Even in the cupboard, there were potions that couldn’t be cleared out, and strange research results remained on the walls. There were no gaps.

Would it have been better if there was time to tidy up and say a final goodbye? Is this lingering attachment because it wasn’t properly concluded? Because it ended without fully satisfying curiosity.

In fact, it might have been nothing special.

No, it’s probably clear that it was nothing special. Like mother, like child – if I had feelings for you, I wouldn’t be sitting here quietly like this. How could the obsession that runs in the bloodline go anywhere?

But the throat kept feeling dry.

Leaving the tea water alone, I poured water drawn from the spring. Even drinking until the Adam’s apple bulged in the throat, the thirst didn’t subside.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door harshly.

There was no need to guess. At this hour, it was surely Pavel’s daughter, Nina.

That girl couldn’t believe that Jade had left and thought all this was just adults playing tricks. So she came twice a day. To catch a glimpse of Jade secretly hiding in some gap.

Axel was extremely annoyed.

Jade, I told you to stop teasing the kid so much.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Axel opened the door irritably.

“She’s not here.”

“…”

But the face he encountered was quite unexpected.

“What’s not here?”

“Ah…”

There was one fairly welcome face, and five annoying and irritating ones.

How bothersome.

The muttering in his mouth was audible to everyone. Though the visitors rolled their eyes fiercely, the blue-eyed young man standing right in front of him smiled instead.

“What brings you here?”

The young man stopped someone behind him who was about to step forward angrily at the cold face. Despite the chilly reception, his face was still full of smiles.

“May I come in?”

Frowning, Axel let out a short sigh. Then he turned his body to make space for the young man to enter.

The people, including the young man, came rushing in. They looked around the house, some with curious glances and others with bewildered looks.

Though they had heard about it, they couldn’t believe that Axel was really living quietly in this forest. That Axel. That Axelion!

Only the blue-eyed young man sat at the table with a calm face. Seeing the sword Axel had leaned nearby, he smiled broadly as if pleased.

“The rough scabbard is still the same. But the blade must be sharp enough to cut anything. Have you been well?”

“I’ve been managing.”

With an indifferent face, Axel poured water into a cup and pushed it towards the young man. That was all. He had no intention of boiling water. Uninvited guests didn’t need to be served properly.

Before those standing behind could stop him, the young man gulped down the water in the rough cup.

“That…!”

The hand that failed to stop him dropped dejectedly. The young man grinned and shook the cup.

“The water is sweet, but won’t you serve tea?”

“The tea leaves are precious and few. I’ll be drinking it myself.”

“I see.”

I should have brought some tea leaves. The water tastes so good. The young man muttered regretfully.

Axel folded his arms. His face remained expressionless.

“There’s much to do and much that can be done in the forest as spring arrives. Please state your business briefly.”

“You don’t seem to be in a good mood. Did we pick a bad day? The journey here was difficult, so I hope you’ll take that into consideration.”

“Ahem.”

The man wearing a monocle kept clearing his throat. It was an attitude of disapproval, but neither Axel nor the young man paid attention.

The reason was obvious anyway. They probably disliked how the young man was treating Axel so cordially.

But Axel didn’t want to make them feel better, so he was being even more contrary.

The young man also noticed Axel’s mood. Glancing back at the people obsessively blocking behind him, he said softly.

“Go outside.”

“Your Majesty!”

The faces of those surrounding them were so pitiful that Axel almost burst out laughing for the first time in a very long while. His stiffened mouth twisted.

“You’re still the same.”

At the mocking tone, the youngest woman bristled. Her elaborately braided hair was noisy.

She seems to not only respect the king but love him too.

Her small build momentarily reminded him of Jade, but her expression was very different. That feeling too. She was a bit more…

Damn it. Axel wanted to carve out his useless thoughts with his sword.

“Embarrassingly so. Ah, if I die, you can catch this guy then. Please go out so we can talk comfortably. How can you act like this when we’ve come to make a request?”

As the young man shuddered, the people surrounding them finally began to retreat reluctantly. Even so, they couldn’t let go of their cautious attitude, so Axel gave them a crooked smile.

Finally, the door opened and closed. But different colored eyes were still peeking through the shutters, so Axel strode over and slammed shut even the remaining gaps.

The young man smiled.

“You’re still the same.”

“As is Your Majesty.”

“That’s quite a courteous way of speaking.”

“I was born this way, so it would be nice if you could overlook it here.”

“Of course. This is the Athanase Forest after all. So please speak comfortably.”

“Your Majesty.”

“It’s not a request, but an order. You left everything behind, so you know how exhausting the outside world is. Even if you can’t truly be comfortable, please at least pretend.”

Axel let out a long sigh. And finally called him by name.

“Rainer.”

At that, Rainer smiled like a child.

“I clearly told you not to smile like that.”

“Hmm, it looks foolish and not bad. The moment when faces that used to look down on me change after being hit on the back of the head is quite enjoyable. Anyway, have you been well? I sent letters occasionally but there was no reply.”

“Was there any need to reply and raise others’ suspicions?”

Rainer scratched his head. Without the crown, he had a light, comfortable feeling.

“Even if others were suspicious, I would have been happy.”

“Well, it’s not much of a benefit.”

“What greater benefit is there than the king being happy? You wouldn’t make a faithful knight.”

At the grumbling voice, Axel finally smiled faintly. Seeing that expression head-on, Rainer admired it purely.

“Your appearance is still the same. Why couldn’t I take after my mother and inherit that face?”

At that, the face that had melted slightly like a spring day froze as cold as winter snow. Of course, Rainer, now king, paid no mind.

“Mother is doing well. She’s at a very nice resort. I received a letter recently. I heard her health has improved a lot.”

“It seems my choice was right. Your Majesty has sufficient qualities to become a wise king.”

Just thinking about that woman makes me lose my composure. Axel murmured coldly.

But Rainer smiled brightly.

“I can love Mother just for giving birth to me as your brother. Don’t you feel the same?”

“Your Majesty, watch your words. I’ve left my family name behind.”

A sharp voice cut through like a knife.

Sensing that sharpness, there was a stir near the opposite shutter. Letting out an annoyed sigh, Axel strode over and slammed that shut too, then lit a candle. The wick flared up.

Rainer looked curiously at those skilled movements.

“It’s still amazing. That you’re living in this forest. How could you give up all that luxury and convenience you enjoyed outside at once? You’re truly remarkable.”

“Your Majesty. Please mind your…”

Words. As the fierce gaze flew at him, the king pouted like a child. Seeing that, another sigh escaped.

Axel couldn’t believe the king was acting so friendly towards him. Though it wasn’t by choice, couldn’t they have killed each other?

But Rainer was still pouting his lips.

“Being king, there’s really nothing I can do as I please. Now I understand why you had no lingering attachment to this position. No wonder your eyes looked warm watching me ascend the throne!”

Axel’s parents, the previous King Darian and Queen Regina, seemed to have a good relationship on the surface.

But looking closely, there was always a smell of something festering somewhere.

In fact, their union was flawed from the start. Regina was born into the powerful Sabelli family, and King Darian had no intention of taking her as queen to add to the Sabelli family’s power.

But the problem was that Regina fell in love with Darian at first sight. She fell in love with the beautiful and handsome king as soon as she saw him, and thought it would be better to die than not be by his side.

What followed was predictable but cruel. The other three women who were candidates to be queen died one by one. Of course, the official reason was an unknown illness.

Among them was a woman Darian loved deeply. In the end, Darian took Regina as his queen.

But Regina wasn’t satisfied with that. She wanted to possess not only Darian’s body but also his mind. Naturally, the result wasn’t good and their relationship completely fell apart.

In between were Axel, who looked exactly like Darian, and Rainer, who didn’t resemble Darian at all.

Unable to have Darian, Regina began to obsess over Axel and wanted to confine him in a mold. She couldn’t stand the gray-eyed boy refusing her words.

Axel found it horrifying and left the comfortable castle at thirteen to wander the harsh battlefields. There were many places plagued by monsters in the north, so there were plenty of places to go.

That’s how Axel gained tremendous favor centered around the north and gradually found stability.

Then Regina began to abuse Rainer, who had the eye color of the woman Darian had loved. As if forgetting that blue tint was in her own eyes too.