The Arrow of Destiny Cuts Through the Night

#38

“…”

Did I just say I didn’t want to be alone?

Jersian slightly frowned. That’s the kind of thing a ten-year-old would say. If he could take back what he had just said, he would do it immediately.

Was today such a difficult day that he needed someone by his side? He reflected, but it absolutely wasn’t. Jersian had many days like this, and there were even more days that were worse. He had endured those days alone just fine.

Showing sadness is pitiful and shabby. He never wanted to show it to others. Jersian had never shown this side of himself even to Peter, a knight who cared for him deeply. There was no need to reveal it. Showing it would only become a weapon to be used against him someday.

Jersian had learned this early on through experience. It might be something he shouldn’t show even more to the elf who had been blindly following him for some time now.

Let’s just say it’s not necessary.

Jersian made up his mind internally, then pressed his lips together and slowly raised his head.

If Kain looked surprised or mocked him for seeing a side of him that was completely different from usual when their eyes met, he intended to tell him to leave the room.

“…”

But.

Jersian’s eyes trembled slightly as he raised his head.

There was no such sign in Kain’s soft, light green eyes.

Rather, as if he already knew Jersian’s feelings, Kain Starchis was calmly sitting in a chair next to the bed without showing any emotion.

“How long should I stay by your side?”

“…What?”

“I’ll stay as long as you want.”

“…”

Jersian looked at Kain. Sitting on the bed, which was higher than the chair, their eye levels were about the same. Usually, when Kain stood next to him, he was so tall it felt almost like a wall.

However, befitting an archer, his overall build was sharp and sleek, not appearing dull. Between his neatly combed long platinum blonde hair, pointed ears poked out. It was evidence that he was a different species from Jersian. Naturally, his hand rose.

Kain glanced at Jersian’s hand approaching him and allowed it. No, he even slightly lowered his head as if to say do as you please.

But Kain, not knowing exactly what Jersian’s hand wanted, flinched as soon as the hand touched his ear. Jersian was rubbing Kain’s protruding pointed ear with his finger, his face impassive.

“Um, Lord Jersian?”

Kain checked Jersian’s face with a bewildered look.

Even among elves, they don’t usually touch each other’s ears. Like all animals, it was instinctive for elves to be sensitive about their ears, which are responsible for hearing.

This was an unfamiliar feeling for Kain, who had never had a partner before. He had never had someone suddenly touch his ears like this. He could clearly feel Jersian’s small fingers, compared to Kain, entwined with his ear. The places where his hand touched felt ticklish.

Kain’s back straightened stiffly in the chair, as if tensed from having his sensitive ear held.

“Don’t you like it?”

“…It’s fine.”

“It really is fascinating.”

Jersian spoke playfully, as if finding Kain’s reaction amusing. It was the elf ear that people around them unanimously praised for its beauty. Platinum blonde hair and pointed ears. Even the pure white eyelashes were intriguing.

But what was most fascinating was that this elf with looks as if bestowed by the gods was docilely submitting to his playful hands. He also quite liked how the ear twitched slightly as if trying to escape his hand, seemingly uncomfortable.

Kain checked Jersian’s face and then muttered with a resigned expression:

“If this helps improve your mood…”

But he couldn’t bring himself to add that Jersian could do as he pleased. Jersian seemed to know this and pulled his lips into a slight smile.

Meanwhile, Jersian’s fingers continued to touch the area between Kain’s soft hair and ears.

The slightly reddened tips of Kain Starchis’s ears and both cheeks were quite a sight to behold. It was something he had felt since first seeing him, but if Kain had said “You are my destined partner” to any human on the continent, anyone would have readily accepted him.

When appearance surpasses a certain level, gender becomes meaningless. Kain Starchis was a perfect example of this. With such a beautiful elf saying he would love you forever, no one could refuse.

And it just happened to be me that the Galia tree chose for someone like him.

It couldn’t help but be a pity. Jersian had something that took precedence over finding a destined partner. Avenging himself against the Claude Imperial Family that had abandoned his mother. Nothing else was important besides that.

The reason he kept Kain Starchis by his side now was because it helped in that process, and he was prepared to discard him mercilessly if he became even a slight hindrance.

“…”

Having reached that thought, Jersian slowly withdrew his hand from touching Kain’s ear, moving it through his soft hair. The fine platinum blonde hair swayed gently, following his touch.

He recalled that dark night when he had forcibly brought the elf who was searching for ‘Jersian Del Claude’ and made him kneel. Until then, he never thought he would become this close to this elf.

“You really think I’m Jersian Del Claude, don’t you?”

A low voice spread through the room.

Kain’s eyes, which had been avoiding eye contact while having his ear touched, turned to Jersian’s red eyes, which had sunk like his voice.

“Yes.”

His tone suggested it was obvious.

“…”

It wasn’t obvious to Jersian, the actual owner of that name. Jersian remained silent for a while before speaking.

“…Say it.”

It was the name he had to abandon when entering the Gerold Marquis family. He didn’t know about others, but for some reason, he wanted to hear his name in Kain’s voice.

Kain Starchis placed his palm on the back of Jersian’s hand, which was stiff with tension. Then he said:

“Jersian Del Claude.”

Jersian’s hand in Kain’s trembled slightly. Kain held that hand a bit tighter and said again:

“Lord Jersian Del Claude.”

“…Yes.”

Jersian responded a bit slowly. Even though it was just having his name called by Kain, a thrill ran through his entire body as if he had done something he shouldn’t. It was because of the fact that even if the whole world didn’t believe it, Kain Starchis alone would fully believe this truth.

No, rather than believing, Kain was certain. Jersian, who was prepared to give his life for that name, fully felt his heart pounding.

Kain, with his palm on the back of Jersian’s hand, heard that heartbeat clearly.

To have such a reaction just from having his name called. His destined partner was quite simple, and it was cute how he didn’t want to reveal that aspect. Of course, he wouldn’t voice his thoughts out loud, as Jersian would probably dislike it.

After sitting quietly for a long time, Jersian opened his mouth.

“…Baron Basiz knew someone would infiltrate the mansion today.”

“What?”

Kain Starchis’s head turned towards Jersian. He seemed to be recalling the memory, looking elsewhere.

“What do you mean…”

Kain’s eyebrows slowly furrowed. Clearly, from what he had heard through Marchioness Elmerila, infiltrating Baron Basiz’s mansion was an order from the imperial family, and it was a secret mission that shouldn’t be known to anyone. The Baron already knew about it? That…

“It was well past the usual time when the Baron’s servants sleep, and we chose the time when the guards on watch were changing shifts to enter, but yesterday there was no sign of movement at all. Moreover, as soon as we entered, someone lit the lights and shouted to wake everyone up as if they had been waiting.”

“…”

Even Kain, watching from the forest outside the mansion, had felt that everything happened too quickly.

“The fire arrows and the knight order that seemed already prepared… Baron Basiz already knew. Without a doubt.”

Kain stared at Jersian’s arm, which had clearly been injured inside the mansion. White bandages were tightly wrapped around Jersian’s small arm.

“Do you know what this means?”

Jersian asked with a cruel smile, as if he had reached a conclusion on his own.

“…What does it mean?”

Kain asked with round eyes, as if curious. Jersian looked at Kain for a moment before answering in a cold voice.

“It means the world is much crueler than you think.”

It was a strange answer.

Just as Kain was about to ask more about it, Jersian said while carefully hiding his bandaged arm in his sleeve:

“It’s gotten quite late. You should go now.”

It was a dismissal.