Chapter 68

In the silence between Kalain, Latil, and Gestah, Gongyi quietly approached Latil and examined his condition.

“……”

After a long while, Gongyi, who had been carefully examining, finally lowered his hand and said with relief,

“It seems your body is fine.”

Latil looked down at his bare feet and asked,

“Am I not sleepwalking or something?”

He was sure he had fallen asleep in the bedroom, yet he had no idea how he ended up here, moving without even putting on shoes. But if his body was fine, he couldn't understand why. In fact, there was more than just that that seemed strange.

‘Did no one stop me when I walked here barefoot?’

If the emperor walked around barefoot like a zombie, wouldn't someone be worried enough to stop him? Even if they couldn't stop him, someone would surely follow him. The fact that no one did was quite odd.

“Have you experienced such symptoms before?”

“No. This is the first time.”

“Then it’s hard to diagnose it as sleepwalking.”

“Is that so.”

Since there was no injury, he couldn’t ask for more treatment, and it was strange for him to be wandering around barefoot outside the palace.

“Let me check on you again later.”

Latil had no choice but to send Gongyi away first and slowly stood up. As he did, Gestah and Kalain simultaneously grabbed his right and left arms. He was about to say, “It’s fine,” but then he looked down at his bare feet and closed his mouth. No, if he returned to the bedroom like this, there would be chaos. He hated commotion. He didn’t want rumors about the emperor being strange to spread.

“Gestah. Kalain. Which of you is closer to your room?”

He thought it would be Gestah, but surprisingly, Kalain raised his hand. Latil extended both arms to him.

“Can you carry me?”

* * *

“Sorry.”

On the way to Kalain’s room, Latil suddenly apologized, and Kalain, who had been walking silently, slightly turned his head.

“What are you sorry for?”

‘Do you have another woman you love, and you asked me to carry you?’ Latil thought to himself. He couldn’t reveal the story of Kalain’s past woman, which he had learned through Kalain’s nightmares, as Kalain had never told him directly. He didn’t know if Kalain was trying to forget that memory, but there was no need to bring up old wounds. When Latil didn’t answer, Kalain didn’t press further and continued walking slowly. During this time, Latil looked at Kalain’s surprisingly stable back, a broad back that was perfect to lean against, and without realizing it, he half-closed his eyes and rested his head there. Strangely, as he looked at Kalain’s back, his eyelids grew heavy, and he fell asleep.

‘Is it because his back is broad? Or the fox mask. Why did he save me twice? I thought he saved me to confuse me the first time. Why would he save me even in their stronghold? If it was all a dream, why did I dream of the fox mask helping me?’

He thought about the events for a while, and as his mind grew hazy, Latil unknowingly fell asleep.

“Master?”

Hearing the soft breathing from behind, Kalain gently called out to Latil. When there was no response, he quietly smiled and asked in a barely audible voice,

“Do you remember? The stairs on both sides are lined with all kinds of blooming flowers, and at the bottom of the stairs is our house, connected to a lake.”

“……”

“Master, you used to play in the water, dipping your feet in……”

Kalain, muttering to himself, soon stopped and smiled sadly.

‘Of course, you wouldn’t remember.’

* * *

In the cold, dark castle, an entity that didn’t fit in was wandering around. It was a man wearing a fluffy, white rabbit mask. The man was very tall with broad shoulders, and the chest muscles visible through his clothing were large, but the large rabbit mask covering his entire face made him look cute and adorable.

“There you are.”

After wandering for a while, the man finally found what he was looking for and stopped. It was a pile of blankets in a small cave.

“Is it you?”

The rabbit mask lifted the top two layers of blankets, revealing another person inside, with a shirt covering their head.

“Have you finally gone mad?”

The rabbit mask, surprised, lifted the shirt with two fingers, revealing a cute fox mask inside. The fox mask, feeling the damp air, grinned and muttered,

“I can smell his scent here.”

The fox mask’s voice clearly showed he was smiling. The mask was so cute that it looked truly fox-like and adorable, but the rabbit mask, seeing this, felt a chill run down his arm and clicked his tongue.

“Do you know? You seem a bit perverted.”

“Does the Lord like perverts?”

However, no matter how the rabbit mask scolded, the fox mask didn’t budge.

“You don’t deny it. You’re crazy.”

The rabbit mask finally shook his head, put the shirt back over the fox mask’s face, and stood up.

“Stop playing alone and come. Tella is looking for you.”

“I’m sleeping……”

“Do you want to find Lady Anocha, who is imprisoned in the tower?”

“I’m sleeping, I said.”

“I’ve delivered the message, so I’m leaving.”

As the fox mask reached out to grab his ankle, the rabbit mask quickly kicked it away and left without looking back.

“That’s harsh. Are you still a rabbit? Rabbits aren’t like that. They are gentle.”

No matter what the fox mask said from behind, the rabbit mask didn’t budge. Eventually, the fox mask, left alone, buried his face in the shirt and wriggled like a king cobra before reluctantly getting up. * * *

“Duke Sablé, I want to increase the number of guards monitoring Lady Anocha.”

The next day, Latil called the chief steward and said he wanted to send more soldiers around the tower where Anocha was confined.

“Isn’t it already guarded so tightly that not even a drop of water can pass through? You want to add more……?”

Duke Sablé, confused by Latil’s sudden mention of Anocha, asked. It seemed out of place, as if there was no particular reason for it. Latil couldn’t bring himself to say, “I had a creepy dream. It was a dream where Tella was determined to save my mother,” so he made a vague excuse.

“I just have a bad feeling. Things keep happening inside the palace.”

The chief steward, though not convinced by the reason of just a bad feeling, answered obediently because it was the emperor’s order.

“Yes, I will increase the number, so don’t worry.”

“Also, the Kingdom of Senor has requested our help due to internal strife.”

“Yes.”

“I want to discuss this at today’s council meeting, so tell everyone to prepare the necessary materials……”

While Latil was giving the chief steward instructions about other matters besides Anocha, a secretary hurriedly approached and lowered his voice to inform Latil.

“Your Majesty, Prince Leán has arrived.”

After taking the map from the enemies, Latil had sent a letter to his brother, asking him to come to the palace temporarily to explore the map. Now, Leán had finally arrived.

“Where is he?”

“He is in the reception room now.”

Latil nodded and stood up from his chair. * * *

“Can you handle the state affairs for a few days while I’m away?”

As soon as Latil entered the reception room where Leán was staying, he asked.

“Skipping the greeting?”

Leán, smiling, said he could help, but when Latil said, “I’m going to Carisen,” Leán’s expression changed.

“Where are you going?”

“To Carisen.”

Leán’s expression became serious. It was obvious what he was thinking.

“Is it about Hysin……”

“No.”

Latil quickly answered, but Leán’s expression didn’t change.

“Why Carisen all of a sudden? Is there a reason to go there? I didn’t think there was anything special.”

“There isn’t.”

“Then why do you need to go to Carisen?”

As Leán bombarded him with questions, Latil hesitated for a moment about whether to tell him about the internal enemy and the old map. But in the end, he decided not to, just in case. Latil trusted his only blood brother, but it was better to keep it a secret.

“There are some reasons. It’s hard to explain.”

“So, you don’t want to tell me what those reasons are.”

Latil nodded, and Leán sighed, sitting on the sofa.

“How do you plan to go to Carisen?”

“I’ll go with the envoy. I can use the reason of fostering friendly relations between nations, or something else.”

Reasons can be made, Latil muttered, sitting opposite Leán and ringing the bell. A steward, who had prepared various types of tea in advance, brought a cart into the reception room. After Leán chose a teacup he liked, Latil picked a nearby one and gestured for the steward to leave. Even after the steward left, Leán silently drank his tea, looking worriedly at Latil.

“Don’t you like it?”

Unable to wait any longer, Latil grinned and asked first, and Leán frowned.

“It’s not just any place, but Carisen. I can’t help but worry.”

“What’s there to worry about?”

Latil pouted and looked down at his feet.

“He betrayed me, but he didn’t physically harm me.”

When Hysin betrayed him for the first time, Latil was so angry that he saw all of Hysin’s words as excuses. Of course, he wasn’t completely over it now. But he could think more rationally. For example, he acknowledged that Hysin had found a way to contact him, but someone had interfered. He also acknowledged that Hysin had made a fierce choice to survive. Because of this, while he still believed he and Hysin couldn’t be together again, he didn’t think Hysin would harm him. If there was a conflict between their countries in the future, that might be different, but Hysin wasn’t someone who would harm him right now.

“I don’t know. Once someone betrays you, they can betray you again in any way.”

But Leán, still angry about Hysin leaving him for another woman, muttered coldly, unlike his usual self. Latil, surprised by his brother’s uncharacteristic words, laughed and playfully nudged Leán’s foot with his own.

“I thought you always said nice things. What’s up with you?”

“How can I think well of someone who hurt you?”

“You forgave Tella for trying to kill me.”

“……I didn’t forgive him, Latil. I just said there was no need to kill him.”

Latil laughed silently. He couldn’t agree with his brother’s words, but it felt good to know someone genuinely cared about him. The chief steward, nanny, and others treated him with importance, but Leán was family. As his brother, Leán was someone who would never betray him, no matter how many others did.

“I wish I could live with Mom and you.”

Latil muttered, enjoying the rare feeling of family affection. Leán, surprised for a moment, reached out and firmly held his brother’s hand.

“Later. When Mother’s heart is better, I’ll ask her if we can live together here.”

Latil nodded, and Leán patted his hand a few times before letting go. After a long moment of thought, he asked,

“Is your trip to Carisen related to Hysin or some diplomatic issue?”

“Hmm.”

“Will it take a long time?”

Latil, recalling the old map, shook his head.

“No.”

It took a while to find and interpret the old map, but finding the item marked on it didn’t seem too difficult, at least according to the map. Latil tilted his head.

“But why? Is it because you need to return quickly?”

If that was the case, wasn’t it too selfish to ask Leán to help Duke Sablé manage the state affairs for a few days? Latil felt a bit regretful and asked cautiously.

“If you’re busy, you don’t have to help. I just worry that something might happen while I’m away, but it’s not necessary for you to be here.”

The “something” Latil referred to was the recurring internal issues related to black magic. Although he wouldn’t be away for long, as he told Leán, there might be things that Duke Sablé, as the chief