A few days later, Ranshel woke up to a scent brushing against the tip of his nose.
For some reason, his vision was entirely red, and a large armful of roses lay before him.
As he sat up in a daze, Zavad, who was sitting by the bed, tucked the bouquet into his arms.
“…Uh, isn’t it time… for you to go to training?”
“I’m leaving now.”
When Ranshel asked sleepily while clutching the massive bouquet, Zavad answered lightly and then tapped Ranshel’s left hand.
Ranshel’s eyes, which had been half-closed, slowly widened as he looked down.
“…”
Ranshel stared blankly at the ring placed on his left ring finger.
It was a silver band set with small, round rubies that were as red as the roses Zavad had given him.
“…Do you like it?”
“…”
“…Do you not like it?”
As Ranshel remained frozen looking at the ring, a hint of anxiety flickered across Zavad’s face.
He reached out his hand toward Ranshel, who was still sitting there with his mouth slightly agape.
“…If you don’t like it, give it back. I’ll get another gem immediately—”
“I don’t want to!”
Ranshel snapped out of it and jerked his hand back.
He stared at the perfectly fitting ring as if it were a miracle, then set the roses down beside him.
He tilted his head and rubbed the finger with the ring against his cheek, which had turned as red as the petals.
The cold temperature of the gems—the same color as Zavad’s eyes—warmed up as they absorbed his body heat.
“…I like this.”
“…”
“I don’t need anything else. I like this one…”
This time, it was Zavad who went quiet, seemingly dazed.
He watched Ranshel for a long time as the boy rubbed his cheek against the ring and then hugged the bouquet tightly with a radiant smile.
By the time the ring on his hand had reached the same temperature as his skin, Ranshel suddenly turned his eyes toward Zavad’s left hand.
Zavad was fully dressed for his outing as if he had been waiting for Ranshel to wake up, and perhaps naturally, he was wearing the engagement ring matched with Frey.
“……Is this ring… only for me?”
At the question that slipped from Ranshel’s lips, Zavad’s brow furrowed slightly.
“If I ordered a pair, the Saintess’s portion would naturally be prepared. That would make things complicated.”
“……I see.”
The entire Empire knew of the Saintess and her fiancé.
Any jeweler receiving an order would assume the accessory was for the Saintess of the Great Temple.
Therefore, while a single ring might go unnoticed, matching rings of the same design would have to be worn together by the two of them when they appeared in public.
Seeing Ranshel turn somewhat vacant, Zavad leaned his upper body and kissed his cheek.
A hint of awkwardness seeped into his clouded expression.
“My work isn’t finished yet. I don’t have a guaranteed title, and the engagement with the Saintess is still a useful tool.”
“……Ah, I didn’t mean it that way.”
Ranshel snapped his head up and smiled weakly, returning the kiss to Zavad’s cheek.
Zavad was still in an unstable environment.
He was in a position where he had to use every card available to inherit his title and become the master of the Pomel Duchy.
He was the fiancé of the Saintess, whom the citizens of the Empire loved.
Even if he occasionally played around with insignificant things, the fact that he had someone he cared for enough to give a ring had to be hidden.
There was no reason to feel heartbroken over such things now.
Ranshel thought he knew his place well enough.
He was just a little surprised by the reality that suddenly crashed down on him after living in a hazy, dream-like state.
A relationship with him was a disgrace for Zavad.
Of course, a mere dalliance with a servant wouldn’t even be a minor flaw for a man of his status.
It wasn’t uncommon for the Empire’s nobles to sponsor high-class prostitutes that suited their tastes and keep them as mistresses.
However, such relationships had to be lighter than down.
They had to be Konected by a thin, unsightly string that could be cut at any time.
Every noble was expected to have a legal wife of the same rank.
One could enjoy the scent of flowers carried on a spring breeze, but it must never become more than an amusement.
Nobles had to be joined with nobles.
If one truly wanted to keep a low-born person by their side, they would have to buy a low title with money and hand it to them.
Just as Charlotte became the adopted daughter of Baron Veliche, there were ways.
But Ranshel couldn’t do that.
Although male intimacy wasn’t unheard of, there was no system that allowed two men to become spouses.
Zavad could only choose the method of giving Ranshel a proper status and keeping him by his side as his personal valet.
That way, Ranshel could assist him everywhere—from the office in the castle to the banquet halls, the drawing rooms for guests, and even the bedroom for rest.
But for that to happen, the basic condition had to be met: Zavad had to be the person with all decision-making power in the castle.
Keeping a favored servant as a lover was only possible when one could control every personnel management detail of the castle.
Ultimately, everything was only possible if his succession rights were recognized by Duke Pomel.
To secure his power, he had to maintain his engagement with the Saintess and gain the support of the Great Temple.
So, Zavad had no choice but to keep wearing the engagement ring he detested while suppressing his surging annoyance.
Ranshel didn’t overlook Zavad’s efforts.
But even if Zavad achieved all his tasks, suppressed the eldest son Stein, and seized power… what about himself?
‘Don’t think about it.’
Ranshel pushed away the thoughts that dropped into his mind like ripples and fiddled with the ring Zavad had given him.
Until the red gem set in the band took his body heat again, endlessly, over and over…
The Great Temple was still crowded with guests attending the wedding services of young couples.
Usually, only Frey was busy delivering blessings, but lately, requests for Zavad to attend the services had been coming in frequently.
Their love story—starting as lovers during their time at the Holy Academy and leading to an engagement—was the most popular romance in the Empire.
Rumors had spread that couples who married at a service they both attended would live happily together forever.
Whenever Zavad was asked to join a wedding vow, he swallowed his sarcasm and refused.
However, when the precious only daughter of the Imperial Knight Commander announced her wedding, he had no choice but to express his intention to attend.
“I guarantee this couple will be using separate rooms in secret within a month after the wedding.”
“Why are you making such a curse?”
Ranshel combed through Zavad’s hair with his fingers, ambitiously grooming the handsome man’s appearance.
While it was enjoyable to see Zavad’s disheveled look after training, he couldn’t help but feel proud seeing him dressed so neatly, with an aura of nobility flowing from his fingertips to his toes.
“…Why are you in such a good mood?”
“Because our Young Master is so beautiful.”
“…”
Zavad lightly pinched Ranshel’s cheek as the boy looked up at him with a beaming smile.
“How annoying.”
“I was complimenting you.”
“I have to leave now… but acting cute like that is annoying.”
Ranshel flinched and stepped back as Zavad’s solid thigh moved between his legs.
Zavad clicked his tongue and gestured for him to come closer again.
“I won’t touch you, so come quickly.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’m in a hurry if I want to kiss you and leave.”
“…You do realize your words aren’t consistent…”
The rest of the words vanished into Zavad’s mouth.
Ranshel’s shoulders twitched as the tip of Zavad’s tongue dug deep, as if tracing the remains of the voice that couldn’t escape.
