The Arrow of Destiny Cuts Through the Night

#75

Knock knock, someone was knocking on Jersian’s door.

At the same time, Kain’s eyes, which had fallen into a light sleep, flew open. Who could it be? Checking the ornate gold-worked clock beside the bed, he saw it was only 3 AM. Considering he had fallen asleep at 11 PM yesterday, it was an extremely early hour. Moreover, he had clearly agreed to meet Jersian “at 5” in front.

…Does he have a separate appointment before then?

Just as Kain was raising his upper body to look towards the adjacent room:

Knock knock knock.

This time, someone knocked on Kain’s door.

“Mr. Kain. It’s Druve. May I come in for a moment?”

Hm? Kain’s head, which had been glaring towards Jersian’s room, turned towards his own door. It was a familiar voice. Druve was the name of the maid assigned by the Gerold Marquis family. Kain answered in an awkward half-risen position.

“…Come in.”

It’s not like I’ve designated this as my territory, and I wouldn’t really mind if other humans came in without knocking – Kain thought. That was until, as soon as his permission was given, the large door opened and five maids poured in all at once.

What’s this, what’s going on? Kain looked at them with a frown, but the maids arbitrarily interpreted it as Mr. Kain being in a bad mood today due to being forcibly woken up. Moreover, through the open door, he could sense an endless stream of humans moving about from this hour.

“Good morning, Mr. Kain.”

“Fortunately, you’re already awake. How are you feeling today?”

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“…”

They didn’t even give Kain time to answer. Whoosh – the curtains covering the large window overlooking Whinicer Forest were opened. Of course, at 3 AM it was still dark outside, and instead of the sun, a bright white moon and stars were visible. Creak, as the window opened, he could feel the stagnant air in the room being circulated by the outside wind.

Then one of the maids opened a door that Kain hadn’t even known existed yesterday. It was a dressing room. Kain’s eyes trembled slightly as he saw the clothes already hanging in a row there.

No way.

Surely not. Kain, who had been watching the maids for a moment as they busily moved about, taking out clothes and accessories from the travel bag and organizing various items, threw off the blanket covering him and got out of bed. He was about to go out the door.

“Mr. Kain?”

A maid called out from behind, stopping him. Damn it, Kain’s back, which had been about to step outside for a moment, stiffened.

“Where are you going?”

Kain spoke casually, with his back still turned.

“I’ll be out for a moment.”

“Do you have some business to attend to?”

It sounded as if she would be willing to let him go if he did have business.

“…I was going to check if Jersian is alright…”

It wasn’t a lie, but the truth. After all, Kain’s business was always limited to Jersian. The maid behind him then said with a smile:

“Young Master Jersian is probably also preparing to go out now. You’ll meet him shortly.”

“…”

There was nothing more to say to that. As Kain stood silently, the maid behind him said:

“We’ll help you quickly. First, please wash up in the bathroom.”

“…”

Kain looked down at the thick towel held out in front of him for a moment. Then, with a resigned expression, he took it.

“You can enter through here.”

Druve pushed Kain into the large bathroom right next to the dressing room. Despite being attached to a private room, it was spacious enough for several people to enter at once.

“…”

Kain looked at the space and let out a deep sigh.

“Mr. Kain! We’ll be waiting outside, ready to prepare you.”

He heard a voice urging him from outside the bathroom. The morning routine he thought he had finally escaped by leaving the Gerold household had followed him here. So that’s why Jersian had that expression yesterday.

There was no point in dawdling here; the humans waiting outside the bathroom door weren’t going to disappear. Swish – he took off the comfortable clothes he was wearing. He strode over and turned on the bathroom faucet, and hot water immediately gushed out. Kain began pouring the hot water over his body with a frown.

* * *

“…”

It took much longer than usual to get ready. He seemed drained from being pushed around by the maids’ hands for nearly two hours, starting from 3 AM.

Moreover, today’s clothes were particularly tight around the neck and had many decorations. The quiver and bow on his back were even bothersome. This is quite uncomfortable.

Kain frowned as he fiddled with the light green brooch fastening his cloak to his shirt.

It was then.

Jersian’s door opened. He seemed to have timed it perfectly to meet in front at 5 AM as they had agreed.

“…”

From the moment the door opened until Jersian came out, Kain’s gaze persistently followed him. He too was dressed much more formally than usual. Kain looked him up and down, from head to toe, in the pitch black that suited Jersian best.

“You should be grateful.”

Jersian’s clear voice pierced Kain’s ears.

Hm? What should I be grateful for?

Kain, who had been looking at Jersian’s legs, longer than those of other humans of similar age, raised his head. Jersian was leaning askew against the doorframe with a prim expression.

“If anyone else had looked at me that way, I would have drawn my sword immediately.”

“…Ah.”

Maybe I stared too openly.

“Sorry.”

He immediately turned his head in another direction.

Kain apologized concisely and then looked far down the corridor. It was the corridor connected to the banquet hall they had gone to yesterday. Thinking they probably had to go there again, Kain was about to turn around when:

“There’s no need to apologize.”

Kain’s long legs stopped abruptly at Jersian’s voice.

When he slowly turned his head again to look at his face, Kain’s head tilted slightly to the side. Regardless of his tone and words, Jersian’s face looked extremely pleased. He certainly didn’t seem to dislike Kain looking at him.

“Then?”

“Look all you want if you want to see. It’s not like I’d allow anyone but you to do this anyway.”

“…I see.”

Kain looked down at Jersian with a smile, his eyes crinkling, as if understanding. Unlike when he had left his room earlier, a strand of his neatly combed bangs had fallen down, crossing his white forehead.

It seems like it would be enough to just put that back in place, without needing to go back in for a comb. He then stretched out one arm.

“…?”

Jersian’s sharp eyes followed Kain’s hand approaching him. That hand was about to stroke Jersian’s bangs when it stopped abruptly right in front.

Come to think of it. He remembered what Jersian had said yesterday.

“May I touch you?”

“W-What?”

At those words, Jersian took a step back. Soon, his back touched the doorframe he had been leaning against earlier.

“What are you suddenly saying?”

Kain looked down at Jersian, who had suddenly flattened himself against the door in front of him, and said as if puzzled:

“What do you mean, what am I saying? You said so yourself yesterday. That I should ask for your permission before touching you.”

“…!”

It’s true, I did say that! Jersian glanced at Kain’s hand that had suddenly come close, then opened his lips. His hand gripping the doorframe behind him involuntarily tensed.

“Where are you… suddenly trying to touch?”

His pointed tone came out as if wary of the person in front of him. In fact, there was no need to push Kain away to this extent. But because no one had ever approached him at this distance like this elf before, it felt unfamiliar.

I don’t want to appear clumsy because of this. Even though he disliked his own fidgeting appearance, it was true that he was excited about entering a completely new territory.

“…”

Kain in front of him was looking down with a gentle smile, as if understanding everything. Is this the composure that naturally comes from the difference of hundreds of years?

How annoying. Jersian tried to sharpen his gaze again, which was about to soften slightly.

Kain reached out again and grabbed the single strand of hair that had fallen on Jersian’s forehead with his index finger and thumb, then flicked it up neatly like the rest of his combed bangs.

It brushed past so lightly that Jersian might not have even felt the tip of Kain’s finger touch his white forehead. What, he asked for permission just to touch this little? Completely unaware of Jersian’s dissatisfied thoughts, Kain said with a broad smile:

“There, it’s done now.”

He looked pleased with Jersian’s hair, now neatly combed up as before.

“…”

Whoosh – Jersian irritably walked past Kain into the corridor.

“Why? Did I do something wrong?”

Kain called out as he followed behind him, but Jersian stubbornly refused to open his mouth.