Judging by the way he’s talking, he seems to be in his right mind now.
Richard shuddered at the memory of Cailus the night before. He never wanted to think about it again.
Forget it....
He needed to get out of here. Now.
Richard no longer wanted to share the same space with him.
He rose from the bed.
Every step sent a throb of pain through him. His stomach churned at the feeling that he had been defiled to the bone.
Worse, the beastly bastard who had ravaged him was still in the room.
Fucking lunatic.
Clenching his molars, he silently picked up the robe strewn across the floor and put it on.
Not that he had put it on properly. The vulgar marks on his nape and chest were still plainly visible.
He was leaving anyway.
He was absolutely leaving.
The very air in this room disgusted him.
Just as his hand touched the door handle—
“You intend to go out looking like that?”
The icy voice came from behind him.
Richard stopped in the doorway.
His blood instantly boiled.
And whose fault is that?
He slowly turned his head.
Cailus sat at the head of the bed, crimson eyes sweeping over him from head to toe.
“Then Your Highness should have left those marks somewhere no one could see.”
Richard smiled. Sweetly and radiantly. A smile laced with murderous intent.
“If I go out like this, it’ll be perfect fuel for a scandal, won’t it?”
One corner of his mouth twisted upward.
As though deliberately needling him.
“......”
There was no answer.
Cailus rose and approached Richard.
Then—
Richard’s arm was suddenly yanked.
“......!”
His body lifted off the floor. Cailus caught him in his arms and hauled him toward the bathroom as though he meant to throw him inside.
“Wh-what are you doing...?!”
“Wash. I don’t want to see you wandering around looking like that.”
Before Richard could protest, he was tossed into the steam-filled bathroom.
The bath had already been drawn.
This lunatic was planning to wash me from the start?!
“Put me down! Get your hands off me!”
“Quiet.”
As easily as untying a ribbon, Cailus loosened the sash holding Richard’s robe closed.
It happened in an instant.
The thin robe slithered to his feet like a sheet of sodden paper.
...One day, I swear I’ll kill this bastard...!
A moment later, his body was lowered into the hot water.
Once he was submerged to his shoulders, Richard briefly lost the power of speech.
No matter how furious he was, the hot bath felt... rather good on his exhausted body.
The problem came next.
A familiar presence approached from behind.
A hand holding soap began to scrub his back without hesitation.
“......”
“The marks are severe.”
His tone was not gentle.
It was utterly indifferent, as though he were merely describing the situation.
When he had made every last one of them himself.
“...Take your hands off me. I have no desire to be bathed by another man.”
“Neither do I.”
“Ha.”
Richard burst out laughing.
The sheer absurdity of it showed plainly on his face.
And yet this bastard had acted like that last night....
“Your Highness, you do like men, don’t you?”
“No.”
“......”
“I simply don’t want anything filthy in my sight.”
At those words, Richard slowly turned his head.
Hatred filled his watery-blue eyes.
But that emotion was soon disguised behind a smile.
“As you wish, Your Highness.”
He felt like absolute shit.
Whether he needed to seduce Cailus or not, all he could think about was escaping this place immediately.
When the bath was finally over—
“Lower your head.”
“...What?”
“I’m going to dry your hair.”
Richard let out a disbelieving laugh at Cailus’s words.
It was simply too absurd.
Now he’s going to dry my hair too?
He considered making another sarcastic remark, then decided against it.
He was exhausted, and anything he said would only give Cailus something else to seize upon.
Besides, getting out of this room came first. By any means necessary.
When he silently lowered his head, a towel soon enveloped his wet hair.
The moment the cool, dry fabric touched his skin, a chill crept through him.
It was not merely because he was wet.
Cailus’s movements were strangely careful.
He meticulously dried Richard’s hair, gently working out the tangles with his fingertips. The touch was so soft it made Richard sick.
...I never asked for any of this.
Sitting there in silence made him feel as though he might lose his mind.
“Put these on.”
Cailus handed him a bundle of clothes.
Richard snatched them away without a word.
Inside, every obscenity imaginable seethed.
What kind of performance was this supposed to be?
Richard lowered his eyes and clutched the clothes.
He struggled to hide the faint trembling of his fingertips.
When he unfolded the shirt, it was smooth as though freshly ironed. Every button gleamed, and even underwear had been included.
“How considerate of you to prepare clothes for me. You behaved like a beast last night.”
Richard’s sarcasm made it clear that he wanted nothing more than to throw the clothes in Cailus’s face.
“Nothing good would come of you going out looking like that.”
Cailus answered coldly.
As though he wanted to prevent sordid rumors about the two of them from spreading.
“......”
Richard said nothing more.
His fingertips trembled faintly as he put on the shirt.
It was not from embarrassment. It was rage.
After fastening the final button, Richard rushed toward the door.
Cailus said something behind him, but Richard did not listen.
He did not want to hear it, and he could not... endure any more.
The door closed.
Thud.
A low, heavy sound.
Richard drew a sharp breath.
The air that had surrounded him, the room, every lingering sensation—all of it was unbearably disgusting.
His shirt was buttoned all the way to his throat.
His fingers were curled so tightly that the veins stood out on the backs of his hands.
...It’s fine. I only have to pretend nothing happened.
Nothing had happened. Nothing like that had ever happened.
He began walking slowly down the center of the corridor.
His head was held high, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
But then—
“...Did you hear them last night?”
A furtive whisper came from behind him.
The speakers were clearly trying to conceal their presence,
but every word still reached his ears.
“All night long....”
“I never knew His Highness the Crown Prince could be so... intense.”
It was not merely one or two remarks.
Hushed whispers trailed faintly from one end of the corridor to the other.
Now and then, he passed servants who averted their eyes and lowered their heads.
Their gazes were laden with deliberate avoidance.
Richard walked past without looking directly at them.
But the murmurs behind him only grew clearer.
“He must have used some kind of trick, don’t you think?”
“Of course.... Otherwise, His Highness would never have taken that man to bed....”
“Still, he was truly remarkable. All night, too.”
...Damn it.
Richard clenched his teeth.
His nape felt as though it were burning.
Cold sweat streamed down his spine.
His entire body heated again, consumed by a mixture of humiliation and fury.
...Yes.
This result was not entirely unwelcome. To some extent, it was even what he had intended.
Rumors of his torrid affair with the Crown Prince could only benefit him.
But—
Damn it...!
That was only when the scandal was not true.
The tips of Richard’s ears burned red.
The damned rumors spreading now were true, and Richard felt like throwing himself into a river.
“......”
Even as his stomach churned, he pretended outwardly that nothing was wrong.
He had taken only a few more steps when a knight standing beside a marble pillar at the end of the corridor hurried toward him.
“Lord Richard Friedrich!”
His steps abruptly halted.
The sound of his own name, flung at him like a scream, rang painfully in his ears.
“...What is it?”
His answer was short and thin.
Richard slowly turned to look at the speaker.
She was a tall female knight, her long hair tied neatly back.
Her uniform was crisply pressed, and her epaulettes gleamed.
Her face was unfamiliar. Her eyes were also far too bright.
“Forgive my belated introduction. I am Beatrice Fenrir, appointed as your personal guard within the Imperial Palace as of today.”
She bowed her head with a salute.
Her movements were dignified, but Richard was in no mood to face anyone.
“...My personal guard?”
“Yes. His Majesty the Emperor personally gave the order.”
Dame Fenrir continued evenly.
“He said that now that your relationship with His Highness the Crown Prince has been made official, ensuring your safety must take priority.”
Made official?
Richard’s face twitched faintly.
“......”
Dame Fenrir studied his reaction for a moment before adding, as though putting a period on the matter,
“In any case, my sincerest congratulations.”
She bowed her head again, a quiet laugh mingling with her voice.
“The entire palace is in an uproar over what happened last night.”
At those words, Richard’s vision swayed sickeningly.
...Enough.
Kill them. Let’s kill them all.
He wanted to strike someone down then and there, but he restrained himself.
His fingertips trembled.
Humiliation rose into his throat until he nearly bit his tongue.
Without a word, he turned away.
Then he strode off quickly—very quickly.
Anywhere would do, as long as no one else was there.
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