BMD 317

‘Why?’

Hugo, who had lightly wiped the moisture from his wet hair with a towel, leaned back on the sofa in his private room and stared quietly out the window. A crystal glass, elaborately crafted as if emitting light, froze coldly in his hand. Frost formed on the colorless distilled liquor that sloshed above it.

Whether he knew it or not, he only watched the falling raindrops, then fixed his gaze and downed a glass in one gulp. Each time his Adam’s apple bobbed, the heat that pierced his esophagus spread beyond his heart to his entire body. However, it was only regrettable that he had become the type of person who could not get drunk even on a day like today.

‘Can I ask why?’

‘…….’

Hugo put down his empty glass and refilled it. He hoped his head would become a little hazy, but his mind was clearer than ever.

‘I apologize if it was sudden. You don’t have to feel burdened.’

‘No. It’s not that.’

He was sane enough to vividly remember their past conversation.

‘I have a place to go.’

His heart was definitely hot, but his head was extremely cold.

‘There’s someone I have to meet.’

The recollection, which stopped at Leonardo’s contradictory eyes, was repeated again and again if he just stared at the air. His eyes were definitely moving, but his mouth said no.

Whether those words were sincere or just an excuse to get by, Hugo stopped asking around that point.

‘I’m sorry. And thank you.’

He didn’t want to hold onto someone who was sorry and make them feel even more sorry. It wasn’t like the situation would change if he asked more.

‘Okay.’

Clunk―

Hugo put down the empty glass with a sound and paused while tilting the bottle of distilled liquor. When he looked down, he saw that he had already emptied an entire bottle. He wasn’t as bad as Leonardo, but he had to take care of his body as well, so he wasn’t in a position to interfere.

With a blank expression, he stood the empty bottle up and closed his eyes, leaning his head against the sofa headrest.

Yes, it was better this way. Wasn’t the reason he went to see the enemy to send Leonardo away quickly?

Leaving his side as soon as possible might be the safest way for him. It was true that the attention towards him had increased as he dragged him out into the world.

Those who had offered a deal to Kenneth Weaver had specifically said that they would destroy the evidence if this matter was leaked to him. Then, the forces behind them at least knew what kind of person he was. It was highly likely that they were in a position to roughly deduce his way of handling things, beyond the external image that was circulating.

That could be the Third Legion Commander, or it could be a third person, but what was certain was that if Leonardo was by his side, he would inevitably be easily exposed to their eyes.

Therefore, if he couldn’t hide him in the mansion, it was better to send him away. As Leonardo had said, there had been no one who could hold him back except for him.

He worried about his safety, but he believed in his abilities. Rather than keeping him within his sight where danger lurked nearby, it might be better for him to remain a legendary figure who disappeared like the wind.

And… he didn’t want to admit it, but anyway, he had a strong comrade. He didn’t know if the person he had to meet was that guy, but if it was someone with a similar bond to his old comrade, he believed that they could take care of Leonardo.

‘Because they know him much better than I do.’

In the end, Leonardo had done his part, and what kind of life he would live afterwards was his domain. It was no longer a part that he could persuade or control. He just had to respect his choice and provide some help to become a stepping stone for him to enjoy his freedom.

Hugo, who had been organizing things one by one, enjoyed the silence while listening to the sound of rain for about 5 minutes. The thoughts in his head, like bouncing raindrops, gradually subsided.

Just as his mind was about to harden, he heard the sound of the bathroom door on the left opening.

Click―

Hot steam poured out. The scent of soap brushed past his nose, and in that instant, a pleasant voice lingered above his head.

“What are you doing?”

Hugo deliberately didn’t respond right away. He felt the gaze coming down his forehead and bridge of his nose, and then, a few beats later, he slowly opened his eyes.

His shimmering blonde hair came into view first, as if he had just washed up. Naturally, his outstretched hand caressed Leonardo’s parched hair.

“I thought you took a shower, but it’s not wet.”

“I dried it.”

They had both taken another shower because they had been rained on on the way, but Hugo felt strangely disappointed when he looked at the other person, who was fluffy unlike him.

As the hand that had been twisting his hair silently was about to withdraw, Leonardo, who had been looking down, leaned his upper body against the sofa headrest to lower his height, as if telling him to touch him more. Even so, Gold Eyes stared at the empty liquor bottle and glass placed alone on the table.

If he had his way, he would have said something about why he was drinking so much. But he figured that the Legion Commander must have had days when he was mentally and physically exhausted in many ways, so he let it go.

Then, he scanned his comfortable attire, which he had almost never seen since coming to the Zodiac, and looked back at Hugo’s eyes, which were facing him again. He never knew that blue could be so hot. He felt embarrassed for no reason and tried to avoid his eyes, but he faced him steadfastly, thinking that even this wouldn’t last much longer.

He didn’t even know where this person, who always came in when he fell asleep and left before he fell asleep, slept properly, but somehow he felt like he would be able to see him fall asleep today. Leonardo rested his chin on his hand and asked, about to bring his hand to Hugo’s wet hair.

“Can I touch your hair?”

Hugo nodded without answering. Then, Leonardo’s warm touch gently ruffled Hugo’s hair. As his touch played, white steam rose and the moist moisture slowly dried.

Leonardo was inwardly impressed by the texture of His Excellency’s hair that brushed between his fingers.

‘Isn’t it silk?’

The Mages of Water were all famous for having skin and hair as soft as water, but this person was by far the best of the people he had seen, perhaps because of his high status.

Even though his hair was already dry, Leonardo enjoyed the sensation and didn’t take his hand away for a while. Hugo was the same. The two coveted each other’s hair for a while.

Then, Leonardo was the first to speak.

“Today, will you sleep with me?”

His lowered eyelashes fluttered.

“I think I’ll have nightmares if I sleep alone.”

Hugo’s eyelids moved slightly. The person who said he would leave when the time came kept dropping words that could be a possibility.

But whether that was sincere or an excuse, Hugo looked back at himself, who had no choice but to do as he wanted.

He would just be led by him and remain a tree shade where he could stay for a while to avoid the shower.

That was enough. While sighing inwardly, Hugo soon smiled loosely.

“Okay.”

As soon as the day dawned, time passed by in a daze. Perhaps it felt that way even more because the deadline was set.

Hugo borrowed an empty conference room that he hadn’t used for a long time and secretly called tailors and designers there.

He had them set up clothes as if they had come to a clothing store, even if they didn’t go outside, and had Leonardo pick out all the things he liked.

He provided the tailor with the finest fabrics and gold thread, and instructed him to take Leonardo’s measurements and custom-make his magic robe.

When he heard that there were only two days left, the tailor initially tried to politely refuse, saying that it seemed impossible. However, after hearing the amount Hugo offered, he hurriedly called his apprentices and reversed his answer, saying that he would try to meet the deadline.

Afterwards, Hugo brought in someone called a mental health counselor and had them explain the types of medication prescribed to Leonardo and the eating habits he should be mindful of. He thought that since Leonardo was the one who had directly revealed his symptoms, he would be able to understand his psychology better than anyone else.

Leonardo, who had been led around by Hugo from morning, sensed that the other person was preparing for their farewell.

Of course, it was he who had rejected his offer, but he couldn’t deny that he felt somewhat bitter. The only fortunate thing was that the other person wasn’t drawing the line to the point of being upset, as he had done before when he had distanced himself from him.

From the time he was notified that the trial date had been set, Agrizendro had been with him all day. Recalling his hand wrapped around his waist when he opened his eyes in the morning, Leonardo sat on a bench in the garden and took a big bite of his rice gelato.

It was the first time he had tasted it, but the subtle sweetness and chewy texture made his eyes widen. Perhaps it was because it was combined with the clear sky, as if it had never rained, that his depressed mood improved.

With his eyes, he stared blankly at the Legion Commander, who had given him the gelato and moved away for a moment. His subordinates had come to him with something to tell him, and he had gone over there and was having a close conversation for several minutes, as if it was something he shouldn’t hear.

He was supposed to be back soon, but the conversation seemed to be getting quite long, but Leonardo waited for Hugo without complaint, knowing that he was making time for him. At the same time, he wondered if he should do something helpful before he left. If he converted what he had received from him today into money, it would be a considerable amount.

Since he couldn’t give him much help in terms of money in this situation anyway, he thought he would rather tell him high-level information that he couldn’t find out even with money. In short, he would point out the main issues that the Council should investigate,

‘Wouldn’t it be okay to tell him that there’s a traitor inside?’

While scraping the bottom of the gelato cup in his hand, Leonardo briefly recalled the scene he had seen in Bando.

At that time, a shadow fell over his head as if he had finished his business. Leonardo quickly raised his head with a welcoming expression.

“You’re here?”

However, as soon as he checked the other person’s face, his expression quickly hardened.

The man in the white uniform looking down was an unwelcome figure, enough to make one’s heart sink.

“Your reaction is transparent.”

Unlike how he was in the Peninsula, the man with dark green hair slicked back with wax stared down with a haughty expression. Then, he turned his head to survey the situation before settling onto the bench where Hugo had been sitting, as if it were his rightful place.

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

Leonardo stared at him, subtly revealing his wariness.

The man sitting next to him, comfortably crossing his legs, was ‘that person’ from the secretive scene he had witnessed in the Peninsula.

“Act natural.”