HRB 146

Eddie didn’t bother to deny it.

His condition wasn’t good, after all. It was a minor issue that it was so obvious everyone could tell.

But why did he feel so embarrassed?

After parting ways with the Emperor, Eddie headed straight for his room. He had vehemently refused the Emperor’s overly solicitous offer to escort him.

“Haa.”

Only upon returning to his room did Eddie let out a sigh mixed with relief. He stumbled towards the bed and collapsed onto it.

Naturally, the space designated for the Imperial Prince was luxuriously decorated, and every piece of furniture was placed with care, all designed to provide Eddie with comfort. Yet, Eddie didn’t find this space particularly comfortable.

To be more precise, it felt less like a cozy nest.

It wasn’t so much the effect of the space itself, but rather that his side felt too cold. The only place Eddie could feel truly comfortable was by Ketron’s side.

The person who should have been there was absent. And it wasn’t just for a day or two, but for months now.

In the meantime, spring had arrived. Where could our cat be?

“…When are you coming back?”

Eddie muttered in a somewhat melancholic tone.

Of course, this was a fantasy world where there were no phone lines capable of calling the other side of the globe, and even the world’s greatest Magician’s responses were delayed when distance grew too great. Thus, no reply came to his words.

As if the white ashes had never scattered, the window Eddie looked out of now reflected trees that had grown quite green. Soon, he knew, the hot season would arrive in the blink of an eye.

He had heard reports of the subjugation team’s return several times, but never that they had reached the vicinity. He knew this well, as he checked multiple times a day.

Therefore, Ketron couldn’t have suddenly appeared last night. His body’s reaction must be a delusion.

How much could he miss him for his body to have such delusions? Was he this lustful?

Though he missed Ketron, Eddie, with his limited physical experience, hadn’t yet missed Ketron’s formidable member. He merely tilted his head, then, thinking “What am I doing?” he closed his eyes with a sigh.

Although the hearing had passed without major incident, the gazes of numerous nobles, who had been scrutinizing him like they were trying to find fault in a hearing, had left him utterly exhausted. Eddie didn’t try to lift his heavy eyelids and simply closed his eyes.

Prince Pakirius was a figure of considerable curiosity, not only to nobles but also to commoners.

Naturally, he was the lover of the Hero who had saved the world twice, a figure worthy of the plausible epithet ‘Shadow Prince’ that might appear in a bestseller novel in the capital.

Furthermore, whoever started the story, their fated meeting and falling in love when the Hero’s existence was forgotten became a common theme for bards, and it was a story so famous that even children gathered in groups of three or more in the marketplace would bring it up.

He was even said to be handsome. Regulars at the inn would describe Prince Pakirius’s appearance as if he were a male god from mythology, and no one ever dismissed the description as an exaggeration.

So, people were even more curious. What kind of person was this Prince, and how could one see him?

Naturally, there was no way for commoners to see the young Prince, who was sequestered in the Imperial Palace. Perhaps because of this, exaggerated rumors about the young Prince snowballed throughout the winter.

However, there were also whispers circulating about a secret way to see this Prince.

It was said that if one visited the construction site near the inn the Prince had once operated, one might catch a glimpse of him occasionally.

Of course, as the inn neared completion, even if the Prince appeared nearby, he would usually go inside the inn, and his formidable guards would follow him. By the time spring arrived, even using that method made seeing the rumored Prince nearly impossible.

Nevertheless, many people still loitered around the inn.

“Prince Pakirius is here, really?” “There are so many knights and magicians around him right now, it’s true!”

People would have such conversations, gradually, gradually gathering near the inn. All of them wanted to see Prince Pakirius.

Naturally, no one attempted to enter the inn. That would be defying an imperial decree, and those indebted to the Hero had no intention of bothering his lover, the Prince.

In short, Eddie had done nothing, yet the public’s favorability towards him was already at its peak. Perhaps if Eddie said, “I want to be Emperor!” there wouldn’t be many people opposing him.

And perhaps the Emperor would also say, “You want to?”

“…So, it seems there are quite a few people outside right now.”

“Ah…”

Eddie chuckled awkwardly at Danny’s report.

So that was why it was so noisy outside.

It was inevitable that he would attract attention when he moved around with a retinue of knights and magicians, and that was tantamount to spreading the rumor that the rumored Prince was here.

After the incident, Eddie felt guilty about telling the Emperor, who had become extremely sensitive about his safety, that he would only go out with Danny. So, for a while, it was an unavoidable situation.

He just had to hurry as much as possible.

Eddie, not having the thick skin to shamelessly smile and wave at people cheering for him, planned to finish his work quickly and return.

Today, he had come out briefly before the final completion of the building, much like attending a pre-inspection for a newly purchased apartment.

No matter how fast they worked, a three-story building, with many elements added that were not seen in the existing local style, took longer than expected. It was only at the beginning of spring that the building finally entered its completion phase.

Eddie’s convenience store had found its place, as if it had found its rightful spot, in the location where the basement used to be. The first floor remained a pub and restaurant, as it had been originally, and the second floor was for lodging guests.

Eddie, gazing at the clean interior, which was similar yet entirely different from the past, slowly ascended to the third floor, which had not existed before.

There were only a few rooms on the third floor.

In the past, the inn staff, including Eddie, lived on the second floor, and although their quarters were somewhat separated, they still shared the same floor as the inn’s guests, which led to various inconveniences. Now, the living quarters for the inn staff were completely separate.

He had considered having a rooftop, but the buildings here all had beautifully sloped roofs, so he gave up on a rooftop to maintain consistency with the surrounding scenery.

The rooms were not small to begin with, but by dedicating space on the third floor, the rooms became even more spacious. If he wanted to, he thought, two people could easily share one.

Of course, Eddie hadn’t planned to use it alone when he chose the location for his room.

Eddie entered the room, which he had made larger with the intention of sharing it with Ketron. The room, still bare with only a bed and a wardrobe, looked desolate. Was it because he felt lonely now?

He approached the window, which had been made wide to let in plenty of sunlight, and saw a rather nice central plaza. What should he call this? A plaza view?

Even if a breathtaking beach view had awaited him, Eddie would have felt empty. Because the person he wanted to share it with was not by his side.

Eddie let out a deep sigh, a sigh he had been taking frequently lately.

“…I miss you.”

When are you coming back? He repeated the words he had mumbled alone in his room a few days ago, his voice filled with melancholy.

“Me too.”

Then, a deep voice, which still sent a shiver down his spine every time he heard it, whether for the first time or now, was heard. Someone embraced Eddie from behind.

Eddie’s body stiffened in surprise, as he hadn’t sensed any presence, but his body, instinctively recognizing the owner of the voice, quickly relaxed.

Logically, if someone were to touch Eddie, it would most likely be Danny, who had come up to the third floor with him.

Since he couldn’t bring a crowd of people with him every time he moved around, Eddie had been taking only Danny with him for some time. Naturally, the person embracing him from behind was by no means Danny. For one thing, that diligent Magician was not so presumptuous as to embrace an Imperial Prince from behind.

No, it was impossible to mistake him from the start.

The man who had approached quietly from behind buried his nose and lips in Eddie’s nape. The warm breath touched his bare neck, and Eddie’s waist trembled at the chilling sensation.

“I missed you.”