LM Chapter 6.2

A little earlier that day, Hayley had safely entered the duke’s castle.

He hadn’t seen his father in a long time, and he had aged considerably. His face was lined with wrinkles, and his hair had turned completely white.

“Father. How have you been?” Hayley bowed his head respectfully. But the former duke, Leon Whitaker, looked at Hayley and gave no reply.

His expression seemed to radiate the bitter cold of the harsh northern winter. Leon turned away curtly and commanded, “Follow me.”

“…”

‘Why is Father acting like this?’

Hayley followed Leon with a look of mounting confusion.

The moment the study door closed, the former duke, Leon, unleashed his wrath, “You good-for-nothing!”

Out of nowhere, a thick book from the bookshelf flew toward Hayley. He could have dodged it, but deliberately let it hit him.

“Father… Why…?”
“Why? Why?!”

Leon hurled a thick, leather-bound hardcover book at Hayley. Its sharp corner struck his forehead before falling. Immediately, his forehead began to sting as if it were on fire.

“Word of your vulgar antics reached me here in the estate! Are you mad?! Entangling yourself with such a lowly man!”

“…”

“I heard from your godmother not long ago. You refused to arrange a match with Miss Catherine of the Count’s household, didn’t you?”
“Ah, yes…”

Several months prior. On the day he had tried to violate Lyndon, who had just been chastised, claiming he was extracting intestinal bacteria, Godmother Antonia had suddenly arrived.

At the time, Hayley was restless and irritable, unable to get any relief. The news he rushed over to hear, leaving that delicious Lyndon trembling beneath him, was merely an offer to arrange a match with the young lady of the Baek family.

Hayley flatly refused the proposal. He was of marriageable age, but… he still didn’t want to marry. Nor did he want to date. He had plenty of work to do, and dealing with Lyndon alone was already time-consuming.

But dating? Marriage?

So he refused. Little did he know it would reach his father’s ears.

“You stupid fool! You idiot! You refuse Catherine, and instead stick around with that butler, doing nothing but sickening things?”
“Ah, Father, how did you –”

Hayley’s head fell limply as he started to ask how he found out. Thinking about it, it wasn’t hard to figure out. The household staff who had served when his father was still duke remained at the ducal residence. The steward was one such person, and so was the gardener. Truthfully, with his father’s eyes everywhere, it was hard for him not to know.

Hayley wasn’t surprised that his father knew all this. Rather… he was surprised because he didn’t know what his father would say about his relationship with Lyndon. After all, same-sex relationships weren’t particularly noteworthy among nobles.

“You idiot! What was he thinking, spending a fortune worth a whole townhouse?! And at the royal casino, no less!”
“Huh? A… a townhouse’s worth?”

Hearing that, Haley was the one who was genuinely shocked. He had handed over Lyndon’s requested sums without hesitation… but he hadn’t realized it amounted to the price of an entire townhouse.

‘Your Grace! Can’t I just do it one more time?’
‘Ah, Your Grace… Just this one time…’
‘Your Grace, this is the last time. Truly, just once…’
‘Oh, merciful Duke… Please, please, just this once…’

So the money Lyndon had swindled from him using his good looks was enough to buy a townhouse in the capital?

A sudden headache struck. Hayley pressed his fingertips firmly against his forehead.

“You foolish, stupid fool! Of all the people to meet while doing that despicable thing. Why must I become a laughingstock? Why must it reach the ears of your retired father!”

“…”

Hayley was at a loss for words, even if he had ten mouths.

“While I’m being nice, cut ties with that bastard.”
“… Huh?”

Hayley’s heart sank.

“There are plenty of other heirs besides you! You became head of the family not because I favored you, but because I believed you would bring greater prosperity to our lineage! But you’re handing over a fortune to that worthless bastard? Even if I’m retired, do you think I can’t pull you down?” Leon glared coldly at Hayley as he spoke. 

Hayley knew full well what kind of man his father was. How utterly ruthless he could be.

Indeed, it was Leon Whitaker, his own father, who had built this duke’s house into the formidable powerhouse it was.

Ashamed, Hayley’s face fell in sorrow. He bowed his head. Only then did the foolish actions he’d committed over the past three months begin to surface.

Suddenly becoming obsessed with Lyndon and neglecting his duties. Being blinded by thoughts of conspiring with Lyndon rather than considering the ducal estate. How he’d lost his mind after hearing Lyndon say “I like you” and spent a fortune.

‘I really was insane…’

It wasn’t something a sane person could do. He had clearly been mad.

Hayley reflected and uttered words of apology. They weren’t empty words; they came from the heart.

“I… have no… excuse. I’m truly sorry.. “
”Hayley… son, I still believe in you…“

Leon rose from his seat and patted Hayley’s hunched shoulders. Even though he had yelled and gotten angry, he was just an ordinary father who loved his son. Just a little strict.

”…“

”I never intended to interfere with who you met or what you did. But Hayley. Not that guy. I found out he’s a notorious figure in casinos and gambling dens. He acts like a sugar baby, stealing women’s money just to gamble it all away every time…“

Leon turned his head to look out at the garden beyond the terrace.

”Truly, he’s a worthless piece of trash… Keeping a guy like that around will only bring you trouble. Hayley… For this father’s sake, end your relationship with that bastard.”

“…”

Hayley closed his eyes. Then, the face of Lyndon, panting and moaning beneath him, appeared in his mind. Soon after, it shifted to the face he wore while playing games at the casino.

Come to think of it… he wore a happier expression when playing games at the casino than when he was with him. His mouth stretched wide when he looked at the cards. Yet he only ever showed him a scowling face. That sight was pleasing to behold, but…

The more he thought about it, the more infuriating it became.

“Huh? Hayley. Promise me. My son.”
“… Yes. I will.”

Their once sweet relationship felt like a lie. It was truly strange. He wasn’t wrapped in a woman’s skirt, but in the butler’s trousers. He was clearly bewitched by that neat face. In the end, he resolved to put a full stop to his relationship with Lyndon.

And then, far off, he spotted a pigeon flying towards them.

“What’s that… a carrier pigeon?”

Hayley opened the terrace door. The pigeon flapped its wings and then perched on the wooden railing.

While Leon went to fetch a servant to give the pigeon water, Haley untied the paper tied to its leg and read it. His expression changed rapidly.

First, horror; then, utter despair; finally, when he saw his father returning with the servant, a face of complete resignation.

“Hayley, what does it say?”

Outside the open terrace, the biting winter wind swept in. That cold, chilling wind shook Hayley. His hair, usually neatly combed back, was disheveled. It felt as if his mind had become a muddle too.

“… Nothing. It’s nothing…”

But the momentary wavering in his heart solidified once more. Seeing his father’s old, weary expression, his own resolve gradually hardened.

‘Yes. Perhaps… it’s for the best…’

Forcing himself to ignore the bitter taste in his mouth, Hayley approached the desk in the center of the study and dipped the nib of his pen deep into the black ink. It felt as if he were dipping his own heart into that dark ink. With hands trembling strangely, he gripped the quill and began scribbling furiously on the paper.

Barely managing to write one sentence, he tied the paper to the messenger pigeon’s ankle with trembling hands. The well-rested bird flapped its wings a few times and soared high into the sky.

Hayley could not bear to watch it fly away, shutting the terrace door with a devastated expression. He could only bow his head and bite his lower lip.

At that moment, Lyndon was facing Cedric with a slightly awkward expression.

“Um… I suppose I could step out now…”
“Come here and sit down.”
“Huh? Ah, no… I’m the Duke’s butler, and with the guest…”
“It’s fine, just sit down.”

The man was truly a bit strange. Whether it was his appearance or his speech… everything about him was unique.

He was clearly a noble, yet he used speech patterns common among commoners (distinctly different from Hayley’s prim and proper tone). His features, too, were strikingly captivating.

His hair, cascading down from above, was an intense jet black. Darker than the night sky after sunset, and strangely, his pupils were the same.

In this Empire overflowing with diverse colors, such jet-black hair and eyes were something Lyndon had never seen before. Of course, his own snow-white hair and Hayley’s golden locks were special too… but a face with such distinct colors?

And such sharply defined features.

The man’s appearance suited jet-black perfectly. A handsome, captivating face, somehow solid yet exquisitely delicate.

Perhaps because it was too flawless, too perfect. At first glance, he felt less like a living being and more like a statue carved by a master sculptor, who had poured his very life into it.

Cool eyes, a high nose bridge, a straight lip line. A flawless face. And, though it might be hard to believe, there was something about looking at him that felt slightly warm.

It was a stark contrast to Hayley, who had seemed cold and beautiful at their first meeting.

So, without even thinking to refuse, Lyndon walked forward, pulled out a chair, and slowly settled into it.

“Good. Well done.”
“… Yes.”

Being praised for something so trivial made him feel a bit embarrassed, puzzled, and complex emotions stirred within him.

“Your position?”
“Pos… sition?”
“Your position within the Duke’s household.”
“Ah.”

The man poured himself a drink. With a slight nod, he asked Lyndon if he wanted one too. Lyndon shook his head in refusal. True to his reputation as hard-to-recycle trash, Lyndon’s favorite things were gambling, booze, and women, in that order. But right now, he had an instinctive feeling he shouldn’t partake.

“Oh? Hmm… You should drink… Well, anyway, what exactly do you do?”
“That… I’m an assistant butler… I manage the cutlery and utensils…”

The man sitting across from him smiled as if genuinely pleased, shaking his head slightly. It looked almost like he was dancing.

Lyndon stared blankly at the man’s swaying figure.

The man… the man truly exuded a peculiar aura.

Silk-like… no, too light to be silk. Soft, yet not that fluttering kind of soft.

More like… velvet. Yes, if pressed, he was a man wrapped in an aura as heavy and lustrous as velvet. His eyes, glistening with a damp sheen, fixed on Lyndon with an intensely heavy, dignified gaze.

“Is that so? Butler?”
“Yes.”
“Your name?”
“Ah, Lyndon… Lyndon Mowgan.”
“Right. Lyndon….”

Cedric brought a new glass and filled it with rum. Then he took Lyndon’s hand, folded over on his lap, and lifted it up. Lyndon’s hand was forcibly suspended in the air.

“Well, Lyndon. You should drink it. Right?”
“Huh? Ah, well… I really should go to bed now… I have work tomorrow too…“
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

Eventually, a glass cup, its contents clearly visible through the translucent glass, was pressed between Lyndon’s fingers. Holding the slippery, cold glass in his hand, Lyndon looked at Cedric in a daze.

“Come on, let’s clink glasses. What? Never had a drink before?”
“Ah, no… Not exactly… But I’ve never tried such high-end liquor.”
“Then what kind of liquor have you had?”

Cedric downed his drink first and stared at Lyndon insistently.

Finally, unable to withstand Cedric’s nagging, Lyndon poured the liquor into his mouth. The moment the rum touched his tongue, the high alcohol content sent a searing heat through him. It slowly flowed down and pooled in his stomach. The sensation made it feel like every organ in his body was being felt individually.

“Ugh…! Wh-why is this so hot?”
“Because it’s a strong liquor, distilled after fermentation.”
“Hmph… It, it feels like my insides are burning…”

Lyndon pounded his chest with his fist.

“Come to think of it, it might be a bit too strong for you to drink. It’s on a whole different level from cheap ale, after all.”
“Hmph.”

At that moment, a sweet date was forcefully pushed into Lyndon’s red mouth. Not long ago, Hayley had also fed Lyndon a date… but for some reason, it tasted different this time.

It clung to his molars more persistently and stickily, as if he were tasting it for the very first time, before finally popping off with a satisfying snap.

“There. Eating some snacks should help.”
“… T-thank you…”

Lyndon stared at Cedric, chewing slowly. Cedric filled Lyndon’s cup with more liquor.

“Who named you? It’s a good name. It has a wonderful resonance, doesn’t it?”
“Ah… I heard it was written on the baby box, along with my birthdate…”
“Whose beautiful head of hair did you inherit?”
“I don’t really know…”

“Your eyes are truly beautiful. Have you ever been to Caldera Forest? There’s a very large lake there. You won’t need to go. You can just look in a mirror. Your irises are the same color as that lake.”
“… Ah, yes… T-thank you.”

Lyndon was a bit, no, very puzzled.

Who was this person sitting before him, suddenly grabbing him and pleading for him not to leave? Why was he inviting him to drink together? Why was he persistently offering him this precious liquor…? Why was he praising the things Lyndon possessed…?

He couldn’t understand a single thing. Still unable to gather his wits, Lyndon had to endure the man’s barrage of questions while repeatedly being forced to drink the potent liquor.

So, by the time the hour passed, he was already quite drunk. He thought he was sitting upright, but his surroundings gradually began to distort and sway.

“… Gulp!”

Finally, his face flushed bright red, and he started hiccuping.

“Oh, Lyndon… You are truly lucky.”
“Me, me… Gulp! Me?”
“Yes. I don’t usually go to such lengths. But for you, I’m putting in quite a bit of effort.”
“Wh-what… what do you mean…?”

His eyes kept trying to close. He rubbed his eyelids hard with the back of his hand. Even so, everything ahead was hazy, and his mind was foggy.

“Haha. You’ll find out soon enough.”
“Bu-but… wh-who are you, coming to see me, the Duke, in the dead of night? Hiccup!”
“Ah, me? So, just as I asked you, are you asking about my position too?”
“Huh? Yes…”
”Haha, I’m the Crown Prince. But Lyndon, I’ll grant you the special privilege of calling me Cedric.“

”…”

‘Crown Prince?’

In that instant, the intoxicating buzz that had been rising within him evaporated completely.

The Crown Prince? The Crown Prince of this country!

Lyndon immediately jumped up from his seat, dropped to his knees on the floor, and prostrated himself flat.

“Your… Your Highness! I… I apologize!”
“Ah, I don’t much care for such formalities. Lyndon, since I’ve granted you permission to use my name, treat me casually.”
“Ah, no, but… still…”
“Haha. Stop it. Unlike that unlucky Hayley, I’m an egalitarian. Huh? Get up, Lyndon.”

Saying this, Cedric pulled Lyndon to his feet. But despite his bright smile, his expression… somehow seemed eerie and ominous.

“Gulp!” Once again, a hiccup escaped Lyndon’s mouth.

“Up close, your eyes are even more beautiful? I truly want them…”
“Huh?”

Cedric immediately scooped Lyndon up. He struggled in surprise, but it was useless. Cedric was incredibly strong. Held fast, he was dragged toward the bed.

“Wh-what! Wh-what are you doing… Put me down!”
“Fine, fine. I like it when you resist like that.”
“… Huh?”
“So, Lyndon, I beg you…“

Cedric tossed Lyndon onto the bed. Landing on the swaying mattress, Lyndon looked up at Cedric with a flustered expression. Cedric began roughly stripping off the jet-black jacket he wore over his silk shirt. Soon, the shirt parted, revealing his prominent Adam’s apple.

”Until it’s over… I want you to keep resisting like that.”
“… Huh?”

Lyndon’s expression crumpled. Only then did Cedric laugh deeply. As if he might go mad with happiness.

“Yes. That’s the expression I want. Under me, you’re only to make that face. Of course, if sad tears flowed from those blue eyes, it would be even better. Fuck, just thinking about it makes me want to cum.”

“… Wh-what are you…”
“Keep that pained look on your face the whole time I’m taking you. I’m quite the sadist, you know.”
“…”

Lyndon’s face turned as pale as his eyes. Taking him? What… How could he say something so… unfit even for a joke…

But then, Lyndon felt relieved. He couldn’t violate him since he was wearing a chastity belt…

Ah. He’d thrown the chastity belt away in the carriage.

The color drained from Lyndon’s face once more. He stared at Cedric with a face full of terror. The remaining drunkenness vanished instantly.

“No, no, please don’t!”
“Good. I like that.”
“Ho, Your Highness! P-please!”
“Call me Cedric. Call me Crown Prince again, and I’ll whip you.”
“… Huh?”

Glancing around with eyes wide, Cedric seemed to search for a whip. Only then realizing this wasn’t his bedroom, he gave an awkward laugh and continued.

“Oh, dear. There’s no whip…. Then I’ll just have to spank you with my hand.”

Even as he uttered such despicable words, his expression was utterly charming, making the whole situation feel tragically ironic.

“…”

“Lyndon, I hope you keep resisting and saying you hate it while we’re doing this. If it gets too hard, cry out my name sometimes.”

Cedric smiled with a strange, twisted expression. His once warm and gentle features had transformed into those of a madman. His slightly moist, jet-black pupils gleamed with a flickering, inhuman light, rolled back halfway.

“No, no, I refuse!”

Lyndon dashed past Cedric, running frantically. He tried to open the bedroom door, but it wouldn’t budge.

“S-save me! Help me!”

He pounded fiercely on the locked door, screaming, but outside remained silent.

Beyond the suffocatingly quiet door, Edmund heard every sound of the commotion. He paced anxiously, staring at the hallway window.

“Why isn’t the messenger coming? It’s time for a reply!”

Edmund was extremely anxious. Even more so since Lyndon cried out for help. But he couldn’t just rush to the bedroom and rescue Lyndon. He needed the Duke’s command, at the very least.

If only His Grace’s letter contained a single word to stop the Crown Prince! If only it had a single line telling him to buy time somehow! Edmund was willing to sacrifice his own life to protect Lyndon.

And then, in that moment, he began to see the carrier pigeon flying in from the distance. The reply had finally arrived.

“It’s here!”

Without even offering water to the carrier pigeon flapping its wings and perching on the window sill, Edmund urgently tore open the letter dangling from its ankle.

And the letter contained…

“Ah, no…”

Only that cold, single sentence was written.

Edmund stared at the brief sentence, his expression blank with incomprehension, reading it over and over, again and again.

But it remained the same. The content hadn’t changed.

“… Your Grace…”

Edmund tore his eyes away from the letter and glanced sideways at the door Lyndon was still desperately pounding on.

Then, suddenly, he turned and walked away from the duke’s bedroom.

“Your Grace, if that is your wish…”

It had been a recruitment notice intended for the Crown Prince from the start. Had his fixation on Lyndon been merely a fleeting diversion?

The midnight corridor was now utterly empty. Only the loud, chaotic sound of Lyndon banging on the door echoed sadly, unheard by anyone.