By Zephyria 
A heavy tension hung in the air over the flickering shadows of the candle on the table.
High-ranking nobles gathered in the Court Physician’s meeting room had been engaged in serious discussions for several hours.
It had already been over six months since communication with Kazazhan had been severed. Amidst the ongoing power struggle, just yesterday, Emperor Arnold had suddenly declared Kazazhan an enemy nation.
Alexis sat at the head of the table, listening intently to the nobles’ discussions. His tightly sealed lips showed no sign of opening, but he was absorbing every word exchanged across the table.
“Now that it has been declared an enemy nation, we cannot remain idle.”
“What has Kazazhan done to us all this time! We can no longer turn a blind eye!”
“If war breaks out, the damage to the Empire will be immense. With Magical Creatures reappearing, we cannot afford to waste military resources. Vandel Knight Commander, what do you think?”
“The Black Forest Guard operates separately from the Imperial Palace Knights, so it is not a matter of great concern. If we are to prepare for war in earnest, nobles and their private soldiers will have to participate according to military orders. At least a week will be needed to assemble the Imperial Army.”
Those with speaking rights each threw in their opinions. As the discussion made its way around the table, the gaze naturally settled on one person. The only one who had not spoken a word was Cecile Adrian.
Finally breaking his long silence, Alexis opened his lips.
“What do you think, Cecile?”
Cecile held the position of advisor. An advisor must be well-versed in various fields and provide counsel to the Emperor with quick judgment.
When Cecile Adrian, in his early twenties, was appointed as an advisor, there were quite a few voices of opposition.
Many believed it was a position gained through the Empress’s influence or a privilege of royalty. However, the negative perception did not last long.
His political acumen was extraordinary. His ability to see through issues was on par with Crown Prince Alexis, and he occasionally proposed surprisingly effective solutions.
Throughout the ongoing conversation, Cecile continued to gaze down at the map spread across the table. He tapped the table with his finger and finally spoke.
“I believe war is unavoidable. Even if we do nothing, Kazazhan will surely attack us first.”
He tapped the table once more.
Alexis sensed the signal Cecile was sending. He uncrossed his fingers and adjusted his posture comfortably.
“I have something to discuss closely with the advisor, so everyone else may leave. The meeting will resume in two hours.”
Nobles, along with the guards and attendants, all exited the meeting room. Once it was just the two of them, Cecile finally stood up.
Without hesitation, he began to draw lines on the map laid out before him. The lines stretched out as if marching, reaching a specific point in Kazazhan, and Cecile circled the name of that area. He even wrote a number next to it.
Cecile was indicating the area and date for the upcoming attack.
Alexis raised his blue eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. We must strike here first. That way, we can gain the upper hand.”
The corners of Alexis’s mouth curved into a diagonal line. He looked extremely satisfied to have obtained what he desired.
“Good, I will keep that in mind.”
It had become natural for Alexis to listen to Cecile’s advice.
Whenever it came time to make important decisions, Cecile would guide him as if he had received divine revelation.
Though he had never admitted it, he was aware that this was a special ability of Cecile’s.
Alexis gazed at Cecile, resting his chin on his hand.
Was it because the advisor’s abilities were so exceptional? With each passing day, he felt an overwhelming affection for him. The trust and love he felt were so deep that he could hardly express how happy he was to have him by his side.
A soft smile curved Alexis’s lips.
“You predicted the recent attack on the trade ship too. Your dreams are so accurate that it’s almost eerie.”
“I have told you many times that it’s not divine power.”
“Then could it be magic?”
Cecile chuckled at the absurdity of the question. He had just revealed that he had a prophetic dream, hinting at Alexis’s nightmare.
Realizing he could not completely hide the secret, Cecile was prepared to disclose the future whenever it was for Alexis’s sake.
“Whatever it is, it’s a power that helps Your Highness.”
“……”
Alexis did not deny it. Now, Cecile’s presence had become irreplaceable.
“How can I reward you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean a reward for your precious ability. If you have something you want, just say it. I’d prefer to avoid giving you unwanted gifts that make you cry like last time.”
Cecile recalled the day he received a dagger from Alexis. It was a memory that had not been good for anyone, and his expression stiffened awkwardly.
“Not really… I don’t have anything in mind.”
“Really?”
“……”
“Cecile, be smart about this. You should take advantage of opportunities when they arise.”
Cecile bit his lip.
It wasn’t that he lacked desire. Moreover, how could he refuse when Alexis was the one offering something first?
A fierce battle raged in his mind between budding desire and restrained reason. The bait thrown before him looked too sweet to ignore.
“Then… could you close your eyes for just five minutes?”
At Cecile’s difficult request, Alexis narrowed his brows.
The intense gaze made his face tingle. Cecile, trying to appear nonchalant, spoke calmly.
“I won’t do anything strange. Just please endure whatever I do for five minutes.”
“Do you realize how suspicious that sounds?”
Cecile slowly stepped closer. Alexis, who had been sitting in his chair, closed his eyes and waited as promised. His hands hung loosely beneath the armrests, as if he would allow Cecile to do whatever he wanted.
As Cecile gently cupped his cheek, Alexis let out a breathy laugh. He spoke while keeping his eyes firmly shut.
“Is what you wanted just to touch my face?”
“Yes.”
Cecile replied without a smile.
He had never looked so closely at Alexis’s face before. Moreover, the thought of actually touching it was something he had never imagined.
With his fingertips heightened in sensitivity, he cautiously explored Alexis’s face. From his neat forehead and straight brow bone to his sharply defined jawline.
He felt the delicate contours following the soft and smooth texture of his skin. As Cecile caressed his cheek, his gaze traced the high bridge of his nose. His eyes lingered for a long time on the boundary of his lips. He still vividly remembered how those lips felt.
Was it the sinister thoughts he was having that transmitted through his fingertips? The closed eyelids began to slowly open.
As the clear eyes, like a lake filled with fresh water, looked at him, Cecile flinched and dropped his hands.
“There’s still time….”
Suddenly, arms wrapped around his waist, pulling Cecile closer. Unconsciously, the distance between them closed, and Cecile found himself sitting between Alexis’s legs, with one of his thighs trapped.
“Are you satisfied just with touching?”
“……”
“For five minutes, you can have me all to yourself. I grant you permission.”
Alexis took Cecile’s right hand and placed it on his lips. As he added strength to their overlapping hands, Cecile’s fingertips pressed against soft lips.
Cecile’s eyes trembled.
His will was not present at all, but the scene before him made it seem as if he was teasing Alexis’s lips.
The combined stimulation of sight and touch overwhelmed him, swirling in his mind.
Alexis closed his eyes again. Half of it was an act to tease Cecile, but in truth, he was willing to allow him to do whatever he wanted.
Or perhaps he was even looking forward to it?
The more he got to know Cecile, the more he opened his heart to him, and his feelings began to tilt in unexpected directions.
Perhaps he wanted to define the precarious relationship that was teetering on the edge of crossing a line.
To leave that to Cecile was indeed a cowardly act.
Alexis couldn’t help but chuckle to himself, feeling incredulous. As he waited for whatever would happen, the hand that had been touching his face fell away, and warm breaths gradually drew closer.
Even without opening his eyes, he could feel the shadow falling across his face. In that moment, Alexis’s fleeting composure vanished, and he tensed up without realizing it.
A sweet breath brushed past him like an illusion.
Soon, arms wrapped around his shoulders, and Cecile’s smooth face pressed against his right cheek.
“Is this okay?”
“……Yes.”
Alexis could not hide his feeling of emptiness.
After longing to touch someone so desperately, what he mustered the courage to do was merely a hug.
However, he could feel the undeniable tremor in the arms that held him tightly, and the cheek that touched his felt warm, as if it were flushed, while Cecile’s heart raced as if it would burst.
He could not discern what this feeling truly was.
Cecile Adrian remained a conundrum to him.
* * *
As preparations for war began in earnest, a sense of impending conflict loomed over the Empire.
In the blacksmith’s forge, armor and weapons were produced without rest, and supply wagons laden with various provisions came and went incessantly.
War does not begin with a reckless charge into the enemy’s camp like a brawl. Each step must be taken carefully under a meticulous strategy. As a result, the operations meeting room was never without light, day or night.
As the war preparations progressed, Cecile found himself frequently speaking of the future.
With that came a pain in his chest that clung to him like a leech. Fortunately, he had found the most effective painkillers and was taking them regularly, but it was still not easy.
Even now, a brief wave of chest pain had just swept over him. Trying to secretly suppress the pain, Cecile slumped over his desk.
At that moment, Alexis discovered him.
Knowing only that Cecile had stayed up all night for the strategy meeting, he naturally assumed that Cecile was simply exhausted.
He approached silently and began to massage the back of Cecile’s neck. Recognizing the familiar scent, Cecile realized who it was. He slowly raised his waist and managed to sit up straight. His face was filled with undeniable fatigue.
“Go rest. At this rate, you’ll collapse before the war even starts.”
“I’m fine. There’s still work to be done.”
“This is an order, Adrian. You have no more tasks to assist with, so return to your palace immediately.”
Alexis turned his head to a corner. Leo, having read his gesture, quickly rushed over to support Cecile. The touch was polite but felt almost forceful in lifting him.
“I’ll check on you in the evening, so make sure to rest quietly.”
With Alexis’s command added, there was no choice but to be driven out.
“…Yes.”
Cecile was particularly weak to the Crown Prince’s words. While the world saw him as a hyena aiming for the throne, in reality, he was as gentle as a lamb. Leo found this quite frustrating.
“Um… Cecile.”
On the way back to Peridot Palace, Leo cautiously opened his mouth. He kept glancing around like a puppy afraid of being overheard.
“What is it?”
“Well….”
Leo kept glancing at Cecile’s chest.
Cecile could tell without looking.
It had already been over two years since he had been with Leo. No matter how careful he was, it was impossible to completely hide secrets from someone who attended to him all day long.