STM 46

‘Just in words?

–Kun Tairok’

Reading it took a second. Understanding it took far longer.

What does that even mean? When have I ever done things with just words….?

Then the contents of the letter I’d sent came to mind.

‘Thank you for your kind regards.’

So this was his reply to that.

“…That bastard’s joking.”

Crunch.

I crumpled the letter in my fist, furious. Who was the one who’d refused every gift we sent, claiming he didn’t need thanks?

Still holding the crumpled paper, I rushed to my desk and pulled out a fresh sheet. Solongo followed with a confused look.

“Grand Duke Kun wouldn’t use a teleportation portal just for a prank. What are you doing?”

“Writing a reply. And it’s not a prank. He just sent it to annoy me.”

“There’s no way he’d waste a portal just to…wait, you’re going to send that?”

I stopped folding the letter.

“Why? It’s not rude enough to cause trouble. He’ll get irritated, that’s all.”

“You wrote this to irritate him?”

“Yeah.”

“…I see.”

Solongo stepped back, watching me silently. I looked down at what I’d written. Was it too harsh?

“Yes, I’ll express my thanks only with my words. You’re the one who refused the gifts. So you’ll have to hear my gratitude directly from my mouth. Do you have a problem with that?”

He’s still my so-called savior, so maybe I should delete that last line about having a problem. While I hesitated, I could feel Solongo’s gaze on me.

“Are you sending it now?”

“Of course. If I use a courier, it’ll take days. I’ll call someone right away…”

Before I even finished speaking, Solongo snatched the letter from my hand. Then she slipped it into an envelope, sealed it, and shouted down the hall,

“Gather every mage! Prepare to open the teleportation portal now!”

“Wait, you’re sending it through a portal?”

“Obviously. I’ll make sure Grand Duke Kun has the chance to misunderstand you as fast as possible.”

“What misunderstanding?”

“Any misunderstanding.”

“What?”

But Solongo just smiled brightly and herded the servants like sheep, summoning the mages. After some effort, three high-grade mages linked their powers, and the letter vanished instantly. They beamed with pride as they turned to me.

“It’s good the important letter was delivered safely.”

Sweat dotted their foreheads.

“…”

I couldn’t say anything. I felt too guilty.

That was how the last of my pocket money vanished, handed out as their bonus.

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Knock, knock.

Rick entered the office and ran toward Tairok.

“Your Grace, a letter has arrived.”

Without saying it aloud, he made it clear that it was important, already holding it out before Tairok even looked up. Two envelopes, one white, one brown.

He deliberately placed the brown one on top so Tairok could grab it first. That was always the one from his friend, the one that usually carried key information.

But since Tairok didn’t look up from his paperwork, Rick pushed it forward a little, enough to enter his view.

Finally, Tairok shifted his gaze. Rick, unable to hold back his impatience, set the brown envelope down on the desk.

“You should check it right away. The messenger said it was good news.”

Yet, for some reason, Tairok’s eyes stayed on the white envelope.

“Adeye?”

“Yes. That one’s from Adeye Lu. It arrived just now via teleportation portal. We sent ours by portal too, so they apparently matched us, and Haas mocked them, saying they probably squeezed three high grade mages to do it. Uh…shall I have you read that one first?”

Rick asked, surprised, but Tairok already had the white envelope in his hand. He cut it open with a knife and unfolded the paper. A short silence followed.

What’s in there to cause that?

Rick watched, baffled, as Tairok stayed unmoving, eyes fixed on the letter. The pause was long, and Rick almost peeked, but he forced himself to ask quietly.

“Is there some terrible insult written in it?”

“Honestly, that’d be better.”

What? It’d be better if it were an insult? Rick couldn’t imagine anything worse than what Tairok was feeling. Tairok placed a hand on his forehead and bowed his head for a moment, as if to steady himself. Rick raised his eyebrows.

“What does it say? Did someone try to disgrace Your Grace?”

“Something similar”

“Huh? Even if he gives everything to the person who saved his life, it won’t be enough…”

How dare he insult you with a letter?! Rick was horrified, but the person in question was already folding the letter, which should have been torn to shreds, neatly and putting it away in a drawer. He even had a smile on his face.

Of course, he’s the kind of person who smiles even when he’s angry, so that’s understandable, but strangely, it telt like a genuine smile.

But that’s not possible.

While Rick shook his head, Tairok immediately took out a piece of paper and wrote down a reply.

“Tell Haas to open a portal right now.”

Again? Is it really that important? Rick accepted the reply with a puzzled expression, hoping Tairok would now see the truly important letter.

But, strangely enough, he turned back to the documents he’d been looking at. After waiting for a while and seeing no sign of him opening the brown envelope, Rick hesitated and called him.

“Your Grace.”

Rick cleared his throat as Tairok raised his eyes.

“Ahem, are there any other orders?”

“There is one.”

“Yes, state it.”

“Get out.”

A person who used to smile easily couldn’t possibly look so cold when their expression was blank. Tairok was just like that. Rick took a deep breath and quickly lowered his head.

“I’m sorry. I’ll send the reply to Adeye right away.”

Rick left, but even as he exited, he couldn’t help glancing at the brown envelope.

The door closed, and a moment later, Tairok finally turned his gaze to the brown envelope Rick had been curious about. Since the person who usually gave him unexpected information had said it was good news, it must have been even more useful.

Before, he would have been eager, but now he wasn’t even curious. Instead, the short, insignificant letter in the drawer filled his mind.

You’ll have to hear my gratitude directly from my mouth.

Perhaps it had no other meaning than that, considering he was probably writing it with a grin. But Tairok’s imagination went to a different use of that mouth.

Ha.

He ran a hand roughly through his hair and exhaled. Otherwise, he’d have t o grab his hardening member and shake it.

But strangely, his lips wouldn’t leave his mind. The lips he’d tasted in the maze garden of the summer villa were vivid, as if they had happened just moments ago.

The mouth that had stubbornly refused to accept him and then suddenly stopped resisting was terribly soft and sweet. And the other person was Adeye Lu.

“Fuck.”

Tairok swore softly and ripped open the br own envelope. As always, it was packed to t he brim with contents.

It always started with concerns and inquiries about Taoirok, mixed with small updates about the sender’s own life.

And finally, the crucial information, the main point, comes out. Tairok’s eyes quickly scanned the upper part before lowering.

‘……. Others say you wish for the revival of the Kun family, but I think differently. You wish most for the curse on the Kun’s castle to be lifted, don’t you? It’s a curse so powerful that it completely blocks anyone from entering the castle. I know you’ve worked hard to break that curse. I’ve actually been hoping you’d ask me fo r help someday. If I had time, I would have waited until your heart was moved… … But there isn’t much time left now. Trouble is coming to Tubain soon.’

What trouble? But the letter didn’t provide any detailed explanation.

“I can’t tell you the details in a letter. So giv eme some time. I’ll explain then. And help you break the Kun family curse. The information I’ve come across might hold the answers you seek.”

A cure for the curse?

It was definitely good news. But the content didn’t register well in his head. So he didn’t feel much emotion.

Tairok scolded himself and turned his gaze out the window. It was broad daylight, but castle was shrouded in white fog, obscuring his view.

He wrote a brief reply, slipped it back into the brown envelope, and set his resolve.

Yes, I need to break the curse first. That’s what I want most.