Puti moved his feet nervously.
The great Emperor Rosetta of the Great Borealis Empire was definitely an unprecedented pervert in the world.
‘Where on earth is there anything to be aroused by in that appearance!’
He felt sorry for the gentle, sincere, and yet kind Seoho. Not even knowing what Rosetta was thinking, smiling at him every time their eyes met.
‘Isn’t he doing that every time Seoho-nim smiles?’
Wasn’t that quite a reasonable suspicion?
Puti, who had been roughly exhaling through his nose, soon shuffled along and thought.
‘Still, it’s also His Majesty who worries about Seoho-nim the most.’
Puti, who recalled Rosetta moving busily as soon as Angel’s letter arrived, raised his hands and slapped both his cheeks.
‘Right, I shouldn’t have such impious thoughts.’
As soon as he heard about the canary speaking to Seoho, Rosetta ordered an investigation of the nobles who had visited the imperial palace this time—or rather, all the nobles of the Empire. Thanks to that, the Shadows, who were the emperor’s secret guards and informants, had to shed tears of blood.
‘I feel sorry for them, but.’
Rosetta was someone who would stop at nothing for Seoho’s safety. So it was better to stop bad thoughts right about here.
Puti, who had firmly resolved himself, stopped in front of a familiar room and knocked on the door.
“Seoho-nim, it’s Puti. I’m coming in.”
When he opened the door and entered, Seoho welcomed Puti.
“Puti, you’re here?”
“Yes, Seoho-nim. Have you finished your lessons?”
“The supplementary lesson just ended. I heard stories about the Iakos Kingdom.”
On the desk, he could see paper filled with detailed information about the Iakos Kingdom. Before leaving the office, he had heard from Rosetta about matters concerning Aris.
Aris got up from his seat with his usual smile.
“Well, now that Puti’s here, I’ll be going back.”
“Okay. You worked hard today.”
Aris, who had greeted Seoho, called Puti.
“Puti? Just a moment.”
Since he had guessed a question would come, Puti asked Seoho for his understanding and followed Aris out of the room.
When they had moved some distance from the room, Aris let out a deep sigh and asked.
“Did you hear the story from His Majesty?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not that I didn’t guess it would turn out this way, but.”
“You were guessing?”
At Puti’s question, Aris roughly ruffled his hair and said.
“It’s obvious. Since I know about Seoho-nim’s existence and know many secrets, it’s either get rid of me or accept me, one of the two, and Seoho-nim treats me intimately.”
Come to think of it, from the time Puti had pushed Aris forward as Seoho’s teacher, this might have already been decided.
Puti asked carefully.
“Will you be alright?”
For someone, Aris’s current position might be a dreamed-of position and a desired position, but for someone else, it could also be a burdensome and uncomfortable position.
Aris looked at Puti as if surprised.
“Why are you surprised?”
“I thought you’d say it’s a good opportunity so do well. You have great pride in your position.”
“I do have great pride, but I also know it’s a burdensome position at the same time.”
It was true that serving Rosetta at close range meant having to be more careful about many things than others.
Moreover, Aris didn’t seem to want advancement particularly.
Aris just blinked his eyes and looked at Puti without saying anything. At that blank-looking face, Puti called him.
“Aris?”
Aris let out a hearty laugh and opened his mouth.
“I think I’ll be fine. I also think it’s not entirely a bad thing. I think it’s a good opportunity too. So, His Majesty told me to ask you how things will be going forward.”
That was fortunate. Even if he said he didn’t want it, since Rosetta had already accepted him, Aris couldn’t refuse that position.
Puti answered lightly to ease Aris’s burden.
“Well, not much will change. Your rank hasn’t changed particularly. He hasn’t assigned you any work right away either.”
“Really?”
At Aris’s expression that had brightened considerably unlike at first, the relieved Puti looked around the quiet corridor.
Having confirmed once more that there were no people, Puti was about to give his regards when Aris giggled and said.
“Well, if it’s just about pretending not to see and pretending not to know like today, I think I can do that too.”
“Pardon?”
When Puti tilted his head, Aris suddenly lowered his head toward Puti and said quietly.
“You saw something quite unseemly today, didn’t you?”
It took quite a long time for Puti to understand those words. Puti exclaimed in surprise.
“…Unseemly!”
Aris asked back with a face still full of laughter.
“Wasn’t it?”
No, of course Puti had been disgusted by that appearance and cursed alone a bit, but…
Puti, who had been desperately trying to deny his thoughts, now realized that Aris was Rosetta’s person just like Puti and let down his guard a little.
“St-still, you shouldn’t say it like that.”
At Puti not denying Aris’s words, he burst into loud laughter once more.
“Puhahaha, alright.”
Aris struck his forearm and shouted to be quiet. With this loud a voice, it was obvious that Seoho or others would hear this sound. At Puti’s scolding, Aris nodded and suddenly held out his hand.
“I look forward to working with you. We’re on the same side now, so feel free to call me Aris.”
“…Should I?”
“Yeah, you can speak casually too.”
Puti, who had hesitated for a moment, grabbed that hand and answered.
“That… I’ll do that gradually.”
“Okay. It’s not all bad things.”
Puti, who didn’t properly hear the small muttering, asked back.
“Pardon?”
“It’s nothing, I’ll be going now. Take care.”
Watching him move away saying it was nothing, Puti turned around again.
He was someone with a bit of a playful side, but still not a bad person, so it seemed they would be able to maintain quite a good relationship going forward.
Wasn’t he one of His Majesty’s few closest aides?
‘It’s good to be friendly.’
Puti, who had put his mind at ease, entered the room where Seoho was.
***
It felt like a large mass of light was enveloping his whole body.
It felt like warm sunlight was warming his body, and it also felt like his entire body was immersed in hot water.
Something enveloping his entire body.
A touch gently stroking his head.
He didn’t dislike that touch and warmth, but he was gradually getting hot.
‘It’s hot.’
He was wondering whether he should move, when even before Seoho could move, what had been covering his body disappeared.
Even though he had been trying to move away first, he felt disappointed now that the warmth had disappeared. Seoho furrowed his brow and fumblingly reached out his hand again, when something warm, though not as much as before, covered his entire body.
Greatly satisfied, Seoho took a big breath and buried his body in it again.
Just when Seoho was about to fall into an even deeper sleep, thinking it would be really nice to keep his eyes closed like this.
“…Seoho. Seoho?”
A familiar voice woke Seoho. Perhaps because he had gone to bed late the night before while reviewing what he had learned about the Iakos Kingdom over the past few days, his eyes wouldn’t open easily.
Seoho, who had been deeply wrapped in the cozy blanket, grumbled as if complaining.
“Mmm.”
Then a laugh that made even the listener feel good filled his ears. A laugh that spread low while resonating in the throat.
As Seoho’s lips rose pointedly following the sound, warm hands gently rubbed around his mouth and soon enveloped Seoho’s entire face. When both hands, larger than Seoho’s face, wrapped around his face, his face became warm.
He felt like he would fall asleep again in the warm heat, but he couldn’t because of the hands that kneaded and fondled his face as if kneading rice cake.
Light entered through his slightly opened eyes and met with curved blue eyes.
“…Rosetta.”
He frowned at his hoarse voice, when Rosetta giggled and suddenly brought his face close. Before he could react, moist lips touched his eyelid with a light smack.
His sleepiness flew away in an instant. Seoho’s eyes widened, and Rosetta kissed his eyelid once more.
“Rosetta?”
His voice seemed to tremble a little. At Seoho’s call, Rosetta pulled his head back and met Seoho’s eyes, then asked innocently.
“Why?”
What do you mean why—didn’t you just kiss my eye?
“Just now…”
“Hm?”
But Rosetta’s face looked really too calm. It was an attitude that said what had just happened wasn’t a problem at all.
His face looked so fine that he thought for a moment whether he had just opened his eyes and had a dream. He was blinking, wondering what to say, when Rosetta began speaking with a regretful face.
“Seoho, it looks like I’ll only be able to see you again late in the evening today.”
Seoho asked awkwardly.
“…Are you busy?”
“A little, but I’ll be back before you go to sleep.”
“Okay, I understand.”
Seoho, who was about to nod, realized that Rosetta was still gripping both his cheeks.
Seoho raised his hand and placed it on top, when Rosetta lowered his head again and placed his lips on the spot he had kissed before.
Rosetta’s face and blonde hair blocking his view. And a voice whispering quietly in his ear.
“I’ll be back.”
The large hands that had been cupping his face fell away. Even though his entire body was still buried in the warm blanket, his body trembled.
Rosetta, who had moved far away, looked back at Seoho before leaving the room, smiled sweetly, waved his hand, and disappeared.
And not long after, as if passing a baton, Puti entered the room.
