DSB 73

“See that? You don’t like that, do you?”

Lebel spoke as if he could read his mind.

“Enough. I have no intention of meeting them.”

Using Lebel was only a trick to force acceptance of the delegation. It was obvious who had been handling the letters sent from the Empire to him all this time.

That meant they were indirectly saying it was the North’s responsibility. They were forcing them to accept the Empire, saying they also had matters to discuss.

To them, it would be better if something happened to Lebel. Judging by how they had hurried to send him as a bride, and by the useless lessons they gave him before he came north.

Lebel suddenly realized it.

It seemed the reason Yutis had been restless all this time was because of the letters from the imperial palace.

“I have no complaints about my life now. Don’t fool yourself into thinking I miss the imperial capital.”

“I don’t worry about that.”

“I left and became a northerner, so isn’t that the same as becoming an outsider? Reject them. Do you think they’re really concerned about my well-being?”

“We can’t be sure of that. You’ve changed a lot from before. They might try to claim you again.”

Lebel blinked. Was he seriously worried about that?

It seemed true that the letters from the Empire had made him anxious. But the thought that the Empire would actually try to take him back was a completely different matter.

“The marriage agreement made me your spouse. How could they possibly take me back? I know they forced it because there was nothing else they could offer at the time.”

To them, ‘Lebel’ already had no further use. They called him a parasite, so they would never take him back.

“…Things are very different now.”

Of course, the Empire did not yet know about his current abilities.

They thought that as a dominant omega he was defective, but now he could both sense and release pheromones, and even his heat cycle had returned. On top of that, he was a mage.

Hmm, if they learned that, they would surely covet him. Even so, he had no intention of using his power for the Empire.

“Even if the Empire tries to take me by force, you’ll stop them, won’t you?”

“Of course. I could never leave you in a place like that again.”

Even as he spoke, Yutis’s expression didn’t soften. Lebel clicked his tongue.

They really were no help at all.

[Karon, do you know where the demonic beasts are now?]

They were delayed by a snowstorm, but shouldn’t they have arrived by now? If they dead, the Empire wouldn’t have had the time to send a delegation.

Karon, who had been squirming to escape from Mahan’s arms, answered immediately to Lebel’s voice.

[I don’t know exactly. Once they reach the Empire, getting to the capital won’t take long! Besides, there’s no one strong enough there to defeat a demonic beast anyway.]

Lebel looked out past the window. The border was still far away, so he couldn’t tell whether the beasts had already crossed into the Empire.

“My guess is that the delegation might already be on its way.”

“Ah, that’s possible.”

When they had sent Lebel before, they had ignored all northern circumstances and forced it through as well.

“I’ll handle the delegation. You just need to take care of your health.”

“…If the delegation comes, won’t that keep you busy?”

“Well…”

“Tsk. I don’t like it.”

Lebel crossed his arms and clicked his tongue. Yutis looked apologetic as he took Lebel’s hand, showing he didn’t want to be apart from him either.

“No matter how busy I get, have you ever seen me neglect you?”

“I don’t worry about that. I just mean it’s hard on you.”

Even with that look of disapproval, he still planned to deal with the delegation himself. Human politics were complicated. Was it because of their nature to coexist?

If it were demons, the victor would never bother listening to the defeated’s words, yet the defeated always showed courtesy to the victor.

“How could I be tired when you’re beside me?”

Yutis spoke as he played with Lebel’s hand.

Judging from the letter, someone in the delegation might want to see him. Naturally, Lebel had no intention of meeting them and planned to ignore every request.

But if even one person among the delegation wanted to see Lebel, there was a certain human who would be stressed by that fact. Lebel knew well that Yutis became sensitive whenever something concerned him directly. He might even block the delegation entirely so they couldn’t meet him at all.

If that happened, Yutis would have to face them himself. He really didn’t like it.

“…If it gets too much, you can stop anytime. I’ll take care of everything.”

“Yes. Then I’ll count on you.”

“Good.”

Yutis smiled and kissed Lebel’s cheek. He thought those words were meant to comfort him, so he gladlyaccepted them.

He had no idea that Lebel was wishing that the beasts would destroy the Empire as soon as possible.

***

Contrary to Lebel’s wish, the news that the demonic beasts had attacked the Empire arrived later than the letter announcing that the imperial delegation had been sent north.

That meant Yutis’s prediction had been correct. A week after the letter was received, the delegation finally arrived at the castle.

Since Edmund had not yet returned, it was natural that Yutis, the heir of the Hestro family, would receive them.

And Lebel was standing beside him.

“Did you have to come out in this cold?”

Yutis hovered anxiously around Lebel. He wished Lebel would stay inside his room and not move.

At first, Lebel had no intention of greeting the delegation personally. He had even planned to use his cold as an excuse to reject all their requests for a meeting. But once the delegation arrived at the castle, the situation changed.

“Well, I just have something to check.”

Lebel drew out his words and looked toward where the delegation was gathered. Yutis found Lebel’s sudden change of attitude strange, but because he knew how much Lebel despised the Empire, he assumed there was a reason and remained silent.

He only felt sulky because Lebel seemed unwilling to tell him what that reason was.

Yutis sent a look full of wounded feeling toward Lebel, but Lebel was too focused to notice.

‘This has become troublesome.’

Lebel clicked his tongue.

Among the delegation, there were familiar faces. One man who recognized Lebel came forward to greet him.

“It has been a long time.”

“Hmm. Who are you again?”

“…Hans.”

“Ah, that was your name. You must be here as one of the guards. I’m surprised you’re still alive.”

Hans was irritated that Lebel didn’t even remember him, but with Yutis standing protectively by his side and all the northern retainers watching, he couldn’t treat Lebel the way he had back in the palace.

“Have you read the letters His Majesty sent? We were worried because there has been no reply…”

“Move aside.”

Lebel ignored Hans’s greeting. Hans tried to speak again, recalling the purpose of his visit, but Mahan blocked him.

The rest of the delegation, pretending not to stare, couldn’t hide their surprise.

The prince once known as a fool could now speak clearly and show his own will without hesitation. More than that, the fact that the northerners had accepted him as one of their own, protecting him as they did, was astonishing. Above all, his beauty was overwhelming.

When the delegation, still staring blankly at Lebel, suddenly felt a chilling air and turned their heads, they found themselves caught under Yutis’s cold gaze, it was the young master of the Hestro family, the one called a demon.

Not only Yutis. Even the servants glared to warn them that one careless word would not be tolerated. Under those stares, the delegation’s shoulders shrank.

Lebel, unaware of the tense atmosphere around him, walked straight through the delegation. Because the one he was looking for made no attempt to hide its presence, finding it was not difficult.

Lebel’s focus locked onto a being that shouldn’t exist in this place. It was pretending to be a member of the delegation, mixed among the humans, yet it was not human.

“So it really is here.”

Lebel murmured quietly. But even though he had found it, there was nothing he could do for now. He turned away.

“I’m done here. I’ll go back to my room.”

Yutis didn’t know what Lebel’s purpose had been, but he was delighted to hear that he wanted to return to his room. He hugged Lebel’s shoulders and guided him back, his broad frame shielding him from the delegation’s eyes.

Then Lebel tugged on Yutis’s collar and whispered.

“Yutis, that one’s a mage.”

And not an ordinary one.

Lebel’s eyes turned cold.

Why was that thing here?

***

The delegation at the castle didn’t behave strangely afterward. At first, they tried tricks to arrange a meeting with Lebel, but once Yutis rejected them, they gave up and began the trade negotiations written in the letter.

Out of consideration for the North, which was busy during winter, both sides had agreed that the trade agreement would be finalized after winter ended. Now that the roads had thawed and carriages could travel between the Empire and the North, it was time to decide the goods, prices, and quantities for exchange.

The meeting took a long time as both sides tried to gain the upper hand. Damian and Yutis were occupied with carefully checking every clause in the contract while dealing with the delegation. The delegation had been chosen by the Empire for this very purpose, but on the northern side, there were only Damian and Yutis.

The two of them were too busy to rest even for a moment. During that time, Lebel’s health improved, and he no longer coughed. But he still couldn’t leave his room.