The seasons had changed. The long, arduous winter had passed, and a dazzling spring had arrived, as if emerging from a dark tunnel into the light.
Of course, in the farthest northern reaches of the continent, the wind still cut through the air like a blade, but even on the barren land where it seemed nothing could grow, buds had begun to sprout, and trees unfurled their fresh green leaves.
People shed their heavy layers one by one, basking in the warmth of the sun. The marketplace leading to the town square was filled with the cheerful laughter of children.
I felt an odd swell of emotion as I bit into the skewer of beast meat in my hand. Whether it had been seasoned with soy sauce or something else, the umami that spread across my tongue was unreal.
“Hah… This is so damn good.”
No matter how I looked at it, the North was the ultimate hidden gem for food lovers, especially for beast meat. Once you started eating, it was impossible to stop—to the point where it was honestly a little scary. What the hell? Did they lace this with something? It’s just properly seasoned and grilled, so how the hell does it taste this good?
“Shu, just how much are you planning to eat?”
A clear voice rang out behind me.
I choked slightly, coughing as I rubbed my throat before turning around. There stood Sen, dressed in a simple skirt with a straw hat pressed over her head, one hand planted firmly on her hip as she stared at me.
In one fluid motion, I subtly shifted my five empty skewers behind my back. Then, forcing an awkward smile, I wiped my mouth.
“I’m done.”
Honestly, I could probably eat at least three more. But if I admitted that, Sen would probably incinerate me with her glare on the spot.
As I hesitated, feeling a little guilty, Sen stepped closer with a disgruntled look and whispered,
“You were the one who called me, Shu. You said you wanted to buy gifts for the people at Blake Castle for the wedding.”
“Ah… Yeah. I did.”
“And something for His Highness, too.”
“Mm. Right.”
“And the outfit for the first night—”
“That’s NOT happening!”
Sen grinned mischievously.
My neck burned as I vigorously scratched the back of my head, then tossed the empty skewers into the trash can. With an exaggerated motion, I jerked my chin toward a random shop.
“Hey, let’s start over there!”
“Hehe. Sure, let’s go. If we want to get everything ready, we’ll barely have enough time in a day!”
Listening to the excitement in Sen’s voice, I stepped into an unfamiliar store. The feeling was awkward and a little embarrassing… but undeniably pleasant.
***
“Tacky.”
Kyle sat with his legs crossed, silently observing Belial, who gestured arrogantly at him. His hand instinctively reached for the sword at his waist, but he bit the inside of his cheek and barely restrained himself.
A joyous occasion was just around the corner. Not only Blake Castle but the entire domain was preparing to celebrate Kyle and Shu’s wedding beneath the radiant spring sky. And today—just five days before the ceremony—he couldn’t afford to taint this once-in-a-lifetime event with the blood of his reckless brother.
Yet, while Kyle fought to maintain his composure, Belial’s mouth never stopped running, spewing his usual pompous nonsense.
“Follow my advice. Surely, you haven’t forgotten that when it comes to marriage, I’m your senior?”
Kyle dismissed the merchant who had brought suits and accessories, then sat down across from Belial. Picking up a necklace draped over the table, he remarked indifferently,
“You mean that secret wedding of yours?”
Grit.
The sound of Belial grinding his teeth was audible. However, the response that followed was as composed as one would expect from a prince well-versed in high society.
“My crown princess is one who strongly values frugality. Truly, she sets an exemplary standard for the lady of a nation.”
“Frugality, huh? That doesn’t usually mean getting married with no one around to witness it.”
Sparks flew between Kyle and Belial. The two men glared at each other, eyes gleaming as if they could tear each other apart at any moment—then, at the same time, they abruptly turned their heads away.
“Inviting you was a mistake.”
“As if I came here willingly. Sen insisted on helping, so I just wrapped up my urgent affairs and came along.”
“If that’s the case, why didn’t you just send Sen alone? You’re the future emperor, yet you left the capital unattended. How leisurely of you.”
“Of course. I could have brought an army if I wanted.”
“With your skills?”
As if their earlier dismissal had never happened, they locked eyes again, low growls escaping from between their teeth.
The tension between them was so fierce that a servant entering with an armful of shoes and ties took one look at the scene—then immediately turned around and walked back out.
Bang!
Belial was the first to slam the table. Twisting his lips into a smirk, he raised his voice slightly.
“You must have a great deal of confidence in your abilities, Grand Duke. And yet, from what I hear, you were recently bedridden with a nasty cold.”
“That was only because someone failed to handle their business properly, and the mess reached all the way to the North. I can’t be cleaning up after you forever, you know.”
The tension was at a breaking point. It was as if a taut string was stretched between them, and the slightest drop of water would send it snapping. A dangerously long silence followed, the kind that could be shattered at any moment by the drawing of a sword.
But neither of them was the one to break it.
Instead—bam!—the library door suddenly burst open with a lively swing.
“Whoa. What are you two doing, just staring at each other like that?”
Kyle finally lifted his head. In his line of sight was Shu, arms full of boxes, carefully balancing them in his grasp.
As if the tension had never existed, Kyle immediately strode over to his lover and took the entire load into his own arms. Then, in the gentlest voice, he spoke.
“You’re back. I should have gone with you—I’m sorry.”
“Come on, I only had to pick up my things, but Your Highness has a lot more to take care of. Besides, I wanted to go with Sen, so it’s fine.”
Kyle smiled warmly, nodding repeatedly at Shu’s words, looking every bit like an oversized, well-trained dog.
Watching this, Belial clicked his tongue in silent disapproval.
‘Throwing away all dignity just because his lover showed up? Pathetic.’
It was disgraceful. Even if they only shared half the same blood, how could they be so utterly different…?
“What are you doing, Prince Belial?”
At that moment, Sen peeked out from behind Shu. Judging by the number of paper bags clutched in her hands—at least five—she must have bought quite a lot as well.
Belial stood up abruptly and strode toward her. Without a word, he snatched all the shopping bags from her grasp and held them in one hand.
“You should’ve let the servants carry these.”
“It was just a short trip. They weren’t even that heavy.”
“Still.”
“Oh! Right! I got something for you, too, Your Highness! Look at this! Isn’t it a pretty bracelet? It’s supposed to help keep you healthy just by wearing it…”
Sen eagerly pulled at Belial’s wrist to show him the bracelet.
It was just an ordinary gemstone bracelet, devoid of the slightest trace of magic, but Belial didn’t correct her. Instead, when she asked, ‘How is it? Do you feel a little less tired?’ he simply nodded along.
‘…She bought this for me?’
Just that thought alone made him feel strangely happy.
Belial found it curious. How was it that something so objectively worthless could so easily wash away all his earlier irritation?
“Sen. When we return, I’ll have some bracelets custom-made for you.”
“Haha. As a thank-you gift?”
“Yes.”
“Sounds good!”
Hearing Sen’s delighted laughter, Belial unknowingly smiled as well.
The two of them remained close together, chatting about trivial things, until suddenly, Belial felt an odd gaze on him.
He turned his head—only to see Kyle and Shu standing side by side, arms crossed, staring at him in unison.
“…What?”
“Oh, nothing. You just look good together,” Shu replied with a neutral expression.
“You were looking at me like I was the most pathetic fool alive, but it turns out the future emperor isn’t all that different,” Kyle added dryly.
“…Hah. At the very least, I still have some dignity.”
Shu replied without missing a beat.
“No, you don’t.”
“……”
“You practically handed over your dignity to a hamster.”
Belial opened his mouth as if to argue, but then—he burst out laughing.
“Haha, ahaha! Yeah… You’re right. Now that I think about it, I really have. Pfft, haha.”
What did dignity or pride matter in the face of love? Life was fleeting—you never knew when it would come or go. Loving with all your heart was never enough, so why waste time holding back?
Shu watched Belial laugh.
‘I used to think he was just an insufferable prince.’
But now, his smiles came naturally. There were still moments where his awkwardness showed, but when it came to his lover, he was endlessly gentle.
Sen was the same. There wasn’t a single trace of worry in her bright, sunlit smile. Watching her laugh so freely, something tightened in Shu’s chest.
Belial finally calmed down and extended his hand toward Shu.
“Congratulations on your wedding, Shu.”
“Oh, please. If anything, I should be congratulating you both, even if it’s a bit late.”
“You must have the patience of a saint, putting up with that guy. I imagine you have plenty of headaches to deal with.”
Still smiling, Shu casually shook Belial’s hand, not even turning his head as he addressed Kyle.
“Take your hand off your sword, Your Highness.”
“……”
“But you know, my dear prince is incredibly sweet. If I say the word, he’d even pretend to drop dead for me.”
“That’s some impressive nonsense.”
Kyle let out a short laugh.
Apparently jealous even of a handshake, he strode over, knocked their clasped hands apart, and promptly pulled Shu behind him. Then, looking straight at Belial, he spoke.
“And you act like you’re any different. Rumor has it that you’d sell the entire empire if the crown princess shed a single tear.”
“Oh, please. That’s still better than someone whose obsession with hamsters is the talk of the capital.”
“With a heart that soft, how do you expect to run a government properly?”
“Shouldn’t you be more worried about the North’s stability, considering how preoccupied its grand duke is with protecting his beloved?”
“……”
‘Wow. Neither of them plans to back down.’
Watching the two princes bicker like schoolboys, Shu let out a long-suffering sigh. Then, without a word, he tapped Sen on the shoulder.
“Let’s go. Grab some food and come back later.”
Because at this rate, even after eating three full bowls of rice, those two would still be arguing.
