“Purification…!”
Tiaki let out a gasp, as if taken by surprise. Though he had named it as a condition, it seemed he hadn’t really expected it, given how delighted he looked when he asked again.
“You actually convinced the prince from the rumors?”
They hadn’t even broached the subject with the person in question yet. Seiyad kept his mouth shut, choosing instead to wait for Kurthu’s answer. She tilted her head slightly, eyes shifting in thought. After a moment of deep contemplation, she gave a small nod.
“…If it stops hurting, I’ll try it.”
“If we go through with the purification, then everything changes. We live our whole lives dealing with the side effects—if we can just fix that, then there’s definitely a chance.”
Seiyad swallowed a sigh. It was a condition Tiaki had initially set, so it was something he had to consider eventually, but the situation had arrived much sooner than he’d hoped. And now, he had to go see the person he least wanted to face.
Can I really trust them?
Just the act of being in contact with them was a risk. He knew Ressas wasn’t someone who’d harm Desertus itself—but he was still someone with Shildras by his side. Even though Ressas had repeatedly said Zion wasn’t one of his “precious ones,” Seiyad trusted not those words, but the years he’d spent watching him. Trusting Ressas based on a few pretty words was far more foolish.
Besides, there was still the suspicious matter of how Jasper had ended up working under Ressas within the Shildras Knights. It was possible Zion was using him to monitor Ressas, and equally likely that Ressas knew that. The whirlwind of thoughts clouding Seiyad’s head made it impossible to come to a quick decision.
Can I allow myself to trust someone again?
In the past, he truly believed he and Aster had shared a common goal. He had been swayed by the warmth of someone who found him when no one else did, who said he would speak on his behalf. But in the end, Seiyad learned nothing—and when it mattered most, Aster abandoned him.
He knew it was his own inadequacy that led to that. He lacked worth, so being cast aside was only natural. But even so, the sting of being turned on by someone he trusted in the most crucial moment—that was only half a year ago.
He didn’t want from Ressas what he had once hoped to get from Aster.
If he revealed these people to him, it would be as good as admitting that he was investigating his mother’s affairs. If Ressas was on Zion’s side, word would surely reach his ears and interference would follow. But if he wasn’t… then perhaps some of what Ressas kept insisting might contain a grain of truth.
“Come back here tomorrow at noon. I’ll bring the prince. Keep an eye on this knight.”
“You really think that’s possible? I mean, I was the one who requested it, but everyone knows the Duke isn’t exactly on good terms with the Second Prince.”
Seiyad had believed that too. Even when necessity forced him to approach the prince, he’d never imagined that their relationship would change.
“That’s none of your concern. Just make sure you get what you asked for.”
“If I get to undergo purification, then of course I’ll devote myself to Your Grace from now on. Haven’t I been loyal already?”
Seiyad said nothing to Tiaki’s glib remark. He swallowed down the sigh pressing at his throat and left him with a final warning.
“Watch him carefully.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it.”
Tiaki waved a hand, and Kurthu, standing beside him, did the same. Her small hand peeked out from beneath her cloak and fluttered lightly. Seiyad took in the sight one last time before leaving the house.
He half-expected someone to be waiting for him upon returning to the palace due to the situation with Jasper—but oddly, nothing happened. Instead, Quilly made a big fuss about having bought all kinds of sweets from the capital, presenting them dramatically for Seiyad.
There was no way Ressas hadn’t noticed Jasper’s absence. Three knights had already passed by and surely reported it, yet he showed no reaction whatsoever. That unreadable intent was impossible to interpret. Even when Seiyad closed his eyes and tried to force himself to rest, he couldn’t sleep—not knowing what Ressas was thinking.
As soon as the dawn sun began to peek from the east, Seiyad opened his eyes. After dressing, he spent the morning contemplating how to face Ressas. He scanned a few more volumes in the archive, but found nothing of use. Instead, he came across a legend he had never seen before.
The devil, captivated by the moon’s beauty, wished to claim it. But the moon’s love for the sun could not be overcome, and so it ended in jealousy. The moon endlessly orbited the sun, remaining in the same place even when he was not in the sky. The devil, who took greatest joy in the corruption of noble hearts, longed to taint the moon’s pure love.
The founding myth had always come with many interpretations. There were countless theories about why the demon, who gave rise to Nir’a, could not defeat the sun, or how it had supposedly swallowed the sun. Even in the royal palace, scholars were constantly researching traces of the tale. Yet not a single version had ever been deemed definitive.
Closing the book, Seiyad admitted to himself that he could delay no longer and headed for Ressas’s palace. His pace slowed with every step, weighed down by reluctance. By the time he reached the entrance to the garden, he had completely stopped walking. The very thought of hearing Ressas’s irritating tone or awkward expressions already had his chest tightening. Everything felt strange and unfamiliar. Reconciling with someone who’d once been like a beloved younger brother had brought unexpected joy… but the relationship had twisted into something entirely different, something unsettling between two grown men.
As he stood frozen, Seiyad sensed movement beyond the garden. It felt like two people. When he saw them approaching, his lips pressed into a firm line. Of all people, the one he needed to see was heading straight toward him.
Ressas wore a navy-blue coat over a white shirt—a rather casual look. With boots reaching up to his calves, he strolled through the garden as if enjoying a morning walk. His pale face was blank as his gaze idly brushed over the flowers, but then slowly turned to face forward. His eyes locked directly with Seiyad’s.
“Oh!”
Vine, walking beside Ressas, noticed Seiyad first and widened his eyes in surprise. Then he leaned in and whispered something into Ressas’s ear.
“There stands Jasper’s kidnapper…!”
A normal person wouldn’t realize that whispering from that distance was essentially the same as saying it right in front of Seiyad. But calling him a kidnapper made one thing clear—everyone definitely knew Jasper had gone missing.
Ressas slowly approached the motionless Seiyad. Despite closing the distance between them, that handsome face showed no change in expression. Watching him now, Seiyad couldn’t help but feel that the anguished voice from yesterday’s lunch had been a lie.
“Can’t you see the man in front of you is dying to see you smile, Your Grace?”
He recalled those words, whispered by those pink lips still tasting of pickled plum—just as Ressas came to a stop in front of him. At a distance of three or four steps, Ressas greeted him first.
“Good morning, Your Grace.”
His voice was far too nonchalant. Wary but composed, Seiyad returned the greeting.
“…You’re out for a walk quite early.”
“The weather was so beautiful, I couldn’t stay inside.”
Superficial conversation floated between them. Meanwhile, Vine stood off to the side with a puzzled expression, unsure how he was supposed to behave around Seiyad. Since it was best that as few people as possible knew what this was about, Seiyad debated whether or not to ask for Vine to be dismissed.
But saying it himself would make it seem like he wanted to be alone with Ressas—and that implication made him uncomfortable. He didn’t want to give Ressas any kind of opening. Ressas’s feelings were clearly based on a delusion, and Seiyad had no desire to encourage that delusion further.
“Vine, you can leave us now. It seems His Grace has business to discuss.”
“But it’s my duty to protect Your Highness. At least one escort knight must—”
“What danger could there be when the strongest man in Solias is standing beside me?”
Ressas’s tone was gentle. Vine opened his mouth like he wanted to say that wasn’t the point, but perhaps out of some minimal self-awareness, he hesitated before giving a small bow. After several false starts and halting steps, Vine finally withdrew, and only then did Seiyad speak.
“…I’ve come to ask a favor of you.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
He needed to explain Desertus, but words alone wouldn’t do it. It seemed better to draw Ressas out first and show him directly. After a long pause, Seiyad opened his mouth.
“The Gratitude Festival is in full swing, and the capital’s streets are buzzing. I haven’t visited in quite some time, so I was hoping Your Highness might accompany me.”
“…You wanted to see the festival?”
Ressas’s eyes rounded slightly. Though his lips remained neutral, the way his eyes crinkled—like someone admiring something cute—brought back the memory of how he used to gaze at Seiyad, and it made Seiyad uncomfortable. With a more serious tone, he quickly came up with an excuse.
“I’ve heard the capital’s festival is ideal for gift shopping. I wanted to ask for your help with that.”
The smile faded from Ressas’s eyes. His violet gaze bore into Seiyad, as if seeing straight through him. After a long silence, he asked, voice lower than before—
“There must be someone you want to give a gift to, then.”
His face looked as expressionless as before, but for some reason, it felt like his mood had suddenly dipped.
