Perhaps it was because he had come to some sort of understanding with Ressas the night before—Seiyad dreamt of Cecilia for the first time in a long while. Having allowed back into his life someone he once regarded like a sibling, the absence of his real younger sister, whom he cherished more than anyone else, weighed heavily on his heart.
Especially after returning from death, Seiyad couldn’t shake the thought that this impossible phenomenon might somehow be connected to Cecilia.
Of course, it was a near-impossible assumption. No known power could manipulate time, and Cecilia’s ability was foresight. Yet even so, she had pinpointed his future with unsettling accuracy. Even if she hadn’t directly influenced what was happening now, she might at least know something about it.
Seiyad concluded that this was the right time to visit Cecilia. She was staying with their uncle, whose estate was situated roughly midway between the capital and the Duchy of Bridehit. It was close enough to travel to and from before the festival ended and the investigation began. During the winter, he hadn’t been able to leave the Axid territory, so now was the perfect opportunity.
After confronting a relationship he had once thought too shattered to ever mend, Seiyad found the courage to look back on the things he had severed. His situation with Cecilia was complicated, but he now understood that there were things more important than those tangled feelings.
“Your Grace, look at this!”
While flipping through a book he had smuggled out of the royal archives—trying to make up for the time he felt he’d wasted the previous night—Quilly burst in, causing a commotion. Seiyad merely turned his head slightly. Quilly was holding three invitations in his hands.
“Would you believe it? Not just anyone, but you, Your Grace, have received invitations! Three of them, no less! Let’s see… I’ll read them out for you. One’s from Lady Nova of House Bridehit, another from Miss Stella Vetria, and the last one is…”
Though it was certainly a step up from the days when no one dared speak to him, Seiyad didn’t think this was worth such excitement. He turned his attention back to the book he was reading. He had gone over it several times, but found nothing about the purification of a Guide being poisonous to a Tither.
Looks like I’ll have to search the entire archive.
To get formal access, he would eventually need the king’s permission. And given the king’s nature, he would never approve of a Tither like Seiyad taking any interest in a Guide. So he’d have to use someone convenient to accompany him. One such person was Aster, currently the subject of his investigation. The other…
“It’s from His Highness Ressas. Here I was, thinking you’d made a new connection.”
Since he’d already planned to meet with Ressas, Seiyad decided to take advantage of the opportunity. It was easier to work with Ressas now that they’d come to a sort of mutual tolerance.
“Still, I’m quite pleased to see you reconnect with Miss Stella after so long! Everyone in the kingdom used to say the two of you made a lovely couple. Now that there’s that business with Lady Selfini, perhaps this means you’ll start interacting with the Vetrias again. This humble Quilly is delighted!”
Just as Quilly’s fantasies reached a fever pitch, a knock came at the chamber door.
“Your Grace, are you in? His Highness Ressas requests an audience.”
Seiyad glanced at the invitations Quilly was still holding.
“Strange. He said the invitation arrived this morning…”
“Forget it. Tell Stella I’m available at any time tomorrow. As for Lady Nova, tell her I’ll see her during the subjugation.”
“Oho, is this your way of saying you won’t make time for anyone but Miss Stella?”
“Quilly.”
Quilly was always talkative, but Seiyad wanted to keep some distance between himself and those around him. Reversing the wrongs he had committed was something he needed to do—but that didn’t mean he had the right to smile, laugh, and live a peaceful life.
“Go tend to your own affairs. If you need anything, don’t hold back.”
Quilly raised an eyebrow as if he wanted to say more, but Seiyad didn’t give him the chance. He was already dressed to go, so he left the room and headed to the reception hall. There, Ressas was waiting with his knights.
Seiyad was just about to greet him when he caught sight of a red-haired knight. The freckled face struck a familiar chord. One of the young knights Ressas had brought with him last winter suddenly came to mind.
“The Devil of Solias…”
It was the same young knight who had once muttered those words in fear upon seeing Seiyad in the darkness. Apparently feeling Seiyad’s gaze, the knight glanced his way, then quickly bowed his head. The flash of fear and hostility in his eyes had been unmistakable.
‘Tiaki said he had red hair. And he belonged to the Grace of the Star…’
Finding a red-haired knight in such an unexpected place gave Seiyad pause. Was it just a lucky coincidence? Still, the fact that he was standing next to Ressas was oddly suspicious. Making a mental note to keep an eye on him, Seiyad turned to face Ressas.
“You’re here.”
“Good afternoon, Seiyad.”
Hearing his name spoken instead of his title, the red-haired knight behind Ressas frowned. Many in the royal guard found Seiyad difficult to be around, so it wasn’t unusual. But it did make that knight stand out more than he should have.
“Have you eaten? I sent the invitation in hopes we could share a meal.”
Seiyad had already eaten an early lunch before seeing the invitation. He was about to say so, but stopped. Those violet eyes looking up at him, as if it never even occurred to him that Seiyad might refuse, made him hesitate.
Moments like this really did make it feel like the past had been left behind. Whenever Ressas sought his permission, he used to stare up at him with that same desperate, unblinking gaze.
And now, seeing that grown face still looking at him the same way… Seiyad could feel the passage of time. The realization hit—Ressas hadn’t truly come to hate him, even after all these years. It made it that much harder to say no.
I suppose I have no choice.
He was the one who had neglected to respond to the invitation after receiving it, so Seiyad told a convenient lie.
“Not yet.”
“Then let’s eat together.”
“I’m not particularly hungry, so I’d rather not have a full meal.”
“Then let’s just have something light at my palace. We’re starting Purification training today anyway.”
The red-haired knight frowned again. This time, it wasn’t fear—there was a clear sense of hostility in his expression. Seiyad studied him for a moment, then gave a small nod. That emotion… it bothered him.
“All right.”
He had already identified the man—there was no need to rush. Seiyad decided to repay part of the debt he owed Ressas before the upcoming hunt.
Unlike the quiet mood of the night before, Ressas’s palace in the daytime was dazzling—far grander than in the past. The garden was shaped like a labyrinth, lined with green hedges, and at its center, a flower-shaped fountain sprayed water into the air. Vibrant blossoms bloomed all around, and marble statues stood among them. It was all so bright and decorative—fitting for Ressas, perhaps, but it didn’t quite feel like his essence.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I just brought whatever came to mind.”
Ressas had said they’d eat something simple. Yet before Seiyad stood a rectangular dining table overflowing with dishes of every kind. As a Tither from the north who needed to consume high calories for prolonged battle, Seiyad had a strong appetite—but even this was excessive.
“Aren’t you going to eat, Your Highness?”
“I’m eating.”
But it was obvious that Ressas wouldn’t take a bite until Seiyad did. Watching him sit there with his fork and knife untouched, Seiyad finally picked up his own fork. He wasn’t hungry after already having a meal, but a small bite of something sweet sounded nice. His fork landed, without much thought, on a piece of apple that had been thinly coated in flour and deep-fried to a crisp.
Without a sound, he popped the golden round slice into his mouth. As he bit down and swallowed, the warm, sweet juice spread across his tongue. His expression, typically unreadable, softened just slightly—and as it did, his eyes met Ressas’s.
What was so interesting? Ressas, chin resting in one hand, was simply watching Seiyad eat.
“…Do I have something on my face?”
At that, Ressas shook his head gently and answered in a quiet, calm tone.
“No. You just looked cute.”
My heart, sooo cute