* * *
Kamil stared at Anakin as if observing him intently.
It was a blatant gaze that anyone could see.
Everyone present felt it, but they chose to remain silent, minding their own business.
“That’s right. Anakin, didn’t you have the best grades?”
Kamil asked, looking down as he stirred his coffee with a spoon.
Anakin replied with a smile.
“No. Everyone was excellent.”
“…”
Amidst the stifling conversation, Hilde and Serdic exchanged glances.
There was no one in the Imperial Palace who didn’t know the rumors about these two.
Furthermore, there was no way Hilde and Serdic—who had taken classes directly with them—could fail to notice the subtle tension in the air.
“Serdic. Are you traveling with His Highness now?”
Hilde quickly changed the subject. Serdic immediately chimed in.
“…Yes. That is correct.”
Serdic was the eldest son of the prestigious Marquis Lanoir family, which had assisted the Crown Prince for generations.
His defining traits were his outstanding martial arts and his taciturn personality.
In the original work, he was Kamil’s closest and most loyal subordinate, a secretary who performed his role as a shadow perfectly.
At times, he even took on the role of monitoring Anakin on the Prince’s behalf or bringing him in by force.
Because of that, the Anakin in the original story absolutely hated Serdic.
“I wasn’t as outstanding as the two of you, but fortunately, His Highness looked upon me kindly.”
Serdic replied humbly after taking a sip of tea.
“By the way, I heard that the Young Lord and Anakin have entered the Pasadian school… is it true?”
Serdic’s green eyes sparkled as if that was what he had really been curious about.
Hilde nodded in response.
“Yes. We have to head back later today.”
“…So it’s true. I knew the two of you would pass.”
“Why, are you interested in Pasadian?”
“…It’s not exactly that, but.”
When Serdic avoided eye contact, Anakin fixed his gaze on him.
‘To think he’s interested in Pasadian.’
Anakin knew he was talented with a sword, but he hadn’t known he showed interest in magic as well.
In the original novel, he was merely described as the Crown Prince’s confidant, so his inner thoughts never surfaced.
Because of that, Anakin hadn’t known he harbored such ideas.
It was a bit unexpected.
Meanwhile, as Anakin stared at Serdic, Kamil’s eyebrow twitched ever so slightly.
“This garden is truly beautiful. Is this scenery made with magic?”
“Yes. Lillian and Louis would have loved it if they saw this.”
Those two were the members who loved flashy things the most.
Anakin’s body stiffened at the mention of Louis, but he quickly maintained his composure.
“I suppose so. Have you seen them recently?”
“No. Anakin, after you fell ill, I disbanded that gathering.”
“…”
‘Did he really disband it because of me?’
That gathering really had been created purely for the point of contact between Anakin and Kamil.
Anakin gave a bitter smile.
“I see.”
“…Did you wish for it to continue?”
Seeing Anakin’s look of regret, Kamil asked curiously.
“No. I just think it would have been better if I hadn’t gotten sick.”
“Hmm…”
As Anakin smiled brightly, Kamil’s expression changed subtly.
Seeing this, Serdic quietly wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and spoke.
“I believe I must head out now. I belong to the Imperial Knights.”
As he took the hint and left, Hilde turned his head to look at Anakin.
Anakin gave him a slight nod to show he was okay.
He didn’t think the Crown Prince would try anything foolish immediately.
Besides, they did need some time alone.
Even so, Hilde hesitated for a moment, worried about leaving them alone, but eventually stood up as if he had no choice.
“Then I shall head out as well. Anakin, I’ll be waiting.”
For the sake of the two who seemed complicated, Serdic and Hilde cleared the area.
In the silence left after their departure, Kamil and Anakin remained quiet for a long time.
Now that he was actually facing him, Anakin couldn’t remember the countless things he had practiced saying.
“You and Hilde seem excessively close.”
“…I rely on him a lot.”
A reunion with the main lead after one year.
Anakin calmly thought about what the Prince had done to him.
Unilaterally pouring out Alpha pheromones to force an early manifestation.
Ruining his body.
In the original work, that was a daily occurrence for Anakin.
But having experienced it firsthand, it felt so… disgusting and sorrowful.
“Why did you do that to me?”
At Anakin’s question, Kamil did not answer.
Perhaps because he was skilled at hiding his emotions, Anakin couldn’t guess what he was thinking.
After a short while, he spoke.
“Anakin. You stand out too much.”
“…”
He opened his closed eyes and stared deeply at Anakin with his violet gaze.
His eyes revealed a terrifying and intense possessiveness, just like in the original work.
Hiding his flustered heart, Anakin blinked his eyelashes and spoke with feigned composure.
“Do you like me?”
The moment the words left his mouth, his heart began to pound and his hands sweat, but it was something that needed to be said.
‘Can he like me even if I’m not the Anakin from the original story? Or did he just conspire with Evelin to trap me?’
The words Kamil spoke next came as a great shock to Anakin.
“I like you.”
Anakin froze at his blunt delivery.
“…”
‘He likes me?’
‘How could someone like that do such a thing…’
“You knew that Lady Evelin gave me a potion to force my manifestation early, didn’t you?”
Anakin’s eyelashes trembled.
“I knew. But I was not in league with her.”
“…Then why did you spray your pheromones on me? Because of that, I…”
“Anakin. I know you are naturally angry with me. But I want you to listen to what I have to say.”
“…Alright.”
As Anakin bit his lip and nodded, Kamil continued.
“You might have guessed, but my plan was for you to feel something wrong with your body and return to the mansion on your own.”
“…”
“Anakin, you are so charming and beautiful… there were always so many pests swarming around you. Even in this flashy Imperial Palace, you were the most conspicuous existence.”
He slowly began to pour out his hidden inner thoughts.
“I didn’t know about Evelin’s plan. I received the news urgently through a servant on the day of the banquet. That you were in danger, Anakin.”
“…How.”
“So I told your brother, the Young Count Roman Descartes, your location.”
“…!”
‘Was the reason Roman came to save me because of Kamil?’
This was a shocking fact he hadn’t known.
It seemed Roman had intentionally kept quiet, knowing the complicated relationship with Kamil… but it was hard for Anakin to accept a truth that only he had been unaware of.
“I never truly intended to force your manifestation… I’m sorry.”
“…”
Anakin didn’t know how much of it was the truth, but it seemed he had indeed been operating under a misunderstanding.
If the Crown Prince had really conspired with Evelin to torment him, there would have been no reason to tell Roman his location.
“If I had known you were in danger, I wouldn’t have done that.”
He hated himself for wavering slightly at the Prince’s sincere words.
It was true that he had selfishly used pheromones to try to send him back to the mansion… but it wasn’t intentional.
While there was some misunderstanding, it was still disappointing.
“…I understand. Let’s stop here.”
“…Anakin.”
“That day left a massive scar on my life. One I can’t even describe.”
“…”
“I barely managed to endure each day with the trauma of the banquet and my failing health…”
Anakin let out a hollow laugh, finding it absurd no matter how much he thought about it.
“I’ll just consider it bad luck.”
At Anakin’s resigned gaze, Kamil stared at him piteously.
“Anakin.”
Kamil approached Anakin and reached out a hand.
“Let’s walk for a bit.”
Anakin stared at the hand for a moment before taking it and standing up.
It was certainly a scenery too beautiful to just sit and talk through.
The garden was illuminated by wildflowers and butterflies like a paradise, and a pond that naturally brought back memories of the Imperial Palace gardens they used to walk in.
“Everything is my fault. It’s because I was careless.”
“…”
“If I had known Evelin was plotting such a thing, I would have stopped her long ago.”
“…”
Kamil stopped walking in front of the pond.
As expected of a main lead, his broad shoulders and tall stature already radiated the majesty of an obsessive protagonist.
“Anakin, you are not at fault.”
The Crown Prince looked down at Anakin with his handsome face.
“…”
Anakin hated and resented him, but at the same time, he couldn’t deny that other feelings were blooming.
From the moment he heard Kamil’s name, he had struggled to calm his pounding heart.
‘Is it because this is the body of the ‘Uke’ that I’m drawn to the ‘Seme’… or do I actually have feelings for Kamil?’
‘I’d rather it be the former.’
“I… I can’t handle Your Highness.”
At Anakin’s words, Kamil looked down at him.
Perhaps because Kamil and the sky looked so unrealistic, it was easier to speak.
“I’m already overwhelmed just trying to take care of my own life…”
“…Anakin, you heard it from Callis too, didn’t you? That your body is very weak.”
“…”
He took a strand of Anakin’s hair and stared insistently into his red eyes.
“Give me a chance to take responsibility for making you that way.”
* * *
