The day after they arrived in Seren, Seilan came bursting into the inn—somehow he’d found out.
“Hey, Rowy, are you okay? I heard you collapsed, but you look fine?”
“How did you know to come?”
“Who do you think called your ship before? Obviously I heard from the Captain.”
At that, Rowy nodded.
“I just… had a little something come up.”
“A little? I heard everything. You collapsed while fighting a demon?”
…Why does everyone have such loose lips? Rowy grumbled internally. Not wanting to explain, he clamped his mouth shut, and Seilan, catching Rowy’s mood, changed the subject.
“…But why is that guy acting like that?”
At the question about Van, who was sitting beside him with his lips pursed, Rowy whipped his head around. Over something trivial, Van was still sulking.
“……”
“……”
When Rowy glared at Van, Van didn’t back down and met Rowy’s eyes right back. Between them, crackle—invisible sparks seemed to fly. …Watching the two exchange this silent conversation, Seilan’s eyes cooled. Just lovers’ quarreling.
“Well, your love life is none of my business. So, you planning to stay here for a while?”
“No. I’m going to Marzen.”
“Huh? Marzen?”
At the unexpected words, Seilan’s eyes went round. Rowy nodded. To be precise, he planned to go to the Elysion Temple in Marzen. It was to break the curse that still remained on Rowy.
“Why are you suddenly going to Marzen?”
“I’m going to the Elysion Temple to receive consecration.”
Van answered in Rowy’s stead to Seilan’s question. However, Seilan’s expression grew even stranger at those words.
“…Are you two really getting married or something?”
“What? N-no….”
Marriage? Van visibly flustered and waved his hands. Rowy looked at Van with disdainful eyes as his face turned bright red in an instant. Why is he really acting like that?
“It’s not like that. I told you I met a demon.”
“…Is something wrong?”
“It’s nothing major. I was cursed but it hasn’t completely lifted yet.”
“…That sounds pretty major to me.”
It’s not contagious, is it? Seilan asked while backing away. This time Rowy looked at Seilan with disdainful eyes too. Feeling awkward at that gaze, Seilan straightened his posture again.
“Well, anyway. Then what are you going to tell your family?”
“……”
Rowy rolled his eyes. …That was the problem. By the Crown Prince’s order, Rowy couldn’t leave Seraphila. Of course, that was an order in the spirit of ‘get out of my sight’ from an angry Crown Prince, so if Rowy wanted to, he could go anywhere. However, to do that….
‘I’d have to get permission from the Duke….’
To cross Seraphila’s border, he absolutely had to go through the reporting procedure with his family. Rowy had refused to budge from this place for the past two years because he hated that. The reason was simple: he didn’t want to hear nagging.
The Duke of Irad had a stern face and nagged endlessly. Moreover… if he asked why Rowy wanted to go to Marzen, what could he say? That he was cursed by a demon, and since it hasn’t completely lifted yet, he wants to meet a priest? Like that?
‘…If I say that, it won’t just be nagging—I’ll probably get dragged back to the Empire.’
As Rowy let out a deep sigh, Seilan, who’d caught on to what he was worried about, spoke up again.
“Just checking, but you’re not actually going to tell the truth, right?”
“Hm? Of course not.”
“Then what are you going to say?”
“Just… that I’m going to have fun.”
Though I don’t know if he’ll believe it. The Duke, who’d dealt with Rowy more than enough, probably wouldn’t simply believe those words. The Duke would definitely think Rowy was going to cause some trouble. …When he’d already caused trouble and was going to clean it up.
“I don’t think he’ll believe you.”
“You think so?”
So Seilan thought the same. Rowy nodded. Well, even if he doesn’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do. The Duke already knew well that Rowy wasn’t the type to not go just because he was told not to.
“Whatever you do, don’t say anything about demons or whatever.”
“I know.”
This guy nags a lot too. Rowy answered indifferently. But regardless of that reaction, Seilan’s unsolicited advice continued.
“Don’t do that… just say it like this, why don’t you?”
“Like what?”
“Marriage is a bit early, so say you’re going to visit your lover’s family.”
…What nonsense is this now?
“Hey, what’s with that look of disbelief? This is the most reliable way! This whole mess happened because they were trying to marry you off quickly. If you say you have a lover, they’ll be happy, won’t they?”
“……”
Works perfectly. Really. Seilan nodded confidently.
The Empire had particularly fierce succession struggles. That’s why most people in ambiguous positions like Rowy and Seilan left the Empire as soon as they came of age or married someone of the same sex. The Duke of Irad’s arrangement of the engagement with the Crown Prince was also for that reason. Though finding such an excessive match for that Rowy ultimately created this disaster….
‘For a guy like Rowy, someone obedient like that would suit him better than that rigid, stubborn Crown Prince.’
Seilan glanced at Van. As if something had hurt his feelings, Van had a sulky expression that didn’t match his large build. Yet his hands never stopped peeling fruit for Rowy.
Seeing the apple precisely carved into a rabbit shape, Seilan turned his gaze away with a reluctant expression. He really didn’t want to know what had happened between the two.
“Besides, that guy was a Holy Knight of the Elysion Order, right?”
“How did you know that too?”
“Obviously I did a background check.”
How can he say that so proudly? Rowy let out an empty laugh. But Seilan remained serious.
“It’ll really work. If this works out well, you have to treat me.”
“……”
“Oh, it’s already gotten this late. I should go.”
“……”
“Ah, don’t forget to buy a gift when you come back.”
Seilan, who’d burst in suddenly and only spouted chaotic words, left just like that with those final words.
“What the hell did he even come here for?”
As Rowy stared at the closed door in bewilderment, Van, who’d finished preparing the fruit at some point, slipped over to sit next to Rowy. He’d been pretending to sulk and hadn’t come near, so why is he acting like this now? Rowy narrowed his eyes and looked at Van.
Having slinked over to stick close to Rowy like that, Van, as if he’d never sulked, sneakily wrapped his arm around Rowy’s shoulders. Then, with a somehow reddened face, he whispered in Rowy’s ear.
“Are we… getting married?”
…I really want to punch him. Rowy shoved Van away.
* * *
After bickering like that, it was already late afternoon. Only then did the two leave the inn and stop by the dessert shop from before. If you counted the days, they’d actually returned to Seren not long ago, but perhaps because so much had happened, it felt like it had been a very long time.
“Honey ice cream!”
Hurrah! Rowy spread both arms and rushed at the ice cream. Van smiled warmly at the sight of Rowy in such high spirits.
“Please eat slowly.”
“Mmm, it’s delicious. I wonder if Marzen has desserts like this? I only passed through Marzen before.”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never been to shops like this….”
“I’m looking forward to it. This is my first time traveling outside of Seraphila.”
Rowy, who’d never left the Empire even once from birth until adulthood, had Seraphila as his first travel destination in life. Of course, it was unfortunate that it was because he’d been kicked out of the Empire.
In any case, the journey had been quite enjoyable. Eating exotic food, seeing monsters… Rowy hummed a tune as he recalled those times. And meanwhile, Van, who’d finished cutting all the hot pie, slipped his body close to Rowy’s side. At some point, Van had stopped sitting across from him and kept sticking close beside him.
With his large frame squeezed into the chair, Rowy was pushed completely to where the armrest was. At his body constantly being pushed, Rowy glared at Van with irritation. However, Van wasn’t even looking at Rowy. Van’s expression as he stared into space was hazy.
“So… when are we going to greet them? What if they say they want to meet me too? Should I, should I buy clothes?”
…Seilan said something unnecessarily useless. Van seemed to already be progressing all the way to meeting the in-laws in his imagination. How absurd. Does one get married alone? Rowy just picked at his pie to eat. But whether Rowy knew or not, Van continued to spread his wings of imagination.
Whatever he was imagining and how far, after fidgeting and making a fuss for a while, Van whispered in a low voice in Rowy’s ear.
“Will you buy me clothes?”
“……”
Too dumbfounded to speak, Rowy buried his face in his ice cream again. Regardless, Van was still spreading his wings of imagination with a hazy expression. But unfortunately… Van’s excitement was soon shattered to pieces.
“I-Irad? That Irad? The Imperial ducal house?”
“Yeah.”
“That Irad Duchy that’s produced Imperial Knight Commanders for generations?”
“Yep.”
“Rowy Irad?”
“That’s right.”
He’d learned that Rowy was of the Irad Duchy bloodline. Though he’d thought Rowy might be an Imperial noble based on his lavish spending… an Imperial ducal house, no less. Van was devastated by the difference in status beyond imagination.
“…Can we get married?”
At those words, Rowy’s eyes grew cold again. No, who said they’d marry you? However, Van was truly shocked and was practically withering away.
“I never thought the story of not being able to marry due to class difference would be mine….”
While muttering all sorts of useless things. Rowy naturally ignored Van’s words and spoke again.
“Anyway, since I have to go get permission, we’re going to the estate today.”
“P-permission… Will they give it…? After all, I’m from the temple….”
“…We’re not going to get permission for marriage, but permission to go to Marzen!”
In the end, unable to hold back, Rowy shouted.
