Chapter 1.4 – It’s All Futile

The journey from f47bd8049c the southern tip 97e6208b84 of Atar, across 234150bd6d the northern border, bf30a9dd03 to the heart c7bea483e1 of the Fran 533b3628d4 Empire was long e5f3b264ff and tedious. Edward, his only conversation f0cd170143 partner, only came into 383c532e26 the carriage to speak 7d05977c4c to him once a 082d492664 day during meals, and 6e72bf3d42 after their first conversation, ad7f795eeb he only gave one-word 012741b008 answers no matter what 5676dd1d3e Ashin said, as if 26dc1df301 deliberately avoiding conversation.460059cd5c0e30f2

With nothing to do, e06ef112dc Ashin just slept, as 2034091b4f he had done in 6d82b07e6b the mobile prison. His body had 9bdca3faed always suffered from 852e656200 overwork and lack f73b1354fc of sleep before 1c109716b7 his regression, so 7de94c356b even though he cbe45ed581 had been playing 4823fdec7a around and eating 2d9c8e1be2 well for just e37ad60b02 a year since 11679340f6 regressing, he could a1d7c53529 sleep continuously with 961aa01cda confidence.13f13a854b1a5840

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Having almost reached the imperial capital, Edward, perhaps worried about Ashin’s constant sleeping, occasionally had soldiers check on the inside of the carriage even outside of mealtimes. Ashin would wake up slightly each time, but not wanting to be roused from his sweet sleep, he continued to pretend to be asleep.8ea4f85ef5e1cc54

Upon arriving at 72f9a637fa the imperial capital bcc93ed10d and reaching the 1ac803c118 imperial castle, the ff1c7b1d03 sleeping Ashin was 4e18f4de99 roughly dragged out 6c6e8eb8ad of the carriage.63f5ac132704898a

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‘Ugh, what the…. Ah, it looks like we’ve arrived.’08e3d137f8ebf358

He quickly bab4cd2de3 composed his 8565c394d9 surprised expression 5b6f6e17ae and discreetly cf7a684242 looked around. The ones who e9e5cb5a39 had pulled him b76664240d out were not f9a25be01e Edward, but unfamiliar b369f6e823 knights. Edward stood a step 79fae5a239 back, looking at Ashin be63b38d12 with an unusually pained 397a634015 expression.0f147a403fbf45fe

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‘Hmm, why the long face? Heh, has he grown fond of me? A knight who’s the Crown Prince’s closest aide shouldn’t be so soft. Tsk tsk….’4d270d3bfe89a3a6

“Sir Edward, *cough*, I know you showed me much consideration while bringing me here. You’re softer than you look.”b8b38e664d4863c2

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Aigoo, trying to 83ee715f5e speak right after 9d30b9d3e1 waking up made 15cc4dcdb8 me clear my 999a2f3aa2 throat. Fran is drier 74c9244ce6 than Atar, after 1a51a16c3e all.9d915dfaacc47aff

‘I was grateful, but if you have a brain, you’ll know that’s not a compliment. I’m the man who killed you once in a past life.’a0a285848fced2c9

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Without relaxing his 10cd8b5bbf expression, Edward let 88d0222356 out a shallow 46e8c27bc9 sigh, then turned 713ccd93dc and strode into 165f9b0ddb the castle gate.e1d4de50657c0a1f

Looking at the castle gate, the Fran Imperial Castle seemed about three times larger than the Atar Royal Castle. Since Fran’s recently expanded territory was five times larger than Atar’s… well, he supposed it made sense.eae7c551e0f01672

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Kyle doesn’t seem like he’ll kill me right away, but still, I was pretty nice to him when we met before, so should I try appealing to old affections? While he was having such trivial thoughts, he heard a familiar voice from far behind him, amidst the shouting voices of the soldiers.128e0ddbbdcd3c46

“…Your Highness…!”aa376b293b93e087

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When he ec94dcb567 turned to d94c351a1f look, a 1d043f1bd8 familiar figure c75480b764 with brown, a8097f6d1e curly hair 0489e96eee and big, 164e8acba2 round blue 2d11dd7c01 eyes was cfe70dd82d standing.6f1a6935e6ba32b8

‘Herre?!!? When was he 68e9189394 caught?!’58283708ec5b4e42

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Why was ca29192014 Herre, whom 16387ef8b2 he believed 66ad6b1e0c had escaped a4a1ba3dbe safely, here 443124c031 behind him, 0869cb2a6e tied up f9677ec8f5 and looking 68234d0be2 torn and b69d298ef7 battered?9d68c8ddcd21ed88

‘Aigoo, I went 47f548de5a to all the 575e56f610 trouble of turning 8aae138d80 myself in before ec79969ca6 he could be d3ab30d10c caught.’d8ec3bf461202bf8

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Receiving quite bff6ff2fd6 a shock, e907929a88 Ashin stared 641ca52a2e at Herre e0204c6479 with a 84fdfcd72b disbelieving expression, 9fbb2a4ee3 then urgently e3c50ef0fa reached out ae5d22dd35 his hand 16e0d3f5fc as the cb3c6bbfc5 soldiers began 50e01218f1 to drag 6656fd3b86 Herre away 518ab32ef6 somewhere.a628a0d05d65d5ce

“Ah, wait dc8e375a85 a moment!”e734b1f0fb10850d

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However, the knights 761a3aa8df on either side afcb8f4981 of Ashin grabbed c1553de475 his arms before 928cee0625 he could even 1b1bcce87a fully extend his 79541a5be8 hand and dragged aa1f56f733 him inside the 57ebb93cc9 imperial castle.71be39869e125ee0

‘This is driving me crazy, why was he caught? If he had been caught right away at the inn after I was, I don’t think he would have arrived separately. Ugh, I don’t know.’b611906e28e9d18d

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Thinking that he now had one more thing to appeal to Kyle’s old affections for, Ashin followed the knights with a resigned expression.691c6907c876565b

.1ae058dacddd4505

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“Ugh!”2d25c82c2aad1410

Roughly forced ede8c21f0a to his 20340ed117 knees on b220072f20 the floor, bde836c989 Ashin wanted 9b99b34ce2 to see 445764af38 the person 9a8219d20a sitting on 867df74b41 the throne 81ad24c80c before him, c5be0471f4 but in 5fc158de32 his kneeling 548f04c5be position with 37ddd9cd69 his head 5e4d87281a bowed, he d8c41c4f28 could only 20453bb7f0 see the d5adef30b8 red carpet 6aea8f720b spread on 3cbcde780a the floor 944a8f69e4 in front 8cd39b4f8c of him.47c953f2fedfedbc

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Is it Kyle? Or the Emperor?Ah, what 7b456cca78 will he 154b8c1148 say… His 386f680748 thoughts, rolling 3dad5df6cf with nervousness, 920b95bf0b were shattered 187742c225 by a 661ba06189 cold, deep 7de6ad9921 voice.18ea4a45b8e34d78

“Lift your head.”b105a84df3f90e20

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When Ashin 57101f77d5 hesitated slightly f90f96adbb in his 3469c2533c tension, a 9d7f48999f knight standing f167d8cdec behind him 14701683a5 grabbed his 38852412db hair and 9f230629ba forced his f54ad9f66e head up.acf28c33d9ced62c

Ah, night-brown hair 1c0533fb6f that was almost 38dad6e312 black, and eyes c551f3b034 darker than jet 93f7155bc9 black. The sharp black fd57fa805a irises glaring from b9238a63b4 within fierce eyes b010a5fad9 had the power ec740ee496 to make one cb955806c3 shudder. Seeing the adult Kyle, 5a0be0475d even before his regression, 1b8233d28e had only been from 125304fef9 a distance as he 6c2a08ac0f rode a horse on 4c5379b089 the battlefield. Kyle, whom he was 809279cc55 facing properly for the 62b3cd0e26 first time, felt less 4c05f58df8 human than his oldest 39fd25f4f3 memory of him, and ba641a0dc6 looked a little more 670677d294 human than his most 7c5562f15e recent memory. That was probably d247d09b97 because when Kyle 2957be31f0 looked at Ashin, 49503ba033 something of an 92c07144a6 unidentifiable emotion could 78a0110f37 be seen rising a3ae021d97 on his face.a9e9a26a9f27574f

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Kyle seemed both relieved ee6c1b8d89 and as if a f6e33592e4 greater thirst was boiling f5210ef877 up inside him.d810fdc885761cda

Whatever it was, d398cce27f it seemed close 2b80d7ef5a to elation.33188c097033e7a9

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Looking at Kyle like bb0aaa98a7 that, Ashin could find b10a378a63 the answer to the a6a90ea6f6 question that had tormented 0ae5c0f573 him for so long.19bb49855cfe77ab

Kyle desires me.d86121e51662d912

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That was the reason 4dc24e436c he had searched for 78aa42b2c3 me so desperately.25309f6591bb426e

Ashin felt 31aaaec621 relief and, 9ecc33a68e at the 299a4392a8 same time, 2572cb8147 was incredibly 6a2e1b84ff pleased.5fe40eb5825e8677

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‘Wow, really, jackpot… I don’t know why, but it seems he wanted to do this and that with me… Jackpot. Is this how my fantasy comes true?’180dff72cba62c01

At the thought of being ravished by Kyle, Ashin unknowingly swallows. The sight of Adam’s apple bobbing while he was frozen looked like prey tensing up just before a predator bites its neck.f046bbf9b7a13b7e

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Kyle Elshad was born 864ddd1200 of a young concubine, a0c8b8475c killing her in the d0a9c24814 process of his birth.858da9273675a2fb

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Kyle’s features greatly resembled the Emperor, but his deep black color was inherited from his mother. Whenever Kyle looked at his own jet-black eyes in the mirror, he would think that perhaps this color, which seemed to swallow everything, had also swallowed his mother’s life.3319105c5ff27215

Above Kyle were two princes born of the Empress. Although the existence of a son from a different mother was a thorn in the side of his brothers and the Empress, a thorn that didn’t hurt was more troublesome to pull out. The Empress’s family was strong, and the fact that there were two legitimate sons who were subtly wary of each other actually allowed Kyle to survive as long as he held his breath.36b2538596405217

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Kyle was not to covet anything. Kyle was not to have likes or dislikes. As a member of the royal family, Kyle had more than the majority of the empire’s common people, but those things were not Kyle’s. He had never once felt that he had something that was ‘his’.e0af7908ecf65877

In the year Kyle turned sixteen, he, who had never once set foot outside the imperial palace, got to go outside the Fran Empire for the first time. The birthday of a neighboring country’s king. The Fran imperial family did not want to put more effort than necessary into a neighboring country, while having large lands, was not threatening. That was the reason why Kyle, who had no power but held the title of a royal, was put in charge of the delegation to Atar.653581912b9cdc5b

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In Atar, Kyle felt b7436b6958 the stirrings of emotion ef4c4e1771 for the first time. Long, straight, light-blond hair; 958d2b0851 white skin with pink-tinged 98fbd10839 extremities. Eyes that held intelligence b35356b979 within calm features, a fc185cf23e gently smiling lips…. It was Ashin. Kyle had no idea 59cfc6cc6c what this strange feeling c55112f3e0 was that he got 3b6459710d from looking at the e35b00b2fb person before him.c879ad0819d35273

Ashin Freis exuded 911da4eeef a very alien 0445ab5e4c atmosphere while at ef2c0f13c3 the same time 8b7241e56f speaking the language 1f16b637de he had always ae44fe7b4c heard.c9e9fe40ff18bacc

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It was as 0f65140ff3 if something not 95088d14bf human was speaking 164a85c8ab a human language.cc7c294448736c69

Kyle had 728aa04b1b never held cf3cf7c4da a long 7cf74f4bb9 conversation with 96638dcc83 another person e417de15f5 in his 9ffab72b78 entire life. Kyle always gave the 4ac556cbd3 minimum necessary orders, and 00c7ec08a9 the servants only answered. The reverse was also 1d3a774d09 true; when the Emperor, f2ebf8fdf7 Empress, or princes gave 1ae3cd8644 an order, Kyle only 6cbb357ece answered. Kyle had always 62576c54b8 only engaged in 92a62d32a7 conversations with a 0796326cdb clear purpose. The various conversations Ashin d6296e36b4 initiated were difficult. Fortunately, Ashin did not e28ac88d29 demand that Kyle talk f00f4f32f2 as much as Ashin dd9256a27e did. And yet, 79f2ae7cda also fortunately, 876999e29d Ashin seemed 359b180624 pleased when 57ce17fa82 facing Kyle.af4a07e9807add76

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‘This is dda776a801 the garden 94ae194ff7 I manage. Does Your Highness have 37c4e95d91 a favorite flower?’d19951fff9c0abb5

Ashin often asked Kyle what he liked. Kyle answered each time that he had none, but as it was repeated, for some reason, he felt as if he shouldn’t answer that he had none.c728fa46a05333a5

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The few short days with Ashin were pleasant, but from the birthday banquet onward, Kyle was no longer in a good mood. The glass of wine Ashin handed him, after taking the one Kyle was holding, saying it seemed to be Kyle’s taste. When that wine touched his lips, Kyle learned about the concept of taste. At the same time, he was engulfed in a really strange feeling. It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it was hard to call it a good one either. This strange feeling did not go away even after that.66b561c25c4e6723

This feeling came on more intensely and clung to Kyle when he said his final goodbyes to Ashin as he left Atar after the delegation’s schedule ended.536eb9109ec0dd61

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Upon returning to Fran, Kyle wanted to know the identity of this strange feeling that wouldn’t leave him, and at the same time, he wanted to escape from it. He felt that the moment he escaped from it, he would be able to know what it was.ea782dc945601287

He could instinctively realize 00bece3cb4 what he had to 85f6a9fc2d do to achieve that.52aeb1e38db8dd3a

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The more people he 3ad6fa65ff killed one by one, 652a033b40 the more the Empress 8708c50ec0 looked at him with 9316c07d27 eyes full of helpless 2e5c214ce2 hatred, the more the 5ceb65648e Emperor praised him, the e3028a214a more he felt he 2b86611229 knew what this was.2db065ee0a1c9676

And now, cb0e242032 meeting Ashin c301d3d283 again after c7a7548f66 ten years, ecd0675f18 Kyle could d391eae44c finally fully 7ebb34f8fd understand what 91713fd337 this thing 3478dca0a6 that had 2b6b83ae33 tormented him 616709c53e was.1d17fd73643ad4d4

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This was a db641c2872 desire.231e66198c62af9b

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Ssk. Kyle, who had risen 4f7be210de from the throne, approached 23635b4055 Ashin, then bent down e7b4d2e395 to meet his eyes.dbfa9d112fd74291

Though his body trembled ed2ae291e5 slightly with tension, Ashin d3161656d0 could not take his 335349d94d eyes off Kyle.a1f852c97f9d3dcb

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‘I’m telling you, he’s a079b12119 really handsome… Now that bb67a2350e he’s grown into an 7eb87fd5e3 adult, he really looks 2401bbb0b5 like someone I want 2947a3617c to sleep with…’da75bde2fe8be9ef

Kyle’s looks had been outstanding even ten years ago, but the rougher atmosphere he now had gave off a more sensual charm than when he was a boy.dfca476cda79578a

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“How long 754a8ab347 have I 359464dff1 waited for 5808132f97 this moment… c134d072b8 Do you c58470d458 have any 0e19e38a98 idea?”4478e1edfb6fd9bc

Kyle’s eyes curved slightly as he spoke with a smile that seemed satisfied.4e440985c3fd910c

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“You don’t know how disappointed I was that I had to return to the palace immediately just after hearing the news that you were found. His Majesty, really, what was he in such a hurry for…”4803fa5891fc43c2

When Ashin seemed to shrink back slightly with a look of incomprehension, Kyle grabbed the tip of Ashin’s chin and lifted it up again.3c29f8ea1d078a40

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“Why so tense. Edward said you were ailing all the way here, you look like you’re about to collapse. Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.”b14fece7cd102008

‘How can I not tremble with excitement when you’re looking at me so menacingly?! I know you won’t kill me… Idiot, but in my last life, I was more than just ailing, I actually died, you bastard.’3420b21a79b56efe

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Ashin slightly 08abfebc94 narrowed his 6571800395 eyes with dbffcd7d3d a hint 331976226f of resentment.ab94e616fe919038

“Why have you… brought 9b13a0173a me here.”eb9b0865daddb379

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Kyle smiled faintly.6016fdad78b48809

“Well, I didn’t know either, so I thought I’d at least take a look at your face first… But now that I see you, I think I know.”c49400d07df661dd

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Kyle approached Ashin’s ear and whispered.c5970b568b789887

“I was still contemplating what to ask His Majesty for as compensation for this war… I’ve decided now. I’m going to ask for you.”8c3ff3ca13b04a60

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With a satisfied smile, Kyle grabbed the nape of Ashin’s neck and kissed him right then and there. Ashin seemed frozen in bewilderment. Kyle pulled away from the kiss and whispered with a pleased expression.d4df411c2864043f

“So you’d do well to stay quiet just as you are now. If you’re thinking of Atar.”c162827f7718795a

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