case, he did everything he could.

But he could not escape the anxiety. Because there was no doctor to confirm for him that he had not conceived. He could only try to reassure himself that the contraception had worked.

For about two months, he had been plagued by anxiety, trying hard to deny the possibility, but recently, Zizlon couldn’t shake the thought that his belly seemed to be growing.

‘What if… what if I really did get pregnant? Setting aside giving birth, once my belly starts to show, how am I supposed to hide it then?’

It was truly terrible to be tormented by this kind of fear, a fear no normal man would ever have. It felt like he would go crazy at any moment, 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 went dark as if a giant curtain had fallen before him.

Zizlon tried not to remember. When he became conscious of everything, he felt a suicidal impulse so strong it felt dangerous. The self-loathing for trying to get rid of a young life as if it were a matter of course. The disgust for himself for having an unnatural body. If he were to face these overwhelming emotions, he would be crushed by their weight and die.

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 sense of responsibility to root out the evil queen from the royal family, and the sense of mission to rebuild his family were what stopped his suicidal urges. Above all, until he could save his beloved father from the queen’s evil clutches, his life was not his own.

However, Zizlon was already too exhausted. It was a struggle to endure each day. Perhaps because he was so tired, Zizlon would intermittently become empty. If he let his guard down, his reason would blur, and his sense of reality would disappear as if his soul were being s**ked into a faraway world.

It was the same now. Zizlon’s mind had gone blank in a moment of inattention, and he had been stroking his belly for a long time. A voice that suddenly came through pulled him back to reality.

“Zizlon!”

Startled, Zizlon flinched his shoulders 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 while sitting 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. The sense of reality exuding from the cheerful air and the distinct touch helped Zizlon 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 an eyebrow and tilted his head, Zizlon felt a pang of guilt and deliberately looked elsewhere. 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, but why?”

“Umm, it is not for any particular big reason, just to talk about work with you for a while….”

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

However, Ade, 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, and he even felt a sense of duty that he must grant his request.

Once Ade made up his mind, he deliberately threw a joke in a playful voice. It was out of consideration to not embarrass Zizlon.

“Hmm! Now I see, your intention is obvious.”

“Uh, huh?”

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

“You’re planning to sneak into my bed at night. Right? This body of mine is so popular, things like that have often happened. Still, I never thought the prince of all people would resort to a physical attack. If you pounce on me with that voluptuous body, even I might be swept off my feet.”

“……Ha, haha.”

Zizlon laughed, the sound of it clearly forced, and Ade wore a satisfied expression as he received the expected reaction. A brief awkward atmosphere passed between them, but it was just like their usual dynamic. Whenever Ade threw a tasteless joke, the prince always showed a disgusted reaction. Having spent a long time together, one would think he would have adapted, but the prince’s cold reaction was always the same. It was a secret, but Ade even felt a strange thrill when he was scolded by the prince.

Ade blinked his eyes innocently.

“Hmm? No?”

“Your bizarre jokes never change… You can say that looking at me on a day like this? Disgusting.”

“What’s wrong with it? Hmm, but, to be serious, among the nobles with a penchant for men, a body like yours is more popular than you 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 was starting to make his stomach turn. Ade, blissfully unaware, laughed a cheerful ‘haha’. Fortunately, he did not seem to have seen the tormented look in Zizlon’s eyes. 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 just that, the queen suggested having a meal together….”

Zizlon, who had asked without much thought, hardened his face as soon as the queen was mentioned. He tried his best not to show the conflict between them to those around him, but given what the queen had done, he could not help his expression from stiffening. At the drastic change in expression, Ade too stopped talking in surprise this time. Zizlon, still failing to control his expression, waved his hand.

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

Ade seemed to be gauging his reaction for a moment before returning to an indifferent expression.

“Hmm, this is just my opinion, but what if it’s actually His Majesty the King who wants to have a meal with you? And perhaps the queen, knowing his intentions, is giving you a hint?”

There was a reason Ade brought this up cheerfully. The moment he heard the queen’s subtle tone, he had guessed that the queen might have read the king’s mind and was trying to poke him in the right direction. He had run over excitedly thinking Zizlon would be pleased, but unexpectedly, the prince’s reaction was nothing but cold.

“Ha, him? That’s a useless thought.”

Zizlon scoffed coldly. His intense reaction was so unexpected that Ade closed his mouth. He had been close with Zizlon for decades as a childhood friend, but this was almost the first time he had seen him act so aggressively in front of Ade. In fact, Ade had thought Zizlon was someone who did not 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 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 fine, the stiff atmosphere was still quite chilly. Zizlon, unfamiliar with the awkward atmosphere, fidgeted, not knowing what to do. Watching him, Ade gave a bitter smile and offered some cautious advice.

“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 someone who would get angry for no reason, but I’m sure the queen didn’t make a mistake with bad intentions.”

“……”

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

Ade patted Zizlon’s back with an exaggerated motion, trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere. While being encouraged by him, an utterly gloomy shadow fell over Zizlon’s face. But Ade did not notice that change and, after leaving a farewell, briskly departed.

Aion lay stretched out on the sofa, fiddling with a piece of wood in his hand. It looked like a sacred symbol carved into a crudely cut circular frame. In any case, it did not look like a luxury item a member of the royal family would possess. His follower, Count Luca, who was in the middle of reporting news next to the queen, watched him and asked.

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

“No.”

Aion shook his head coolly. He rolled up the paper that was 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 rose to follow him.

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

The quick-witted and agile count reported on his own accord without Aion giving any specific instructions. He was a clever subordinate, good to have around. Aion nodded expressionlessly and called a servant to see him out. Once Count Luca withdrew, Aion called for a servant. Two or three servants, along with Pym, approached him.

“Let’s call it a day 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. The impatient Aion started walking ahead down the stairs first, and the servants hurriedly followed behind him.

“……”

As he walked down the stairs, a smile suddenly graced Aion’s lips. At some point, just thinking of the prince’s face would make him smile naturally. 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 grew even stronger. It was a natural thing. As a man, his feelings for the one who carried his seed were bound to become special.

This was also why Aion could not bring himself to be harsh with Zizlon, no matter how rude his words and actions were, no matter how fiercely he snarled. It was because, when he thought about how Zizlon was carefully carrying his child deep inside his body even while baring his teeth at him, he just found it cute. He could not be 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 cherish him to his heart’s content. Thinking back on it, making the child was a good choice.

Moreover, the fact that the prince had started to rebel was of little significance, as Aion’s situation was going so smoothly these days. Thanks to thorough preparations under the surface, not only were his plans progressing smoothly both publicly and privately, but it was also good that Zizlon rarely wandered outside the castle, 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 other day, and gradually showing strange behavior after returning? During those times, Aion had felt anxious inside. Compared to then, the current situation where he was snarling and focused on him was a hundred times better.

So Aion found himself wanting to see Zizlon all the time. He wanted to meet the Zizlon who would raise his sharp thorns and throw a fit at him, and love him to his heart’s content. Even today, Aion was in the middle of listening to Count Luca’s report when he suddenly thought of Zizlon. One idle thought led to another. He decided that soon, he must hold the struggling prince tightly 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 a corridor submerged in darkness. He walked a path so familiar that he could probably find his way even if he walked with his eyes closed in the middle of the night, and soon reached his desired destination. The door to the prince’s room, located in the most secluded part of the castle, came into view. Just seeing that door already made his insides tingle.

At last, the queen gripped the doorknobs with both hands. Until the moment he swung the door wide open, contemplating how he would catch the tantrum-throwing prince and press his lips to his belly, Aion’s mood was as high as it could be.

But right after, his heart grew cold as if doused with icy water at the sight of the unlit room that unfolded before his eyes.

“……”

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

Aion stood quietly, his hands still on the doorknobs. The servants, who also witnessed the empty room, all held their breath. Behind the silent queen’s back, they busily exchanged anxious glances. Pym also gulped down his saliva.

Most of them thought Aion would explode at any moment and throw a fit. Queen Aion was of a tyrannical nature who would often take his anger out on innocent people when his mood was soured, so 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 tightly clenched fists were white. The servants lined up behind him were startled. And for fear that the sparks might fly, they quickly moved out of the way. Fortunately, Aion did not take his anger out on them. It was clear that his attention was not on the servants, as he was preoccupied with a greater emotion.

Sure enough, Aion strode past the servants and began heading somewhere of his own accord. As if his mind was elsewhere, he did not even give a separate order for the servants to follow. The quick-witted servants followed the queen on their own. Following behind the ominously silent Aion, they erased their presence as if they were dead mice. It was because it was obvious that if they were to be noticed, they would receive 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 walls. With about three or four servants, and two small rooms in addition to the kitchen and living room, the quarters were modest for the son of a high-ranking noble family, but a considerably 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 time was limited due to the sudden arrangement, a magnificent spread of smoked meat, wine, freshly baked bread, and high-quality cheese, carefully 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 seemed pale lately, so I wanted to take special care.”

The two sat facing each other at the dining table. As Ade cheerfully encouraged 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 force food into a body that would not accept it was the source of the problem. As soon as Zizlon put the food in his mouth, he gagged.

“Ugh.”

“What’s wrong?”

Ade looked up in surprise. And he was about to call a servant immediately to ask if there were figs in it, but Zizlon raised a hand to stop him. Zizlon forced the meat down and then put down his utensils with a listless expression.

“The truth is, my stomach isn’t feeling too well today.”

“What? You should have told me sooner.”

“I felt bad.”

“What does that matter between us? If you really can’t eat, I’ll have them put it away. Don’t force yourself.”

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

“I’m really sorry. You went through all this trouble to prepare it.”

“No, it’s fine. By the way, what’s wrong? You, who’s all about health, have no appetite. Anyway, that’s a shame.”

Still, after the meal, they forgot the brief disappointment and chatted happily. Gathered together alone for the first time in a while, they were quite excited, and the two laughed and talked endlessly while sipping wine and water. So engrossed in conversation, they lost track of time and 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 large room, they were spared the fate of having to sleep in the same bed. The servants and the host looked apologetic, but Zizlon was satisfied.

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

“You too.”

The two waved to each other before getting into their respective blankets.

The unlit room was pitch-dark, 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 bedding as luxurious as 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 invariably opened his eyes and looked around every time he heard the intermittent sound of the wind. Before he knew it, his palms were damp with cold sweat.

It was safe to say that it was almost the first time since ‘that day’ several months ago that he had not met the queen at night. Although he had not had sexual relations with the queen since that hellish week of probation, Zizlon had always waited for him, warming the bed like a chamber servant waiting for his master. It was the first time he had not waited for the queen in the bedroom at night like today, so he could not possibly imagine how he would react. He had made the decision to escape, determined to sever ties with the queen for certain, but when he imagined how the queen would react, it was an irresistible fear.

Would he get angry with his usual chillingly expressionless face? Or would he think I haven’t arrived yet and wait for me? Perhaps he would think one day is not a big deal and let it pass?

Zizlon tossed and turned, unable to sleep, tormented by his worries. Perhaps because his senses had become heightened with fear, only useless noises kept bothering him. Cold sweat kept breaking out due to his 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 hope of sleeping, suppressed a scream and pulled the blanket over his head. Zizlon held his breath so that the intruder would not hear him. And like a paranoid person, 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 seized by the thought that the sound he had just heard was very 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 horrifying acts without batting an eye. What should I do? Should I check? Zizlon was conflicted. It seemed he could only fall asleep if he at least 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 scene of the dark room came into view. He became aware of his skin, now damp with cold sweat, and realized that he had been repeatedly having paranoid delusions under the blanket.

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

“Is everything alright?”

“…Yes.”

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

“……”

He felt a gaze watching him in the darkness. It turned out that Ade had been paying attention to his movements. It was clear that he had 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 did not seem to have seen him wiping his cold sweat. Feeling much more at ease, Zizlon rustled the blanket up again and focused on falling asleep once more.

Whoosh… Rattle, rattle.

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

Rattle, rattle… Thud. Knock knock.

Zizlon shivered his shoulders again and opened his eyes. The sound he heard from time to time, no matter how he listened, was unmistakably the sound of a knock. Every night, when he waited alone in bed, Aion would knock on the door with just that kind of sound.

His heart began to pound like a drum, 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. The worry that he would come was, to anyone’s eyes, nothing but a crazy fantasy.

Thump, thump.

Zizlon’s closed eyes shot open.

Wait, isn’t that the sound of footsteps?

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 detected something strange, his suspicion amplified without limit. His heart was beating as if it would explode.

How could he keep hearing sounds like this? Can auditory hallucinations be this clear and distinct? Could it be that Aion has really done something outrageous? Could he be brazenly barging into someone else’s house, standing in front of the door, and laughing as he watches how I act and get scared?

—Or could all this be Aion’s wicked sorcery? Is there such a thing as a spell that makes people hear auditory hallucinations? Or maybe, am I going crazy? Could Aion have put 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 quickly pulled back to reality. He swallowed the scream that was about to burst out.

Fortunately, Ade did not seem to have noticed his ragged breath. He had thought he was 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, but affectionate voice.

“I hear your relationship with His Majesty has been a bit distant lately.”

“…Yes.”

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

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

“……”

Zizlon was choked with emotion. When he quietly turned around, he could see Ade’s back as he lay facing the wall. He could not see his expression, but he could imagine it well enough.

“…Thank you.”

Zizlon muttered, looking at his back. Then he saw Ade nod his head without a reply. Watching him, Zizlon tasted the unfailing sense of depression. His heart felt so gloomy that for a while he was not bothered by other sounds, and in that gap, he was somehow able to fall asleep.

It was one day during the day. On his way to a meeting with Marquis Yngsen and his supporters, Zizlon suddenly thought of Collins and Mona. It had been several days since he had last seen them. It was still too much to go in person, but the fence, which was broken and seemed to allow wild animals to come and go as they pleased, kept bothering him. On his way out of the room, he called one of the royal guards.

“You, come here a moment? I have something to ask of you.”

The soldier approached him, bowed his head, and waited for Zizlon’s command. 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 at it, 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. It was a time when it would not hurt to be careful, so 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 of Sen next door. Take this money, buy some good wine, and tell the monk there that it is 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 carefully.

“Your Highness, 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 of noble birth, and his father is a renowned nobleman I know well. I am trying to build a friendship with him, so please treat him well when you go.”

“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 nodded his head with little emotion. Then Zizlon added, as if he had just remembered.

“But I hear he is a person 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 instead. I will excuse you from training today.”

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

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

“I understand.”

The soldier bowed, and Zizlon smiled faintly and raised his hand. Knowing it was a signal to withdraw, the soldier stepped back and disappeared, and Zizlon once again headed to the place where Marquis Yngsen was waiting.

Meanwhile, the soldier left the corridor where the prince had been and walked not toward the castle gate but toward the spire. At length, 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 attitude, and when he heard a voice from inside telling him to enter, he opened the door, stepped into the room, and bowed his head respectfully.

“Your Majesty, the Queen.”

Aion, who was sitting as if lying on the sofa in the room and having his nails trimmed by the servants, responded without giving him a single glance.

“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 am just about to leave.”

Only then did Aion seem to be interested in the story, and he turned his head in the direction of the soldier.

“Sen? For what reason would he send a person to such a remote and humble place?”

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

“I see. You may go.”

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 and went 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 in the village to buy a bottle of high-end wine from a shop well-known for supplying wine to noble families and even the royal court.

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

The soldier handed the wine to the man who was 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? To me? Wine?”

However, the monk named Collins seemed to have no idea why a person of the prince’s stature 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 such a small monastery far from politics, so it was understandable that he would find it strange. The soldier kindly gave a short piece of advice to the country monk who did not know much about the profound world of politics.

“Brother, please give my regards to your father. Even if it has been a long time since you have 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, he suddenly started pushing the wine 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 did not 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.

Since the good-natured prince was not the type to reprimand someone for such a trivial matter, the soldier thought about returning 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 sorry heart for not being able to carry out the assigned task properly, and half out of a selfish desire to earn some pocket money, the soldier asked the monk if there was anything he could help with.

The monk shook his head firmly, saying that of course there was no work to be done by a guest, but then one of the monastery’s servants who had been listening to their conversation all along interrupted and asked if he could fix the broken fence. The excited soldier, of course, said yes, and setting aside the troubled monk, he neatly fixed a couple of fences.

“Thank you so much.”

“Not at all. Is there any more work that needs 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 the horse he had tied outside the monastery when the little 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 held out a small something made of wood. The soldier furrowed his brow and looked at what the boy had handed him. It was a craft item with a sacred symbol finely engraved on a crudely carved piece of wood.

“What is this?”

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

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

The soldier chuckled and replied.

“Little boy. He has mountains of things a hundred times better than this. He will only find it bothersome 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 bothered and thinking 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 while looking forward to how much of a reward the prince would give him, he hummed a tune and leisurely started his horse toward the royal castle.

• of

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 he had been told, 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 he understood perfunctorily 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 fact that there was no significant result from the assigned task, the soldier got some decent pocket money and a bottle of good wine.

The soldier, who came out with the wine and money, hid the wine well and visited 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 and entered, briefly reporting on what had happened that day, and the queen listened to the report indifferently, similar to when he had sent the soldier.

“Good work. You may leave now.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the queen waved his hand. It was a gesture of being bothered. The soldier, who was about to rise from the floor and leave in obedience to the command, remembered something just as he was about to cross the threshold. It was the piece of wood that the little child 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.

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

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

“This is…”

The queen furrowed his brow and slowly approached, and the soldier, bewildered by the unexpected reaction, asked.

“Is there something wrong?”

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

As soon as the words were finished, Queen Aion took the pendant from the soldier’s hand. The soldier was dumbfounded. He could not understand why the queen would show such a serious reaction to a crude piece of wood given by a dirty little boy. He was terribly curious about the identity of the pendant he had received, but he could not presumptuously inquire about its identity. He obediently bowed and disappeared.

The queen, after sending the soldier away, opened a drawer in the wooden side table. Inside was the wooden pendant that he had taken from the prince before and forgotten about. He took it out and placed it side by side with the one he had received from the soldier, and the two looked very similar. Anyone could tell that they were made by the same person.

Aion, who was looking at the two pendants with a strange expression, finally gave an order to Pym.

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

Night fell 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, all the neighboring houses were dark. His residence was the same. Since the lights were off, it was clear that Zizlon had either gone to sleep first 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 just before applying pressure. And he could not move easily. It was because a hesitation had risen in his heart at that 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 creepy sense of otherness from his best friend.

First of all, it was an obvious fact that his recent actions were quite different from his usual ones. In fact, the entire royal court was in a state of disarray. The bond of the royal family, which was said to be second to none in its harmony, was shaking, the prince’s political moves had somehow become aggressive, and Zizlon, who had seemed only good-natured, often wore a dark expression and sighed frequently—all of these were changes from his usual self, and things that Ade was trying his best to ignore and not pay attention to. But it was not 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 him a bed. The servant who had to prepare meals for two might have had a hard time, but he had never felt that eating with his friend was a nuisance. However, there was one thing that made Ade tense, and made him feel as if he were with a different person. It was the strange behavior that the prince sometimes exhibited late at night.

Since sharing a bedroom with Zizlon, there were times when Ade would wake up in the dead of night, feeling an unseasonable sense of otherness, even if he had been sleeping soundly. At those times, nine times out of ten, Zizlon was also awake. And he was not just awake, but engaged in strange and bizarre behavior.

At first, it was not a big deal. On the second night of having him over, he was in a deep sleep when he was suddenly awakened by Zizlon calling his name in an urgent voice. When he asked what was wrong, rubbing his eyes while still drowsy, the prince, who had been shaking his shoulder, said something nonsensical like, “Didn’t you hear a sound?” while being restless.

“A sound?”

“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… I don’t know, 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, feeling annoyed and sleepy, answered perfunctorily. But Zizlon, even with his answer, was unable to calm down and was flustered. Then he suddenly listened intently and said, his face turning pale.

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

As the prince became serious, Ade also became tense and listened intently. But all he could hear was the sound of the wind; he could not hear anything remotely like the footsteps he was talking about. Ade tilted his head.

“I don’t know?”

“Really?”