4) Ira
The radiant season always passed swiftly. As if aware of its own beauty, the lively spring days faded quickly, and soon the end of the festival period drew near. Official events had wrapped up as of yesterday, and beginning tomorrow, the long-awaited subjugation campaign so desired by the king would commence.
Though his mind was turbulent, Seiyad maintained a calm exterior. He spent most of his time with his sister. Starting with showing Cecilia around the palace—she had rarely been to the capital—they went to see the festival together. Despite having assumed she would have changed much over the years, Cecilia was, in truth, not all that different from her younger self. She still showed her emotions. Perhaps Aster’s Purification hadn’t yet had the chance to deeply affect her, as it had Seiyad, and thankfully, Cecilia genuinely enjoyed the time she spent with her brother.
“Your Grace, lately this Quilly’s heart has been beating like mad.”
Seiyad, who had been brushing Cecilia’s long silver hair neatly, turned his head. Cecilia, who was resting her cheek on Seiyad’s knee while sitting on the floor, also looked up at Quilly. She spoke on Seiyad’s behalf.
“Did you catch some heart disease, Quilly?”
“Unless it’s a love sickness brought on by the sight of such a beautiful lady, I don’t think I’m old enough yet for a heart condition.”
“I’ll call a doctor for you.”
Saying so, Cecilia nestled her face back against Seiyad’s knee. Seiyad gently touched her pale earlobe and continued brushing. It was almost time for her to go meet Stella, so he was finishing her grooming.
Seiyad had met with Stella briefly two days ago at her request to share a cup of tea. When she spoke of repaying the debt of her mother’s life in the name of Vetria, Seiyad asked her instead to explain Purification to Cecilia on his behalf. Matters regarding Guides and the Tither could become quite intimate if not handled delicately, so he judged it best that Stella, being of the same gender, be the one to explain it.
“Make sure to tell her that kissing isn’t even necessary in most cases. Try to keep her from getting too close to the Crown Prince.”
Stella hadn’t questioned his strange request but instead asked a single question.
“So I just need to make sure Her Highness receives as little of the Crown Prince’s Purification as possible, right?”
There was a layered nuance to her question. If she had been exchanging letters with her mother, Selfini, she might have heard that Aster’s Purification was… unusual. Seiyad responded with silent affirmation, and Stella readily agreed.
“I’ll explain it well. Cecil’s always listened to me since she was little.”
Cecilia wasn’t aware of the discord between the Vetria domain and the Duchy of Axid. It was a feud among lords that had never reached the public, so she simply assumed Seiyad’s infamy had created tension between them. When told she would meet Stella, she had beamed, saying it felt like going back to her childhood.
“To see you both like this fills my heart with joy. But why are you trying to turn me into a walking corpse, Lady Cecilia!”
“I like you too, Quilly.”
As Cecilia spoke with a soft smile, Quilly couldn’t help but laugh as well. The warm laughter that filled the room seemed to melt something dull and heavy within Seiyad. The situation remained grim, and he had a mountain of duties ahead, but sometimes, it felt like a miracle to have those who weren’t by his side when he died now gathered together in one place. In that final moment, he had been unbearably alone.
“Cecil, it’s time. Stella will come here, so I’ll step away for a while.”
“Already?”
Lifting her head from his knee with a tinge of reluctance, Cecilia looked up at him with dark eyes. Seiyad gave a faint, gentle smile.
“You’ll have fun once you start talking to her.”
“Stella unni is always witty and cool, so yes, I’m looking forward to it.”
When Seiyad rose from his seat, Cecilia reached out her hand as if asking him to pull her up. Naturally, he took her hand and helped her stand. Cecilia smiled a gentle smile that mirrored his own.
“See you later.”
With that, the maids—who had been waiting to assist her preparation—cautiously approached Cecilia. Since her arrival, Aster had personally selected these maids for her. They were second daughters of noble families who had lived in the capital their entire lives. Perhaps due to Seiyad’s dreadful reputation, they had shown visible fear on their first day. Today, at least, they had managed to meet his eyes—briefly.
Though they still flinched and avoided his gaze the moment it met theirs.
Seiyad casually shifted his eyes away from the maids who instinctively ducked and tried to hide behind Cecilia. His tall frame cast a long shadow into the room, and the maids instinctively distanced themselves from it, as if wary of his presence.
Rather than waste time needlessly, Seiyad exited the room. Quilly, who had followed him partway to see him off, added a useless remark.
“Did you see that? How devoted His Grace is to Lady Cecilia! Even the maids who watched just now say he’s kind and handsome—though they still can’t bring themselves to meet his gaze.”
Perhaps because he had been cooped up in the North too long, Quilly still lacked proper awareness of the situation. Seiyad said nothing to correct him, leaving only a final instruction.
“Take good care of Cecilia.”
“Yes, please be careful. And don’t get hurt.”
Quilly had learned about the previous Duke’s fate through Cecilia. Not from Seiyad, but from Cecilia, who had used Aster’s name to explain it. That day, Quilly had knelt before Seiyad and begged for forgiveness. Not trusting him had left a deep guilt in Quilly, and ever since then, his attitude had become overly sentimental whenever they were alone. It felt unfamiliar and burdensome, so Seiyad simply gave a silent nod and disappeared into the shadowed corridor.
His destination was Ressas’s palace.
With Aster’s eyes everywhere, openly visiting Ressas was no longer an option. To reach Ressas’s residence undetected, it was safer to slip into the shadows using his abilities. Bringing knights or attendants was out of the question.
And besides, this way was faster.
Riding the shadows, he soon arrived at Ressas’s palace, located to the left of the Central Palace. The patrolling knights’ faces were familiar. As Seiyad scanned the area, he realized Jasper was nowhere to be seen. According to what Tiaki had said, Ressas had taken him back again.
A few days ago, Seiyad had summoned Tiaki for two tasks. One was to keep Aster under surveillance—since Tiaki possessed abilities most similar to Seiyad’s. The other was to send a skilled infiltrator to the Shildras estate to investigate everything related to the previous duke.
He had been making use of Desertus in various ways, so reestablishing contact with Ressas was becoming timely. Ressas was the only one among them capable of performing Purification.
Avoiding the eyes of the knights, Seiyad searched for any trace of Ressas. After passing the training grounds and heading to the tower where Ressas’s room had been during his last visit, he spotted an open window. Seiyad halted instinctively. Just like when he was younger, Ressas was sitting by the window, looking outside. His pale, handsome face bore no expression.
He looked like a living corpse, his lifeless features sunk deep in thought, and the sight stirred something strange in Seiyad. For someone who appeared to have no more burdens left to bear, Ressas looked far too exhausted for a youth his age.
As he stared at Ressas, who was gazing off into the distance, the sudden cry of a bird pierced the air. It was a robin’s song—a sound typical in the North. Seiyad frowned and looked up to see a small, plump gray robin fluttering near the edge of his shadow. It was so well-fed, it looked like its belly might burst.
At that very moment, Ressas’s eyes turned toward the shadow where Seiyad hid. The face that had resembled a white marble statue suddenly flushed with color. Ressas’s violet eyes bloomed like spring violets, and without hesitation, he stood up.
Don’t tell me… he noticed?
Perched on a windowsill over three stories high, Ressas leapt down without the slightest sign of hesitation. Even knowing he had trained long and hard, to the outside eye, the delicate, noble-looking prince still appeared too fragile for such reckless action. Maybe that was why—before he could even think—Seiyad’s body reacted on instinct, moving to catch him.
“What the hell are you—!”
The moment Seiyad revealed himself from the shadows, Ressas landed softly on the grass without any difficulty. Effortlessly balancing himself, he dashed toward Seiyad with a face bright and pale with emotion the moment he appeared.
“Eid.”
The corpse-like expression from earlier seemed like a mirage now—Ressas stood before him, glowing with joy more than anyone else. Then, noticing Seiyad’s expression, he wiped the smile off his face and spoke in a gentle voice, eyes uncertain as if unsure what emotion to wear.
“Has the pain in your heart calmed down enough for you to look at me now?”
Just like when they were young, Ressas was gauging his reaction. For days, Ressas had repeatedly requested an audience, but Seiyad had ignored every single one without even the courtesy of an excuse. Despite such blatant disregard, Ressas had continued sending invitations.
“Not particularly. Seeing Your Highness’s face will likely remain painful.”
The firmness in his voice made Ressas’s smile falter slightly. Gazing up at Seiyad with his gently slanted eyes, he then looked down and spoke.
“Even if I accomplish what the Duke desires… would that still be the case?”
What could you possibly do?
Seiyad couldn’t even picture giving such a task to Ressas. That gentle, naive prince simply didn’t fit the mold. More than that, Seiyad’s vengeance was something he had to carry out with his own hands. He didn’t want to feel satisfaction through someone else’s help.
“What I ask of Your Highness is something else.”
Ressas’s downturned gaze met Seiyad’s directly. Waiting quietly, he listened as Seiyad delivered his request without delay.
“Become the Crown Prince, and secure your succession to the throne. I do not wish to see Aster ascend the throne. So use this upcoming subjugation campaign to solidify your position—and keep Cecilia from becoming his Tither.”
The moment those words were spoken, a strange light flashed through Ressas’s eyes—or rather, it would be more accurate to say the light vanished entirely, turning his gaze pitch-black. His eyes, now calm to the point of unreadability, bore into Seiyad.
“…Didn’t you once wish to remain as His Highness Aster’s Tither?”
“There was simply no reason to go against the Crown Prince at the time.”
“So then, now… there is a reason.”
Seiyad hesitated. But considering the possibility that he might have to ask Ressas for help with Cecilia’s Purification in the future, it would be better to inform him of Aster’s flaw. Matters involving the royal family or Purification were far easier for Ressas to approach. If he acknowledged that there might be something wrong with the process, he might even uncover the truth faster.
But now wasn’t the time. He needed to wait until Ressas accepted his proposal—and was ready to follow it—before handing him that card.
“If you wish to hear my reason, then you must grant my request. Become Crown Prince. I will raise you to the highest position in this kingdom. After that, no matter how I wage war against the Shildras, Your Highness need not take sides. Simply observe. That is all I ask.”
And it was true. Ressas wouldn’t need to sully his hands. The fracture within the Tither order was aligned with the king’s intent to strengthen royal authority, so Ressas wouldn’t lose anything from this arrangement.
Yet even at such a proposition, Ressas didn’t smile. Instead, he offered a faintly bitter expression. He glanced toward the robin flitting around them and, quite unexpectedly, fell silent for several long minutes.
The robin circled above Ressas’s head before abruptly changing course and landing squarely on Seiyad’s shoulder. It perched there boldly, showing no fear of people, as if this were the most natural thing in the world. Strangely, Seiyad also felt a sense of déjà vu at the bird’s presence on his shoulder. As he watched, Ressas offered a faint smile and finally spoke.
“If that’s the only thing I can do for you… very well. I’ll become Crown Prince. As for Zion… it’s the same. If what you want is his death, then death. If it’s the eradication of his family, then eradication. Whatever it may be, if you give me just a little time, I’ll make it happen.”
Ressas recited the words with a detached calm, his tone devoid of anything he himself desired. It struck Seiyad how ill-fitting both the words and demeanor were for someone like Ressas—and that mismatch unsettled him. It felt as if he had placed a debt on the man.
“I don’t intend to just demand these things. I’ll uphold what Your Highness once asked of me, too.”
Ressas’s gaze fixed intently on Seiyad. Without even blinking, he stared at him, and for a fleeting moment, something like quiet hope stirred in his expression.
“You asked me to become your Tither. I’ll honor that promise. Though that offer comes as repayment for the favor, if Your Highness wishes, becoming your plaything wouldn’t be difficult either. You said you liked me. If needed, I’ll give you my body.”
His emotions—rooted in nothing but a delusion born from lust—would no doubt eventually seek satisfaction through physical intimacy under the guise of Purification. It wasn’t something Seiyad had particularly wanted to do with a Guide, but if it served his purpose, it wouldn’t be difficult.
But unlike Seiyad, who spoke the words with indifference, Ressas’s reaction was far from expected.
His violet eyes flew wide open, and his long lashes began to tremble wretchedly. The delicate corners of his eyes flushed red, and he looked as though he had been stabbed—his expression twisted in pain. His flawless white brow furrowed deeply, and his soft pink lips drained of all color.
