DGMYF 26

Kaiso averted his gaze from Troy’s ardent eyes and let his tired head fall to the side. He felt like he could sleep for more than ten hours straight. He reached out to pull Troy into an embrace and sleep, but it seemed Troy had other ideas.

“Ah, wait!”

Troy flipped him over in one motion, making him lie on his stomach. Kaiso buried his face in the pillow and struggled.

“Why, why! What are you doing!”

“Haa….”

Not being able to see what Troy was trying to do made him a little scared. Troy let out rough breaths for a long while as he slowly combed through his hair with his fingertips. Kaiso just gripped the pillow tightly at the gentle but unpredictable stimulus.

It started with the nape of his neck. Troy pressed his thick lips against his nape and sucked hard. It was a blatant act with the intention of leaving a mark. Next was his shoulder blade. As if licking wings that weren’t even there, Troy carefully stuck out his tongue. Then he gently ran both hands down his sides. At the thrilling and ticklish sensation, Kaiso let out a small moan.

Troy, seemingly excited by Kaiso’s reaction, began to leave kisses along his spine. Peck, peck, peck…. He slowly moved downwards until he finally reached the crack of his ass. Without a moment’s hesitation, Troy buried his nose between his buttocks.

“Haa…. My scent and your scent are mixed, Your Grace. So that means we’re in a relationship where we even have sex with our pheromones.”

At the feeling of his hot breath on his buttocks, Kaiso’s stomach felt all tingly. He kneaded Kaiso’s ass like flour dough before taking a large bite with a chomp.

“Ah!”

Kaiso let out a scream at the sudden stimulus. Troy had spread Kaiso’s hole wide open and shoved his cock right in.

“Ah! Nngh, nght!”

“Do you like it here? Haa, how about here?”

As Troy pounded down without mercy, Kaiso just dripped with sweat. Troy gripped his waist tightly and thrust without mercy. Kaiso felt like his brain was being crushed. It was as if his entire body was being shattered into pieces and then reassembled to fit Troy.

Troy buried his head in the nape of Kaiso’s neck and sucked on it with smacking sounds. The persistent autumn mosquito once again left its mark in a deliberate, visible spot tonight. Troy pulled Kaiso’s waist in tight and rubbed their sticky bodies together. Their bodies were pressed together so tightly that it became impossible to tell whose sweat was whose.

“Haa, ahng! N-nngh…!”

It was already the third ejaculation. There was no more semen left to come out, so the thin liquid flowed stickily, dirtying the bed. Sweat-soaked hair was stuck messily to his forehead. It felt itchy, but Kaiso couldn’t even think of brushing it away and just crumpled the innocent bedsheets. As he was burying his tired head in the pillow like that, his body was suddenly lifted up. Troy had pulled Kaiso into a hug from behind and lifted him up just like that. As his body swayed, the pillar of flesh that had been lodged in his rear hole slid out with a squelch.

“Wait, what are you trying to do now!”

Troy, without answering, strode over and stood in front of the full-length mirror on one side of the room. Kaiso was horrified to see his own messy state. His face was soaked with sweat with hair stuck all over it, his cheeks were flushed red, and drool was trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“Tr-Troy! I don’t like this…!”

“You need to see for yourself how lewd you are, Your Grace. Only then will you understand how I feel.”

Troy stood precisely in front of the mirror, got into position, and spread Kaiso’s two legs wide so that his groin was completely exposed in the mirror. Kaiso couldn’t lift his head from the embarrassment. Moreover, the posture of relying only on Troy’s two arms was too unstable.

“I feel like I’m going to fall…!”

“I’m holding you tight. Don’t worry.”

Watching the explicit scene of Troy’s cock sliding deep into him and then crawling back out, Kaiso’s face flushed as if it would burst. Contrary to his embarrassment, his cock, not knowing exhaustion, lifted its head again and bounced with every upward thrust from Troy. He found a stable position and placed his own hand over Troy’s. Then, Troy’s cock, which had been filling him, grew even larger in size.

“You’re getting nervous just from holding hands when we’re already having sex?”

“H-holding hands is so lewd. Every time I see your fingers, Your Grace, I can only think of the scene where they were shoved into my rear hole.”

Was that why? Kaiso let out a small laugh through his moans. Troy was so cute and lovable it was hard to explain. He was innocent to the point of being foolish, and honest to the point of being scary. He wasn’t afraid to show his emotions and didn’t get discouraged even when he was hurt. Kaiso fell completely for the reckless love of this young man who was so different from himself.

“Ah, ahh, nghh! Hht! Nnngh!”

He loved this moment, impaled on his cock like a harpooned fish, writhing his body. He liked this moment, soaked in pleasure, free of all worries, and filled with devotion to each other. Forever, as long as he breathed, he wanted to roll around in bed with this man forever. If it was Troy and no one else, then it didn’t matter.

“Ah, hngh!”

A stream of water burst from Kaiso’s cock. The transparent water, which arced through the air, even splattered on the mirror and trickled down. At the unbearable stimulation, he gasped for breath. This was the first time he had felt such pleasure. His mouth hung wide open as drool trickled down. He couldn’t even struggle, trapped in Troy’s arms, and just stared between his spread-eagled legs. He was a complete mess, soaked in pleasure and stimulation, unable to tell which way was up.

“Ahh, hngh…. Ngh….”

“Wow…. Water is coming out of your cock, Your Grace. This is also coming out because it feels super good, right?”

Troy watched intently as Kaiso spurted water like a fountain, then grinned broadly. Then he urgently laid Kaiso down on the bed and brought his face to the gushing transparent stream.

“W-what are you doing!”

He even opened his mouth wide. He greedily drank the cock-water as if he had discovered an oasis in the desert after a long journey. Kaiso covered his face with both hands in embarrassment.

“You’re crazy!”

Only after the fountain had finally subsided was Kaiso able to lift his flushed face. A disastrous scene awaited him. Water dripped from Troy’s face, which was soaked in his own cock-water. At the same time, sticky semen burst from his cock as well.

“Hngh….”

Kaiso hastily took a handkerchief from the bedside table and wiped Troy’s wet face. From Troy’s hair wafted Kaiso’s sour semen smell and sweet pheromone scent.

“Go wash your face.”

“I don’t want to. I love that my body smells like you, Your Grace.”

Troy stuck out his tongue and licked up the cock-water flowing down his cheek. When Kaiso clamped his hand over his mouth in horror, Troy grinned so wide his eyes crinkled. He boldly grabbed Kaiso’s wrist and licked his fingers wetly. At the unfamiliar sensation, Kaiso’s fingertips trembled slightly.

“Do you like it?”

“I don’t like it at all, you pervert!”

“It seems like you like it.”

Now he put the fingers into his mouth and sucked them smack, smack, as if performing oral sex. As the hot tongue wrapped around his fingers, he felt as if he were melting. Kaiso stared blankly at the scene before finally coming to his senses and pulling his fingers out.

“Hurry. Go wash up.”

“Alright. After I wipe you down first, Your Grace.”

Troy returned with a towel and wiped down Kaiso’s sullied body, which was sprawled out on the bed. As he relaxed completely and entrusted his entire body to Troy’s touch, he felt as if he had become a newborn baby. He spread Kaiso’s buttocks and wiped away all the semen smeared on his hole before he seemed satisfied and put the towel away. He threw on some clothes and hastily left the room.

“I’ll just go wash my face. You can’t fall asleep!”

Kaiso stared at the closed door and burst out laughing without realizing it. He bit his lower lip, but there was no way to stop the smile that kept leaking out. He cupped his cheeks, and a warm feeling spread. It was a dizzying pleasure, enough to make him forget all the suffering that had felt fatal just a few hours ago. Unable to express his overwhelming emotions, Kaiso buried his face in a pillow.

He was happy to an undeserving degree, to the point of wondering if it was okay. The high walls built around his heart collapsed helplessly before Troy. In this moment, he wanted to forget everything and love selfishly.

Silence fell in the room that had been filled with moans and cries just a moment ago, and instead, the thick smell of lovemaking assailed his nose. Kaiso covered his messy body with a gown and just rolled his eyes. The empty space next to him felt so vacant.

Even though he stared at the door for a long time, Troy didn’t return. Without him by his side, time seemed to stretch like a melted candy cane. Only after an eternity had passed did Troy carefully open the door and come in. Watching him crawl into bed, Kaiso grumbled.

“What took you so long?”

“I ran like crazy, it didn’t even take five minutes.”

He had thought an hour had passed. Kaiso blushed in embarrassment.

“I’m out of breath from running. Please share some breath with me.”

Troy didn’t even give him a chance to answer before pressing their lips together. Their hot breaths tangled together, making it impossible to distinguish whose was whose. Like mating snakes, their two tongues intertwined without a single gap. Instead of sharing breath, they became even more breathless. Only when the oxygen-deprived Kaiso pushed Troy’s shoulder did their lips part.

After leaving a playful string of small pecks, Troy lay down in bed with Kaiso. Then he rubbed his curly hair against Kaiso’s chest and snuggled up to him.

“Are you feeling a little better now?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

Kaiso kissed the lovely man’s forehead. His mere presence was a comfort. He must have been curious about what had happened, but he was even more grateful that he didn’t ask at all. Kaiso fiddled with Troy’s fingers, then interlaced them.

However, the question that had taken root in his heart still wouldn’t be erased.

‘Is it okay for me to be happy?’

He wondered if he was allowed to have such undeserving feelings. What would his dead subordinates say if they knew he was loved like this. Wouldn’t they resent him…. A bitter taste rose from his stomach.

Just then, Troy’s finger pressed firmly on Kaiso’s furrowed brow.

“You’re pretty even when you frown, but you’re prettier when you smile.”

Hearing the out-of-the-blue comment, Kaiso burst out laughing. Troy had a talent for worming his way into his gloom. The depression that had been weighing down his shoulders just moments before flew away, and his mind, which had been getting sucked into deep darkness, became clear.

“I’m smiling because of you.”

“Me too. Me too.”

Troy grinned foolishly and rubbed his head against his chest. Holding his head tightly felt like floating in the sky while hugging a cloud.

“I don’t think I’ll have a nightmare tonight.”

“Is it thanks to me?”

Kaiso couldn’t answer the shameless question and slowly drifted off to sleep. As he expected, he didn’t have a nightmare.

The next morning. The servants naturally came to the room with Troy’s clothes and washing water as well. Kaiso couldn’t lift his head from embarrassment, but Troy was good-natured enough to bow his head and say thank you.

“I think I’ll just move my things over here.”

“Make some sense.”

“Why? We’re going to sleep together every day anyway.”

“Don’t say things like that in front of people.”

The servants did their best to avert their gazes and pretended not to have heard while busying themselves with other things. At their consideration, which only made him more embarrassed, Kaiso clutched his throbbing head, but Troy just smiled brightly.

“I don’t have many things, so it will be quick to move. We’ll be using one bed, so I don’t really need any furniture either.”

“Stop talking nonsense and go pack your things.”

“Ah, should I move them right now?”

“No. Pack your things and leave for the capital tomorrow.”

At the unexpected words, Troy’s large eyes went round. While gaping in surprise, he didn’t forget to cover Kaiso’s lap with a blanket. He came to his senses as Kaiso was about to leave the room and said.

“I told you I’m not going to the capital.”

“I’ve already finished talking with the royal castle, so don’t argue. Your entire schedule has been confirmed. You can hear the details from Carter.”

At Kaiso’s firm words, Troy’s lips stuck out a mile as he grumbled. Even while Kaiso was tying Ingrid’s hair, he kept muttering that he didn’t want to, didn’t want to. At his uncooperative attitude, Kaiso frowned.

“Why are you refusing to go? The king is preparing a party for you. The people of the capital all want to see you too. You can’t just avoid it like this. You’re going to be a proper member of aristocratic society now, so you need to socialize.”

The attention poured on the hero who had defeated the dragon was truly beyond imagination. Letters asking about Troy poured in from all over the country, and if you were to line up the nobles who wanted to invite him, the line would circle the capital. Kaiso, who had unexpectedly become Troy’s spokesperson, had no idea how hard it had been for the past few weeks dealing with the work that poured down like a torrential rain.

“What will you do without me, Your Grace?”

“What about me?”

“You like me a lot. Will you be able to stand missing me?”

Kaiso looked at him with a gaze of utter disbelief.

“How can you say something like that without batting an eye?”

“You agree, don’t you?”

However, Troy’s shameless attitude wouldn’t work this time. The schedule in the capital had already been set, and the date for the ball had been confirmed. It could no longer be postponed or changed. For the naive Troy, who knew nothing of the world, Kaiso had to make the adult decision for him.

“That’s enough. Anyway, it’s already confirmed, so just listen to me.”

“Then can’t you come with me, Your Grace?”

That was impossible. Kaiso Windermere was a disgraced soldier who had been kicked out of the noble council. Being tied to him as a set would surely have a negative impact on Troy’s reputation. Kaiso shook his head from side to side and gently refused.

“I have to take care of Ingrid here. There’s no need for me to go when Ingrid can’t even attend the ball.”

Kaiso combed the hair of Ingrid, who was beating a rabbit doll in his arms. The doll seemed to have suffered a lot during the night, as it was torn here and there. When the topic of the ball came up, the child stopped crumpling the doll and perked up her ears.

“Me too, I want to go to the ball too.”

“You can go to the ball when you become an adult. Let’s just be patient until then, okay?”

“What do I have to do to become an adult?”

That was about 10 years from now. The thought of holding the child’s small hand and introducing her to the nobles made his heart swell. Without realizing it, the impossible wish that his child would stay a baby forever stealthily crept out.

“My baby can become an adult if you eat your meat well and grow tall.”

“Wooow. Then I’m going to be as big as the hero.”

The child stretched her arms high above her head and even stood on her tiptoes to predict her future height.

“To do that, you have to eat everything without being a picky eater.”

Troy said as he carefully placed a pink hairpin in Ingrid’s hair. The child, seeming to like the hairpin, made a satisfied face in front of the mirror. Then she tied her shoelaces tightly, stomped her feet with a stomp stomp, and ran out into the hallway.

“Ingrid! Don’t run, walk!”

But children of that age don’t know how to walk. Outside, Ingrid screamed, and beside him, Troy sighed deeply. Hearing the sounds, Kaiso’s head throbbed.

“What should I do if I miss you, Your Grace?”

When Troy looked tearful, Kaiso’s heart ached a little. To be honest, he wasn’t very happy about sending the man, who had only just returned to Tiane, to the capital. But one can’t always do only nice things.

Kaiso put his hand in his pocket and fiddled with something cold and metallic. He had been wondering when to give this, and it seemed now was the right time.

“Here, I’ll give you this. Take it out when you miss me. Is that okay?”

It was a silver pendant necklace. Troy’s previous complaints were quickly forgotten as he smiled brightly.

“Are you giving this to me?”

“Yes.”

He snatched the pendant and immediately opened it. Inside was Kaiso’s academy graduation portrait.

“Wow….”

“It’s a rather old picture. I don’t have any recent portraits.”

It was because he hadn’t had his portrait painted since he injured his legs. Still, he felt a little embarrassed for giving such an old picture. In the portrait, unlike now, he had a youthful face and was smiling brightly.

“You were cute back then too, Your Grace.”

Troy kissed the pendant over and over. At his exaggerated behavior, Kaiso became embarrassed.

“That’s enough.”

“Aw, this is enough. I’m holding back from what I really want to do, you know.”

Kaiso couldn’t even meet his eyes, afraid his flushed cheeks would be noticed, and hurriedly issued an order to leave.

“You’re distracting me, so you should go now.”

“Oh, right. I’m super busy too, I forgot. I’ll be going now!”

Troy bowed his head and turned to leave. Kaiso stared at the closed door with a dumbfounded expression. He had told him to leave with his own mouth, but he hadn’t expected him to leave so obediently. He couldn’t leave the spot, feeling as if the door would open any moment and Troy would come back to kiss him.

“…What the.”

But nothing happened. The thought that he had had such a childish expectation made his cheeks burn. With a slightly dejected face, Kaiso left the room and headed for the study.

Countless documents and letters were waiting for him on the desk. He had to handle a huge amount of work every day, and thanks to Ingrid, who didn’t understand that at all, the work piled up more and more each day.

The first thing to do was to look at the letters he hadn’t managed to read last night. Kaiso sat down at the desk and tore open the golden wax seal.

Dear Duke Windermere.

It’s been a long time, Duke. How is your health these days? I’m worried since the weather has gotten quite chilly. Thanks to your cooperation, communication with the hero Elliot has been smooth, for which I am very grateful.

It was a letter from Crown Princess Serenity. Below that were written trivial greetings, confirmation of Troy’s schedule, and useless worries about Joel. Kaiso skimmed over that part.

…And regarding what you asked about Agares Valley. It’s true that the unit I was leading went near the valley, but that’s all. The monster herd was lying in ambush at the entrance of the valley, so there was no reason to go deep inside. So I can’t give you the answer you want.

Kaiso couldn’t understand the contents of the letter and had to read it twice more.

‘Serenity has never been to Agares Valley either?’

Kaiso frowned. He had thought he would find an answer when he received Serenity’s letter, but instead, he fell into an even greater mystery.

‘So that’s why the records weren’t detailed.’

Kaiso wrote a simple reply and then wiped his face. Not finding an answer from Serenity, the only one he had trusted, left him feeling a little let down.

‘I guess I have no choice but to ask Troy first.’

As soon as that thought occurred to him, sweat beaded on his clasped hands. He couldn’t even grasp how to bring it up. He let out a short sigh and fumbled for the bottommost drawer, opening it. In the corner lay a cigarette case that hadn’t been touched in a long time.

‘Should I have a smoke.’

It had already been over 10 years since he quit smoking. During his academy days, he had smoked out of a childish desire to look cool, but he quit right after graduation. This cigarette had come as a gift a few years ago, and he had put it in the drawer just in case. It seemed he had known beforehand that a moment like this would come.

Kaiso took out a cigarette and lit it with a flick. As he inhaled deeply and exhaled, the cigarette burned away, emitting thick smoke. The cigarette smoke intertwined with the smell of books and dust that filled the study.

A slight cough arose from smoking after so long. He barely managed to stop coughing and glared at the stick that was emitting an unpleasant smell. How had he smoked like a chimney every day when he was younger? Kaiso took another deep drag from the cigarette and rested his elbows on the desk.

‘He’ll probably resent me a lot.’

It might not end with just that. In the worst-case scenario, he could leave him. At that thought, goosebumps broke out all over Kaiso’s body. If Troy were to leave now, he wouldn’t be able to bear it. He didn’t want to say it. He wanted to keep it a secret until he died. If that would make Troy stay by his side, he felt he could carry the guilt forever.

But at the same time, he wanted to hear Troy’s words that he loved him even if he wasn’t his savior. He wanted him to say it was okay, that it didn’t matter, and to hold him in his arms. In the midst of confusing, ambivalent feelings, Kaiso tore at his hair.

To calm his cluttered mind, he reached for the document collection he had been in the middle of reading. He opened the thick leather cover and turned the rough pages. Kaiso adjusted his glasses and began to read the text.

“Hmm?”

It was strange. Was there something wrong with his glasses? Kaiso had to take off his glasses, wipe them with a swish swish, and even rub his eyes. It was because all the letters were being read as, ‘You like me a lot.’ He furrowed his brows deeply and read again, but this time, it looked like, ‘Will you be able to stand missing me?’

“Aargh!”

Kaiso screamed and slammed the book shut with a thwack. He even hastily hid the book in a drawer, as if worried someone might see it. His heart pounded as if he’d been caught stealing.

‘Get a grip.’

He opened the window and let the cool breeze in. In the clear blue autumn sky, fluffy cumulonimbus clouds floated lazily. Kaiso stared blankly at the clouds.

‘They look just like Troy’s hair.’

The white clouds became Troy’s hair, and Troy’s face was drawn in the clear blue sky. That face even started talking to him.

‘Your Grace! You like me, don’t you?’

He was crazy. He was definitely crazy. Everywhere he went, he saw Troy’s face and heard his voice. He was dumbfounded at himself for acting like a teenager who had fallen in love for the first time. What kind of foolishness was this for a man his age. Kaiso looked up at the sky again to check. Troy’s face was still floating there.

“…Cute.”

Suddenly, he remembered last night. The innocent face sleeping soundly in his arms, the gentle eyelashes that trembled slightly, those lips that were moist with saliva….

Just then, he heard something clattering from over there. The sudden commotion broke his fantasy.

“What’s that noise now?”

He frowned, wondering what the disturbance was. When he looked for the source of the sound, he saw Troy over there, setting a large table down in the middle of the garden with a thud.

Kaiso shouted toward Troy.

“What are you doing?”

Troy waved and greeted him.

“Just a moment, I’ll come get you in a little bit!”

What is he up to now…. With a heart half full of anticipation and half full of worry, he closed the window.

A short while later, as promised, Troy burst open the study door and came in. His hair was a complete mess, and he had flour on his nose. The sweet smell of sugar and the scent of flour emanated from his entire body.

“What were you doing?”

“Ah, I showed off my skills for the first time in a while.”

“I already had lunch.”

From the looks of it, he had baked a cake or pie again. Kaiso indifferently shuffled through his documents. Even though he had just been spending his time thinking about Troy, now that he had appeared, his words came out bluntly.

“It’s okay. There’s a separate stomach for dessert!”

Troy paid no mind to Kaiso’s nagging and pushed the wheelchair toward the garden. On the table placed in the middle of the garden were desserts that looked sweet just by looking at them and warm black tea. On top of that, he had even decorated here and there with white violets.

His heart was moved by the meticulous effort. It was right to praise him, to say it was truly pretty and that he did a good job, but for some reason, blunt words came out.

“Did you finish packing?”

“Ah, I was going to do that later. I don’t have much to pack anyway, so it’s fine.”

“True, since I already packed most of the important things for you in advance….”

At those words, Troy pouted his lips.

“Do you want me to leave quickly?”

“I want you to leave without being late.”

As it was the first ball he was attending under the name of a hero, the first impression was very important. Kaiso simply wanted Troy to be welcomed and treated well in aristocratic society. Furthermore, there would surely be those among the nobles who were jealous of Troy for achieving sudden success at a young age. There was no need to deliberately provide them with bait.

“Then I can go tomorrow night, right?”

“No, go as soon as the sun rises.”

“Hmph.”

Dejected, Troy picked at the innocent flower petals with a flick, flick. Kaiso wiped the flour off Troy’s nose and said gently.

“You may not like it now, but you’ll love it once you get there. You didn’t get to meet many people last time. This time, you can meet a lot of good people.”

Among the numerous people who wanted to meet Troy, Kaiso had handpicked and arranged the schedule. It was because he wanted to help him build connections that would be useful to him in the future.

“The best person is right here.”

“There are many people better than me.”

“There is no one in this world better than you, Your Grace.”

At Troy’s confident answer, Kaiso shook his head.

“You’ll change your mind when you meet them in person. There are so many amazing people. Someone like me is nothing.”

Meetings with high-ranking nobles, including the royal family, awaited him. Of course, most of them were rigid old men, but as they all held high positions, their knowledge and experience were tremendous.

Troy met his eyes with a face full of dissatisfaction.

“Your Grace. If you are nothing, then my life becomes nothing. So please don’t say such things.”

At the gentle words, Kaiso’s heart dropped with a thump. But a fact was a fact. If Troy, blinded by love, couldn’t make an accurate judgment about him, then Kaiso had to be the one to tell him instead.

“Listen. I’m old, and I have a child. I can’t even use my legs. Troy, you’re young now, so you like me because you don’t know any better….”

“Would you like some chiffon cake?”

Troy abruptly held out a simple cake neatly frosted with whipped cream. Forgetting what he was saying, Kaiso nodded his head as if possessed.

“Say ah~.”

He obediently accepted the cake Troy fed him. The cream was moderately sweet, and the cake sponge was as fluffy as a cloud.

“It’s delicious, right? You must be so happy to have a lover who cooks this well.”

After finishing the cake with small bites, Kaiso cleared his throat with a hem hem and spoke again.

“So what I mean is….”

“Next is the lemon pound cake. It was aged for two whole days. You’ll feel better after eating this.”

A piece of cake was popped into his slightly open mouth. The refreshing taste of the lemon icing filled his mouth. Kaiso wrinkled his nose.

“Have some tea, too.”

As he accepted and drank the hot tea without another word, he felt that something was strange. Now that he thought about it, Troy was constantly feeding him to keep him from talking.

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you. To stop me from talking.”

“I was worried you would say something unnecessary and regret it.”

“It’s not me who will have regrets, it’s you. Once you meet lots of young and pretty omegas in the capital, you won’t even give someone like me a second glance.”

Kaiso made himself anxious by saying it out loud. What if that really happened? If Troy really left him….

Troy let out a short sigh and put down the cake plate he had been holding out.

“That’s right. Actually, I regret it every day. That I didn’t come to Tiane sooner, that I didn’t treat you better. That I didn’t do it one more time last night.”

“Hey!”

Startled, Kaiso looked around. Fortunately, the children were absorbed in playing with dirt far away, so it seemed they hadn’t heard.

“As I told you before, even if it’s you, Your Grace, you are not allowed to speak ill of my savior.”

Savior, savior. He felt his stomach churn. Jealousy of that damn savior and the anxiety that Troy might leave were all mixed up. He felt the blood in his entire body turn cold. Kaiso gasped for breath anxiously.

“Are you alright?”

Startled, Troy gently patted his back. But the anxiety that had already risen from deep within his chest would not be easily calmed.

“Shall we go back inside?”

Kaiso avoided Troy’s worried gaze and just stared at the tips of his own shoes.

There is a saying that if you stare at a cliff, afraid of falling, you will unconsciously take a step toward it. As if to prove that saying, his mouth opened and began to babble of its own accord.

“Do you… do you clearly remember your savior’s face?”

At those words, Troy fell into deep thought. He tilted his head and opened his mouth.

“Um…. You see. To be honest, it’s been 10 years and I was so young, so my memory is a bit blurry. But the image of you, Your Grace, with your long hair tied up high is still vivid.”

Troy stood up and kissed the crown of Kaiso’s head, then slowly kissed his way down his hair. A dizzying sensation spread through his whole body as if there were nerves in his hair. But he had to get a grip. He couldn’t get swept up in Troy’s pace again like this. Kaiso pushed his hand away with a smack and opened his mouth.

“I didn’t have long hair 10 years ago.”

“Pardon?”

“I grew my hair out after Ingrid was born. And I never went to Agares Valley during the war against the monsters. I was in the middle of a battle on the Allokes Plains at that time.”

Once the floodgates opened, the words came pouring out. He cautiously observed Troy’s reaction, but he just tilted his head without answering. In the end, there was no choice but to say it plainly.

“Still don’t get it? It means I’m not your savior.”