Seiyad blended lies with partial truths when explaining how the knights were injured. While Ressas was away, Kirill happened to show up, and when he asked in alarm, Seiyad said the knights had gotten hurt protecting Ressas from an ambush. When the farmers explained they’d just been caught up in the incident while passing by, Kirill accepted the explanation with mild skepticism.
As for the identity of the assassins, Seiyad merely hinted that they were after Ressas’s life. But with the royal family’s current state being an open secret, it was obvious who might resort to such schemes. After watching Kirill summon his knights with a grave expression and warn them to stay alert, Seiyad returned to tidy up the room where Ressas would stay.
The inn room was small but decently clean. Despite being the largest room available, the bed was still too narrow for two adults to lie down comfortably. Still, if they squeezed together, they could manage. It wasn’t the first time he’d shared a space with Ressas, after all.
And yet—why did it feel like he couldn’t breathe?
Standing still and staring intently at the undersized bed, Seiyad realized he was tense. Maybe because it had been too long since they last touched, or maybe because unlike the night they had once spent together, this time, he was too lucid—far too aware of himself.
The move eastward must’ve brought warmer weather, because the room felt stifling. To cool off, Seiyad opened the window. Outside, night had deepened beyond twilight, bathing the world in a rich violet hue. Though dark, the colors hidden within were vivid, varied—just like Ressas’s own shades.
He didn’t want Ressas to be the only one to see such beauty.
He’d missed the chance to press him earlier, but Seiyad was certain now: Ressas had likely been enduring things like this for quite some time. The way he knocked people unconscious and fled like it was second nature—he must’ve been doing that all along while apart from Seiyad. The thought made Seiyad’s chest tighten sharply.
So this is what you’ve been doing in all that silence… Aster.
Whenever Seiyad thought of Aster, it felt like his heart was walking straight into hell, which was why he had intentionally avoided thinking about him at all. Instead, he had focused on clinging to reason, on figuring out how to bring Aster down. He hadn’t tried to understand him.
Until now, Seiyad had thought Aster was simply obsessed with power, someone who reveled in privilege. That was the reason he had plotted to remove him from the position of Crown Prince—because he believed it would be enough to divert Aster’s attention.
But watching Aster’s recent actions, it was clear he wasn’t actually doing anything to claim the throne. Instead, he was inflicting this grotesque cruelty upon Ressas.
Was Aster truly the Devil of Solias? Or was he merely someone who worked alongside one? Either way, it didn’t matter. In the end, someone would have to die for this to end. And if Seiyad could expose Aster’s true nature to the world, then he would have every right to kill him.
The time had come to bloody his hands. He could no longer hesitate at the crucial moment.
A moment’s hesitation had already cost Ressas dearly. Seiyad never wanted to repeat that mistake. In a situation where lives were at stake, surviving without killing was simply impossible. As his thoughts reached that point, he suddenly realized—he wanted to survive.
From the moment he returned, he’d lived as if he were already dead. He believed he had no value, no right to live, and was always prepared to give his life. He thought he would die with his enemies, never that he would fight to live.
But now, so naturally, Seiyad wanted to live.
Lately, he’d found himself recognizing these unconscious desires more and more. As soon as that will to live surfaced, he looked out toward the woods, searching for Ressas. The small grove surrounding the inn rustled softly, swaying with the cool night breeze. The warm, earthy scent of grass spread gently, tickling his stomach. His insides churned with sudden longing.
“…Ressas.”
His name lingered on Seiyad’s tongue. A name he had always called with distant formality sounded incredibly lovely when spoken aloud. Back in their childhood, when they had the palace to themselves, Seiyad used to call him that all the time.
“Yes, Eid.”
Just as the name was about to fade into the air, a reply came. Seiyad flinched, then immediately looked down from the window. The inn was only two stories high, and right below stood Ressas, looking up at him from just a few steps away.
“…When did you arrive?”
Seiyad could chalk up Ressas noticing his hiding spot to instinct, but being able to approach unnoticed, even from himself—it was something he could never get used to. At his question, Ressas beamed and reached out his hand, as if asking to be taken.
“The moment the moon lit up the night sky, I couldn’t stop thinking of you.”
How had he managed to hide that bright, guileless heart earlier? It was hard to believe someone could conceal such feelings beneath that calm, blank expression. He seemed to have no talent for lying, reacting visibly to even Seiyad’s smallest words—yet when he had to, he hid it all flawlessly. Maybe he was just born that way. And it was precisely for this reason that Seiyad felt, more than ever, he had to trust Ressas.
“Whenever I’m with Your Highness, I don’t feel like I’m a Tither. How do you manage to hide your presence so completely?”
His words were a lighthearted complaint, but Seiyad reached out anyway. He bent forward and extended his arm through the window. Ressas pushed off the wall, took his hand, and with one firm grasp—as if neither would let go—he easily climbed inside the room.
“Then that’s good, isn’t it? No burdens to bear like ordinary people, no cost to pay for your power.”
Smiling sweetly, Ressas echoed back Seiyad’s earlier words. His eyes softened into gentle crescents, and Seiyad, captivated by the way his expression melted, finally replied.
“…It’s a meaningless fantasy.”
“I don’t know… If the devil disappears and the forest is purified, maybe a world where Tithers aren’t needed will come.”
It was a concept too distant to grasp—Seiyad couldn’t even imagine such a future. Seeing his uncomprehending expression, Ressas laughed brightly and asked,
“Eid, if that day ever comes… what would you want to do?”
The scent of the forest clung to Ressas as if he had just stepped out from among the trees. The fresh, green fragrance of moist bark and budding leaves lingered on him, and white petals from a spirea blossom were tangled in his hair. The sight was so endearing that Seiyad reached out gently, brushing the petal away.
“I don’t know,” he answered.
As soon as he replied, a scene flashed through his mind—like when they were children and he would let Ressas rest his head on his lap and whisper goodnight, or the times they would fool around with just a glance between them. Maybe even going further—kissing him wouldn’t be so bad.
Maybe it wouldn’t just be “not bad.” It might be… wonderful.
“I just want to stay beside the Grand Duke, without a single worry. If I could have even a moment like that… After you’ve come back from a long ride—because you love horseback riding—I want to feed you all the things you like.”
It was a wish so simple, so childlike and instinctive. But it sounded beautiful. Even if their imagined details differed, the fact that they both longed for a similar future made it meaningful.
“That’s a humble dream.”
“How can it be humble when I’m wishing for the most beautiful person in the world? You should say it’s greedy.”
As he said this, Ressas slowly closed the distance between them. Their hands, still clasped since Seiyad had helped him up, tightened. With a face full of yearning, Ressas whispered,
“Even now… just being allowed to be beside you, Eid—I have so many things I want to do I can barely stand it.”
“…What do you want to do?”
“Hmm.”
Though he answered vaguely, Ressas moved with certainty, pressing their bodies together. Like that spring day long ago, when the blossoms had rained down like petals in a southern palace only they remembered, Ressas’s arms wrapped around him. His firm forearms gripped Seiyad’s slender waist tightly, despite his delicate frame.
“There’s too much—I can’t choose just one.”
Their bodies were flush against each other. Their heartbeats overlapped, pounding as one. All of Seiyad’s senses sharpened. He could feel the intense heat of Ressas’s desire, the way his body seemed ready to burst. The moment he registered it, a dangerous hunger surged within him.
He hadn’t tasted this beautiful man in so long, and the craving to enact what he’d imagined earlier came roaring back.
Seiyad had come to accept that he was far more vulnerable to desire than he liked to admit. He used to think Ressas was the one blinded by lust—but now, he realized he was the one being swayed. Still, he didn’t want to pretend otherwise anymore.
“Then allow me to choose.”
Seiyad didn’t bother invoking the word Purification. Instead, he reached up and cupped Ressas’s cheek. His face, small for his frame, fit easily into Seiyad’s hand. Cradling that exquisite skin, he leaned in and softly bit into lips sweeter than any fruit.
As if he’d been waiting for it, Ressas wrapped his arms tightly around Seiyad and pulled him close. Already attuned to Seiyad’s way of doing things, he kissed him back without hesitation, their tongues intertwining. Ressas pushed him gently onto the bed behind them. Just touching him swept away the headaches that had plagued Seiyad for months—but he didn’t feel as though Ressas was purifying him. No. They were simply confirming each other’s existence.
Even a kiss brought overwhelming pleasure. As he gave in to it, Seiyad pulled Ressas’s shoulders closer. The wet, frantic sounds of their tongues mingling echoed in his ears, while their bodies rubbed together, craving each other’s warmth. Seiyad gasped softly, low moans slipping from his lips, and every sound, every movement made Ressas react.
Just like he had learned in the Shildras territory, Ressas bit down on Seiyad’s neck, leaving a deep mark.
“Haah… hh-!”
Seiyad arched his neck, trembling with sensitivity, and wrapped his arms around Ressas’s neck. He clung tightly, offering his throat, allowing him to leave another mark. It felt like he was going to stop breathing. All from just being marked. The ecstasy melted his thoughts; the bliss burned so bright it made his eyes sting. He was so happy it frightened him. He wished—more than anything—for this moment, untouched by worry, to never end.
If only it were possible… he wanted to stay here, like this, forever.
