TOPWL 142

“Ow, ow…”

Yudit groaned quietly as he lay face-down. Even the lightest breeze brushing against him made his rear sting. Khalid clicked his tongue as he looked at the blistered and scraped skin.

“Lower it a bit more. I’ll put some ointment on.”

“I-it’s fine.”

“Don’t be shy. I’ve already seen everything under there, remember?”

At Khalid’s remark, Yudit’s face turned as red as a plum.

“Y-you shouldn’t say things like that…!”

“Hm?”

“Someone might hear you!”

“There’s no one here but the two of us. Who’s going to hear?”

With that, Khalid scooped up some ointment and began applying it to Yudit’s backside. The red streaks across that pale skin stirred something wicked in Khalid’s chest. His gentle touch gradually grew more suggestive. Yudit, who had been quietly enduring the pain, glanced back suspiciously.

“Khalid. Your hand feels a bit…”

“A bit what?”

“A bit indecent.”

“No way. I’m just applying ointment.”

But his hand, which was supposedly for medical purposes, showed no intention of leaving Yudit’s skin.

“I-I think that’s enough.”

“Hold still. I need to loosen it up.”

Khalid began pressing down on Yudit’s sore muscles, working out the tension. Yudit screamed.

“Ah—it hurts!”

“If I don’t do this, it’ll be worse tomorrow.”

Even as Yudit begged him to stop, Khalid continued for a full ten minutes before finally letting go. Yudit couldn’t even bring himself to rub his own aching backside and just let out a pained groan.

“For someone groaning like that, you rode that horse quite well. You must’ve had a good teacher.”

“…Yes. My sister taught me.”

It was Lillia who had taught Yudit to ride. She excelled at everything, but especially horseback riding — it had looked so cool that Yudit had wanted to learn too. He gently touched the tip of the sword Isiah had given him. It was a night that reminded him vividly of Lillia.

Khalid turned off the lamp and lay down. As he opened his arms, Yudit nestled into his embrace — a gesture that had become completely natural now. The way Khalid’s fingers stroked his hair was comforting.

“Yudit.”

“Yes?”

“I said it in passing before, but I think I need to say it again.”

Yudit turned to meet Khalid’s eyes in the darkness, sensing something serious in his tone.

“You’ll place fourth in this competition. That’s the deal we made.”

He’d vaguely heard something like that when his mind was in disarray. No matter how well he performed, the results of this competition had already been decided.

“Yes, I know.”

“…Are you really okay with that?”

Khalid was clearly feeling guilty. Yudit gave him a faint smile.

“I’m really okay. I know how much you’ve done for me, Khalid. I’m grateful.”

Khalid brushed Yudit’s hair back and murmured,

“Honestly, I just wish you’d take it easy. Go on walks when the weather’s nice, eat good food, laze around in bed, take naps and laze around in bed again, and after dinner… laze around in bed some more…”

“You said ‘laze around in bed’ three times, Khalid.”

“I know. I wanted to emphasize it.”

Khalid pulled Yudit close and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“But I’ve realized during this competition — that’s not who you are.”

“…”

“So go ahead. Do what you want. I’ll make it so you can do anything you dream of.”

Yudit quietly looked at him.

“Khalid. Why are you so good to me?”

“Because I want to be.”

Yudit mumbled as he leaned into his arms.

“Every time you are… I feel so grateful… and scared.”

“What are you scared of?”

“That one day… if you were to leave me… I don’t think I could bear it.”

“Try living for the thrill of spending money. Most of my inheritance is set to go to you anyway.”

“…When did you even do that?”

“When you almost died. I imagined the opposite scenario, and I couldn’t stand it.”

Yudit tried to think of something he could give Khalid in return, but everything he could offer had already been given to him by Khalid.

“What can I even give you?”

“You promised me the emperor’s throne, didn’t you? That’s enough for me.”

At Khalid’s pointed joke, the two of them chuckled softly.

“Give me the seat next to you. For as long as possible. That’s all I’ll ever want.”

Khalid tapped lightly at Yudit’s lips with his finger — a silent request for a kiss. Yudit leaned in close and whispered,

“That’s far too easy…”

The next day, Yudit’s muscle pain had worsened, so he ended up riding in a carriage. As he stepped inside, he was enthusiastically welcomed by Selena and Yasin. The three of them talked nonstop. The conversation was evenly split between managing estates and discussing business.

“So, to sum it up, Your Highness wants to start a business because you want to be able to stand proudly beside the Duke?”

At Selena’s words, Yudit’s face turned bright red.

“Strictly speaking… yes.”

Selena squealed and clasped her cheeks with both hands.

“I love it. Let’s brainstorm together!”

“I-I’ll help too!”

“What would be good? Something trendy, right? What’s popular in the North these days?”

“I’d like it to be something that can help people.”

“Hm, since the North is cold… firewood, fur, cotton, wool… Oh! Since Yasin’s good at knitting, something related to knitwear could work too.”

“Leave anything knitting-related to me. I’ll stay up all night if I have to.”

Yasin spoke with determined resolve.

“Looks like I’ll be relying on you again.”

“I’ll help you for the rest of my life… if that’s what Your Highness wishes.”

“If you’re by my side, it would be a great help. But don’t overdo it.”

“…Yes.”

Yasin still carried guilt over what had happened with his ex-husband. But he had been a victim as well. Yudit sincerely hoped he could free himself from that guilt soon.

“Hm, hmm. It might also be a good idea to bring the capital’s trends to the North. After all, trends always start in the capital and spread outward. Maybe we can start a trend of Herut-style banquets in the North. Let’s see… what else is trending in the capital? Lace is slowly coming back into fashion, and… ah, novels! Novels could be a good idea too.”

“Novels?”

“Romance novels are trending again these days. Anytime there’s a tea party, people talk about them for at least two hours straight. You can’t not read them. And they’re genuinely entertaining too.”

It wasn’t a bad idea. In the North, when the wind howled and the snow or rain made it impossible to go outside, people often couldn’t leave their homes. Especially during the winter, when heavy snow trapped them indoors, they had to survive on preserved food until spring. If they had books to read during those times, it would make things a little easier—assuming they could read, of course. Yudit suddenly wondered about the literacy rate in the North. He made a mental note to ask Khalid about it.

“Romance novels are fun. It’s a good idea.”

“Have you read any, Your Highness? Which ones did you like?”

“Well, it’s an older one, but I really liked a book by the author Bonin called <The Sun Does Not Embrace the Moon>.”

At Yudit’s words, Selena gasped and covered her mouth.

“That was my first romance novel! I read it so many times it’s practically falling apart!”

“I really enjoyed it too. Especially the latter half… though I can’t remember it clearly now. I’ll have to look for it when we get to the North.”

“I’ll lend it to you! I brought a few books with me. They’re a little worn, but still readable.”

The three of them continued chatting. Time, which never seemed to move while riding a horse, passed effortlessly inside the carriage as they talked. By dusk, they arrived at an inn. Yudit approached Khalid, who was in the middle of paying the innkeeper for their lodging and meals.

“You look a little better today.”

“Well, it’s embarrassing, but it was honestly so comfortable. I’ve recovered a lot, thanks to that.”

“You should keep riding in the carriage. The road’s only going to get rougher — you’ll need to keep your body in good shape.”

Yudit thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“I still need to get used to riding. Considering what’s ahead.”

At his words, Khalid’s expression briefly hardened. He’d been granted a short break, but the date of the next competition was practically set. It made sense to get used to it now.

“You’re right. That’s true…”

Khalid looked so disheartened that Yudit felt a little flustered.

“For now, let’s eat first, Khalid.”

But that only made Khalid look gloomier.

“I think I’ll have to eat separately tonight. I need to talk with the knights about something.”

“That’s fine. Enjoy your meal.”

The inn served food cafeteria-style, which was unusual. After getting his meal, Yudit looked around. Amid the noisy chatter, he spotted a quiet trio eating off to the side — Pavron, Yvonne, and Hans. They were the ones he’d pulled from the prison. Thinking it was time to have a proper conversation, Yudit picked up his plate and headed toward them.