SWY 2

To Sharhan, there was an arch-nemesis destined by fate, not just since childhood, but from the very moment he was conceived. And that person was the man standing before him now: Lestel Ailun.

Sharhan frowned as he stared at the ever-smirking Lestel. Just looking at that smug face that made him instinctively want to punch something, how long had it been? They’d parted ways when Sharhan left the academy after receiving news of his family’s misfortune. That made it three years.

Still the same.

Lestel’s long, silvery hair gleamed as if slicked with oil, even though it was always worn loose and unstyled. His flawless, pale skin and deep green eyes, like a forest after rain, were as stunning as ever. Truly a fitting heir to House Ailun, one of the Empire’s wealthiest and most powerful noble families.

Even Sharhan, who was always ready to bash in the back of Lestel’s head, had to admit the guy looked good. He’d lost the boyish cuteness, sure, but as a child, Lestel had been adorable enough to make people want to pinch his cheeks. Born with a natural rivalry toward him, Sharhan didn’t want to lose to Lestel in looks either. As a kid, he used to trail behind his mother and the maids, begging them for beauty tips.

Should’ve at least washed my face…

He’d been in deep sleep when Abel called, so he’d rushed over to the guild half-asleep without properly cleaning up. At least his clothes were freshly laundered and sun-dried from the day before. As Sharhan rubbed at the corners of his eyes with his finger, he continued scanning Lestel from head to toe.

Looks like he’s been living comfortably at the academy while I was rolling around in war… Wait, is his face a bit tanned? That pretty face is the only thing he’s got going for him, and now he’s slacking on maintenance. Tsk.

He’d lost the baby fat he still had three years ago, giving him a sharper look. His shoulders had broadened, and he’d grown taller too. Sharhan’s brow furrowed as he eyed Lestel’s crossed legs.

His legs look longer than before… Don’t tell me he’s taller than me now?

Last time they met, they’d been about the same height.

“Hey, stand up.”

Sharhan stood first and ordered, and Lestel, smiling slyly, rose to his feet. Just as he feared, their eyes didn’t meet on the same level – Sharhan had to look up. That meant Lestel was now taller than him. Judging by his height, Lestel was probably around six and a half feet tall, similar to Tolman, the bald giant from Red Wolves. Sharhan himself stood at six-foot-one.

I lost to Lestel?!

Sharhan could tolerate losing to anyone but Lestel. Just as that indignation took hold.

“You told me to stand, so I did. Happy now, honey?”

Lestel whispered, slinging an arm around Sharhan’s shoulders. He even smelled nice, subtle, but clean, like he’d used cologne. Sharhan wrinkled his nose and shoved him off roughly.

“You psycho, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me ‘honey’? Do you know how much it creeps me out every time you say it?”

Sharhan bristled at the sugary nickname, but Lestel just shrugged with all the shamelessness in the world.

“It’s not like I want to call you that. It just rolls off the tongue. Must’ve really stuck, been three years, and it still comes out naturally.”

“You should never have called me that to begin with, you lunatic!”

“Well then, maybe you shouldn’t have tried dating before me. You, the son of House Kaois, daring to try romance before I even had the chance? Not happening.”

It had been early in their first year at the academy, about two months in, Sharhan recalled. A young lady had taken a liking to him. Whenever their eyes met, she’d blush shyly, and Sharhan had found that cute enough to return her interest. When he asked her on a date, she’d nodded so bashfully, her whole neck turned red. It had thrilled him.

But their first date had been a complete disaster, thanks to the lunatic in front of him. Lestel had suddenly shown up, wrapped an arm around Sharhan’s shoulder, and called him ‘honey.’ Then he’d kissed him on the cheek. The poor girl, stunned, had frozen in place, and Lestel had even waved at her with that smug grin. The date ended before it could begin. After that, rumors of something ‘suspicious’ between the two of them spread through the academy, making it impossible for Sharhan to have any sweet romantic moments with anyone.

The truth was, though Sharhan was a noble, his family wasn’t wealthy. The academy’s infamously high tuition was a burden. But his father, driven by the thought that he couldn’t lose to the son of House Ailun, had pawned off a family heirloom to pay for it. Naturally, Sharhan had to live up to his father’s expectations. He was under immense pressure to graduate with top grades and secure a prestigious position in the Imperial Palace.

After that first ruined date, Sharhan had secretly felt relieved. He’d asked the girl out on a whim, carried away by fleeting excitement, but the closer the date got, the more he’d regretted it. Still, the fact that his abstinence from romance had been forced by this bastard Lestel, not by choice, pissed him off.

“You son of a bitch, so that’s why you did that? Why’d you have to stick your damn lips on my cheek?! Thanks to you, everyone thought we were a thing and I was stuck being lonely at the academy!”

“You’re the one who made it worse, weren’t you? Why’d you grope my ass?”

“You think I was just going to let you get away with it?”

Sharhan believed in giving back what he received. So whenever Lestel got cozy with a girl, Sharhan would immediately butt in, literally. He’d touch his butt, or brush his lips for no reason, things like that. Even so, Lestel’s admirers never stopped coming. But Sharhan’s relentless sabotage ensured Lestel never had a proper relationship either. At least, that’s how it had been three years ago.

Bet that bastard’s been living it up these past few years, no one around to get in his way, probably dated a bunch.

He had the family, the ridiculously good looks, an annoyingly fit body, and was disgustingly competent, Sharhan had no idea what people saw in him. He glowered, imagining Lestel flirting and swooning girls left and right over the past three years. Hell, maybe he was even engaged by now-

Wait. What the hell is he doing here?

The question hit him late. Verden, the city of pleasure, was ten days from the capital and far from both their home provinces. Sharhan had come hoping to find work. But Lestel? He had no reason to be here. He should’ve graduated last year and taken a position at the Imperial Palace by now.

“…Why are you here?”

Sharhan’s question was met with a scoff.

“Don’t you think that question’s a little late?”

“Why are you here, I said?”

“Because I’m the head of Black Pearl guild merchant.”

“…What?”

“Honey, are your ears clogged? I said I’m the head of Black Pearl. I’m your employer. The one you’re going to protect with all your heart and soul from now on.”

Sharhan’s ears were perfectly fine. He’d heard Lestel clearly. His brain had just temporarily stopped functioning, struggling to make sense of the words.

Am I still not fully awake? No, I actually feel pretty rested after that nap in the fancy carriage…

Sharhan shook his head and asked again.

“So you’re the head of the Black Pearl. And you’re… my employer?”

Lestel, now seated again, nodded just as a knock came at the door.

“Come in.”

Simon entered, carrying tea and snacks himself. It was black tea and chocolate cookies. Sharhan blinked as he watched Lestel cross his legs and sip tea from a porcelain cup.

“You’re… the guild head?”

“You look pretty dumb right now. It suits you.”

Sharhan clamped his gaping mouth shut and collapsed into the seat across from Lestel. Was this bastard really the owner of the Black Pearl?

“What happened to the Imperial Palace? And how the hell are you a merchant now? Don’t tell me the rumors are true, that the Imperial family is backing the Black Pearl?”

Was the Empire using Lestel to front the guild? That seemed the most likely explanation. But Lestel dismissed the suspicion.

“I built the Black Pearl with my own hands. It has nothing to do with the Imperial family.”

“You built it? Why? If you’d graduated, you could’ve landed a cushy post in the palace. Are you saying House Ailun just let you become a merchant? So the backer’s not the Imperial family, it’s your own house, huh?”

“Why do you keep talking nonsense? I told you, I built it myself. My family’s got nothing to do with it. And I didn’t graduate.”

“…You didn’t graduate? Why not?”

“Went home for vacation and decided to run away.”