BMD 543

“…A lullaby?”

“Yes!”

Having answered boldly, Leonardo once again gauged the King’s mood. He felt a chilling anger emanating from the expressionless gaze looking down at him, causing his shoulders to stiffen involuntarily. However, no retort asking if he wished to die, nor any order to get lost, followed.

Only the sound of trickling water broke the awkward atmosphere.

“…….”

Theodore watched him for a moment before closing his eyes slowly, as if exhausted. He leaned his back against the shore and swept his blonde hair back with a wet hand. A glint of metal flashed briefly in his hand, but Leonardo couldn’t see it clearly. It was because of Theodore’s gesture, which suggested he had not the slightest expectation.

“Sing it.”

“Pardon?”

“Do not make me say it twice.”

Leonardo blinked.

‘Is he seriously going to listen to a lullaby?’

The contrast between Theodore’s indifferent demeanor and his words was so stark that Leonardo experienced a brief moment of cognitive dissonance. He was flustered, even though he was the one who had suggested it. It wasn’t as if he had ever sung a lullaby to anyone in his life.

“Uh… but if someone outside hears…”

Leonardo tried to make an excuse. In response, Theodore flicked the surface of the water with his finger once more. Splash. Water droplets and a white mist spread slowly in all directions, as if time had slowed down. They were then blocked by a transparent barrier connected to the shade canopy, rolling back down like rain.

It seemed he had cast a spell in the meantime. Since the stage had been set so thoroughly, it would be awkward to back out now. If he changed his mind and the Prince took offense, who knew if he might just cut his head off?

Of course, knowing his personality, he probably wouldn’t… but having lived as royalty from birth, the value he placed on life might be different from his own.

Tweet, tweet—

Meanwhile, a small bird had been hovering around him for a while, as if trying to say something. Though it was annoying, Leonardo couldn’t treat it carelessly if it was indeed the Divine Beast of that person. It would be a disaster if the Divine Beast returned to its master and reported the identity of the man who had intruded upon the hot spring bath in a strange way.

‘If that happens, the owner of this body might die. In the worst case, Laina Rogia might not even be founded….’

Suddenly burdened with a grave mission, Leonardo decided to make the most of the opportunity. He straightened his upper body, which had been hunched [visit our site]copy" style="display:none;" aria-label="unauthorized copy">unauthorized copyover, and cleared his throat with a couple of coughs.

“Then, I shall sing one song.”

He had expected to become a knight, but it looked like he was becoming an exclusive singer, a fate he never envisioned.

Leonardo Blaine’s life had been far removed from the childish things like fairy tales for children or hopeful nursery rhymes. Nevertheless, there was one lullaby he had happened to learn. It was the only song his eccentric father used to sing to him occasionally.

The lyrics were less about having sweet dreams and more of a tribute to the stars fading away on the battlefield. It wasn’t even in the language of the current era, but a poem written in the Ancient Language. It suited the rough voice of his father, who had been an old mercenary and soldier.

He had begun studying the Ancient Language because he wanted to understand the meaning, and when he finally uttered the words he had forgotten for a long time, Leonardo felt a sudden tightness in a corner of his chest.

As the final syllable ended and his lips closed, he let out a long sigh, pretending to catch his breath. Opening his eyes, which he had closed in embarrassment, he saw Theodore in front of him, who had also been closing his eyes.

Perhaps because it was his own face but with sharper lines, he looked like a scene from an elegant painting. The slowly drifting steam clung to his long eyelashes and red lips before slowly dispersing along the contours of his face. Suddenly remembering how the soldiers used to critique his face, Leonardo’s brow furrowed slightly.

‘What do they mean “pretty”? He’s handsomely masculine.’

Shaking off the distracting thoughts, he asked tentatively.

“…How was it?”

Theodore neither moved nor answered for a long while. He was so motionless that Leonardo wondered if he had fallen asleep while sitting.

“Your Highness?”

When there was no response even after calling out softly, Leonardo looked toward the blue canary with a troubled expression. Then, the bird, which seemed to have enjoyed the lullaby along with Theodore, fluttered over to him.

Tweet—

Tilting its head as it looked at him, the bird soon rubbed its head against his chest.

‘What is this?’

Just as he was looking down in bewilderment, the silent Theodore spoke.

“Since you came out of nowhere and offered to sing a lullaby,”

Leonardo’s head snapped around.

“I wondered just how well you could sing.”

His loosely closed Gold Eyes slowly opened. Since Leonardo had put quite some effort into the singing, he had been expecting a positive review.

“You don’t even reach the toes of my court musicians.”

At those words, Leonardo momentarily failed to maintain his composure. Regardless of anything else, hearing such a scathing critique of a lullaby filled with memories of his father caused a surge of emotion.

‘Even if you insult my skill, you’re just spitting on yourself.’

If it weren’t for the fact that they shared the same face, he definitely would have landed a blow.

Just as he was grinding his teeth, another sentence followed.

“Still, well, it wasn’t bad. Where did you learn that song?”

At the unexpected question, Leonardo’s eyebrows twitched as he looked at him with narrowed eyes.

“Pardon? Ah, it is a song my father taught me. Not often, but… whenever I couldn’t sleep, he would sing it to me continuously. It’s a song where the end and the beginning connect.”

“Father? You had a gentle father, then. Though I’m not sure if [Read on Read BL Novels]visit our siteon Read BL Novels -->style="opacity:0;font-size:0;">Read on Read BL Novelsit’s suitable as a lullaby.”

“…He was a soldier, so that’s likely why. To him, nothing would have been more suitable as a lullaby than a tribute song wishing for eternal rest.”

Unlike before, when he had been keeping a low profile, Leonardo clearly defended his father’s choice of song. As if sensing the change in atmosphere, Theodore’s eyes narrowed.

“A soldier? Your father was a soldier?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Leonardo did not hesitate even when questioned again. Of course, he wondered if he should have mentioned Nomon’s actual father, but he knew nothing about him, other than the fact that he had already passed away.

Theodore asked again, sounding suspicious.

“Then was your father a citizen of Laina? Why did he come to this frontier land?”

Huh? Leonardo tilted his head, wondering why the conversation had suddenly shifted in that direction. Then, he remembered that the lullaby he sang was in the language of ancient Laina. Ah, if he were Nomon’s father, it would naturally make sense for him to sing a song of old Paren.

However, there was no way he could sing a lullaby in the Ancient Language of Paren, and as the situation became increasingly tangled, Leonardo’s tongue lost its way. As he hesitated to answer, Theodore pressed further.

“Come to think of it, you stolen stolen contentcontentalso speak the [Read on Read BL Novels]language of our Laina quite well. Is that your father’s influence?”

“No, rather than that… my wife always used to say she wanted to raise the child in the Great Empire. She even thought about settling her farmland and following a pilgrimage group or merchants to Laina if the opportunity arose in the future.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. In reality, Nomon was fluent in the Laina language to the point of serving as an interpreter for both countries, a skill he had cultivated to fulfill his wife’s wish. Leonardo was certain of this because he had heard it directly from Bram.

Having heard the general circumstances, Theodore stared intently at him again, his thoughts unknown. Then, he gestured for him to come closer.

“Come and massage my shoulders.”

“…My shoulders? Me?”

“Who else is here besides you?”

‘What. I guess he did like the lullaby?’

It was an abrupt order, but Leonardo immediately stood up. Despite a cramp in his leg, he hid it and approached the shore where Theodore was leaning. His discarded clothes were strewn about nearby. Despite his clean-cut appearance, Leonardo thought that in this regard, he was just like himself.

Carefully avoiding the falling droplets so as not to wet the clothes, he took his position behind him. Just as Leonardo was about to place his relaxed hands on the shoulders, he paused for a moment.

Was it because his own back, devoid of scars or a black Leash, felt unfamiliar? Or was it because the angry [Read on Read on Read BL NovelsRead BL Novels]back muscles, contrasting with [unauthorized copy]the smooth skin, felt alien? Leonardo couldn’t take his eyes off it for a long time.

“But Your Highness, is it alright to trust your back to just anyone? What if I were actually an assassin?”

It was a genuine concern. From this position and angle, for someone of his skill level, twisting Theodore’s neck would be a piece of cake, even if the body were slightly larger. That was why his flawless, pale skin looked so incredibly defenseless. They say fragility triggers a protective instinct; he felt a desire to protect this body in front of him so that he wouldn’t get hurt like he had.

To the question asked out of genuine worry, Theodore responded with a short laugh.

“Would someone whose goal is assassination ask so openly?”

“You never know. It could be a sophisticated ploy. A certain noble person I know once said, ‘One must verify all possible possibilities and prepare for them thoroughly.’”

“Is there really someone who lives such a tiring life? According to the words of ancient sages, a Divine Beast can look into a human’s inner self. Since that fellow is sticking close to you, you’re probably not some ignorant fool with ulterior motives.”

He seemed to be referring to the canary that had perched on his shoulder. When Leonardo made eye contact with the bird, Theodore turned his head halfway and urged him.

“Stop talking nonsense and move your hands. My shoulders are aching from saving some ignorant soldier during the day.”

Even the Duke of Agrizendro wouldn’t dare treat him with such condescension, and hearing the commanding tone in every sentence made a vein slowly pop on Leonardo’s forehead.

‘Acting like a benevolent king in public… I’ll [visit our siteclass="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">unauthorized copy]let it slide because he’s the King.’

“Yes, yes.”

Despite his grumpy expression, Leonardo answered nonchalantly and cracked his knuckles. Then, he gently placed his hands on Theodore’s shoulders. Theodore’s shoulders stiffened for a moment, perhaps because the palms were cold. However, the tension gradually melted away following the hand technique warmed by body heat. It was a secret method he had acquired while releasing his own knotted muscles during his military days.

“Hmm….”

A low groan settled softly over the spring. Consequently, Theodore’s neck relaxed, and he leaned deeper into him.

‘How is it? Pure bliss, right?’

Looking down at the Prince’s softly closed eyelids, Leonardo wore a triumphant smile behind his back.

‘Who else knows your body as well as I do?’