“Get out.”
The knight forced his expression blank, said only what he had to say, and then slipped away like he was fleeing. It was obvious at a glance—he had no intention of exchanging a single extra word and giving Sasha something to nitpick.
I hit him pretty hard.
Given how Sasha had acted when they left the territory, the mood of the whole group had been wrecked for the entire trip.
No. That’s wrong. It’s always been like this around me—stiff and frozen.
Somehow, he’d gotten used to life in the territory, so this felt unfamiliar now, but ordinary people had never been able to approach Sasha easily.
So he didn’t regret that choice. If he acted bold, the butler would worry about him less, wouldn’t he?
To them, Sasha was nothing more than a weak, delicate little kid. Thinking of how they probably hadn’t been able to take a single step until the carriage disappeared from view, Sasha ignored the sidelong glances thrown his way and stepped down from the carriage.
I didn’t think I’d be coming back.
The capital.
And the Imperial Palace, at that.
Still staring up at the grand, dazzling Imperial Palace, Sasha asked the knight—who didn’t even look at him—
“So?”
Was that it, once he got dropped off? He should at least tell him where he was supposed to go, or guide him.
I’m going to die of exhaustion.
Either “busy” hadn’t been a lie, or this was revenge for Sasha bruising his pride, but after riding for days without any proper rest, his whole body ached like he’d been beaten to a pulp.
His ass, especially, was throbbing.
It’s not like I’m the only one tired.
Sasha had at least dozed off here and there in the swaying carriage, but the ones traveling on horseback couldn’t have slept properly at all.
So wouldn’t it be better for you to hurry up and finish whatever you’re supposed to do?
He was debating whether he needed to start up that nasty mouth again when he heard a thundering drumdrumdrum of something running from inside the palace grounds.
So you were waiting.
Sasha looked toward the one charging in, kicking up a haze of dust. There weren’t many people who could run around inside the palace this rudely.
The knight beside him—and the soldiers who hadn’t been able to hide their exhaustion—straightened and offered formal courtesy to the approaching figure. But the man’s eyes weren’t on them.
They were drilled straight into Sasha.
“Marquess Ambrose.”
Sasha clicked his tongue internally at the ridiculous stamina of a man who’d sprinted here like an idiot and yet didn’t so much as let his breathing wobble.
Rio Grenville.
Sasha twisted one corner of his mouth.
“It’s Viscount Ambrose.”
On the road to the capital, with nothing to do but think, Sasha had weighed what kind of attitude he should show once he arrived.
To keep his life intact, maybe it would be better to throw away the prickly, abrasive personality he’d worn up until now. To begin with, it had all been an act—and he did feel sorry toward Edward—so changing his tone wouldn’t be difficult.
But if he suddenly changed, would they take it well?
They’ll think I’m plotting something instead.
After everything he’d done, acting like, I’m actually nice, now would only make them more likely to suspect he had an ulterior motive.
And hadn’t he just treated the knight carrying Edward’s edict like trash? If he tried to switch masks just because he was in the capital, it would only look even more ridiculous.
So Sasha decided he’d keep acting, the same way he always had in the capital.
It’s not hard. It’s not like I have to hurt anyone like before.
He did wonder if this was just him lashing out because the peace he’d barely managed to claw back had been shattered—but since he’d already answered Rio Grenville like this, there was no taking it back.
At Sasha’s correction, Rio blew out a sharp snort.
“Viscount Sasha Ambrose!”
“Yeah.”
Sasha replied calmly, and Rio’s already-rough, bandit-like face turned even more terrifying. Sasha kept his posture crooked anyway.
“So you came out personally to greet me?”
For that, you’re pretty late.
“Were you afraid I’d run?”
Sasha smiled prettily and pointed at the knight who had been standing there rigid as a board.
“Or do you not trust him?”
The knight’s complexion turned paper-white. Well, what was more useless than a knight who couldn’t earn his lord’s trust?
As Sasha watched the spectacle and let out an amused laugh, Rio looked at him like he was sick of him.
“You haven’t changed at all.”
Good. If that’s how it looks, then my acting hasn’t rusted.
“People don’t change that easily.”
Some things are born into you.
After adding that lightly, Sasha ran his eyes over Rio from head to toe.
“Still, for Lord Grenville to come fetch me himself… I’m so happy.”
Since you came out anyway, I’d really like you to tell me why I’m being dragged to the capital.
But the answer he wanted didn’t come.
“It’s Young Duke Grenville.”
“Oh, yeah?”
See? Three months really was too long.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know.”
He must’ve assumed Sasha would obviously know that.
Sasha knew it was pointless to say he truly didn’t, so he just shrugged.
“Then from here on, are you protecting me? Or escorting me like a prisoner?”
“…Protecting.”
Sasha covered his mouth in exaggerated shock.
“How glorious. That’s far too much for a mere viscount.”
“Stop mocking me.”
“Then should I praise you instead?”
Sasha narrowed his eyes long and sweet, speaking in a soft, gentle tone.
“To think you’re working this hard to carry out His Majesty’s command.”
He reached out and stroked Rio’s upper arm as if he were petting something.
“I was impressed by how gallant you look. Like a wild boar.”
Keep striving, now.
When he whispered warmly, Rio—who’d been blinking stupidly—started trembling.
Before Rio could explode, Sasha flicked his gaze forward.
“All right, then. Lead the way.”
Rio Grenville’s face turned bright red. He let out a long, heavy sigh and dismissed the knight and soldiers.
That was unexpected.
At this point, Sasha had expected him to rage and demand to know why Sasha had been brought here.
He’d always been a bit impulsive—had becoming a Young Duke made him learn patience?
Power does that to you, I guess.
Sasha rubbed at his neck while he watched Rio deliver the usual canned lines to the knight and soldiers—Good work. Get some rest.
He always felt cold in the throat whenever he saw that man.
But today, even talking at close range with no one protecting him, he felt… better than expected. Unlike before, when he’d always been on guard around Rio, he’d even spoken to him with a strange kind of familiarity.
Was I happy to see him after so long?
They had been tangled up together pretty intensely for years, hadn’t they? Or was it because he’d confirmed, at last, that his life wasn’t in immediate danger?
Sending the man who would soon become a duke—Edward’s right hand—just to receive someone he’d already defeated once was excessive.
Sasha, as he was now, wasn’t worth that.
Separately, it did bother him that there might be some serious reason behind sending Rio Grenville at all.
Still, he’d confirmed the one thing that mattered most. That was enough.
And he really has changed.
That odd feeling from their last parting hadn’t been wrong.
Rio Grenville’s attitude toward Sasha had changed. And for Sasha, suddenly hauled back to the capital, that would help—a lot.
*****
Since the Ambrose estate in the capital was no longer Sasha’s property, he had no choice but to stay in the place Edward provided.
Meaning: one of the countless palaces scattered around the Imperial Palace grounds had been assigned as Sasha’s lodging.
Sasha looked around a perfect room with nothing lacking, then turned his head toward Rio, who had personally brought him all the way to the door.
Their not-long walk together had been more fun than expected. Rio’s uncharacteristic patience made him even more enjoyable to tease.
On the surface, the two of them looked almost friendly—nothing like people who’d once tried to kill each other. Though it did look like one of them was taking all the hits.
“So even you don’t know?”
Sasha kept picking fights to pry information out of him, and when he shot Rio a look that said useless, Rio bristled.
“I’m telling you, they’re just not telling you!”
Sasha wanted to believe that, but Rio was too awful at lying.
Had Duke Grenville not taught him how to manage his expression? Was he going to keep acting like this even after he became a duke?
Tsk.
Sasha clicked his tongue and bit the inside of his cheek.
Enough teasing. The point was: even Rio—Edward’s right hand—didn’t know why Sasha had been dragged back to the Imperial Palace.
Then what is it, really?
Don’t tell me… that dream actually had some kind of effect?
With so little information, he’d started entertaining ridiculous fantasies.
“So you’ve finally decided to take my loyal advice.”
“Loyal advice?”
Look. Even Sasha, saying it, and the one hearing it—wasn’t it an absurd phrase? Loyal subject, loyal advice.
At Rio’s stare, dripping with disbelief, Sasha answered in a shameless voice.
“I mean the part where you should kill me.”
Maybe that day came to mind, because Rio’s mood—usually light overall even when he barked—sank.
“…That’s not it.”
“Even if it is, it’s not something you’d know.”
When Sasha answered with a sneer, Rio’s dark eyes flared.
“Hey!”
“Or they told you and you still didn’t get it. What would you know? All you do is swing a sword.”
Watching him thrash every time Sasha poked him was pretty entertaining. Not useful, since he got zero information out of it, but entertaining.
If there was nothing to gain, it was more rational to rest than to keep forcing the conversation. Sasha was acting tough in front of him, but he was at his limit.
Luckily, after a few more jabs, Rio Grenville finally snapped. *Bam—*he slammed the door and vanished.
Sasha stood there for a few seconds. When he was certain no one was going to come into the room, he collapsed onto the bed.
“Haa.”
The relaxed smile drained away. With a face caked in fatigue, Sasha lay flat on the mattress.
Unlike the peaceful territory, this place wasn’t safe. He needed to stay sharply alert and prepare for what came next.
But five days on the road was too brutal for Sasha, who’d done nothing but eat and laze around without exercising.
And the bed was absurdly soft, too.
In the end, even though he knew he shouldn’t, Sasha shut his eyes like he was passing out.