TOPWL 97

Khalid made a lighthearted comment as he turned the doorknob. Yudit reached out toward him, but Shane gently stopped him.

“It’s dangerous. Please wait in the carriage.”

When Yudit shook his head, Shane sighed and lifted him up. Yudit looked at him in disbelief, clearly not expecting to be picked up so easily.

“…Put me down.”

“I am Your Highness’s guard. Your safety is my highest priority.”

“Fine. I’ll walk on my own.”

Even after that promise, Shane didn’t seem fully reassured—he guided Yudit while still half-carrying him. Back in the carriage, Yudit waited anxiously for Khalid’s return. When three minutes passed with no sign of him, Yudit began bouncing his leg, staring at the door.

“We should’ve just brought the patrol in from the start. Khalid was too reckless.”

“I agree.”

His heart thudded in his chest with unease. What if Khalid didn’t come out? What if he was hurt… or worse? Yudit suddenly realized just how foolish it had been to let him go in alone.

“Why did he even do that…”

As he went pale and bit down on his nail, Shane gently took his hand.

“If we go now and get the patrol…”

He was about to say more, when the door creaked open. Yudit shot to his feet inside the carriage, ready to bolt. Shane caught him just in time.

“It’s dangerous.”

“What’s dangerous about sitting in a carriage?!”

Irritated by Shane’s constant interference, Yudit snapped at him sharply. Just then, Khalid emerged from the building—his body soaked in blood. Yudit’s own blood seemed to run cold. Without giving Shane time to stop him, he threw open the carriage door and rushed out.

“Khalid!”

Seeing Yudit running toward him, Khalid took a startled step back. Yudit grabbed his blood-drenched sleeve and demanded,

“Are you hurt?!”

“You’re getting blood all over yourself.”

“I asked if you’re hurt!”

“I’m not. It’s not my blood.”

At that, the strength left Yudit’s legs. He collapsed on the spot, knees and shoes soaking up the blood beneath him. Relief washed over him knowing it wasn’t Khalid’s blood—only for dread to follow close behind.

“Then whose…”

“I appreciate the concern,” Khalid said, a little amused. “But you should hear the rest of it from those troublemakers.”

He stepped aside, revealing Huyan and Wadiram behind him. Huyan avoided his gaze awkwardly, while Wadiram waved at Yudit sheepishly. Yudit looked back and forth between them in confusion, trying to grasp what had happened.

***

Sitting in a corner of the hot spring, Yudit soaked silently. Khalid glanced over at him, the corners of his lips curling up.

“Were you that worried about me?”

Yudit shot him a sour look. The whole ordeal had turned out to be a ridiculous farce. The night before, over drinks, the shopkeeper, Huyan, and Wadiram had chatted about monsters they’d like to work with. The next day, while headed to the armory, Wadiram suddenly spotted one of those monsters and, without waiting for permission, dashed off into the mountains and captured it.

It was a monster known as a Bloodwhip—a plant-type creature with deep red vines and a flower bud the size of a person. The bud emitted a sweet, seductive scent that lured prey in. Once close enough, the whip-like vines would lash out, wrapping tightly around the victim. The vines were covered in sharp thorns containing both a sedative and an aphrodisiac, knocking the prey out within moments. Then the flower would open its maw, swallow the prey whole, and absorb nutrients from the living body. The inside of the flower was filled with a fragrant, blood-colored fluid said to smell and taste pleasant. Because the prey appeared to be in a state of bliss while inside, the monster was nicknamed Velvet Repose.

After successfully catching the Bloodwhip, Huyan and Wadiram proudly brought it back to the armory. But during the transfer from carriage to shop, the bud burst open and its nutrient fluid spilled everywhere, creating a grotesque scene that looked like a bloodbath.

Inside the armory, Wadiram scurried around, frantically trying to salvage as much fluid as possible. He eventually filled an entire bucket with it. Just as he was about to carry it out, a suspicious man with a drawn sword appeared. Startled, Wadiram hurled the bucket at him.

The bucket was split clean in two by the man’s sword—and all of its contents spilled directly onto him. And as Yudit had guessed by then… the swordsman was Khalid.

Now thoroughly drenched in the sticky, sweet-smelling fluid, Khalid had chosen not to wash immediately. He simply wiped himself down with a towel and continued with their errands as if nothing had happened. A man who reeked of syrupy perfume like something out of a fairy tale—every time Yudit caught that scent on Khalid, he had to stifle a laugh.

“Well? Were you really that worried about me?”

“I’m tired,” Yudit muttered.

Yudit cut him off and turned his head away. Khalid, unfazed, came closer and nudged against him.

“Is it because I showed up drenched in blood? Did that spark some hidden affection?”

“I would like to bathe in peace.”

“Your face is getting redder and redder, though.”

“It’s because the water is hot.”

Khalid tapped Yudit’s ear.

“Here’s red too.”

“Don’t.”

“Cold now, are we? You were clinging to me and crying in shock earlier.”

“I did not do that!”

Yudit turned to glare at him, face bright red. Khalid just grinned. Feeling like he’d been played, Yudit covered his face and looked away.

“I won’t tease anymore. Let me see your face a bit more.”

“No.”

When Yudit turned his head away completely, Khalid shifted to follow him. The sound of water rippling made Yudit squeeze his eyes shut.

“Whoever came through that door, I would’ve reacted the same. It wasn’t because it was you.”

“I know. Even if it had been those two troublemakers, you probably would’ve panicked just the same.”

Khalid pulled a grimace at the thought of Huyan and Wadiram. Yudit, who knew their sins well, gave a quiet cough.

“Still, I’m glad to know I’m at least someone close enough to you for that.”

“……”

“It’s been a long time since someone worried about me like that.”

Khalid turned away then, as if he really meant to stop teasing, and leaned back against the stone wall. Yudit quietly glanced over at him. In the shadows, his expression looked much more at ease. Thinking he wouldn’t be noticed, Yudit kept sneaking peeks. Something about Khalid—soaked in water—kept drawing the eye. Then, Khalid looked at him.

Startled, Yudit averted his gaze like a guilty child. But Khalid didn’t tease him again. The silence stretched, until Yudit couldn’t bear it anymore and spoke first.

“To me, you’re not just someone around me, Khalid.”

“Then what am I?”

“Well… it’s…”

Yudit trailed off and fell silent. After rolling his eyes in thought, he looked directly at Khalid.

“It’s complicated.”

“Complicated, huh…”

Khalid dipped his hand in the water and ran it back through his hair.

“I like that.”

“…Do you?”

“No matter how much time passes, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the first time we met.”

He was talking about that day he came to the prince’s palace to strangle Yudit. The memory stiffened Yudit’s shoulders.

“If your feelings are still stuck in that moment, it makes sense that the way you see me feels complicated. But maybe I’ve been treating you well enough to make it feel complicated.”

“…”

It wasn’t wrong—but the way he said it was just infuriating.

“I’m going to keep treating you well. Well enough to bury that memory completely.”

He said such sentimental things so easily. Yudit fiddled with his nails, only to notice his fingers had gone all pruney.

“I should get going now.”

“Alright. I’ll stay a bit longer.”

“It’s not good to stay in too long.”

“If I stood up now, it wouldn’t bother me, but you might end up in a bit of trouble.”

“What do you mean by—”

Khalid said nothing, just looked at him with a knowing smile. Realizing everything from that gaze alone, Yudit’s face turned beet red.

“T-Then I’ll go first.”

“Sure. I’ll be out soon too.”

Yudit quickly wrapped a towel around himself and left. Khalid didn’t stop him.

***

Three days passed.

The road was completed, and now it took less than an hour to reach the capital from this village. As planned, Yudit hosted a small festival. Everyone from the village gathered to eat and drink freely, and Yudit joined them, listening to their hardships and concerns.

Just like at the banquet before, Yudit arranged the seating ahead of time—pairing two people from the slums with two from the village at each table. At first, it had been a bit awkward, but by the middle of the event, everyone was laughing, barking out loud like old friends, and happily downing beer.

Yudit watched them fondly—only to get caught and made to drink three more glasses in a row.