His friend’s face naturally came to mind. When Antonio had told him the rumor that the Master had left, Diego’s expression at that moment had been frighteningly stiff. They had known each other for close to a year, but that was the first time he’d seen such a face.
Diego was still probably on escort duty right now, so there was a high possibility he didn’t know about today’s gathering. Antonio shifted his body into a more comfortable position. Since a request might come in, he’d wait in the break room and then go find him around when he’d be finishing up.
***
As he walked, a familiar bar came into view. Diego hurriedly crossed the street and roughly threw open the bar door.
The spacious interior was almost full of customers. Most of them were familiar faces. Though he had rushed over as soon as work ended, it seemed the drinking session had already started—every table was laden with alcohol and food.
“Over here.”
When he turned his head, he saw Antonio’s face near the door, raising his hand. After giving a slight bow to the senior guild members sitting at the same table, Diego sat down in the empty seat.
Kan, who was sitting diagonally across from him, spoke warmly.
“How did you know to come find us?”
“Antonio told me.”
“As expected, the only one who looks out for you is your fellow recruit.”
Kan, who responded with a laugh, poured a full glass of alcohol and handed it to Diego.
“Thank you.”
Diego accepted the glass with thanks and immediately raised it to his lips. Even while doing so, his eyes busily scanned the interior. Then, at the hand that tapped his thigh, he turned to the side and heard Antonio’s voice muttering quietly.
“Over there. At the innermost table on the opposite side, second from the right.”
Diego’s gaze immediately turned in that direction.
“……”
His lips parted, and a soundless sigh flowed out next.
Roman was really sitting there. With slightly longer black hair and distinct features that were clear even from a distance. His face seemed a bit gaunt, but the person who was smiling pleasantly while looking at someone beside him was unmistakably Roman.
The moment he recognized him, an indescribable emotion welled up. The current situation of having him in his two eyes felt somehow distant.
Watching such a Diego, Kan asked with a puzzled expression.
“What are you staring at?”
At the hand that kept poking his side, Diego finally came to his senses.
“It’s nothing.”
“You must be hungry, so eat quickly. Since the Master is paying, order whatever food you want.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Antonio began gleefully filling his stomach like a fish in water. Diego also gripped his fork, but the meal didn’t even register in his eyes. He wanted to look toward where Roman was right away.
‘If I’d known it would be like this, I should have gone further inside to sit.’
It was already too late for regrets. But it was also difficult to approach and speak to him. Around Roman was Martin as well as a large number of senior guild members with long tenure. Even if he approached, far from a seat being prepared, he’d obviously just be asked what he wanted.
‘Was it really not true that he left with Grand Duke Kailton? Then where on earth has he been all this time?’
In place of Diego, whose mind was complicated, Antonio enthusiastically livened up the atmosphere. Thanks to him, laughter never ceased at the table. Barely suppressing his desire to keep looking at Roman, Diego sipped his drink, and after quite a long time had passed, he stood up from his seat.
“I’ll step out for a moment.”
When he went outside, the cool breeze cooled the heat. Avoiding the rowdy groups drunkenly making noise, Diego walked around the corner of the bar toward the back.
He had drunk quite a bit, but he didn’t particularly feel tipsy. Diego leaned his body weakly against the wall. When he raised his eyes, the night sky full of stars filled his vision.
“Haah…”
The sigh he exhaled flowed out like smoke. Each time he raised his glass, he had glanced at the table where the Master was, but their eyes never met. If by chance he had gone to the bathroom or something, Diego would have followed him out, but that didn’t happen either. As time passed, a thirst that couldn’t be resolved by alcohol or water grew worse and worse, and unable to bear it any longer, he had stepped outside for a moment.
His chest felt stuffy, as if something was pressing down on his lungs. Actually, it wasn’t anything new. Though he knew well that Roman had a much higher status than himself, each time he felt this gap between them in trivial aspects like this, a pathetic emotion resembling shabbiness spread like filth.
The fact that he had nothing to put forward over the other person. When he thought that even the initiative in their relationship as sex partners was in the other person’s hands, despair welled up.
“Were you here?”
When he turned his head, he saw Antonio’s face. For someone who had been continuously emptying glasses, both his eyes and pronunciation were quite clear. The guy who came trudging over leaned against the wall side by side with him and crossed his arms.
The rowdiness that the drunk people were spewing out continued, but somehow this place alone felt as if it were floating apart from everything. Breaking the silence, Antonio spoke.
“I’ve got something I’m curious about.”
“Don’t ask.”
Antonio bristled and straightened up.
“You’re going to say that without even listening? Wow, I really went to get you for nothing.”
He could hear the grumbling voice, but it didn’t last very long. This time, he blocked Diego’s way and met his gaze.
“Something happened between you and the Master, right?”
For a moment, Diego’s expression stiffened slightly. From the moment Antonio brought it up seriously, he had thought there might be something, but he hadn’t expected him to mention the Master. After stroking his chin once out of habit, Diego answered.
“…What do you mean, something happened.”
“Don’t dodge the question. I didn’t say anything at the time, but do you even know what your eyes looked like when I told you the Master seemed to have disappeared?”
Diego shut his mouth like a clam. Then, thinking ‘Oh no,’ he hurriedly moved his lips, but Antonio already had an expression that said ‘I’ve got you.’
“It was exactly like…”
He seemed to ponder for a moment, then met his eyes again.
“It felt like the Master had run off after stealing your money or something. Though there’s no way that could be true.”
“……”
…Was that a joke before getting to the main point?
But Antonio’s face was still serious for that to be the case. Only then realizing that he wasn’t joking, Diego sighed and raised his right hand. His thumb and middle finger slowly came together, and he flicked Antonio forcefully on the forehead as he watched in bewilderment.
“Argh!!!”
A desperate scream echoed out. Setting aside being startled by the sudden attack, he felt such intense pain that his skull rang and tears nearly welled up. After a moment, Antonio glared at Diego while holding his forehead with his hand, grimacing.
“What the hell was that for?”
“Because you’re saying nonsense.”
“What did I say?”
“…If you don’t know, forget it.”
He knew Antonio had some absurd aspects, but to think he’d imagined there was a money problem between the Master and himself. Diego felt it was unfair that he’d been tense for a moment, thinking their secret relationship had been discovered.
“It’s really not because of money? No matter how much I think about it, I can’t think of any other reason.”
“I said it’s not.”
“Then why did you react so sensitively?”
“…I was worried. If the Master disappeared and the guild fell apart, it would be a big problem.”
For something said off the cuff, it was a fairly plausible excuse. Antonio seemed to think so too, and although he sent a gaze that still held some suspicion, he didn’t press further. Instead, an equally burdensome topic followed.
“Sorry if I’m mistaken, but… when I saw earlier, the atmosphere was really strange. In front of the dress shop.”
The scene Antonio had witnessed in the late afternoon came to mind.
As planned, Antonio had waited all day in the guild break room, then around five o’clock went outside and headed to Diego’s house. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Even after waiting quite a while, there was no sign of Emily, so he had no choice but to write a note, weigh it down with a stone, and head to the plaza.
His second destination was the dress shop where Diego worked. It was fine that he went there without much thought, but once he actually arrived and saw the very fancy sign, he somehow hesitated to enter. Also, the thought ‘Is it okay to meet someone who’s performing duties for personal reasons?’ belatedly occurred to him. In the end, Antonio chose to wait outside the door, and after waiting about twenty minutes, he was able to meet Diego coming out through the door.
Diego, seeing him, had a very surprised expression. After first greeting the Viscount’s daughter standing beside him, Antonio whispered the news that ‘The Master came to the guild today.’ Then a shocked expression turned toward Antonio.
‘Is that really true?’
