In an instant, the atmosphere inside the bedroom filled with tension. Even the knights standing guard all seemed to hold their breath. Even I, who had asked the question, felt my throat stiffen with tension.
‘Of course. If not for today’s events, these were words I wouldn’t have dared utter aloud.’
It was still vivid—how he’d drawn his sword and threatened me just for approaching the corpse. I was even prepared for the sword to come to my throat again.
“Why would you ask to bury him in the ground when you threw your own body to protect Tiel the moment you opened your eyes?”
However, unexpectedly, immediate anger didn’t fall. But even though I’d avoided the immediate crisis, the precarious atmosphere hadn’t disappeared, and I was aware that if I answered even slightly wrong, it would be a cliff. The frustrating point was not knowing what His Highness wanted, but if I couldn’t know which path was the correct answer, I wanted to choose the one without regrets.
“It’s very shameful to say, but the truth is I wasn’t trying to protect Sir Tienas.”
“Then? Were you merely fulfilling your role as a knight?”
Perhaps the first words I uttered were close to the wrong answer, as His Highness’s brow furrowed slightly.
“I had that feeling too, but… more than that, I didn’t want what Your Highness treasures to be stolen by the enemy or trampled carelessly.”
Perhaps because I was tense, my breath was short even saying those brief words.
“Yet Sir Aila is suggesting burying that treasured thing in a place where it can no longer be seen.”
“Yes. I judged that would be better for Your Highness.”
I wanted His Highness to part ways in a form he could accept. If he lost the corpse, it would remain in a corner of His Highness’s heart as something lost forever. Paradoxically, it becomes eternal through loss. However, parting includes the will to let go. I wished for His Highness to say goodbye of his own will.
‘I didn’t plan to say this much, and I’m not confident I can express it well in words either.’
His Highness silently looked down at me. The displeasure that had faintly passed by had disappeared—or he had a mild expression. Perhaps he was just pretending, but I had no confidence in distinguishing.
“Alright. Let’s say that’s a request for my sake. But I told Sir Aila to speak a wish to commend his contribution, so doesn’t this make it meaningless?”
The more His Highness’s words continued, somehow his voice stretched sweet and sticky like honey. Even the monster said to exist in that distant sea that seduces people probably couldn’t be this enchanting.
“I’ll give you a chance to change it to a request for yourself. If you ask for a territory, it will take some time, but I’ll prepare a fertile one, so speak.”
It was tremendous honor and power, but neither was what I wanted. His Highness was probably giving me a chance to withdraw my impertinent wish, but I didn’t grasp that opportunity.
“I know it’s presumptuous. But what I desire doesn’t change.”
“I see… So that’s how it is.”
His Highness stared piercingly into my eyes. It seemed like he was trying to find lies within, and I wanted to turn my eyes away but absolutely couldn’t. It was as if someone had bound me.
“Even if having Tiel’s body in my bedroom would be better for Sir Aila?”
I couldn’t understand the intent of the question. I found it all questionable—both why he still called what everyone else called a corpse “Tiel’s body,” and how that side could be better for me.
‘Just seeing the corpse makes me dizzy.’
His Highness couldn’t possibly know such inner circumstances. So the best I could do was briefly state my opinion.
“Yes.”
It was a quick answer. Even if by one chance in ten thousand having the corpse benefited me, the answer wouldn’t change. Something like the sound of a bleak wind leaked from His Highness’s mouth. Only after quite a while did I realize it was the sound of a sigh.
‘His Highness was someone who knew how to sigh.’
I’d thought he was someone who didn’t easily reveal his true emotions even to those he trusted most, but the His Highness I’d met again often wasn’t like that. I didn’t know if it was an intentionally shown appearance or the aftereffects of Tienas’s death. But even in the midst of this, I pathetically felt somewhat glad to see aspects of His Highness I’d never seen before.
Having such thoughts in this precarious atmosphere was also a sickness.
“You’re saying something very rude. Do you know that?”
His Highness’s voice became much more businesslike. It seemed to tell me that the moment ago when he’d treated me affectionately as if speaking to Tiel was a great delusion.
“Yes. Even if you refuse and punish me, I’ll accept it gladly.”
“Making achievements every time then saying you’ll accept punishment is also a bad habit.”
His Highness, who had been keeping an appropriate distance, took a step closer and soon settled on the bed. I tried to get up immediately, but His Highness’s arm extending came first. Though he didn’t command with his mouth, it meant to stay as I was.
“Then let’s do this. Until I bury Tiel through proper procedures, Sir Aila cannot leave this room by even one step.”
“Pardon? Wh-why are you saying such a thing…”
“Because I still can’t trust you. You might be pretending to protect Tiel to gain my trust while following the noble faction’s orders behind the scenes. Wasn’t the timing too good?”
I thought it could seem that way. Not long after I became a guard knight, those trying to usurp the corpse appeared, and coincidentally I also obstructed that and gained trust. But something was strange.
“Then it would be fine to just monitor me.”
“If you’re truly acting for me, wouldn’t that be unfair? I should give a carrot too. So until I finish the separate funeral ceremony, stay here under surveillance.”
“Thank you. I never thought you’d actually grant it. I’ll perform my duties faithfully.”
I felt like I’d only be satisfied seeing my corpse completely buried in the ground, but I could concede that much. No, just that His Highness granted my request was tremendous mercy.
‘Things seem to be flowing too easily. Is His Highness really okay? Or perhaps he’s just saying this to me and will move the corpse elsewhere?’
Recalling his obsession, something kept feeling off.
“Hearing your words, I made this decision thinking Tiel would also be sad seeing me just holding onto his body. Light attracts bugs that keep swarming, so it must feel like working even in death, and he was a child who always worked himself to the bone for me—I can’t leave him like that.”
Ironically, those words comforted me. When His Highness only gazed lovingly at the corpse, when the noble faction tried to use my corpse to commit deeds, my heart had been cracking without my knowing. Medicine was applied to a wound I didn’t even know existed.
“Thank you once more.”
“In any case, they say you’ll have to receive treatment without budging for a while, so there’s no training to do, no guarding me while following me around. Just sleep and rest here.”
“Yes. I’ll do that.”
It was regrettable that even seeing foresight I couldn’t help from the side, but it was a satisfactory result.
‘As you let go one by one like this, you might even sleep well.’
An optimistic thought came for the first time in a while. I still had no confidence in watching His Highness marry, have children, and become such a perfect monarch. But it seemed good to stay by his side until he forgot Tiel and regained his original self.
‘After that, I’ll leave very far away. This time so His Highness won’t even know of my death.’
I hoped Aila’s body would permit my spirit to stay until then.
‘I should stay quiet so I’m not suspected anymore. Unless it’s a very dangerous moment, I won’t step forward either. I won’t be able to see His Highness for a while, so during that time I should decide what to do going forward. Right now I’m dazed and can’t think properly.’
However, my plan never came to fruition. Because His Highness’s words that there was “no guarding me while following me around” were correct.
“Why are you staring like that?”
In a completely different direction from what I’d thought.
“N-no. You seem busy, so I apologize.”
Since the tournament ended until now, excluding when he had an audience with His Majesty and when guests came, His Highness hadn’t left this room for even a single moment. As if personally monitoring me.
