* * *
Hesia gave up his fruitless struggle with his unmoving waves and instead turned to watch Vivisian.
His vivid blue eyes moved slowly along the text, their color deeper than any gemstone, reflecting the words as they passed.
He was a beautiful man.
Surely, just like those fleeting words, many people must have passed through his life.
And Vivisian, who never reread a page, likely never looked back on those who had already passed.
Hesia didn’t want to become just another fleeting passage in his life.
With that silent thought, he leaned his head against Vivisian’s shoulder.
Having grown used to Hesia’s affectionate tendencies during their travels, Vivisian merely let out a small chuckle.
He didn’t push him away, didn’t complain about the weight on his shoulder.
Taking his silence as permission, Hesia closed his eyes.
The Grand Duchess knew that the guest Hesia had brought was Vivisian.
Of course, she would.
She was Hesia’s family, after all.
She knew of the one he longed for most.
And she knew that no one else could ever fill that longing.
Someone who had only ever wished for one person was now happier than if they had gained the entire world.
It would have been stranger not to suspect that the one he had wished for was now by his side.
And so, at some point, she had come to yearn for her only remaining blood relative’s happiness.
She had read Vivisian’s heart and saw that he had no intention of living as Vivisian.
So she had called Hesia to her and spoken.
“Just make sure nothing happens that would cause conflict with the Empire.”
Though she hadn’t said it outright, the implication was clear—she was allowing Vivisian to stay in the principality.
She hadn’t called Vivisian aside to say anything else, either.
And because of that, Vivisian seemed to have taken a liking to Merien Principality.
After all, a foreign land that neither rejected nor welcomed him was far more comfortable than a homeland that had only ever denied and resented him.
Most of all—there was someone here who wanted him.
“Congratulations. You are now free.”
Since hearing those words, he had wandered for a lifetime.
His memories of settling down somewhere were far outnumbered by the times he spent adrift.
He had consoled himself by saying that traveling had always been his wish, that he was fine.
But perhaps, deep down, he had hoped there would be a place to return to.
Vivisian lifted his gaze from his book, drawn by the steady sound of breathing beside him.
“Hesia.”
Hesia was sleeping peacefully, resting his head against Vivisian’s shoulder.
Vivisian quietly watched the beautiful figure who had found peace by leaning on him, then set his book down.
Carefully, he picked up the blanket that Hesia had draped over his knees and adjusted it, making sure Hesia’s head wouldn’t slip from his shoulder.
As he did so, he unconsciously began humming a lullaby, something that had become second nature to him.
A gentle warmth settled over his face, impossible to hide.
Time passed, and though Hesia had not fully recovered, he had gained enough strength to move on his own.
During that time, Vivisian’s life in the Merien Principality remained unchanged—peaceful, just as it had been from the start.
It was slightly inconvenient that he was confined to Hesia’s castle, but that was a small matter.
Hesia had never liked being surrounded by too many people, so there weren’t many servants in the castle.
And those who were present had been with Hesia since childhood, meaning they neither disrespected nor troubled Vivisian.
It was, in every sense, a peaceful life—no one to provoke him, no one to disturb him.
Today, Hesia was away for his succession training.
Left alone, Vivisian had a light lunch before settling down to read in a sunlit room with a clear view of the garden, where hydrangeas were in full bloom.
The maid who had led him here had drawn a sheer curtain, saying the sunlight was too strong.
Now, the curtain swayed lightly in the breeze, filling the room with a soft rustling sound.
Propping his elbow on the armrest, Vivisian rested his chin in his hand and read, letting the delicate noise accompany his thoughts.
Outside the window, the blue hydrangeas swayed with the wind, their fragrance drifting into the room.
The thin curtain, like a bridal veil, diffused the sunlight, casting a serene glow over the quiet figure absorbed in his book.
Everything in the room exuded tranquility.
Even the maid standing by the door, ever on guard for any unforeseen disturbances, found herself suppressing a yawn.
She was startled by her own yawn, straightening up immediately. Just as she did, Vivisian, who had been silently reading, suddenly lifted his head.
The maid, having witnessed this pattern before, knew what would come next.
Whenever Vivisian looked up like that, it usually meant that within moments, the door would swing open and someone would step inside.
Bracing herself, she stood even straighter.
And sure enough, the door burst open with a loud bang, shattering the room’s calm.
“The rising sun of the Merien Principality, His Grace Hesia, graces us with his presence.”
“Ah, good work. You may leave.”
And yet, despite making such a dramatic entrance, he dismissed the formalities just as easily.
Vivisian chuckled, amused at how Hesia, for all his theatrics, still went through the motions of propriety.
Seeing the amusement in Vivisian’s eyes, Hesia narrowed his own slightly but said nothing.
The maid, observing their interaction, wisely excused herself, slipping out of the room.
As soon as the door clicked shut and the sound of retreating footsteps faded, Hesia spoke.
“Ian, there’s a strange rumor going around the castle.”
Sensing that this would be a long conversation, Vivisian gave up on reading without resistance.
Closing his book, he stood and moved to the sofa in the middle of the room.
Hesia, who had been lingering by the door, trailed after him without hesitation and naturally took the seat beside him.
Leaning his head against Vivisian’s shoulder, he toyed with the fabric of Vivisian’s sleeve and mumbled.
“Apparently… they’re saying you’re my lover.”
The brief hesitation before speaking now made perfect sense.
Vivisian, caught off guard by the absurdity of the claim, froze for a moment—then burst into laughter.
It was ridiculous, yet the fact that it had taken this long for such a rumor to surface was, in itself, even more absurd.
Hesia had expected Vivisian to be irritated, or at the very least, bewildered.
But instead, Vivisian only laughed.
The energy drained from Hesia’s body.
He had been in the middle of studying when one of his teachers had suddenly blurted out, “Isn’t he your lover?” Shocked, he had come running straight here.
But the person supposedly being mistaken for his lover was finding the whole situation nothing short of hilarious.
Hesia couldn’t even rest his head on Vivisian’s shoulder anymore—he was shaking too much from laughter.
Straightening himself, Hesia gave him a look that said, ‘Alright, then. Where do we go from here?’
But even as time passed, Vivisian’s laughter didn’t subside.
Eventually, Hesia, his expression souring, asked,
“Is it funny?”
The sharpness in his tone finally got Vivisian to calm down.
Wiping away the tears at the corners of his eyes, he let out another soft chuckle.
“Of course, it’s funny. It’s also surprising that I’m only hearing about it now. I mean, if you think about it—calling me a mere bodyguard doesn’t quite fit, considering you’re the one protecting me more. As a mentor, I don’t really teach you anything. And as a simple guest? I’m treated far too well for that.”
As he counted each point on his fingers, Hesia found himself unable to argue.
Especially about the last part—being treated too well.
After all, Vivisian had been given the finest room in the castle.
That alone would have been excessive, but Hesia had gone even further—calling him over to his room every night, claiming he couldn’t sleep alone.
Hesia clung to him like a beast guarding its young, refusing to leave his side.
And everyone knew that most of the tribute sent to Hesia was redirected to Vivisian.
It was no wonder people whispered about them.
Vivisian narrowed his eyes, contemplating what remained unsaid.
“Who asked you?”
“There’s this scholar—completely obsessed with his research. Probably why he has no sense of tact.”
“Well, if he had any tact, he wouldn’t have asked you directly.”
At Vivisian’s murmured response, Hesia silently agreed.
And that silence was enough to make Vivisian laugh again.
If someone that socially oblivious had brought it up, it meant the rumor was already widespread.
“Oh, this is amusing…”
“As long as you’re entertained, I guess that’s enough.”
Though his voice was weary, Hesia muttered the words nonetheless.
Vivisian let out a soft chuckle and gently patted Hesia’s head.
“Did you have lunch?”
“Yeah. What about you? Did you eat something good?”
“I did. If I skipped a meal, you’d be the first to start scolding the servants—I wouldn’t dare.”
It hadn’t been long since Vivisian had dozed off one afternoon and missed lunch.
The moment Hesia found out, he had berated the attendants for not waking him and letting him go hungry.
Never mind that it had been Vivisian’s own choice to sleep through the meal.
Ever since then, he had made sure to eat regularly, if only to avoid another commotion.
Hesia looked a bit sheepish.
He had his reasons.
His time as a slave had left him with an obsession over mealtimes.
More than that, he knew Vivisian had often gone hungry during his time in captivity.
But Hesia didn’t want to bring up the past.
He didn’t care if Vivisian forgot everything about him.
It was enough just to keep him here.
* * *
