BR 4.11

“My Lord, we’ve brought him!”

The knights headed for the basement within the mansion, a place even ordinary servants rarely set foot in. On the luxurious chair placed opposite the wall displaying torture devices sat Nike.

“You’re late.”
“My apologies. This… Young Master is so quick on his feet, chasing him down was no easy task.”
“Enough excuses. Hand over the child.”
“Yes!”

Nike took Erons from the knight. Oblivious to the situation, he slept peacefully. It would be nice to let him sleep soundly, but this troublesome child couldn’t be left alone.

A water bottle lay beside Nike. He couldn’t bring himself to strike Erons, so he’d prepared the water to cool his anger by splashing it.

He’d been certain seeing Erons’s face would make him lose control, but the child sleeping in his arms was simply too adorable, like a precious gem.

Instead of picking up the bottle, he chose to explore Erons’s lips  until his long, beautifully lowered lashes fluttered and lifted.

“Ugh, uh…”

Nike’s tongue entered through parted lips, exploring the mouth. Enron’s limp body, held tightly in a kiss that made breathing difficult, twitched before rising up.

As his mind slowly returned, Erons tried to push away the one consuming him, but Nike wasn’t one to be pushed by weak, slender hands. The moment Erons’s hands touched his body, he pressed in even more relentlessly. 

Only after the fragile fists pounded his shoulders with a thud, thud did those lips finally part.

“You’re awake.”
“Y-Your Grace…”
“That medicine worked well. The one you gave me, I mean. Since you helped me discover something good, I returned the favor by giving you some medicine too.”

No wonder Erons kept nodding off on the way here – it was the medicine. The knights had given Erons a sleeping potion. The very same one Lelis had put in the tea. 

How Nike had figured it out, he didn’t know, but he had given Erons back exactly what he had received.

The moment Erons opened his eyes, he was startled to find Nike glaring at him and jumped back in fright. Had Nike not grabbed his jaw and wrist, he would have already bolted to the opposite wall and been long gone.

“What? Trying to run away again?”
“N-no. It’s not that –!”
“You may go.”
“… Huh?”
“Go ahead. Try it. If you can.”

Nike pulled a magic stone from his pocket and used it to break the binding spell he’d placed on Erons. The proof was the shimmering red band-like magic around his ankles shattering and vanishing.

Erons could only think one thing about Nike’s words and actions.

‘Is he crazy?’

Though he didn’t believe the ‘go ahead’ invitation, Erons slowly backed away, just in case. Even as he distanced himself, Nike didn’t stop him. He just watched, wearing a meaningful smile.

“If you’re sure you won’t regret it.”
“Regret? What do you mean?”

Nike gestured toward the corner of the basement. Erons turned his head to follow the motion, his eyes widening instantly.

“… Lelis.”

Lelis, her mouth gagged with white cloth, was kneeling in the corner of the torture chamber, trembling. The ropes binding her wrists, ankles, and body were wound so tightly that blood was already seeping from the points of friction, soaking the straw beneath her. 

Seeing her pitiful state – the cloth soaked through with tears and pooled saliva, clinging to her face – made Erons’ body tremble violently.

“Le, Lelis. Why… why are you here…?”
“She confessed to plotting your escape without a shred of fear. There’s no reason not to punish her.”

Nike, approaching from behind Erons, embraced him gently. His rough hands lightly brushed Erons’s slightly chapped cheeks. The touch sent shivers down his spine, but Erons couldn’t afford to care. 

Behind Lelis, the knight holding her captive held a massive axe that glinted in the torchlight.

“Ah, no! Don’t do this! Lelis hasn’t done anything wrong!”
“You want to save that one?”
“Huh, uh, yes…”
“Well. The crime is far too heinous for that.”

His watery eyes slowly shifted toward Nike. It was a desperate gaze begging, no matter what happened, to please spare her. It was a look that needed no words, and Nike understood that plea perfectly well. 

Knowing this, the corner of his mouth curled up in a smirk.

“Begin.”
“Your Grace!”

Crack! Crack!

At his command, the whipping began. The flesh struck by the leather strap swelled instantly. Lelis, her skin breaking open in places and slowly turning crimson, groaned in agony.

Watching Lelis, Erons recalled the scene of Jowen’s death. Only the name had changed from Jowen to Lelis; the place and the people were the same. Perhaps because of this, the thought that Lelis would die here just like Jowen had made Erons cling desperately to Nike.

“Your Grace. Your Grace, please. Ugh, please stop. Hit me instead. Please, just let Lelis go…”

“Why should I? Traditionally, when nobles err, their subordinates take the blame and suffer the punishment. That’s what she said. That today’s events were all her doing. So she asked me to punish her. How could I just let it pass? As her Master, I ought to give her some type of discipline.”

“… What kind of discipline is this? This is assault! Abuse!”

At Erons’s outcry, Nike’s face abruptly hardened. The accusation of being an abuser clearly struck a nerve.

“Seems you still don’t grasp the situation. Well, I suppose I have no choice.”

As Erons struggled to free himself from Nike’s grip, shaking his head violently… Whoosh! 

A sound like something slicing through the air echoed. 

Followed by a thud! A dull, thunderous crash.

Thud. 

Finally, the sound of an object hitting the floor.

“… Lelis, wha…?”

The knight raised his axe. And swung it. The impact severed Lelis’s neck. Her face, still vibrant with life as if she might call out ‘My Lord’ at any moment, was no longer attached to her body.

“No, no… No, Lelis!! “

Erons, who had witnessed Lelis’s death and stared directly at her decapitated corpse with his own eyes, screamed. He cried out for Lelis, weeping pitifully, desperately, over and over. But her closed eyes would never open again.

“Aaaargh!”

‘Lelis is dead. Because of me. Because of me, of all people.’ 

He hated himself for being momentarily swayed by her dangerous proposal, even though he knew the risks, and for driving Lelis to her death.

‘Lady Theos, please, save Lelis!’

Lacking even the strength to utter the words aloud, Erons called out to Theos with more sincerity than ever before. He didn’t need to be pulled out of this pit. 

Just please, save Lelis.

“Wh-why… “

The faintly glowing bracelet shattered. Small cracks began to form, and it crumbled into golden grains of sand, scattering across the floor.

The bracelet had been his last means of calling for help from others. Theos was his only lifeline, and now even that was gone.

“Huu, ugh… “

Erons couldn’t help but sink into despair. His wails echoed through the mansion, reaching even the forest surrounding it. All night long, until morning, when his voice, spent from screaming, could no longer make a sound.

“I think it’s safe to head down now.”

Urno, who had left first for reconnaissance, confirmed repeatedly that there were no dangers and headed straight for the village. He figured there was no point in having too many people, and that Gerard, being a mage, could handle Erons on his own.

He arrived at the shabby inn on the outskirts of town where he was to meet Gerard. The man who appeared to be the owner instantly recognized his identity from his attire, but Urno silenced him by handing over a pocket brimming with gold. The owner, holding a fortune he’d likely never touch in his lifetime, was overjoyed and led Urno to the cleanest room available. Though called the best room, it was utterly shabby. Barely a quarter the size of his own quarters, it contained only a worn-out bed, a table, and a single chair.

Urno kept his sword in hand, ready for any unexpected situation, even as he unpacked his other gear. Though his swordsmanship was legendary, the Duke’s Knights were no pushovers. He waited and waited until the time he’d agreed upon with Gerard.

“… He’s late.”

Five hours had passed since the clock chimed for the first time, yet Erons still hadn’t arrived. Gerard had left him with the words, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take him no matter what,” but he couldn’t just wait endlessly, trusting only those words.

Trusting a stranger’s word without question had been his mistake. Anxiety overwhelmed him –if he stayed here, Erons would be taken away by his father. 

Biting his nails out of habit didn’t calm his nerves, so Urno finally left the inn.

Returning to the forest, he encountered an unexpected ambush. When he had descended to the village, there had been no trace of magic beyond Fedor’s barrier. He had passed through the barrier without incident thanks to Gerard opening it for him, but now, with neither Gerard nor Fedor present, a new magic descended upon Urno.

No matter how far he walked toward the mansion, he could never reach it, always kept at a fixed distance. He tried walking fast, running until sweat poured down his face, even crawling, but he simply couldn’t get any closer. 

This abnormal phenomenon could only be explained by magic. What had been cast upon his eyes was an illusion spell.

“Huff, huff, huff…”

He swung his sword at the empty air, knowing it was futile. Exhausting more stamina than when hunting demons, he finally broke free from the illusion just before sunrise, in the darkest hour of dawn. In truth, he couldn’t say he had awakened himself. He felt the magic simply vanish on its own.

Urno rushed back to the mansion. Having wasted so much time in unexpected places, he had no idea what might have happened to Erons in the meantime. Saving Erons, even now, was the urgent priority.

CRASH! 

The deafening roar wasn’t caused by Urno pushing or kicking the front door. Uncharacteristically, he had sliced it open with his sword, and the sound came from the fallen fragments of the door.

It was time for the staff to start their work, but usually only the cooks began this early. Yet something was off. Besides them, quite a few others were gathered in the lobby in small groups, still in their nightclothes.

“What are you all doing here?”

Seeing his face, now quite grim with a mixture of the violent act he’d just performed and his own anger and impatience, they forgot to greet him and nervously swallowed.

“Answer.”

“Yes, yes…! Young Master, there was a bit of a disturbance last night, and since none of us could sleep, we came out for a moment.”
“… A disturbance?”
“Yes…”

Who would cause a disturbance at the Duke’s residence? What bold fool had caused trouble, forcing so many to stay up all night? Urno desperately hoped it wasn’t Erons. But there was that saying, wasn’t there? A bad feeling always comes true.

“Explain.”
“Th-that… ‘

They glanced at each other nervously, evading the question. Urno, growing impatient, urged them to speak up, but there came Han-i’s calm reply from the back of the group: “The maid, Lelis, helped the youngest Young Master run away. Ah, it wasn’t really help. He planned it all by himself from start to finish. Thanks to the laughably shoddy trick he set up, he was quickly exposed and captured by His Lordship.

“Where are they? Lelis and Erons.”

Pelson twisted his body and stepped back. Then, as if on cue, everyone parted, creating a path for him. At the end of the corridor they formed lay a single, worn-out door beneath the stairs. It was the door leading down to the basement.

“… Erons.”

Urno sprinted across the lobby. 

Faster, just a little faster. 

Though his strides were anything but slow, Urno felt as sluggish as an ant crawling along. As Urno reached for the door, Keld appeared from somewhere and blocked him.

“Move aside.”
“You won’t regret this?”
“Regret?”
“If you go down now, you’ll be suspected of aiding his escape.”

Was that important now? The cries from below were so tormented they could be heard here.

“It doesn’t matter. Get lost.”
“It would be better if you didn’t go down.”
“I told you to get lost.”
“You’re going to see something you shouldn’t.”
“Shut up and get lost!”
“…”

At Urno’s roar, Keld silently stepped aside. The old door shattered into pieces with a single kick from Urno. He hurried downstairs. Or, he tried to. Had no one stopped him in his path.

“Erons…”

Erons, who had been standing with eyes fixed on the ground, lifted his head at Urno’s voice. Seeing Erons’s state, Urno flinched in shock. Could a person become so gaunt overnight? His eyes blazing, he pulled Erons away from Nike. But even standing beside him, Erons didn’t look at him. Urno grabbed his shoulder and shook him.

“Erons. Erons, look up. Look at me.”
“Huh… Urno, brother…”
“Yes… yes, it’s me. It’s okay now. See? Don’t cry.”

Urno stroked Erons’s face with trembling hands. Unfocused eyes stared back at him. Seeing that face, too busy gasping for breath, made him feel not just sorry, but so guilty that it was driving him mad. It felt like it was all his fault. If only he had come a little sooner, Erons wouldn’t have ended up this broken.

Erons gently placed his hand over Urno’s, which was rubbing his cheek. Having spent the night in the cold, damp underground, his hands were ice-cold. Urno pulled the cloak he was wearing over Erons and urged him to leave, but Nike grabbed his other hand and pulled him back.

“Get off him.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“I said let go.”
“How can you say that after seeing him like this?!”

Nike remained defiant. How could he say such things without going mad, seeing Erons reduced to this state? What on earth had he done to ruin a person like this? Yet Nike calmly adjusted his clothes.

He was his father, yet Urno despised him to the point of trembling.

“I will take Erons away. I won’t leave him by your side any longer.”
“Do you think all this happened because of my greed?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”

Urno, choked up, blurted out words he had never spoken aloud before. It had taken him twenty-four long years to say those words.

“If only you had been in your right mind, Father. If only you hadn’t projected Mother onto Erons, none of this would have happened. You’re mad. Out of your mind.” 

Even hearing those words, Nike just chuckled.

“I admit it’s my fault we’ve come this far. I can’t deny I was the one who started it.”
“I know that –!”
“But last night was different. The child wanted me. Didn’t want to let go, didn’t want to leave me.”
“And you expect me to believe that now? That the child who hated Father enough to run away actually did that?”
“Tell him, Riman.”

Bullshit. Erons, who tried to escape him even with a maid’s help, clung to Nike? That doesn’t make any sense.

“If you’re going to spout nonsense, I’ll be going,”

Thud. 

Erons slapped his hand away. Then pushed him. Far away from him.

“Erons, why…?”
“…Let go.”
“What?”
“I’m not leaving… Let go…”

Erons’s trembling body clearly rejected him but he still tried to reach for him. Before Urno could even process what was happening, Nike snatched Erons away and held him tight.

“Now you understand, don’t you? The child chose me, not you.”
“…”
“I’ll go ahead. It might do you good to clear your head here for a while.”

His trembling fist floated pitifully in the air before falling back down. Even though Erons had returned to his father’s embrace, Urno could do nothing. 

He had seen Erons burrow into Nike’s embrace of his own accord.

” Damn it… Damn it, goddamnit!”

Urno vented his rage by smashing and shattering the spot where the two had left, reducing it to chaos. Still unable to calm down, he howled violently for a long time.

This is the smile of the victor. 

Ignoring the crowd of servants that had grown even more restless since Urno’s arrival, Nike passed by with a smile that seemed to say he owned the world.

Nike naturally led Erons to his bedroom. He sat him on the bed and removed the cloak Urno had draped over him. Without Erons noticing, Nike trampled the cloak underfoot and instead wrapped a thick quilt around his body. 

Then, Erons, who had been stiff as a wooden doll, moved his small mouth slightly.

“… Your Grace.”
“Yes, child. Speak your mind. As long as it’s not another misdeed like yesterday’s, I’ll listen to anything you have to say.”
“The letter…”
“The letter?”

Erons gave a small nod.

“I want to send a letter to His Royal Highness… saying I don’t want to be betrothed.”

Nike pressed his lips to Erons’s mouth. He didn’t show it outwardly, but inside, he was overjoyed.

“If that is your wish, I’ll send it right now.”

How eagerly he had awaited this day. 

Whatever wind had blown the engagement into being, Nike was planning to ruin the ceremony just as Lelis had predicted. He had written letters pretending to be Erons, telling Rune he would visit the palace.

So when Erons himself asked him to cancel the engagement ceremony, he couldn’t help but be delighted. Nike told him to get some rest and immediately went out to send the letter. 

Since he didn’t call for a servant, it seemed he intended to deliver it himself. That must mean he was in such a good mood. Good enough to handle it personally.

Erons, who had been sobbing for a long time even after Nike left, finally managed to stop crying. His throat parched, he reached for the water on the side table, but his hand was too weak, and he dropped the bottle. 

Yet Erons didn’t panic. 

He bent down, staring blankly at the shard.

“Hey!”
“Ah…”
“Are you crazy? Blood’s gushing from your hand, and you’re stupidly holding onto that thing!”
“…”
“Ha. I’m the fool for asking. If you don’t want to talk, don’t.”

Blood flowed from the cut on his hand, made by the edge of the fragment. It must have hurt quite a bit, but Erons showed no sign of pain whatsoever. 

For some reason, Fedor didn’t use magic. He even stopped the bleeding and applied medicine to the wound. 

Erons didn’t even say thank you, which was unlike him, despite Fedor stopping the bleeding and treating him.

“Treatment? It’s not necessary…”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Just covering it with magic would be enough. There’s no need to apply medicine.”
“Are you out of your mind?”

Fedor jumped up as if to say something else, ruffled his hair thoroughly, then sat back down.

“… Are you okay?”

What was going on? 

Fedor actually asked if he was okay. It was something he might hear once in a lifetime, and the fact he said it made it obvious that he was in pretty bad shape. 

It was true, he wasn’t doing well. His legs were shaking so badly that he could barely stand on his own, and the strange medicine the knights had given him had left him so weak that his strength just wouldn’t come back.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“I’m fine.”
“Bullshit.”

Fedor merely tapped his shoulder, yet Erons was pushed backward and fell onto the bed. He tried to get up, but lacked the strength. As he strained to rise, Fedor pounced and climbed on top of Erons. Only then did Erons properly meet Fedor’s gaze.

A face brimming with rage. 

Fedor had driven people into corners before, but he’d rarely seen him this furious. What was it? What had made him so angry?

“What’s okay about this?”
“It really is okay.”
“If you’re gonna say shit like that, just shut up.”

Fedor’s brow furrowed deeply as he gripped Erons’ wrist. The wound, still oozing blood, had been opened enough times that the split skin revealed raw, red flesh. 

Fedor roughly wiped away the blood and cast a spell over it. It looked like new flesh had formed, but the underlying damage remained, so the pain would surely persist.

“Go call your favorite priest boy. This is all I can do.”
“…The priest?”
“Yeah. That kid I saw briefly last year.”
“Why go to such lengths for something like this? You’ve applied the medicine, so it should be fine.”
“You want me to summon just any priest?”
“It’s fine. Priests are busy, aren’t they?”
“What’s fine about it?”
“I’ll just stay like this. This is enough for now.”

He hated being touched by others intensely. Even if it was for treatment, Nike would be the one to object. Especially now. After Erons expressed last night that he wanted him, that obsession would only grow stronger by the day.

Erons, who had been looking up at Fedor, chuckled softly. It was oddly amusing that Fedor was worrying about him. He wasn’t the type.

“Did you have fun?”
“What?”
“Did you have fun? Yesterday.”
“What did I do yesterday?”
“You know exactly what I mean. Why pretend you don’t?”
“What are you talking about? What did I do?”

The main factor hindering his escape – Erons believed it must have been Fedor. The one who cast the barrier blocking his path must have been Fedor. 

But without certainty, Erons didn’t press him.

“It’s fine.”
“What are you doing, beating your own drum and playing your own tune?”
“It’s just… I don’t need any of it anymore.”

Erons gently pushed Fedor aside and stood up. When his blood-soaked clothes were exposed, Fedor’s pupils flinched briefly.

“Make me some clothes.”
“What?”
“I can’t stay like this. I don’t have any clothes here, so just make me some. Even pajamas would be fine.”
“Ha. You act like it’s the most natural thing in the world to boss me around.”
“Why? Is that not allowed?”
“… You’re seriously out of your mind.”

He flicked his finger lightly, and the blood-soaked clothes transformed into ones similar to what Erons always wore. Seeing his neat new attire, Erons showed no surprise, nor did he say thank you.

“Hey, you –”
“Don’t call me ‘hey’.”

He was different, too different. Whether it was because of the failed escape, Erons had visibly changed. Fedor sighed as he splashed water on his face.

“Ha… Why are you acting like this today? So what. What do you want me to call you?”
“Riman.”
“… What?”

It was a remark that made him doubt his ears for a moment.

“Why are you so surprised? You know. I have to stay tied up here anyway. I have to pretend to be Riman, stay by His Grace’s side forever.”
“So you’re saying you want to be Riman now?”
“Yes. I’m just tired now. I just want to give up and live.”

Even after saying that, Erons casually lifted the corners of his mouth in a slight smile. There wasn’t a trace of happiness or joy in that faint smile.

“So, we can’t be like brothers, not now, not ever.”