TROWFT 08

Chapter 08

Exactly 9 times.

I had been rejected by Lesius exactly 9 times.

The normally solemn knight of the Imperial Guard bowed his head, glancing at me nervously.

“I apologize. His Majesty has given strict orders not to let the Duke in.”

I was burning with impatience.

It had already been 3 days since the Hessen territory was attacked. A full 3 days.

The Hessen County bordered the Berwen territory. And more than anything—

‘Kellian is coming personally!’

According to the original story, Kellian was supposed to just pull strings from behind as the mastermind…

‘Why are you coming, why!’

Kellian was an unofficial Swordmaster.

I was the only one who could stop him. I wanted to rush to the Hessen County immediately, but—

“Tell him again. I have urgent words to convey to His Majesty.”

Lesius stopped me.

I had confidently brought the deployment order, fully expecting him to approve it, but it came back stamped with a seal of disapproval.

*’The Duke of Berwen’s deployment is denied.’*

*’But Your Majesty, as you know, the command structure of the Hessen County is in shambles! Moreover, the Crown Prince of Bahat is an unpredictable man! Please, I beg you to grant permission for deployment.’*

*’I do not reverse decisions I have made. Return.’*

I was even placed under house arrest.

*’Lesius. Make a decision befitting an emperor. If I don’t deploy, soldiers will die!’*

*’Speaking as Emperor, from this hour, the Duke of Berwen is placed under one week of house arrest on grounds of insubordination.’*

Somehow, with a sorrowful expression, Lesius brushed my cheek.

*’Not this time. Lewin, go back.’*

It was the first time Lesius had been so resolute.

So this time, surely, that sturdy door wouldn’t open—

*Thud.*

…Or so I thought?

The door, carved with intricate patterns, opened with a dull sound.

“Come in.”

Inside the bedchamber, Lesius sat behind the desk prepared for the workaholic emperor.

Looking up from his documents while wearing a monocle, Lesius raised his head.

I deliberately averted my gaze as I entered the room.

“You’re angry.”

Yes. I was sulking.

It wasn’t as a friend throwing a tantrum.

As a Duke, I simply couldn’t accept my liege’s decision.

‘No matter how close friends we are. Public and private must be kept separate. Is this how I raised you? Huh?’

*Thud.*

The heavy door closed, and silence fell over the room.

“Your Majesty. I find this order extremely difficult to accept. Please reconsider—”

“Fine.”

“Pardon?”

Lesius removed his monocle and placed it on the desk.

With his stern expression and the monocle—which had softened his features—now gone, the atmosphere instantly changed.

His sharp eyes stood out.

‘So that’s why they call him obsessive.’

He always wore a smile and gentle expression, so this side of him was somewhat unfamiliar.

Lesius rubbed his face dry, then nodded with a tired look.

“Fine. Do as you wish.”

Should I be happy about this or not…?

‘Look at his haggard face. Sigh, he must have been really struggling with this…’

Seeing Lesius looking so worn out, my conscience pricked at me.

“…Yes. I’ll take that as your permission and be on my way.”

Rolling my eyes, I slowly backed away.

Since this was the first time we’d had such a big argument, things still felt a bit awkward.

“Lewin, I’m so…”

A voice thick with moisture stopped me in my tracks.

I turned my half-turned body back, and Lesius was pressing his palm hard against one eye.

Are you… crying?

“Don’t hate me.”

The tears were gone, but his voice was still thick.

“…Wait, hold on.”

I walked toward Lesius.

“Why would I hate you—”

I was so flustered I couldn’t even get the words out.

The last time I saw Lesius cry—well, the last time in recent memory—was when the late Emperor passed away.

Though this time it was more of a choked voice than actual tears.

“…You still cry easily, huh? You used to cry every day when I hit you as kids.”

Yes. That’s right.

When we were young and I accidentally hit him during sword training, I always had to comfort him while he cried.

‘It was strange, though.’

The more we trained, the worse Lesius’s skill seemed to get. That’s still a mystery to me.

He was called a sword prodigy as a child.

“Yes. And you always held me when I did.”

Just like back then.

Lesius looked up at me with a pitiful expression.

“Is it… different now that I’m grown up?”

“Huh?”

“Is it… too much to hold me?”

Lesius seemed more downcast than usual, so I closed the distance between us.

He must be having a hard time too.

He might look composed, but in my eyes, he’s still a kid. A kid.

“Are you… okay? Is something wrong?”

I stood awkwardly and wrapped my arms around Lesius’s head.

Without a word, Lesius pulled me closer by the waist.

“You told me. To make a decision befitting an emperor.”

Ah. It was because of me.

It must have been hard. Lesius has such a tender heart. He must have been agonizing over it alone.

“I always find that difficult. You know me well. I have no one but you. Without you, who would I lean on and cry to?”

His delicate, moist green eyes looked up at me. Drooping his sharp gaze, he bit his lip.

With his intermittent whispers, the firm chest muscles glimpsed through his slightly parted shirt.

‘When did he get this big?’

It was exactly like the male lead from one of those romance novels Rosalyn had smiled about, saying “The more abstinent they are, the more delicious they become when they fall apart.”

‘Ah. Lesius is a male lead too.’

He’s handsome, isn’t he.

Even if he’s a sub-male lead, having one of the most outstanding men in this world right in front of me…

‘I can’t take my eyes off him.’

I was staring because Lesius was handsome, and Lesius… for reasons unknown.

We gazed at each other in silence for a while.

“It’s not like I’m going off to die. I’m a Swordmaster.”

I broke the awkward silence.

With deepened green eyes, Lesius buried his face in my stomach.

His hot breath seeped through my shirt.

“…Sleep here.”

Lesius said in an unusually low voice.

“I’ll schedule an early morning departure ceremony for tomorrow.”

Still leaning his forehead against me, Lesius gripped my clothes tightly.

“Going back to the mansion won’t leave you enough time to rest. I’ll have the head chamberlain handle your preparations.”

Hmm. That’s reasonable.

An hour to go from here to the Berwen Ducal Residence. Another hour to return to the palace.

‘That’s two hours wasted on the road.’

It would be better to just have someone bring my armor here.

“Lewin, you’re not still angry, are you?”

Lesius lifted his head with bloodshot eyes.

It was the look of a puppy afraid of being abandoned.

But strangely, those eyes with burst capillaries evoked a peculiar sense of transgression.

…He looks just like he’s aroused.

“Well. If you’re comfortable with it, I don’t mind.”

It was fine by me—it saved time.

“Then I’ll really sleep here?”

Lesius rubbed against my shirt and nodded.

Adjusting his slightly disheveled shirt, I walked toward the emperor’s massive bed.

‘Ah. I need to change clothes.’

Although I’d disguised myself with dark magic, I hadn’t fully become a man. My height and upper body were fine, but…

If I asked for clothes, they’d probably bring me a nightgown, so I just took off my outerwear.

“When are you going to sleep?”

In just my thin shirt, I lay on my side on the bed.

“I still have documents to sign.”

Lesius replied, opening the window. The cold air from outside seeped into the room.

“Are you cold?”

“No.”

Such worries for a Swordmaster.

“You should come sleep too. If we’re following the schedule, you have to wake up at dawn too.”

“I feel like I won’t be able to hold out.”

I looked at Lesius at the odd remark.

“…From sleep.”

Lesius’s reddened eyes folded neatly.

“I have too much to do. I don’t think I can afford to sleep.”

As expected. The emperor’s life is tough too.

With Lesius working so hard for the empire’s people, why does Rosalyn always view him through such colored glasses?

‘I’ve seen things over the past twenty years or so.’

Sigh. Poor Lesius. With that thought, I closed my eyes.

—

***—

“Your Majesty.”

Lesius sat on the edge of the bed. His gaze toward Lewin was pitiful.

A shadow approached him.

“The task you commanded has been dealt with. Kellian’s forces should have encountered the Tohor tribe by now.”

“I see. Just in case, handle the Grand Duke’s matter swiftly as well. If there was a way to bring him down, there must be a way to wake him up too.”

“Yes.”

In an instant, the shadow disappeared, and the room fell silent again.

Lesius gently stroked Lewin’s furrowing brow.

‘What kind of nightmare are you having.’

After finally clearing out the jackals within the empire, now the wolves from outside are causing chaos.

Lesius was deeply displeased with this situation.

‘It’s this hard to put you to sleep comfortably. Lewin.’

Lesius’s gaze fell upon Lewin’s composed face.

—

***—

And at that same time.

In Kellian’s camp, set up in a deep canyon that the Second Prince of Bahat wouldn’t notice.

Dragging a sword dripping with blood, Kellian stepped out of the tent.

“Your Highness!”

A knight with wide eyes looked between Kellian and the sword.

“Surely you didn’t kill them?”

“Yes. They were annoying, so I killed them.”

The knight gasped.

The ones inside were envoys from the Tohor tribe.

They had probably come to propose a secret deal.

True to barbarians, they didn’t weigh their words carefully, and sometimes made unreasonable demands.

His liege had little patience, so he must have cut them down after listening to their nonsense.

“How could you… Your Highness. They might march on the capital immediately! If Your Highness’s forces are tied up dealing with them storming the capital, those who have been lying low might start moving again!”

Without a trace of agitation, Kellian flicked the blood splattered on his head.

“You should return at once!”

“I won’t return.”

Kellian threw the blood-soaked sword to the ground. A clanging metal sound echoed.

“I’ve been curious for a long time. The Duke of Berwen was the head of the border defense forces for a while. It would be normal for us to have crossed paths at least once. Don’t you think?”

“……”

“But that never happened. We always kept missing each other, and now I think I finally understand why.”

In hindsight, it had all been the doing of the Hailen Emperor.

I thought he was just a bookish scholar who only looked at documents.

But it turns out he’s bold enough to pull something like this.

“Inciting the Tohor tribe—this seems like the Hailen scholar’s handiwork.”

“What do you mean…”

“It looks like a ploy to keep the Duke and me from meeting.”

Kellian wiped his bloodied neck with his palm.

But since there was already more blood soaking his palm, it only smeared more.

“When someone tells you not to do something, you naturally want to do it more.”

Kellian curled one corner of his mouth.

His eyes turned violently southward.

South, toward the Hailen Empire.

“This only makes me want to see him more, doesn’t it?”

The eyes of the beautifully cruel man curved playfully.