TYND 31

TL: Motokare

In the Empire, even between a married couple, it was unheard of for the spouse to speak casually to their ducal partner. Regardless of age and gender, only the emperor, crown prince, and the high priest of the great temple could speak casually to a duke. 

But since Rothy would soon inherit Yolone Sirin’s ducal title—though it wasn’t announced yet—the two of them were practically equal in standing. 

“Until His Majesty officially announces your title, address me formally. After that, feel free to speak comfortably. And of course… when it’s just the two of us, like now, speak casually. 

“Yeah… thanks.”

Rothy smiled shyly. In that smile, Theon could see the exhaustion on his face. Rothy had spent the day greeting strangers in an unfamiliar place, enduring their wary and suspicious glances, it was no wonder he was tired. But there was still something Theon needed to do before letting him rest.

“There’s someone I’d like to introduce to you.”

“Chase?”

“…Chase?”

“The dog. Chase’s puppies.”

“I’ll introduce you to Chase’s grandpups at another time. Today, I want you to meet Aeruhen Viart Falsen, my nephew and the heir to House Falsen. He’s your age, so you two could become friends.”

“Friends…”

Rothy murmured the word as though it were something he’d never heard before. 

“He’ll be here soon. Just wait a little longer.”

“Yeah.”

“Meanwhile, shall we look around the room?”

“Sure.”

Theon picked Rothy up and carried him around the room. As he showed him the paintings and ornaments, a sharp, piercing shriek rang out from the adjacent room. It sounded like an animal scream, high-pitched and frantic. This was quickly followed by a racket of things being knocked over or thrown. 

“Chi-chi!”

Rothy scrambled out of Theon’s arms and rushed to the connecting door. Hearing the boy’s voice, the white weasel burst out of the other room with a flurry of movement. 

Screeee! Screeee! Scree! 

It was startled to find Rothy gone when it woke up. Bounding up into his arms, it frantically nuzzled its cheek against Rothy. 

Screeeee!

“I’m sorry… you were sleeping so well, I didn’t want to wake you.”

Scree, screee! 

“You were really scared, huh…? I’m so sorry… It won’t happen again…”

Theon found it quite amusing watching the seemingly conversational interaction between Rothy and the weasel. After calming down, the creature began exploring Theon’s bedroom, inspecting the furniture and decorations. From the bed and bedding to the desk, chairs, vases, and frames on the wall… After thoroughly sniffing everything with its pink nose, the weasel collapsed onto Rothy’s lap. The boy, in turn, stroked it as if praising its hard work. 

“Your weasel always inspects everything when the environment changes. Must be tiring.”

“It’s just scared… But its name is Chi-chi. If you call its name, it’ll like you too.” 

“Will he, though? I wonder.”

“It will. I know it will… Because I liked it when you called my name,” Rothy said, his cheeks tinged with a shy blush. 

Whenever Rothy showed him such trust and affection, Theon couldn’t shake the feeling that he didn’t deserve the boy’s sparkling gaze.

“What about you, Theon? How did you feel when I called your name…?”

“I…liked it.”

Rothy smiled bashfully again. Theon already knew that Rothy tended to smile more when he was feverish or tired. 

“Theon, pet Chi-chi. Or would you like to dance with it?”

“I think it might be scared if I suddenly touch it now.”

“Chi-chi isn’t scared of you anymore… Chi-chi likes you, so it’ll be sad if you misunderstood…”

“I’ll pet it another time when there’s a chance.”

Checking his wristwatch that he always wore, it was nearing the small hours. He’d sent Ultje for Aeruhen a while ago, but still no sign of them. Rothy must be getting sleepy. 

“It’s getting late, Rothy, maybe—”

He was about to suggest sleep when he sensed footsteps approaching. There were two—one was Ultje and the other was Aeruhen, who hesitated outside the door. An attendant then announced his arrival.

“Come in.”

The moment the door opened, Aeruhen entered with the excitement of a boy expecting presents, but his face hardened at the sight of a child sitting on Theon’s bed in nightclothes. He spun to face the table where Theon sat, and his face lit with relief to see him in casual clothes.  

“Your Grace, you called for me.”

“Sit.”

Yes.”

Aeruhen took a seat opposite Theon, his posture had the air of a proper knight. 

“Apologies for being late. I was washing up when I heard your summons.”

My apologies if I interrupted your preparations for bed.”

“Not at all! Your Grace’s summons are always welcome, no matter the time!”

Theon frankly assessed Aeruhen from head to toe. He’d seen him at the dinner banquet, but… Aeruhen, who was undergoing knightly training, stood a head taller than Rothy and had a sturdier build. They hardly looked the same age. With jet-black hair and reddish-brown eyes, he was definitely the Falsen heir. Theon then measured Aeruhen’s aura. 

“You’re at the Aura Consumer level.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“You’ll likely reach Aura Controller within five years. That’s an impressive pace for your age. Well done.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

Aeruhen’s smile reached all the way to his ears. As an apprentice knight, he was still unskilled at hiding his emotions. After easing Aeruhen’s tension with sweet praise, Theon moved to the main point. 

“This is Rothy, my betrothed, and the same age as you.”

“Yes, I heard, but I find it hard to believe. Is he really sixteen?”

“Yes. As adorable and doll-like as he is, he’s indeed sixteen.”

Doll…”

“I’ll be busy for a while, so take good care of him. Show him around the estate. He’s delicate, so make sure he’s dressed warmly. Speak casually and get along as friends.”

“……”

“Well?”

“Yes, I understand……”

Aeruhen’s lips jutted into a pout even as he tried to maintain his knightly demeanour. Theon had noticed it too—all day, he’d glared at Rothy with fierce, sharp eyes. Aeruhen had already formed a grudge against Rothy. The estate’s steward had even discreetly informed Theon: 

“The young master knew the reason for the repeated delays in Your Grace’s arrival was because of your ill companion. Though he’s now a knight at Aura Consumer level, he’s still a sixteen-year-old who idolises his uncle. He’s always sung about how Your Grace’s the greatest, strongest hero in history. The repeated delays must’ve built up some resentment.”

“So why’s he in your room wearing nightclothes when the wedding hasn’t even taken place yet? Even as your betrothed, there’s still a clear status difference before the ceremony. Did he come here whining because he was scared?”

“Aeruhen, as you said, Rothy’s the grand duchess-to-be, there’s indeed a status difference between you and him. You may speak casually but mind your tone.” 

“My apologies.”

It wasn’t a clear ‘apologies’, but a muttered ‘a-po-wo-gis‘. It seemed his animosity had deepened. 

“But I’ve never shown anyone around the estate before. I’m not confident about it.”

“That’s precisely why I’m entrusting this to you, as you’re his age.”

“I’m also busy. I need to prepare for the academy reopening, train my aura daily, and I’ve a mountain of heirship lessons to complete…”

“Two weeks. During the time you spend with Rothy, you may take a break from your heirship lessons.”

At that, Aeruhen’s face instantly lit up. He’s indeed a true descendant of House Falsen. Theon, too, remembered how swinging a sword thousands of times had been tolerable, but sitting still to read history textbooks had been pure agony. 

“Understood. I’ll carry out the task you’ve entrusted to me diligently.”

He was quick to change his attitude. 

“Introduce yourselves. You may speak casually.”

“Even though there’s a distinct status difference between us?”

“As long as you’re not being disrespectful. I trust I don’t need to spell out the difference for you.”

“Yes, understood.”

Aeruhen stood first and approached Rothy.

“Hi, I’m Aeruhen.”

Hi… I’m Rothy. And this is Chi-chi…”

Rothy stood up as well, but the physical difference between the two was striking. Aeruhen stared at Rothy, blatantly scrutinising him from head to toe. The weasel, woken again, bristled its fur and menacingly hissed at Aeruhen, whose expression softened slightly at the sight of the creature. 

“That’s a Dalvaeng Northern White-backed Weasel, isn’t it?”

“Yeah… how did you know?”

“It’s one of the rarest white weasel breeds. Red eyes, silky white fur, and even a pure white tail. If you sell it to a poacher, you could probably buy a mansion in the capital. Want me to find you a broker?”

“……!”

Rothy gasped in horror and backed away, clutching Chi-chi tightly. With the bed blocking his retreat, he quickly moved to Theon, who instinctively opened his arms. Rothy’s small frame trembled violently against him. Even in this situation, Theon felt deeply satisfied that Rothy ran straight to him for protection when scared. Settling naturally onto Theon’s lap, Rothy kept trying to hand Chi-chi over to him. 

Screeee! Scree! 

But Chi-chi squirmed desperately, refusing to go, while Rothy persisted, creating a small struggle between them.