January 25, 2021
‘I don’t even know what I’m hoping for.’
Fenril exhaled a short breath, absentmindedly fiddling with the letter in his pocket. He couldn’t understand his own feelings. Part of him wanted Cabelenus to protect Alicia, to ensure she remained unscathed. But another part—deep down—secretly wished for a different outcome.
It was the most difficult dilemma he had ever faced.
Thud—
Just then, as he turned a corner, he collided with a figure that had suddenly emerged from the other side. Instinctively, Fenril stepped back, quickly assessing the person he had bumped into.
"My apologies. I was lost in thought and wasn’t paying attention..."
"..."
"Oh! You’re the one I saw the other day, aren’t you?"
Fenril straightened slightly, widening his eyes as he studied the man before him. He had only seen him once in the library, but recognizing him wasn’t difficult. A man with such striking silver hair and refined features was rare.
"Hmm. Do you not remember me?"
"Apologies. I don’t recall."
James gave a curt shake of his head and moved to step aside.
"Well, I suppose that makes sense. It was just a brief encounter, after all."
Fenril smoothly positioned himself in front of James again, flashing an easygoing smile. But his sharp gaze was fixed on the bag in James’s hand.
"Going on a trip, are we?"
"You certainly seem interested in other people’s affairs."
"I’m just concerned. It’s quite late to be leaving, don’t you think?"
Fenril tilted his chin toward the window. The sky outside had already turned a deep shade of crimson, the sun sinking beneath the horizon.
"It’s none of your concern."
"I’ve heard the nights in Schwarhan are particularly harsh."
"I can handle myself."
There was a faint edge of irritation in James’s voice.
"Oh dear. It seems I overstepped."
"I have urgent business to attend to. If you’ll excuse me."
"Of course."
Fenril stepped aside, allowing James to pass. Without a single word of thanks, James hurried off.
"Suspicious."
Not that he’d get far anyway.
Fenril smirked as he watched James’s retreating figure but made no move to interfere. An inexperienced runaway wouldn’t realize it, but the Schwarhan estate was like a finely woven spider’s web. It may have seemed calm on the surface, but it was the domain of predators. The more one struggled, the more entangled they would become.
"Should I offer my condolences in advance...?"
Muttering to himself, Fenril’s brows suddenly furrowed.
"...What is that sound?"
He halted in his tracks, turning his head toward the source. It wasn’t his imagination. A strange, muffled sobbing could be heard. Fenril frowned and followed the sound. It was coming from further down the corridor.
"Hic... Hic..."
"Is someone there...? Oh—"
At first, he thought it was a statue. But upon closer inspection, it wasn’t.
Fenril immediately crouched down beside the small, curled-up figure. The child was so tiny he had to look down quite a bit to see him properly.
"Hey, kid, why are you crying here all alone? Where’s your—"
"Waaahhh!"
"Wait—why are you crying even louder now?! What did I do?!"
Startled by the sudden wailing, Fenril instinctively leaned back. Then, as the shadows shifted, he caught a proper look at the child’s face and frowned.
Tears had completely soaked the boy’s face, his features swollen from crying. And yet, there was something oddly familiar about him.
***
Fenril, now crouched beside the child, handed him a handkerchief. The boy hesitated before cautiously accepting it.
"Done crying?"
"...Yes."
The boy fidgeted with his fingers. His eyes were so puffy it was hard to tell whether they were open or closed.
"Hey, kid."
"My name is Mikael. Mikael Nus."
"Mikael Nus?"
"That’s my name."
"Nice name."
Fenril offered a polite compliment, resting his chin on his palm. There were only a handful of children who could afford to wear fine clothing and reside within the Schwarhan estate. But that alone wasn’t enough to determine the boy’s identity.
If he were Cabelenus’s child, he would at least have inherited black hair. If not, his name should have been longer, bearing the weight of noble lineage. But this boy had neither.
And yet, Fenril found it difficult to dismiss him as Alicia’s child, either.
Mikael’s auburn hair and gray eyes resembled Alicia’s. But there was one problem—her lover.
Cabelenus, who openly claimed ownership over Alicia, wouldn’t accept another man’s child so easily.
"Who gave you that name?"
"My mom..."
Mikael’s lips trembled. The tears he had just managed to stop threatened to spill again.
"Did she scold you?"
"No, she didn’t!"
Mikael snapped, quickly wiping at his eyes.
"Then why are you sitting here crying all alone?"
"Something bad happened."
"What kind of bad thing?"
"That’s private. Mind your own business."
"..."
Kids these days sure talk fast.
Fenril eyed Mikael out of the corner of his eye. The boy looked deep in thought, his expression surprisingly serious for someone his age.
"What are you thinking about?"
"That’s private too."
"Then how about I take you to your parents?"
Fenril absentmindedly toyed with the letter in his pocket. He needed to deliver its contents, but he didn’t feel right leaving a crying child alone.
"They’re probably worried about you."
"I don’t want to see them right now."
Mikael buried his face in his knees.
He couldn’t forget James’s eyes—how they had stared straight at him.
James hated him.
‘I’m not a monster...’
His small hands curled tightly around his knees. He had never once thought of himself as a monster.
But James had never lied to him before.
Maybe... maybe he really was a monster.
The thought made his vision blur with fresh tears.
‘What if I really am a monster? What if I make Mom unhappy because of it...?’
Mikael’s body trembled. He could handle anything else, but he couldn’t bear the thought of making his mother unhappy.
His mom was the most beautiful when she smiled.
"If you don’t want to go to them, then how about coming with me for a bit? I have something to take care of."
"My mom told me not to follow strangers."
"Oh? Uh, yeah. That’s a good rule."
Fenril laughed awkwardly.
"If you’ve got something to do, just go. I’ll be fine on my own."
"Crying alone is lonely, though."
"Everyone needs time alone sometimes."
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
"Where did you learn to say things like that?"
"From a book."
With that, the conversation fell into silence. Fenril toyed with the letter in his pocket, occasionally glancing at Mikael.
"Hurry up and go."
"...Then, will you wait here for a bit? I need to deliver a message, and I’ll come right back."
"You don’t have to."
Mikael responded bluntly. Fenril hesitated for a moment before rising to his feet. Even though he was concerned about the boy, his priority right now was delivering the letter.
***
"We have a problem, Your Highness."
"If it’s about the rumors, I already know. I just received a report."
Cabelenus crumpled the report in his hands and tore it apart, his golden eyes burning with barely contained fury. Fenril took a steady breath before continuing.
"The rumors claim that you are the true ruler of the Empire."
"Yes. /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ It’s mixed with the existing gossip about the current emperor and has gained even more traction."
"The problem is the additional details being spread."
Fenril gave a wry smile. Among the many recent rumors about Jerpeneus, the most infamous was about the Grand Duke of Schwarhan, supposedly bewitched by a temptress sent by his half-brother.
"This was deliberately spread to discredit you."
"I know. It’s too intentional to be anything else."
"You seem rather composed about it."
"Because I know this is only the beginning."
Cabelenus’s lips curled bitterly.
"Do you know something more?"
"The High Priest specializes in fabricating disasters and manipulating public opinion. Recently, there have been reports that a woman has been seen every time a catastrophe occurs."
"..."
"They’re not just trying to brand her as a temptress. They’re going to mark Alicia as a witch."
"No way..."
"The more the people need me, the more they will praise me as a noble protector. And with that, their resentment toward her will only grow. Eventually, they will demand that I raise my sword against her."
Cabelenus stared at the decree on the table, bearing the High Priest’s official seal. It declared the Grand Duke of Schwarhan as the divine representative of the gods.
"A representative of the gods is obligated to eradicate calamities."
"Then we must prepare even more—"
"The preparations are already complete."
Cabelenus gestured to Gajev, who swiftly handed him a set of documents. The past eight years had not been wasted.
"I already have a plan to overturn the rumors. The problem is the timing."
"Timing?"
"I have plenty of justification to claim the throne. And yet, I still live as a Grand Duke. Why do you think that is?"
"Because taking the throne would mean gaining more enemies, so you’re being cautious for now."
"That’s one answer, but it’s not the full reason."
Cabelenus turned toward the window. Though the capital was not visible from here, he had never forgotten the land where he was born and raised.
"Hunters build fires outside a raccoon’s den to smoke it out. They let the creature breathe in the fumes until it has no choice but to run out."
"So... we’re the fire?"
"The only thing that makes that man lose his composure is Roakin. That makes it the perfect tool to fan the flames."
Jerpeneus’s ability to react quickly to rumors was both his strength and his weakness. As long as the rumors persisted, he would have to investigate Roakin’s involvement.
"The Emperor is unusually cautious. If we make a reckless move, he’ll cut his losses and escape."
"Then what do you want us to do next?"
"Nothing will change much. Keep pressuring him. The moment he’s driven to his breaking point, that’s when we’ll strike."
Cabelenus absentmindedly touched his neck. Even in his current position, the shackles of his past still remained. To bring this to a proper conclusion, he needed to sever his connection to Jerpeneus once and for all.
"Any more questions?"
"No. I understand perfectly."
"Not bad. You’re quite sharp."
Cabelenus smirked slightly. Fenril knew his position well enough not to ask unnecessary questions.
At that moment, an urgent knock sounded at the door. Gajev glanced at Cabelenus for permission before opening it.
Standing at the entrance was Alicia, her expression tense with anxiety.
"What is it?"
Cabelenus moved immediately, but Alicia didn’t answer. Instead, she clutched onto his sleeve tightly.
"Have you seen Mikael?"
"Mikael? I met him earlier and sent him to you..."
Cabelenus frowned. When he had visited Alicia’s chambers, Mikael had been nowhere to be found. That meant Mikael had never returned to her. The realization was immediate.
Cabelenus turned sharply.
"Gajev, send out a search party."
"Understood. I’ll—"
"Wait—when you say Mikael, do you mean Mikael Nus?"
Before Fenril had even finished speaking, everyone’s attention snapped to him.
Caught off guard by their intense stares, Fenril awkwardly lifted the corners of his lips.
"You’ve seen Mikael?"
Alicia suddenly stepped closer. The sudden proximity made Fenril instinctively hold his breath. She smelled faintly of grass.
"He’s my son."
"Ah... your son?"
"He’s more precious to me than anything."
Alicia looked as if she was about to cry. Fenril barely managed to regain his composure. Now was not the time to be distracted.
"I just met him a short while ago. He was crying, so—"
"Where? Take us to him immediately."
This time, it was Cabelenus who spoke.
Fenril swallowed hard, but for a different reason than before.
Compared to Alicia, the man before him was a looming presence. He was certain their heights were similar, yet the sheer pressure radiating from the Grand Duke made it feel as if he were standing before an entirely different kind of beast.
As he met the piercing golden gaze, Fenril suddenly understood why there were rumors that Cabelenus could tear a man apart with his bare hands.
"Hurry."
"Please."
Fenril’s throat bobbed under the weight of their combined stares.
It was strange.
Alicia’s tear-filled eyes and Cabelenus’s gritted expression were starkly different, yet for some reason, they looked exactly the same.
And that alone erased any doubts about Mikael’s parentage.
Their appearances may have been different, but both of them wore the same expression.
It was the unmistakable face of a parent.
