RHH | Chapter 3.1

The Chewed-Up Leash Got Caught Under the Hunting Dog’s Feet

After discovering Leehwan’s traces at a small inn in the remote mountains, Lucien changed the target of his pursuit to the silver-haired man. He thought that if even half of what the innkeeper had said was true, the man would be hard to miss.

Following the silver-haired man’s trail wasn’t easy either. He had chosen to travel only through secluded paths. This, in turn, gave Lucien more confidence.

‘They’re together.’

Gritting his teeth, Lucien spurred his horse forward. Anxiety drained the fatigue from his body. Riding at a considerable speed, he managed to reach the city of Sancoña by evening.

The city was in chaos. Lucien soon found out why.

Six days ago, at dawn, thieves had broken in and stolen a sacred relic. In the process, several soldiers and a priest had been killed.

Sancoña was a city that thrived on its sacred relics and cathedral. With the relic gone and people dead, it was no wonder the entire city was in an uproar.

“Do you think it was Sir Alexander who took it?”

Lucien asked as he studied a map. Wibaeng, standing behind him, chimed in.

“Do you have any reason to be so sure?”

“Does a messenger of God need a reason to take something that belongs to God? It must be useful, that’s all.”

Lucien answered nonchalantly and then sent Wibaeng away. The moment he was alone, the expression on Lucien’s face vanished.

Leehwan, despite his fading expressions, had always been an easy person to read. Kind by nature and possessing a strong moral compass, thanks to his high-quality education, he was straightforward.

The imperial family had exploited that side of him. The result was a resounding success. Leehwan had taken up arms for a world he had no ties or responsibilities to, and he had thrown himself into the fight for the empire.

A righteous, gentle, and steadfast person. His brown eyes often reflected the purity of someone who had grown up seeing only the good in the world. Every time Leehwan looked at him with those eyes, Lucien felt like his insides were twisting.

At the same time, he felt a sense of relief. With eyes that revealed so much, he would know immediately if Leehwan ever harbored any other intentions.

But now, Lucien had no idea what Leehwan was thinking. That uncertainty made him uneasy.

The next morning, Lucien got the information he wanted. The trail of the silver-haired man.

“He stayed at the cathedral’s guesthouse for five days before leaving. There’s also a record of him leaving the city.”

“Any companions?”

“A man who appeared to be a pilgrim was with him. His name is Martin. A commoner from the Imperial Capital.”

“Investigate this Martin separately. We’ll set out immediately.”

Lucien stood up. His red lips, pressed tightly together, were resolute.

𓂃 ོ☼𓂃

The autumn in Flzensia ended with a storm that had started in the north. This year, as always, a fierce storm swept over Flzensia.

Leehwan and Absalom ran through the mountains, now a mess of mud, shattered rocks, and uprooted trees. The heavy rain obscured their vision, making it impossible to see even a step ahead.

“Ugh…!”

Leehwan let out a low groan. He had felt the ground beneath him give way, and now he was slipping. Desperately, he reached out and grabbed onto something. The rough texture against his palm suggested it was a tree.

This wasn’t the first dangerous moment. A few minutes ago, a broken branch had swung right where Leehwan had been standing. If Absalom hadn’t pulled him away, it would have hit him square on the back of his head. Before that, he had nearly fallen backward after stepping on a pile of wet mud.

They needed to find shelter quickly. As Leehwan considered looking for a sturdy old tree, thunder rumbled in the distance. A flash of lightning streaked across the sky. Even under a tree would be dangerous now. Leehwan irritably brushed his soaked bangs out of his face.

“Leehwan! Over here!”

Absalom shouted from a short distance away. Judging by his gestures, he had found something promising. Leehwan quickly made his way over. Halfway there, he spotted a low cave entrance. He dashed inside.

The rain, which had been mercilessly lashing his body, was now gone. Leehwan finally felt like he could breathe again. He let out a long sigh. Thankfully, his bag was waterproof. He pulled out a towel, dried himself off, and changed his clothes. As he did, Absalom, who was also wiping himself down, spoke up.

“I forgot that the storm moves south around this time every year. I’m sorry, Leehwan.”

“The storm isn’t your fault. Or did you summon it?”

“No, but…”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Leehwan snapped as he sat down on the ground. A chill ran up his spine. He shivered as he rummaged through his bag.

“You’ll catch a cold if you just sit there. Come over here.”

Absalom, who had spread a blanket on the ground, called Leehwan over. Leehwan hesitated for a moment, but Absalom added,

“If we sit here and share the blanket, it’ll be warmer.”

The cold got the better of Leehwan. He pulled out his own blanket and stood up. The short distance was covered in an instant. He sat down next to Absalom and spread the blanket over them. The blanket draped over both their shoulders.

“I-I’m fine, though…”

Absalom’s faltering tone betrayed his feelings. He lowered his head and fell silent. A quiet stillness settled over the cave.

The torrential rain, which had been freezing his entire body when it hit him directly, now felt like a cozy lullaby as long as it didn’t touch him. Plus, there was a warm presence nearby. Leehwan’s body slowly leaned toward the warmth.

Thud.

Something lightly touched his ear. His cheek felt warm too. The only thing that could be this warm right now was right next to him. The thought snapped him back to attention.

Leehwan straightened up and glanced sideways. Absalom happened to turn his head at the same time, and their eyes met.

Leehwan wanted to look away. But for some reason, he couldn’t. He remembered an awkward night they had spent in the woods. It had been like this then too.

Hot eyes, frozen fingers, smooth hair.

When his name was called, an overwhelming surge of emotion raced through his body. The lips that had brushed against his were as red as fruit and just as sweet.

“…This cold… Can we get a little closer…?”

Absalom’s cheeks flushed as he mumbled something. Leehwan, who had been staring at his lips, was startled. He couldn’t remember what he had just heard. His lips moved on their own.

“S-Sure.”

“Come over here. No, I’ll move.”

Absalom immediately closed the distance. The slight gap between them vanished. His hand cautiously wrapped around Leehwan’s shoulder. Warmth spread from where they touched.

“See? It’s much warmer when we’re close, right?”

Only then did Leehwan realize what Absalom had said. It would seem strange to push him away now. Besides, Absalom’s warmth was an irresistibly sweet temptation to Leehwan in his current state.

Suddenly, he remembered a similar incident from before.

It was shortly after he had regressed. At the time, Leehwan had been alone in the barracks. Listening to the sounds of the knights just beyond a thin layer of leather, a flood of complicated emotions had washed over him. So, he had left the barracks and headed to a place where no one was around.

He had spent eight years with the Phoenix Knights. No matter how much they had betrayed him, it was impossible for his feelings toward them to be purely vengeful.

Back then, he had been angry at himself and refused to acknowledge those emotions. Only now, with time having somewhat dulled those feelings, could he look back at what he had ignored.

The name of that emotion, which he had finally acknowledged, was loneliness.

That was when Absalom had appeared. He had taken off his cloak and draped it over Leehwan. The warmth left in the cloak, as well as the arm that had reached across his back to rest on his shoulder, had been so warm it made his skin tingle.

That was why he had wanted to run away. He couldn’t bear the fact that Absalom’s warmth had touched the cold loneliness he had been feeling. Because it meant that Leehwan was so starved for human connection that he had to cling to even Absalom.

Now, Absalom was in the same position as back then, offering the same warmth. Leehwan observed the warmth slowly spreading through his cold body. Like a spider spinning its web from the center outward, the warmth spread slowly and widely, and it was simply delightful.

There had been a time when he had rejected even the slightest touch. When had that changed? Leehwan traced back their journey.

Yesterday, when they were lost in the storm? Honestly, he couldn’t remember much from then.

When they entered the mountains? It hadn’t been much different from now.

When they had almost kissed in that nameless forest… Leehwan tightly shut his eyes. His body temperature rose noticeably.

‘Before that. It was before that.’

He skipped over the journey out of embarrassment.

When they had stopped at a farmhouse to get food. The farmer’s daughter had shyly glanced at Absalom. Absalom, the subject of her gaze, had subtly pulled Leehwan behind him. It wasn’t the first time something like that had happened, but that day’s incident was strangely vivid. But it wasn’t then either.

As he delved further into his memories, a barn came to mind. It was where Absalom had shown the slightest bit of understanding toward Leehwan.

‘Just that?’

He felt miserable and hollow.

He let out an unconscious sigh, and he could feel Absalom fidgeting. Irritated for no reason, Leehwan moved closer to him. Absalom stiffened. Leehwan lightly tapped Absalom’s thigh and said,

“Why are you so tense?”

“Uh… Leehwan, you’re an idiot.”

The sulky tone was unmistakable. As soon as those words were spoken, something lightly rested on Leehwan’s head. The sound of silk flowing suggested it was Absalom’s hair.

Wrapped in warmth, Leehwan’s body relaxed on its own. Sleep began to claim him once more.

“I’m glad I let the horses go earlier.”

Leehwan muttered. His voice was tinged with undeniable drowsiness.

“If we had kept them, they would’ve just been a burden. We wouldn’t have been able to bring them into this cave either. It was good to listen to you.”

The hand on Leehwan’s shoulder tightened. The slight movement brought them even closer, but Leehwan didn’t notice.

“It seems like we’ll have to walk for a while longer. Will you be okay?”

“Well…”

Leehwan’s voice trailed off. Absalom chuckled softly at that.

“It’s fine if you sleep. This rain isn’t going to stop anytime soon.”

Leehwan didn’t resist. His eyes closed as if it hadn’t been long since he last slept next to Absalom.