Alex, completely drunk, walked unsteadily along the road. The memories of the past few hours, from late afternoon until now, were floating in fragments inside his head. Except for the memory of when he was found by a passerby trying to cross an alley and moved to a small clinic. At that time, Alex had been unconscious.
After waking up at the clinic, Alex headed straight to the security office as soon as his treatment ended. After finishing his statement and leaving, he drank alcohol continuously. It was to endure the time. It would take half a day for his henchmen to report on Cayden’s whereabouts.
Alex couldn’t spend the remaining half day sober. No, he couldn’t bear it with a clear mind. It was because of the humiliation he had received from Cayden.
The dizzying humiliation wasn’t the end. The insult he had received from the young alpha clinging to Cayden stabbed at Alex’s pride like a sharp blade.
Continuously muttering hot profanities like breath, Alex felt his face. Despite the healing mage having worked for hours, his face, which had been hit by the Helio man, still hurt.
‘There’s no way a proper healing mage would be in such a shabby outskirt neighborhood.’
As if spitting out pain, Alex had to curse several times.
The irritation briefly directed at the mage quickly subsided. This was because Alex’s anger soon turned to someone else. Toward the source of his pain.
“While I was distracted by Cayden…”
That petty, disgusting Helio bastard. The young alpha, who seemed to have just passed twenty, was incredibly ignorant. Like someone from the Empire.
Judging by how he had lunged at him with crazed eyes after just a single slap, it was clear that alpha was involved with Cayden. The thought that the alpha’s pheromones, which had been disgustingly entangled with Cayden, might belong to that bastard made him want to vomit.
Cayden hadn’t just sold his body to a new master. He must have seduced someone younger than himself, given his body to that bastard, and made him act as his bodyguard.
Filthy. Filthy. Filthy.
Before Cayden became even filthier, he needed to bring him back to his side quickly. The more time passed, the harder it would be to restore him to his previous state.
It was at least fortunate that the alpha who had struck him would be imprisoned by tomorrow. Although he knew the security forces were incompetent, they weren’t so useless that they couldn’t find one conspicuous Helio man.
Even if the security men messed up, it didn’t matter. The people he had set loose would find Cayden and that madman at once. He might see their faces as early as tomorrow morning.
I should have another serious conversation with Cayden. Muttering these words to himself, Alex irritably mussed his hair.
The face of Cayden he had encountered today kept appearing in his dizzy mind. His mood would rise to fury that made his teeth grind, then fall to a level of absurdity.
Cayden, who had been smiling with an inappropriately neat appearance, was truly strange. He looked… good enough that anyone might approach him with interest. Despite having sold his body to him with a dirt-covered face, he now appeared refined.
The sight of Cayden being close with that annoying child might have looked like a well-matched couple to someone’s eyes. It was absurd. It only felt horrifying.
Indeed. Cayden was an existence that shouldn’t be shown to the world.
Despite being a lowly worm, Cayden knew how to entice people. It was a terrible ability. It had been the same when he was 14, 15 years old, working as his servant. Pretending to be modest on the outside while subtly seducing his friends. Serina, Hael, Calson. They all fell for Cayden. They repeatedly gave him lingering glances and annoyingly tried to talk to him, trying to get close to Cayden by any means.
“Like that… you shouldn’t live like that.”
The fishy smell of blood came from his mouth as he muttered to himself. Mixed with the smell of alcohol, it felt even more disgusting.
Alex was indignant. The anger he had felt when he discovered that his father and mother had done something in his absence, the anger he had felt when he learned that Cayden had his debt forgiven and left the farm, found him once again.
They said it was too humiliating that their only child had been involved with someone so base. They shouted noisily and shed tears. What did it have to do with him that they felt humiliated, he had irritably stamped his foot.
If only father and mother would die quickly. Instead of stupidly lying in bed wasting time and money, if only they would die. That would be nice. Alex thought.
He didn’t care about the suddenly collapsing, failing business. He could just dispose of it. Money from the taxes collected from the domain and income from the farm was enough. What mattered was the title. With that title…
“Who would stop me?”
Alex laughed. On the road that had grown quiet after midnight, only Alex’s laughter echoed at length.
“…”
Alex, who had been walking unsteadily, suddenly stopped. It was under one of the sparsely placed street lamps.
Someone was following him.
Alex suddenly felt a strange sensation. Yet the only sound reaching his ears was the noise made by insects gathered around the magical stones’ light, clinging to the street lamps.
Alex rummaged through his coat pocket. What he pulled out was a jack knife he had hastily acquired after waking up from treatment. The dagger, as large as an adult man’s palm, was short in length but had a blade sharp enough to cut through anything.
‘I’m acting like a scared person.’
Alex was irritated by his own oversensitivity. Normally, he wouldn’t even have thought such a thing as something following him. This was all because of what happened in the afternoon. Because of that violent alpha, he had developed unnecessary suspicion, delusion.
With a grimace, Alex resumed walking. Still holding the knife in one hand.
Alex had intended to go to the carriage storage. He wanted to take any waiting carriage there and return to his lodging to rest.
‘As I drink, the idiots will come asking for news about Cayden.’
Walking faster than before, Alex grinned.
But his thoughts couldn’t continue further. Alex stopped walking again. It was before he had taken even ten steps.
“…What is it?”
From behind, there was a strange sound. A heavy yet clear resonance. Something was hitting the street lamp post, as if knocking. As if hoping someone would listen.
Alex quickly turned around. As he had expected, there was a person standing under the street lamp. Even in the dim light, it was a man dressed in an expensive suit that was recognizable.
The man’s hand fell away from the lamp post as he felt Alex’s gaze. It was as if he was saying that his only purpose had been to attract someone’s attention.
What is this? The man didn’t match the scenery of the quiet residential area on the outskirts of the capital. He was too out of place. The silk hat he wore cast a shadow on his face, making his features indistinct, which made him feel even more so. It seemed as if he had just returned from a party held by royalty.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
The man addressed Alex. The glimpse of his features caught in the light appeared even more pale.
Alex was at a loss for words. The man’s voice felt too familiar. Yet there was no clearly recognizable face that came to mind.
A gentleman encountered under a street lamp on a dark night. A voice unfamiliar yet familiar. Had he met a ghost? Alex’s brow furrowed.
The man approached Alex with a light gait. Though the narrowing distance felt unsettling, Alex didn’t retreat. It was due to curiosity about the suddenly appeared man. It was also because of his meager pride, fearing he would look like a coward if he left the road without any response to the man.
But he couldn’t help tightening his grip on the small knife. Alex hid his hand behind his back. And smiled slightly.
“What is it?”
“I have something I’d like to ask.”
The man was now close to Alex.
“Ah… I forgot to remove my hat.”
The man, sighing as if apologetic for forgetting his manners, took off his hat. The man’s face, which had been obscured by darkness, was fully revealed at last.
Brownish-gold hair and green eyes. Delicate features as if drawn with a fine brush. Alex silently took in the all-too-familiar face.
“…”
Alex stepped back. He slapped his own cheek nervously. He closed his eyes tightly and opened them again. He must be seeing things due to alcohol.
Yet, the man in front of him didn’t disappear but remained the same. The man’s hair shone even more brightly golden under the dim light. The way he tilted his head slightly and smiled was chilling.
A mirror. The man was Alex’s mirror.
Alex lost his words, facing a man who looked exactly like him. Even twin brothers wouldn’t resemble each other to that extent.
It felt like being trapped in a childish story that only kids would chatter about. He couldn’t even distinguish whether this moment was a dream or reality.
It was horrifying.
“You… what are you?”
Alex asked.
The man didn’t answer. Instead, he closed the distance once more. Alex couldn’t avoid the man who looked exactly like him approaching closer. He could only stare in bewilderment.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
