* * *
“This is my first time sitting on such a desk.”
Running his hand across the polished surface, Sylvian murmured.
It must have been incredibly expensive—the fine-grained wood was so smooth that he couldn’t stop touching it.
Seated on Zeroth’s lap, he took up the paper placed before him and grasped the pen.
“To His Highness, the Crown Prince.”
“It would be better to add a formal salutation, like ‘Most Esteemed’ or ‘Beloved’ at the beginning.”
Zeroth observed Sylvian’s neat penmanship and made a suggestion.
“The phrase ‘Most Esteemed’ is usually reserved for the Emperor, but you can use it for the Crown Prince as well.”
As he explained the appropriate honorifics and writing etiquette, he noted that Sylvian had fairly decent handwriting.
“Since it’s my first time, I’ll try using ‘Most Esteemed.’”
Zeroth retrieved a fresh, high-quality sheet of stationery.
“To the Most Esteemed Crown Prince,”
Was he supposed to start with the weather?
Other than overhearing bits of etiquette lessons as a child, he had never been properly educated in these things.
“The weather is quite nice today. I hope you are well. Uh, um, I… took a walk today.”
God, he missed texting.
Or emails.
Anything that would let him get straight to the point.
The sight of Zeroth burying his face against Sylvian’s shoulder, quietly laughing, told him just how terrible he was at this.
His face grew warm.
“Normally, one would first praise the great achievements and beauty of the Crown Prince before casually mentioning the weather or recent affairs.”
So he had to flatter him like a fan first?
“But since you’re still learning etiquette, let’s just start with the weather for now.”
Ahem.
Zeroth’s voice never lost its amused lilt.
Clearly, he was enjoying this.
Sylvian pursed his lips and picked up the pen again.
“Are you sulking?”
“…No.”
“You totally are.”
Zeroth playfully bit Sylvian’s cheek.
“Ah! I was writing!”
The next line he was about to write ended up stretching out awkwardly.
“O――――”
Sylvian pouted at the ruined character.
“Don’t worry, there’s plenty more paper.”
Zeroth held back a laugh as he pulled out the paper again. It seemed like he shouldn’t tease him any further.
It wasn’t like Sylvian was a child—he was a fully grown adult.
And yet, he couldn’t even draft a single letter.
But rather than frowning at the sight, Zeroth found it adorable. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling.
“Hmm, ‘To His Highness, the Crown Prince’… But when do I introduce myself?”
Wasn’t it customary to state one’s identity after the greeting?
But in Zeroth’s explanation, there was no mention of introducing himself.
“Usually, you reveal it at the end,” Zeroth replied.
So, does that mean the recipient wouldn’t even know who sent the letter until they reached the very end?
“Do I at least write my name on the envelope?”
“It’s customary to use initials.”
It wasn’t like they were playing hide-and-seek.
Having to read through the whole letter just to find out who sent it?
Sylvian found the formality incredibly tedious.
Still, he picked up the fresh sheet of stationery that Zeroth handed him and resumed writing.
Well, they already think I’m ignorant, so maybe I’ll just do as I please.
“Sylvian Graham,” he wrote.
Even after hearing him, Zeroth said nothing when Sylvian disregarded the formal structure and wrote his name first.
He simply let him do as he wished.
In truth, Sylvian hadn’t used any of the flowery expressions Zeroth had taught him.
His writing was always straight to the point, concise, and blunt.
No one had ever complained. No one would even dare to.
As the Duchess, Sylvian had every right to do as he pleased.
“Well done. Actually, formalities are just for the lower ranks,” Zeroth remarked with amusement.
How bold.
Pleased, Zeroth leaned in and kissed Sylvian’s cheek.
“Shall I reward you with a kiss every time you write well?”
“Hehe.”
Sylvian couldn’t help but laugh.
Even his own parents had never done such a thing for him, yet Zeroth did it so effortlessly.
He had no idea what was going through Zeroth’s mind, but one thing was certain—right now, he was being treated well.
With that in mind, Sylvian got serious about writing the letter.
“Can I ask for a visit to the imperial palace as a gift?”
“Ah.”
At the cautious question, Zeroth immediately realized that Sylvian had never once been to the capital.
“Of course. Receiving an invitation from the Crown Prince holds special significance.”
For a prince to invite a duchess, it was a way of acknowledging their social standing.
Other noblewomen regularly sought audiences with the emperor and empress, as well as the prince himself.
“Not just anyone gets invited. So, write that you’d like our couple to be invited to a tea gathering.”
Of course, Zeroth himself could meet with the emperor and prince whenever he pleased.
But for Sylvian, his first visit mattered.
“You’ll come with me?!”
“Obviously. Who else would you go with?”
Zeroth’s teasing question was accompanied by his hand brushing over Sylvian’s waist in a deliberate, lingering motion.
“Ah… If it’s not you, then no one.”
A shiver ran through Sylvian’s body.
His hand, which had been subtly touching him for a while now, grew bolder.
When it finally teased his chest outright, he couldn’t suppress a whimper.
“Everything you do, you do with me,” Zeroth murmured.
“Haa… Okay.”
Pleased by Sylvian’s obedient nod, Zeroth wrapped an arm around his waist.
Taking a deep breath, Sylvian steadied himself and resumed writing.
[Today, the weather was nice, so I went for a walk. It reminded me of how you rudely barged into my home without an invitation the other day. I was quite displeased. You insolent fool, prepare a gift. I expect that gift to be an invitation for my spouse and me to join you for tea.]
Zeroth helped him refine the words so they sounded more diplomatic.
Is this really okay?
Of course, this was exactly what he wanted to say, but something about it felt a little too… aggressive.
It almost sounded like he was picking a fight.
Would this really work?
As Sylvian tilted his head in uncertainty, Zeroth, seated behind him, smirked in secret.
The Crown Prince would be fuming when he received this.
“For a first letter, it’s very well written. His Highness isn’t the type to nitpick over etiquette, so he’ll surely accept it without complaint.”
And if he doesn’t… Well, what could he do?
With a knowing smile, Zeroth plucked the letter from Sylvian’s hands.
“Now, fold it neatly to fit the envelope and seal it with wax.”
“I don’t have a seal.”
“Here. I had one made for you.”
During their last outing, while Sylvian had been distracted by trinkets, Zeroth had secretly placed an order.
It was crafted by an artisan who worked with the duchy, engraved with both the duchy’s crest and Sylvian’s initials.
“Wow.”
Sylvian’s eyes widened as he took in the weighty, golden seal.
Is this real gold?
The way it gleamed had him mesmerized.
It would’ve been even better if it were real gold, though.
Pushing his regrets aside, Sylvian watched as Zeroth lit the sealing wax.
From the desk drawer, Zeroth pulled out a small magical tool for melting wax and presented Sylvian with an array of colors to choose from.
“Since it’s for the imperial family, I’ll use gold.”
“A fine choice.”
Noticing Zeroth’s expectant gaze, Sylvian carefully placed the wax over the tool, excitement bubbling within him.
I’ve only ever seen this in movies.
“Once it’s fully melted, pour it here.”
To demonstrate, Zeroth sealed another envelope, pressing the seal into the wax after a moment.
His initials were left perfectly imprinted.
Sylvian followed suit, melting the wax and stamping the letter meant for the Crown Prince.
“Ah.”
“Not satisfied?”
“No… I just realized, I wanted my first letter to be for you.”
He’d been so caught up in writing that it only dawned on him now, filling him with unexpected regret.
Zeroth sighed in amusement, looking at the adorable creature before him.
And then he swallowed him whole.
* * *
