# Chapter 74
“Why are you out here?”
Arden approached Rite and asked. At Arden’s question, Rite’s left eyebrow twitched once. When there was no answer, Arden casually asked again.
“Did you have breakfast? Or should I call it lunch.”
“I didn’t eat.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t want to eat alone.”
Arden glanced through the glass into the hotel. Adriang was standing in front of the counter, looking at Rite and Arden, clearly unsure what to do.
“Did something happen?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
There was a hint of urgency in Arden’s voice. Rite observed the subtle changes in Arden’s face and voice as he straightened up from his leaning position.
“Arden disappeared without saying anything.”
“I told the owner about that…”
“I woke up in a strange place, and Arden wasn’t beside me.”
“…”
Is that all? Arden struggled to swallow the incredulous feeling that threatened to burst out. He had been worried that something serious had happened.
Unlike Arden, Rite was acting as if this was an extremely serious and grave matter. His tightly closed lips and his eyebrows that had been twitching with displeasure since earlier showed as much.
“That feeling is really terrible. It’s so awful that the word ‘terrible’ can’t even describe it.”
“…”
“I never want to experience it again.”
Rite emphasized each word as he spoke. It was an emotion he never wanted to experience again. His past self who had said he wouldn’t force Arden to accompany him if Arden refused now seemed laughable.
The emotions he felt when he opened his eyes in the snow-white field, looking at the sky similar to the color of Arden’s eyes and the mobile hanging in that sky, were somewhat complex. Longing, vagueness, frustration. And among them, the greatest emotion was anxiety.
He had to tremble with the fear that he might never see Arden again.
Rite had realized something from his experiences. No matter how great a musician played sad music, no matter what great writer wrote heart-stirring sentences, they couldn’t move Arden’s heart.
There weren’t many things that could hold onto Arden.
“Arden. I was anxious. I was scared and angry too.”
One was direct speech.
“That we might be separated again.”
And the other was that the person speaking was Rite himself.
Rite reached out and grabbed Arden’s hand. More precisely, he grabbed his index finger.
It was too calculated to be an instinctive action given the sense of relief he felt when holding Arden’s finger, yet too emotional to be a purely rational move considering all the thoughts in his head.
The only person who could influence Arden was Rite himself. As far as Rite knew, that was the case, and it had to be.
Since the only reason Rite wanted to become human was for Arden alone, he wanted Arden to allow only him.
Large hands completely enveloped Arden’s finger. They slowly rubbed Arden’s knuckles with a thumb and forefinger, and then slipped between the fingers.
Arden silently watched as Rite massaged and kneaded his hand. He couldn’t help but wonder. Since childhood, Rite had shown a peculiar obsession with his hands.
It was difficult to judge whether Rite’s current behavior was something one would do to a caregiver, or perhaps someone who could be considered family, or whether it was the behavior of someone making romantic advances.
Just as Arden was about to pull his hand away, Rite spoke.
“I only have you, Arden.”
At those words, Arden couldn’t pull his hand away. It wasn’t out of pity. He didn’t feel sorry for Rite. Even Arden didn’t know exactly why he didn’t feel what a normal human would have felt. What was clear was that Arden felt the same way.
* * *
When they entered the hotel side by side and said they would have a meal, Adriang’s expression became much more relaxed. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but he had been intimidated by Rite, who had immediately demanded to know where his companion had gone with an unhappy face.
When Adriang asked whether they would like to eat Menden or Kamalon style food, Rite immediately answered Kamalon. Arden didn’t care either way, so he didn’t say anything. Perhaps because Rite and Arden were the only customers eating at this hour, the food was prepared quickly.
“It’s not quite Kamalon style due to the ingredients… sadly.”
Adriang set down the food with a regretful expression.
The tangy smell of tomato sauce hit their noses first. It was Kamalon-style stew, where tomato sauce, butter, and vegetables were boiled over high heat, then topped neatly with more vegetables and cheese.
Adriang didn’t leave right away, but lingered around and watched them. Both Arden and Rite were bothered by his hovering, but they picked up their utensils without saying anything.
Vegetables grown in abundant sunlight and various herbs were the main characteristics of Kamalon cuisine. The herbs blended with the scent of the raw ingredients to create a unique and pleasant flavor. However, this dish lacked variety in herbs, and the vegetables weren’t fresh. The texture of the vegetables in the mouth was unpleasantly mushy.
Rite, who had never tasted Kamalon food before, thought it was not a great first impression as he savored the stew, but Arden, being from Kamalon, quietly carried the food to his mouth without any particular reaction.
Is it supposed to be like this? Rite examined Arden’s face as he swallowed the stew. Since Arden generally had no preferences for food and could barely tell the difference between coarse rye bread and soft white bread, it was hard to tell.
“It’s not quite the taste of Kamalon, is it? I know that. But the situation isn’t good right now… Oh, did you hear from Irace? So… Ah! We haven’t even introduced ourselves. I’m Adriang!”
“…I’m Eden. The food is fine.”
Arden answered while giving Rite a meaningful look. Even without such a hint, Rite also knew he needed to hide his name. So his frowning expression was entirely because of the statement that followed. Adriang also opened his mouth with a surprised face.
“It’s fine? Goodness. When was the last time you went to Kamalon? Have you never had Kamalon food since leaving your hometown?”
“It’s been quite a while.”
It’s similar to what we ate at home. Hearing Arden’s quiet murmur, Rite gained one piece of information.
Pini must be a terrible cook.
It was incorrect information that would have made Pini jump in protest if he had heard.
“Then what about this gentleman?”
Adriang asked, turning to Rite. Arden was almost certain about the fake name that would come from Rite’s lips. Since he had said he was Eden, Rite would surely…
“Dennear.”
Rite’s voice was curt when he said the name. He was still displeased with Adriang.
Having been certain that the name Duz would come out, Arden’s brow furrowed slightly. For someone with minimal facial expressions like Arden, this was quite a dramatic change.
When they returned to their room after finishing the meal, Arden immediately posed the question.
“Why did you say Dennear?”
Rite stared blankly at Arden without replying, then turned his gaze away. It was a silent answer.
“I thought you would say Duz.”
“Why?”
“Usually… when you say Eden, Duz comes to mind.”
Arden realized after speaking that his words sounded a bit strange.
Doesn’t this make me look like a child who’s upset because they couldn’t be paired with their close friend?
Unlike Arden’s confused mind, Rite calmly shook his head.
“That ends in tragedy.”
One of the conditions for becoming king at that time was having scales to protect oneself. The scales under the chin were evidence of Noah’s blessing and at the same time a sign of being a qualified successor to the throne.
Duz was the only prince who wasn’t born with scales, so he was always under threat. The wise prince navigated through this cleverly, but things couldn’t always go smoothly. His loyal knight, Eden, protected him by sacrificing his life in place of the scales, and Duz survived to eventually become king.
“That depends on perspective. Anyway, King Duz…”
“Yes. He was a wise king. I don’t know how King Duz felt being left alone, or how Eden felt not being able to see it through to the end.”
Arden firmly believed that Rite liked the story of Duz and Eden, but for Rite, it wasn’t so simple to conclude. Rite didn’t classify all stories as simply liked or disliked. It was true that he had enjoyed reading it, but that didn’t mean he liked everything about the story.
“Then who is Dennear, which protagonist is that from?”
At Arden’s question, Rite just shrugged his shoulders. Not bad and not good. Salty and sweet. Gain and loss. Black and white. Arden’s world was generally like that. It was obvious that Arden wouldn’t understand the meaning if Rite explained why he chose the name Dennear.
A confession that required lengthy explanation had no charm.
Arden (Ardenne) and Dennear. All the letters in Dennear came from Arden.
