Chapter 190: Encounter (4)
After parting ways with Yuran, I turned back toward the library.
‘…Still, leaving like that all alone feels a bit wrong.’
It was true that I had practically run away, but that didn’t mean I planned to leave Behad behind by himself.
Of course, he had been the one to come find me first and express his desire to meet with Menoruka…
Regardless, I couldn’t deny that I bore some responsibility for what he had gone through.
But more than any rational reason…
What would be the right way to describe this?
“Hmm…”
If I had been in Behad’s shoes—if I had been the one sitting there instead of him—I would’ve felt not just like the world was collapsing, but as if everything had gone pitch black.
Leaving Behad alone in such a state didn’t sit well with me.
The library remained as quiet as ever.
Amaruah wasn’t in her usual spot.
I cautiously stepped inside and headed to the same room as before.
‘Miss Amaruah…’
Was she in the room?
Just as I reached for the doorknob with that thought in mind, the door creaked open from the inside.
“Ah.”
It was Amaruah who opened the door.
But something about her looked off.
Her complexion was pale, as if she hadn’t slept in days, and dark shadows hung beneath her eyes.
The usual air of cynicism that surrounded her was completely gone. Only a deep fatigue clung to her now.
When she saw me, Amaruah faintly furrowed her brows.
“Ah… you… hmm. Right.”
She let out a short sigh.
It was as if she had a lot to say but didn’t even have the strength to get the words out.
“That friend inside…”
She muttered with difficulty.
“He’s having a really hard time… You… you’ll need to help him a lot.”
After speaking, Amaruah staggered slightly and leaned weakly against the wall of the hallway.
In just the short time I had spoken with Yuran, she looked like she had drained every ounce of energy she had.
“Are you all right?”
“Do I look like I would be? Anyway… I need to rest for a bit. I talked so big earlier, and now look at me—how embarrassing…”
A sigh.
She let out another deep sigh.
“…These kids these days, seriously, all so shameless.”
Grumbling, Amaruah waved her hand dismissively and trudged weakly down the hall.
I heard hushed voices slipping through the slightly ajar door and carefully stepped inside the room.
The scene inside hadn’t changed much from when I had left.
Except for the fact that the two of them were now practically glued together.
“Then that would make her your older sister, would it not? You did say her name was Lady Mercedes, I believe?”
“…Yes, that’s correct. She’s my twin sister.”
“Twins! Then she must resemble Lord Behad quite a lot, I suppose.”
“Right, yes. I suppose so.”
“To think there’s someone who looks like Lord Behad… I bet your sister is just as gallant—ah! Gallant might not be the right word for a lady. That could be quite rude, depending on how it’s taken…”
Menoruka was seated right beside Behad, clinging to his arm as if it were cuffed to her wrist.
Her sparkling eyes never left him, and she was bombarding him with nonstop questions, while Behad responded with a lifeless expression as if his soul had already left his body.
Every time she exclaimed with wonder and tossed out another question, he would nod reflexively or mumble a short reply.
“Ah.”
Behad’s complexion was as pale as Amaruah’s—no, perhaps even more so.
When he saw me, his eyes trembled with a storm of complex emotions.
Relief, resentment, and a silent plea for salvation.
“…Ahem. Mm.”
I cleared my throat softly and approached the two of them.
“I’m sorry to interrupt while you’re enjoying your time together.”
For a brief moment, Menoruka’s sharp gaze snapped toward me like a dagger.
Had I not previously faced Airos, that ancient dragon, I might have flinched under the sheer pressure of it.
“…Ah, please forgive me! I didn’t mean to…!”
“No, it’s fine.”
Startled, Menoruka bowed deeply to me, as if apologizing for her earlier rudeness.
But even in her polite gesture, I could sense the subtle undertone of “don’t interfere.”
At the same time, she subtly tightened her grip around Behad’s arm, pulling him slightly toward her.
“I believe it’s about time.”
At my words, Menoruka bit her lip slightly.
“Such a cruel thing to say… We’ve only just, just reunited after so long…”
There was sorrow and desperation in her voice.
Pleadingly, she said,
“Just a little… Could you not grant this humble girl just a little more time?”
Tears welled in Menoruka’s eyes, making her look utterly heartbroken.
“No, I’m afraid not.”
Unfortunately for her, that didn’t work on me.
I had anticipated that she wouldn’t let go of Behad so easily, so I came prepared.
“Of course, I fully understand your feelings, Miss Menoruka. But His Highness… as a prince, he has duties and responsibilities to uphold.”
I kept my tone gentle but firm.
“If he continues spending time like this and neglects his obligations, what would others think of him? He could end up branded as someone who can’t even fulfill what’s expected of him.”
I cast her a subtle glance and added,
“…Surely you wouldn’t want to be the reason Lord Behad bears such disgrace, would you?”
Menoruka’s body trembled slightly.
Her eyes wavered with unease.
I didn’t miss the moment and continued without pause.
“In a few days, the formal ceremonies of the Departure Festival will begin. Lord Behad—that is, His Highness—will be marching in the parade. He must appear before the crowds looking more dignified and radiant than anyone else, wouldn’t you agree?”
I looked her straight in the eye and said,
“To do that, wouldn’t it be best to set aside your regrets for now and let him return to his duties? In truth, he’s already pushing his schedule just to be here.”
I cleared my throat softly.
“Just for you, Miss Menoruka.”
“……”
It seemed my persuasion had worked.
A flicker of conflict passed across Menoruka’s face.
She glanced up at Behad and murmured softly, as if lamenting,
“I… I have behaved so foolishly.”
She loosened her grip on Behad’s arm.
Thanks to that, he was finally freed from her hold.
“It was because all the emotions I had long held back came pouring out at once… and I…”
As she spoke, her eyes began to glisten with tears.
“Because of my selfishness, I ended up troubling you, Lord Behad. Please… please be generous and forgive this foolish girl…”
Now half-crying, her pitiful tone couldn’t have been more sorrowful.
Behad, as if he’d been waiting for this moment, spoke with a deliberately calm expression.
“No, Miss Menoruka. Of course I understand. I, too… was truly glad to see you today.”
He carefully removed a small ornament from his collar.
It was a brooch, inlaid with a finely crafted jewel.
“This originally belonged to my sister. But when I was young, I begged and pleaded until I received it as a birthday present. I treasure it deeply.”
Behad gently placed it into Menoruka’s hand.
“I’ll come back to retrieve it once things have settled down in a few days. Until then… would you keep it for me?”
It was what you’d call a token.
A promise to meet again.
“Ah…!”
Menoruka received the brooch with both hands and held it tightly against her chest as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
Her face lit up with a mixture of rapture and awe.
“Yes, yes…! I’ll keep it safe…! Even if it costs me my life!”
She looked utterly pure—and utterly blind in her devotion.
“……”
Behad simply looked at her with a complicated expression.
“Haa… I seriously never imagined something like this would happen.”
As we left the library, Behad let out a long sigh.
His face still looked tired, but at least it seemed far more at ease than before.
“……”
I walked silently beside him.
To be honest, I hadn’t imagined Behad and Menoruka would be entangled in such a complicated relationship.
That Menoruka was infatuated with Behad—that much was obvious.
But the way Behad looked just before they parted… it wasn’t as if he returned her feelings to the same extent, but it was clear that he wasn’t unaffected either.
At the very least, those weren’t the emotions you’d harbor for someone you barely crossed paths with.
“Are you all right?”
“Do I look all right?”
Behad gave a wry smile in response.
“Anyway, thanks for your help. Really… if it weren’t for you, I might’ve been stuck there all night.”
He shook his head.
After a brief silence, he was the first to speak.
“Do you want to know what happened?”
“Would it be all right for you to tell me?”
“It’s not really something worth spreading around, to be honest.”
Behad added with a bitter smile.
“But you’re not just anybody. You’re involved in many ways… so I figured it’d be fine.”
He shrugged.
“In exchange, once I’m done, I want you to be honest about something I’m curious about. Deal?”
“If it’s something I can answer.”
“Good, then…”
Behad looked up at the sky, lost in thought.
He seemed to be considering where to begin.
“Hmm… where should I start…”
Eventually, he nodded to himself and began.
“First off, the first time I met her… I mean Menoruka, was well over ten years ago. It was during the festival season of the Departure Festival, just like now.”
His voice took on a somber tone.
“Back then, I was just a little kid. And maybe you noticed, but… she didn’t look much different than she does now.”
I nodded silently.
“Anyway, by chance, I ended up helping her. She was being chased by someone at the time.”
At those words, I furrowed my brow slightly and asked,
“…She was being chased?”
A dragon, of all things?
Though I didn’t say it out loud, Behad clearly understood my thought and nodded.
“Who was it?”
I asked, and Behad hesitated.
His gaze turned hazy, like he was peering into a deep abyss.
It took a long moment before he finally spoke with difficulty.
“…Just know that what I’m about to say is absolutely not a joke.”
Behad swallowed dryly and added in a small but firm voice:
“A man without a head.”
He said again,
“It was a man without a head.”