* * *
As if taking out his frustration on his grandson for suddenly bringing someone halfway into an ‘official’ role beside him, the Grand Duchess had been dragging Hesia into state affairs every day.
Thanks to that, Hesia returned to his palace later than usual today as well.
Stripping off his accessories with an irritated hand, he turned to Hugo, who was trailing beside him.
“Where’s Vivi?”
“He’s sleeping.”
“Nothing happened today?”
His face turned cold, the kind that warned disaster if the answer wasn’t good.
Every time they passed the large windows in the corridor, pale moonlight washed over his features—calm, yet heavy with gloom.
The side of him he never showed Vivi—a hidden face, like the far side of the moon.
Hugo, far more accustomed to Hesia’s somber expressions than his smiles, calmly deliberated how to phrase his answer.
“Nothing unusual happened. But…”
“But?”
“When the guest dozed off earlier… he muttered something.”
“What did he say?”
Hesia’s hurried steps came to a halt.
A breeze drifted in through the slightly open window, carrying the heavy summer heat.
The hem of Hesia’s robe fluttered faintly in the wind.
His face, shrouded in shadows beyond the moonlight, stared blankly at the air, then slowly his eyes shifted.
“He said… ‘You might as well just kill me.’”
“…He said that?”
“Yes.”
“You’re certain? That’s the plain truth?”
“Yes.”
At the calm affirmation, Hesia fell silent for a long moment.
Then, with a slightly quieter expression, he chuckled under his breath.
“Those damn things never stay away. This is exactly why I hate wraiths.”
You can’t kill someone who’s already become a wraith.
What a headache.
Murmuring softly, Hesia reached out and shut the window.
The hot wind that had been drifting in ceased, and the room fell silent.
“If something like that happens again, report it to me. And… don’t tell Vivi. He only just managed to escape from all that. I don’t want him to know he’s still being haunted by nightmares.”
“Understood.”
“Good. Thank you.”
At the unexpected gratitude, Hugo’s eyes widened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
He bowed his head briefly, then, after a short pause, asked:
“Don’t you think it’s time to make the guest’s status more official? It’s quiet now, but this palace—no one knows when the rumors will start flying. Idle gossip spreads quickly, and once ridiculous rumors are out there…”
There wasn’t a single flaw in his reasoning.
Pausing in place, Hesia pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.
“For now… we’ll say he’s a distinguished guest. But if people keep talking… tell them he’s my lover. That the prince is so hopelessly in love, completely head over heels, he can’t even think straight.”
If that much gets out, no one would dare lay a hand on Vivi.
And anyone who does… punish them.
After punishing one or two, no one will go near him again.
His reaction made it clear—Hesia didn’t care if he had to be ruthless for Vivi’s sake.
Even if his own reputation took a hit, he looked utterly unconcerned, his face indifferent as if carrying disgrace meant nothing to him.
Hugo unconsciously stared at Hesia as if seeing a stranger.
“Do you… really love him?”
“You’re unusually talkative today.”
“…My apologies.”
“No need to apologize.”
Just thinking about Vivi waiting for him in his room was enough to make Hesia soft-hearted toward anyone.
He smiled, the gesture unexpectedly light.
Hugo fell silent at the surprisingly calm response.
And just before stepping into his room, Hesia spoke to Hugo, his expression soft, as if sharing something precious.
“He’s someone I love all on my own.”
Someone I love way too much.
Muttering with a slightly bitter undertone, Hesia finally stepped inside.
His footsteps quiet and careful, as though afraid to wake the person sleeping inside.
Through the barely closing door, the figure lying on the bed came into view, and Hesia’s face softened into a smile that was both happy and tinged with sadness as he disappeared into the room.
✽ ✽ ✽
I was about to open my eyes, sensing something approaching, when a rough, calloused palm gently covered my eyelid.
“It’s me. Just go back to sleep, Vivi.”
“You’re late again. Busy day?”
His low, quiet voice was tinged with exhaustion, but there was a faint, helpless smile in his response.
It practically said yes without needing words.
“At this rate, how are you supposed to visit that country in the East? You’re buried in work.”
I teased him with a voice still heavy from sleep.
Hesia removed his hand from my face.
My eyes, quickly adjusting to the dark, caught the slight pout forming on his lips.
“Quit pouting.”
I muttered as I yawned, and Hesia obediently stopped.
The sight made me chuckle softly as I slowly sat up.
“You should’ve just let me sleep… Mm, I’ll be quieter coming in from now on.”
I almost told him it’d be better if we just slept separately, but I swallowed the words and simply said thanks.
Maybe that was the answer he wanted, because Hesia’s face lit up with an innocent smile.
His expression loosened mine without me even realizing.
Not missing the change in my face, Hesia subtly scooted closer, sitting right beside me.
The boy who used to snuggle up to me had grown so much, incomparable to back then.
Yet the familiar warmth and scent made me stay still, only watching his movements.
His body heat seeped into me from where our skin touched.
His warmth, like a child’s, bled through the thin fabric onto my skin.
“Vivi.”
“Yeah?”
“Vivi…”
“Yes, Sia.”
Like we had returned to some moment long ago, Hesia murmured my name and rested his head against my shoulder.
The slight weight pressing down on me felt deliberate, as if he didn’t want to burden me too much.
“What did you do today?”
“I just hung out in the garden. You?”
“I studied with Grandmother, argued with those dog-sh—ugh, no, those damn nobles over pointless, pre-decided issues, debated with the professors Grandmother called in, and studied again with Grandmother.”
It was clear he’d been waiting for me to ask, because Hesia launched into a tirade of complaints.
I pretended not to hear the profanity mixed in and patted him gently.
“Really? You worked hard today.”
“Yeah, I was amazing.”
It was obvious he wanted more praise.
I chuckled and gently stroked his head.
His eyes were slightly bloodshot, probably from overworking himself.
As I carefully traced the redness around his eyes, a strange sentiment settled in.
“How did that little kid grow up so much?”
I mumbled to myself.
Hesia, who had been basking in my touch with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, glinting with amusement.
His expression made it clear he couldn’t tell if that was a compliment or not, and he burst into laughter.
“I meant it as a compliment—you’ve grown up well.”
“…Am I so grown you feel awkward?”
Hesia lifted his head from my shoulder, his eyes darting nervously before he asked, fidgeting.
Unable to meet my gaze, he looked away as he spoke, and I shook my head.
“Not really… I mean, compared to when you were little, sure, you’ve grown a lot. But your face… it’s the same as before.”
“Mmm…”
“And you’re still Sia. That little kid who only ever liked me.”
As I smiled softly, faint wrinkles forming on my nose, Hesia’s lips parted slightly.
He looked like someone who had heard either the most shocking news of his life—or exactly what he’d been waiting his whole life to hear.
“Do you… not like hearing that?”
I tilted my head slightly as I asked.
Hesia, who’d been staring at me with a foolish look, shook his head so hard his light-pink hair fluttered.
“No, I like it. You’re right, I was that kid who only ever liked you. But I’m not a kid anymore.”
“You’re not?”
“No. I mean, I’m an adult now… calling me a kid feels a little…”
His serious mumbling was so ridiculous, adorable, and childish that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You act like a kid but insist you’re not? What, did the world change in the last eight years? Newborns are considered adults now?”
At my teasing remark, Hesia puffed out his cheeks in exaggerated frustration.
If I kept teasing him, he’d probably scratch or bite me like he did when he was little.
I gently trailed my fingers along his jaw as a peace offering.
“No matter how much time passes, you’ll still be a kid. Look at the age difference between us. You’re still a baby.”
“I told you, I’m not a baby. Didn’t we settle this years ago?”
“You’re getting defensive because you are a baby. When you reach my age, getting called a baby just feels weird, you don’t snap back like that.”
I spoke leisurely, and Hesia, unable to come up with a proper retort, only let out a groaning sound.
His pale, statue-like face flushed faintly pink.
I gazed at him for a moment, then asked casually:
“Sia, why do you hate being called a kid so much?”
“Because it’s you. I’m fine with being called ‘kid’ in general. It’s not like there’s anyone here who’d actually treat me like one. Maybe Grandma, at most. So I never thought much about it… but when you say it, I hate it.”
I like you. Who in their right mind enjoys being treated like a kid by the person they have a crush on?
I tried to say it as lightly as possible, but I could tell Hesia’s shoulders had tensed.
His breathing had gotten slightly heavier too.
It wasn’t even a love confession—just the simple word ‘like.’
But watching him struggle to even say that, I couldn’t help but curve my lips into a smile.
“Should we sleep now?”
I asked as naturally as if I was making casual small talk, and Hesia, his expression unreadable, gave a small nod.
We lay side by side on the bed, exchanged quiet goodnights, and closed our eyes.
I knew Hesia was still awake, and he knew I hadn’t fallen asleep right away either.
But neither of us asked why. We didn’t try to talk further.
A silence settled between us—not entirely uncomfortable, but not entirely easy either.
* * *
