IRMY Chapter 18

He had been so nervous in the days leading up to his first performance that his memories of that time were hazy. It was strange, considering how vividly he remembered the play itself.

“I seem to have brought up a rather depressing topic. I could relate to what you said, Your Grace.”

Yuro said, smiling as if nothing had happened, and walked over to stand beside Melione.

“The gardens are beautifully maintained. There are so many plants I’ve never seen in Norden…”

“It doesn’t snow in Ceylon, but if you travel a short distance by carriage, you can see snow even in winter. It might not be as heavy as in Norden, though.”

Melione interrupted. Yuro stared at him in surprise. Melione’s expression, however, remained calm.

“I’ll have a carriage prepared around that time. If your health allows, it would be nice to enjoy the snow.”

“Ah… I see.”

Yuro, genuinely surprised, stammered a reply. He hadn’t expected such an offer.

Melione had been acting like he was being forced to do a chore he hated, but it seemed he realized he had ruined the mood.

“Thank you for your consideration. But it’s alright. I don’t necessarily want to see snow; it was just a memory.”

“…”

“More than anything, I want to spend my first birthday in Ceylon here with you, Your Grace. It would be rude to ask you to accompany me, considering your condition.”

While he said “a short distance by carriage,” it would take several days to see snow from Ceylon, the southernmost point of the continent.

He had suffered terribly from motion sickness during his journey here. He had no intention of riding in a carriage again, even for a fortune.

“I’ll go with you.”

“What?”

This time, Yuro was truly shocked and exclaimed involuntarily. Melione averted his gaze, a strange expression on his face.

“Really? You’ll really go with me?”

Yuro quickly composed himself. He had to seize this opportunity, whether it was a slip of the tongue or genuine.

How had he landed such a big fish? Was Melione touched by his story? He had seemed so cold and unfeeling in the novel, but perhaps he still had some humanity left.

“…If my health improves.”

Of course. It was a ridiculous answer, considering Melione himself didn’t believe his health would improve. But Yuro couldn’t say, “Wow, what a way to say no,” so he nodded enthusiastically instead.

“Of course. You’ll definitely get better.”

‘I won’t go with you then, you bastard. I won’t go with you even if you beg. Who wants to ruin their birthday by getting indigestion from stress?’

“I’ll help you.”

He was a master of deception, saying one thing and meaning another. A true actor wouldn’t just pretend to be touched.

“Thank you for the offer. No one has ever celebrated my birthday like this… I’m so happy.”

It seemed Melione’s remaining humanity was responding to his heartfelt (fake) emotions. He would exploit that sympathy to the fullest.

“Did you know that silver hair is a symbol of the Norden royal family?”

“Yes, I’m aware.”

“But as you can see, my hair is brown. It has a strong orange tint, so it looks reddish in the sunlight. There have always been rumors about my origins.”

“…I’m aware of that as well.”

Melione nodded, walking beside Yuro. It was a well-known story, so there was no need to hide it.

“So, no one ever celebrated my self-proclaimed birthday. I felt a bit resentful when I was younger. My brothers always had huge birthday celebrations. And so did my sister.”

“…”

“They received so many gifts. I was very envious.”

That was probably true. Although he didn’t know Yuro Lechis personally, Yuro could imagine how much he must have suffered from discrimination at a young age.

“But no one ever offered to take me to see the snow, let alone prepare a carriage. So, even if you combined all the gifts my brothers received, none would be as special as this, Your Grace.”

“…”

“Thank you sincerely. I’m truly touched.”

Yuro smiled genuinely for the first time. He was truly touched, not by the offer itself, but by the fact that Melione had said those words for him.

“Well… you don’t need to travel to see snow in Norden.”

“Even if one of my brothers had asked to see the ocean for his birthday, they wouldn’t have done that. It might not be the best analogy, but…”

“…”

“Ah, I’m not saying I want to go to Norden. I like snow, but Norden is… just alright.”

Yuro felt lighter. He had achieved his goal simply by engaging in conversation, but he had gained an unexpected bonus.

He had to keep appealing to Melione’s sympathy by emphasizing their shared misfortune. Yuro cheered inwardly.

They walked in silence after that. He had exceeded his expectations, so there was no need to force the conversation.

Melione also seemed lost in thought, so Yuro left him alone.

As they reached the spot where he had been with Kisha yesterday, Yuro suddenly called out,

“Kisha-nim!”

Kisha, lying in the same spot as yesterday, spotted Yuro and started approaching leisurely, as if waiting for him.

Yuro hurried towards Kisha and, as the tiger gently nudged his head against him, knelt down and hugged it.

“Were you waiting for me?”

Kisha snorted in response. After their long conversation yesterday, Yuro understood that it meant “yes.”

“Oh my, I’m so touched.”

Yuro nuzzled his face against Kisha’s fur, then released the tiger and looked at Melione, who seemed slightly dumbfounded.

Yuro, no longer needing anything from Melione, said cheerfully,

“Thank you for the walk, Your Grace. I apologize for taking up so much of your time.”

‘Now get lost, you bastard.’

Yuro smiled brightly and leaned against Kisha. Being with Kisha was comforting.

The gate he had assumed appeared out of nowhere yesterday seemed to be a back entrance to the main mansion. Since Melione had said he could see this spot from his study window, his study must be close by. So, this was a good place to part ways.

Melione had said a long walk would be difficult, and he had looked eager to return, so Yuro was hoping he would leave now.

“I’ll continue my conversation with Kisha-nim.”

“…You were talking all day yesterday as well.”

“Uh… to be precise, yesterday I only covered the prologue of my life story, and today, I’m starting Chapter 1.”

He had spent all that time talking about his childhood. Now it was time to talk about his exciting idol life, so he still had a lot to share.

However, Melione didn’t leave immediately, staring at him with a strange expression. Yuro met his gaze, wondering if he had something to say, when Melione suddenly said in a gruff voice,

“I told you, you don’t have to be so formal with Kisha.”

“I’m just comfortable this way. I’ll try to change.”

“…”

“Please rest well, Your Grace. I really enjoyed today, and I was very touched.”

“Are you always this easily moved?”

“Pardon?”

Melione’s question was unexpected. He seemed annoyed, but Yuro couldn’t understand why.

“…Did I do something wrong?”

“No, not at all. Just don’t stay out here too long.”

‘Ah, he’s saying don’t be too loud because his study is close by.’

Yuro was momentarily irritated by Melione’s blatant display of sensitivity, but as always, he forced a smile.

“Yes, I understand. Your Grace.”

“And…”

“…”

“If you have something to say, come to my study anytime.”

“…”

“If it’s brief… it’s fine.”

“Ah… Yes, thank you.”

Yuro replied, bewildered, and Melione finally turned to leave. Only after he entered the mansion did Yuro sit down comfortably on the grass and mutter,

“What’s gotten into him?”

“…”

“He hasn’t even eaten anything.”

Kisha nudged Yuro’s shoulder with its head, as if demanding his attention. Yuro laughed.

“Alright, alright. You must be curious about the rest of the story. Let’s see, so, in the world I lived in, there are these things called idols. And they are…”