By Zephyria 
“Adrian. Don’t you think you’re overstepping?”
“…….”
I expected that Alexis wouldn’t say anything friendly.
Not only that, but he was also quite angry. Despite his dry voice that showed no emotion, the fist propping up his chin was tightening more and more. The veins bulging on the back of his hand were so pronounced that they made even onlookers feel uncomfortable.
Above all, the gaze piercing into me was so intense that I could hardly meet it.
Cecile carefully chose his words, biting his lip. He knew that his actions were overstepping, but he had no other choice.
“Roco Maxwell is currently in a very unstable mental state and needs to be protected separately, requiring continuous observation.”
“Are you saying that the Crown Prince should personally take care of a mere apprentice knight?”
“I’m asking you to take responsibility as a member of the knight order until the end.”
“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to tolerate you.”
Alexis threw the documents he was holding onto the desk. For a moment, he leaned back and let out a bitter smile, but when he returned to his original position, only a cold sneer remained on his face.
He glared at Cecile with intensity.
“Roco Maxwell has not yet undergone the Knight Investiture Ceremony. Although he is receiving basic training, he is not even properly part of the Imperial Knight Order, and appropriate follow-up measures have already been taken. How he endures from here on out depends on his own mindset. If he is so weak that he cannot endure even that much, it means he has no qualifications to join the knight order in the first place.”
“…….”
“Moreover, this is a matter for our knight order. It’s not something you should meddle in. Just because you trained a little on the side, do you think you’re part of the knight order?”
He then kicked his chair back and stood up. He felt it was pointless to continue listening to Cecile’s demands.
Alexis quickly adjusted his clothes. As he turned to leave the office, Cecile blocked his path, even grabbing his clothing rudely.
“Your Highness, please reconsider just once more. The trauma from sexual abuse has more serious aftereffects than you might think.”
“Step aside.”
“Roco is also your knight and a citizen of the Empire! If you leave him like this, something bad will surely happen, ugh!”
In an instant, a large hand grabbed Cecile by the collar and threw him onto the desk. Not only was he thrown onto the disheveled papers, but the force pressing down on his throat made it hard for him to breathe.
Alexis pinned down Cecile’s struggling legs with his knee.
“Get up properly. How far do I have to tolerate you? Is just hanging around not enough?”
The elbow that had collided earlier was crying out in pain. It felt as if his neck would break, making it hard to even exhale. But what was even more painful was the look of disgust in Alexis’s eyes, so close to him.
It was a face he was all too familiar with, so there was nothing new about it. Alexis had always looked at him with such eyes.
Despite countless efforts to mend their relationship, the bond between Alexis and him had ultimately only reached this level. The hatred and distrust rooted deep in his heart could not be easily resolved.
Cecile closed his eyes in despair.
Yeah, you wouldn’t understand why I’m struggling like this. You wouldn’t even comprehend it.
His eyes grew warm, but he bit down hard on his teeth to hold back. The struggle that had been so vigorous suddenly stopped.
Before long, the grip that had been choking him loosened. Alexis, suppressing his ragged breath, straightened his upper body.
The sensation of having a thin neck squeezed still lingered in his hand. It seemed Alexis was trying to shake it off, clenching and unclenching his fist.
In the meantime, Cecile turned to the side and coughed lightly. His trembling arm bore clear marks of blood.
Alexis narrowed his eyes at the sight. But soon, he wiped away even the slightest hint of sympathy and spoke.
“I’ll warn you one last time. Know your place.”
With that sharp notification, Alexis turned away.
Bang, the door slammed shut with a force that seemed it would break, leaving Cecile alone in the now silent office. He lay sprawled on the desk, swallowing his disappointment, unable to rise for a long time.
* * *
The wounds left on Cecile’s body were more severe than he had expected.
Seeing the blood-stained clothing, the attendants fainted, and although they brought the Court Physician without permission, Cecile stubbornly refused treatment.
It was not easy to show oneself bare to someone. It was rare to find someone who could read the numbers written in Ancient Language, but the dots that seemed to be the indicators changed every time, making it suspicious.
For that reason, Cecile applied medicine to his bruised shoulder and arm by himself.
Looking in the mirror while tending to his wounds, Cecile’s expression was as calm as usual, and he even looked somewhat melancholic.
“…Cecile, it would be best for you to refrain from sword training for a while.”
After some time had passed, Leo placed a warm milk tea on the table and spoke with difficulty.
He knew well how rude it was to give advice to royalty. But Leo had to say something because he genuinely cared for his master.
“Do you think I’m overstepping my bounds as well?”
“Of course not. I’m just worried about your well-being, Cecile. Your current condition isn’t good… Above all, getting involved with someone who isn’t in their right mind could lead to trouble.”
“I know, but… it’s not that easy.”
Cecile sighed heavily and lay back on the sofa. His aching limbs felt utterly drained. No matter how hard he tried to erase his thoughts, Roco’s image kept swirling in his mind.
Only those who have experienced how terrible this feeling is can truly understand.
He would probably feel disgusting and filthy about himself. With no way to vent his anger, he would only become more vicious, and as a result, those around him would surely distance themselves from Roco even more.
That’s why he couldn’t just ignore it. After a moment of organizing his thoughts, Cecile pushed himself up using the armrest of the sofa.
“I’m going to the training grounds.”
Cecile knew that this action was self-destructive.
But since no one was there to help him, he had no choice but to move on his own.
At that moment, news of Cecile stirring up trouble in the knight order reached Alexis as well.
“He still hasn’t come to his senses.”
Despite having warned him once, Cecile’s actions, which disregarded his words, were not something to be taken lightly. Moreover, the knight order was a group directly managed by the Crown Prince. He could no longer tolerate such reckless behavior in his territory.
“Bring me a sword.”
The short command was given, but the attendant hesitated and looked around.
Alexis was filled with a sharp aura. If he went out like this, he might cut anyone down.
“Your Highness, please calm down and just….”
“Are you also belittling my orders now?”
As an icy gaze shot toward him, the attendant had no choice but to bring forth the Long Sword. Alexis grabbed the elegantly sheathed sword and stormed out of the office.
He saw the apprentice knights gathered in the distance. At a time when they should have been training, everyone had stopped what they were doing.
This was because the commanders who were supposed to lead them had all been caught up in Cecile’s complaints.
As soon as Alexis entered the training grounds, he walked straight to the platform.
The knights, facing the Crown Prince’s furious face, all gasped and lowered their heads, but Cecile was unaware of this. He continued his sharp criticism until a presence approached from behind and suddenly grabbed him by the nape of his neck.
“Ugh, Your Highness!”
“Shut up.”
Alexis tightly gripped Cecile’s collar as if holding the reins and began to walk. Although Cecile grabbed his elbow and tried to resist, it was useless.
In front of everyone, Cecile had to be dragged away in a humiliating manner. His feet tangled, and he stumbled, his knees hitting the ground, but Alexis didn’t show any mercy and kept his gaze forward.
They stopped walking in a clearing deep within the Saint Palace.
The ground was covered with soft grass, and dense Sequoia trees surrounded the area like a fence. It was a secluded space where even if someone screamed, it wouldn’t escape.
Only when they reached their destination did Alexis release Cecile. He glared mercilessly at Cecile, who was helplessly sprawled on the ground, and drew the sword at his waist, throwing it in front of him.
“Pick it up.”
“…….”
Cecile alternated his gaze between the Long Sword that had fallen at his feet and Alexis’s face.
He tried hard to grasp the situation quickly. He understood that Alexis was extremely angry, but he couldn’t comprehend why he had been brought here.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to learn swordsmanship from me? I said I would make time for you. Pick up the sword right now.”
“…I…”
“What was the reason you’ve been hanging around the knight order until now? Wasn’t this what you wanted?”
As Cecile sat frozen in place, Alexis walked over to a nearby guard and took the longsword he was carrying. He swung the long, heavy sword lightly and spoke.
“I’ll say this in advance, but my patience isn’t very long. Stand up and grab the sword.”