MBHE | Chapter 2.7

Moreover…

Iellon’s hand stealthily reached inside his shirt. As his hand emerged from the layers of clothing, it held something.

Understanding Mana. The old book with its cover torn dangled from the prince’s fingertips. Iellon smiled warmly.

His hands, though pretty, were full of calluses and scars as he opened the book. Iellon met eyes with Noah, who was crouched in the corner of the spacious room, next to the wardrobe.

“…”

“…”

“What are you doing there? Come here.”

Iellon, who was so startled that his heart nearly stopped and dropped to the floor, gestured nonchalantly. After a moment, Noah obediently stood up and approached the bed.

Iellon, lying down, and Noah, standing. Their gazes met in the air. Iellon rolled to the side and patted the spot next to him. After blinking for a moment, Noah slowly climbed onto the bed.

“Why are you in this room?”

“…To guard.”

“Why are you guarding me?”

“Because you bought me?”

The information that came out of Noah’s hesitant words was this: His previous owner had always ordered him to follow and guard, and after being abandoned, he acted the same way with his new owner, Iellon.

That’s why he had knocked down Edward, who seemed to be harming Iellon earlier. Iellon hadn’t even known Noah was in the room. It seemed he hadn’t rolled around in the assassin’s guild for nothing; his infiltration skills were impressive.

‘As expected of a hero’s companion. A righteous assassin indeed.’

Lost in unnecessary thoughts, Iellon wiggled his toes and turned to the side. Noah lay straight, staring intently at the sparkling canopy.

“Do you know how surprised I was earlier?”

“…”

“I trusted you, and you repay kindness with betrayal?”

He had marked him as a reliable ally, only for him to mess things up on the first day. He wasn’t genuinely angry, but a bit of whining seemed acceptable.

“Kindness?”

“I gave you something tasty.”

Though he had saved him from the cage, considering he roamed freely in the original work, he would have escaped on his own anyway. So that couldn’t be called kindness. It was just Iellon’s unsolicited act of kindness.

“I’m going to remember all this. Pay it back later, or else.”

Iellon, speaking whimsically, hugged the pillow with a smile full of mischief. It wasn’t in his nature or position to act this way in front of someone he had just met, but he couldn’t help it due to the internal familiarity built from knowing the protagonist’s party.

Moreover, knowing for sure that he was a “good” person was one of the reasons for his unrestrained behavior.

Perhaps they had used some drug to keep Noah quiet at the auction, as his eyes were noticeably clearer than when they first met.

His purple eyes calmly watched Iellon. Noah nodded.

“Okay.”

Though the small voice didn’t carry much determination, Iellon didn’t mind.

When he opened Understanding Mana, the yellowed paper, clearly showing its age, appeared. Fortunately, it was still readable.

Though the writing was scattered, it was filled with unexpected theories. Lying on his stomach with a pillow hugged to his chest, Iellon closed Understanding Mana with sparkling eyes.

This was a book to read back at the Imperial Palace, jotting down notes on parchment. If things went well, he might really be able to use magic.

Stretching his limbs, he felt his shoulders relax, indicating he’d been absorbed in the book for quite some time. It was indeed dark outside.

Next to him, Noah lay in the same position as before, eyes closed but seemingly not asleep. When he poked his cheek, purple eyes appeared.

“You called me Nina earlier, why was that?”

Noah remained silent. In the original work, he wasn’t particularly talkative, but he wasn’t this quiet either. It seemed the memory gap was significant.

After a moment of thought, Noah slowly spoke.

“It looks like… that.”

“What’s that?”

“An animal… white, red…”

“A lion?”

“No.”

“A tiger?”

“Doesn’t seem like it…”

“Strange. I hear I look like a tiger a lot.”

Iellon, who casually uttered an untruth, pushed the old book under the pillow and wriggled around to prepare for sleep.

Though curious about Noah’s words, it seemed it wasn’t yet time for his memories to return, given his random comments. As he pulled up the fluffy blanket, warmth enveloped him instantly.

“Wake up and leave before anyone comes tomorrow. If you’re caught, it’ll be trouble for both of us. And turn off the lights, please.”

The white blanket rose and fell at regular intervals. Noah, who had learned much from the assassin’s guild, realized he was truly asleep.

After turning off the glowing magic stones and burning candles, Noah returned to the bed.

White, small, and red. He couldn’t recall the name of that animal. All he knew was that when he lifted his head in the cage, the gaze he met was dazzling.

Clean silver hair spread across the pillow. Watching the hair that the brown-haired man had touched earlier gave him a headache, as if something was on the verge of surfacing.

“Ugh, why are you standing? Lie down already.”

Iellon rubbed his face with the back of his hand and patted the spot next to him. Red eyes sparkled between half-open eyelids.

“Ah, a rabbit…”

A small, white, and red animal. Noah, who didn’t know why he thought of someone as a rabbit, lay down slowly.

Why he associated the name Nina with a rabbit, the current Noah couldn’t know.

♣ ♣ ♣

Iellon left the Mendez estate three days later. As originally planned, he toured the territory and got a sense of how things were run. Though there was some power struggle, it wasn’t as tense as the first day.

Edward, perhaps scolded harshly by the duke, was subdued for all three days, but he gradually regained his energy over time.

Especially when he saw Noah, who had hit him, his eyes blazed with anger. Noah, who merely followed Iellon around, paid no attention to Edward.

The person who surprised Iellon the most as he stood in front of the carriage to return to the Imperial Palace was unexpectedly Aiden. With tears in his eyes, he bid Iellon farewell with a pitiful expression, much like Carpe. It seemed he had grown attached after being played with for three days.

Leaving the child behind and getting into the carriage, he finally felt a sense of relief. He placed his feet on Noah’s lap, who sat beside him. Despite the silly grin, Noah didn’t try to move his feet.

Noah, who had the honor of riding in the same carriage as the prince under the pretext of needing someone to attend to him, gazed out the window as it slowly began to move.

Now was the only time he could handle Noah as he pleased. Whatever experiences the original Noah had gone through, once his memories returned, he’d likely have a similar personality.

Imagining the prickly and blunt Noah for a moment, Iellon took out Understanding Mana from his bag.

The journey home wouldn’t be short, but it would be much quicker than the trip there. He hoped Carpe would like the gift. The prince smiled softly, thinking of Carpe’s bright blue eyes.

♣ ♣ ♣

“Hyung!”

“Car!”

Carpe, who ran from afar, leaped into Iellon’s arms. Though it hadn’t even been a month, he felt noticeably heavier than before.

“I missed you so much.”

“Really? I did too. I missed Carpe so much.”

Though he wanted to see his face, Carpe clung tightly to his neck, showing no intention of letting go. It seemed he was secretly afraid of losing Iellon in the Imperial Palace, where he had few allies.

Patting Carpe’s back, Iellon entered the room and sat on a chair that hadn’t gathered a speck of dust since he left.

Once Carpe accepted that his brother had returned, he began chattering happily about what had happened in the meantime.

Listening and responding to each story, Carpe finally finished after several minutes and drank water, panting. Watching him with affection, Iellon suddenly clapped his hands as if he remembered something.

“Right, I said I’d bring you a gift, didn’t I?”

“Yeah!”

Carpe, his cheeks flushed with anticipation, clenched his fists and looked up at Iellon. Iellon, unable to help but smile at his expression, pointed to a corner of the room.

There stood a boy who seemed to have been there all along. Beneath his black hair, bandages were visible, and his purple eyes revealed nothing of his thoughts.

Carpe, staring at the slightly sharp-looking face, tilted his head.

“…It’s not chocolate.”

“It’s not chocolate or candy. But it’s something much better.”

“Huh?”

Iellon, pulling Noah’s hand, smiled triumphantly. Carpe, reflexively smiling at his brother’s grin, stared intently at their clasped hands.

“This gift’s name is Happy Ending. More precisely, someone who will help with the Happy Ending.”

A perfectly beautiful future for Carpe was something Iellon couldn’t create alone. He wasn’t sure if he could find or even bring back an ally, but he was proud of himself for somehow managing it.

“…I don’t need it.”

“What? Why not?”

Though Carpe’s pouty lips were adorable, Iellon couldn’t laugh.

“You like happy endings, Carpe. I went through a lot to get this.”

“I don’t need it! …People aren’t gifts.”

The jealousy in Carpe’s teary blue eyes was clear, but Iellon, blinded by his affection for his brother, didn’t notice. Instead, he kissed Carpe’s round cheek, thinking he always said the right things, as expected of a future hero.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re right, Carpe. I was just joking because I felt bad for not bringing candy or chocolate.”

“Really?”

“Of course. This is Noah, my, um… friend.”

Noah’s hand trembled slightly. Not noticing, Iellon brushed Carpe’s hair aside.

“A friend isn’t a sibling?”

“Hmm? A friend isn’t a sibling or a brother. Noah is older than me, but… Anyway, why?”

At the gentle question, the small body clung tightly. Carpe, hugging Iellon’s neck, asked seriously.

“I’m your only sibling, right?”

The face that had engaged in a chilly power struggle with Duke Mendez melted, openly displaying affection. Nodding vigorously, the tension in Carpe’s blue eyes finally eased.

“Then it’s fine.”

The happiness from his brother’s jealousy over meeting his friend bubbled out of Iellon. Even Carpe’s slightly sassy side, which he hadn’t seen before, was incredibly cute.

It finally felt like he was home.