By Zephyria =======
It had been a stupid question after all.
Silver knew it too. Black Weasel was bad for him. Reckless, impulsive, and the quintessential bottom-feeder in every sense. Perhaps that was why he had stayed by his side until now.
Because he and that guy were no different. Dammit, they just clicked too well.
Silver looked away from Wolf. He tossed the nearly burnt hallucination herb into the brazier. The flames flickered wildly in the cold winter wind.
Silence spread. It was a long while before a hesitant voice approached.
「By any chance… Silver, do you… not mind being with Uncle?」
For some reason, he sounded like he was trembling. Silver let out a smirk.
「Want me to be honest? There were plenty of times it was fun. Especially when drinking or gambling.」
Wolf said nothing more. A stifling silence followed, like the air in an attic left abandoned for ages. Silver glanced sideways. Wolf remained silent, his gaze fixed on the fire in the brazier. His face was expressionless. Like a white stone statue layered only with emptiness, with no trace of passing emotion. Is he horrified by my answer?
Well, probably. How could a young master who grew up as a foster-brother to a Prince understand a bottom-dwelling mutt? An answer saying he could happily hang out with his mother’s enemy as long as there were a few drinks and some betting money—it must sound as disgusting as a piece of rotten meat.
「Wolf, what about your father? Was he a good man?」
Silver asked on impulse. Only then did Wolf flinch his shoulders and shift his gaze.
「Uh… I’ve never even seen my father’s face.」
「Liar.」
「It’s true. My mother divorced my father and came to Atania. She must have held a deep grudge, because she never even told me his name.」
This time, it didn’t sound like a lie. Silver blinked.
「Really? I thought you grew up under a good father…」
He had firmly believed that, imagining Wolf’s father however he pleased, and often felt envious while comparing him to Black Weasel. It was a secret only Silver knew.
Wolf’s eyes widened.
「Me? Why?」
「Because everything is so fucking miserable.」
「Thanks for the compliment. Hmm…」
Wolf trailed off, looking up at the night sky. A faint smile touched his lips. The flickering flames of the brazier dyed Wolf’s pupils a deep, blood-like crimson.
「Now that I think about it, I did have fathers. Several of them, actually.」
「Your mom was quite active, then.」
「It’s… not that. My fathers were on the streets. The neighborhood hyung who was a legend in the alleys. The bookstore uncle who turned a blind eye even when I secretly pulled out anatomy books. The grandfather at the antique shop who would nag me whenever he saw me. They were all good fathers.」
Listening to this, it felt strange. Silver wrinkled the bridge of his nose.
「I thought you were the Prince’s foster-brother? Didn’t you grow up together in the palace?」
「That was only until I was nine. After my mother passed away, I left the palace and lived in a boarding house. The Prince sent me living expenses every month.」
Silver was startled. No father at all, and he lost his mother only three years apart from when Silver did…? He grew up in harder circumstances than I did?
Since the boarding house owner likely pocketed the living funds sent by the Prince, his situation must have been quite impoverished. An adult male who doesn’t touch the monthly allowance of an orphaned child? Silver couldn’t even imagine it. The image of a snot-nosed Wolf in rags, scraping a bowl of empty soup, bloomed vividly before his eyes. To grow up with such a bright personality in that kind of environment… Then again, beggars are exceptionally cheerful.
「It must have been hard for you too.」
「In its own way. I broke a sweat trying to hide that I was from Stohl.」
「But for someone who grew up poor, you’re in great shape.」
「That’s because I eat a lot. Despite how I look, I’m a bakery apprentice.」
「Ah, so that’s…」
In Silver’s imagination, a large piece of bread replaced the soup bowl in the snot-nosed Wolf’s hand. It was a relief he didn’t starve, but why did a bakery apprentice build up such fighting skills? Who did he learn those martial arts techniques from?
Should I ask? But if an answer like ‘I just polished them on my own for fun’ came out… The moment his stomach twisted because it felt like that answer actually would come out, 「Silver.」
Wolf met Silver’s eyes. Silver froze instantly. A sudden sensation of being pierced through his body rushed over him. It was definitely a physiological sensation—tingling, ticklish, chilling—that circled his entire body and then vanished. Though the moment of possession was very brief, his breathing became ragged without him realizing it.
Silver gripped the hem of his robe tightly. What was that just now? He only locked eyes with Wolf, so why… Is this that ‘being overwhelmed by an intense gaze’ thing I’ve heard about? Did I just shrink under Wolf’s gaze?
The two boys clashed gazes in silence for a while. A song, mingled with the winter wind, cut through the space between them.
「You know, Silver. I mean…」
Wolf spoke first. His voice was cracked.
「There are more people in the world than you think who are like that ‘good father’ you mentioned, people who can make you happy. You can find them too. It doesn’t have to be someone like Uncle.」
Silver’s earlobes turned bright red. He had been hit with a direct blow. Wolf had seen through his true desire for a ‘good father.’ You clueless bastard! Couldn’t you just pretend not to notice?
Wolf took Silver’s hand.
「I won’t say Atania is a perfect place. But I swear, it’s less bad than Stohl. Let’s go, Silver. Let’s go somewhere less dangerous for you. Somewhere less cold, and where you’ll get beaten less.」
The pulse in his wrist raced again. Silver averted his eyes from Wolf.
Fuck, I’m trembling. Why is he saying such cheesy things?
The shadows of the two boys flickered in the wavering fire of the brazier. Silver scuffed the dirt floor with his toes. Wolf didn’t speak further. He was waiting for an answer. Given the atmosphere, it felt like he had to give one.
However, words kept tangling in Silver’s throat. ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ pushed and fought each other, and ‘Stop it, it’s too much!’ joined in. It’s too cringey, I can’t do it! Besides, why should I entrust my future to Wolf?
Ah, whatever!
Silver yanked his hand away from Wolf’s grip.
「I’ll find my own path. As per your advice, I won’t waste the rest of my life in vain.」
「Silver.」
「Mind your own business.」
He didn’t want to see the disappointed look on Wolf’s face. The moment he stood up quickly while looking only at the ground, the pouch on his belt suddenly moved bumpily. Silver flinched, then remembered. Right, that!
As soon as he opened the pouch, the mantis fairy popped its head out. Silver almost screamed. Gah, I completely forgot about it.
〔Where is this? It’s dark!〕
The mantis fairy flew up and circled around Silver. Silver forgot everything and gazed at the fairy as if possessed. So, so cute…!
Wolf scrambled to his feet.
「Silver, what do we do? This is bad!」
「Bad…? What is…?」
「That fairy! The fairy is a big problem!」
Wolf rambled, clutching his head with both hands.
「What should I do? Should I step on it? No, that’s too cruel! But if it’s spotted by people…!」
「Then I’ll just brag about it…! That I found a mysterious bug!」
Silver shouted, clenching both fists. Wolf’s mouth hung open.
「Silver! You’ll be burned at the stake!」
「Whatever. There are plenty of cats with six toes or dogs born without a leg. Why does a big mantis matter?」
「It does matter. It talks. The fact that a mantis flies this high is already suspicious!」
「Hmph, coward. Instead of worrying about my life, worry about your own… Gwahhh!」
Silver couldn’t finish his sentence and jumped back. Wolf also recoiled in surprise, his eyes widening.
「Why, why, why, Silver?」
「You idiot! You moron!」
Silver slapped his forehead repeatedly with his palm. How could he have forgotten this! Wolf’s life! He had even performed an exorcism ritual with Wolf just this morning!
「What’s wrong, Silver? Do you see an assassin? Or a swarm of beggars?」
Wolf looked around frantically. Just like Silver, while suffering under the skeleton wraith, he had completely forgotten. Black Weasel’s scheme. That dark intention to kidnap Wolf and cut off his limbs and torture him alongside that murderous Grandma.
57 – Hell Execution Order