Hugo, who had been staring at the same spot, answered as if it were nothing:
"Being registered in my territory will make life more convenient in many ways. When issuing registration cards, identity verification is more thorough than in other territories, so the credibility is high. You’ll have access to many more places, and the verification process for medical benefits or veteran support will be simpler too. Though the process to change it later is complicated... it won’t be bad for now."
His tone was the same as usual, but Leonardo somehow felt he was adding a lot of unnecessary detail. In the end, it meant he was trying to let him enjoy more things. Leonardo nodded and asked again, lowering his eyes:
"You say the identity verification is thorough, but is it okay for me to be registered just like this?"
"I’ve verified your identity more thoroughly than anyone else."
The golden eyelashes rose slowly. It was a gaze that seemed to ask when he had done that.
Finding his stiff expression quite cute, Hugo deliberately watched him for a few seconds before adding:
"...Because I’ve verified it while we’ve been together all this time."
Leonardo, who looked blank for a moment, retorted with a dry laugh:
"What, I thought you meant you’d done a background check or something."
"I’ve already done plenty of background checks for three years. I found out very little."
"Well, you did persistently chase after me."
"You don’t have to worry about that anymore."
Though he’d only said something extremely obvious, the conversation once again ended with the nuance of a farewell. Thinking his expression management had been severely lacking, Leonardo rubbed at his lips and chin as if to hide them.
Afraid the expression he’d seen in the mirror might surface, he bit his lip firmly. Hugo, who had been watching closely, added softly:
"Of course, if you want... I could also provide you with a place to stay within the territory."
"...A place to stay?"
As soon as he asked back, Hugo took a small artifact from his pocket. Then he pulled Leonardo’s hand and placed the flat artifact into it.
"You’d probably do well anywhere, but having a base would be much more stable. I’ve packed some spare clothes, simple food, and magic tools necessary for travel. And... the key to my villa is in there too."
The elegant golden eyebrows lifted.
"What key?"
"The villa. It’s a place I recently acquired in secret, so very few people know about it. Even Flynn doesn’t know. I have someone manage it once a week. But I don’t plan to send anyone for a while."
"..."
"It’s in the mildest and safest part of the territory. ...There are many flowers too. I’m sure you’ll like it. If you need a place to rest, feel free to use it."
It was undoubtedly an unnecessary addition. The man—unlike his usual self today—trailed off and cast his gaze elsewhere.
Leonardo stared blankly at Hugo. Then, his eyes curving, he asked gently:
"Is that why you brought me here? To your territory?"
Hugo didn’t answer right away. He cleared his throat and made a roundabout excuse:
"More than that, it’ll be safer for you here."
It was an answer with multiple meanings. Knowing what he meant, Leonardo quickly agreed.
If he had been released in the imperial capital, it would have been much harder to move around. There might have been forces tailing him, and crowds might have gathered, leaving him stuck in a mire of criticism and curses.
Of course, he would have found a way out somehow, but His Excellency’s consideration in bringing him all the way to his own territory was a thoughtful—yet somewhat dangerous—choice.
He had seen a few newspaper articles criticizing the Council in the cabin in Fidele. The tone leaned more toward the opinion that the Council’s move to use discarded waste abandoned by the empire as a fighting force was insulting to the imperial household, rather than sympathizing with him for being forcibly sent to the Elder Millie Peninsula.
In other words, in a situation where the perception of "Leonardo Blaine" was not good, if his relationship with this man became known to the public, it could turn into a fatal weakness. It would only become easy prey for the public who loved to cripple individuals. He was used to such things now, but it was absolutely not something the noble Excellency before him should have to endure.
Regardless of what meaning Agrizendro had attached to this key, Leonardo instinctively knew it was a constraint and a lingering attachment that could someday endanger them both.
So he had to return it—for this man’s sake, too. Just as he was about to bite his lip and hand it back, Hugo spoke:
"Ah, I almost forgot to mention this."
He casually looked toward the end of the corridor and put his hands behind his back.
"I’ve issued an order that, for the next three days, 'Leonardo Blaine' is to be allowed passage through all gates in the territory, even if the personal information is different."
Leonardo blinked. This man was really quick-witted.
"Even though you’ve regained your freedom, it’ll still take more time before you can confidently show yourself to the world. If you plan to leave the territory, do it within these three days. Also, I’ve kept it to myself that you can change your appearance with magic, so feel free to use it in the # Nоvеlight # future if necessary."
"Uh..."
Come to think of it, even when he’d been investigated for the monster smuggling incident in Frost territory, there had been no questioning about how he had changed his face. He remembered that since the investigators had no way to explain how he’d concealed his appearance, they had only pressed their suspicions and eventually concluded the charge of helping the merchant group leader escape inconclusively.
He’d thought it had come out of nowhere, but to think even that had been influenced by this man. Changing one’s appearance was forbidden magic, and it was clear that users were subject to punishment. Yet he was willing to overlook even that; Leonardo couldn’t even begin to count how many things he had already turned a blind eye to.
"Is that okay? You don’t like this kind of thing."
"It’s fine to that extent, as long as it’s a means to protect you. But make one promise to me."
The golden eyes, tinged with puzzlement, reacted. The hand that had been behind his back came forward and brushed away the golden hair shimmering around his eyes.
"If we meet again..."
The touch was more intense than before. The man’s lips, assuming a sweet future, drew attention.
"Promise me that you won’t use that magic in front of me. So I can recognize you."
The touch brushing his forehead. The affectionate tone. The intense gaze that contrasted with it settled on his eyes.
Enveloped by the man’s lingering attachment—as if it could cover his entire profile and more—Leonardo barely held on to his heart, which felt like it might tilt at any moment.
"Even when I hid my appearance... you still found me in the end."
"If you knew how obsessed I was until I found you, you wouldn’t speak so lightly."
"..."
"Besides, I’ve already promised not to look for you anymore. So I have no choice but to wait until you come to me."
It was a devoted vow, to the point of seeming perverse. And the fact that he himself thought it would be nice if Hugo stayed obsessed was perverse, too.
Leonardo’s lips, reluctant to part, moved slightly. If he promised not to use forbidden magic in front of this man, it would be impossible to secretly look at his face and leave. But the thought of facing him again in his true appearance made him uncertain whether he could keep his heart from shaking every time he went through a farewell like this.
"..."
When he’d talked about saying goodbye and meeting again with Flynn, it hadn’t been this difficult. He didn’t know why one word in front of this man was so arduous, as if making an eternal vow.
Hugo’s finger, which had been pressing along those thread-fine eyelashes, slid down his cheek as if urging an answer. Then it settled at the corner of his fine lips. Since it was a place he rarely allowed to be touched, Leonardo felt his mouth tense noticeably.
"Promise me."
As if telling him to answer quickly, a forceful voice resonated in his ear. The man’s intrusion subtly wedged into the gap between his slightly parted lips. The red tongue, caught in anguish, visible between briefly bared teeth, made the blue eyes narrow.
Hugo glimpsed the same lingering attachment as his own, wrapped up in their ends.
Though Leonardo’s lips quickly closed as if to hide his thoughts, he couldn’t conceal the bob of his Adam’s apple.
The trembling golden lashes fluttered up and down before separating.
"...Okay. I promise."
Seemingly satisfied, a faint relief spread across Hugo’s solemn eyes. At the same time, the dangerously playful touch withdrew as if nothing had happened.
Leonardo licked the corner of his lips, which felt empty after fingers as heavy as a thousand pounds retreated.
And he was keenly aware of Hugo’s gaze watching the motion.
Under the bright sense of space given by the stained glass, the other man sent him a look as muted as nostalgia in a black-and-white photograph.
The color of the eyes fixed on him was endlessly blue and clear, but what lay inside them was tinged with deep longing—like a waiting room that had long since lost its passengers.
Like a photograph capturing a single moment, Leonardo caught that dissonance in Hugo’s eyes.
As the silence stretched, Hugo spoke first.
"...We should go now. It’ll be dangerous when the sun sets."
He neatly packed the items he had given into the backpack hanging on one of Leonardo’s shoulders.
"The compensation money is in here too, so keep it safe."
He was a man who acted kindly, insisting on being a protector until the end. Suddenly, Leonardo recalled the messenger of God who had appeared in the courtroom.
He also remembered Flynn’s words about the Commander spending some money to get him released.
This man had defied providence to give him freedom.
That process must have involved constant clashes with his ideals, beliefs, noble spirit, and surroundings. But had he ever shown any of that to Leonardo even once? Instead, he hid it to the point of frustration and never shared his thoughts.
Today was no different. He offered greetings, and nothing more, never mentioning any responsibility he was bearing in front of him.
Leonardo quietly stared at Hugo’s cheek, which had been drawing his attention for a while.
Could that be the price of his freedom, too? As all kinds of imaginings unfolded, Leonardo’s lips moved on their own.
"Did you spend a lot of money?"
At his question—one that sounded as if he knew something—Hugo’s brow furrowed for a moment.
"What?"
As he asked back as if he’d misheard, Leonardo posed one sweet question.
"As repayment... should I give you a gift too?"
He looked down once more at the mage robe he was wearing. Fiddling pointlessly with the sleeve cuff, he added:
"I received this too, so I want to give you something as well."
"..."
Hugo didn’t answer. He had no intention whatsoever of receiving anything from Leonardo; if he was going to give, he would only want to give more. However, faced with the clear face drawing close, he found himself asking, unable to look away from that beauty:
"What is it?"
Leaving only about a hand’s width between them, Leonardo fell into contemplation. In his mind, the white butterfly he had seen by the window fluttered. Along with it, everything around the man in front of him—and himself—became tangled and swirled.
He imagined cracks appearing in the calm, perfect face because of his impulse.
'If I’m not careful, I could be in danger.'
Even as he thought that, the golden eyes once again flicked to the watch on the man’s wrist. Leonardo slowly opened his hand beneath the large hand hanging below it.
As if continuing the whim that had ended in regret, he gradually slid between Hugo’s long fingers.
"..."
The dull warmth brushing his palm was sensual. Hugo quietly watched Leonardo’s movements—whether it was affection or seduction. With the slow contact, the golden eyes between those pretty lashes shone alluringly.
Hugo knew those eyes. Eyes that were extremely dangerous, without a hint of playfulness. A mysterious drug that reduced the viewer’s vision to instinct alone, scattering reason like a cunning snake.
Was there forbidden magic that shook people’s hearts, too? Hugo deliberately thought of something trivial and slowly closed and opened his eyes. It was meant to bring him back to himself, but in that moment, the scent of sunlight drew near like spreading paint, tickling the tip of his nose. Two senses were already dominated by the other, and his mind was no different from a living corpse.
Taking advantage of his hazy consciousness, the distance became indecently close. Close enough to feel each other’s breath, and the thought that it was dangerous flashed through his mind.
Leonardo pulled Hugo’s arm toward himself. A hot touch slid to the back of his neck, and a vivid sensation met his sensitive skin.
"...!"
The blue eyes hardened instantly. The contact that had come so recklessly hastily brushed over Hugo’s lower lip.
Disguising his reckless provocation and impatience as innocence, Leonardo layered his breath over the man’s lips. Before he could process the dizzying kiss, Hugo, who had grabbed both arms in a rush, forcibly pushed away the one trying to press in.
"Ah, Leo—."
Even though it had been only that brief moment, both of their chests heaved urgently, as if about to burst. As the line they had painfully maintained until now threatened to crumble, Hugo called that name with a confused face, as if it had slipped out.
"Leo, this is..."
His blue eyes, pupils contracted, showed clear bewilderment. It was the moment his noble sanctuary—built up solidly—began to shake.
However, Hugo’s voice didn’t reach Leonardo clearly, as if underwater. Only the sound of his own heartbeat and their breaths filled his ears.
Even with both arms tightly gripped by those large hands, Leonardo kept staring at the cracks forming in the man’s gaze. Finally, after exhaling uneven, rapid breaths, he threatened in a relatively calm tone:
"Since it’s the last time, don’t lie this time. Tell me honestly."
"..."
"You sometimes wanted to kiss me, didn’t you?"
That day, too—and just now.
Hugo, his mind going blank for a moment, looked down at him without a word. The golden eyes, full of certainty, urged him on as if about to break his reason. Their sticky gazes tangled with only a small distance between them. In Hugo’s view, the red lips that had somehow become erotic were moving dangerously.
The vivid rush of blood at his neck pulsed more violently than ever, as if falling for the younger man’s instigation.
He didn’t know exactly when the "sometimes" Leonardo mentioned had been. It was probably because it wouldn’t feel strange no matter which moment he chose.
The man’s thick Adam’s apple bobbed dangerously. Leonardo focused all his attention on that sign of instinct.
At that moment, the cold hand that had gently stroked his golden hair ruthlessly tangled it. He pressed down his own desire onto those fearless, impudent lips.
