The robe that was tightly covering fluttered and swayed against the wind, and a face peeked through the gaps. Hair as black as it had been drenched in black ink, and eyes as green as a newborn sprout.
They were curved like a half-moon, as if looking at something welcomingly and yearningly.
The feeling of beauty was fleeting. Without thinking further, Erhart drew his gun from his holster and aimed it at his opponent. The cool sunken eyes were indifferent, and the finger rested on the trigger as if it could fire at any moment. The man who had been running with a smile slowed down his steps.
“Who are you.”
The person had been vigilant, but as soon as Erhart’s robe came off to reveal himself, he ran to him. There was nothing more suspicious than this. Who in the empire didn’t know that the hair of the imperial family was golden?
“If you come any further, I will open fire.”
It couldn’t possibly be an assassin, and even if it was, he wasn’t easy enough to be taken down, but Erhart was not about to let his guard down.
“El.”
When Erhart took an upright shooting stance with sharp eyes, the corners of the man’s eyes trembled and he was at a loss for what to do.
“What’s the matter?”
Even his voice trembled.
“El. It’s me.”
Hearing the plea, Erhart looked him up and down languidly.
“You’re not a face that can be easily forgotten. It’s a face I don’t remember at all.”
Although he did not memorize the faces of all Arhen nobles, he had socialized quite a bit in his time here. If there was a face like that among his peers, there was no way he wouldn’t have remembered it.
“Also, I have never allowed anyone to act casual with me.”
“…”
“It can’t be that we know each other, can it?”
At the cold assertion, the other inadvertently took a step back. ‘Ah’, it seemed as if a sigh had flowed out of him as he tried to swallow it. As he dropped his gaze. The corners of his eyes glistened, as if they were filled with tears.
Erhart suddenly frowned.
Funny enough, the tears that have not yet been shed of a person he was seeing for the first time shook his heart.
“I mean, I’m…”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Ktf ibk, agfwyilcu nblmf kjr kfjx.
“… P’w.”
Pc atf fcv, tf vlvc’a olclrt tlr rfcafcmf. Lf mibrfv tlr fsfr alutais jr lo tbivlcu yjmx afjgr, atfc ragjlutafcfv tlr gbyf jcv aegcfv jcv gjc jkjs. Ycis obbaqglcar kfgf ifoa bc atf rjcvs yfjmt. Sgtjga jiwbra gjc joafg tlw, yea tf wjcjufv ab xffq tlr obbalcu.
There was no reason to chase after a person who was running away and did not do harm.
“…”
Yet, somehow, he felt as if he had to hold on to him, as if they would never meet again if he didn’t. For some reason, such an ambiguous desolateness rushed to his feet like waves rolling in the distance.
It was strange.
Erhart lightly turned his head to dispel his useless thoughts, put the gun back in his holster and turned his back before he could really go after the strange person.
***
After the strange encounter, Erhart returned to the castle. It was only a three-day journey, but the Emperor was staying anyway, so the attendants moved busily to greet Erhart, pulling back the curtains. Karel, who had been meticulously directing and examining each one, looked at Erhart and approached.
“Your Majesty, have you returned?”
He casually handed over his robes.
“The bedroom where His Majesty will stay has been tidied up. Would you like to take a look?”
“I just came to stay for a few days. There’s no need to concern yourself about it.”
“Nevertheless. It’s satisfying when I put my hands on it.”
Karel laughed heartily.
“Karel, you are not a servant.”
“I know, Your Majesty. That’s why I only give orders. I’m all mouth, my hands are comfortable, so don’t worry.”
Erhart gave him a light glance and climbed the stairs in the central hall. Karel also gave some final instructions to the attendant and followed him.
“This place is nice because it is warmer than Djerba. It was cold there because spring hadn’t come yet. By the way, this is the place where you had stayed for a short time. How do you feel?”
“Nothing much.”
Erhart dismissed Karel’s chatter at once. There were no very fond memories, nor was there any nostalgia. He only came because Leah was buried here, otherwise he wouldn’t have come.
“Your Majesty seems to have missed this place, but I must have misunderstood.”
Karel was embarrassed and scratched his cheek for no reason.
“Me? Miss this place?”
How could he miss this place? It was a place that he had been kicked out to, a place that had brought him nothing but loss. And at the very least, he didn’t remember bringing up Arhen in front of Karel.
“Yes. When you were unconscious, you frequently spoke of Arhen… No, I must be mistaken, Your Majesty.”
Karel, who was slowly recalling his memories, saw Erhart’s expression and shook his head. He looked cautious.
“If I had known it would be like this, I would not have asked.”
Karel acted as if he had come on his invitation. Normally, he wouldn’t have minded, but he found it oddly intrusive.
Erhart glanced at Karel standing a step behind as he walked, recalling the day he met him. To put it more accurately, the day he woke up after being saved. Although it must have looked suspicious to anyone, Karel took him home and took care of him for three months before he woke up and another month afterwards.
Not only that, but he also served as a proxy in matters where Erhart could not reveal himself. After Erhart ascended the throne, he gave him the title of viscount and some small estates.
‘… I think I’d like the title, I mean, I’d like to stay by your side, can’t I?’
The night before his departure, Karel pleaded nervously. Rather, it was close to confession. Erhart, who had roughly guessed Karel’s feelings, chose silence instead of refusal. He couldn’t figure out why. His near-black hair and the color of his eyes looking at Erhart made him fall silent.
Since he stayed by his side, people assumed that Karel was the Emperor’s lover. For Karel, Erhart’s generous behavior was also a factor that could cause misunderstandings. At one point, Karel began to act in such a way too. Erhard didn’t really care who was around him anyway, so he let him do whatever he wanted.
But why was it bothersome now? Karel was no different than usual.
Which meant the problem was himself, but he couldn’t figure out anything out of the ordinary either.
“I’m tired.”
“Is that so? If that’s the case, you should get some rest.”
As Erhart admitted his fatigue, only then did Karel look more relieved than before. It was as though he found the reason for his sudden cold temperament.
Arriving in the bedroom, he was about to dismiss Karel with a wave of his hand, but then looked back with hesitation. He forgot what he was going to say and looked at him, lost in thought.
He had thought Karel’s eyes were green, but they had always been yellow. His hair, too, though darker than others, was the common brown that can be seen everywhere. Oddly enough, they caught his eye one by one.
“… Your Majesty?”
When he called and didn’t say anything, Karel carefully brought him to attention.
“Ah, yes. I must summon Niels Canavan. I have something to ask him.”
“Lord Canavan?”
“Right now.”
“You must be tired… No, no, I’ll send someone right away, Your Majesty.”
The reply, which came shortly, was satisfactory. “Rest, Your Majesty.” Not bothering to answer the voice at his back, Erhart looked around.
Naturally, nothing had changed. Since he vacated this castle, no royalty had come here, so it has remained as it was when he stayed. Even the tapestries hanging on the walls and the curtains hanging over the window leading to the balcony were all the same as in his memory.
Erhart looked at the tapestry and tilted his head.
“Did I use to like the sea?”
It was the blue sea and rocks. Seeing that it was not the kind usually hung by aristocrats, it must have been commissioned by him, but he did not like the sea very much. Rather, seeing it reminded him of death.
“…”
His memories of Arhen, looking back, were empty in places, like a missing tooth, and often brought up questions. Unresolved questions only created a sense of discomfort, so he quickly brushed them off. He moved on to other thoughts.
Like the man who had called him El earlier.
He couldn’t see much of him properly because of the robe that was wrapped around his whole body. Only black hair fluttering in the wind and green eyes that could be seen through the gaps. Why did he smile as if he was happy to see him, why his eyes reddened and teared up, and he eventually ran away. No, more importantly, where he went. The direction he fled to was not the direction towards the village.
Why couldn’t he get this out of his mind? He was, indeed, a man who could never be forgotten.
Was he bewitched?
It was not impossible to accept. He had such a face. He didn’t seem to be an assassin, so he wondered what he did for a living. Seeing him singing on the beach, was he a singer? It wouldn’t be be surprising if he was a male prostitute with a face like that.
“…”
It was just an assumption, but a strange feeling of unpleasantness came over Erhart out of nowhere.
It was not very elegant, but he could be someone’s illegitimate child. This one made the most sense and did not bring out discomfort. But he couldn’t stop thinking about who on earth he was.
“If I had known it would be like this, I would have brought him with me.”
If he had been in front of him, he wouldn’t have to wonder so much.
But he wasn’t going to see him again anyway. Erhart stretched out in his chair and closed his eyes, trying to shake off the memories of him.
NOOOOOOOO. Sighhhhhh 😭
Nooooo 😭😭😭😭🔪
Poor Mermaid 😭
T-Thank you for the chap.
😭😭
Ahhhhhhhh no my poor baby 😭😭😭😭
Oh… This is starting to hurt.
Thanks for the chapter 🌹
».. more comfortable when she was in Argen.« Arhen
».. to entrap their son. no. No, how could..« – no or with a capital
»It wouldn’t be be surprising if he was..« – one be
I wonder if that Karel was placed by Asha to test Erich’s love?
Thx for the ch ٩( >ヮ<)۶