Really. I don’t understand why he’s acting like this.
With a somewhat disgruntled face, Assad stared intently at Cayden. Cayden was sitting crumpled against the bed with his knees up. An awkward smile still hung on his lips.
“…”
Assad bent toward Cayden. The already close distance became even closer. Almost as if just before a kiss.
That intimate distance provided Assad with a strange sense of relief. But at the same time, it made his anger boil. Looking at Cayden’s face so close up, his condition seemed even more pitiful. Wasn’t he clearly someone who had been beaten?
This feels terrible.
Not knowing why his mood was plummeting so drastically, Assad gritted his teeth internally. He regretted not cutting off Alex Cooper’s wrist instead of just his fingers. Then he would have died right there.
“Aren’t you disappointed about not being able to attend the luncheon at the Jaren estate?”
“No. It’s fine.”
It was a composed response.
Cayden could not accept Emma’s invitation. It was Cayden’s choice, not wanting to cause unnecessary worry to the perceptive Emma.
He might have also been concerned that the enraged trash from yesterday would visit Emma and do something. Judging by how visibly relieved he was when told that people had been stationed at Emma and her spouse’s estate.
The protagonist of this concern, Alex Cooper, would actually be too busy looking for his fingers to even go near Emma.
But that fact was a secret from Cayden. Cayden’s heart was too soft and delicate. He might become wary of Assad for using such cruel methods. Assad didn’t want to see Cayden recalling that trash’s face even for a minute.
Someday, at an appropriate time. Only the news of that young master’s death would be shared with Cayden. That’s what Assad thought.
“I delivered a letter and flowers to your friend. She was a bit disappointed, but said she would definitely send a reply.”
This morning, Assad had personally visited Emma to explain Cayden’s circumstances that made it impossible for him to attend the luncheon. He said that due to an urgent matter at the merchant guild, Cayden had to leave for another region before dawn. Naturally, Emma’s eyebrows drooped upon hearing this.
“Thank you. You went through trouble because of me…”
“I just delivered a letter, that’s all.”
Assad replied lightly. But Cayden didn’t think what Assad had done was just letter delivery. With a face that looked like he was dying of guilt, he expressed his gratitude to Assad over and over.
Why feel sorry about something he hadn’t even asked for? It was something Assad had volunteered to do personally, rather than asking one of the lodging’s workers. In any case, hadn’t he also been invited to Emma couple’s luncheon? He didn’t want to entrust Cayden’s private matter to someone else.
“I did what I should for a sick senior. Well, as your one and only… good junior.”
Assad smiled brightly.
Honestly, it was enjoyable to see Cayden get embarrassed whenever he made these frivolous remarks about seniors and juniors. It was also amusing to see the man become even softer in front of him when he acted like a junior.
Fortunately, in Helio at least, his bride wouldn’t have to make anything like a junior. Wouldn’t it be disgusting to see Cayden blushing while being called senior by some bad-looking alpha? Not just alphas, betas and omegas too. It was better not to have juniors. Of course, since he was Cayden’s spouse, it was fine for him to be Cayden’s only junior.
Still with a smile on his lips, Assad placed his hand over Cayden’s. He felt the hand that had been fidgeting on his knee suddenly freeze.
“Cayden. I’ll promise you something.”
“…”
“Let’s meet your friend again. No, it’s fine if we don’t set foot in the north. It would also be good if your friend comes to Helio. Somehow, somewhere… I’ll make sure you meet that woman again.”
Assad finished speaking while maintaining eye contact with Cayden, who was staring at him.
Assad felt a bit embarrassed. It was because of Cayden’s gaze toward him. Cayden was a man of few words and timid. He acted even more timidly in front of Assad.
For that reason, Cayden usually couldn’t look Assad directly in the eyes. But occasionally, like now, he would quietly study Assad. He gave such a clear gaze that it made the places where his eyes touched feel warm.
While maintaining eye contact with Cayden, Assad had to try to keep his composure. But in the end, before even counting to ten, his thin composure shattered.
He felt tense. His heart, which remained calm even when facing monsters crawling out of the desert sands, was pounding like a crazy colt. It was moving so roughly that Assad thought it fortunate Cayden couldn’t see inside his body.
Cayden wanted to find answers in the eyes of the man sitting across from him. He seemed confused about whether the words Assad had offered were just casual remarks to be forgotten or sincere promises.
Assad, who had been choosing his words internally, opened his mouth again.
“Think of it simply.”
“…”
“I spoke of something that will definitely happen someday. It’s not too late to feel my intentions when that promise is kept. You can say thank you then too.”
“I believe you.”
“…”
“I believe you when you say you’ll let me see Emma again. I never doubted it.”
Cayden nodded quietly. He still hadn’t taken his eyes off Assad’s. The tips of Cayden’s ears, after finishing his words, appeared redder than before. It was the same color as the crimson heat tinting Assad’s cheeks.
“…I should be the one saying thank you.”
“Pardon?”
“You trusted me. That’s something to be thankful for.”
Again, Assad smiled. He felt his expression, which had been frozen with unnecessary tension, soften.
Following Assad, Cayden also smiled faintly. It was after stopping himself from saying something. He probably was about to deny it with “No, that’s not it.”
Assad also swallowed words that were trying to burst out. Because he liked the current silence, the close distance they shared.
Sitting hunched at the foot of the bed, Assad and Cayden gazed at each other for a long time. It was a time that wasn’t boring at all.
* * *
The separate palace, which had been temporarily quiet due to the absence of its two masters, began to bustle with people again. It was with the return of the Crown Prince and his spouse. Amun, who had been nowhere to be seen, also showed his face at the separate palace.
Amun, who had finished preparing to leave for the west wing where the Crown Prince’s consort was, stood in front of the mirror. No, Assad stood in front of the mirror.
Assad looked impassively at his reflection in the mirror. The boy, who had a smaller build than Assad’s original form but was starting to look more like a man, also glared at Assad outside the mirror. The white clothes worn by the two men on the inside and outside of the mirror highlighted their brownish skin.
“…Amun.”
The man who stepped back had a displeased expression. The expression of Amun in the mirror also turned equally displeased.
How long would he have to stand before Cayden as Amun? Assad had been thinking and rethinking this for the past few weeks.
Amun had long lost his usefulness. The reason to keep him by Cayden’s side had disappeared.
Now Assad no longer needed a decoy and a monitor. He had abandoned the idea of immediately expelling Cayden from his side. Therefore, he needed to quickly remove the useless decoy-cum-monitor.
The role of Imperial language teacher had similarly lost its meaning. Cayden’s Imperial language skills had long surpassed the child’s level. Not just listening, but speaking had also improved considerably compared to before. Now it was sufficient for him, not Amun, to help with studies occasionally.
Cayden wasn’t as stupid as he thought himself to be. If taught slowly without raising one’s voice, he learned well. He didn’t slack off either. It was just that, having never properly received education, he found the very act of learning difficult.
Pasca. Firing that useless Imperial language teacher had been a good decision in many ways. Though it was still regrettable that his tongue couldn’t be cut off.
And Amun… influenced by his original self, had become a mongrel, neither beta nor alpha. It was a big problem.
Even when a servant borrowed Lihet’s mouth to warn about Amun’s alpha manifestation, Assad hadn’t noticed his abnormality. He hadn’t even considered that his heat cycle’s precursor symptoms would affect Amun’s appearance.
It wasn’t something that could be overlooked. It wasn’t right for Crown Prince’s consort Cayden to meet an alpha servant every day. There might be disgrace written that he was enjoying secret meetings by bringing a servant into his bedroom.
In the end, Assad had only one choice left. Assad decided to stop pretending to be Amun.
He intended to erase this reflection in the mirror completely from the world. Amun’s shell, being no different from objects like masks, could be discarded without even a moment’s hesitation.
After that, he would reveal the truth to Cayden.
He could have made him accept the lie without knowing it was a lie. But he didn’t want to clean his mouth by pretending not to know. If he did that, the name Amun would remain deeply in Cayden’s remaining life.
A companion who suddenly left one day. Whether it was affection filled with longing or bewilderment, Cayden would recall the name of the servant Amun, whom he had given affection to and relied on, for quite a long time.
Assad didn’t want to leave Amun in a corner of Cayden’s heart. He disliked it. The name Amun needed to be burned in front of Cayden.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
