Josef looked up and stared at the lionlike man. Josef didn’t seem to notice that Dirk was observing him.
“The Baedeker Mountains are experiencing heavy snowfall,” Lucas said. “We may experience some one-off clashes, but we expect full-scale battle to break out when the snow melts. We won’t be able to return to the royal capital until at least early spring… Then again, I’ve been itching to put my skills to use for a while now.”
Lucas smiled belligerently. He was not planning on losing.
“And one more thing. We would like to speak with Lord August alone from now on, if that is all right.”
“Very well. Lev, Auriano, thank you for joining us. I hope you can get some rest today. As for Zweilink, we will continue to help defend it. Until this war is over, we cannot let our guard down.”
“Yes, sir.”
Josef was about to leave when Lucas stopped him.
“Josef, you stay. You should hear this as well.”
After watching the two men leave, Lucas immediately got to the point.
“Lord August, it’s about the Marquis of Lagarea.”
“…Are you finally apprehending him?”
August had been prepared for his once-close friend to be arrested sooner or later, but his face did not hide his mixed feelings on the matter.
“No, not yet,” Lucas said.
Dirk took over the explanation from there. “By His Excellency’s instructions, we will leave the Marquis of Lagarea at large for the duration of the war. We don’t want him to destroy any evidence while we are away from the royal capital. We are secretly gathering as much evidence as we can find under Chancellor Ginter. In the spring…once we’ve dealt with Zwelf, we will finally hold the Marquis of Lagarea accountable.”
“Are you certain he won’t be able to talk his way out of this?” August asked.
Dirk looked at him.
“We have captured the marquis’s agent, the one responsible for the attack on Zweilink eighteen years ago and kidnapping your son. It’s all thanks to Lord Leorino.”
“What…?” August stood up with a start. “This is the first I’m hearing of it. Whatever do you mean?”
“You already know that the kidnapper has the same gift as His Excellency. That’s how Lord Leorino was kidnapped from the royal capital.”
“Yes, His Highness Prince Gravis has told me all about it.”
Dirk heaved a breath. “When you hear this, please don’t scold Lord Leorino, but praise him for his bravery, sir.”
“…May I ask you to elaborate, Mr. Dirk?”
“We have received a report from Dr. Sasha. Lord Leorino was stabbed in the belly by his own hand.”
August was stunned speechless.
“When Leorino was taken to the top of the inner fortress, he stabbed himself in the stomach with the dagger his captor was holding. He said that was the only way to steal the blade. He wanted a chance to fight back.”
“…What?!”
“He impaled himself, and when his captor flinched, he took the blade and stabbed him with it. Then, to finish him off, he was prepared to die when he…jumped from the top of the fort with the man in tow.”
August covered his mouth with a trembling hand. Josef’s lips quivered, having learned about what had transpired for the first time.
“Just before they struck the ground, His Excellency narrowly managed to save them. As a result, we were able to capture the culprit, who will become our witness, alive. We owe this accomplishment to Lord Leorino.”
“…That’s rich! It was the accidental result of a desperate act he committed while intending to die.”
“Even so. Lord Leorino asked Dr. Sasha not to tell his family about this. Please keep it to yourself, Lord August, and don’t reproach him… He had no choice at the time.”
August clenched his fists to contain his rage. The mere thought that his son’s life could have ended if the scales of fate had tilted in the wrong direction was unbearable to a parent.
“…What of the culprit? If he has the same ability as His Highness, won’t he be able to escape?”
“Rest assured, we have him restrained to keep him from moving of his own volition.”
Dirk’s cold expression was deceptively reminiscent of his superior.
Gravis accompanied Leorino as he lay in bed and slowly stroked his platinum hair. The last time Gravis saw him, Leorino’s hair had been stiff with blood and mud, but now it was silky smooth and had regained its soft luster.
Having been scolded by his family and servants alike for his earlier stunt, Leorino was dejected.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
“As am I.”
At the touch of Gravis’s fingers, Leorino’s face turned from remorse to a cheerful smile. It was a smile so lovely that it made Gravis’s heart ache.
Prompted by the fingers running over his scalp, Leorino showed Gravis the wound on his head. It had closed up nicely, although the scar was noticeable through his translucent, platinum hair. It must have bled so much due to its location.
“Let me see the belly wound, too.”
Leorino nodded.
Peeling back the bedcovers, Gravis undid the buttons of Leorino’s thick pajamas. His chest was secured with a hard board, attached to him with bandages.
Gravis ran his eyes over his flat, skinny belly. The vertical puncture wound, about the size of half a thumb, had formed a pink bulge on Leorino’s fair skin. It was located in the same place where Ionia’s scar had once been.
“Are you pleased?”
“Yes, your wounds have closed up nicely. Do they still hurt?”
“No. Except for my chest, I’m mostly fine.”
Gravis furrowed his brow as he refastened the buttons on his pajamas.
“…I almost let you die again. Forgive me for not saving you sooner.”
“You saved me, didn’t you? That’s why we’re here now… Thank you.”
Leorino lifted Gravis’s hand and kissed his large palm in gratitude.
“Sasha told me… You chose to die then, didn’t you?”
Leorino nodded honestly, making no excuses. “I knew then that I would not survive. If I was going to die anyway, I wanted to stop the cycle of hatred by killing that man.”
“…I see.”
Gravis was hurt nonetheless. Leorino couldn’t ignore this.
But he did not regret the choice he had made at that moment.
Leorino asked what had been on his mind.
“…Did that man, Smirnov, die?”
Gravis shook his head. Leorino looked relieved and disappointed at the same time.
“…Before I escaped from the outer fortress, I killed a Gdaniraque soldier not much older than me.”
Leorino showed Gravis his bandaged hand. A fair hand. White bandages. But once covered in blood, his hand was already stained with sin.
“…There’s no point hiding me from evil anymore. My hands will always be stained with blood. So…”
I will follow you wherever you go.
Leorino bit back those last words, but Gravis must have noticed the implied thought. With a somewhat pained expression, he stroked Leorino’s bangs once more.
“First, you need to get better.”
“I’ve been asleep for so long that my body has entirely wasted away. You saw that earlier, didn’t you? I can’t even walk around the castle.”
Leorino made no secret of his complaints, but in reality, he was in no hurry.
If he exercised, he would be able to walk again.
Above all, he got to reunite with Gravis, so he had nothing more he could possibly wish for.
“Vi…please give me one more hug before you go.”
Instead of granting his wish, Gravis gently captured Leorino’s small lips with his own.
“…Mnf.”
When Leorino eagerly opened his mouth, Gravis inserted his thick tongue through the gap.
Gravis slowly, lovingly explored every inch of Leorino’s mouth. Leorino responded in kind, and the two of them savored the sweetness of the embrace.
Faint gasps escaped Leorino’s lips.
After a while, Gravis pulled away.
“…If you perished, my heart would have died with you.”
“Vi…I’m sorry.”
Gravis soothingly pressed his lips to Leorino’s forehead, then to his eyelids, and finally left a peck on his lips one last time.
“I love you… Don’t ever give up on life again.”
“I love you, too.” Leorino brought his own lips to Gravis’s. “I’m sorry for worrying you. And…thank you for saving me.”
Gravis smiled a little at that. Seeing his smile, Leorino finally felt that they were truly reunited.
“When the war ends, I’ll come for you.”
“Thank you. But if I may be honest, I don’t want to be away from you anymore.”
But despite his words, Leorino looked at Gravis with a smile. If they were going to be separated again anyway, he only wanted to rejoice in the miracle of seeing Gravis alive again for now.
In response, Gravis smiled as well and also confessed his feelings.
“I’m afraid of leaving you, too.”
Gravis slowly lowered himself to the bed and embraced Leorino’s fragile body.
With a soft sigh, Leorino wrapped his hands around the man’s shoulders.
They felt each other’s warmth in silence for a while longer.
The ice around their hearts melted away.
They wished they could be locked in this sweet cage together forever.
It was so hard to say good-bye. Leorino felt like crying.
A cruel knock sounded on the door. It was time to part ways.
“…I will end this war by the spring. This will be the final time we fight Zwelf. Wait for me until then.”
Another smile bloomed on Leorino’s lips.
“Of course. I will have healed by spring.”
Gravis watched him tenderly.
Leorino’s life lit up the room.
No matter how gaunt his cheeks were or how emaciated he looked, nothing in the world could rival the beauty of Leorino’s smile.
Gravis wanted to burn that smile into his mind.
“When this war is over, we will settle our score with that man. Just a little longer, Leorino.”
“But first, you must come for me.”
“I will, I promise.”
Starry-sky eyes and violet eyes united in purpose.
Even as they were trapped in the falling snow, spring was approaching. Until then, they would continue their respective battles with half a heart.
They exchanged vows.
When spring came, everything would change.