Editor/Pr: Raven
The bar was boisterous and messy.
A person who was already so drunk that he couldn’t contain himself was hauled away by his friend, and although he was drinking calmly, he caused a commotion. Voices became louder and noisier as the attempt to stop it continued. Any noble would have frowned, unable to endure the commotion, and would have eventually left, but Karel picked a corner and emptied his glass without any hesitation.
It was a familiar noise to him.
Although descended from nobles, Karel Isaac lived as a commoner. During the day he worked as a servant for a noble household, and at night, he served alcohol in a tavern.
As a result, it was much more pleasant to have a drink in a corner of a tavern like this than going to a salon and having to appear classy. And not only for that reason, Karel couldn’t go out to salons or clubs with a casual demeanor now.
The emperor said he’d offer him an option, but it had already been decided who would handle this proposition.
During Karel’s absence, Marcel Varen, who had piqued the emperor’s interest and was expected to become his new lover, was exiled from Djerba. He didn’t even have time to prepare his heart. As word spread quickly that the person responsible was staying in the Lasad Palace and gaining great favor reached his ears not long after his return.
Having lost the pretense of being the emperor’s lover, he was nothing more than an empty shell.
They appearedfriendly on the outside, but inside, numerous others were laughing at him and waiting for him to fall. Perhaps they will change overnight and look at Karel with cold eyes as if they have never done it otherwise. No, it was already like that.
“…”
The merchants’ steps slowed, and their sweet words and favor toward him faded. There were also some who treated it as if they had never seen him. This explains why he could drink in a salon like this.
“It was so difficult to climb up…”
Yet It’s so easy to fall. Karel would gradually be pushed out of the nobility because he lived only by relying on the emperor. The party invitations that had been flying around wouldn’t arrive, and the parties he hosted would no longer be crowded.
No matter what, he won’t be able to earn a day and live like he did in the past. Still, Karel couldn’t bear it, for he had already glimpsed another world. Even though they mocked him on the inside, he realized how sweet power was as he looked at those who had no choice but to bow down on the outside. He understood what it was like to be possessive of someone he cared about.
Karel did not want anything to be taken from him. He didn’t want that.
“Rayan.”
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.
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The emperor was cold to everyone while yet remaining indifferent. He had no attachments and did not care about anyone. If he had been feeling anxious inside, that anxiety had become reality.
No. This was not it.
He shouldn’t have gone to Arhen. Nothing of this wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t gone to Arhen. He would still be the emperor’s lover, and while he would be despised behind the scenes, he would be able to see the haughty nobles up front attempting to please him.
In the end, it was he who ruined everything. But he couldn’t blame himself, so he had to blame someone else. Rayan, in his opinion, was the ideal candidate.
‘…Oh, um, yes.’ As soon as he saw him in the main palace, he became upset.
‘I am the emperor’s lover, and you are just a passing person.’
He still remembered Rayan, who widened his eyes and wore a puzzled expression. It was an expression of disbelief that no one could see, leaving him feeling ashamed and inferior.
‘If I get rid of him, will the emperor return to his usual self? He doesn’t care whether he pretends to be his lover or what he does, and sometimes he acts affectionately and uses him as a shield from annoying nagging.’ he thought.
But Karel was well aware that all this could only be imagination. How could he harm someone who is under the emperor’s protection?
“I was the one who saved him…”
Even though it was soaked in blood, the shiny blonde hair appeared menacing at first glance, but even so, he didn’t want to leave him behind. He was also the one who kept a close eye on him, and had no idea when he would wake up.
He emptied his glass, drinking the cheap alcohol that flowed like water.
Karel, who had barely managed to shake off his bitterness, placed the money next to his empty glass and staggered out. As he passed through the bustling downtown and entered the streets where the nobles’ mansions were, the noise soon subsided and silence fell.
Trudge… trudge…
All he could hear was his footsteps. The shadow reflected in the moonlight was also his own.
“…”
While walking, the alcohol rose to the top of his head, making him dizzy. It doesn’t seem like he drank much, but it was the first time in a while that he drank cheap hard liquor instead of wine, and he seemed to get drunk quickly. Karel, who was walking alone, barely able to straighten his steps, touched his cheek. The air was strangely humid.
‘Is it going to rain?’
He gazed up at the sky, but all he saw was brightly shining constellations and not a single cloud.
“I definitely felt that kid’s energy.”
He must have been inebriated and made a mistake, for as he lowered his head, a captivating voice emerged from beside him, making his hair stand on end from head to toe.
“Do you know where he is?”
When he slowly turned his stiff head, he saw pitch black darkness.
“…”
No, it was a pair of strangely shining purple eyes.
* * *
Erhart finally understood what it meant to have your insides burning.
Rayan, who said he was exhausted, did not open his eyes even after a day or two. Hejust kept getting hot and then getting cold again and again. All of the royal palace’s physicians were summoned and urged, but no one could comprehend Rayan’s condition. Their diagnoses were all the same.
“There are no signs. The pulse is normal, as is breathing. He is just asleep. There is nothing you can do about it other than wait. Your Majesty.”
‘I don’t believe he fell asleep. Then why doesn’t he wake up? Why doesn’t he stir around like he’s looking for warmth in the early morning?’ Erhart wondered.
Although he didn’t seem to realize it, Rayan couldn’t be said to have good sleeping habits. But now he couldn’t even move, let alone sleep. He didn’t kick the blanket or wiggle his legs. His mouth didn’t lick, and he didn’t bury into his arms.
His skin was pale and colorless. He looked like he was dead if he wasn’t breathing.
He was a mermaid, so Erhart wondered if he should be soaked in water. But what if he sank? Even though he was a mermaid, he was unconscious, so he had no idea what to do. He was afraid that if that happened, he would be in a state where nothing could be done.
“How long do you plan on sleeping?”
He wasn’t a princess in a fairy tale who waited for hundreds of years to be kissed.
“Ah. After all, you are a creature from a fairy tale. So you want a kiss?” Erhart lost his warmth and pressed his lips against his cold lips. He was just touching his lips like an amateur, but Rayan still didn’t seem to have any intention of waking up from his long sleep.
“You took away all my sleep, but why can’t you get better?”
Ever since Rayan became like this, Erhart couldn’t sleep at all. He was afraid, afraid he wouldn’t breathe. He closed his eyes for a moment, before waking up terrified. When he placed his finger under his nose and confirmed that he was breathing, even if only slightly, he felt relieved.
His daily life was gradually but irreversibly damaged. He could not neglect state affairs, so he had to work during the day, but unless he was holding a meeting, he watched over official affairs with Rayan right next to him. And at night, he didn’t sleep and watched over Rayan with open eyes.
At times, he felt like his nerves were on edge, and at other times, he felt like he was burning out. So much so that Jurgen expressed concern that he should lie down and take rest.
“Rayan… If you disappear, will this all be okay?”
He would rather suffer from sleeplessness and nightmares caused by unknown adversaries. Erhart, who had been calming his nerves, impulsively stretched out his hand.
‘If Rayan dies like this, would this uncontrollable heart become mine again? My feelings of rejection at the unfamiliarity of my actions really turned over dozens of times a day…’
Erhart’s hand never once touched Rayan’s neck, let alone the holster.
“That can’t be possible.”
His outstretched hand eventually brushed Rayan’s cheek. His touch was careful and affectionate, in case even the fluff would be damaged. Erhart closed his eyes and whispered, leaning against his cold body,
“So, wake up.”
‘Please. Even the bullshit about going back would not be unpleasant, if only I could see those sparkling green eyes…’
Of course, he had no intention of listening to it, but it appeared that he could at least pretend to listen.
“…”
Erhart, who was calmly catching his breath as he felt the body heat touching him, placed his hand on the holster and turned his body simultaneously. In an instant, the loaded gun was pointed at the opponent’s forehead.
Asha (or whatever his name was xD) finally turns up. Where did you get lost? xDD
And Karel… just take your bento and go home..
Thx for the ch (ㅅ˘ㅂ˘)