---

“…”

The moment I spotted Vivian in the hall where I went to have breakfast, I was at a loss for words.

As if yesterday’s events had never happened, she flashed a bright smile at me.

“Why?”

I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what to say, but Vivian looked even more beautiful today.

It wasn’t an effortful display.

Simple and natural, yet there were subtle changes.

Her hair glistened more than before, and a very light touch of makeup accentuated her face.

Her waist appeared even slimmer, and her cleavage was unmistakably noticeable.

I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

“…”

I took a deep breath to compose myself and sat down at my place.

After having breakfast with Vivian, some training would help me clear my mind.

-Swoosh.

But at that moment, Vivian settled herself on my lap.

“…What are you doing?”

I was flabbergasted by her blatant tease, but Vivian only wore a playful smile.

“Shall we eat like this today?”

When I didn’t answer, Vivian awkwardly moistened her lips and said, “…Just kidding. Don’t be so serious.”

Then she got off my lap and brushed her hand across the inside of my thigh.

Her hand brushed against that spot, and I instinctively flinched.

Looking up at Vivian, I noticed the flush creeping up her neck and ears as she tried to appear shameless.

“…Is this really necessary?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…?”

She loosened her neck and signaled to the maids.

The maids came in with more appetizing food than usual.

“Kyle, I prepared lots of bread. You love bread, right?”

With her making such an effort, I ended up feeling more defensive.

I let slip a long-held secret.

“…I don’t really like bread.”

“…What? You always finish it first-”

“You like bread. I said I would eat it so you would too, so I just picked it first.”

Only then did Vivian’s façade slightly slip away.

“…Ah.”

She lowered her gaze and, as if retracing her past, blinked.

“…I see.”

“…”

We continued our meal naturally after that.

Vivian didn’t take her eyes off me.

The faint temptation didn’t stop either.

Whenever our gazes met, she kept smiling coyly and revealing her cleavage.

If it weren’t for my resolve, I might have been completely entranced.

I shoveled some meat into my mouth to fill my stomach and then stood up.

I had a hard time continuing to look at her.

“I ate well.”

“Are you leaving already?”

Having finished my meal early, Vivian wiped her mouth in a fluster and stood up, but I left her behind as I exited the hall.

Until the moment I left, Vivian’s gaze never left me.

****

When it came to returning to my hometown, Vivian suggested we talk about it later.

How long would I have to wait?

I didn’t think my mind would change easily.

I had already conveyed my painful farewell.

We yelled at each other and complained.

If I hadn’t intended to leave, I wouldn’t have brought it up.

“What are you thinking?”

As I lay in my quarters lost in thought, Balron approached and asked.

Ever since the news of Robert broke, things had gotten a bit awkward among our trio.

I looked at my long-time comrades and asked honestly.

“Balron.”

“What?”

Martin and Willas were also behind him.

“…If I said I was leaving here, would you help me?”

Balron chuckled softly.

“I don’t want to get banished from the territory, you know? I actually kind of like this life.”

“…”

As I fell silent, the expressions of the trio gradually stiffened.

Willas sat on the edge of the bed and said, “…Are you serious?”

“I told Vivian to send me home.”

Knowing about Robert’s situation, they couldn’t even muster a proper response, only clicking their tongues.

After a moment of lamenting with a sad expression, Martin cautiously tried to lighten the mood with a joke.

“…It’s not just because of Robert, is it? You’re here because you lost the war, right? Even putting aside Vivian’s teasing, you would have been dragged here regardless, whether the Duke of the previous generation passed away or the Prince did.”

“I know. It’s just… I want to go back now.”

I couldn’t speak of the curse. I made another excuse this time.

“…Vivian is safe now.”

“…”

“You don’t need to protect her anymore. You guys can handle it on your own.”

“Kyle.”

As Willas placed his hand on my shin in a reassuring gesture, I kicked him away.

“Hey, I have a hometown too. This isn’t my home. How many times do I need to say it? I’m not like you commoners; I’m a noble. Why should I share this smelly quarters with you?”

“Oh please, you used to sleep in even dirtier places…”

“Enough. So will you help me?”

Balron asked seriously.

“What did Vivian say?”

“…If she said she’d let me go, would I be asking you this?”

“Are you saying you want to run away?”

I answered with a long sigh.

“…Maybe.”

Martin, who had been watching, asked, “Honestly, if you say you’re going to run away, can’t you just do it without our help? Who on earth would stop you? No matter the orders, who in their right mind would stop the guy who killed the Eight Knights and Baelor?”

“Will you help me or not? Just answer.”

Balron replied in annoyance.

“Ugh, I can’t help you, you bastard.”

“What? Balron—”

“Hey! You said you’re a noble, and we’re commoners. Do you have any idea how hard it is to even put food on the table?”

“…”

“I’m 22 now. So are Martin and Willas. We have families to support, so if we got banished from the territory trying to help you, how are we supposed to survive? We’ve been trapped here just like you! We can only wield swords; we don’t know how to do anything else.”

Hearing that, I couldn’t argue with a single thing they said.

I clicked my tongue.

“…Fine, I get it.”

“Don’t take it personally. If you had to choose, would you sacrifice your whole life for me?”

“Of course not.”

I gave in as well.

I preferred this straightforward response. I started thinking about how to resolve this issue with Vivian.

“…Just wait, Kyle.”

“…”

“Once the Delum Royal Family hears about Robert’s situation, they’ll let you go, right?”

“…That might be true.”

…But the truth is, Vivian has become the de facto ruler of this territory.

From the Korod Family’s lands to Robert’s Nerumport.

And if you include Roktana, the land Vivian governs has countless people managing it.

No matter how royal the Delum family is, they’ve reached a point where they have to maintain some level of decorum and protocol with Vivian.

Can the king truly subdue Vivian?

For me to be a prisoner in this land, just a spoils of war, would leave even the king at a loss for words.

Because I understood that, I might have asked this question to the trio.

“…Ha.”

I decided to stop with the complicated thoughts and stood up.

Maybe swinging my sword would help me clear my mind.

****

-Splash!

I poured water over my head and washed off the sweat.

The weather has gotten colder recently, and after pouring water over myself, it felt like my body was releasing steam.

The rest of my comrades claimed it was too cold to wash, sticking with their dirtiness, but I actually found this cold weather quite refreshing.

“Aren’t you cold?”

As I was washing up, someone called out to me.

I turned my head slightly and saw Vivian standing there.

“…I’m washing up.”

“I can see.”

Vivian’s crimson eyes roamed over my bare body.

Her gaze fluttered around, landing on me in a sticky manner.

Feeling that stare, I said, “I’ll get dressed, so please wait somewhere else.”

“…Why?”

She slowly walked toward me.

I froze, unable to show any reaction.

“…You look great, Kyle.”

Vivian whispered.

Even now, she had just a light touch of makeup.

Her lips were as red as her eyes, and a light fabric draped over her shoulders.

“Besides… we’ll be seeing each other soon, anyway.”

“What?”

“…You know, let’s make a baby.”

I burst out laughing.

“…Didn’t I just say I want to go back to my hometown? Did you miss that?”

“I told you to think again.”

As Vivian kept approaching, she hugged me from behind.

“What are you doing?”

Her hot hands roamed over my bare torso.

“…You’re touching me.”

She didn’t seem to care at all about my drenched state.

“…I said I’m not yours anymore.”

“Are you sure?”

Her cautious fingers found their way downward.

-Tap.

I grabbed her wrist before her hand could descend any lower.

“…Stop.”

“…They say guys like this.”

She pulled her head slightly forward from behind me.

Surprised by the size, she inhaled sharply, then tried to feign nonchalance as she whispered.

“…You seem to like it too.”

At the same time, a devilish smile slowly began to spread across her face.

“…”

How could I dislike it?

I was just trying to endure it.

I’ve said this before to Vivian multiple times.

“…You look tired. Do you want me to touch you? But, wow, you’re bigger than I expected.”

“I said enough.”

-Thud.

This time, I pushed her away a little harder.

“Ah!”

Vivian stumbled and fell, clearly caught off guard by my forceful push.

I was momentarily frozen, unable to help her up, and quickly got dressed.

Clothes on, I started putting them on in a hurry.

She began to flush with embarrassment, realizing she had been rejected in such an intimate encounter.

Her face began to turn beet red with clear anger.

“…”

But that anger was soon swallowed up by her will.

Vivian once again flashed that bright smile.

Considering her candid nature, it was painfully obvious how hard she was trying.

This made it even harder for me to endure.

Ignoring her pain as she suggested touching me felt much more challenging.

Did she notice the expression that appeared on my face? She said.

“…I’m fine.”

“…”

“…I’m satisfied just seeing your body. After all, I’m the only woman in this world to have seen you naked.”

She stood up, wiped her eyes with her arm.

As if trying to hide her tears, she composed herself and turned away.

With quick steps, she fled.

So clumsily, so ineptly, her approaching presence left me with another sigh.

The closer that edgy feeling got, the more I sensed it.

Something was about to burst. Something was approaching.

We were likely going to fight, and… the end would be messy.

 

---