RGS Volume 6 Part 2

The plan was successful. The praise had a 0% effect, but the irritation effect was at 100%. The three people had to shut up, so they only cheered inwardly, and Ashler quickly confirmed.

“Did you just say ‘alright,’ Your Majesty? Can we take that to mean you will ensure Lord Abel’s safety here?”

Karas turned his eyes, which now showed a hint of murderous intent. He stared at Ashler for a moment, then slightly tilted his head, as if he realized something.

“Ashler.”

Calling his name, Karas raised one corner of his mouth.

“You don’t trust me.”

“Your Majesty, what do you mean by that? Of course, I trust you.”

However, Karas did not erase his faint smile, which seemed like a sneer, and spoke indifferently.

“If you trusted me, you wouldn’t have put Melmond’s medicine in my food.”

At the suddenly changed topic, Ashler could only stare at Karas with hardened eyes. Of course, he knew Karas would notice. He would feel it himself. So, in a way, he felt somehow relieved by these words. Until now, he had been worried that Melmond’s medicine might not have any effect at all.

Thus, it was Melmond, rather than Ashler, who flinched and feared being scolded.

“It wasn’t because I didn’t trust Your Majesty. I apologize, but it’s because I trust the effects of the black potion as well. I saw with my own eyes how it brought down the previous king.”

“You think I am the same as the previous king?”

“Your Majesty, that’s not what I meant…”

“How dare you.”

Karas slowly cut off Ashler’s words and looked around at the four of them.

“You’re trying to help me? You worthless things.”

His voice sounded languid, but everyone froze like ice and couldn’t lift their eyes. Karas then turned his indifferent gaze to Abel. Abel’s green eyes, looking at Karas, were filled with concern.

“Your Majesty, they didn’t mean it that way…”

“If you have no memories, stay here.”

Karas raised his free hand and brushed back Abel’s darkened hair. He focused on playing with the strands of hair with his fingertips for a moment, then added after a long while.

“Slowly. I’ll help you remember me.”

I’m sorry, I remember everything. You are the prince.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, however, he couldn’t say it because of Karas following words, glancing at the four people once again.

“But if you remember everything now, I will cut their throats right here as punishment for stopping me.”

Gulp.

Abel grasped Karas’ hand with both of his hands and sincerely cried out.

“I don’t remember!”

Karas’ eyes lit up darkly as if he was deep in thought, but he soon nodded and answered politely.

“Okay.”

Showing that he understood, he lowered his gaze to his hand. Abel followed his gaze and quickly pulled his hand away.

“Oh, please go quickly. I can hide and wait here just fine.”

Karas looked at Abel’s action of letting go of his hand as if he was displeased, but he lifted his eyes at the words that followed.

“But, um, before you go…”

Abel hesitated, not knowing where to look, and stammered. What he had to say next was the most important part of the plan. Despite being frozen by Karas’ presence, the four people gave signals to Abel to hurry up and say it. Clearing his throat, Abel gave Karas a trembling smile, who was looking at him with puzzled eyes.

“Would Your Majesty mind giving me one of your important items that I’ll be keeping while I’m alone?”

An important item.

Naturally, it had to be the wooden pendant. They all knew from Ashler’s testimony that Karas didn’t consider any object particularly important. Since Abel had brought up the word “important” first, the only thing he could give him was the wooden pendant.

Whether Karas had fallen for this act or not, they had to obtain the wooden pendant in this situation, thus, all eyes turned back to Karas. Without hesitation, Karas reached into his coat and pulled something out. Everyone’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Was it the wooden pendant?!

…It was a dagger.

An old, unadorned dagger, not fitting for an emperor’s possession.

Karas grabbed a handful of his hair that went over his shoulder with one hand and cut off a portion with the dagger. Then, he handed it to Abel.

Shocked, Abel stood with his mouth open and unable to even think of taking it, so Karas asked with a blank expression.

“You don’t want it?”

Abel couldn’t respond and instead held Karas’ hand tightly with both of his hands. It was all he could do.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

After Karas left with Ashler to the library, the same sound followed repeatedly.

Thud, thud, thud.

Melmond, the butler, and Nani, who had collapsed onto the floor, exhausted, and finally breathed a sigh of relief, their chests heaving.

“Phew! I thought we were caught!”

“That’s right, Mr. Melmond. I thought His Majesty had figured it all out.”

“Ugh! When he accused us of trying to help, I almost wet my pants. But he fell for it! Wow, to think His Majesty actually believed Lord Abel doesn’t remember.”

The three people, calming their startled hearts, belatedly enjoyed their relief. However, while it was concerning that Karas had agreed and backed down so easily, there was a more pressing issue.

“Anyway, I thought he would give the wooden pendant, but instead, he cut off his hair right there.”

When Melmond shook his head, Nani’s eyes gleamed as he lowered his voice.

“That’s all thanks to us creating the perfect atmosphere next to them.”

“Hahaha! That’s right, we did a good job with the praise!”

Their self-congratulatory praises continued, but to Abel, their loud laughter sounded like a distant drumming, merely humming in the background.

It was strange.

He didn’t get the wooden pendant he wanted, yet what he held in his hand made his heart feel more overwhelmed and joyful, pushing aside any worries.

It was similar to when he looked at Karas from the library on the second floor and smiled foolishly. He hadn’t even realized that he was crying, he just naturally started smiling as soon as he saw Karas. He forgot he was supposed to pretend to have lost his memory and just smiled like that. Karas, who had stopped a certain distance away, looked at him quietly for a long time before asking slowly.

‘Why are you crying?’

Why was he really crying?

It was a question filled with childlike curiosity, and despite his tears, Abel smiled with his eyes. He knew it was a foolish sight, but he couldn’t stop crying nor laughing.

‘Haha, I don’t know either. Hehe.’

He wiped his tears with his sleeve and sniffed his runny nose, then raised his eyes again. His vision, which had been blurry because of his tears, was now filled again with Karas. The tall, handsome young man. He had to say the words he had prepared in advance, but he couldn’t think of anything. However, he could still say this much.

‘But I think I know why I’m smiling. It’s just because I’m happy.’

He opened his mouth wide and laughed silently as if to brighten up the atmosphere.

Hehe, hehe.

While the laughter that seemed ready to burst out like a fool paused for a moment, Karas’ mouth opened slightly and then closed again. Seeing Abel’s laughter made him want to laugh along with him without realizing it. However, since laughing was something unfamiliar to him, his lips didn’t curve.

Abel didn’t notice Karas’ slightly moving lips as he wiped his tears again. Instead, he tried to stand up and approach him, putting strength into his knees. But was it perhaps because he had been squatting and waiting for a long time? As he tried to stand up, one of his legs gave out, and his body suddenly toppled backward, and he fell on his butt.

An “Oops―” naturally slipped from Abel’s mouth. He quickly tried to regain his composure and get up, but he couldn’t. Karas had approached right in front of him and knelt down on one knee.

At that moment, Abel felt like he had gone back several months ago. Back then, He had pretended to be hurt, groaning in pain, to make the prince who was waiting in the forest come to him. And now, in a similar situation, the prince had run to him worriedly, just like twelve years ago.

See, the prince hasn’t changed.

‘Does it hurt?’

Even though the voice asking sounded cold, to Abel’s ears, it was filled with the concern of a child.

No, he shook his head, but Karas, who had been staring intently, asked softly.

‘Seeing me… makes you happy?’

Yes.

Although his master might scold him for crying like a little girl despite being a grown man, Abel nodded his head vigorously.

‘Hehe. Yes. Just, just seeing you makes me happy. Very happy.’

‘…….’

‘Hehe, *sniff*.’

‘…….’

‘Hehe, c-can I, uh, hold your hand?’

There was no response, but after a moment, a large, calloused hand reached out to Abel. However, the owner of the hand, who had extended it, turned his head to the side without watching Abel eagerly grab it. He also felt somehow strange.

Karas also felt happy. Very happy.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Ashler observed Karas slowly retreating back with suspicious eyes.

Why did he accept Abel’s memory loss if he seemed to have noticed something?

Of course, Karas was deceived according to plan, and it might be his own misconception. However, even after serving by his side for so long, Ashler never felt he truly understood Karas’ true intentions.

Thus, it bothered him that Karas had let Abel go so easily without any problem. Ashler frowned slightly and then noticed that Karas was heading somewhere other than the Prince’s Palace, so he quickly approached him.

“Your Majesty. Where are you going?”

In order not to let anyone know that he was going to the library, Karas had left with only Ashler following him without any attendants. The guards at the Prince’s Palace didn’t even realize the emperor had disappeared. Since Karas rarely moved from his room, no one suspected his absence.

Nevertheless, it was wise to be cautious since there might be spies sent by the King’s Heart around the Prince’s Palace. Moreover, Karas, who had left the library, now appeared dazed and unfocused, much like when he was in the Prince’s Palace. This was a sign of his addiction, which wasn’t apparent when he was with Abel.

When facing Abel, he hadn’t seemed like this at all. Karas’ eyes sparkled with clear rationality whenever he looked at Abel as if his presence somehow cured his addiction.

“Your Majesty.”

Ashler called out to him once more out of concern, but Karas just kept walking away somewhere. Ashler signaled the guards, who were gathering in surprise, to stand back, and was about to call out to Karas once again.

However, upon checking their surroundings, no sound came out. They were on a path leading to the outskirts of the palace, and at the end was a place very familiar to Ashler. It was the Dragon’s Forest, where Abel had walked to and from work every day, holding the young prince’s hand, 12 years ago.

Had seeing Abel suddenly brought back his old memories?

Because of this speculation, Ashler no longer tried to stop Karas. However, his heart felt heavy because the forest was no longer the same as before. The forest remained unchanged, burned down, and turned into ruins.

He had seen this when he came to the palace six years ago. The trees had burned black, leaving only elongated shapes barely standing. The blackened ground covered them. It felt eerie, almost like a place of death.

Why hadn’t anything grown in this place since it burned down?

Before seeing it, he had wondered about this, however, seeing the blackened land before his eyes left him unable to ask why. The seemingly endless dead land felt like a warning. As if it was a constant reminder to humans of the consequences of desecrating something sacred.

Though the fog no longer blocked this place, people feared the forest even more than before. There were rumors that anyone who stepped into the forest, where no regeneration occurred, would be cursed. Yet there was someone who was about to step into that forest without hesitation.

If the fog had once marked the boundary of the forest, now it was just the black ashes. Karas’ feet stepped onto that land. Ashler tried to follow him, but Karas, who had stopped in front of him, gave a command.

“Wait here.”

Was he planning to enter the forest alone?

Ashler, bowing his head, unknowingly asked. Despite thinking it was presumptuous, the words came out on their own.

“Will you be alright?”

Karas had never visited the forest even when he briefly returned to the palace six years ago to ascend to the throne. This time was no different.

Ashler thought the reason was because the forest had changed. Though it was a place of beautiful memories, the burnt black ashes would only remind him of the last painful events. Even though Abel had come back to life, the forest would still evoke past wounds, which worried him a bit.

Karas, hearing the small question, half-turned his head and asked back.

“What?”

“About entering the burnt forest.”

Karas stared at him blankly, as if he didn’t understand. Ashler, feeling awkward for bringing up the subject out of nowhere, apologized.

“I’m sorry. It was something that didn’t concern…”

“Because Abel died here?”

“…”

“Or perhaps because this place is evidence that I was helplessly defeated by the King’s Heart?”

Karas slowly looked around, then cast his gaze back at Ashler.

“To you, this place symbolizes defeat.”

Ashler couldn’t deny it. The entire period when Abel died was a defeat. Karas was powerless, and no one could help him. All Ashler could do was stick by the young and weak prince with all his might.

Even now, he occasionally regrets it.

What if he had personally taken Abel and escaped out of the palace when Abel was running away with the prince?

Wouldn’t things have been different if Abel had lived a little longer?

He knows there’s no use regretting the past, but the unchanged forest from 12 years ago seemed to still mock the miserable situation back then.

And he thought that, more than anyone, Karas would recall the past anger from seeing the sight of the forest’s current state. After all, their only sanctuary had been trampled. However, the words he heard from him were different.

“For me, it’s a sign of victory. Given by Abel.”