Chapter 38: A Promise Beneath the Stars

Unable to say those words out loud, Kebel swallowed them back down. Unlike himself, whose anger was boiling over uncontrollably, Osh seemed to have no intention of opening his mouth. Frustrated, Kebel brushed his thumb gently over Osh Sulleban’s injured lips.

“I wasn’t trying to get angry at you… I was angry because you were hurt.”

“…What were you trying to do?”

“Huh?”

The unexpected question made a foolish response slip out before he could stop it. Even though he knew exactly what Osh meant, the earlier scene came back to mind, souring his mood again.

Asking how much he had seen felt pointless when Osh’s expression already made it seem like he had witnessed everything from the beginning.

Looking troubled, Kebel scratched his cheek with a finger. His eyes drifted away from Osh’s gaze as he gave a small shake of his head.

“Nothing happened.”

It sounded strange when he said it aloud. But truly, nothing had happened with Beryl. Aside from how close things had come to becoming dangerous. Yet for some reason, Osh’s eyes grew colder than before, enough to make Kebel feel as though he were walking across thin ice.

“Why are you making that face?”

“What kind of face am I making?”

“You’re looking at me like someone who’s been betrayed.”

“Was I?”

The lips that had been stiffly set curved softly upward. His voice flowed out gentle and smooth, yet somehow it still felt mocking. Even though Osh had finally smiled, Kebel only felt more suffocated. Out of habit, he rubbed the back of his neck and let out a long sigh.

“Osh, I don’t know why you’re looking at me like that, but I really don’t have any feelings for His Highness.”

“You shouldn’t. That’s only natural.”

‘Huh? Natural? Why was that supposed to be natural?’

As Kebel tilted his head in confusion, Osh narrowed his eyes slightly and uttered something completely unexpected.

“Otherwise, I really was considering killing him…”

“Are you insane? What if someone heard you say that?!”

Kebel hurriedly covered Osh’s mouth and looked around in panic. Thankfully no one was nearby. If someone had overheard, it really would have been disastrous. Stroking his chilled chest in relief, Kebel let out a breath. But soon his expression hardened again as he glared at him.

He could feel the corners of Osh’s lips curling upward against his palm. The sensation was ticklish and strangely unsettling, making Kebel quickly pull his hand away. But Osh caught his hand again and pressed a lingering kiss against the inside of his palm.

“W-What are you doing?”

The spot his lips touched burned as though branded by fire. How could a guy’s lips be that soft? The vivid sensation made his whole body twist strangely. Trying not to show it, Kebel curled his fingers and rubbed the spot discreetly.

“I let the partner thing slide because I didn’t want to put you in a difficult position…”

“Ah…”

“Don’t you feel sorry for me?”

Kebel gave a small nod. Instantly Osh’s face brightened with a smile. He stepped closer, tilting his head slightly to the side.

“Then give me some of your time tonight.”

His whisper brushed against Kebel’s ear, laced with faint amusement. Realizing he had unconsciously shut his eyes, Kebel felt so embarrassed he wanted to run somewhere and kick his blankets in shame.

Thank goodness it was dark here, if anyone saw him now, his face would surely be as red as a ripe tomato.

Without widening the distance between them, Osh gently toyed with Kebel’s earlobe. Even as Kebel shrank like a frightened rabbit, Osh’s fingers never stopped, caressing him carefully once more.

Normally Kebel would have brushed it off as teasing or firmly told him to stop, but strangely enough, Osh’s touch didn’t feel unpleasant.

If anything, like a pet waiting for its owner’s hand, he found himself wanting Osh to keep touching him. The realization startled him so badly that he rubbed both cheeks to cool the heat rising there. Watching him quietly, Osh asked softly,

“Did you drink?”

“Ah, y-yeah. They said you have to drink on your coming-of-age day.”

“Next time, don’t accept drinks from just anyone. Unless it’s from me.”

Emotion lingered in Osh’s voice as he gently stroked Kebel’s hair. Kebel had never realized being touched like this could feel so comforting. He convinced himself it was only because of the alcohol.

“Want to take a walk? The garden looked really beautiful on the way here.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

Kebel nodded. By now, people were probably searching for him, but he pushed the thought aside. Following behind Osh felt strangely different. When they were younger, Kebel had always been the one pulling Osh along by the hand.

But now Osh was leading him forward instead, and for some reason the sight felt dependable enough to make his chest swell warmly.

Without realizing it, Kebel’s lips loosened into a proud, foolish grin.

As soon as they reached the entrance of the garden, the fragrance drifting through the air brought a smile to his face. Even though the garden had been opened specially for tonight, there were hardly any people around. It made Kebel feel as though he had the entire place to himself.

Since it was still early spring, the night air carried a chill. He had thought his recent sniffles were just allergies, but maybe they weren’t. A faint fever and shivers crept through him, as if he were coming down with a cold.

When Kebel rubbed his arms from the chill, Osh stepped closer and draped his coat over his shoulders.

“It’s okay, you’ll be cold too.”

“It’s not cold enough for that. Keep it on.”

At Osh’s firm response, Kebel nodded quietly. As they walked along the garden path, he looked around leisurely. Fireflies floated through the air, glowing softly beneath the sky.

The stars sparkled unusually brightly tonight, and together with the fireflies, they made the garden’s night scenery even more beautiful.

After walking for a while, Kebel glanced at Osh cautiously.

“But Osh, you were under the terrace earlier, right? How did you know I was there?”

“You’re curious?”

“Yeah.”

At Kebel’s question, Osh stopped walking and slowly turned toward him, the corners of his eyes curving faintly.

“Because it’s obvious.”

“Huh?”

Even when Kebel asked again, Osh offered no further explanation. Instead, the round moon hanging above cast its pale light over him. Only then did Kebel notice the cravat peeking through Osh’s perfectly arranged clothes, it was the one Kebel had given him as a gift.

The wine-colored cravat suited his white tailcoat perfectly, enough to make Kebel’s nose sting unexpectedly.

Was it because Osh was wearing something he had given him? Or because the moonlight made him look absurdly handsome tonight? For some reason, Kebel felt his heart trembling.

“I told you before. I’ll always stay by your side.”

For a moment, a strange gleam flickered through Osh’s eyes. Feeling inexplicably chilled, Kebel laughed awkwardly and stretched his arms high. His back cracked loudly, stiff from all the tension he had been carrying.

What had started as an excuse to avoid the atmosphere quickly turned into a genuine attempt to ease the exhaustion washing over him.

Kebel removed the coat hanging loosely around his shoulders and held it out to Osh. As he did, memories of the first time they met suddenly resurfaced.

“Do you remember when we first met?”

Osh nodded. Kebel resumed walking as well. Step by step, the sound of grass crunching beneath their feet and the loud chirping of crickets filled the air, creating small pockets of happiness around them.

A sweet smile spread across Kebel’s lips, as though he had a mouthful of candy.

“To be honest, back then, you really looked like an angel sent down from heaven.”

“…An angel.”

“You were just that pretty…”

Saying the thoughts hidden in his heart aloud felt embarrassingly awkward. But the emotions overflowing inside him refused to stay contained. The day they first met. The day Kebel had treated him coldly.

The days he found himself staring at Osh’s face before even learning his name. All those memories rose vividly in his mind, flowing past like scenes from a film.

While Kebel remained lost in thought, Osh quietly spotted a bench nearby and approached it. He spread the coat he had lent Kebel across the seat before turning back to him.

“Come sit here for a while.”

His low whisper mixed with the chirping insects, making the atmosphere feel even stranger. Why would he spread such a pristine white tailcoat over the bench where it could get dirty?

Yet unlike Kebel’s concern, Osh simply smiled softly, his eyes curved with dangerous beauty. Even in the darkness, his lips somehow looked redder than ever.

Osh extended his hand.

Seeing the warmth in his expression, Kebel placed his own hand into it. Their hands met with familiar ease, they held each other so often now that the sensation felt natural, like finally finding the matching half to something incomplete.

Guided by Osh’s gentle pull, Kebel sat down atop the coat spread across the bench.

At the same time, Osh closed the distance between them and sat down right beside him, their hips nearly touching.

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