* * *
And if Klen wasn’t around, this would be their perfect chance to warn me of the truth.
Then again, maybe they were just reacting to how tyrannical he’s been lately.
Yeah.
Like that time, when he tried to take me out even though I was sick, he’d said he’d ‘fire everyone’ if they tried to stop him.
This latest “your head will fly” line was probably just a joke on top of that.
Anyway, all his hard work seemed to be paying off.
It looked like people were starting to see Klen as someone who could be… a bit rough, if it was for my sake.
I gave them an awkward smile.
It felt strange to respond, so instead, I stepped forward and picked up Levatein, which had been resting nearby all day.
“Why… did you pick up the sword?”
“Are you planning to go somewhere?”
“At this hour? But your complexion didn’t look good earlier…”
“What if you get hurt?”
“Come on, just holding a sword isn’t going to hurt him. Lord Adrian is the hunting tournament champion, after all!”
“……”
All I did was pick up the sword, and yet the attendants were already whispering in concern.
It’s not like they were far away—didn’t they realize I could hear every word?
Clink—
“……!”
“Nngh.”
So much for feeling reassured because I’d won that hunting tournament.
Every time I moved the sword even slightly, they flinched.
And not by backing away—they actually stepped forward.
Not out of fear that I might hurt them, but out of worry that I might hurt myself.
And honestly, if they judged that I was really in danger, I bet they’d rush in to help me.
…They’d be better off worrying about their own safety.
It felt awkward, being treated with this kind of concern now—concern I hadn’t experienced since I was a kid just starting to learn swordsmanship.
But maybe this just proved how convincing my “fragile” act had been.
So why did it leave such a bitter taste in my mouth?
Feigning ignorance of their stares, I looked down at Levatein.
The gleaming blade was strikingly beautiful.
‘Magic power. Magic, huh…’
But I didn’t sense anything special.
Even when I focused my mind on the blade—nothing.
No trace of mana, not even the faintest stream.
Well, I can’t sense magic anyway, so maybe this is only natural?
‘I’ll have to wait for Elliot’s report.’
Or I could just barge into the western tower tomorrow with Levatein in hand.
Based on how Klen behaves, it doesn’t seem necessary to set up a formal meeting.
If I go in with the sword, maybe they’ll be more inclined to talk.
At any rate, there’s nothing more I can do for now.
I returned Levatein to its place, and I heard audible sighs of relief from all around.
Some even wiped away cold sweat.
“All that moving around made me hungry.”
“I’ll prepare something right away!”
“Please wait just a moment!”
They hurried to prepare food—probably afraid I’d pick up the sword again.
I should’ve been used to eating alone by now, but somehow, the food didn’t taste as good as usual.
It wasn’t because Klen wasn’t around or that the quality had dropped.
It was just that lingering bitterness I still couldn’t shake.
After finishing a light meal, I climbed into bed and opened a book.
It was still too early to sleep, and Klen hadn’t returned yet.
The book was about legends of forests and divine beasts, but I wasn’t much of a reader—so the pages weren’t turning easily.
Click—
“……!”
I was just about to give up and close the book, having barely absorbed a word, when the door opened.
The only people who could enter without knocking were me… and Klen.
“Still awake?”
“Did you eat?”
“With my brother.”
He frowned in displeasure and looked exhausted.
His body moved sluggishly, as if even his joints were groaning in protest.
Klen changed clothes slowly, then immediately dismissed the attendant.
He trudged over to the bed and collapsed without grace.
“Why did you call for me?”
“It’s nothing serious. I just… had to write a report about where you and the mage commander went… and I got scolded.”
“You got scolded?”
Even for someone as lazy as him, taking the commander of the castle’s mage corps somewhere without notice… yeah, I could understand why someone would want an explanation.
But still, getting scolded?
“They said I dragged someone who wasn’t feeling well around for too long.”
I blinked rapidly.
So it was my fault?
“Thanks to that, I had to write the report with perfect posture—back straight, neck pulled in. No slouching allowed. And I was watched the entire time. After that, I had to hand-copy the materials to distribute to the knights.”
‘…Is he a kid or something?’
I couldn’t help but think Fabian-hyung still treated him like a child.
Otherwise, there’s no way he would’ve chosen such a childish punishment for someone who loathes effort.
I imagined Klen scribbling with stiff posture under Fabian’s watchful eye…
‘Pfft.’
Just picturing the two of them—so serious about the whole thing—made my lips twitch with suppressed laughter.
“……!”
“…….”
And then, our eyes met.
Klen, who had been sprawled across the bed, rolled over and came closer to me.
“Did you look at Levatein?”
“Yes. But perhaps because I couldn’t sense any magic, it didn’t feel like anything was residing within it.”
“Hm.”
“Is it possible the information was wrong?”
Levatein wasn’t an ancient, legendary sword passed down through generations.
It was more like a rising star—something new and brilliant.
Not all the information that surfaced could be trusted.
“If my father said it, there’s probably some credibility to it.”
While lounging about, he suddenly reached out and wrapped an arm around my waist.
Maybe because I had just been thinking of him as childlike, the way he clung to me reminded me of a kid seeking attention right before bed.
Naturally, his head rested on my thigh, his face turned toward my stomach.
I instinctively lowered my hand to stroke his fiery red hair—but quickly stopped myself.
I had a bad feeling that treating him like a child right now would be a mistake.
“Still acting?” I asked.
“The attendants are all gone.”
“I’m not acting.”
“…You’re not?”
“I’m not.”
“……”
Then why are you lying like that?
His posture was completely unlike his usual cold and aloof demeanor—more like a child snuggling up for comfort.
“……”
“……”
But in the end, neither of us said anything.
I turned my gaze back to the book I hadn’t even finished.
But I couldn’t focus.
Something felt… off.
Even just breathing felt uncomfortable.
The arm around my waist, the weight on my thigh—it all made it impossible to concentrate.
I kept flipping the pages, pretending to read, the words failing to register.
My thoughts drifted back to a recent conversation with the attendants.
How should I bring it up?
I shifted my eyes around, and when I looked down, Klen had his eyes closed, seemingly at ease in that position.
“If, hypothetically…”
But he wasn’t asleep.
As soon as I spoke, he opened his eyes and looked up at me.
Amber eyes stared quietly into mine.
Their warm hue still held a faint, lingering chill.
That contrast, the push and pull of warmth and cold, drew me in again.
It was an embarrassing topic to broach while staring into his eyes.
But it was too late to look away now.
“What is it?”
“Mm.”
I opened and closed my mouth a few times before cautiously speaking.
“If I were to run away… what do you think you’d do?”
“…Are you planning to go somewhere?”
“N-no, not really. I’m just saying—hypothetically. Like, what would happen if I dropped everything and disappeared?”
I clearly framed it as a hypothetical about running away, but he asked where I’d go.
Who tells their destination when they’re running away?
Or maybe he assumed that even if I said I was running, I’d come back eventually.
* * *
