“There was an option to pass through the hatch with a fake permit, which would have been more comfortable… but if things went wrong due to bad luck, it would be more troublesome for Lord Cayden than for me, so I used a secret passage known to only a few people.”
While fixing Cayden’s disheveled clothes, Amun had continued speaking.
“I don’t use the secret passage often either. Nor do I commit illegal acts going back and forth through dark paths. I’m just a little more familiar with it than others.”
It seemed like others wouldn’t even know of the existence of such spaces. Unable to say such things, Cayden just nodded to Amun.
“Amun, you’re like an adventurer. No, you already are an adventurer.”
Cayden spoke as he followed Amun’s steps. He was belatedly saying what he hadn’t been able to say while they were wandering to reach this mirage-like place that would disappear after two nights.
“…You’ve just realized that now?”
There was an honest smile on Amun’s face as he said this. He seemed somewhat proud.
Amun is cute, Cayden thought to himself again. It was a secret from Amun, who wouldn’t want to be called cute.
Cayden busily took in the scenery of the market, which felt like a different world. While it had been enjoyable to see the civilian houses filling the space between the inner and outer walls, his heart raced facing this vibrant, enormous market. It was natural for a man who had never properly seen even a small market set up in a local downtown area to have his attention captured by everything in the immense market standing in the imperial capital.
“If you don’t want to get lost, hold on tighter.”
Cayden could feel the strength increasing in Amun’s hand holding him. With a brief “Yes,” Cayden also held Amun’s hand more firmly.
Amun’s hand was hot, just like Assad’s. It seemed the two were alike not only in appearance and demeanor.
The multicolored fabrics twisted as if dancing in the wind filled with the scent of spices, and the sounds of instruments played by barkers transformed into songs like musicians’ melodies for dancers, spreading through the swaying fabrics.
In that exotic scene, Cayden suddenly turned his gaze to a stall selling jewels and accessories. More precisely, his attention was caught by lovers whispering words of love to each other.
It was a crowded market. Seeing lovers standing on the street wasn’t unusual. But the sight of two lovers trying bracelets and necklaces on each other particularly caught Cayden’s eye.
The men in ordinary attire resembled the image of ideal lovers engraved in Cayden’s mind. These lovers, spending a special moment together with someone who cherished an everyday life like always, shined with their own beauty even amidst the colorful and splendid scenery. The smiles lingering on their lips felt warm.
“What are you looking at so intently?”
Amun asked Cayden, even stopping in his tracks. His gaze quickly fell on the stall Cayden had been watching. The sight of one man trying a bracelet on his lover’s wrist entered Amun’s eyes.
“Just… it seems people in Helio really like accessories. That’s fascinating.”
Cayden hurriedly spoke around the truth. He didn’t want to admit that he had been watching lovers whispering words of love. How lecherous would that seem? He didn’t want Amun to think of him as a strange person.
Cayden pulled Amun’s hand, which had remained still, and moved forward first. Amun obediently followed behind Cayden, who was heading forward. His gaze remained fixed on Cayden’s empty wrist.
It was after some more time had passed that Cayden spoke with Amun again.
The entrance to a new section appeared, lined with merchant companies dealing exclusively with artworks like paintings and sculptures.
Beside an empty tent that was closed without even setting up a stall in front of it, Amun stopped. He positioned Cayden in front of the tent.
“Merchant companies dealing with artworks employ many guards. If I had to pick the safest place in this market, it would probably be the art section. Where you’re standing now.”
Amun, who had taken something out from his outer garment, placed it in Cayden’s hand. Inside a pouch made of fabric so thin and transparent that the contents were visible, there were many small candies. The sweet scent emitted by the differently colored candies gathered together tickled his nose.
“I’ll be away for a moment. I’ll be back soon, so please wait here. You can eat some candies if you get bored.”
“…Alright.”
Cayden gave Amun a delayed response.
“I won’t leave you alone here and go off by myself, so don’t worry. Just wait for 10 minutes, no, 5 minutes.”
Amun’s words, which seemed as if he had read Cayden’s mind, felt embarrassing. Cayden, keeping his mouth shut, nodded to the departing figure.
Amun, who had briefly furrowed his brow, turned his back on Cayden as if he had made a decision.
Left alone, Cayden watched for a long time as Amun exchanged words with a large-bodied man near the tent and then walked back down the path with hurried steps. Until Amun’s back figure was buried in the crowd and no longer visible.
Cayden lowered his head to look at the candy pouch in his hand. The white, red, blue, and yellow candies maintained their original pretty shapes without sticking together or melting, despite the hot weather.
“A child… carrying something children eat.”
Cayden muttered. This too was something that would excite Amun so much his feet would lift off the ground if he heard it. Because it would hurt his pride.
‘I can’t steal Amun’s snacks.’
Cayden, smiling gently, carefully attached the sweet-smelling candy pouch to his waist. He decided to obediently keep his place and wait for Amun, as he had said.
The art section didn’t have the vibrant and noisy feel of the previous section with fabrics and accessories strewn about, perhaps because many merchant companies dealt with high-priced items. This was true despite the many people passing through the path between the facing tents.
But it wasn’t just quiet. Some restlessness began to mix into the calm atmosphere on the path. It was just as the five minutes or so that Amun had promised Cayden had passed.
A sudden commotion caught people’s eyes and ears. Cayden, who had been standing still waiting for Amun, also turned his gaze following others.
Cayden’s eyes fell on men gathered under a large tent of a merchant company that occupied two spaces. They seemed to be the protagonists of the small disturbance that had fallen into the calm quietness.
The young men who appeared to have just entered the tent seemed to be on familiar terms with the owner of the merchant company. Their embracing and talking in loud voices did not look awkward.
The men looked like nobles from Elba spending the summer. Not just their attire, but their appearance as well. Cayden inadvertently observed the appearance of the men in familiar attire. After spending just a few months in the desert, the northern style of dress already felt unfamiliar.
But I shouldn’t stare at people I don’t know. Feeling embarrassed, Cayden tried to hurriedly avert his gaze from the men.
“…”
But suddenly his body froze.
There, among the men… was someone he knew. The young master of the Servman earldom with a pretty face that drew attention. Alex Cooper. The man whose appearance was no different from a year ago, except for his height which had grown even more.
Cayden, closing his mouth, stepped back. Then, as if he had bumped into someone, he hurriedly apologized. But he could neither see nor hear what expression the person he bumped into had, or what they were saying.
Cayden’s vision became a mess, as if someone had crumpled the scenery in their hands. Yet, that man there, in front, was seen too clearly.
And then.
“Ah…”
Cayden sighed.
His eyes met Alex’s. Just as Cayden had discovered Alex, Alex too had discovered Cayden.
Cayden quickly realized that the man, the young master he had served, had noticed his existence. He felt that he had been captured in Alex’s pupils.
Alex completely turned his body toward Cayden.
“…Cayden!”
He called his name.
Cayden forced strength into his legs that had turned to stone. He had to escape.
The thought that he must flee as far as possible instantly filled Cayden’s mind, which had turned completely blank. There was no room for any other thought to squeeze in.
Turning his back, Cayden began to run.
There was no destination. He just ran looking straight ahead. He couldn’t even offer a brief apology to the people he bumped into as he had before.
Amun had told him to wait. He had said to wait just a little while. Even as he repeated this in his mind several times, he couldn’t stop running.
What moved Cayden’s legs were memories of the past. His fear drove him to flee.
Cayden, who had looked back, lowered his body, taking advantage of the gap where the man chasing him was blocked by the crowd. He moved his body almost crawling, curling up. He was pushed and stepped on by people, covered in dust.
Holding his breath, Cayden hid inside an empty tent whose cover had been lowered because there was no owner. Placing his hands on the ground, he walked like a dog and threw his body into the darkest corner.
Bending his body like an insect, Cayden glared at the entrance of the tent. He raised his scratched hand to cover his mouth. His hand trembled violently, afraid that his breathing would leak outside the tent.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
