* * *
‘Where did he go?’
Kaindel pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, his brow furrowing unconsciously.
He wandered around briefly, wondering if he had gotten the location wrong, but it was a futile effort.
No matter how much he looked around, the familiar silver hair was nowhere to be seen.
“I distinctly told him to wait.”
Should I have just taken him to the music box shop myself?
Kaindel muttered irritably to himself, suppressing the urgency that was beginning to rise within him.
“Kaindel, you’re here?”
A familiar voice suddenly called out, and Isa appeared from among the crowd.
His silver hair was disheveled, as if he’d been running, and his robe, its knot untied, hung loosely over his shoulders.
Kaindel clenched and unclenched his fist as he studied Isa’s flushed face.
Seeing his innocent, unbothered expression, the irritation that had been bubbling within him quickly subsided.
Realizing that Isa hadn’t disappeared on purpose, Kaindel felt his emotions settle.
“Where did you go?” he asked.
“I just looked around nearby for a bit.”
“Nearby?”
“Yeah, you were taking a while. But more importantly, did you get the music box?”
Isa smiled casually at Kaindel, deftly changing the subject as he turned his attention to the music box in Kaindel’s hands.
Kaindel fell silent for a moment.
From Isa’s awkward attempt to divert the conversation, it was clear he was hiding something.
While there were several things that seemed suspicious, Kaindel decided to let it go after some deliberation.
Whatever Isa’s reasons for wandering off, he had returned, and that was enough.
“Here.”
Kaindel handed the music box to Isa.
Perhaps because it had just come from the shop, the box exuded the musty scent of old wood.
Unlike Kaindel, who wrinkled his nose slightly at the smell, Isa’s face lit up as he admired the two small figurines adorning the music box.
He hugged the aged, faintly musty item tightly to his chest.
“It’s so beautiful. Thank you.”
“…You’re welcome,” Kaindel replied belatedly, the words lingering awkwardly on the tip of his tongue.
It was an old, battered music box, neither a precious artifact nor a sparkling jewel.
Yet seeing Isa’s bright, radiant smile made him feel momentarily at a loss for words.
The shopkeeper had been reluctant to sell the defective item.
What could he possibly find appealing about it?
Kaindel glanced at the fragile-looking music box, wondering if it would even play music properly.
And the figurines—two men locked in a friendly embrace?
It wasn’t a dancing couple, but two men.
He couldn’t help but think how unusual it was.
Calling this thing “beautiful” would make any artisan in the capital cry.
And yet, maybe because Isa found it beautiful, Kaindel’s perception of it began to shift.
Though its paint job was uneven and its joints creaked unpleasantly, somehow, it didn’t seem so bad anymore.
Still, I’ll get him a better one when we’re in the capital.
Something so beautiful that he won’t even look at something like this again.
Resolving this internally, Kaindel let Isa tug him along by the sleeve.
“Let’s go over there,” Isa suggested, and Kaindel quietly replied, “Sure.”
As promised, Count Serge hosted a banquet a week later.
The event was grand, especially considering the financial strain of the Serge family.
They had even hired a famous orchestra from the capital and invited nobles from renowned families.
Of course, most guests were there not for the Count but to bask in the glory of the Hero’s name.
Kaindel sipped his wine, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Many eyes followed him tonight; wherever he turned, his gaze met someone else’s.
Judging by their expressions, the rumor that he had left for the capital to fight a great calamity had spread far and wide.
Where’s Isa?
Handing his empty glass to a passing servant, Kaindel scanned the room.
His other companions were enjoying the banquet in their own ways.
Ruen and Owen were stationed near a towering pile of finger foods, Sehir was deep in conversation with acquaintances, and Daniel leaned nonchalantly against a wall.
But Isa was nowhere to be found.
‘Should I go look for him?’
Kaindel tugged at his cravat, debating his next move, when someone addressed him from behind.
“It’s been a while, Hero. Seeing you in good health puts my mind at ease.”
The man was none other than Viscount Chernian, his every strand of hair meticulously groomed.
“Ah, Viscount Chernian. A pleasure to see you,” Kaindel replied, quickly adjusting his expression into a polite smile.
The Viscount had been an investor in Kaindel’s father’s business for many years, and maintaining good relations with him was important.
Even after his father’s death, the business continued to operate through a proxy.
“I’ve heard the news. May the departed soul find peace in the arms of the divine.”
“Thank you,” Kaindel said, nodding at the Viscount’s perfunctory condolences.
It didn’t matter that they were hollow words; Kaindel himself hadn’t mourned his father’s death.
As soon as their exchange ended, a woman approached Kaindel, her timing precise.
“Hero.”
“Lady Vivianne. How may I assist you?”
“Would you be my partner for the first dance?”
“Ah…”
Does it have to be me?
Kaindel glanced at the orchestra preparing to play.
Because Vivianne had spent time approaching him, they hadn’t yet begun the music.
While it was customary for the host to have the honor of the first dance, it wasn’t unusual for him and Vivianne to partner up.
He simply didn’t feel like it.
Before responding, Kaindel glanced toward Count Serge.
The Count’s eager gaze all but confirmed his intentions.
It made sense now why the Count had been so accommodating to Kaindel’s earlier request to simply enter with Vivianne.
He had planned this all along, knowing Kaindel couldn’t refuse a public invitation like this.
After hesitating briefly, Kaindel took Vivianne’s hand.
“It would be an honor, my lady.”
During the dance, Vivianne remained silent until the music reached its climax.
“My father.”
“Yes?”
“He’s watching us.”
Her whispered words carried a veiled plea, her eyes steady and unwavering.
Gone was the air of fear that had always surrounded her.
Just as Kaindel began to wonder at her change, Vivianne rose onto her toes and lightly kissed him.
Though brief, the warmth it conveyed was unmistakable.
“…What.”
The moment left Kaindel stunned, but he quickly regained his composure, stepping back and wiping the lingering sensation from his lips with the back of his hand.
“What are you doing?”
“I just… It was…”
Clearly unprepared for Kaindel’s immediate rejection, Vivianne clasped her hands behind her back, her expression crumbling with the return of her usual fear.
The unexpected spectacle caused the orchestra to stop playing.
“My father wanted this,” she murmured.
“Then I’ll go have a word with Count Serge,” Kaindel said curtly.
“Please, no, Hero. You’re a good person. Can’t you help me just this once?”
“Lady.”
The moment Kaindel was about to snap and retort, ‘What nonsense is this, calling me a ‘lady’ of all things?’, he stopped.
“If… if it’s money you need, I’ll give it to you. I have a fund set aside for escape money. I’ll give you all of it.”
Vivienne clung to him desperately.
“That’s…”
“I’ve heard the rumors. They say, Hero, that as long as someone pays you, you’ll do anything.”
“…”
Kaindel knew exactly what Vivienne was getting at.
His relationships at sponsorship parties always followed the same script.
To those who wanted a kiss, he gave one.
To those who sought honor, he granted it.
And in exchange for all these, he took their money.
They paid him, and he offered himself.
To him, it wasn’t shameful. It was simply pragmatic.
Even with Isa, hadn’t he tried to solve problems in the same way?
But why, then, did Vivienne’s request feel wrong?
Offering money in exchange for his compliance shouldn’t have felt suffocating, yet it did.
For a moment, it felt as though he was sinking into a swamp.
And just then, his gaze locked with Isa’s from across the room.
* * *
