RGS Volume 6 Part 5

Late at night.

The soldier standing guard at the Prince’s Palace believed that, like every other night, this one would pass without incident, and that he would be replaced when the sun rose in the morning. When he was first assigned here, he had many worries, but since the emperor returned to the palace, he had never left his room, thus, there were no issues.

In fact, it was rather boring. There were rumors that the emperor was becoming like the previous king, always dazed and staggering.

Well, that meant things would stay easy for him. His main concern now was how to endure another long night. So, when he sensed someone behind him, he turned around without any alarm. He assumed it was his colleague who had gone to check on a faint noise inside the Prince’s Palace a little while ago.

“What is it? Did the guy standing guard inside drop his spear while sleeping aga— Huh.”

The soldier, talking to himself, could only gasp with his mouth wide open. The person who was approaching slowly wasn’t his colleague.

With his tall stature and gray eyes gleaming like those of a predator between his black hair.

It was the emperor.

However, the reason why the soldier hesitated and stepped back was because of his clothes. His clothes were completely covered in blood. With each step he took closer, the smell of fresh blood, indicating it had been spilled just moments ago, filled the air.

Gasp!

The soldier took a few steps back in a panic.

Why was the emperor in such a state?

Where on earth did all that blood come from… could it be?

The soldier’s eyes widened in horror. There was no way the guards inside the palace would have let the emperor pass by covered in blood.

Yet, here he was, walking alone without a sound. It was as if no one had been around there.

Or perhaps everyone was dead?

The soldier took another deep breath. Karas leisurely walked past the path the soldier had opened for him as if he had just come out for a walk. The soldier, holding his breath, watched him pass by and then noticed a faint sound.

Drip, drip, drip.

The soldier lowered his gaze to the sword Karas was holding. From the tip of the sword, a thick liquid, too dark to discern its color, was dripping drop by drop.

“Hah.”

This time, the soldier couldn’t help but exhale in shock. Then, startled by his own noise, he took a step back again.

Clack.

Was it the sound that drew attention?

Karas stopped walking and turned his head. The last time the soldier had seen Karas before, his eyes had seemed as vacant as the late king’s. Until just moments ago, they still seemed that way. But now, looking into those cloudy gray eyes felt like fingernails scraping against his spine, sending chills through him. He couldn’t even immediately understand Karas’ languid question at first.

“You, can you see me?”

Can I see him?

With the smell of blood hanging in the air, standing right in front of him, he asked if he could see him?

The soldier, paralyzed by fear and confusion, could only gape like a fish. Before he knew it, he was barely able to support his trembling legs. When he didn’t respond, Karas turned not just his head but half his body. The soldier, instinctively drawing in another breath, shook his head without realizing it.

“N-no, I don’t…”

His trembling response didn’t come out properly. He was so terrified that he couldn’t even breathe, but soon he realized that this was the best thing he had ever done in his life. Before he knew it, Karas had disappeared into the darkness, leaving no one in front of him.

Only the faint smell of blood, so subtle that it made him doubt if Karas had really been there, confirmed that the terror he had was real.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Ashler couldn’t easily fall asleep, so he forced himself to close his eyes. Even with his eyes shut, his mind was in turmoil as he pondered how Abel should deal with the unpredictable Karas. Thus, when a soldier entered with an urgent knock, he was able to get up right away.

“What’s the matter?”

Seeing that the soldier was from the night watch at the Prince’s Palace, Ashler immediately grabbed his sword.

“Has something happened to His Majesty?!”

However, the soldier, as pale as a corpse and drenched in cold sweat, could only stammer.

“Th-the emperor, His Majesty…”

“What happened to him?!”

Ashler shouted and approached the soldier, grabbing his arm roughly. As if he couldn’t wait for an answer, he dragged the soldier along, running towards the emperor’s quarters and as he was dragged, the soldier’s voice came out in a stammer.

“H-he, he left.”

Ashler abruptly stopped and turned to the soldier in surprise.

“He left? Where to?”

However, the soldier, still filled by fear, shook his head.

“I-I don’t know. But His Majesty… k-killed all the guards… it seems.”

Killed?

Ashler’s face showed disbelief as the soldier whispered.

“And then he, h-he asked me. If I could see him.”

The soldier continued, saying he survived because he answered no, but Ashler was no longer listening.

D*mn it, I told him to act discreetly, and he just killed them all.

He’s going to Abel.

Ashler looked out the window into the darkness with a frown.

Surely, he won’t do anything terrible to Abel?

Though he wanted to confirm immediately, Ashler headed inside where the corpses were piled up.

Abel would be able to handle it.

He’s probably stayed up all night, worried, and come up with a good plan.

He’s the real Regas, after all.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

At that moment, contrary to Ashler’s expectations, Abel was sleeping soundly. The three companions in the next room were also in a deep sleep, snoring so loudly it seemed the roof might come off. Abel, who was sleeping so deeply that he wouldn’t have noticed if fireballs were falling from the sky, woke up feeling a tickle on his face.

However, he wanted to sleep more. So, when something tickled his face, he turned his head to the side.

It was no use.

This time, something gently brushed along his jaw and the side of his neck just below his ear. Feeling a slight shiver spread through him, Abel opened his sleepy eyes.

What the hell… huh?

In the darkness, a blurry figure came into view. It wasn’t the bug he had expected, so Abel blinked a few times, trying to clear his head. However, before his mind fully woke up, his mouth instinctively recognized the other person.

“Prince?”

The hand that had been at the base of his neck moved up to the side of his face again in response to his question.

“Yes.”

Only the prince would give such a kind answer. Still half-asleep, Abel let out a small laugh.

“Can’t sleep?”

The dry, drowsy question lingered in the air, but this time, there was no immediate reply. Instead, there was a rustling sound, and then a heavy weight settled on top of Abel.

What’s happening?

Before he could comprehend it, Karas’ face had moved to a position directly above him, looking down at Abel. It was only after Karas propped himself up on the bed with one arm, raising just his upper body, that he gave a delayed response.

“Yeah.”

Ah, so he can’t sleep.

Abel rubbed his eyes with his hand and suppressed a yawn as he spoke.

“Yawn— Then sleep next to me.”

“Do I really have to sleep?

Have to? Not necessarily.

Abel shook his head while still lying down.

“No. If you can’t sleep, you don’t have to sleep.”

Abel, smiled, showing his white teeth, still not fully awake.

“Hehe, should I keep you company?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, then.”

What should we do for fun?

He was about to ask as he tried to sit up, but it was only then that he realized Karas was holding him down. It wasn’t just a gentle pressure. When Abel tried to sit up, Karas pushed him down forcefully with his hand. The hand was pressing him down so hard that it hurt, and only then did Abel properly look up at Karas.

“Your Highness, why?”

“You were my Regas.”

Of course, I know that, Abel almost said before remembering that he was supposed to be pretending to have lost his memories. He mumbled, “Yes, I have heard of it.”

Karas then tilted his head slightly to the side.

“Do you know what a Regas is?”

“More or less.”

Wondering why he was suddenly asking this, Abel heard a low voice that sounded almost like a whisper.

“A Regas always made love with the emperor. Of course, so did you.”

Hmm, was it about giving love or sharing it equally?

Abel, still with his head dazed, tried to make sense of it, but the next words were a bit difficult for him to grasp.

“Especially… you liked accepting what was mine.”

Something felt off. There was a hint of brazenness in Karas’ voice, and when he said “accepting,” his tone carried a strange heat.

What exactly did I accept?

As Abel wondered, his whisper drew closer.

“I’ll help you remember. Everything.”

Before Karas’ lips touched Abel’s as he lowered his head, he revealed his real intention.

“Open up.”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

It was in the middle of the night when the subordinate who had been lurking at the Marquis’ estate returned. Truyde, who had spent several days in the basement making the black potion, emerged into the world with a pale face.

As soon as he came out, he seized the nearest small-framed, blond man. Even while panting on top of the man, he quickly ejaculat3d upon hearing the news of his subordinate’s return, and without any hesitation, got up. The man had been one of the most eye-catching among the potential Regas’ to send to the emperor, but now he was no longer needed.

Didn’t Marquis Yan scoff at him, calling it a curse?

However, thanks to this so-called curse, he had been able to identify the real Regas first.

Truyde ordered a servant to deal with the collapsed man and then listened to his subordinate’s report in the living room. Considering that he had been interrupted at this time of night, it must have been important. He looked at his subordinate, whose face was sweaty from running all night, and asked.

“Have you found the knight who disappeared from the Marquis’ mansion?”

“We haven’t found him yet. However, we did find the carriage he used right after leaving the Marquis’ mansion.”

“Their destination?”

“It was in front of the house of a man named Melmond.”

Truyde’s eyebrows twitched in genuine surprise.

He had assumed the person was sent by the emperor, but Melmond?

Since when did he work for the emperor?

Moreover, wasn’t he the one he had recently summoned to inquire about the whereabouts of the missing wooden pendant?

Truyde recalled the calm expression of the man who had claimed to know nothing about the wooden pendant.

How deceitful.

Could he have been acting while knowing about the pendant?

No, if that were the case, the emperor would have been involved. If Melmond had known that the Marquis’s wooden pendant was the same as the emperor’s, he would have certainly told the emperor.

But hadn’t the emperor readily accepted his proposal?

Perhaps he still didn’t know the true usage of the wooden pendant. As Truyde was deep in thought, the rest of his subordinate’s report came through.

“Upon investigating this man named Melmond, he appears to have been living as an herbalist since leaving the palace 12 years ago.”

“Herbalist?”

Truyde’s voice sharpened, sensing something was off. The subordinate nodded and shared some notable information gathered from the villagers.

“He also made and sold medicines himself, and there was one in particular that sold exceptionally well. It was quite famous in the palace.”

“What kind of medicine?”

“Um, it was a laxative.”

Truyde’s expression turned cold. The subordinate hurriedly added more information.

“Ahem, aside from that, there was another medicine consistently mentioned by the people.”

“Was it a diarrhea medicine?”

When Truyde sneered, his subordinate shook his head in confusion.

“It was an antidote. He strangely sought out those who were poisoned by any kind of poison and cured them.”

Antidote.

This one word instantly solved several lingering mysteries in Truyde’s mind.

Why the emperor had not been poisoned all this time, and why on earth did the emperor had been relying on to gamble in their bet with confidence just right after returning to the palace, all became clear at once.

So that’s what it was?

Haha, he was making an antidote?

Truyde replaced the laughter that was about to burst out with a smile and his eyes gleamed fiercely. Seeing the emperor’s vacant eyes, it was clear that the antidote wasn’t perfect. In that case, there was still a good chance of winning.

No, this time it was certain.

Truyde had been secluded for days because he had made several times more of the black potion than before.

Let’s see if you can play with your fire again this time, Karas.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

‘Open up.’

Before his brain could weigh what was right and wrong by the command, his lips moved first. He had only parted them slightly when the force pushing against them turned into a searing heat that invaded his mouth. His breath, which had been blocked, froze under the oppressive weight pressing down on his chest.

The inability to breathe was a problem, but so was his mind’s failure to fully register his situation. Thus, he didn’t notice Karas’ large hand sweeping through his hair or his knee squeezing itself between Abel’s legs.

At first, it was just a one-sided kiss where Karas roughly pushed him and inserted his tongue. Abel’s mind was filled with nothing but confusion. However, as time passed, the sensation of their touching lips slowly penetrated his numbed head.

Even in his dazed state, he began to slowly register Karas’ actions. The heat from their lips and the stimulation from their touching tongues started to melt the frozen insides of his mind. Like fine cracks forming in an icy lake on a warm day, his heart began to react.

As Karas tilted his head and changed the position of his lips, Abel’s heart thudded loudly in his ears. As soon as he recognized that sound, Karas’ tongue brushed against the soft flesh inside his mouth, causing his heart to pound in quick succession.

Thump, thump, thump.

His heart seemed to be the starting point. As his chest trembled and excitement spread inside him with a slight heat, he found himself instinctively responding to Karas’ kiss. His previously still tongue tentatively touched Karas’ as it withdrew. For a moment, Karas’ movements seemed to stop, but he soon exhaled a rough breath and pushed harder.

‘Haa.’

The sound of Karas’ breath reverberated inside Abel’s body, even though it wasn’t heard through his ears. Karas, appearing to have lost his composure, tangled his hand roughly into Abel’s hair. He twisted Abel’s head in the direction he wanted, this time letting out a more distinct moan from his throat.