Chapter 66: Walking you Home.

“Today, people named Lux and Purgatio visited.”

As soon as I brought up the scammers’ names seeing the King’s Brother’s happy face, he raised one eyebrow.

“Names I’ve never heard of.”

“So they were aliases after all.”

The King’s Brother wouldn’t know the names of all nobles and mages, but if they were Alpha mages capable of developing new technologies, he should have known them. He read all journals from the Mages’ Society to find a magic circle that could absorb excessive pheromones released during Rut. Skilled mages naturally strive to publish papers in the Society.

“They said they developed a new technology capable of purifying gems.”

Showing the visiting card left by the guys, the King’s Brother scoffed after confirming one corner was folded.

“Nonsense.”

Denying it instantly as not worth a glance, he looked at me. With eyes conveying that my ability to purify gems is unique.

“Yes, even to me, weak in theory, it sounded like nonsense, but they mentioned Count Umbra and the Queen Consort.”

“It’s worth investigating.”

Nodding, the King’s Brother changed the subject with “By the way.”

“Did you finish working on my cravat?”

His expression was quite serious as if this was the main topic rather than the story of scammers daring to mention the Queen Consort. And he also looked a bit displeased.

“…Yes, I did. Would you like to check?”

The case containing the cravat was still placed on the workbench.

His dissatisfaction probably lies in the fact that I got up again and finished the work even though he left after seeing me lie down on the bed last night.

The eyes looking at me like a disobedient troublemaker soon relaxed as if helpless. The gaze toward the closed case seemed to reflect on the past.

“Can you show it to me now?”

The King’s Brother is someone who watched almost the entire crafting process from the design sketch. Except for the clasp reworked at the end.

Yet, he asked for my permission showing clear curiosity.

I delayed answering for a moment. Tap. Tap. I was tapping the table with my finger without realizing it. Just like the habit the King’s Brother had when deep in thought. When I realized his eyes were staring at my hand, I curled my fingers.

“…Can I show you a bit later, not now?”

“Okay.”

A gaze containing regret lingered on my hand for a moment.

“Still.”

As if refreshing the atmosphere, he opened his mouth again with a slightly lighter tone.

“There’s no more work left, right?”

“That is correct.”

“Then you will return home today instead of staying in the workshop?”

“…Well.”

The answer came out slowly because the thought of returning home wasn’t in my head. Many things necessary for living had already been moved to this space.

My house was now a place where I stayed only on days when the shop had to be closed. Just like when I was Han Jay.

“Since I have to release new watches soon, I’m thinking of coming up with some ideas.”

“Jay, it’s okay to rest sometimes.”

It was words conveyed calmly, without pity or sympathy. Completely different from people asking if I was okay with faces that looked not okay at all to Han Jay who worked even by finding work.

Back then, that’s why I also couldn’t answer that I was okay.

And I couldn’t ask the King’s Brother if he was okay either.

“…Do you also have times when you rest, Duke?”

“Of course.”

I swallowed the question asking if that time is when he meets me. I could know the answer without asking.

“It would be right for me to return home today as well.”

When I agreed with his words instead, the King’s Brother squinted one eye slightly and tilted his head to one side.

“Why do you do that?”

“Um, I have a request.”

“Please speak.”

“Say you’ll listen knowing what the request is.”

“I said speak, I didn’t say I would grant it.”

Whether the wordplay was pleasing, the King’s Brother smiled. Looking back, we used to have such wordplay often. Although Butler Philip watching us made an expression as if having a huge headache.

I thought I was playing the role of a servant tailored to the demands of the employer, the King’s Brother, but honestly, I enjoyed it too.

“Since you told me to speak, I will speak.”

Is it such a difficult request to say? The King’s Brother, stopping his words, let out a short breath.

“Can I, walk you home?”

“Pardon?”

“The existence of such strange people seems to be a good excuse.”

The King’s Brother said pointing at the visiting card with a gesture. To him smiling with his eyes, I just blinked.

“Not allowed?”

A boy’s face was glimpsed in that embarrassed expression. The appearance of that time when he waited for me dressed in formal attire that didn’t fit his body because he grew tall at once.

To the boy waiting for me, I had no choice but to nod.

Although I accepted the King’s Brother’s offer to walk me home, there was one difficulty for him to go to the residential area of Betas.

“This outfit will stand out, right?”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t as flashy as the formal attire bestowed by the King, and rather an outfit that could be called very modest compared to the wealth he possessed. The attire like a model of a young Alpha attending university would have allowed him to blend among people when coming and going on this Pistoga street. The wide-brimmed hat also covered his face naturally.

But if it’s the residential area of Betas, the story changed completely. Although they are the most common achromatic colors, the luster of the fabric stood out.

“Will you not use a cognitive interference magic circle?”

“Is that the only way?”

It was the most certain solution, but the King’s Brother disapproved.

“In my opinion, yes, there seems to be no other way.”

“You can see the true form of accessories engraved with cognitive interference magic circles.”

“That is correct.”

“But it seems you see the target applied with cognitive interference magic in a distorted way. Right?”

“As expected, that is true, but.”

When the King’s spy came wearing a necklace engraved with a cognitive interference magic circle, I didn’t notice the thick volume of the necklace hidden inside his collar. But when he released the magic, I could see the necklace as it was. Even though the King’s Brother said others have no choice but to see the arrangement of the magic circle made of diamonds itself distorted.

“Do you perhaps have an extra employee uniform?”

“There is one set in the break room on the 2nd floor, but.”

Although I answered his question, I couldn’t know his intention asking for extra employee clothes.

“Good. Please wait a moment.”

Leaving me behind who couldn’t follow the sudden change of topic, he left the workshop. The sound of footsteps going up the stairs was heard.

Does he really mean to wear employee clothes? The King’s Brother? Clothes tailored for tall Nathan will fit the King’s Brother roughly. However, they are inevitably different from clothes tailored entirely for him. Although the fabric was also made with decent material, it’s still rough compared to the King’s Brother’s original clothes. No, even if everything is okay, he suggested wearing Beta clothes first. The King’s Brother, who is a dominant Alpha, maybe even a stronger existence than that.

The reason for executing something difficult to even imagine normally was because of me. To go to the Beta residential area with me. To hide his identity because revealing himself might put me in danger. Because he didn’t want me not to recognize his face even with a simple tool called cognitive interference magic.

As my thoughts were organized, I felt my ears heating up.

The King’s Brother’s actions could be understood through the existence of ‘me.’

Although I think it’s a bit absurd and unnecessary action. Still. Still.

I pressed near my heart with my hand. I felt the fast beating pulse.

“Jay.”

To the King’s Brother returning to the workshop, I didn’t know what expression to show. Whether to purely admire the surprisingly cool appearance of the King’s Brother even wearing Nathan’s clothes, or to be surprised by the perfect grooming that I didn’t need to tidy up.

To be a bit more honest, the emotion I felt most strongly was pity. Because it seemed I could see how he lived while staying in the New Continent.

There was no one there whom he could trust and entrust his body to.

“Shall we go now?”

The King’s Brother looked a bit excited. Just for walking me home.

When we stepped outside through the main entrance of the shop instead of the workshop’s back door he always used, he expressed his good mood saying, “It’s the first time. Walking this street with you.”

“Lead the way, Jay. I’ll follow behind.”

His words that he would seek my permission were still valid. He couldn’t not know my house. He would also know that I know that fact. Still, he will follow behind me. Even if I move my steps in a direction completely different from my house.

Two long shadows stretched under the gas lamp. Even if the light flickered sometimes, the two shadows never proceeded in different directions.

Passing Pistoga, at the place where the commercial district ends, I stopped under the last streetlight. Looking back, the King’s Brother also stopped one step away from me.

“Would you like to come, to the side? It gets dark underfoot from here on.”

Even under the shimmering light, his smile blooming fully was clearly visible.

He gladly accepted even my cowardice using the streetlight as an excuse.

The one step I couldn’t make, he took.

When we were shoulder to shoulder, I moved my steps again. In the darkness where even shadows couldn’t form, the sound of footsteps side by side resonated.