By Zephyria 
The smell of oil and something burning emanated from his entire body.
It was strong enough to mask the musty smell of the prison, so I don’t know how long it had been like that.
When Ketron stepped out of the prison, it was already pitch-black night.
The soldiers guarding the outside of the prison snapped to attention and saluted Ketron.
Of course, it was a reverent salute to the hero who had saved the world, but it was also because the screams coming from inside were so horrific. It was fear born of instinct.
Ketron took a deep breath of the much clearer air outside.
Ah, a familiar sensation.
It had been a long time, but it felt incredibly familiar. The sensation of someone fearing him, shunning him.
He hadn’t realized it while staying by Eddie’s side, like a pet he cherished, but this was more familiar to him.
Dark, dirty, and sticky, leaving an unpleasant aftertaste – so many things clung to him.
People revered him as the Hero, yet they were reluctant to get close.
It felt like a lifetime ago that many people at Eddie’s Inn had felt a little more at ease with him, thanks to Eddie.
Eddie was such an unsuitable person for him.
But at the same time, he was someone he couldn’t let go of.
Hmph, Ketron sighed, thinking he should hurry back before making people uncomfortable.
Whether Eddie woke up or not, he had to stay by his side. He had been gone for too long.
However, Ketron couldn’t return immediately. As he tried to leave the Imperial Palace, Ketron stopped.
Near the prison, as if waiting for him to emerge, Marquis Rivalt stood still, waiting for him.
“Ketron-nim, I’ve been waiting.”
The young Marquis, with his stoic face, looked like he had been waiting for Ketron for quite some time. He had likely heard the chilling sounds from inside, but he showed no sign of it.
“His Majesty is looking for you.”
“The conversation should be over by now.”
Ketron drew a firm line. He knew the other person was the Emperor, but too much had happened today, and he was tired. He also wanted to return to Eddie’s side quickly, having been away for too long.
“I need to go to Eddie. If you have more business, we can talk another time.”
But even with those words, Marquis Rivalt did not back down.
“If that’s the case, you must come even more so.”
“……?”
It was incomprehensible. However, Ketron couldn’t help but widen his eyes at the words that followed.
“His Highness Pakirius is at the Imperial Palace.”
“So you need to have a personal guard even more.”
Lee Jeong-han, no, Emperor Ricarius, after embracing Eddie tightly, shedding tears, and calling for Imperial physicians to check on Eddie’s condition, finally calmed down.
Then he brought up the matter of assigning a personal guard to Eddie.
Of course, Eddie was horrified and refused. Considering Sebastian’s reaction when he left the mansion, he wouldn’t be able to go out alone anymore, let alone with a guard?
“Haa.”
Eddie sighed, feeling a headache coming on.
“Paki, why, are you hurt?”
Of course, the Emperor went into a frenzy even from him just briefly touching his forehead.
Eddie’s physical condition was difficult to describe as perfectly fine. But that was because he had just gotten up after being bedridden for over a week, not because there was something wrong with his body.
Anyone who had been confined to bed for over a week would naturally feel stiff upon waking. Even a healthy adult male would be the same.
The wounds had healed perfectly, making him wonder if he had been injured at all, and after waking, his initially pale complexion quickly regained its color, making him look quite healthy.
It was just that his muscles were a bit stiff as a consequence of being bedridden for over a week.
“I’m not hurt, Brother. Please just stay still.”
Even Eddie, who had been trying his best to maintain a smiling face, couldn’t help but feel annoyed by then. He was already anxious.
As soon as Eddie opened his eyes, the Holy Sword, sensing his presence, immediately materialized and came to chatter about various things, so Eddie had a general idea of the situation.
That Eddie had been attacked, Ketron’s condition, the rumors about Eddie being royalty, and that the Demon King subjugation force was about to depart.
And that Ketron had stayed by Eddie’s side the entire time, but had headed to the Imperial Palace on the very day Eddie woke up due to a noble council meeting.
What timing.
Eddie, who had always been unlucky in such matters, couldn’t wait for Ketron’s return and headed to the Imperial Palace.
Of course, with the Holy Sword accompanying him.
His body was fine. It was perfectly healthy. Eddie was originally quite robust. He had even mimicked Ketron whenever he exercised, and his body had become even better and healthier than when he first transmigrated, or rather, integrated into this world.
However, from now on, even with this healthy body, he wouldn’t be able to go out alone.
Gerold and Ebon were busy and absent, but when Eddie announced he was leaving, not only the Holy Sword but also Sebastian threw a fit, so Eddie had no choice but to head to the Imperial Palace with the Holy Sword acting as a guard, albeit not officially.
Of course, Eddie wasn’t so foolish as to go out alone after experiencing such an event, so he naturally accepted the Holy Sword’s company. He wouldn’t be able to return if he suffered a fatal wound close to death.
In the process, he had sworn multiple times never to go out alone again. While he felt that the rash outing that day was more a result of being manipulated by the ‘story’ than his own will, it was true that he had caused worry.
The Emperor, seeing Eddie’s impatience when he could no longer hold back, pursed his lips and watched Eddie’s expression.
This made him feel uneasy again. Whether he was possessed by the power of the ‘story’ or not, he had made a foolish choice and worried everyone, and it was natural for his family to be sensitive about Eddie’s life or death.
“…I’m sorry.”
Eddie finally apologized. The Emperor, watching him quietly, shook his head.
“You’ve just come back from the brink of death, you must miss your lovely boyfriend terribly. It’s okay.”
Of course, Eddie, who had been looking down with a slightly dejected expression, couldn’t help but lift his head at those words.
What kind of bizarre title was that?
“Ah, no…!”
At the word “boyfriend,” Eddie made a bewildered face, but it was also funny that the Emperor was pretending not to know about their relationship, and since the word “boyfriend” wasn’t entirely wrong, he couldn’t deny it and just closed his mouth.
Boyfriend, my goodness.
Of course, for Eddie, who had been a normal heterosexual who never imagined he would be gay in his life, it was an unfamiliar expression, but there was no other word that could describe Ketron at that moment.
“Do you like him that much?”
Seeing Eddie’s expression, which seemed somewhat bewildered, the Emperor tilted his head slightly and asked cautiously.
Of course, Eddie had only one answer to that question.
“Yes.”
“What is it about him that you like so much?”
He hadn’t really thought about that specifically.
When he first saw him, he felt pity for him as the protagonist who met such an ending, and though he had glimpsed his childhood briefly in the novel, he still felt like a boy even though he had become an adult by the end of the story.
Considering his past life’s age, he felt like a child, and he knew that treating his large frame like a baby and doting on him must have seemed strange to others.
Even if he could go back to that moment, Eddie was full of the desire to dote on Ketron to his heart’s content. He wanted to.
He was cute then, and at some point, he became conscious of him, and at another point.
Simply, he just loved being together.
“Everything…”
After agonizing over what to say, Eddie could only offer such a simple answer. But that was Eddie’s complete truth.
That he liked everything about Ketron.
“I see.”
The Emperor chuckled as if he understood something. Eddie, feeling embarrassed, fiddled with his fingertips. Then, the Emperor, who had been looking out the window, casually said,
“Just stay here tonight.”
“Ah, would that be alright? It’s late.”
“Yes, you must have a lot to catch up on with your boyfriend.”
…Huh?
There was something in his tone that made Eddie’s feelings strangely unsettled.
“It seems he’s arrived just in time.”
Not long after, someone knocked on the door of the VIP room.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness, it’s Simon. I’ve brought Ketron-nim.”
The Emperor, who was a decent swordsman with basic swordsmanship training, unlike Eddie, seemed to have already known someone was coming and rose from his seat without hesitation.
“Then, I shall leave this intruder behind.”
“Uh, yeah…”
“Use this place for tonight. The bed is soft, and no one will come near. It’s soundproof too. It’s a VIP room, after all.”
There’s everything you need here. The Emperor said with a smile and, without giving Eddie time to respond, walked out and flung the door open.
…The bed is soft and soundproof? Everything you need is here?
…Why?
Eddie understood what the Emperor meant, but he was frozen like a stone, unsure where to begin correcting him, when he saw a large man entering the room as if to take the Emperor’s place.
With the sound of the door closing, the air in the room changed.