“I came because I heard you two were together, and just in case… Right now! How dare you! Forcing him when he says he doesn’t want to!”
“……”
“……”
Van showed the most wronged expression in the world. However, he had no words to refute. After all, he had been caught red-handed straddling on top of Rowy, acting recklessly while ignoring Rowy who was saying no. That was why he obediently offered his collar to Leo’s hands, whose eyes had rolled back.
‘Please say something!’
Van desperately asked Rowy for help with urgent eyes. However, before Rowy could stop him, Leo dragged Van and threw him outside the door. The look in his eyes as if looking at garbage was a bonus.
“Haah….”
Van sighed at the door that had closed before his eyes.
“Please come this way. I’ll guide you to your new room.”
The butler, who had appeared at some point due to the sudden commotion, led Van who was standing alone in the hallway. Even during this, Leo’s booming voice was echoing from inside the room. Most of it was nagging about being shameless and whatnot. Although he felt sorry for Rowy who was receiving the nagging alone, it was obvious that stepping forward in such matters would only fan the flames.
‘Family is difficult.’
Van followed the butler with a gloomy face.
‘I couldn’t even stay together for long….’
The place Van was newly staying at wasn’t very far from Rowy’s room. That was at least a consolation. Van, who was alone again, let out a big sigh.
‘Well, still, at least now I know he’s doing well.’
His heart felt much lighter since he didn’t have to tremble alone in anxiety without knowing Rowy’s news like before. Van, who recalled Rowy’s face, lay down on the bed with a comfortable mind for the first time in a while.
* * *
Despite various incidents, Van participated in the knight order’s training without fail. Just because he had met Rowy again didn’t mean he could skip the training he’d been doing without a word—that was impossible given Van’s personality. However, today the eyes of the other knights looking at Van were particularly subtle.
‘With that young master Rowy….’
‘They’re really in that kind of relationship….’
Even at the whispering enough to make his ears itch, Van pretended not to notice and engaged in sparring with a new knight. Of course, concentration wasn’t easy. Because….
“……”
It was because of Rowy, who was looking at him with sparkling eyes from the corner. Having come to the training grounds from the morning for some reason, Rowy had settled in one spot without caring about the pouring gazes.
‘I won’t interfere! I’ll just watch from here.’
Having said that, Rowy was truly sitting still in that spot without moving at all, as if he really didn’t intend to interfere. However… it was unavoidable that Van’s attention kept being drawn there.
‘It’s too early in the morning. Did he sleep properly?’
“Ha!”
Van, who had been thinking about Rowy, deflected the quickly flying sword a bit slowly.
‘He said he was busy, but has he become free now? …Can we have a meal together?’
Clang!
Van, who had been glancing at Rowy, reacted slowly once again. After this situation continued several more times, Edner finally stopped the sparring.
“Where is your mind wandering to?”
“…I’m sorry.”
Van bowed his head. Edner looked at Van with disapproving eyes. However, before Edner could nag further, Rowy suddenly squeezed between the two.
“Is training over by any chance? Can we go now?”
“…Take him away.”
Tsk, leaving behind Edner who clicked his tongue in displeasure, Rowy quickly grabbed Van’s hand and pulled him. Van also didn’t refuse Rowy. Van, who briefly bowed to Edner, immediately followed Rowy and left the training grounds. The knights, who had been staring blankly at that sight, soon began opening their mouths one by one.
“He suddenly interfered in the sparring yesterday… they’re really in that kind of relationship with Lord Rowy?”
“Didn’t you see them leave holding hands?”
“Huh, really.”
At the unexpected romantic news about the youngest young master, the knights’ whispering grew louder. Even for new knights who had never directly served Rowy, there wasn’t a single person in the Empire who didn’t know stories about Rowy. So the person he chose after rejecting the Crown Prince was…. A commotion arose among the knights.
“Let’s start training again. I’ll fill that guy’s empty spot.”
Edner, who had been watching the noisy scene, drew his sword and stood up. Silence instantly flowed through the training grounds.
‘The person who went off to play with his lover is separate, so why is our training getting harder?’
At Edner’s sudden participation in training, unjust resentment turned toward Van. Of course, Van was holding Rowy’s hand and laughing “hehe” without knowing about this situation.
“Master, how did you come? Aren’t you busy?”
“Mmm? I’m not busy. I got permission. Let’s go play!”
“Just the two of us?”
“Yeah. Come quickly.”
At Rowy’s words, Van’s expression brightened completely.
“I thought we wouldn’t be able to see each other for a while after parting like that yesterday. Did you sleep well yesterday?”
“Mmm, come quickly. We don’t have time.”
“What? Where are we going?”
“We agreed to go eat cake.”
Ah, cake…. Van nodded and was obediently dragged by Rowy’s hand. Crossing through the Irad estate’s door that the knights opened, Van finally set foot for the first time in the Empire’s capital, Basta.
* * *
The Irad Duchy was far from the shopping district, but Rowy naturally refused the carriage. It wasn’t a distance they couldn’t walk if they went slowly, and more than anything, he hated the gazes he would receive if he went around with the family crest. Of course, walking around would eventually lead to people recognizing Rowy’s face anyway.
‘Still, seeing me walking around alone like this, they won’t come up and talk to me directly.’
Rowy, excited by the freedom he’d found after a long time, vigorously shook Van’s hand.
“Do you know how hard it was for me to get permission? I’m going to eat so much cake today.”
“Did you get permission directly from His Grace the Duke?”
“Mmm.”
After meeting Van again yesterday, Rowy had wondered why he had obediently stayed confined to his room as he was told.
‘I’m an adult now.’
Didn’t that mean he didn’t necessarily have to listen to the Duke or Leo? That was the reason Rowy went to find the Duke at dawn. Of course, once he stood before the Duke’s sharp gaze, he became quite intimidated….
‘Still, I got permission more easily than I thought.’
Rowy recalled his conversation with the Duke.
“Can I go out?”
“Where are you trying to go?”
“Just to play….”
At the mumbling tone, the Duke of Irad raised his eyebrows greatly. However, he didn’t add more words. It wasn’t that he was trying to confine Rowy.
‘Of course, that would be most comfortable for my peace of mind.’
However, he had no intention of treating Rowy that way. More than anything, Rowy wasn’t someone who would stay confined just because he was confined. If he put his mind to it, escaping the estate with magic was an easy thing for Rowy. In that case, it was better to permit outings and receive reports on his schedule.
‘Besides, what he does when he leaves the house is probably just going to eat desserts and such.’
“What are you planning to do?”
“I’m going to eat cake….”
Like this. The Duke of Irad unknowingly clicked his tongue, displeased at Rowy who still acted like a child. At that, Rowy became intimidated and glanced at his mood. However, Rowy still had one more thing to get permission for.
“And… can I bring Van too?”
“Van? …Ah, that guy.”
At the cautiously spoken words, the Duke of Irad this time definitely crumpled his face.
‘…I thought he’d live innocently like that forever, but he brings such a guy from who knows where….’
The Duke, who clicked his tongue in displeasure, nodded as a sign of permission.
“…Return before the sun sets.”
The Duke of Irad’s expression, setting a curfew, was completely hardened. Though Rowy, who had gotten permission to go out, was just excited.
“Let’s go back late today!”
“Is that okay?”
“Mmm.”
Rowy nodded, pretending not to know about the curfew the Duke had set. He planned to return very late to the stifling ducal family today. If it were up to his feelings, he wouldn’t want to return at all….
‘But if I do that, he might really send the knight order.’
Rowy, who had already had such experiences several times, quickly shook off the thought.
“Let’s go quickly!”
Let’s at least enjoy the time we have! Rowy resolved and walked forward with vigorous steps.
* * *
“Strawberry cake!”
Rowy suddenly shouted as soon as he entered the shop. The employee, whose eyes widened in surprise, soon recognized the face of an old regular customer they were meeting after a long time and their eyes became even rounder.
‘They said he was kicked out after that incident, when did he return?’
Befitting a shop where various rumors circulated, the employee also knew well about Rowy.
“Please come this way.”
However, the employee soon skillfully hid their expression and guided the customer inside with a kind face. That was the seat Rowy always sat in when he came, and even without saying it directly, it meant they remembered him. Of course, Rowy didn’t care about such things at all.
“Strawberry cake, and what do you want to eat?”
“Please eat what you want, Master.”
“Mmm…. Then this, this, this, this and….”
The excited Rowy’s order continued endlessly. The employee calmly wrote down that frantic order. While still not forgetting to glance at Van.
‘Who is he? A family knight?’
He’s a bit…. The employee looked with suspicious eyes at the two who weren’t sitting facing each other but were stuck closely together on the small sofa.
“Like this.”
“Yes.”
It was an interesting situation, but the employee turned around pretending not to have seen anything as always. However, this was the most famous dessert shop in Basta. The employee couldn’t be the only one who felt interest in Rowy who had suddenly appeared. Rowy also felt the gazes looking at him. Well, let them gossip if they want to gossip. Rumors were something that couldn’t be stopped anyway. Ignoring the clinging gazes, Rowy spread both arms and rushed toward the prepared cake.
“Cake!”
And Van, who was just excited to be alone with Rowy after a long time, without caring about others’ gazes or anything, kept pressing his body against Rowy.
“Mmm, I’m eating this right now. You have to wait.”
Van, who had been busily handing over forks, moving cakes, sneakily embracing shoulders from the side, finally got scolded. Still, Van’s face remained smiling.
“Shall I cut it for you?”
“It’s fine. You eat too. I said I’d buy you cake.”
Though I’m eating almost all the cake… well, anyway. Rowy stuffed his mouth full of cake again. However, Van, who was more interested in other things than cake, kept clinging to Rowy.
“If you permitted going out like this, does that mean we can keep meeting from now on?”
“Mmm.”
Rowy nodded, recalling the Duke of Irad who had readily permitted the outing. At that, Van’s face brightened even more.
“I’m so happy.”
“I get it, so you eat some too. I’m eating everything.”
“Just watching you eat fills me up.”
Van fiddled with Rowy’s cheek with his finger and sat even closer. Although it wasn’t a completely sealed space, curtains were hung at each seat, so the roughly sight-blocked seat seemed sufficient for a secret kiss or so. Van swallowed his saliva and looked at Rowy, who had become even more beautiful since coming to the Empire.
‘How can he be this beautiful? His silky hair, his soft skin….’
Even though he had been eating cake just now, there wasn’t a single thing around his mouth. Every time he saw this sight, Van realized that Rowy was a noble.
‘It would be cute even if he ate with some on his face.’
Then I could wipe it off for him….
Van’s gaze lingered long on Rowy’s lips. Would he get angry if I kissed him now? It was when Van, who had been watching Rowy’s mood, finally couldn’t resist the temptation and slightly tilted his face.
“Rowy.”
At the sudden appearance of an unwelcome guest, Van froze in that position.
