PMEVBO 31

A man with a kind and gentle appearance delivered a merciless kick to Koragon.

At first, Iser thought he’d finally lost his mind and was seeing hallucinations, but the intense heat radiating from the man’s body made him realize he wasn’t an illusion.

Lucariel groaned like any other person and pulled away from Iser. But the way he released the embrace and stepped back was strangely cautious. Until now, they’d always just thrown Iser aside or shoved him roughly.

‘Is it you? Iser Hayut?’

How does this person know his name?

No, more importantly, what was his purpose for coming all the way here?

Like Kogaron, Lucariel had also carelessly used Iser’s abilities. Iser couldn’t help but be wary of such a person. There was no guarantee he wasn’t a second Kogaron.

But it was true that hearing his name called after so long felt welcome. Even though the name ‘Iser’, given with love by his parents, had always existed, he’d spent so many years being called by vile words he couldn’t bear to say.

Lucariel spoke in a voice as soft as feathers.

‘Iser, let’s get out of here together.’

…It was nonsense.

The butterfly-shaped birthmarks beneath his eyes and on his neck confirmed the man before him was the priest of the rumors. The priest who assaulted a cardinal and received an exile decree from the Pope. Was this man suggesting he could escape Hayut Castle, his place of exile? And take him with him?

The man who had been dying from even the slightest touch of Iser had come back to life. And he himself, no matter how his flesh was sliced or torn, would recover almost instantly. A person incapable of living among others. That was Iser.

‘No, am I even human?’

Perhaps this man, like Koragon, intended to imprison and exploit him. If he was going to be used like that, death would be preferable.

But Lucariel’s tone, his gaze, and his embrace were so warm that, for the first time in ages, Iser wanted to live.

‘So this place is—‘

‘I know. I know where it is. It’s the annex of Hayut Castle.’

To harbor a desire to leave this place now, at fourteen, a wish he’d never even considered as a child. He felt silly for that, and that’s probably why he’d thrown a tantrum for no reason.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘…….’

He’d been angry at himself for daring to hope, not at Lucariel. Lucariel hadn’t done anything wrong. If anything, Iser was grateful to him for bringing him to the annex.

The annex had originally been a place for his mother. Father had personally selected every brick to build it, saying their mother needed a place to stay when they fought.

After she passed away, the annex became Iser’s home. Looking back, the days spent here were the happiest of Iser’s life. Even though it was the place where his father was murdered, all of Iser’s happiness resided here.

So then…

‘If I must die, wouldn’t it be better to die here?’

It was difficult to die in the room atop the spire, but truthfully, he didn’t want to meet death in a place filled with such horrors. If he had to die, he wanted to die in a place that had held even a little happiness.

When Lucariel had removed the gag from his mouth and hidden him inside the cabinet, he thought that had been the right moment to die.

But.

‘I’ll make it over as quickly as possible, so just bear with me a little longer.’

His hand stroking his hair felt too sweet, and Iser hesitated. Moreover, the place he had hidden him was, coincidentally, also the only entrance leading to the hideout.

Iser decided to try living for now.

‘…You said it. If I stayed with you for half a month, you’d let me out of the castle.’

‘I did.’

But Iser had no intention of leaving the castle now. He had resolved to die here.

‘Would it be okay if, during that time, I stayed in the hiding place below instead of this room?’

‘Uh, it wouldn’t matter, but…’

‘Alright, then let’s do it that way.’

Even so, he answered that way because he wanted to show at least minimal courtesy to Lucariel, who had brought him here and even released his restraints. Iser wanted to continue this miserable existence only until the promised fortnight was up.

Therefore, what Lucariel’s purpose was didn’t really matter. He simply hoped that whatever it was, it would turn out as Lucariel wished.

And so, Iser resolved to spend the last fifteen days of his life in the hideout.

Trusting Lucariel, however, was another matter entirely. He intended to follow the man’s wishes as much as possible, out of gratitude, but if things started to feel amiss, he planned to simply die. After all, Iser could choose death anytime now.

…But that was an unnecessary worry. The time in the hideout…the time spent with Lucariel wasn’t nearly as miserable as he’d feared.

Perhaps, it was even quite happy.

‘A person isn’t defined just by being alive. So, Iser. Treat yourself like a person too.’

That person said so.

No one had treated Iser as a person since his father died. Lucariel was the first. Iser hadn’t even treated himself that way. He’d been taught that no matter what happened, he must never kill a person, yet he was the one who stubbornly tried to end his own life.

‘I’m sorry for using your power without permission.’

‘…….’

‘And thank you. I’m alive because of you.’

Until now, the only person who had survived after Iser used his power was Kogaron. His father, and the people dragged in as test subjects, all met their end at Kogaron’s hands. So he never expected to hear words like these.

Whenever he had the chance, Lucariel brought food he’d prepared himself to the hideout. Then, with a calm expression, he’d ask how it tasted.

Iser hadn’t been able to taste much in food since he was a child. But he knew what answer Lucariel wanted to hear. He’d never once given him the answer he wanted, though.

‘It’s not bad.’

‘…Is that so.’

Because Lucariel’s face, pretending not to be disappointed, was cute.

Even though he’d never heard the answer he wanted, Lucariel persistently brought new food. Iser was fine with anything he brought.

‘Can I sleep here with you tonight?’

‘…Why, when you have your perfectly fine room?’

‘Because I’m scared to sleep alone.’

Due to his peculiar constitution, Iser had never shared a bed with anyone, not even his father, let alone Isabelle. Yet, he had let Lucariel into his bed that day because of what had happened earlier.

Iser knew what was inside that red envelope. The moment Lucariel rose from his chair to leave, butterfly carcasses spilled out from the envelope that had fallen to the floor.

‘Sending butterfly carcasses to someone with butterfly marks on their face and neck. And in a red envelope, the kind lovers might exchange…’

It was not just bizarre, it was perverse. Moreover, Lucariel’s reaction troubled him too much to dismiss it as just a nasty prank. He had never seen that person, who seemed to fear nothing in the world, look so terrified, almost suffocating from fear.

He wanted to throw away not just the butterfly carcasses, but the red envelope itself, but he couldn’t carelessly dispose of Lucariel’s letter. In the end, Iser chose to place the butterfly carcasses back inside the envelope and tuck it away in a drawer.

Hoping Lucariel would prefer that unpleasant object sealed away there.

In any case, Iser couldn’t bring himself to coldly turn away Lucariel, who had even shown signs of a seizure during the day.

For Iser, sleep was an option, not a necessity, much like eating. Sleeping didn’t particularly improve his condition, nor did lack of sleep make it worse. Even setting that aside, Iser simply didn’t feel much like sleeping.

‘I’ll die soon anyway, and when I do, I’ll sleep for eternity.’

After Lucariel caught him pretending to sleep once, he put a little more effort into his act. Fortunately, the charade worked. And he learned Lucariel’s secret.

‘Hngh…’

That night, Lucariel suffered through nightmares all night long. The next day, Iser asked to sleep together again because he was worried Lucariel might have nightmares again.

At first, he thought it was just because of that letter, but even after several days passed, Lucariel had nightmares every single night. And while he slept, no matter how much he was shaken or called, he couldn’t wake up, as if he were being held down.

But come morning, when he finally woke up, he was perfectly fine. He seemed completely unaware that he was tormented by nightmares every night.

Iser, who had kept Lucariel by his side under the pretense of not wanting to sleep alone, spent the night patting his shoulder. It was really just patting the bedding, but if it was true that he liked this, then at least patting it like that made Lucariel’s expression relax a little.

‘…It looks like sending you outside the castle will be a little delayed. I’m sorry.’

‘How long?’

‘About a fortnight.’

‘It’s fine.’

Lucariel looked apologetic, but Iser himself didn’t mind. In fact, he was glad. Because it meant he could spend even a little more time with Lucariel. But he forced himself to keep a straight face, knowing he’d look strange if he showed too much happiness.

‘I heard your sister is staying at the capital mansion. I could use my ability to take you to her… What do you think?’

‘Just getting me out of the castle would be enough. …Thanks.’

If he left this castle and went to Isabelle, she’d be miserable. Koragon would never give up on him. Iser didn’t want to drag the sister he’d protected all this time into hell now.

And honestly, more than his sister…

‘About those butterfly birthmarks. I saw one on your foot too…’

‘Oh, right. They’re all over my body.’

‘…How many are there?’

‘……’

‘I just… asked because I was curious.’

Despite dismissing it as unimportant, Iser now found himself curious about everything about Lucariel. What his purpose was. Why he’d asked him to spend half a month with him.

But he didn’t feel the need to ask. Lucariel was so kind and sincere, it made him wonder how someone like him had appeared in his miserable life.

He never held back explanations, even for things Iser didn’t ask about. He knew it was his way of trying to reassure him.

If someone like that didn’t speak up first, it must mean there was some awkward circumstance preventing him from saying anything. Iser didn’t want to put Lucariel in an awkward position. He just wanted to be good to him.

Whether it was treatment, etiquette lessons, or keeping vigil by his bedside. I’ll do everything I can for you.

So…

‘Just stay with me like this until then.’

When you say it’s over, I’ll end it with my own hands.

***

Iser must have dozed off while waiting for Lucariel, who’d gone to fetch fever medicine.

Bang!

The ear-splitting explosion jolted Iser awake from his light sleep.

‘Could it be… did Koragon discover this place?’

But trampling through the shattered wooden door and strolling leisurely into the bedroom was a man he’d never seen before. He wore priestly vestments.

“So you’re the experimental tool with the Power of Life ability or something? Pretty little thing.”

The man grinned like a predator that had found its prey.

Sharp fangs flashed yellow in the dim candlelight.