#075

The Young Duke’s room, as Moet had indicated, was on the second floor of the main building. Whether his mind was completely gone or not, the fact that he had to manage the ducal territory remained in his brain, as Moet had tipped him off that he had gone out briefly for a tour of the estate.

Taking advantage of that moment, Cullen headed for where Kiyen was. Quite some time had passed since he was dragged here and the commotion erupted, and night was falling. The moon rose, casting long shadows.

The knights of the annex, perhaps having been forewarned, merely glanced at Cullen and did not stop him. However, the fact that they did not offer any courtesies suggested that the conflicting words of their two masters had left them uncertain of their stance.

While the annex was one thing, the knights of the main castle were a different matter. Cullen decided to avoid their eyes and go out to the less-trafficked exterior to reach Kiyen’s room. The security was more stringent than he had expected, incomparable to the Imperial Palace, which relied solely on Magic.

He arrived behind the castle, where a large willow tree grew. A room bathed in brilliant light caught his eye. He climbed the tree and leaped to the window. Landing silently, he peered inside and confirmed, as he had guessed, that it was the Young Duke’s room.

Through the glass window, Cullen spotted long, blond hair on the sofa in the spacious room. Two knights were guarding him inside.

As he pondered what to do, Kiyen quietly turned his head. His sapphire-blue eyes fixed on Cullen. The moment their gazes met, he stood up. At his sudden movement, the knights approached, but Kiyen, with a fluid motion, struck them swiftly in the solar plexus.

Kiyen, striking men clad in leather armor with his bare hands, looked down at the knights as they staggered and fell, clearly in pain. His eyes, scanning them with what seemed like disdain, returned to Cullen. Kiyen walked over leisurely and opened the door.

“You sneak in like a stray cat.”

His expressionless face said so. The beautiful smile he had shown the Young Duke was gone. Had he unconsciously expected to see him smile?

“……Are they dead?”

“I merely knocked them unconscious.”

He had forgotten, given his elegant appearance, but Kiyen had easily lifted Cullen before. He must possess immense strength to move such large men without effort.

If so, why not just subdue the Young Duke as well?

The unpleasant memory of the hands that had touched Kiyen surfaced, making his stomach churn. He didn’t expect anything from Kiyen, but the fact that he had smiled like that at a stranger… Honestly, he felt hurt. No, it was a more intense emotion than that.

He disliked feelings that lacked a clear label. Cullen clenched his fist slightly, then relaxed it.

“Where are you confined? I can sense it’s not far.”

However, as Kiyen asked about his whereabouts, the surging emotions subsided slightly.

“I am in the annex. Where are the others?”

“The Common Priest is my cook, so he was mobilized to the kitchen. The Woman was taken to do odd jobs, and the High Priest should be nearby. They allowed someone of the High Priest’s standing because I said he was my personal attendant. He has my clothes too.”

At the mention of clothes, Cullen finally realized Kiyen was wearing different attire. While similar in its whiteness, it was made of a flowing material that exposed his collarbone and one shoulder. His firm chest was glimpsed, a style that clearly seemed intentional.

Even though only a little was revealed, it somehow felt provocative. Like someone peeking into a private moment.

“Did… the Young Duke dress you?”

He asked, suppressing his gaze from straying to the white skin that kept appearing.

With such an open neckline, he must have known he wasn’t a woman… Is that okay? He must be a lecher who doesn’t discriminate by gender if they’re beautiful. To think the next Duke of Ruffellon was like this.

“Yes. It seems his feelings didn’t change even after knowing I was male. For now, I’ve decided to play along since I’m useful.”

All sorts of questions flooded Cullen’s mind. Did the Young Duke change his clothes himself? Did he let him touch him? His thoughts tangled into a mess, leaving him speechless.

“……Do you like the Young Duke?”

Kiyen looked at Cullen with a puzzled expression.

“What are you talking about?”

“I asked because you smiled even though there was no need to.”

Following the unnecessary words spoken in front of Moet, he had once again revealed his true feelings in front of Kiyen. But the curiosity was unbearable. He wanted to know why Kiyen had smiled so readily at someone who was already smitten.

“I just smiled because I thought it would be more efficient. Don’t humans find that kind of face appealing?”

Kiyen said flatly and dryly. He seemed not to understand, as one eyebrow furrowed. Most of the expressions Cullen had seen from Kiyen were like this: an angry tone, a displeased look, a look of incomprehension.

“I’ve rarely seen you smile… I asked. I’m sorry.”

An indescribable emotion swirled within him. Sadness and hurt mixed haphazardly, creating a mire. Cullen looked at the floor for a moment, then, as if to erase the awkward air, he put on a smiling face.

“I’m glad you’re unharmed.”

Drawing on my face the smile I cannot see from Kiyen.

“If you don’t mind, could you tell me your plan?”

As he finished speaking with a smile, Kiyen quietly observed Cullen. Cullen intently watched Kiyen’s closed pink lips, hoping for some story about smiles to emerge.

However, the lips that finally opened only uttered dry content.

“The knights immediately identified me. That means someone who knows about me is clearly trying to disrupt this journey. Perhaps the secret organization we’ve been dealing with. For someone as high-ranking as the Young Duke not to recognize Lasano or you is beyond foolishness, so he must be under mind control or some other magic… Therefore, it would be most efficient to find out directly by his side.”

Cullen quickly shifted his thoughts in that direction. Very few people knew Kiyen’s true identity. Was he seen at Dadin, or before that in the palace?

He felt a surge of caution, thinking he might have been followed. If someone had followed him, he would have noticed, so had he been hiding in the crowd?

“Moet Ruffellon said that the Young Duke became strange after attending a secret social gathering. It’s probably related to that gathering.”

Ruffellon, Kiyen said with surprise.

“Is the second son sane?”

“Yes. He’s concerned about the state of the territory and the Demonic Beasts, and he already knows my identity. He seems like he could be helpful.”

“Is that so?”

Kiyen continued, as if he knew what Cullen was going to do.

“And you, I presume, intend to tour the town.”

“……Yes.”

He was concerned about the Elves anyway, and it was easier to investigate things by seeing them firsthand. Kiyen raised an eyebrow and said.

“You’ll do as you please anyway, so stopping you is pointless.”

An displeased voice. Hearing the familiar words, Cullen forced a bitter smile. He seemed to have a greater talent for disturbing Kiyen’s mood than for pleasing him.

“I apologize.”

“Don’t go too far. If that Demonic Beast reappears, even if I move immediately, I don’t know what might happen.”

Words he wanted to believe were concern sometimes turned into the thought that his life was important to their deal. Moments like today, when he knew he held no special meaning for Kiyen. Cullen replied quietly.

“Understood.”

Kiyen’s pupils elongated. He looked at Cullen as if something bothered him, then turned his body. He nudged the knights with his foot and dismissed them.

“The High Priest is in the next room. Take him there.”

There were no more words after that. Cullen, after briefly gazing at the beautifully curved nape and shoulders, slowly returned to the window, the voice no longer audible.

Lasano was not surprised when Cullen appeared at the window. Lying on the bed, eating fruit, he opened the window with a leisurely stride and smiled.

“You’ve arrived, Cullen?”

“……You seem to have been well.”

“Of course. Though not as much as Kiyen, my beauty plays a part. When I smiled and healed his superficial wounds, those knights, lacking any integrity, were completely captivated.”

He looked like someone who would live without lacking anything, no matter where he was placed. Cullen was momentarily speechless at his appearance, which even seemed to be enjoying the situation.

“I heard you have Kiyen’s belongings.”

“Yes, guarding his belongings is this Lasano’s mission. A weighty task.”

He said cheekily and walked over to the table where Kiyen’s robe lay.

“So, where are you going, Cullen?”

“You’re coming too.”

“What? Me? How could I, so utterly frail, be of any help? Arne, who is sturdy no matter where he falls, would be better!”

Cullen looked wordlessly at Kiyen’s robe. Though there was nothing he could particularly do with it, Cullen felt a sense of longing and lightly grasped the robe. Even so, a lily scent wafted from it. The hand clutching the soft robe tightened and loosened.

“I’m going to the town to check on the injured and investigate. So I need you.”

At the mention of checking on the injured, Lasano closed his mouth. With a sly smile, he walked over to Cullen’s side.

“Cullen, you’ve changed a lot since I first met you.”

He turned his head slightly to look at him. His red eyes were half-smiling.

“Which is the real Cullen?”

“A pointless question.”

“Is it?”

Lasano laughed idly, then his gaze fell to Cullen’s hand clutching the robe. Just as he was about to speak. Both of them simultaneously saw a strange sight. Something was leaking a yellow light from inside Kiyen’s robe.

“……Can you see it too?”

“Yes. A faint light is emanating. Is it Magic?”

Lasano then delegated the next task to Cullen.

“I have no resistance to Magic, so I’ll leave it to you.”

After a fleeting glance at his nonchalant delegation, Cullen reached for the robe. Something round was caught where the light was emanating. It was inside the robe’s inner pocket. Feeling the cold metal, he took it out. It was the item Kiyen had obtained at Dadin.

The light was seeping finely from within the lid. Cullen slowly opened the lid. Then, a wondrous sight appeared.

The stars drawn in gold were glowing yellow, as if suspended in the sky. The finely broken stars, like harvested real stars, were gathered in one direction, unlike when he first saw them. The gathered stars collected the faint yellow light, forming a ball of light.

The long metal needle placed in the center had been moved to where the stars had coalesced. The object, which normally showed no reaction, displayed a magical spectacle in itself. As Cullen slightly shifted its direction, the stars clustered even tighter.

“This… is actually working?”

Lasano exclaimed in admiration.

“Kiyen said it seemed to be an object that indicates direction.”

“By what principle could this be?”

Cullen turned his body further in the direction the stars were gathering. As he faced the window, the stars sparkled more, as if alive. Thinking, ‘Why is this happening?’, he raised his head and saw the moon. The brightly shining full moon had broken through the clouds. The stars were absorbing the moonlight.

Cullen turned in a full circle. Then, the stars repeatedly scattered and gathered, clearly pointing somewhere.

The star cluster kept gathering towards the west. Exactly the path they had come from.