RHH | Chapter 1.7

The next morning, Leehwan headed to the room where Lucien had stayed. Despite the early hour, Lucien, who was about to leave Marslin, had already finished preparing for his journey. Leehwan escorted Lucien to the courtyard.

A gentle touch rested on rough fingers. A strong pulse was felt where they touched. Leehwan maintained a calm expression.

Upon reaching the courtyard, knights ready to depart were already there. Lucien approached an elegant white horse. Contrary to his usual preference for carriages, it seemed he had ridden a horse this time.

What was the rush? Considering the time he had arrived at Marslin, it wasn’t much different either. It was at this moment that Leehwan focused on identifying the source of his unease.

“Sir Alexander.”

Lucien approached him, his beautiful eyes curving gently.

Now, they were barely an arm’s length apart. Lucien tilted his chin up, appearing as if he was coaxing a kiss.

“Hmm?”

With a small hum, Lucien pursed his lips. His slightly pointed, red lips looked as lovely as a bird’s beak, drawing Leehwan closer as if mesmerized. This time, not even the scent of forget-me-nots could awaken Leehwan from his daze.

Crash—

Somewhere nearby, something shattered. Snapping back to reality, Leehwan quickly stepped back.

“People are watching.”

They weren’t alone in the courtyard. Lucien’s knights were there, and even if they weren’t, there was no telling who else might be watching. Lucien did not want their relationship to be public knowledge, so Leehwan’s caution was appropriate.

Yet, Lucien seemed displeased by this.

“You won’t even give me a kiss after I’ve come all this way?”

Lucien said with a sullen face, his eyes slightly teary. Leehwan had always been weak against such expressions.

His whole body screamed in protest. He felt like if he wavered even slightly, he might either rush in for a kiss or strangle him in frustration. Clenching his fists, Leehwan shook his head.

“I can’t…”

In that moment, Lucien stepped closer. As a knight, Leehwan could have easily avoided him, but it was as if someone had gripped his heart, rendering him immobile.

Arms wrapped around his neck pulled Leehwan down. A small tongue invaded between parted lips.

Desire and disgust rushed in at once. He wanted to entwine his tongue with this flesh invading his mouth and at the same time, bite it off. Caught between these conflicting desires, Lucien broke away from the kiss.

“Who knows when we’ll see each other again.”

His wet lips uttered these words with a hot breath. Leehwan regained his composure and looked into Lucien’s eyes. While his lips spoke of the sorrow of parting, his green eyes had cooled off.

Leehwan thought he understood why Lucien had come all this way. He must have been afraid that their feelings would cool off during their time apart. Leehwan faintly smiled and bowed his head again. Their lips lightly brushed against each other.

“I’ll return as soon as possible.”

Leehwan whispered softly and lifted his head, his expression returning to its usual stoicism.

“I wish you a safe return to the Imperial Capital.”

Leehwan bowed to Lucien, who nodded in acknowledgment of the farewell.

“May your journey be without misfortune.”

Lucien mounted his horse and rode off. Leehwan stood there, watching his back until he completely disappeared.

The sound of the castle gate opening echoed. Lucien had left. Only then did Leehwan move. He waited until he was sure no one’s eyes were on him within the castle walls before wiping his lips, erasing the trace of dried saliva repeatedly, until nothing was left.

Even if the visage of love was nothing more than a mask, feelings did not fade so easily. Leehwan trampled down the rising emotions with each step, as if to ensure they would never revive. The corpse of love stuck to his heels, leaving long streaks of blood. Leehwan did not look back at the marks.

The now empty courtyard was swept by an autumn wind. Well-dried leaves fluttered along with the dust. Over it, someone’s shadow was cast. Stepping on the broken porcelain, he shattered it further as he stared at the spot where Leehwan had just stood.

Again, the wind blew. Silken silver hair delicately fluttered in the breeze.

𓂃 ོ☼𓂃

A few hours later, the Phoenix Knights also left Marslin. Their destination was the Free City of Bisha, about three days’ ride west from here. It was a commercial hub that had recently been troubled by monster sightings, disrupting trade. The news had reached them a few days earlier through a dispatch.

On the second night after leaving Marslin, the Knights had to camp in the forest. The knights busied themselves with tasks like setting up Leehwan’s tent first, feeding the horses, and preparing food.

Leehwan settled inside the completed tent. His dinner was brought to him by Duku. After a quick meal and some rest, he found himself aimlessly listening to the chatter of the other knights.

There seemed to be a good camaraderie among the Phoenix Knights, united by their shared cause against the monsters. Leehwan, however, remained an island unto himself.

He had tried to reach out to the others before, but now he knew such efforts were pointless. To them, Leehwan would always be an outsider.

In retrospect, it was probably for the best. Getting closer had only added to the feeling of betrayal.

Leehwan stepped out of the tent. The chattering knights fell silent at once. As he walked through the piercing silence, Duku came running up.

“Sir Alexander, where are you…”

“Don’t follow me.”

Leehwan curtly cut off Duku’s friendly approach and quickened his pace.

He didn’t really have a destination in mind; he just wanted to be away from them. A mix of betrayal and an unacknowledged emotion tortured him.

Leehwan stopped by a small stream. He was far enough from the camp that only faint lights were visible. He slumped down in front of a large rock. Leaning back against the rock, a cold chill seeped through his thin shirt—he had run out impulsively from the tent. It was time to move away from the rock, but a thick cloth wrapped around Leehwan.

Without sensing anyone’s approach, a tense Leehwan quickly stood up. A startled exclamation reached his ears, and a familiar silver thread dispersed before his eyes.

“…What?”

Leehwan looked up. Dark blue eyes were gazing down at him. It was an unexpected encounter. His inner feelings burst out before he could calm down.

“Why are you here?”

The dark night of the forest reflected in his eyes as he glared at Absalom. Despite the sharpness in his gaze, Absalom was merely busying his hands.

“You’re dressed like that in a place like this. You’ll freeze to death.”

Absalom, who spoke those words, was himself dressed lightly enough to be cold in the autumn forest. Only then did Leehwan realize that Absalom had draped his cloak over him. The warmth it retained from being worn by Absalom was comforting.

Absalom secured the cloak before stepping back. In that brief time, Leehwan managed to compose himself and spoke.

“Why are you here?”

Although he asked the same question he had before, his softened tone made it sound entirely different.

“I thought you went to Marslin.”

“I did.”

“You said you were a soldier, right? Do you know when the monsters in Bisha will be dealt with? For someone like me, a merchant, Bisha is a must-visit…”

Absalom settled next to Leehwan. Leehwan glanced at his waist. The sword, a symbol of his identity, was hidden by the cloak. Pretending not to know the real purpose was an excuse, he thought, and a chuckle escaped him.

“Leehwan?”

It was almost laughable, as if covering one’s eyes to avoid the obvious. Had it always been like this? How much had he mocked himself every time he pretended not to see?

Thinking this, he felt his blood boil in reverse.

“The monsters in Bisha will be dealt with soon. I heard that knights have been dispatched.”

Leehwan threw out the information like bait, watching for Absalom’s reaction. However, Absalom’s response was not what Leehwan expected.

“That’s good to know.”

His brief reply seemed offhand. Despite being a monster king, Absalom appeared uninterested in the movements of the knights. Leehwan thought back to the past. He had never mentioned the Knights in front of Absalom to keep his identity hidden.

So why had he approached me? Almost simultaneously with this thought, Absalom shivered. Complaining of the cold, he looked at Leehwan and asked.

“Why are you out here alone?”

“…I don’t know.”

Leehwan hated the presence beyond the tent. Yet, on the other hand―

Thump.

Something lightly touched Leehwan’s shoulder.

“Sorry. It’s a bit cold.”

The voice was awkwardly evident. When he shifted his gaze slightly, he saw a small head and long silver hair resting on his shoulder. Then, Absalom’s arm wrapped across Leehwan’s back, spreading warmth more broadly.

Leehwan abruptly stood up, intending to throw off the cloak but found he couldn’t. He had only just noticed the button fastening it and was struggling to unfasten it.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Later…”

“It’s about the location of the relics.”

Absalom’s hand, clutching the button, paused for a moment. Leehwan looked down at Absalom then sat back down.

“Speak.”

“You said there were at least five, right? We’ve pinpointed four of the relics so far. I think we might be able to confirm up to six.”

Absalom stopped there. An anxious Leehwan urged him on.

“At least start with those four…”

“There’s a condition.”

Absalom’s face was devoid of its usual smile, serious now. Was he showing his true colors? Leehwan felt a surge of tension.

Then, a warm hand cradled Leehwan’s cheek. The words about being cold seemed untrue as those deep blue eyes came close, staring at him. A shiver ran down his spine, feeling like his soul was being deeply scrutinized.

“No matter what.”

Absalom’s voice, contrasting with his androgynous face, was deep and low. His velvety voice quietly tickled Leehwan’s ear.

“Wear warm clothes, eat well, and get good sleep. Promise me you’ll do that, and I’ll tell you.”

The unexpected words left Leehwan still, though Absalom’s hand moved away. Leehwan looked at him suspiciously, yet Absalom seemed sincere.

‘What’s his intention?’

Leehwan forced his narrowing eyes to relax as he thought. Then, a realization struck him.

Lucien had shown his weakness because he thought he had completely won Leehwan over. But not Absalom. He was probably pretending to be sincere to get what he wanted.

“Is that all?”

Leehwan smiled faintly, just as he had done with Lucien. Absalom’s eyes softened.

“Yes. That’s enough.”

It was a somewhat sad smile. Apparently, even a dragon could be an exceptional actor.

“But it seems you haven’t managed that today, so I’ll tell you about the relics later.”

“What…?”

As Absalom stood up, Leehwan also rose, intending to persist.

“Your complexion is poor, and your skin is rough. Those dark circles under your eyes, right? And your clothes, well, that goes without saying.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Eat well, sleep well, dress well. I’m saying you haven’t managed any of those three things.”

“Listen, Absalom.”

Leehwan growled in a low voice. As he stepped closer, Absalom raised his hands in a gesture to calm down.

“The relics aren’t going anywhere. You don’t need to rush. Unless… is there another reason you need to hurry?”