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“You’re more foolish than I thought, huh. What exactly do you think you’ll gain by sticking around in this land?”

“Why would I trust the hand of someone who mocked me just days ago?”

“It was part of a power struggle; there’s no ill will involved.”

“No thanks, I don’t need your help. I’m not looking to get into debt.”

“Think it over, Kyle Allen. You might regret this choice…”

“I’m done talking.”

The Secret Conversation was flowing straight into Vivian’s ears.

Kyle’s necklace made it possible.

Taking some time alone, Vivian’s curiosity about Kyle surged, and as she harnessed the power of the necklace, her body stiffened at the voices that reached her.

Count Korod seemed to be preparing to send Kyle away.

As Explosive Anger ignited within her, Kyle’s subsequent words calmed her down.

Kyle said he wouldn’t leave.

Even though a chance to leave was clearly given, he replied that he wouldn’t depart.

Of course, he couldn’t leave. Vivian had learned about the plan.

Yet, oblivious to this, Kyle’s choice was simply to stay.

…Why?

Ironically, that question filled Vivian’s mind.

It was true she didn’t want to let him go; it was also true she had forbidden it.

…But why did Kyle say he wouldn’t leave? Didn’t he want to?

A part of her mind could identify the reason, yet it was too sweet to take the bite.

So she tried to find a reasonable explanation, searching for this reason and that.

But it didn’t last long.

Ultimately, the answer Vivian arrived at was one.

…Could it be that his love had deepened?

She swallowed that sweet reason.

On a day filled with intense kisses and increased physical contact… had he perhaps changed?

Maybe Vivian’s plan to hold Kyle’s leash was working after all.

Not just a political prisoner, but psychologically captured as well.

Whatever the reason, he wasn’t leaving.

That fact brought a smile to the corners of Vivian’s mouth.

It was the smile she hadn’t been able to wear while maintaining a stern expression in front of Count Korod these last few days.

In the end, it was only Kyle who could make her smile.

He was the only one who could genuinely make her angry, truly make her sad, happy, or even annoying.

Now, she felt a profound sense of satisfaction.

She thought she was restricting him from leaving, but even if she handed him the leash, he had no intention of departing.

The guilt she felt towards him seemed to lessen.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t felt sorry for him, even Vivian was not without shame.

“…Kyle.”

Vivian called his name, almost like a moan.

Kyle would be by my side forever.

Is there any sweeter words than that?

Even after committing such outrageous actions, Kyle ultimately chose to stay by her side.

He chose to stand by her even as the pressure from Count Korod intensified, predicting a storm ahead.

This kind of reliability felt surprisingly familial.

It was reminiscent of the comfort she felt when her father, mother, or older brother was around.

With just Kyle by her side, it felt like there would be no obstacles she couldn’t overcome.

Vivian kept smiling.

After a long while, when the thrill began to subside, she finally thought of Count Korod.

…It ended up as just an unsuccessful attempt to take Kyle away from her.

The courage she once lacked was now surging.

Kyle was by her side.

If a fight was what they wanted, they could fight.

…

“It’s finally broken down.”

The lengthy Meeting concluded without leaving a scratch.

It was rare to have the illusion that some common ground could be found, but the outcome was the same.

Well, it was no longer needed.

Vivian didn’t long for peace either.

She had done her best; that much was true.

She hadn’t done anything to be ashamed of in front of the subjects.

“What a shame.”

Count Korod spat meaningless words.

His manner of scraping right to the end was incredibly annoying.

Vivian recognized that she needed to prepare for the coming storm.

Although it was calm for now, the relationships would gradually worsen following this incident.

Intensifying conflicts and attacks were expected to escalate.

She didn’t want to converse with the enemy for too long.

The sun was already beginning to set, and it was getting late.

“I’ll prepare the meal.”

Count Korod nodded and stood up.

“Thank you. We’ve decided to set off tomorrow morning.”

He seemed to no longer want to stay here.

Vivian hid a sneer at the fact that they agreed on at least that.

****

“Drink!”

On the banquet table, Count Korod kept downing alcohol.

His face began to redden, indicating that he was quite tipsy, and perhaps due to the release of tension, he was losing control of himself.

The face of Vivian sitting across from him hardened with each passing moment, and my heart mirrored that expression.

“The wine tastes good, Lady Vivian. Ha ha… It’s okay to drink more, right?”

“…It would be better to restrain yourself.”

“We always seem to oppose each other. Since it has come to this, I’ll stick to my own way.”

He tilted his glass and downed the drink in one go, handing the glass back to the maids.

The maids, who had been watching Vivian nervously, clumsily filled the glasses.

Immediately after, Count Korod stared at Vivian with unblinking eyes.

Was it the alcohol? His gaze was unsettling.

It repeatedly darted toward Vivian’s chest.

Eventually, I rose from the table, unable to tolerate that gaze any longer.

All eyes shifted to me with my sudden action.

Straightening up, I climbed onto the platform and sat next to Vivian.

Count Korod looked startled, pulled from his own world.

With a sly grin, he said, “Isn’t this Kyle Allen? Hmm… Seems like you found yourself in the wrong place.”

“I’m not in the wrong place.”

“Aren’t the people of your status below?”

“You seem to have forgotten, you’re actually beneath my status. Have you forgotten where our family stands?”

Count Korod rolled his eyes and nodded, realizing. “…Now that I think about it, you’re the eldest son of the Allen family. I forgot that you’re a noble due to your lack of manners.”

The person who earlier offered help was nowhere to be seen, leaving a single irritating middle-aged man before me.

His condescending look and attitude as he saw us as mere children was infuriating.

‘A bunch of clueless kids…’ was the expression he wore.

I didn’t want to deal with such a scumbag any longer.

Though Vivian was maintaining her decorum, she had already upheld the respect due to him.

It was only Vivian, who failed to act, that seemed foolish.

“If you’ve stuffed yourself, you should stop drinking and head in.”

“…Hmm. Should I? By the way, is there no maid to share warmth with? My lower half is feeling restless.”

“…”

I clenched my teeth.

I had heard from Vivian.

That it seemed they would be fighting the Korod Family.

But I never expected a person to change this much over one change.

Considering how Count Korod had acted decently for the past three days, I couldn’t find a trace of that demeanor now.

He might even be intentionally provoking us.

With a sigh, I decided to ignore that pathetic provocation.

Instead, I took Vivian’s arm and stood up.

Looking puzzled, she didn’t resist my grab.

“Let’s go, Vivian.”

“…Uh, okay.”

I commanded the maids.

“We’ll go in first, so wrap things up. Don’t serve any more drinks. If you want more, go into the city and hit up the tavern.”

Meanwhile, Vivian readjusted her grip on my arm.

Concealing her surprise at my actions, she told Count Korod, “…Then.”

Count Korod, who had been observing us, spoke up.

“…Let me give you a piece of advice as an adult.”

Whether it was due to the alcohol, Count Korod suddenly became serious and spoke with a relaxed expression.

“I don’t know what kind of relationship you two have… but don’t play childish games. You won’t last long in the world of adults with that weakness.”

I took a deep breath and replied, “Here’s a piece of advice from me… don’t give advice.”

And then I left the hall.

****

Once we reached the room, Vivian finally loosened her grip on my arm.

Closing the door, Vivian sighed, her expression easing.

“Were you worried?”

Vivian asked.

To my surprise, her mood didn’t appear too bad.

She had maintained a neutral face all day, but now she turned to me with a bright smile.

It felt like another of her tricks to sway me, so I avoided her gaze.

“I’ll be heading back. Sleep early.”

I said that and turned my body away.

However, Vivian grabbed my departing hand.

“…”

Unable to shake off her touch that would fall off with a flick, I asked.

“…Why?”

After a long silence, I finally asked.

I might not easily get tense around others or in different situations, but it seemed I always froze up in front of Vivian.

“…This time is only for three days, Kyle. Wouldn’t it be okay to spend a little more time together?”

What could that mean?

Gathering some courage, I turned to Vivian.

Even in the darkness, Vivian shone brightly, hesitating before she smiled and tapped her lips with her finger.

Just that trivial action made my lower half heat up.

Her boldness in playfully suggesting something inappropriate, her cold demeanor towards others while treating me specially, and her rare desires for a kiss all became part of her charm.

“You’ve had it tough lately. Consider this a reward.”

“…”

“Kiss me before you go.”

The more I looked at her, the more she seemed absurdly cheerful.

Was she really that grateful for being rescued from the dinner with Count Korod?

Whatever the reason, I felt like a candle in front of her temptation.

I wanted to kiss her, to intertwine our tongues.

-Smooch…

But I clenched my fist and held back with extraordinary patience.

“…What’s the point of doing that?”

I asked.

Vivian looked surprised, as if she hadn’t expected me to ask.

“Why are you suddenly shy? We’ve done it plenty of times, haven’t we?”

“That’s not what I was asking.”

“You don’t want to do it?”

“I do want to.”

“Then do it. I give you permission.”

I held her hair gently, grasping it like a handle.

Keeping my grip on her hair, I said to her, “…Besides, you already said we can’t be together.”

“…”

“So why do you keep shaking me up? Is it entertaining?”

Only then did Vivian seem to realize my feelings were in chaos, her smile slowly fading as she looked up at me.

A rare look of guilt emerged on her face.

“That’s not it.”

“…Don’t tempt me, Vivian. Please. The more you permit me, the harder it becomes.”

I let go of her hair.

Turning my body to leave, but once again, Vivian grabbed me.

She quietly murmured against my back in a firmer tone than before.

“…I don’t want to.”

She was going against what I asked for yet again.

“Kiss me, Kyle.”

“…Ha.”

I couldn’t endure it for a second time and turned back.

Then I grabbed her face with both hands and kissed her.

Vivian closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around my neck.

For quite a while, we shared a kiss.

****

Stepping outside the castle, I wiped my lips with trembling hands, but the softness and sweet breath of Vivian didn’t fade.

Is this what it feels like to touch drugs?

Even knowing I shouldn’t be doing it, I couldn’t refuse.

I knew this would lead to ruin, yet I found it hard to resist the temptation before me.

“…Damn it.”

Ultimately, I could only blame the drug-like effects of Vivian.

Without doing so, I felt too pathetic to endure.

The hardest part about kissing Vivian was that, during the kiss, hope filled me.

It was the only pleasure I could feel in my muddy reality.

When I kissed her, I thought.

Maybe she could love me.

Perhaps we could dream of a future together.

It was all too easy to deceive myself with how affectionate Vivian’s tongue was.

It was hard to see it as the same tongue that always delivered insults.

It kissed and licked here and there.

And when I felt that tongue at work, I wondered if she actually loved me.

Of course, once we pulled away, that very tongue would claim it didn’t.

I needed to leave before I became any more addicted to her.

That much was clear.

I stood up, wiping my mouth again.

I needed to return to my quarters.

Perhaps it would be best to sleep and clear my thoughts.

As I walked toward my quarters, someone familiar spotted me and rushed over.

“Kyle!”

It was Kelsy’s aide, helping out the blind Kelsy.

I think his name was Theo.

“K-Kyle! We have a huge problem…!”

He stammered as he grabbed me.

I shook off his grip and said, “Calm down and explain. What’s going on?”

He seemed unsure where to start and kept fumbling his words.

“Count Korod…! He’s been drinking too much…! So he… he’s trying to…!”

I had roughly understood what was happening while he drunkenly spoke.

With a sigh, I said, “If it’s about Count Korod’s drunken antics, leave it to his knights. There are eight of them.”

“B-but…! No one is objecting to the Count’s actions…! We need to hurry! We must stop the b-b-breach of assault!”

“Assault? Who’s assaulting whom?”

Those words snapped me back to reality.

Theo shouted, “Kelsy!”

Kelsy.

“Lead the way.”

I ordered immediately.

Theo nodded and dashed ahead.

Kelsy was one of Vivian’s main vassals.

Thanks to her plans, Rondore was rising.

Was Kelsy a thorn in their side during negotiations?

Was this some sort of revenge for that?

With a fight on the horizon, did they have to act this recklessly?

Was Kelsy, being blind, more vulnerable to this trap?

Running hard, I reached the temporary lodge of Count Korod.

In front of it stood the remaining eight knights, lined up, doing nothing.

Not even human.

Knights? No, just a bunch of punks.

Thinking that, I asked Laird, “Where’s the Count?”

“…Inside. Don’t interfere, Kyle Allen.”

“Ha.”

I shoved Laird’s arm aside.

I tried to open the door, but it was locked and refused to budge.

-Boom!

I kicked the door open.

The doorknob shattered apart.

As I toppled the door, I stepped inside.

“…”

But there was no one inside.

“…What the hell?”

Turning around, the eight knights were slowly entering the room one by one.

After they entered, they lined up in formation.

Only then did Count Korod, who had been hiding behind them, come forward.

Count Korod smiled as he looked at Theo beside him.

“Good job, Theo.”

Theo nodded as if meeting his long-time lord.

Only now did I realize that Theo had always been with Count Korod.

“…You’ve been too out of line, Kyle Allen.”

He said.

-Swish!

Hilden grinned evilly, drawing his sword.

The sound of cold metal sliced through the darkness.

Count Korod continued.

“We’re only after Vivian… but if you keep poking around, don’t expect us to hold back. How many years have you obstructed our plans?”

“…We?”

We? So there were others?

In any case, this was the first moment I had seen someone genuinely targeting Vivian’s life right before me.

He snorted.

“With death staring you in the face, are you still curious about such trivial matters? How great was your father’s name that you could grow up without a sense of crisis? I was going to send you home, but you refused that as well… Didn’t I tell you if you refused, you’d regret it?”

I gripped the sword I had slung over my back.

As I stared at the enemies, thoughts raced through my mind.

This was different from facing four assassins.

They were more in number and superior in skill.

“…Can you handle this?”

I asked Count Korod.

But he wore a bemused, relaxed smile, making it hard to believe he was in any serious predicament.

“What’s not to handle? If you die, the entire Delum Kingdom will rejoice.”

“The East Kingdom won’t stay quiet.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. With Jade Allen bedridden and groaning, what could the East Kingdom even do?”

“…”

“The justification for this behavior… Let’s see, just say it’s revenge. Revenge for the deeds Jade Allen committed during war. Besides, I have no desire for peace with the East Kingdom. If war breaks out, then let it. All I contemplate is the future of my family. Besides, it’s not like our king would care to do anything just because you’re dead.”

The knights began drawing their swords one by one, excluding Hilden.

And with each sword drawn, the pressure in the room intensified.

…I might be standing on the front lines of death.

Never had death felt so close to me.

Of all the adversities I had faced, this one towered above them all.

“I’m just curious.”

Count Korod said with a sneer.

“Your relationship with Vivian is so strange… I wonder if Vivian will laugh or cry when she sees your corpse tomorrow.”

At his words, I laughed.

“…That’s a curiosity I share.”

The taste of Vivian’s lips still lingered on mine.

The knights revealed their intent to kill, gripping their swords.

The smell of death began to permeate the room.

“Any last words?”

As I got into position, I replied, “…I’ll think about it when I’m old and dying in the distant future.”

Count Korod commanded the knights.

“Kill him.”

And with that, the fight began.

 

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