TOPWL: 11

“So, what is it that you wanted to say?”

Khalid leaned against the railing as he asked.

There was nothing. Khalid had been brought here by Selena. But if Yudit told the truth, that would mean Selena had lied to Khalid. He didn’t want to burden her any further after all the help she had already given him. Just calling Khalid over must have taken a lot of courage for her.

“Ah, well…”

As the flustered Selena hesitated, Yudit stepped in first.

“I thought you might be… tired by now.”

“Ah-ha. So you brought me here?”

“You’re not fond of conversations, after all.”

At Yudit’s words, Khalid gave him a curious look. It was as if he had completely seen through Yudit’s lie, which was meant to protect Selena.

“The imperial blood truly flows in your veins.”

Khalid moved in close, scrutinizing Yudit’s face inch by inch. Yudit felt as if Khalid was searching for something in his features. Then, Khalid reached out and cupped his cheek.

His hand was warm—no, hot. It was rough with calluses, and the rough palm scraped against Yudit’s skin, but Khalid didn’t seem to care. He lifted his thumb, brushing Yudit’s eyelashes. Yudit could feel each individual lash lifting under his touch.

“You lie without even blinking.”

Khalid smiled as he gazed at Yudit. It wasn’t his usual smile.

Yudit’s heart pounded in warning.

Just as he took a step back, Khalid grabbed his shoulder—the same one that Reginald had struck earlier.

”……”

Yudit bit his lip to suppress a groan. It felt as though Khalid’s grip would tear his shoulder apart. He stubbornly kept his eyes open, refusing to shed tears.

“I know you’re just trying to survive, so I find it somewhat amusing for now.”

Despite his efforts, a single tear finally slipped down Yudit’s cheek.

“But I don’t like liars.”

Khalid loosened his grip on Yudit’s shoulder. He felt as though he might collapse, but he forced himself to stay upright. The feeling in his shoulder was slowly returning, bringing with it a searing pain. It might be more injured than he realized.

Whether Khalid knew or not, he simply leaned against the railing and lit a cigar. The smoke drifted into the night sky.

Watching Khalid smoke, Yudit thought he truly looked like a natural-born predator. Even in his relaxed posture, there wasn’t a single opening to exploit.

Suddenly, it felt meaningless for Yudit to keep resisting like this.

Just as a bug’s wariness wouldn’t trouble a human, his defiance was no real threat to Khalid.

Still, he stood his ground.

The cool night air soothed the lingering heat, and the pain in his shoulder dulled slightly.

“Let’s go back separately.”

Khalid flicked his cigar ash into the tray and spoke. Yudit quietly nodded.

”…Yes.”

He turned toward the inside of the hall quietly enough pace not to irritate Khalid.

Even so, Khalid didn’t spare him a single glance until he had fully disappeared beyond the curtain.

Having spent too long in the darkness, the bright lights inside hurt Yudit’s eyes. Normally, he would wait for them to adjust, but the urge to get away as quickly as possible made him quicken his steps despite his blurred vision.

Only after walking for some time did he finally take a proper breath. That was when he realized how tense he had been.

Unlike Reginald, whose aura spread everywhere, Khalid managed his presence well, but every time Yudit looked at him, he felt as though he were sinking endlessly into water. The stress of being in an unfamiliar place made his stomach ache. Although he was curious about the principle of the fountain, he felt it would be better to leave early.

As he walked forward, he suddenly collided with someone.

The other person had bumped into him first, but due to their larger build, it was Yudit who stumbled. He barely managed to steady himself, avoiding the embarrassment of falling outright.

The first thing his eyes landed on was a red-stained shirt, soaked in wine. It must have spilled when they collided.

“I’m sorry. Are you alri—”

Yudit trailed off as he got a look at the man’s face, involuntarily letting out a sigh.

Hiore Friedrich Adanauer.

Reginald’s full brother.

He was glaring at Yudit, his shirt completely drenched in wine.

How could this banquet have been such a good opportunity for him, only for him to keep running into so much misfortune? Yudit felt a bit resentful

“I thought rats only scurried around the palace, but it seems they’re here too.” Hiore scowled as he spoke.

Yudit was used to this treatment, but the problem was that they were in the middle of the banquet hall. People began murmuring as they watched the confrontation between Yudit and Hiore.

Yudit quickly realized that Reginald and his group weren’t far away. So, after stumbling out of the terrace, he had been drinking nearby.

“That’s why rats should be exterminated from the start. Even if the mother rat burns to death along with its nest, the baby rat stubbornly survives and pretends to be human.” Hiore spoke in a loud voice, a sneer on his face.

Unlike Reginald, who at least cared about his public image, Hiore had no hesitation when it came to insulting or using violence against others.

Hearing his mother and himself insulted so openly in front of everyone, Yudit’s expression turned cold. His breath tightened, and the murmuring around him grew distant. He clenched his fist and took a deep breath. He had heard insults like this endlessly before. So he just had to act like it didn’t affect him.

His breathing steadied. Looking Hiore straight in the eye, Yudit spoke.

“I agree. It’s quite a strange yet wonderful world, isn’t it? Where a baby rat can grow up and call Your Highness brother?”

If Yudit was a baby rat, then what did that make them, who had to hear that term from him? He hadn’t held back at all.

Realizing the meaning behind the words a moment too late, Hiore grabbed Yudit by the collar.

I’ve been grabbed by the collar a lot lately, Yudit thought idly as he let his body go limp without resisting.

“You little—!”

“Hiore.”

Sensing that things were about to escalate, Reginald stepped in to stop him.

Hiore, who always paid close attention to his older brother’s reactions, gritted his teeth in frustration but still let go of Yudit’s collar. He staggered but quickly regained his balance.

The other guests continued their conversations as if nothing had happened, but all their attention was on the three of them.

“So, how are you going to compensate for this?”

Hiore gestured at his wine-soaked shirt. It seemed they truly were brothers—talking about debts and compensation just like Reginald.

Yudit lowered his head.

“I apologize.”

“Do you think an apology is enough? If you kill someone and say sorry, do you think the dead will just say, ‘Alright, I forgive you’?”

Normally, Yudit would have tried to talk his way out of the situation. But he was too exhausted.

“How should I make amends?”

At Yudit’s question, Hiore smirked. So he had wanted something from the start.

Yudit realized he had walked right into a trap.

Hiore spread his legs slightly and pointed downward.

“A rat should apologize like a rat—by crawling into its hole.”

The murmurs among the crowd grew louder.

“Is he really going to do it?”

“No way. He has his pride, doesn’t he?”

“Didn’t he come with the Duke today?”

“Where is he… Ah, there he is.”

The guests’ gazes shifted elsewhere.

Unconsciously, Yudit followed their line of sight.

Even though Khalid was surrounded by people, his height—taller than most men—made him stand out.

Reginald and Hiore also turned to look at him, as if wondering how he would react.

Who would he side with?

Khalid, who had been leisurely enjoying the attention, finally spoke at an unhurried pace.

“Is there a problem?”

His tone showed no concern for Yudit. He realized then—Khalid had no intention of helping him.

He looked at the two princes before him.

And at the many others surrounding them, watching with anticipation. The weight of their gazes was suffocating.

Among this sea of people, Yudit felt completely alone. Slowly, he bent his knees.

A few people let out soft gasps.