“What are you doing here, Abrisius?”
“Ah, Seianes.”
Flustered, Abrisius only then looked back with a dismayed expression.
‘Damn it, how did he know and come so quickly?’
He had expected Seianes to look for him, but this was too fast. He hadn’t even been able to ask Cairens what the two of them were properly doing or how their relationship was flowing.
“Did you forget what I said? I told you so clearly… Hah.”
“Well…”
At the sight of Seianes suppressing his rising anger, Abrisius became frightened on his own. Looking to the side, Cairens’s expression was also hardened no less than Seianes’s.
“I was just looking around for a moment and happened to meet him…”
“By chance? You happened to meet?”
“Uh… mm-hmm.”
Seianes was still sharp. The fierce gaze that had been glaring at Abrisius now turned toward Cairens.
“To think you have the presence of mind to idle away here with my child, having abandoned the contaminated land and forgotten what you should be doing—how truly diligent of you.”
“I was feeling stifled and just came out for a moment when we met.”
“To be so impatient. Really.”
Uncharacteristically sarcastic, Seianes’s gaze swept over Cairens.
At first glance he looked the same as usual, but slightly excited. His gaze moved to Cairens’s hair. A shabby wildflower placed lightly on his red hair was particularly noticeable.
‘There’s no way Cairens would put a flower in his own hair.’
Given his personality, there was no way he would joke around like this. Then there was only one culprit who played this prank. Abrisius, who would occasionally play pranks by placing flowers in his hair.
Only his child would do such a thing here.
The more he thought about it, the more his anger boiled. Whenever he played such pranks, Abrisius never forgot to attach flowery words saying he was pretty, beautiful.
Then what about to Cairens?
With what expression and what words did he place the flower on him? Even though he had asked him not to get close, what on earth was he thinking approaching Cairens and playing such a prank on him?
It might have been just a trivial prank, but thinking that the two people had laughed and chatted together while playing that prank made his insides boil with rage.
“What did you two talk about?”
“It wasn’t anything much. Seianes. Since we met after a long time, we exchanged greetings, and also…”
“You’re done greeting each other, right? Then let’s go.”
Before Abrisius could finish speaking, Seianes grabbed his wrist.
How nice, exchanging greetings. Who knows if they were bringing up childhood stories and immersed in their own memories together?
He couldn’t bear to see the relationship between those two grow any closer here.
‘He’s my Abrisius that I raised.’
My beloved child whom I looked after, sacrificing sleep every night.
The most precious existence that I couldn’t give away even if Father came and asked for him. My Abrisius, for whom I even created a name with the meaning “love of the earth.”
‘How dare you covet him?’
Absolutely, he couldn’t give Abrisius to anyone.
Especially not to that utterly rude demigod.
“Hurry.”
His brow furrowed even more. He couldn’t stand the situation itself of his child being with Cairens. Not knowing how his expression was crumpling, Seianes moved his feet.
Cairens, whom he didn’t like from one to ten, not a single thing.
It wasn’t simply that he didn’t like Cairens because he was impudent. Thirteen years ago, he didn’t like him because he was the being Abrisius protected to the point of risking even his life.
Because he was afraid that child might protect Cairens again in that way. Because he was afraid such a situation might come. He hated that.
“Ah, Seianes. Wait a moment. Still, since we met after a long time… let’s finish talking.”
“I don’t want to hear any more excuses. You seem to have forgotten what I told you?”
Abrisius hesitated, but he had no intention of listening anymore.
Rather, Seianes’s grip pulling Abrisius only grew stronger.
“Let’s go to the garden first. We’ll talk more there.”
“But… Ah!”
“Quickly.”
The grip on his wrist grew stronger.
That force grew even fiercer, afraid Abrisius might shake off his hand and go to Cairens.
Displaying strong hostility toward Cairens, he left the spot with Abrisius.
Until that sight disappeared, Cairens quietly captured the two’s appearance in his vision.
Seianes, who was still being sharp with him, and at the same time, Abrisius’s appearance smiling faintly even while being led away by his hand.
The relationship between the two, which seemed strange yet tender, caught Cairens’s gaze in an odd way.
“…”
Like someone who had momentarily lost their words. A deep silence settled around Cairens.
Honestly, rather than being speechless, it might be right to say he had nothing to say. Because his thoughts had increased.
The expression Seianes had just shown wasn’t simply anger. Rather than being angry, he seemed full of worry. But even that couldn’t be called simple worry. It was a face more complicated than that.
Yes, it was a face that reminded him of Ricarkos, who he didn’t know was alive or dead now.
Rather than simply disliking him, it recalled Ricarkos’s aspect of wanting to draw to himself the attention of people who admired him.
Yes, that appearance was also felt in Seianes.
With an expression of not being able to bear him and Abrisius being in the same space, he was being sharp toward him who was receiving Abrisius’s attention.
Just like Ricarkos in his childhood.
“Ah.”
Only then did a realization flash through Cairens’s mind.
It felt like the suspicions and questions he had been harboring were unraveling one by one.
‘I see. Why he did that.’
Now he knew. Why Seianes tried to separate him and Abrisius.
Why he became so sharp when he talked about Abrisius.
‘It wasn’t simply because he was afraid of triggering Abrisius’s trauma.’
It wasn’t simple worry or jealousy. The emotion Seianes had was… anxiety.
‘Seianes, you’re afraid of me.’
The reason he acted coldly toward him, the reason he tried to separate him from Abrisius, was all because of the anxiety he had.
He didn’t know the details, but there must be some reason why Abrisius and he shouldn’t encounter each other. And Seianes was anxious about Cairens finding out that reason.
That’s why he was so desperate to separate him and Abrisius. While telling Abrisius it was a hero’s business so he didn’t need to know.
“Haha…”
He forcibly swallowed the laughter that tried to escape.
Yes, I see. Because Abrisius is so precious to you, because you like him so much, you separated us like that, afraid he might come to me.
With a rustling sound, the wildflower fell onto his palm. It was what Abrisius had just placed in his hair. Cairens quietly looked at that flower. And he recalled Seianes’s complicated expression as he looked at the flower.
Those eyes that stared intently at his hair. Surely, it was because of this flower. Recognizing it was a flower Abrisius had placed, he must have stared like that.
Seianes, what were you thinking then? He could still feel that gaze, shaken and fallen into anxiety.
Cairens, who had quietly gazed at the poppy placed on his hand for a moment, soon clenched it.
The swaying wildflower lost its form and crumbled away in his hand.
‘…’
Cairens looked at that sight without emotion, but a faint smile was drawn on his lips.
“Found it.”
What Seianes cherishes most—Abrisius. And what Seianes is trying to protect, Abrisius’s secret that Cairens shouldn’t know. Now it was time to find that out and bring down Seianes.
Just as humans had lost precious things due to the self-righteous and selfish actions of beings called gods.
May they also lose precious things.
And may they look back on their actions…
Cairens had dared to wish for that. And that opportunity had just come before his eyes.
“If he is precious to you.”
Quietly watching the place where the two gods had passed, Cairens smiled slightly. Gratitude and apology toward Abrisius. And thinking of the friendship he held for him, it was natural that he shouldn’t do whatever he was about to do now.
But because he couldn’t tolerate Seianes’s atrocities more than that, Cairens dared to decide to carry out that deed.
“Sorry, Abrisius.”
A meaningless apology that wouldn’t reach the actual person scattered into the air.
