* * *
The reason his speech had been slow and awkward was that there had been no one to talk to while he was imprisoned.
The reason his voice was always rough and cracked was that he had not been able to drink water properly.
And the reason for the occasional screams and groans heard near the prison was because they were the sounds of Vivisian being tortured.
After realizing that the reason Vivisian had not been able to talk with him for long was because of Letiyan’s torture and the harsh conditions of the prison that had weakened his body, Hesia had cried for a long time.
A very long time.
Now, Hesia was happy.
Though he disliked that he couldn’t call Vivisian by the nickname “Vivi”… He loved that he could now hear a voice that was no longer cracked.
That his speech was no longer awkward but rather noble yet strangely light.
That he was now healthy enough to go wherever he wanted and do whatever he pleased.
That he could sit in a sunlit place, reading a book or resting peacefully with his eyes closed.
He loved it all.
He loved it so much that sometimes it felt like a dream.
“…I love this.”
“Suddenly?”
“Yeah.”
Vivisian burst into laughter at the sight of Hesia, who had entered the room with an angry face only to quickly calm down and say he was happy.
“Well, as long as you’re happy, Hesia, that’s all that matters.”
“Yeah. But what about the rumors?”
“The government?”
“Yeah, that.”
Vivisian, who had been chuckling with his throat vibrating from the warmth of his voice, leaned back deeply into the sofa.
Feeling the warm breath on his shoulder, he turned his head to gaze outside the window.
Through the curtains, the world looked like a painting seen through mist.
A slightly faded, blurry landscape, like an old book washed pale by sunlight, filled his view.
Blue hydrangeas swayed in the wind, rippling like deep blue waves.
As he thought that it resembled a faded painting, Vivisian answered lazily.
“If you’re fine with it, just leave it alone. It’s hard to suppress rumors anyway.”
“What about you? Are you okay with it? Honestly, I don’t care about those rumors. The only one who could say anything to me is my grandmother, but since she hasn’t said a word, I don’t think she plans to. But it’s different for Ian. Who knows what people might say? Some lunatic might come swaggering up to him, or worse, someone might try to hurt him just because I like him, and—”
“…Wait a minute, slow down a bit.”
Vivisian stopped Hesia, who was getting worked up and speaking in a rush.
Following his instruction, Hesia repeated what he had said, a little slower this time.
To sum it up in one word—he was worried.
Vivisian thought he could’ve just said that instead of rambling, but he didn’t say it aloud.
Instead, he simply smiled faintly.
“You’re worried about me?”
“Why, is that not allowed? I’m always worried about you. I worry about whether you’re eating well, if the food suits your taste. If you’re having nightmares, if your bed is comfortable… I even worry about whether your clothes feel uncomfortable.”
“At this point, isn’t that just an obsession?”
“Is that really the important part right now?!”
So annoying, seriously!
Even as Hesia shouted in frustration, he clung tightly to Vivisian’s side, showing no intention of moving away.
It was cute, though Vivisian’s ears were starting to hurt.
Since he couldn’t touch his ears while Hesia was watching, he just chuckled helplessly.
“So, do you hate me now?”
“How could I? I love you so much it’s driving me crazy…”
Hesia mumbled, lowering his head.
Even though he lowered his head, Vivisian could still clearly see his reddened face, ears, and neck.
Smirking, Vivisian gently flicked the slightly wrinkled tip of Hesia’s nose.
“I know. I was just teasing you.”
“You’re seriously annoying…”
The two continued talking for a long time before finally leaving the room around dinnertime.
The knights and attendants standing outside exchanged curious glances as they followed behind them.
The door had been closed, but there was no way their conversation hadn’t been heard.
And their conversation—no matter who listened—was undeniably affectionate.
Above all, it was astonishing to see the prince, who had never shown the slightest interest in human relationships, acting like this.
Even now, his neck was flushed red as he walked beside Vivisian.
They were supposed to pretend not to notice, but it was difficult to ignore such a sight.
The two entered the dining hall together.
Meanwhile, instead of standing outside the door, the knights and attendants huddled together, as if they had planned it in advance.
“…Looks like he likes him.”
“Seems like unrequited love, though.”
“…His Grace?”
“The guest doesn’t seem to have any particular thoughts.”
At the confident remark from the universally acknowledged romance expert, the expressions of those gathered turned grave.
‘Our prince has a pretty nasty personality… What if he gets rejected?’
It was a concern that crossed everyone’s mind at the same time.
Had Hesia heard them, he would have flipped the room upside down, fully displaying that so-called “nasty personality.”
But Hesia’s feelings were far too obvious to be hidden.
And so, as time passed, the rumor that Vivisian was Hesia’s lover never faded.
In fact, the rumor only grew.
Now, people whispered that the heir to the Grand Merien Principality had fallen desperately in love with a man.
As that talk spread, gifts started arriving for Vivisian—along with assassins.
Fortunately, Hesia had anticipated such incidents and had stationed knights in advance, so nothing serious happened.
Still, after the third attempt, Hesia gritted his teeth and tracked down those responsible, punishing them severely.
Vivisian, on the other hand, remained indifferent, merely saying, “As long as I’m not dead, isn’t that enough?”
After all that, Hesia couldn’t bring himself to lock Vivisian away in a secure castle… so he chose to imprison himself with him instead.
Only the bare minimum number of people remained in the castle where Hesia stayed, and those who entered and left were strictly restricted.
It wasn’t exactly imprisonment or exile—it was just desperate protection.
Vivisian understood that, so he didn’t complain.
For about a month, he quietly accepted Hesia’s protection—until, unable to bear it any longer, he left an almost-threatening remark: “If you keep treating me like this, one day I might just run away.”
Hesia wanted Vivisian to be safe, not locked away somewhere.
So, after hearing those words, he did his best to suppress his anxiety and let Vivisian roam freely.
Not that it made much difference—Vivisian’s movements remained limited.
Even when he traveled outside, his abilities ensured he always returned safely, and quickly.
‘Ian, you don’t have to come back… So why do you always return?’
One day, Vivisian suddenly said he wanted to see the ocean and left on a whim, only to return late that night.
Unable to hold back, Hesia had asked him as soon as he quietly reappeared.
‘Because you love me. And I want a place to come back to.’
He was saying that Hesia was his home.
Hesia had become skilled at guiding waves, ensuring Vivisian’s safety and freedom.
Vivisian’s offhand remark made him both happy and strangely unsettled.
That odd contradiction gnawed at him, but after that day, he was finally able to let go of his anxiety.
Because he knew now—Vivisian would suddenly disappear, only to just as suddenly appear before him again.
And all Hesia had to do was welcome him back with open arms.
✽ ✽ ✽
Vivisian had stepped out for a while, saying he wanted to look around the market.
Hesia wanted to follow, but as the heir to the Royal House of Gong, he wasn’t in a position to move so freely.
“Be careful on your way… Take a knight with you, just in case. …Not that you’d listen. Fine… Just be careful. If you find something good to eat while walking around, make sure you try it! What was popular these days again? Oh, sandwiches! I heard a great place opened up recently, so since you’re already out, go try it. I’ll ask you how it tasted later, so you have to eat it! And if there’s anything you want to buy, go ahead and get it. Watch out for people, be careful around carriages, don’t get lost. And…”
“Hesia, I get it. You’ve made your point.”
“But….”
“I’ll be careful, okay?”
At that, Hesia, who had been whining, calmed down as soon as Vivisian gently scratched his chin.
He simply nodded in response.
Meanwhile, the attendants who had unintentionally witnessed this scene were still standing awkwardly, even though Vivisian had left quite some time ago.
They were well aware that Hesia liked Vivisian, but every time they saw such blatant confirmation, they couldn’t help but feel a little strange.
They had watched this ill-tempered prince grow up, and now… his love life?
It was both intriguing and something they didn’t particularly want to know about.
A few of the attendants subtly showed their goosebumped arms to those beside them.
But whether Hesia noticed or not, he was now seated in the chair where Vivisian often sat, reading a book.
Naturally, it was also a book Vivisian had been reading.
The last time he read it, it hadn’t seemed particularly interesting.
But now that he knew Vivisian had read it, it suddenly felt much more enjoyable.
“Hmm….”
The book was thin, and since he had read it before, it didn’t take long to finish.
After placing it down beside him, Hesia leaned back against the chair and gazed out the window.
The view was of a beautifully maintained garden—more exquisite than any in the castle where Hesia resided—simply because it was the one Vivisian often looked at.
* * *
