Chapter 66
Waaah!
Cheers erupted. In response, fireworks boomed throughout the imperial capital. Adriana raised the scepter she held in her right hand. It marked the beginning of the festival. People’s faces shone with happiness.
Blair, who had remained seated waiting until the end of the enthronement ceremony, stood up. As he rose, he firmly grabbed Kyle’s wrist as the latter hurriedly tried to leave. Kyle feared facing Blair now, not knowing what words might escape his mouth. He thought only his heart was beyond control, but his tongue seemed equally unmanageable.
“Why, why?” Kyle stammered, seemingly startled.
Blair answered with a slight smile, “Let’s talk.”
“Okay.”
Though Blair was smiling cheerfully, his face radiated a strange intensity. Kyle, who would do anything Blair said, couldn’t possibly refuse. He nodded obediently.
The two moved away from the center of the commotion. When they reached a small lake within the imperial palace grounds, Blair finally released Kyle’s wrist, which he had been holding firmly the entire time.
“How have you been? Though it seems I’ve seen you often, it feels like it’s been quite a while since we’ve actually talked like this.”
Blair smiled comfortably. Since returning to the past, the goals he had aimed for were taking shape and reaching their conclusions. His heart felt more peaceful than ever before.
“I’ve been well.”
Kyle, seemingly realizing he could no longer escape, answered calmly. Now that he was actually facing Blair, his heart was more at ease than he’d expected. He simply felt good.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Blair lightly clasped his hands behind his back and slowly began walking around the lake. Kyle followed behind.
“How was it, today’s enthronement ceremony?”
“It was magnificent. It suited her very well.”
Kyle answered with a gentle smile.
“Were you not disappointed?”
Blair asked the question he had kept in his heart for so long. It was the final sense of obligation he felt toward Kyle. Kyle tilted his head in confusion.
“Why would I be?”
“Why? Couldn’t Your Highness Kyle have aimed for the heir’s position as well?”
Blair turned around to face Kyle. The golden ponytail fluttering in the breeze imprinted itself clearly on his retina.
“Me? No, not at all. I never once thought I could become emperor. I always thought it would naturally go to my sister or brother. I’m the third child, after all. Besides, as you know, my mother’s background isn’t particularly prestigious, nor does she have any political power.”
Kyle responded with alarm. After having that dream, it was a thought he’d had hundreds, even thousands of times. Even if he could become emperor, he absolutely wouldn’t. He wasn’t cut out to be emperor. And if that future repeated itself, he would lose Blair.
Kyle knew that the dream he had experienced wasn’t reality.
But if his life continued along the same path, he feared the events from his dream would repeat themselves exactly. Call it anxiety or baseless speculation if you will, Kyle simply didn’t want to leave even the slightest possibility. If the future he saw in his dream came true, he felt he would ultimately lose Blair. He absolutely didn’t want to experience in reality that terrible sadness he’d felt in his dream.
If that was the predetermined future, Kyle intended to open a different path for himself. Kyle concluded with a resolute tone. Blair slowly nodded.
“I see.”
“I think everything has gone according to the natural order. My sister is intelligent and diligent, so she’ll surely become a good emperor. It will be nice to watch the achievements of the first empress from up close. The thought of me becoming emperor is truly terrifying. The country might collapse in no time.”
Blair laughed softly at Kyle’s joke. It was about half serious, but fortunately, Blair took it as a joke.
“It’s nice that you think highly of me, but I really don’t think I’m the type who should become emperor.”
Kyle plucked a small wildflower growing nearby.
“If you had been given the opportunity, I’m sure you would have done well.”
Blair smiled gently. In truth, the Emperor Kyle he had seen in the future wasn’t completely incompetent. He was someone who fulfilled his duties faithfully in his own way.
“Thank you for thinking that. Still, I much prefer how things are now.”
Kyle approached and took Blair’s hand. Kyle’s face gradually turned a beautiful shade of red as he placed the flower in Blair’s palm. Drawing closer, Kyle pressed his lips against Blair’s again. It felt somewhat different from when he had impulsively pecked his lips in the underground chamber. Blair closed his eyes and gently parted his lips. Kyle’s tongue slipped in, exploring Blair’s mouth.
The feelings he had suppressed and locked away suddenly overflowed, surpassing Blair’s height.
Splash—Blair was thrown into the waters of emotion. No matter how hard he tried to organize his feelings, he had merely been closing off his heart and looking away. When the lock he had fastened tightly came undone, his emotions flooded forth powerfully.
Not a bad ending.
# Epilogue
After kissing for quite some time, the two separated. Kyle looked at Blair with moist, sparkling eyes. He placed his hand on his chest; his heart seemed to be racing wildly.
Blair touched his lips thoughtfully. Kyle was more inexperienced at kissing than expected. It was extremely amusing and adorable. When Blair chuckled, Kyle tilted his head, asking what was so funny.
“You’re cute. You’re quite inexperienced.”
Kyle’s face flushed crimson.
“O-of course! It’s my first time, so naturally!”
Blair opened his eyes wide in surprise. As someone who knew all of Kyle’s past romantic history, he couldn’t help but be shocked. Well, that Kyle had been thirty-five years old, and the current Kyle was only nineteen.
Still, with a face like his, Blair hadn’t expected him to reach nineteen without ever having kissed anyone—that was truly Blair’s miscalculation. Kyle looked at Blair with wide, innocent eyes.
“Have you done it before?”
Blair awkwardly avoided Kyle’s gaze. Young, handsome, titled, and with an excellent physique—people certainly wouldn’t leave the Grand General alone. Of course, he had never actively responded to seduction, but there had been more than a few people who had invaded Blair’s bedchamber half-naked. Countless others had made physical advances. At every banquet or party, they vied for the seat next to Blair, watching each other closely.
While maintaining loyalty to Kyle was good, honestly speaking, Blair wasn’t completely inexperienced. He too had had casual encounters due to others’ aggressive advances. But these were all merely means to satisfy desire, not relationships involving deep emotions.
Of course, this young body had never experienced these past events. While these things had certainly not happened to the current Blair, he couldn’t take back words that had already caused a misunderstanding. Blair pretended not to know, feigning ignorance.
Visibly angry, Kyle bit Blair’s nape firmly. It felt exactly like a young wolf marking its territory, leaving its scent to claim ownership.
“Haha.”
Blair laughed cheerfully. It was delightful. With one hand intertwined with Kyle’s, Blair pulled on Kyle’s tie and kissed him again. Kyle, who had initially opened his eyes wide in surprise, obediently closed them. His golden eyelashes trembled beautifully.
Indeed, no matter how he looked at it, this wasn’t a bad ending at all.
<The End>
Extra Chapter
Al coda I: Wedding Dress
The Emperor of the Crassia Empire’s marriage was fast approaching.
The exact date and detailed schedule had been announced. The imperial household planned a feast that would last for seven days and nights, and countless artisans were assigned their respective roles. The entire empire began to buzz with excitement. The emperor’s wedding—it would surely be an event of magnificent scale.
Blair had always thought it was Theodore’s unrequited love, but somehow, the two had connected. It was something Blair couldn’t comprehend. Anyway, Theodore’s long unrequited love had reached a happy ending. As someone who had helped in various ways to make his love come true, Blair felt immensely proud of the outcome.
The imperial household was busy preparing for the royal wedding all winter. Winter isn’t a suitable season for large events. However, Adriana emphasized that the royal wedding should disrupt people’s livelihoods as little as possible, so she chose winter.
Winter is the season when most imperial citizens pause their farming and enjoy leisure in their warm homes. Thanks to this, numerous artisans were summoned to the imperial palace on cold winter days to weave lace, craft jewelry, and make clothing.
His Majesty the Emperor, having ascended to the throne not long ago, was so busy with state affairs that Theodore, the future groom, had to take charge of the wedding preparations. With both Theodore and Adriana busy, the soon-to-be newlyweds hadn’t seen each other’s faces in a long time.
These days, Theodore couldn’t even return to Monetery Manor and was staying at the imperial palace full-time. The Countess of Monetery, who had been nagging Theodore to get married for several years, was now ironically upset that her eldest son couldn’t visit home because he was busy with wedding preparations. Instead of continuing to feel disappointed, she found another target.
Naturally, the sacrificial lamb was Blair, who was idly resting in the mansion. Clara had already cleverly escaped, claiming to check on the merchant guild’s affairs, and hadn’t returned for a long time. Actually, Blair wasn’t such a lazy person. Originally, he had planned to travel throughout the Crassia Empire during this vacation, as he was about to graduate.
But the one who thwarted Blair’s ambitious plan was none other than his eldest brother, Theodore. He suddenly called Blair, who was contentedly staying at Monetery Manor, and with a thoroughly flushed face said:
“I’m thinking of getting married.”
[To be continued in the next part…]
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
