* * *
The blood drained from the back of my neck.
Did he not notice?
He probably didn’t.
Yeah, there’s no way Cloden did.
Cloden must’ve just thought I called Ateol to my bedroom for something important.
No, but… Two grown men, not in a tea room or the garden, but alone together in a sealed-off bedroom for more than ten minutes?
And then, after one of them leaves, the other has visibly swollen lips?
“Ugh…”
Even I had to admit—I was practically broadcasting what had happened.
In this world, gender doesn’t matter when it comes to love or marriage.
The gods in this polytheistic world are androgynous or dual-gendered, and many things in this world were created as a result of their romances and conflicts.
Because of that, humans born from these beliefs don’t see any meaning in distinguishing gender when it comes to romantic relationships.
Then how do people have children?
Well, this world has magic—the kind that can solve anything.
With the right methods, babies could be conceived.
Like how storks deliver them, or how they’re plucked from cabbage fields, or found under bridges.
To put it in modern terms, it’s a kind of artificial womb.
By combining the essence (in a genetic sense) of two married individuals, children could be obtained through mystical trees or other magical means.
So the fact that Ateol and I were both men wasn’t the issue.
The real issue was that two grown adults were alone in a locked bedroom.
Cloden didn’t seem to pay any attention to my lips, but since he was an expert at pretending not to notice things, I couldn’t be sure.
Sigh. I really don’t know… Let’s just assume he didn’t see.
But that assumption shattered the moment Cloden returned with a cold mint pudding.
So he did notice, this bastard.
The pudding, smooth like jelly and generously drizzled with honey, was one of my favorites.
But I could barely tell whether I was swallowing it or inhaling it through my nose.
The cool pudding gently soothed my swollen lips.
“…Cloden.”
“Yes, Tower Master?”
“Ateol is coming again tomorrow.”
Cloden showed no reaction.
He simply bowed his head and replied, “Understood.”
“Shall I prepare a meal or refreshments?”
“No. Just something to drink. I’ll be calling him to my bedroom.”
“Understood.”
As I looked into Cloden’s ever-calm eyes, I reminded myself not to choke on my mint pudding.
ꔚ
The next day, before meeting Ateol, I had to see someone else first.
The Emperor and Empress had invited me for tea, saying they had something important to show me.
They seemed so anxious, like they were about to secretly declare war on someone, that I couldn’t refuse.
So, I hurried over—only to be greeted by a large crystal orb filled with iridescent clouds.
It wasn’t real cloud, but magic had been used to replicate its exact formation process.
“…It’s beautiful.”
“Isn’t it? Starlit clouds like this are rare, so we wanted to show them to you. They’ll disappear by tomorrow.”
“Yes. I appreciate the gesture.”
There was no way they didn’t know I could make three thousand of these in an instant.
This had to be about Ateol visiting the tower yesterday.
If they were going to try and win me over, couldn’t they have brought something like a dinosaur fossil instead?
Where’s the sincerity?
The effort?
I quietly sipped my tea and waited for them to get to the point.
Finally, the Empress spoke.
“I heard the Fourth Prince visited the tower yesterday. I hope he didn’t cause you any trouble?”
Ah, so this was what they wanted to talk about.
“Not at all.”
I shook my head, and the Empress continued with the same polite smile.
“We worry that the prince may bring unnecessary trouble to you. As you know, the Fourth Prince…”
“He’s a promising talent.”
The moment I cut her off, I could feel my ‘gauge’ drop sharply.
Her lips twitched slightly.
Stay calm.
This is just an investment.
A costly one, but still—securing this now will help my relationship with Ateol in the long run.
“I have taken an interest in the Fourth Prince. He will be valuable to the empire’s future.”
“Tower Master… As his mother, I hesitate to say this, but Ateol lacks the qualities of a ruler. He couldn’t even manage a small territory, let alone the throne.”
“Your Majesty seems to have quite a low opinion of him. It seems our perspectives differ greatly.”
My words came out sharper than I intended, and my gauge took another hit.
Wait.
Why am I getting so worked up?
Just because they badmouthed Ateol?
Why do I even care?
Even as I felt confused, my mouth kept running.
“Indeed, the Fourth Prince has been treated poorly within the palace. That has undoubtedly hindered his growth. But I have already made my decision, so don’t try to change my mind.”
In other words, ‘You raised him this way, so this is on you.’
The Emperor and Empress’s expressions stiffened.
“However, Tower Master, what do you think of Caleus? Since childhood, he has been seen as the natural heir to the throne.”
The Empress was now bringing up Caleus—the Crown Prince.
Ateol’s half-brother, twelve years his senior.
The books described him as a perfect candidate for the throne.
But after observing him for six years, something about him felt off.
He’d subtly flirted with me before, which I found annoying, and overall, I just didn’t like him.
Now that Ateol was about to enter a political battle, I needed to be especially wary of him.
He was, in many ways, the greatest obstacle.
If someone were to uncover the true ‘Yuri Aieles’ instead of Ateol, the one most likely to do so would be Caleus.
After all, while I found him unsettling, he had still spent his life being groomed as the next emperor.
“The Crown Prince is certainly competent. But the Fourth Prince is even more so.”
Clink. Clink.
The sound of my gauge depleting echoed like the sound of my soul shattering.
Ugh, ignore it. I’m just spending a lot of resources on this quest.
I can earn them back later.
But when I stole a glance at my gauge, nearly half of it was gone.
As I discreetly kept checking my status window, a low voice spoke from behind the curtains of the tea room.
“Tower Master.”
Speak of the devil.
Wait—was he listening the whole time?
I hesitantly lifted my head, waiting for the voice to continue.
“It’s Caleus. May I come in?”
No, go away.
I don’t want to see you.
That’s what I wanted to say, but I had no choice.
“…Come in.”
As soon as I granted permission, Caleus drew back the curtain and entered.
He walked forward with steady steps before kneeling before me.
Blonde hair, red eyes.
At thirty-eight this year, he resembled Ateol the most among his siblings.
He looked just like Ateol—just twelve years older.
“I greet the master of the highest tower.”
“Rise.”
Caleus bowed once more before taking a seat at the far end.
A short silence followed until the attendants brought out tea and teacups.
It was Caleus who broke the silence.
“If there is anything lacking, I will correct it. I apologize for troubling you, Tower Master.”
So direct?
Though Caleus kept his gaze lowered in deference and his words were polite, his stance was anything but.
I made no effort to hide my displeasure as I looked at him.
“No one is without flaws. And no one can correct all of them.”
To say that he would correct his shortcomings—it meant he was confident he could.
But did he even know what I found lacking in him?
How could he be so sure?
And what if it was something beyond his ability to fix?
That attitude of his didn’t sit well with me.
“…It seems the Crown Prince believes I chose the Fourth Prince on a whim.”
“That’s absurd…! I would never assume such a thing.”
* * *
