TTQI 27

The next morning, a corpse that had fallen from the castle wall was discovered. The cause of death was misstep, and the Queen, who had been the servant’s master, expressed her solemn condolences.

Not long after, the King made an unofficial proposal to the Duke. According to an anonymous accusation that had come to light belatedly, if one traced the family tree far back, the Duke and Duchess were distant relatives, and strictly speaking, their marriage could be considered incestuous. As this was a taboo that gravely violated the scripture, the King, referencing the Queen’s worried counsel, advised that it might be best to have his youngest son enter the clergy in the name of washing away sin, thereby preemptively eliminating any potential for controversy.

However, as if he had been prepared, the Duke offered a simple and clear answer. He had, as it happened, recently received the Pope’s blessing for their marriage. In other words, their relationship had already been officially legitimized by the church. Since the will of the church was the will of God, there was no room for dispute.

What became a problem, rather, was the aftermath. Through some unknown channel, this news spread like wildfire. And, just as one would expect, this incident became a busy topic of conversation. The ignorant masses thought it was just another peculiar event, but there were plenty of others who interpreted it with a different meaning.

Conspiracy theories were exchanged, suggesting that this series of events had occurred during a power struggle by the Queen and the Prince to win over the Villeneuve family, or that the cornered aristocratic faction had tried to damage the King’s trust in the Villeneuve family.

And among them, the reaction of many was one of astonishment; they were surprised that the Prince was so desperate as to try to slander the family of his own close friend. Moreover, Ade was a renowned socialite in the central political sphere. Since the vast majority of nobles were acquainted with Ade by one degree or another, the incident drew even more attention. The nobles who were close to him and liked to meddle watched his reaction with keen interest, half in anticipation, while being mindful of his mood.

A few days later. It was very early in the morning, just after dawn. For some reason, Villeneuve, the vice-captain of the 2nd Royal Guard, was walking down a corridor of the royal castle, diligently dressed in his uniform long before his shift. Perhaps he had some grave purpose; his expression was stiff and his steps were unhesitating.

On his way up the stairs and into the second-floor corridor, he happened to run into Bessang, who was just coming out from there. Ade silently showed his respects and tried to pass, but Bessang, thinking his direction and rigid expression were unusual, stopped him.

“Lord Villeneuve. What is your business?”

“…I am going to see His Highness.”

Ade replied in a blunt voice. And Bessang, who was well-versed in palace news, immediately realized that this was related to the recent series of problems. The incident where some unknown power had suddenly tried to pick a fight with the innocent Villeneuve.

Next, Bessang thought he should stop Villeneuve. It was not particularly for the purpose of mediating a dispute. He only followed the Queen’s orders and refrained entirely from actions that would directly involve him in factional struggles.

The reason he, a man with no interest whatsoever in others’ fights over rights and power, wanted to stop Villeneuve was that the Queen was in the Prince’s room with him right now. He had just come from the Prince’s room. Having just seen the Queen, Bessang knew that the Prince had not yet even changed into his outdoor attire.

“Lord Villeneuve, please, come at a more appropriate time.”

At Bessang’s gentle dissuasion, Ade immediately tried to explain.

“Ah, I know it is not a suitable time, but other than this hour, I have to be on duty until late at night…”

But before he could finish his words, Bessang shook his head.

“His Highness the Prince is in the middle of his morning preparations and has no time to see guests.”

At that moment, a strange light flickered in Ade’s eyes. In a tone that implied suspicion, he asked cautiously.

“…Lord Bessang, are you perhaps on your way from seeing His Highness now?”

“That is correct.”

At Bessang’s answer, Ade’s expression became subtle.

“For what reason did His Highness seek you out, my busy lord?”

The question omitted the trailing thought, ‘When I am here.’ In truth, it was not a question born of real curiosity, but rather something close to an expression of directionless anger. Why on earth did he seek the captain of the 1st Royal Guard? The kinds of matters for which the Prince would seek a royal guard captain were mostly things that could be handled at Ade’s level, so it was difficult to understand why he had sought Bessang, and not himself, who was closer and friendlier.

“I cannot speak of the details.”

Bessang, indifferent to the disputes of the two young men, coolly drew a line. Ade inwardly let out a hollow laugh. Since Bessang offered no explanation, Ade, lost in his own thoughts, interpreted the situation on his own terms.

‘Could it be that you found me uncomfortable because of that stupid argument, and so you sought out Bessang instead of me, Zizlon?’

Ade was recalling the argument he had with the Prince a few days ago. Since then, the two had spent their time ambiguously, without having reconciled. But Ade had not thought for a moment that this would affect their friendship. He believed that whenever they met again, they could talk openly and resolve their lingering feelings. In his opinion, the friendship between them, who had spent their entire lives together, was solid enough that it could not be shaken by a petty argument like that. And it was because he held the Prince’s magnanimity in such high regard.

But what was this? Because of such a trivial thing, he was reluctant to see his face and was specifically seeking out Bessang? Like a coward? If the Prince had truly acted so pettily, his disappointment would be immense. Did Zizlon really think so little of him, of Ade’s own character?

‘It wasn’t like this in the old days. We used to frankly confide in each other about everything. There were no secrets between us.’

As he inadvertently dwelled on the past, Ade was flustered by a sudden sense of unfamiliarity that washed over him.

‘…When did he change so much?’

Next, Ade asked in more detail, just in case.

“Did His Highness personally order you not to let any guests in?”

At Ade’s question, Bessang shook his head.

“That is not the case.”

“Then I will go.”

Villeneuve replied with uncharacteristic coldness and turned away. Although he had a libertine-like disposition, he was not one to neglect etiquette in his daily life, so seeing his current hasty attitude, anyone would have noticed that he was in a bad mood. Bessang, of course, noticed as well, and did not press the issue by holding onto him. It was not his place to interfere in the first place.

‘Lord Villeneuve seems terribly hurt.’

Bessang thought indifferently as he looked at Ade’s rigid shoulders. Then, with a shrug of his shoulders, Bessang resumed walking toward his destination.

After passing Bessang, Ade headed straight for the room where the Prince was. Ade, who was in a foul mood, had been determined to see the Prince’s face no matter who tried to stop him, but fortunately, after Bessang, no one else blocked his way. The soldiers guarding the corridor only watched him intently. They must have heard their captain and Villeneuve arguing.

Soon, the door to the Prince’s room came into Ade’s view. The room was quiet, but thanks to his encounter with Bessang, Ade knew the Prince was inside and knocked on the door without hesitation. The soldiers standing in front of the door did not stop him from knocking either.

Then, the Prince’s voice was heard. “Who is it?” he asked toward the outside of the door, and Ade answered in the most ordinary tone possible. “It is I, Villeneuve.” Then, no sooner had he answered than a loud stir of movement arose from inside the room. A moment later, the door opened just a tiny crack, and the pale-faced Prince appeared through the gap.

“Villeneuve? What on earth are you doing here? At this hour.”

Zizlon asked, hastily straightening his clothes. Zizlon, who was constantly glancing around, was in a state of panic, as if he had seen a ghost.

“Was this a situation where I should not have come?”

Ade replied in a sarcastic tone. The Prince’s attitude, as if he were frightened to see him, was twisting his already foul mood even further. To be treated so coldly, when he should at least be welcomed.

However, the Prince looked too anxious to even comprehend Ade’s discomfort. As if he had forgotten his dignity, he remained hidden behind the door, peeking out with only his head. Even with the soldiers watching, it was a mystery where his courtesy toward a guest had gone. It seemed he had absolutely no intention of at least inviting Ade into the room to talk politely.

Ade whispered in a voice tinged with slight irritation.

“Let’s talk.”

“Could you not come back later?”

The Prince asked, smiling awkwardly, in an almost pleading tone. Ade shook his head.

“No. You know. I have to be on duty, so only late at night…”

“Right, that’s fine, so come at night.”

He even tried to turn away without hearing Ade out. Seeing him turn back as if he would close the door at any moment, Ade’s face contorted into a fierce scowl.

“Hey, let me finish my…!”

“Well then, see you later. Sorry.”

Zizlon, who had been half-listening to Ade during their short conversation, finally pulled on the doorknob. At that, Ade, unable to bear it any longer, moved. He abruptly reached out and roughly grabbed the door, and the Prince, with startled eyes, hastily looked up at Ade. The Prince’s face was haggard.

“You, you must have something to say to me.”

Ade muttered in a low, chilling voice.

The Prince finally looked Ade straight in the face. The Prince’s face, stiff and hard, was mournful like someone who was cornered. Ade moved right up to the gap in the door and pushed his face in.

“Am I mistaken? I’m sure you have something to explain to me. You’re not planning to just pretend nothing happened, are you? Are you saying you don’t care how I interpret this?”

As Ade pressed closer as if to push his way in, the Prince became terrified and held the door even more tightly.

“Ade… please.”

Zizlon looked as desperate as if he were being chased by something. The Prince, gripping the doorknob tightly with a hand drenched in cold sweat, moaned pleadingly and kept trying to pull the door shut. But Ade went so far as to wedge his foot in the gap of the door and forcibly continued the conversation.

“Zizlon. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I was willing to listen to you. That silly argument was nothing to begin with. I wasn’t that hurt. I was going to believe whatever explanation you gave me…”

“Tomorrow morning!”

Zizlon, whose face had been growing paler by the second, suddenly shouted as if screaming. Ade, momentarily surprised by his desperation, fell silent, and Zizlon seized the chance to pour out his words quickly.

“Tomorrow morning! Come then. Anyway, not today!”

“Ha.”

At Zizlon’s almost tragic attitude, Ade let out a hearty laugh. Of course, it was not a laugh of amusement. But the Prince paid him no mind. He even reached out and shoved Ade’s chest. Ade, caught off guard for a moment, staggered back, and his foot that had been blocking the door slipped out in the process. Not missing that moment, the Prince slammed the door. Thump! The door closed right in front of the dumbfounded Ade’s nose.

“……”

He could feel the soldiers staring at the back of his head, having been given the cold shoulder at the door. His face burned with humiliation. To be treated like this in front of his inferiors was unprecedented.

Ade glared at the closed door as if it were the Prince himself. He was so disappointed that, paradoxically, he could not think of anything at all. He suppressed his anger while glaring at the door for a while, then at some point, he turned his body roughly and left.

“……”

Meanwhile, inside the room, the Prince, who had been leaning against the door, was listening to the sound of Ade’s departing footsteps. As he listened to the sound grow more distant, a drop of cold sweat trickled down his pale forehead.

Finally, certain that he had left, he was secretly sighing in relief when a white hand suddenly appeared in front of him. While the pale hand wiped away his sweat, Zizlon’s face hardened once more. The owner of the hand was none other than the Queen, dressed in a robe.

“The guest, was that Lord Villeneuve?” the Queen asked in a languid voice, bearing plenty of traces from the previous night.

Zizlon bit his lip in dismay. As he had feared, the Queen knew the guest’s identity. His voice had been so loud, it was only natural that it would have woken the sleeping Queen.

The Prince hesitated for a moment, then, thinking that denying it would only provoke him, confessed meekly.

“…Yes, it was.”

“For what purpose?”

Aion asked again. The Queen seemed more interested than he had thought, which made Zizlon anxious. Overcome with excessive worry, Zizlon already adopted a subservient posture.

“Aion. Please, do not involve him in this matter.”

The Prince said, watching his expression. The Queen let out a soft laugh. He stared intently at the bruises between the lapels of the Prince’s open robe, then said in a voice tinged with amusement.

“Oh my. You give quite a fearsome warning.”

“It is not a warning.”

“Then?”

“A request… it is.”

“Aha.”

Is he not showing quite a lovely side?

The Queen’s gaze grew even more sinister. Seeing the Prince’s servile appearance, his lower body momentarily grew taut. In fact, he had just been annoyed by the sight of him fretting over his friend, but before he could even act on his thought to tease him, his heart had melted completely upon seeing his meek attitude.

How could he be harsh to such a cute person? The Queen, lost in a secret dilemma, maintained a meaningful silence with a smile on his face. While he contemplated his disposition, the Prince constantly watched his expression with anxiety. Finally, Aion spoke.

“Alright.”

“Ah.”

Seeing the relieved Prince, Aion smiled brightly.

“Will you kiss me?”

“……”

“I’m a little aroused right now. Yes, go on and act pretty. As much as you are desperate.”

Watching the Prince’s smile vanish in an instant, Aion sneered. Then, the Prince brought his lips close with an inorganic expression. The two pairs of lips touched. It was a poignant kiss offered not as love, but as a bribe. While they wetly mixed their saliva, Aion pressed Zizlon against the door. When his back hit the wall, Zizlon’s legs spread apart on their own.

Perhaps because he had developed a habit of copulating whenever he despaired, Zizlon’s hole began to leak slick as soon as he despaired. The Queen’s penis, pressing against his thigh, had long been stiffly erect. Feeling the distinct lust pressing on his thigh, Zizlon felt a renewed sense of disgust. Trapped in Aion’s arms, Zizlon panted and struggled like a rabbit caught in a trap in the narrow space between the door and Aion.

It was a dawn when the air touching the skin was chilly. The Prince, to keep his promise with his friend, personally made his way to the training grounds at an early hour. Morning training had not yet begun, so the training grounds were starkly empty. Thanks to that, the presence of the person standing in the middle was distinct. Ade, dressed in the light clothing he wore for training, had placed a practice real sword on the ground and was waiting for him.

The Prince felt a sense of being crushed by the somehow ominous atmosphere. The cause of his coming here was a note delivered the previous day. Ade, saying it would be difficult to visit late at night, had sent him a note through a servant. It said to meet at the training grounds early in the morning, but did not state the purpose.

“Ade, what is this…”

The air surrounding Ade was so unusual that the Prince did not even have a chance to exchange greetings before asking for an explanation. Ade did not open his mouth. As if to say he could not answer right away, he shook his head slowly, then picked up the swords that were on the ground, keeping one for himself and handing the other to the Prince. Zizlon took the hilt of the sword, taken aback.

“Are you asking for a duel?”

The Prince asked with an uncertain expression. Ade nodded indifferently. As he walked listlessly to his position, he said.

“It suddenly occurred to me that it has been quite a while since we dueled together.”

Instead of answering the Prince’s question, Ade said something incomprehensible. Then, without any warning, he gripped the hilt of his sword and took a ready stance. Zizlon looked at Ade, who was pointing a sword at him, with a troubled expression. Instead of taking a stance, he spread his hands and asked.

“Wait. So suddenly like this?”

Ade did not look like he was joking. His voice proposing the duel was light, but after taking his stance, he repeatedly thrust his sword forward with a serious, unsmiling expression.

“What are you hesitating for? It’s perfect for shaking off distracting thoughts. Let’s move our bodies to our heart’s content for once and shake off our idle thoughts along with our sweat.”

“……”

Zizlon hesitated. It was partly because the sudden duel was bewildering, but also because he felt a sense of caution, unable to guess what Ade was thinking. At some point, Zizlon, he had changed. No matter how close someone was, he would not rashly follow them if he did not know their intentions. The same was true even for his closest friend.

Unaware of this secret change in himself, Zizlon eventually agreed to the duel. Zizlon was about to throw off his shirt like Ade but stopped. He could no longer show his body as freely as before. If he did, the hideous marks would be on full display.

His heart grew heavy anew. After some thought, he decided to only take off his cumbersome cape. He took off the red cape that was his symbol, folded it neatly at the edge of the training grounds, and returned. Then, he brandished his sword just as Ade had done. Though there was still a hint of hesitation, his movements in taking his stance were fluid like flowing water, befitting a skilled warrior.

Seeing the textbook-perfect stance, Ade grew inwardly tense. Zizlon, while making a reluctant face, had a stance that was utterly flawless.

The way one holds a sword was one of the surest ways to reveal one’s character. Zizlon was always chillingly orthodox. In contrast, Ade’s stance had the delinquency of a back-alley gangster. They had grown up looking at the same textbook, yet they were so different.

The duel began without a word. A shout of “Yaah!” was perhaps the only signal. The two rushed toward each other with fierce momentum. As Ade thrust his sword with a grim expression, Zizlon received the blow with an uncomfortable look. In the empty training grounds, clang, clang, the sound of swords clashing echoed ceaselessly and hollowly through the air.

“Haap!”

Ade used his whole body to land agile attacks. Even though it was a real sword, he was merciless. But Zizlon dodged his attacks as easily as if they were toy swords, not real ones. Unlike Ade, who charged in with a wide stance, kicking up dust, Zizlon moved his body languidly, maintaining an ambiguous distance. As Ade approached step by step, Zizlon kept stepping backward.

A scene unfolded where it seemed, at a glance, that Ade was overwhelming him. Before long, Zizlon had been pushed back dozens of steps and was cornered. He was clearly just playing along with the duel. Ade, realizing this, shouted in anger.

“Hey, Zizlon! What are you doing? Come on! Try and fight me!”

At that, Zizlon flinched. He, who had been wearing a reluctant expression the whole time, rolled his eyes to look at him. His gaze seemed to ask, ‘Are you serious?’ Ade laughed nervously. It was the first time he had ever felt such humiliation while dueling with him.

‘Right, you’re not even pretending anymore.’

Just as he thought, once Zizlon got serious, the atmosphere changed completely. He took a heavy step forward with a thump. At the same time, he brought up the sword he had been holding loosely at his side and gripped it tightly. Then, he swung the sword diagonally in a single breath. The sound of it cutting through the air, whoosh, whistled past the ear of Ade, who was hastily backpedaling.

“Kuh…”

Zizlon’s sword had a power that could intimidate an opponent just by seeing or hearing it. A mediocre opponent might get scared and declare forfeit after receiving just one or two blows.

Ade, who had leaped back to create distance, found himself checking if his limbs were intact without realizing it. While he was laughing nervously, Zizlon closed the distance with a gloomy expression.

‘This bastard! He’s planning to end this quickly!’

Watching Zizlon take a thrusting stance from far away, Ade felt his heart turn to ice. Zizlon, not understanding the need for this duel, must be intent on ending this farce quickly. His momentum was starkly different from when they would playfully have sword fights as a friendly wager.

“Fine, just try and come at me! You think I’ve just been standing still!”

Ade found his friend’s nonchalance and his own situation humiliating. Grind. Ade, gritting his teeth grimly, shouted nervously. Zizlon did not flinch and thrust his sword impassively. Ade, as if he had been waiting for it, dodged to the right.

“Ah!”

But it was then. Zizlon feigned a thrust and stopped, then kicked out like the wind in the direction Ade was dodging. His shin, as hard as a sturdy log, slammed upward into Ade’s side. The dull blow landed squarely. Ade let out a grunt and staggered. The thrust was a fake.

‘Ah, now that I think about it, something similar happened before…!’

By the time he bitterly regretted his repeated mistake, it was already too late. As Ade staggered, a sword flew at him without pause. Zizlon used the flat of his blade to knock Ade’s sword outward. With a clang, Ade’s sword was sent flying away pathetically. For a knight to lose his sword was a disgraceful thing. Ade, who had fallen to the ground, gritted his teeth and quickly gripped the hilt. At that moment, Zizlon, who had swiftly approached the sword, stomped down on the blade with a thump. Ade could not pull the sword out from under his foot.

“…Keugh, ugh…”

Ade let out a groan. The entire sequence had happened in an instant. As if it were child’s play.

Ade, after trying to pull out the sword a few times, soon gave up and went limp. With a hollow smile, he looked up to see Zizlon looking down at him as if to ask what he would do now. Ade, staring blankly at his face, let out a soft laugh and muttered.

“You… are not even out of breath.”

“……”

Only then did Zizlon show a slightly flustered expression. “Ade, I…” he began to say something, but Ade immediately shook his head. “No, it’s fine. It’s a duel.”

Ade let go of the sword and haltingly got to his feet. He had thought there was a gap between them, but he had not known it was this big. He thought he had trained quite a bit during that time, but he had lost in an instant.

On the other hand, he felt a sense of regret. Ade glanced sideways at his friend, who wore a rigid expression. The friend who used to deliberately match his level and fight, then pretend to narrowly lose and laugh heartily, saying it was a close call, was no longer there. Perhaps they were now too old to play such games.

Zizlon put away his sword and tried to help him up. But Ade slapped his hand away and chose to remain lying down. Zizlon stood beside him and looked down at him, and Ade nonchalantly stretched out on the dirt floor to catch his breath. For a while, they both maintained their silence like that, until Ade, who had been watching Zizlon wait for him the whole time, muttered as if to himself.

“It was always like this. We called ourselves rivals, but in reality, I always lost to you. Always.”

Zizlon refuted in a flustered voice.

“No.”

“It’s not ‘no’. It’s absolutely not ‘no’.”

And then silence again. By now, Zizlon had thrown his sword aside and was standing there gloomily. Ade glanced at him, but he was no longer even looking at him. He was looking in the direction of the castle with a tired and somber face, as if everything was a bother. What on earth was going through his head, what was in that castle, to make him wear such an expression?

At that moment, a sense of unease suddenly rushed in. Ade asked himself. Since when was he capable of making that kind of face?

“……”

Lately, the more Ade became aware of it, the more he felt a sense of strangeness from his once-familiar friend. He had only looked away for a moment, but at some point, his friend had changed. Perhaps this was the process of becoming an adult, Ade suddenly thought. Yes, they could not remain close friends forever. He was destined to one day become the supreme ruler of the nation.

The sinister vassals who whispered their names and constantly glanced at them sideways. His father, who swept his brow with a worried expression. His friend who did not show up and the royal castle that had lost its laughter. The King, who had been so generous, but had started treating his son coldly overnight. The world surrounding him had, at some point, become heartless. A fresh sense of regret washed over his body. Feeling as if he were adrift in the transience of time, Ade stared blankly up at the sky.

The Queen’s favorite servant, Pym, sniffled in the cold dawn air, his cheeks bright red.

“My goodness, where could Lord Villeneuve have gone! This is usually the time he’d be getting ready in his quarters, but why was he in such a hurry today of all days.”

Pym was on a dawn outing that was not in his job description. Just a few minutes ago, Pym, who had visited Lord Villeneuve’s quarters from early in the morning on the pretext of a morning greeting, had been waiting for his beloved to come out while enduring the cold wind. Instead, he had been informed by a servant that Lord Villeneuve had already left and was on his way back. Pym normally detested physically uncomfortable things like cold or heat, but having stood his ground in the chilly dawn air, so out of character for him, his already sensitive nerves were on edge. The unseemly, constant sniffling was an added bonus.

In the end, P.M., having come up empty-handed, was returning dejectedly. With every irritated stomp, his clothes fluttered in the bleak wind. Each time the ice-cold wind brushed past his body, Pym wrapped his arms around himself and rubbed them until they were on fire. Then, he suddenly narrowed his eyes and muttered.

“Don’t tell me he went to meet a lover!”

At the very thought, a fantasy that made his blood boil, Pym felt his mood sour. But he soon shook his head, saying, “Nah, no way,” and shook off the thought. And Pym started walking again.

Of course, Pym was also well aware that Lord Villeneuve’s love life was indeed complex and varied. However, according to what he had gathered from time to time with his intelligence network, which the Queen trusted and relied on, Lord Villeneuve was not seeing anyone recently. It seemed he had someone he’d rub lips with when they occasionally ran into each other, but for the promiscuous Lord Villeneuve, Pym thought that much didn’t even count as dating.

Just as he was entering the front of the castle garden, Pym let out a deep sigh. Every time he saw Lord Villeneuve paying attention to someone else, his heart felt like it was not just breaking but being torn to shreds, but he considered it his own sin for having fallen in love with such a charming person. After all, people of the world have eyes too. It was only natural that there would be many competitors.

However, the one thing that bothered him was, of course, ‘that person’. As for that person, he was one of the few who held a unique and unchanging position with Lord Villeneuve, who always left for someone new like the wind. One might think there was nothing to worry about since they were not lovers, but in the eyes of the ever-sensitive Pym, he was not a person to be complacent about. Besides, who knew when they might develop into lovers.

That person was none other than Prince Zizlon. Even if they were just somewhat close, it would be enough to earn Pym’s jealousy, but the relationship between the two was truly not ordinary. The strong friendship between the charming Lord Villeneuve and the brilliant Prince Zizlon was so famous that it was known even beyond the borders. Sentimental bards who never missed a good story had even written a few songs about the two of them.

And it wasn’t as if their relationship was one that those around them made a bigger deal of. Pym, who had hovered around Villeneuve for days on end, could attest that the bond between them was more than the rumors. At least, Villeneuve’s attachment to the Prince was. To what extent, you ask? Villeneuve’s love for the Prince occupied even the realm of his subconscious, to the point where Villeneuve would be speaking without much thought and, without realizing it, would bring up the subject of the Prince at some point. Pym, who had had to listen to his stories by his side many times, would be anxious just to get a single indifferent response from Villeneuve, but when the topic of the Prince inevitably came up, he would rather wish Villeneuve would just shut up.

‘How wonderful it would be if I could just tell Lord Villeneuve the truth about that promiscuous slut.’

It was at that moment, as he was getting irritated by the thought of the Prince’s handsome face that had come to mind again. Pym, who was just turning onto the path leading to the training grounds, discovered an unexpected face in the middle of the grounds. It was so unexpected that Pym blinked his eyes foolishly a few times. But it was certain. It was Lord Villeneuve, the very person he had been searching for. In an instant, a smile bloomed on his face like magic. What could be the occasion at this early hour? Was the diligent and gallant Lord Villeneuve training since the morning?

But his delight at the fateful encounter was short-lived; the moment he recognized the identity of the person standing in front of him, his face froze as if he had never smiled.

Ade, who had been silent the whole time, opened his mouth.

“You won’t tell me first, even until the end.”

“Huh?”

At the sudden voice, Zizlon snapped out of his thoughts. The Prince, realizing he had been staring at the castle in a daze for some time, hastily turned his head. Ade, who had been lying down, had sat up and was now sitting with his knees drawn up. He casually spoke as he brushed the dirt off his body.

“I kept waiting because I thought it was a good moment to talk. Don’t you remember? We met to have a conversation.”

“Aah… Ade….”

“Do you really have nothing to say? …We were friends who had no secrets.”

While Zizlon groaned blankly, Ade stared at Zizlon with a peculiar gaze. His eyes looked shallow, but like a swamp that could pull you under in an instant, they looked indifferent but held deep emotion.

Zizlon was overwhelmed by the opportunity that had suddenly appeared before him. His friend’s unusually serious demeanor was also one of the reasons that flustered him. Zizlon had steeled his resolve to protect his friend, but ironically, at this very moment, not opening his mouth felt like a betrayal of his friend.

“If you really don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. Politics requires secrets. I can’t eavesdrop on every matter of state under the pretext of friendship. I may be somewhat childish, but I’m not a child.”

Then, Ade shook his head. His voice was light, as if he truly did not mind. But hearing those words, Zizlon, on the contrary, made a pained expression.

It was perhaps natural that an impulse suddenly reared its head. Zizlon was human too, and it was only natural for him to feel the desire to be free by confessing his sins. He wanted to vent about the persecution and sorrow he had endured and to have his efforts recognized. He wanted to take credit, to say that all the decisions I made were for you and our families. He yearned for sincere gratitude and apology. Before such temptation, Zizlon’s lips moved first, without their master’s command.

“If you truly… want to hear…” The voice that came out, stammering, was dazed, as if under a hallucination.

“Stop.”

Then, unexpectedly, Ade cut him off. Ade, who had suddenly raised his hand, wore an expression as sharp as a blade. At that moment, Zizlon came to his senses as if waking from a spell and hastily shut his mouth.

“I have no desire to hear it by forcing you.”

“……”

“Is it difficult to talk about?”

Ade stared at him with an unreadable expression. Zizlon remained still for a long time, then nodded his head with a stiff motion.

“Then let me ask just one thing. Did you do it with ill intentions toward me?”

“…That’s not it.”

“Then that’s enough.”

No sooner had Zizlon answered than Ade broke into a broad smile. From Zizlon’s perspective, his attitude was such that he wondered if it was alright to be forgiven so easily.

“Don’t worry. At least I know you didn’t do it because you hate me. That’s enough.”

Finally, Ade, his body and mind light, leaped to his feet and casually brushed off his pants. Then, he gathered and put on the shirt he had set aside. He really seemed ready to give up and go back.

Zizlon watched him with a somewhat dumbfounded expression. To have been so fiery just a moment ago, and then suddenly act as if he had no lingering feelings was bewildering. It was not the behavior of someone who had been so desperate to talk. His composure felt ominous, rather.

Is this really okay? Zizlon asked himself. It was not strange that the quick-witted Ade had noticed his predicament and was being considerate. But for him to readily accept it with a single word of denial, in a situation where there were circumstances suggesting that not only himself but also his family had been attacked, seemed unnatural to Zizlon.

As Ade had just said, their friendship was not like that. Theirs was not a friendship that buried unpleasant things and pretended they never happened, but one where they laid bare everything inside them and deeply empathized with each other. They had always reconciled that way every time they fought. That was their way. Zizlon wondered whether this whim shown by Ade was a good sign or a bad one.

But Ade, as if to mock his suspicion, cheerfully patted Zizlon’s shoulder.

“Actually, I sorted out my thoughts while I was lying down just now. I think I was being too insistent.”

“…You think so?”

If so, that was a relief, but why did he feel a slight sense of disappointment? However, Zizlon felt somewhat comforted just by seeing Ade’s smile. Eventually, a faint smile formed on Zizlon’s face as well.

“…Thank you. For believing me,” Zizlon said, his expression considerably brighter.

Ade replied with a soft laugh.

“I’ve decided to trust and leave it to you. Don’t worry about me. When everything is resolved, tell me then.”

“I’m sorry, Ade.”

“No. It was I who was being stubborn, even knowing your situation was not good in many ways.”

Zizlon still seemed slightly confused, but Ade, who had made up his mind, felt rather refreshed.

“I won’t come find you so abruptly in the morning anymore. Showing your underlings an undressed appearance is damaging to one’s dignity, and I forced the issue unreasonably.”

Did Zizlon detect the subtle change revealed in his tone? Ade secretly smiled bitterly.

‘It’s right for him and I to go our separate ways now.’

It would be lonely to accept his friend who had grown up so much and become his lord, but it was something he had to accept. In the short silence, Ade came to that conclusion. He had always been a friend he worried about due to his weak-hearted nature, but it seemed he was the one who had become an adult first.

Suddenly, everything felt transient. Ade was thinking of taking a vacation for a while and perhaps going on a trip. His father back home might fly into a rage, asking what damn vacation a Vice-Captain of the Royal Guard was taking, but he was a born wanderer, and he had never planned on doing this job for his entire life in the first place.

He vaguely realized that the time had come. Perhaps it would be fine to retire from his job and spend his time idly, playing and eating at his hometown. Now that he had reached a conclusion, he felt rather relieved. For some reason, it felt as if some unknown emotion that had shackled the free-spirited him to his friend’s side had finally disappeared.

And if his timid friend found out about this, he would make all sorts of fuss, saying it was his fault, so it was best to disappear quietly without a word. Ade, in his heart unknown to Zizlon, made a plan to keep this fact tightly hidden until the day before his departure and smiled as if nothing had happened.

“Shall we go then?”

Finally, Ade cheerfully tapped Zizlon’s shoulder. Zizlon reluctantly nodded. Everything seemed fine. Due to their fight, which had reached a conclusion in some form, the two were looking at each other and smiling freely for the first time in a while.

And it was at that very moment. A sudden, unexpected event occurred.

“Lord Villeneuve…!”

“Hm?”

A familiar voice called him, and Villeneuve turned his head to look where the sound came from. Far away at the end of the training grounds, by the wall, Ade easily recognized the boy Pym, who was timidly waving his hand.

Immediately, Ade made a bewildered expression. While he was lightheartedly thinking, ‘What’s that kid doing here?’, he was, rather thoughtlessly, too late to notice the change in his companion. Too late to notice his friend’s face, which had been as gentle as a spring breeze, transform into a startlingly sharp expression.

“What is that kid doing here?”

A sudden, gloomy voice was heard. At the unfamiliar, heterogeneous voice, Ade inadvertently looked back at the Prince. And his body froze. Because his friend, wearing the same crazed expression he had seen that day, was staring at the small, delicate boy. The Prince who had been smiling gently just a moment before had vanished in an instant.

And without a moment’s notice, Zizlon began to walk with long strides. Of course, it was in the direction where Pym was standing. Ade, who had been watching, too stunned to do anything, followed him a step too late.

“Wait.”

Ade, who had quickly caught up, grabbed Zizlon’s arm. It was because of an uneasy premonition, one without reason, that something terrible was about to happen. But Zizlon lightly shook off his arm as if his restraint was of no concern to him and continued walking without stopping. “Hey, hey!” The flustered Ade called his name and hurriedly followed.

“Villeneu…gh.”

A large shadow fell over Pym’s body. Pym, who had been calling Ade’s name as if to show off in front of the Prince, slowly closed his mouth when he came face to face with his massive frame.

“What is it?”

Zizlon asked in a gloomy voice. It was a simple question, but the hostility and contempt that openly lurked behind it were clear. It also contained an anger that could erupt at any moment depending on the answer. His loathing for Pym was no less than the Queen’s. Pym was, at a glance, nothing more than a powerless servant, but Zizlon knew well that he was a more cunning and selfish servant than anyone. Above all, Zizlon vividly remembered the small queen who had laid him down as he cried after his body had been taken by the Queen, and had coldly cleaned up after. In short, Pym was the Queen’s faithful limb, and a bona fide part of the nightmare.

A chilling voice, devoid of any inflection, continued.

“—Did the Queen send you to spy on us? Did he place you by Villeneuve’s side to sound out what he’s thinking?”

“Lord Villeneuve….”

Instead of answering his interrogation, Pym sent a pleading gaze to Villeneuve, who stood behind the Prince. Pitifully, his small body was hunched over. Standing before the massive Prince, he looked even more frail.

Villeneuve’s eyes wavered as he stood awkwardly a step behind the Prince, watching the situation. His mind, unable to keep up with the Prince’s bizarre behavior he had just witnessed, had frozen. The Prince’s instantaneous transformation was almost terrifying. Ade was so overwhelmed by the gap between the friend he knew and the current Zizlon who was exhibiting strange behavior that his mind went blank.

Meanwhile, running into the Prince right at this moment was rather unfortunate for the innocent Pym. After all, the Prince was in a sensitive state these days regarding matters related to Villeneuve. Due to the crisis he had already experienced once, his nerves were stretched taut to their limit. He was burning with a sense of mission to protect Ade more than ever before.

Finally, Zizlon raised his hand high. He looked ready to slap his cheek at any moment.

“Why aren’t you answering!”

“Ah…!”

If he were hit by the Prince’s huge hand, he wouldn’t even be able to pick up his bones. Pym, his face ashen, squeezed his eyes shut and curled up his body. Sure enough, he heard the sound of the air being cut, swish. But he did not feel the expected pain.

After a moment of silence, Pym cautiously opened his eyes. Zizlon’s hand had stopped exquisitely in front of his head. It was because Ade had hastily wedged himself between them and grabbed his hand.

“L-Lord Villeneuve….”

Pym muttered in a voice of disbelief.

While elation filled Pym’s eyes, Villeneuve did not look at Pym. He was looking at the Prince, who was exuding an unusual aura. Since the Prince was glaring at him as if he would tear him to shreds, Villeneuve did not dare to look away. The atmosphere was as explosive as a life-or-death sword fight. A strange fear arose, as if a sword would fly at him the instant he looked away.

Meeting the crazed eyes, Ade felt a shiver run through his entire body. Gulp. He swallowed without realizing it. Cold sweat was beading on his forehead. As if he could not even recognize his friend’s face, Zizlon displayed his hostility towards Ade without restraint.

“What are you doing?”

“Calm down, first.”

“Calm down? That’s something you can say because you don’t know what kind of person he is.”

At his words, Ade glanced behind Zizlon. He saw the small boy, waiting for his fate with a pale face and his hands clasped timidly. In Ade’s eyes, he was a delicate being, doubtful if he could even harm an opponent even if he had malicious intent.

He had no idea what he was so afraid of that he would sincerely attack such a small servant, but he could not stand by and watch him harm Pym in front of his eyes. For Ade, who had learned the code of chivalry since he was young, harming the weak was out of the question.

“You’re the one who needs to calm down. What kind of threat is this kid? He’s so frail he probably couldn’t even lift a needle.”

“Ha.”

Zizlon let out a hollow laugh. How naive! If he had seen that kid attending to the Queen at night, he would not be saying such things. If he had seen the chilling sight of him nonchalantly cleaning up semen with a blank face.

“You carefree fool!” Zizlon roared, and,

“…You’re the one who’s become sinister,” Ade retorted, not backing down.

And it was in the midst of their argument. A strange light suddenly flickered in the eyes of Zizlon, who had been unilaterally agitated. He closed his mouth for a moment, then, like someone who had realized a truth too frightening to even think about, he muttered in a low voice.

“Or… perhaps you were the one who called him?”

“What?”

Ade was looking at him with an expression that said, ‘What kind of absurd nonsense is this,’ but Zizlon seemed to have already fallen into a world of his own. He continued to talk to himself with Ade right in front of him. His dazed eyes were like someone possessed by something.

“Yes… now that I think about it, how did that cunning brat know where we were and come to find us? I didn’t tell anyone.”

“Zizlon, what on earth are you talking about….”

The transformation from anger to suspicion was instantaneous.

“Did you two conspire together?”

“What?”

The moment Zizlon’s arrow turned towards him, Ade was at a loss for words.

“Did you tell that brat that we were meeting? No, perhaps calling me out here was some kind of trap from the beginning?”

In Zizlon’s mind, since his opponent already had a history, it would not be strange for him to have plotted something like this. Yes! He should have been suspicious from the moment he was suddenly called out to a deserted place.

Come to think of it, Ade Villeneuve was always like this. He would cunningly slip out of complicated situations, never wanting to do anything inconvenient for himself, while showing off petty favors in matters of no importance, thus putting others in difficult situations.

Meanwhile, Ade, who had no idea how the situation was unfolding, was simply dumbfounded. Whatever it was, Zizlon, who had been concocting delusions on his own, was now finally turning his arrows on him. While watching Zizlon’s expression gradually fill with conviction with a sense of absurdity, Ade explained with patience.

“Zizlon. I know nothing about this. I also haven’t told anyone other than you about today’s appointment. I called you out because I wanted to talk to you, so why would I create a hindrance? And even if I had called him, for what purpose? What would I gain from it?”

“Well, who knows about that. Didn’t you have some other ulterior motive even before you called me out?”

“…Zizlon. Please calm down. You’re not in your right mind right now.”

It was probably the same thing that happened ‘that day’. The day he conspired with the Queen and sent him to the tavern. Since he had not been showing his true colors lately, the Queen must have come up with a scheme to win him over. It probably wasn’t a difficult task. If the Queen acted all pitiful and whined just once that she was worried because she wasn’t on good terms with the Prince lately, this meddlesome guy would volunteer to mediate without a second thought. Truly, having no idea about anything!

“Ade, I’m not doubting your intentions, so you’d better confess meekly when I ask, or else…”

Meanwhile, Ade, who had been trying to maintain his composure, was also beginning to feel himself losing his reason. He was barely holding back because he did not want to ruin the reconciliation they had just reached, but Zizlon, possessed by his delusions, relentlessly pushed him, testing his patience.

Listening to his incomprehensible nonsense was becoming more and more irritating. Was this the reward for being considerate to his troubled friend, for giving in to him time and time again? He had absolutely no reason to be treated like this by his friend.

The squabble that had started over Pym gradually turned into an argument between Zizlon and Ade.

“Hey, I’ve done my part.”

Finally, Ade, unable to bear it any longer, said in a warning tone.

“If you have a conscience, you won’t be able to deny it. I did my best to reconcile, but you’re the one who ruined it.”

Normally, Zizlon would have noticed the unusual tone in his voice and been afraid, but completely captivated by his delusion, he had no intention of yielding. Zizlon, far from slowing down his momentum, replied sarcastically.

“Trying to scare me like that won’t work.”

“Of course it won’t work! Because you never cared about me in the first place. I’m so sorry for sticking around without a clue!”

At that, Ade’s voice suddenly grew loud. Zizlon, not to be outdone, shouted back.

“You don’t know anything! And of course, you don’t know what kind of person he is either!”

Zizlon shouted, pointing at Pym. At that, Ade, on the contrary, hid Pym behind his back as if to protect him.

“What does it matter what kind of person he is, this skinny servant? You’re the one trembling before a little guy like this, it’s so pathetic I can’t even watch. You’re so desperate to protect your right of succession that you’ve lost your mind. You’re crazy with delusions and can’t tell heaven from earth! In your eyes, every Tom, Dick, and Harry looks like they’re dying to tear you down, right?”

“Must be nice to be so carefree, Lord Villeneuve! That’s not a delusion, it’s reality! This world is naturally nauseating!”

In the midst of the raised voices, Pym was in a different world, not in reality. He stared blankly at Ade’s back with eyes utterly lost in a dreamlike state. His dependable back looked stronger than ever before. No, it was dazzling.

‘Ah… Lord Villeneuve.’

Pym, overcome with ecstasy, shyly cupped his flushed cheeks. For him to stand up to the Prince for his sake! He was so happy he would not want to wake up if it were a dream. The fear of being threatened by the Prince was already forgotten.

“Damn it!”

And, at some point, Ade’s emotions reached their peak. Fully agitated, he finally and roughly took off his outer coat. It was the uniform with the royal crest. And then he crumpled it up carelessly and threw it at Zizlon’s chest as if flinging it. The coat hit Zizlon’s chest with a thud before falling to the ground, kicking up dust. Ade shouted in Zizlon’s frozen face.

“I’m done! I don’t want to stick around here putting up with this kind of pathetic display. I will leave tomorrow! For a while, I don’t even want to see Your Highness’s face!”

“Villeneuve…!”

“Call me what you will! It won’t scare me. Are you going to have me arrested and beheaded?”

Villeneuve sneered, and the Prince’s cheeks, red with anger, trembled. Before long, the two were glaring at each other as if they were mortal enemies. In truth, the Prince looked a little hurt. By a simple taunt, not even a curse.

But perhaps unable to bend his pride, instead of asking for a reconciliation, he went a step further and spun around. He looked ready to leave at any moment. But just before leaving, he stopped dead in his tracks and left one meaningful remark for Ade, who stood behind him.

“Right! Just leave. Don’t stay in a place like this.”

And then he finally left. He strode away with angry steps without a single glance back. Heartlessly, as if to shake off any and all lingering attachment.

Ade glared at the Prince’s retreating back, his cape fluttering as he moved away. He did not forget to snort loudly with a “Hmph!” as if to make sure he was heard. Then Ade picked up the clothes that had fallen on the ground. And he brushed off the dust from the clothes so roughly that it made a pat-pat sound. At that moment, Pym approached him cautiously with a flirtatious gesture.

“Lord Villeneuve….”

The Pym of this moment was happy beyond compare. For the one he loved to protect him from the one he hated was a dreamlike event. Pym was so overcome with emotion that he was even panting. He felt completely drunk on love. His knees felt weak, and he kept wanting to lean on Villeneuve’s thick arms. And he actually did so. Pym carefully rested his forehead on his arm, but Ade, his mind elsewhere in the aftermath of the fight with his friend, paid no attention.

“Thank you. Lord Villeneuve. For protecting me….” Pym whispered shyly while leaning against him.

“Don’t worry about it, Pym. Just consider it bad luck.”

Then, Ade even patted his shoulder in encouragement with his rough hand. Pym was so happy he almost bit his tongue.

Even as he gave Pym’s shoulder a friendly pat, Ade was glaring in the direction where Zizlon had disappeared. It was as if he were showing off to the person who had left.

Pym, not content with being comforted to his heart’s content by the gallant Ade, savored the thrilling privilege of leaning his body against his for a long while after. The arduous time he had spent stamping his feet in front of his quarters waiting for Ade in the cold dawn did not feel like a waste at all. He was so ecstatic that he even thought it was a good thing that the detestable Prince had gotten angry at him.