By Zephyria 
Even as the sun set, there was still no news from Alexis.
After checking the guardhouse and finishing dinner, Cecile slightly lifted the curtain in his room to look outside.
It was pouring rain. With the darkness and the bad weather, it seemed likely that Alexis would spend the night wherever he was staying.
Cecile decided to give up waiting and began to prepare for bed.
The guardhouse was quite large. It was said that there were over thirty knights stationed here, and when including the laborers and servants responsible for menial tasks, the total number reached around a hundred.
Despite being a modern building, the guardhouse prioritized practicality over luxury due to its nature, making it somewhat rough around the edges compared to a typical mansion.
Still, the room Cecile was staying in was relatively luxurious compared to the accommodations of other knights.
The bed boasted a decent level of comfort, the cold stone walls were adorned with wallpaper, and most importantly, the bathroom had a marble bathtub.
After finishing his bath, he took a moment to look around the room. Despite his fatigue, he felt as if sleep would not come easily. Spotting a bottle of whiskey in the room, he grabbed a glass and settled down in front of the fireplace.
Cecile sipped the strong liquor, lost in thought. It had become almost a habit to re-evaluate and restructure the plans he had reviewed dozens, if not hundreds, of times in his mind.
As time dwindled, his heart grew anxious. He had vowed to make Alexis an emperor, but it seemed unlikely he would see him ascend to the throne before his own death.
If that were the case, he had to eliminate any potential obstacles.
The person Cecile worried about the most was his mother, Empress Elizabeth.
Though her power had waned compared to before, his mother was not someone who would easily give up. She would undoubtedly try to undermine Alexis in unexpected ways.
“…In the end, will I have to pull him down from that position?”
Cecile reminded himself that it was the empress who had driven Alexis to his death. Even if she was his mother, he would have to betray her without hesitation if necessary. There was no longer any reason to cling to blood ties.
Just as Cecile was lost in his painful thoughts, the door suddenly burst open.
When he lifted his head at the unexpected sound, Alexis, drenched from the rain, rushed in. Cecile blinked slowly, wondering if he was seeing things.
In the meantime, Alexis handed his raincoat to the attendant who followed him inside. Proving the weather outside was severe, water dripped from his hair and clothes.
“I’ll prepare the bathwater.”
“Do that.”
Alexis replied indifferently and shook off the wetness from his hair. His gaze swept the room casually until it met Cecile’s.
Cecile, crouched with his knees bent, was in an awkward position, neither sitting nor standing. However, his surprise was evident, causing Alexis to chuckle softly.
“It’s a face I didn’t expect to see.”
“What happened? I heard you went on an inspection.”
“I’m on my way back after finishing it.”
“But it’s raining so heavily?”
“If I stayed for a day, you’d definitely leave.”
Cecile was at a loss for words. He had indeed planned to leave at dawn.
Then, seeing Alexis strip off his wet clothes right in front of him, he suddenly snapped back to reality.
“Is this room perhaps yours, Your Highness?”
“Did you just realize that?”
“…I didn’t know.”
No wonder the room felt so nice. Cecile hesitantly rose to his feet, using the floor for support.
“I’ll move to another room.”
“I was wondering why you hadn’t said that.”
Alexis scoffed and continued to unbutton his shirt. Throughout the process of peeling off the damp fabric clinging to his skin, his gaze remained fixed on Cecile.
“Unfortunately, there aren’t many accommodations in the guardhouse. Everyone sleeps cramped in small rooms. Still, this is considered quite good; how about you try to endure it even if it doesn’t suit your taste?”
“It’s not that I dislike the room, but I can’t share it with you, Your Highness. If there are no empty rooms, I can sleep with Leo.”
“Your attendant is currently staying in a room attached to the stable. You’d really sleep there?”
What’s wrong with that? As the thought was clearly written on his face, Alexis approached and pressed down on Cecile’s shoulder, making him sit back down.
“Stop messing around and stay here.”
After giving a warning, he turned and headed straight for the bathroom. Just then, the attendant who had finished preparing the bath came out, shaking off his wet hands. He bowed slightly, closed the door carefully, and left.
Cecile remained seated, still in a daze.
Realizing he had to sleep in the same bed as Alexis made his mouth go dry.
He quickly downed the remaining whiskey in his glass. Cecile let out a long, tense breath and rubbed his sweaty palms over his face.
Please, just don’t act out, and never let him know I like him.
Submerged in the bathtub, Alexis splashed hot water on his face. He wiped away the fatigue etched on his features, tilting his head back slightly.
Cecile had heard the news of his arrival at the guardhouse about three hours ago. By then, he had already scouted a place to stay for the night, as the rain intensified.
Without thinking, he had mounted his horse and galloped toward the dark forest. Even as he entered the guardhouse, Alexis hadn’t realized how irrational his actions were.
He only recognized the problem just before opening the door. It was only when he saw his drenched appearance that he hesitated.
He had rushed here in such a frenzy just to see Cecile. His mind had been filled solely with thoughts of her. It was the first time he acknowledged that his behavior was uncharacteristic.
He knew it was excessive to dismiss his feelings as mere affection. Alexis was simply curious. Was his attitude toward Cecile truly just simple kindness, or was it something more?
After a while, Alexis finished his bath and stepped out. Cecile was still sitting blankly in front of the fireplace. He seemed to be half-asleep, hugging his knees, as if he had drunk a few glasses of liquor alone.
Neither of them wanted to fall asleep just yet. Alexis picked up an empty glass and moved closer to him.
Sitting on the hard wooden floor, he stretched out his legs. Leaning back comfortably, Cecile discreetly filled Alexis’s glass with whiskey.
“This drink is quite strong. I guess knights usually enjoy this kind of thing?”
“There’s nothing better than strong liquor to wrap up a tiring day.”
The two of them silently sipped their drinks, staring straight ahead. In the stillness that felt like time had stopped, the sound of the firewood crackling echoed.
Suddenly, Cecile spoke up.
“Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Why don’t you ask anything about Johannes’s death?”
Alexis turned his head slightly. Cecile, staring into the fireplace, looked somewhat gloomy.
With each flicker of the flames, shadows danced across his small face, making it seem as if he was holding back tears.
“I thought you wanted to hide it.”
Alexis replied nonchalantly, taking a sip of his drink.
It had become a foregone conclusion that the Prince of Temion had died on October 16, confirming Cecile’s prophecy about the future.
However, the reason he didn’t pry into the matter was that Cecile had grown increasingly dark since attending the funeral. Alexis, who had always observed Cecile, could clearly see that change.
Cecile also felt that Alexis had noticed everything but was choosing to remain silent. Grateful yet overwhelmed, he decided to broach the subject subtly.
“Johannes once told me something. He said he was afraid of dying, but he had no regrets.”
“…….”
“To be honest, I envied him. I even thought I wanted to die like Johannes.”
“You’re still far too young to be thinking about death.”
“What does age have to do with it?”
Cecile downed the remaining liquor in his glass. Opening his dry throat, he poured out his resolve.
“That’s why I want to do everything I can so that I have no regrets.”
“For example?”
“Maybe live alone for a while after leaving the palace.”
“Are you really going to choose to suffer like that?”
Alexis chuckled softly. Cecile’s plan seemed sudden and cute.
In contrast, Cecile was quite serious. He thought the chances of it coming true were slim, but dreaming was free.
“If I have the time… I’d like to visit the house I lived in when I was young. I don’t remember much else, but I do remember the garden was filled with wild strawberries. I used to pick them often when I got hungry while playing… they were really sweet and delicious.”
Cecile rested his chin on his knees. Perhaps reminiscing about the past, his eyes were half-closed and glazed over.
“I’ll buy plums with my own money. A whole basket.”
“What’s with the plums?”
“They’re sold at the fruit stand. I really wanted to eat them, but I didn’t have a single penny that day, so I couldn’t buy any…”
Cecile was definitely drunk. The slurred voice confirmed it.