Chapter 34
“How are you finding the Academy?”
It was Blair who broke the silence. He was somewhat curious about how the young Kyle before him was doing. Since he couldn’t ask about the well-being of the Kyle he had left behind in the past, he found himself wondering about the Kyle standing before him now.
“Yeah, it’s fine, I guess.”
Kyle answered hesitantly. It was a question he wasn’t quite sure how to answer.
“I heard you share a room with Aaron. Surely there must be some inconveniences when two people share a room.”
“Hmm. Aaron has some sleeping habits. Other than that, everything’s fine.”
“Is that so?”
Blair smiled gently. Remembering old times put him in a good mood. Aaron had terrible sleeping habits even after he grew up. Talking in his sleep was just the beginning—he would toss and turn and sometimes even kick. Blair always thought it was because Aaron tended to overthink things. He used to tease Aaron that he tossed and turned so much because he was thinking even while asleep. He also recalled making a fuss after being kicked hard a few times while sharing a bed, declaring he would never sleep with Aaron again.
“He does talk in his sleep a bit.”
“He’s still growing. It’ll calm down soon.”
Blair gently took Aaron’s side. Of course, he knew that Aaron’s sleeping habits remained so bad that he’d fall out of bed even as an adult, but that was a secret only he knew.
“I guess so.”
Kyle fidgeted with his fingers slightly before asking Blair:
“How about you?”
“Me?”
Blair tilted his head slightly, then set down the teacup he had been drinking from.
“I’m doing fine. There’s nothing particularly difficult. My schedule this semester is quite packed, but I’m trying to endure it for just a year.”
Encouraged by Blair’s answer, Kyle replied with sparkling eyes. This was a topic he could easily continue.
“Right. You’re taking a lot of martial arts classes, aren’t you?”
“Yes. It just turned out that way. I thought it would be fine, but it’s slightly taxing on my stamina.”
Blair replied nonchalantly, sipping his tea as if it were no big deal. The culprit who had made him arrange such a schedule was sitting right in front of him.
“Why didn’t you substitute one of them with a theory class?”
Kyle asked, tilting his head. Blair recalled a distant folktale about a country’s most beautiful woman who had a chest ailment that made her furrow her brow, and people found this expression so beautiful that everyone imitated it, furrowing their brows wherever they went.
Seeing Kyle tilt his head just now reminded Blair of that story. It was a tale he had heard while roaming beyond the borders during wartime. Kyle’s head-tilting just now gave off exactly that impression—as if anyone who saw it would immediately start tilting their heads in imitation.
“Ah, there were some circumstances.”
Blair made a troubled expression. There was indeed a clear reason, but he couldn’t honestly explain it in front of the very person who had created those circumstances.
“Could it be that you’re planning to leave the Academy before 8th year?” Kyle guessed, not knowing the true reason.
The Academy had an exceptionally long curriculum with complicated graduation requirements. Because of this, there were countless students who attended just to get a taste of academic life before dropping out midway. Female students in particular, who tended to marry earlier, often completed only the lower grades before getting married. Most male students, however, tried to graduate from the Academy.
But even among them, dropping out before graduation was common. Taking over the family business, or having to inherit a title due to a family death—these were such common occurrences at the Academy that they barely raised any interest.
As a result, students who knew early on that they wouldn’t be able to graduate often chose to take only the classes they wanted. Kyle assumed that Blair must be in the same situation. The Monetery merchant guild was no small operation—when Blair came of age, they would probably give him a branch office to manage.
Blair himself always said that the merchant guild would go to his sister. But Kyle couldn’t imagine the House of Monetery not providing a path for their youngest son. With the significant age gap between him and his siblings, he must be quite pampered at home. Unlike Kyle, who had to be constantly mindful of his position in the imperial palace.
“It’s a bit busy, but I’m managing just fine. How about Your Highness? Are you doing well?”
“Me? I’m fine, of course.”
Kyle was acting so stiffly that an awkward atmosphere developed. But only Kyle seemed to notice the awkwardness. Blair, the actual person involved, wasn’t concerned at all.
“Come to think of it, the short vacation is coming up soon. Will you be returning to the palace?”
“No, I think I’ll stay at the Academy.”
The Academy’s curriculum runs on a yearly cycle. In mid-summer, when the weather becomes unbearably hot, there’s a short two-week vacation, and at the end of the academic year, there’s a longer vacation lasting nearly two months.
During the long vacation, everyone returns home, but during the short vacation, many students remain at the Academy. This was particularly true for students whose homes were far away, requiring days of travel. The Academy and the Imperial Palace weren’t that distant—if one decided to, they could travel between them in a day—but it seemed Kyle wasn’t going this time. Well, the palace couldn’t possibly be comfortable for him. Blair nodded slightly.
“Even if I went, I’d just see my mother briefly. What about you?”
“I’m planning to go home. I’ll probably leave on the first day and return on the last day. The summer vacation isn’t long, so I should make the most of it.”
“I see. Is House Monetery far from here?”
“No, not particularly far. It’s about three hours east of the Academy. About an hour from the Imperial Capital. It’s faster if you go on horseback.”
“I see. That’s nice.”
Kyle muttered in a small voice. In any case, Blair had spent half his life as Kyle’s caretaker in the past. While Aaron was the type to loudly fuss over Kyle with words, Blair was the type to clean up after him silently. Perhaps Blair had been even more attentive to Kyle than anyone else. He could confidently say he was more accustomed to reading Kyle’s moods than anyone.
When they talked about returning home for the short vacation, Blair sensed that Kyle’s mood had dampened. It wasn’t obvious, but Kyle had a habit of slightly pouting his lips when he was upset. Like a newborn baby bird. It was such a subtle action that unless someone was watching him closely, they wouldn’t notice, but Blair knew about Kyle’s habit. It was a habit that Kyle hadn’t been able to break even as an adult. Kyle’s expression turned slightly sullen.
Blair subtly observed his mood. He felt he should somehow salvage this atmosphere. This mood was clearly different from the silence earlier.
“If you have time, you’re welcome to visit our home.”
His tongue moved on its own, breaking through the tense atmosphere. He immediately regretted it, but once spoken, words couldn’t be taken back. Kyle’s expression contorted in an almost comically complex way upon hearing this. He looked like he might cry, or laugh, or be surprised, or be happy.
“Really?”
Kyle asked joyfully. Ah, what a reckless mouth I have, Blair thought belatedly, but seeing Kyle’s subtle expression, he didn’t want to retract what he’d just said.
“Of course. You’re welcome anytime.”
Blair smiled brightly as he stood up and gathered his books. He needed to head to class soon.
“I have to go to class now. Feel free to stay longer if you’d like.”
“No, I should get up too. It’s not right to stay in someone’s room without them present.”
Kyle rose slowly, as if reluctant. Blair exited the room first, and after Kyle followed, he closed the door.
“Thanks for the tea.”
“Thank you as well. Thanks to you, I didn’t skip lunch. I appreciate it.”
Blair, giving a proper farewell, walked away with an upright posture.
Kyle, having left Blair’s room, stood motionless in the hallway, deep in thought. Whenever he saw Blair, an inexplicable impulse and embarrassment arose. It happened just now too. In the Academy, where martial arts classes were common, seeing male students undressed wasn’t unusual. Seeing someone without a shirt was practically an everyday occurrence.
Aaron, who shared a room with him, would casually throw off his shirt and head to the bath without hesitation. And yet, Blair’s bare upper body felt somehow different. Making eye contact and conversing with him felt different too. Despite being such ordinary, everyday actions, when Blair was involved, everything changed. Kyle’s gaze would involuntarily wander, and his heart would start beating faster.
Why?
Kyle stood for a long time in the corridor where Blair had departed, pondering deeply.
* * *
The short vacation was approaching. The Academy was abuzz, as everyone seemed excited about returning home. Though they tried to act mature, they were all still children. The Academy was lively with excitement. In Aaron’s case, since the Taklamakan territory was far away, he had departed a day earlier before the vacation officially began.
Carriages sent from various houses lined up in front of the Academy. The size and splendor of the carriages indirectly displayed the prestige of each family.
Blair, having packed lightly, also moved to board his family’s carriage. Since everything would be prepared at his family home anyway, there was no need to bring much. Blair headed toward the Academy’s main gate with a simple outfit.
“Blair!”
At that moment, a rather loud voice called from behind him. Blair, hearing his name, slowly turned around. Kyle, who had called out to Blair, ran quickly from a distance. Slightly bending his knees and placing his hands on his thighs, Kyle caught his breath. As he lowered his head, his fairly grown golden curls lovingly clung to his flushed cheeks. If the sun god from the Crassia Empire’s legends were to exist, would he look like this? Blair had an odd thought.
“Your Highness.”
“Huff, huff… Are you leaving now? Departing right now?”
“Yes, I should.”
Blair replied with a bright smile. Even after turning thirty, going home was always exciting. In the past, his work at the palace had severely limited his time with family. Even after returning to his sixteen-year-old self, he hadn’t spent much time with his family as he had come to the Academy after just a week. He missed his sister, brother, and parents. This time when he went home, he planned to do absolutely nothing and just relax at home.
[To be continued in the next part…]
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
