Pr/editor: Helen, Agneya
“Your Majesty, what are you…”
Erhart tore his gaze away from Karel and pointed his gun in the air. Without a moment’s hesitation, he fired. There was a sharp, pungent smell of gunpowder. At the same time, in the distance, a bird desperately flapped its wings around and fell. The aide was about to send the servant away, but decided it would be better to stay out of the way.
“Or should I ask why you came this way in the first place?”
Lowering his muzzle to the road, Erhart slanted his gaze toward him.
“It is an injustice, Your Majesty.”
Frozen in place, Karel pursed his lips. Erhart stroked his horse’s mane lightly, then crossed his arms and shook his head.
“You know,…no, you might not know, but I’m a little uncomfortable around other people right now. I wandered off on my own and stumbled onto a familiar path, I didn’t come here looking for Your Majesty.”
The appeal, with a hand on his chest, seemed genuinely sincere.
“And speaking of rumors, I don’t know what Your Majesty is talking about.”
“Rumors about mermaids.”
Erhart snorted, but didn’t probe further into Karel’s excuses. Whether Karel was genuinely uncomfortable with people’s gazes and had come this way, or whether it was a deliberate move, didn’t really matter.
“I hope you don’t think I am letting you off because he has no idea who you are.”
“…”
“I can count on one hand the number of people who know of the issue of Arhen, of the ancient texts relating to mermaids, moreover, Isaac, there is a real one currently present in your mansion.”
There was a momentary hint of malice in Erhart’s tone as he mentioned Asha, and then it was gone just as quickly.
It was the first thing that came to mind when he heard the rumors. That too with Karel Isaac on board. No matter how great a being he was, he had no ties to anyone here. He would need a human’s help, and that very person would be Karel Isaac.
“…Your Majesty, I’m…”
“Isaac. I’m not sure I want to hear your excuse right now.”
Still, he didn’t call Karel Isaac in for questioning right away and was more concerned with covering up the rumor than anything else.
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.
“P vbc’a mjgf ktja sbeg gfijalbcrtlq klat tlw lr, bg lo sbe’nf xcbkc tlw lc atf qjra, bg jcsatlcu ilxf atja, jcv P vbc’a kjca ab xcbk ktja sbeg lcafcalbcr kfgf lc rqgfjvlcu atja gewbg.”
“…”
“Dea atja’r jr ojg jr P’w kliilcu ab abifgjaf.”
Pc fzmtjcuf obg rjnlcu tlr ilof, tf mbeiv mea tlw rbwf rijmx. Coafg jii, tf tjvc’a vbcf jcs rfglber tjgw.
“If you dare mess with him one more time, I won’t let you get away with it.”
It was a final warning.
Part of him wanted to keep Rayan to himself, to be the only one to see him, but he knew he couldn’t, not for his sake, so his first appearance in society must be flawless. No one can be allowed to tarnish him. He himself would see to it.
The promise to bring him undying glory was not a sweet lie on his lips. Erhart would give him anything. Even if it was the world.
“Isaac,” he said, “You’ve been by my side for so long, I know you’ll learn.”
From usurping the throne to dealing with opponents. Karel’s eyelashes fluttered thinly as he remembered what it had been like, how bloody and ruthless it had been. There was a flicker of fear in his eyes, and then it was gone.
“Then, perhaps, it would be better for you to go the other way and hunt.”
It was not that he didn’t understand why meeting nobles made Erhart feel uncomfortable. After all, it was him who kicked him out—but it was always going to happen, it was just that the process had been slightly expedited. Even if it wasn’t, he didn’t want to stay together and be the subject of another rumor.
Erhart turned his back on Karel nonchalantly.
“Your Majesty.”
“…”
“Is that mermaid so precious to you?”
He didn’t even remember anything. Why, now, when he’d forgotten forever… Karel barely stifled the words that rapidly rose to his throat.
“If you wish to know something, you don’t eavesdrop, you ask.”
Bringing Asha into the manor had been intentional, when he knew it was Rayan he sought, to see if he could pick at some kind of weakness on Rayan. So Karel, harboring the cunning intention behind it, brought Asha into the mansion, ignoring the unsettling atmosphere emanating from him.
So when Rayan visited the manor, he eavesdropped from a side room and was caught by Asha. Laughing languidly, he told him the story instead of blaming him.
It was a shocking tale. The existence of mermaids was one thing, but by the time he’d finished telling him about the affair between Rayan and the Emperor, he could barely steady himself.
After a long mental wander, his conclusion was this— He regretted going to Arhen, and blamed Rayan for luring the Emperor, but he had nothing to feel wronged about. It was not he who had saved the Emperor’s life. Someone else had paid with his life to keep him alive.
But, so be it.
So be it.
“In the end, I was the one who saved his life.”
Even if it had only been a gesture, he wasn’t sure what would have happened to the Emperor if Karel hadn’t found him then. His breathing had been faint. And the blonde. It was a symbol of the imperial family, and if the now-deceased Emperor realized he was still alive, he might well have taken his life.
‘You helped me, so I should help you, right?’
But no matter how hard he tried to think of it, he couldn’t seem to break through the barrier. As if sensing this, the other laughed at Karel’s confusion.
“So that you can have his heart.”
He waved what Karel wanted most in front of his eyes.
“Why should either he or you try to fathom my mind?”
“…”
“When the one I long for asks nothing.”
Erhart mused. Rayan does not want for or desire anything. If anything, he’d been expecting something when they’d first met, and now there was nothing of the sort. His stomach churned at the thought of it, but he was quickly overcome by the novelty of it.
“And Karel, it doesn’t matter if you saved my life or not.”
There were times when he didn’t understand blind affection for no reason, but Erhart had come to terms with that now.
“I’m sure you’ve had your fill of complaining.”
For once, Erhart really turned his back on him.
“If he is that important to you”
Karel’s voice from behind him was tinged with malice.
“Why don’t you just carve your heart out and give it to him?”
It was very bitter, to the point that it made his skin crawl.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean… urgh.”
Erhart suddenly groaned.
‘I’ll be happy to give it to you… Please… this child.’ Nondescript images flashed through his mind. Fragments of things stabbed him in the back of the head. Why did he dream even when he was awake, the remnants of a nightmare he had forgotten when he woke up suddenly assaulting him?
Erhart breathed harshly, clutching the reins as if to hold back the pain that radiated from the sweeping, clawing churn of memories. The backs of his pale hands blazed with blue blood.
“…Your Majesty, what’s wrong, Your Majesty?”
The newly returned aide cautiously approached Erhart, calling out to him.
“D- Don’t come near.”
Breathing heavily, Erhart tried to untangle the tangled skeins of memories racing through his mind, but the torn memories only gave way to more indescribable feelings.
Erich. El. The echoing voice made his hair stand on end. His chest rose and fell with his ragged breathing. Magic coursed through his body in turbulent waves. The horse, agitated by the sharp air currents, whinnied and reared.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
Just when he thought he might fall off, he heard a distant voice calling for him. His voice sounded urgent, his complexion pale.
“What is it?”
The aide hastened to block the knight’s path and enquire him. The look on his face didn’t bode well, but he hoped it was nothing too troublesome.
“A message from the palace.”
Erhart’s gaze tilted upward. His glassy blue eyes were piercing. The knight squeezed his eyes shut, as if he wanted to avoid the inevitable.
“From him.”
“…”
“He’s gone.”
Thx for the ch (ㅅ˘ㅂ˘)