Chapter 61
“Are you scared? I’ll cut it carefully so you won’t get hurt. If you keep moving, you might get cut. Please stay still.”
When Kyle flinched every time Blair’s hand touched his hair, Blair asked.
“No, that’s not it. I’m not scared.”
Kyle mumbled, cutting his words short.
After neatly trimming the front hair to reveal his handsome eye sockets, Kyle’s appearance became even more striking.
“Wow, you cut hair really well. Amazing. Have you ever cut hair before?”
Blair removed the cloth he had wrapped around Kyle’s nape after finishing the haircut. Kyle, who was examining himself from various angles in the mirror, looked at Blair with sparkling eyes full of admiration.
“Yes. There was someone who liked me to cut their hair.”
Kyle stopped himself from asking who that was when he saw Blair’s expression, which seemed somehow distant, as if dreaming. Better not to ask. Kyle nodded obediently and rose from his seat.
“Well, now that your hair is cut, let’s go back and sleep. It’s getting late.”
“Yes, thank you for cutting my hair. I’ll definitely repay you later. Sleep well, Blair.”
“Repayment? It’s nothing. Good night.”
Blair smiled brightly as he saw Kyle off from his room.
Kyle returned to the guest room and lay down, lost in thought. He recalled Blair’s touch as he had handled his neck. Kyle’s face turned bright red, so much that it was fortunate no one could see it. Blair was an extremely good person. Even if his feelings from the dream hadn’t transferred, he would naturally have come to like Blair someday. He was that kind of person.
But the problem was that Blair Monetery wasn’t just a good person—he was also extremely accomplished. He was intelligent, talented in martial arts, the son of a good family, and handsome. Noble young ladies at the Academy lined up after him. A mere prince who wasn’t even interesting, completely lacking power, and with nothing to recommend him but his face would not be enough for Blair.
Kyle let out a small sigh. He just couldn’t fall asleep. After tossing and turning for a long while, Kyle got up and sat by the window. The night sky with its crescent moon was especially dark. The garden, with all its lights extinguished, was also dark, making it perfect for sinking into idle thoughts. His reflection appeared in the dark window. Kyle looked down at the dark outside and fell into contemplation. Blair was always kind to him.
Let’s be honest. He felt considerable attraction to Blair. Now he was curious about Blair’s feelings. He wanted to know exactly how Blair thought of him. Just as he was deep in thought, a figure wearing a black robe and leaving the mansion entered Kyle’s field of vision.
What’s that?
Kyle tilted his head. The person in the black robe turned their head to look at the mansion, as if checking for something. Moonlight spilled onto that person’s face. While the person wouldn’t have been able to spot Kyle hidden in the darkness, Kyle could clearly identify who it was thanks to the bright moonlight.
It was Blair.
Where is he going at this hour? Is he going to meet someone?
Kyle grabbed whatever clothes he could find and hurriedly left the room to follow Blair. Blair was already leaving the mansion in the distance. Blair boarded a carriage that was waiting in front of the mansion. Kyle immediately caught another carriage coming behind and diligently pursued him.
The carriage carrying Blair traveled smoothly and brought him to his destination. Before leaving the mansion, Blair had checked that the light in Kyle’s room was off, so he probably thought Kyle was asleep. Blair slowly opened the door and entered the restaurant. As instructed in the note he’d received earlier, Theodore and Adriana would have arrived first at the restaurant and would be waiting for him.
When Blair entered the room he’d been guided to, Adriana raised her hand to welcome him. Blair sat down, arranging his robe.
“You must be tired. Wouldn’t it be better to summon me to the Imperial Palace tomorrow?”
“No, it’s fine. I should be the one to come out.”
Kyle, who had followed Blair, pressed himself against the wall and listened. A gentle woman’s voice could be heard. Is he having a secret rendezvous with a woman at this hour? Kyle felt needlessly disappointed and upset. He felt as though he’d been rejected before even confessing his feelings. His nose tingled and his eyes felt hot.
He was well aware that Blair was popular with people of all ages and genders, but being confronted with the reality was another matter. Why did they need to meet secretly like this outside?
Voices from inside began to be heard again. Kyle perked up his ears.
“Since you have no proper official position or title, your frequent appearances at the palace would easily arouse others’ suspicion. It’s best to move as secretly as possible. It might be different if Kyle were here, but since Kyle is at the Monetery mansion now, there’s no pretext to summon you.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
Blair nodded.
“What is Kyle doing? I heard he went to your house.”
“I confirmed he was sleeping before I left.”
Kyle, who was eavesdropping on the conversation from outside the door, was startled. His name had been mentioned. The conversation didn’t seem at all like that of lovers. Moreover, the woman’s voice was too familiar. Kyle peeked slightly through the gap in the door. His eyes widened. Why is Sister Adriana here?
“Hmm, that’s good. Since we don’t have much time, let’s get straight to the point. I shouldn’t be away from my position for too long either. I’ve contacted the military side and secured personnel. They’re someone my grandfather has groomed since he was young, so he’s trustworthy. There happens to be a military unit stationed near Yureho. We’ll be able to divert them. Around three thousand troops.”
“Perfect. Then we should first move our private soldiers there. If it’s difficult to empty the Sichen domain, which is quite far from the capital, it might be appropriate to reduce the personnel there.”
“Understood. I’ll discuss that separately with my grandfather. So that’s settled. The problem is, how do we approach the human trafficking market? I hear the timing is irregular and the location is difficult to find.”
“Indeed. How about proceeding with what I thought of earlier? We can adorn a well-trained female knight to catch their attention, have her be kidnapped, and naturally infiltrate the inside. After she sends a signal, our soldiers can rush in.”
“A female knight’s undercover infiltration. That’s certainly not bad.”
“While it seems they buy and sell men too, it appears that what they typically target when kidnapping is beautiful women. The demand is obvious.”
Theodore answered.
“That’s definitely a good plan. There are several female knights in the palace guard. I’ll prepare someone capable and suitable.”
What conversation are they having? Kyle pressed himself closer to the door. Since they were speaking so quietly, not all of the conversation was clear. Just then, the toe of Kyle’s shoe lightly hit the door.
‘Ack!’
Kyle hurriedly moved his body, but those inside noticed faster. The door flung open, and in an instant, Kyle’s neck was grabbed and he was pushed against the wall with a thud. His back ached. A dagger touched Kyle’s neck. Kyle used both hands to remove the hand that was gripping his neck.
“Bl-Blair. It’s me.”
“Kyle?”
Blair, looking bewildered, released his hand. Adriana and Theodore, who had come out after detecting the commotion, also had wide-open eyes. Having had his identity confirmed, Kyle was able to enter the room.
“No, how did you come here? I saw you sleeping before I left. Besides, how can you come out alone? A prince of the nation, so dangerously.”
Blair frowned and scolded him severely. Kyle flinched and looked dejectedly at Blair, checking his reaction.
“I was just curious where you were going.”
“Well, anyway, it’s fortunate it’s Kyle and not someone else.”
Adriana smiled gently and pushed a cup of tea towards Kyle. Kyle once again checked Blair’s reaction.
“No, it’s fine. It’s not a big problem if you hear it.”
“I didn’t hear exactly, but you’re planning to eradicate a human trafficking ring?”
Kyle, encouraged by Adriana taking his side, asked with renewed spirit.
“Yes. That’s the plan. A human trafficking ring of considerable size exists, and they kidnap and sell people. They would probably be sold to perverted noble gentlemen. If we could obtain a list of those who have already been sold and turn everything upside down, that would be perfect. If that’s difficult, we’re trying to eliminate the source first.”
“I heard about infiltrating a female knight, but wouldn’t that be dangerous in many ways? If the knight isn’t kidnapped, everything could come to nothing.”
“Is that so? Well, I think skilled people could certainly make her noticeable enough.”
Kyle fell into deep thought.
“How about I become that bait? Dressed as a woman. Wouldn’t that be better?”
“What?”
“What did you say?”
Adriana and Blair’s responses burst out simultaneously. Theodore was startled by the intense reactions from both of them.
“You’re talking nonsense. It’s dangerous.”
Blair stepped forward to cut off Kyle’s recklessness. Courage was good, but they couldn’t push a prince of the nation into such a dangerous situation.
“Didn’t you say this needs to be kept as secret as possible? I’ve been exposed to such threats before. If I’m properly adorned, I’ll certainly catch their eye. In many ways, I think I’d be better than a female knight. I can protect myself to some extent.”
“Ab. So. Lute. Ly. Not.”
Blair gritted his teeth and spoke in staccato.
“What if they discover you’re a man? You’ll either be sold to an even bigger pervert, or beaten within an inch of your life. There’s no need for you, Your Highness Kyle, to take such risks.”
“No, think about it. I’m not that weak, Blair. A man would be much better than a female knight. Even if something rough happens, that would be preferable. Even if they administer sleeping potion or paralytic poison, I have some resistance and won’t be affected. I would be much better at signaling to the outside.”
Kyle’s words did have some reason.
“It’s not even a dangerous task, and you said you’ll separately deploy a not-small-scale military force.”
Theodore and Adriana’s heads nodded slightly. With his beauty, he would certainly be snatched up the moment he was dressed as a woman. He was also a trustworthy ally. Rather than infiltrating a clumsily disguised female knight, Kyle, who could protect himself to some extent, would be much better.
Blair, who had protected Kyle for over ten years, was restless, but the operation to have Kyle enter in women’s clothing was proceeding rapidly. Blair tried to apply the brakes several times, but due to Kyle’s strong will, even Blair couldn’t dissuade him.
[To be continued in the next part…]
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
