“…you came all the way up here?”
Diego’s closed eyelids twitched slightly. After a moment, the instant he recognized that what he’d heard was a human voice, his eyes snapped open.
A long stretch of stone wall came into view. Thanks to that, Diego remembered that he’d come up to Blusa Hill a little while ago and let out a sigh as he pressed down hard on the space between his brows. It seemed he’d unknowingly fallen asleep while his eyes were closed.
“What on earth is going on that you’re taking so long?”
For a moment, Diego froze completely. Come to think of it, he remembered that he’d woken up because of someone talking.
The problem was… the voice reaching his ears was very familiar. With its rough quality yet low tone, it was unmistakably Kan, a senior guild member. And the other person would be Ruth.
They seemed to be sitting on a bench quite far away, but perhaps because the surroundings were so quiet, their voices came through clearly. Thanks to that, Diego found himself wrapped up in a conflict that wasn’t really a conflict. If only he’d kept sleeping or had turned around the moment he sensed someone’s presence, there wouldn’t be any problem, but to greet them now would make the atmosphere terribly awkward. Yet to stay like this would make him an eavesdropper…
‘…Should I just cover my ears?’
Even as he seriously considered it, the two men’s conversation continued. And Diego froze once again. It was because words he absolutely couldn’t let pass by had reached his ears.
“I’m leaving for Eslen.”
It was the central region of the north and also the capital of the territory ruled by Grand Duke Kailton. Although he hadn’t received formal education for long, as someone residing in the kingdom, he knew that much as common knowledge.
Gulp—dry saliva went down as his protruding Adam’s apple bobbed. Knowing it was cowardly, Diego decided to eavesdrop on their conversation just a little more. Even though he knew it had nothing to do with him, he couldn’t turn away.
“Eslen?”
Doubt was evident in Kan’s voice as he asked back. Diego felt the same.
What business would he have in Eslen? …Surely not to follow Roman…
“Only you know about this.”
This time Ruth’s voice reached his ears. Since it was a much quieter tone, Diego strained his ears to their limit.
“…I’ve been imprinted.”
“What?”
“I’ve been imprinted. …With His Highness Kailton.”
He’d been listening while holding his breath, but at Ruth’s words that followed a beat later, Diego felt his mind go blank for a moment.
With who… what did he do?
As he slowly processed it, his body moved on its own. Kan, who saw the uninvited guest suddenly appear from behind a tree, flinched in surprise and widened his eyes, and Ruth, who had been hesitantly speaking, did the same.
“Just how long have you been there… Hey, hey. What’s wrong?”
Sensing something was off, Kan spoke in a flustered voice. But Diego’s gaze remained fixed solely on Ruth. Having closed the distance in an instant, Diego opened his mouth with an expression more fierce than ever before.
“What do you mean by that? What did you do with His Highness the Grand Duke?”
From Ruth’s perspective, this was a bolt from the blue. Not only was it startling that someone suddenly popped out in a place he thought was empty, but for this usually polite kid to glare at him as if he was about to throw a punch at any moment—what on earth was going on?
Ruth blinked a couple of times in bewilderment before belatedly answering.
“I was imprinted…”
“When did this happen?”
“A few days ago.”
His face slightly flushed as he scratched the bridge of his nose. In his hometown where he’d fled to, Ruth had reunited with Grand Duke Kailton and realized that they had imprinted on each other. So he’d decided to live with him in Eslen, but before that, he’d briefly stopped by the capital to say his last goodbyes to colleagues he’d been close with.
Thinking of the man who should be obediently waiting at home by now made the corners of his mouth naturally rise, but an out-of-the-blue remark followed, breaking the pleasant mood.
“Isn’t the Grand Duke in a relationship with Master? But you really imprinted with him?”
Looking at Diego’s expression, it didn’t seem like he was joking. Thinking he must have some major misunderstanding, Ruth informed him of the facts he knew.
“His Highness the Grand Duke and Master are like blood brothers. If they were lovers like you say, there’s no way they’d live apart like this.”
“…Couldn’t their relationship have developed when they met again this time?”
“That’s not the case.”
Firmness was evident in Ruth’s voice. The reason he could speak so confidently was because on the very first day Grand Duke Kailton returned, the two of them had spent the night together, and because he’d placed a designated request for him, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they’d been together constantly since then.
It was after that when a belated question arose. But wait, this kid—why is he suddenly so worked up? The Diego he’d observed for nearly a year was someone steady and reliable, and he’d never seen him display such passionate emotions before.
Along with that, another memory surfaced. Before leaving the capital, Grand Duke Kailton had asked what kind of person Diego was, then muttered something incomprehensible. At the time, he’d thought nothing of it and moved on, but looking at it now, it felt like scattered pieces were coming together.
“Are you absolutely certain that you’re His Highness the Grand Duke’s lover? And about the imprinting too?”
“That’s right. But you—”
“I understand. I apologize for my rudeness.”
Diego bowed his head deeply and quickly brushed past them. Thanks to that, Ruth couldn’t finish what he wanted to say and could only stare at Diego’s retreating figure with a dumbfounded expression. Kan, who’d been standing there like a decoration, was equally flabbergasted.
“What on earth was that about?”
“…Beats me. I’m curious too.”
“That aside, you said you’re going to Eslen?”
The conversation that had briefly gone off track returned to its original course thanks to Kan. Ruth also collected himself and continued with what he’d originally been saying. While thinking that he should ask about Diego when he returned to the Grand Duke’s residence later.
***
The guild generally had many people coming and going, but very rarely there were days when the entrance door didn’t open even once for several hours. And today was precisely one of those days. Having guarded the counter alone and forlornly for over three hours, Hubert stretched long and let out a lengthy yawn. Although clients could come at any time, there happened to be no guild members returning after finishing their work today either, so he was getting fidgety.
“It’s nice that it’s quiet, but when it’s this silent it’s boring… Oh my!”
Before he could even finish speaking, the door burst open with fierce momentum. Startled, he looked up to see a familiar face come into view, and soon heard an urgent voice asking.
“Is Master here?”
“No… he’s out.”
The one who’d stormed in, shattering his drowsiness, was none other than Diego. Before he could even ask what brought him here at this hour, a barrage of questions followed.
“Where did he go?”
As Diego leaned in to ask, Hubert recoiled in shock, unconsciously pulling his body back. Given his considerably robust build, despite the sturdy wooden counter between them, the sense of intimidation was substantial.
“This is urgent. Please tell me quickly.”
“He said he’s going to Eslen for a bit.”
Diego’s expression became even more fierce. Now, just hearing the word Eslen made surging emotions well up inside him.
“What business did he have there?”
“I don’t know. He just said he’d be gone for a while.”
“…You really don’t know the reason?”
“I don’t know. He really didn’t tell me.”
Diego swallowed a groan inwardly. If what he was saying was true, then no matter how much he pressed Hubert, there seemed to be nothing more to learn.
“Then is Isabel here?”
“Probably.”
“I’m going in for a moment.”
After bowing his head briefly, Diego moved quickly. His head was once again tangled with complicated thoughts.
‘If what I heard on the hill was true… why on earth would Roman lie about being in a relationship with the Grand Duke? For what reason? And why did he go to Eslen?’
There were far too many things he wanted to ask. If he waited, Roman would return eventually, and he wanted to hear satisfying answers to these incomprehensible questions. But somehow, he had a vague premonition that by the time that happened, it would be too late.
Knock knock
“It’s Diego.”
“Come in.”
He let out a brief sigh once before throwing open the door to Master’s office. Having made his decision, all that remained was to act on it.
***
The first thing Roman did upon waking was to grasp his throbbing head while letting out a long sigh.
‘…This is driving me crazy.’
There was no particular reason for it. He hadn’t drunk strong liquor or smoked, nor was there anything physically wrong with him. Yet for some unknown reason, this damn headache clung to him like a shadow with no signs of letting go. It wasn’t an uncomfortable bed either. On the contrary, it was a perfect bedroom furnished with the finest of everything, yet even after sleeping and waking, he didn’t feel refreshed at all, leaving him feeling somewhat wronged.
