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It’s surprisingly nice to be back in this castle.
“What do you mean, Murata? It’s your first time here.”
I chuckle to myself. “Of course. You’re right. You’re always right, Shibuya.”
“Not on that math test, I wasn’t…”
It really struck me, how Shibuya yelled a really loud, ‘I’m home!’ when we first landed here, fresh out of prison. So this is home to him now, huh?
I guess I could see that.
“G’morning, Shibuya.”
I mean, I even got used to seeing another man in my best friend’s bed.
“Uwaa! Agh, it’s not what it looks like—Wolf, get off—Murata, you really don’t have to come into my room to wake me up, you really don’t have to!”
Of course I know I don’t have to. I just want to.
“After all, Lord Weller here does it anyway. Ah, or am I troubling you by taking away your job?”
“Hardly, Your Eminence, and I don’t think of it as—”
“If you have to talk, do it outside.”
It’s fascinating how a modern-day mazoku beauty can so resemble a dinosaur in the morning. I never get tired of it, though I suspect Shibuya and his fiancé rather do.
-- Come to think of it, I’ve never shared a bed and covers like that before. I stare wistfully at the large four-poster bed, though Shibuya seems to think I’m eyeing Lord von Bielefeld’s slender, long, bare leg.
Despite its size, there doesn’t seem to be any room for me, huh.
There’s not much for me to do during Shibuya’s morning exercises, either.
“You don’t have to force yourself to keep up if you don’t want to, Murata.”
“Rest assured, I won’t.” I sit down by the courtyard, taking a long swig from my water bottle and wiping the sweat off my brow. “Go ahead, Shibuya. I won’t catch up.”
“…Y’know, you should at least make an effort. It’s for your own health.” Even as a king, he’s still a naggy health nut. Shibuya never changes.
I think. Probably. Maybe.
“Anyway, the Sage doesn’t have to do any grunt work. I just have to use my brain and think.”
I readily admit my lack of stamina. Sports just ain’t my thing. But as I watch Shibuya and his godfather play catch from the sidelines, I can’t help but feel slightly—just slightly—dejected.
Not because I can’t join them, not because I want to. But because their movements, their familiarity and fluidity, make me feel a little left out.
This is the part of Shibuya’s life I missed before.
“Well~ off I go.”
“Eh? Murata, where are you going?”
“Don’t make it sound like there’s nowhere I could go, darn you. I’m just going to take a walk around the castle; I got legs, and it’s perfectly safe. Right, Lord Weller?”
Yuuri’s favorite second son was restored to his old position as some pseudo head of security, though some people found that a little… insecure. Presently he smiles back at me, completely unfazed.
“Of course, Your Eminence. Relax, Yuuri, he won’t come to any danger within these walls.”
Such is the power of Shibuya’s faith.
I take off on a stroll, walking a little aimlessly. This sure is a big castle, bigger than in those memories—or am I just shorter now than he was back then? Haha, just kidding. Of course I know they’d renovated the place over the years, gradually making it bigger, grander.
Only one place hasn’t changed, though I don’t particularly feel like going there now.
Instead I walk towards a pleasant smell wafting from a window somewhere. It doesn’t smell like the kitchen, though I wouldn’t mind going there either. There had been a nice, cute maid who served us these past few days, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I could convince her to give me a few treats to tide me over until lunch.
But this smell—it smells like a forest after the rain, or sea spray in the evening. Or my mother’s curry, the one she makes for special days. It smells like all of that, and at the same time everything else.
How intriguing.
I trip over a few bushes trying to take the direct path to that smell. Eventually I end up in front of a shady-looking wing of the castle, which contrives to look as separate from the rest of the building as possible. As though the main castle is cowering from it in fear.
I’m not much of a survivalist, but my senses are telling me this is a dangerous place.
My nose, on the other hand…
Well, Lord Weller did say I won’t come into any danger on castle grounds. I shrug, and edge closer to the shady building.
It’s not long before I hear the groans and moans, but since it’s a familiar voice, my curiosity is only piqued further. Soon it escalates into screams, and I feel the hairs tingling on my skin, but in a good way. It feels like being a secret agent, this subtle sense of danger.
I creep up to a tinted window, and peer inside.
As expected, there’s Lord von Voltaire. I haven’t seen him much since we got back—is this where he’s been? Having secret trysts with that red-haired woman… Miss Anissina, was it? Shibuya told me a lot about her. He said she’s a real femme fatale, though I’m not quite sure that’s what he meant. Surely he meant she’s a feminist?
Or so I thought. It seems she has Lord von Voltaire struggling on some strange contraption table, and now she’s approaching him from behind with a suspicious device—
Femme fatale, indeed. It seems I misjudged Lord von Voltaire, but like I always say, real men know when to give in. I won’t regard him any lesser than I did before witnessing this incident, no, I won’t. Definitely not.
I watch them in earnest for a while longer before it occurs to me this isn’t particularly morally upright behavior.
“Peeking is a very bad thing!”
--I can almost hear Shibuya scolding me already. On the other hand, another deep voice is chuckling and commending me for my sneaking prowess. He really is a bad influence, that man.
Quietly I traipse away from that forbidden wing, only breathing when I’m absolutely sure I’m out of range.
I’m not too sure what the infamous Poison Lady would do if she discovered me spying on her labs. It’d be best to make a favorable first impression on her—maybe I should read more of her books and introduce myself as a fan?
I’m still considering it as I wander down the corridors, then another familiar voice stops me with something akin to very mild PTSD.
It’s that Lord von Christ—the leaky bishie. Except he’s sounding surprisingly serious right now… I wonder, what secret does he have?
High on the thrill of spying, I sneak up on the slightly open door.
Ah, he’s wearing glasses perched on his nose, and holding a stick to a blackboard. Shibuya did mention he’s the education minister, which means he’s a high class teacher. Looking at him now, he does fit the part. I bet he’s the kind of teacher that gets tons of chocolates and love letters on his table every Valentine’s Day, and could one day be accused of having an immodest relationship with his student.
…Well, since his student is usually Shibuya, I imagine he would want to go as immodest as possible, though there’s a high chance of him being fired by his boss if he tries it. But wait, Shibuya is his boss too—does that make him something like a secretary? Like the homewreckers from those evening dramas Miko-san is always trying to get me to watch?
I wonder, should I warn Lord von Bielefeld about this? Picturing Shibuya’s face as he gets yet another lecture from his feisty fiancé almost gets a chuckle out of me, then I remember I’m supposed to be spying on this lesson.
Shibuya should still be doing his morning training with Lord Weller, so the one having classes now is—a little girl?
The girl with red-brown hair and large eyes looks away from her teacher from one second and our gazes meet. She blinks, then smiles mischievously, winking as she puts her finger on her lips. Just as her teacher turns around, however, she raises her hand and asks, the perfect image of the perfect student,
“Oh, Günter, what does this part mean?”
While she has Lord von Christ distracted, I slip away, my cheeks feeling distinctly flushed. Great, now what will she think of me? Like some creepy uncle, sneaking around and spying on her class? Ahh, I really don’t want to leave a bad impression on Shibuya’s daughter—though Shibuya, is it really okay that your daughter acts more mature than you or your fiancé?
It’s kinda nostalgic, sitting in classes like that. Sure feels like forever since I went to school. Rather ironic, too, that I’d be the one walking aimlessly down the corridors during class hours. Is this my belated rebellious period?
Hm, the sun’s pretty high up now. I should start looking for Shibuya again, or he’ll get worried.
Problem is, this place really is bigger than I remember. And all the corridors look the same—I turn into one courtyard, positive that I had found the right place this time, only to see a lot more people than just Lord Weller and Shibuya.
A pretty lady officer is training a small troop of guards—I remember seeing her after Shibuya picked me up in Seisakoku. If I recall correctly, she’s a healer, even though she couldn’t really heal me on shinzoku land that time. More surprisingly, she’s Lord von Christ’s daughter.
Hmm, is it a trend for children to be more capable than their parents here now? I remember Lady Cherie, and feel even more certain of my hypothesis.
There are quite a few familiar faces in the ranks she’s training, and an even more familiar shiny head.
It’s this eye-catching soldier that notices me first.
“Ah, Your Eminence!”
I wave with a smile, and Lady Gisela nods in acknowledgment. What an impressive woman—she holds her back straight and her dignity high without coming off as arrogant, and knew that without a proper purpose, my presence here shouldn’t disrupt the soldiers’ training. Even Dacascos realized his mistake—he quickly returns to his rank, looking as focused as the rest of his comrades, even if his ears are slightly red.
These guards are well-trained. It seems Lord Weller was right to be confident.
Well, then, I’d better not distract them any longer.
Where do I go after this, though? I suddenly feel a little lost. Even if I find Shibuya again, it’s not like I have anything to do by his side. They’ve all got him well taken care of.
“Why, hello, Your Eminence. Fancy seeing you here.”
That deep voice stops me in my tracks. I don’t have to raise my head to know who it is, and already I can’t stop the smile creeping up my lips.
“Don’t even try to pretend. Shibuya sent you after me?”
“Aw, Your Eminence, I have a will of my own, y’know. I just happened to catch you doing something naughty, so I thought I’d watch you watch other people.”
I hold my head. “We sound like a pair of really creepy stalkers.”
Then our eyes meet, and we burst out laughing.
“Really, though, Your Eminence,” he says, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes once we settle down a bit, “Should you be walking around this on your own?”
I pout, a little annoyed. “Not you, too! I know I can’t fight on my own, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely helpless. Urk, well, if you take another go at me…”
“I would never.” He smiles, but the lines around his mouth are taut, and I know I’ve gone too far.
“Look, I was just kidding,” I say, slightly panicked, elbowing his side. He instantly doubles over, collapsing onto his knees. “Josak!”
“…Just kidding!” He takes me off guard, flicking me on the forehead so hard the impact makes me fall backwards onto my butt. “Your Eminence, you’re weaker than the stable boy. If you think your little tickle just now could take me down, you’re evidently babying me as well.”
“That’s because your acting skills are too good—”
“Why, thank you.”
“—and besides, we both know who the real mother hen is.”
We fall quiet then, thinking of that boy’s expression, and his reaction if he were to find both of us missing.
“Shibuya treats me like a kid these days.”
“The Young Master won’t believe me no matter how much I say I’m completely fine.”
“He forgot that I’ve survived so many years on my own.”
“You’re still too young to say that, Your Eminence. I, on the other hand, am as old as Lord Weller, and His Majesty seems to think Cap’n should still be protecting me.”
“Y’know, I think we should teach Shibuya a lesson.”
“Oh, Your Eminence, you really are one after my heart.”
“We should go somewhere he can’t find us—”
“But not too far, of course. And somewhere completely safe, so he’ll know how silly he’s being.”
“Gurrier, you can’t just call your king silly.”
“It’s affectionate, sire, affectionate.”
I elbow him again. Damn, his abs are hard. Even I’m getting a little jealous. “Are you this affectionate towards everybody, naughty Gurie-chan?”
“Only to the people who deserve it, ‘Eminence. You, on the other hand, should let more people into your heart. Maybe then you wouldn’t feel so lonely when His Majesty is otherwise occupied.”
“I have you, don’t I?” I say, but I know he’s right. Shibuya is practically married with kids now… I can’t keep getting in his way.
Sometimes I can’t help but wonder, if I were honest with him before he met Lord von Bielefeld, would things have turned out differently?
Josak’s deep chuckle brings me back to the present. “Yes, you’ll always have me. Whether you like it or not.”
I smile, and all of a sudden, I remember someone else who’ll always be watching me, whether I like it or not. I keep my eyes on Josak as I consider the wisdom of it, until even the thick-skinned spy squirms a little under my gaze.
“What is it, ‘Eminence? Is there something on my face?”
I make up my mind, laughing to myself. “No, you look fine. Perfect, even, for meeting someone very… unique to me.”
Gurrier cocks his head. “The in-laws?”
I pause. “In a way, maybe.”
“Has the Young Master met this person?”
“No, I don’t think it’s safe.”
“So it’s dangerous, but you’re taking me? Gurie-chan is hurt.”
“Weren’t you the one who was just telling me not to baby you? Besides, you have nothing to worry about, you’ll be just fine.”
When the ancient, stuck-up father of the mazoku meets this flamboyant, flirty half-blood—
I chuckle softly. This will be interesting.
“Ahh~ There it is again! Your Eminence, you look very sinister when you smile like that!”
“Is that so?”
“Oh, yes! And it’s su~per ravishing, I think I might swoon~”
“Well, I think Gurie-chan is very stunning in your own way, too. A total knock-out.”
“Aw, stop, you’re making me blush~~~”
Hehe, that blonde bastard won’t know what hit him.