“I have two paths. One is to kill you and leave this place alone. The other is to spare you. In both cases, if I’m lucky, I’ll escape this place; if I’m unlucky, I’ll die. But either way, you will die. Whether I kill you here, or whether I survive and leave this place, your life is already over.”

Ail’s words were undeniably true. If Ail killed him here, it was clear that Ruth would die. Even if Ail spared him, if Ail died while escaping, Ruth would still die, either as a guard or for another crime he would be blamed for. And if Ail survived and decided to hold the Kaizel family accountable, Ruth would still die.

It didn’t matter; he was going to die either way. His father had probably foreseen this situation and had given him a sudden promotion for this very reason. If someone else were here instead of him, like the future consort or the son of the noble family, things would have been much more complicated. So, by placing Ruth in this position, if Ail died, his sole sacrifice would be blamed for failing to protect the Crown Prince, and if they both died, it could easily be framed as an assassination attempt on the Crown Prince.

There would be a significant stain on the family’s reputation, but as long as Tasha had the Emperor’s favor—especially now that she was pregnant—it would be impossible to wipe out the Kaizel family without a Crown Prince. Whether it was a son or a daughter, she was the only hope for them. After she gave birth, even if she had a daughter, it would be too late to punish the Kaizel family. Clearly, his father had calculated everything and raised him as Ail’s guard commander for this purpose.

Thinking this, Ruth clenched his fist. His father had never shown him affection, but he never expected to be pushed into such a dire situation. No, it was because he was his son that he was pushed. His legitimate sons, with good backgrounds, were his assets, but Ruth was just the son of an inferior concubine, and so was of no use to him.

With a sense of despair, Ruth tightly closed his eyes, and the sword that had been pointed at his neck fell away. When he opened his eyes again, Ail spoke in a relaxed tone.

“But there is one choice you can make.”

Ail’s voice had suddenly softened. His tone was now gentle, and Ruth looked at him, bewildered, as he asked in return.

“What… what is it?”

“Join me on my ship.”

“… Pardon?”

For a moment, Ruth frowned, wondering if he had misheard. But it didn’t seem like he had. Ail, with an indifferent expression, sheathed his sword and began to explain.

“Two is better than one. To escape here, I’ll need your help, no matter what. It’s obvious that I can’t escape on my own.”

That was certainly true. No matter how skilled Ail was, he was still just a fourteen-year-old boy. Even now, he was barely holding on, but it was clear that he would eventually tire.

“If you protect me, I won’t hold the Kaizel family responsible when I get out of here. I’ll just say we were unlucky and encountered bandits who targeted the nobility.”

Ruth, astonished by Ail’s audacious words, asked in a small voice, as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Why? There’s such clear evidence…”

“There’s no evidence. Only suspicion and witnesses. Besides, you’re quite useful.”

“Pardon?”

“After I leave here, I’ll be sick for a month, and I’ll keep you by my side, clinging to you. It’s something a fourteen-year-old kid who’s been through a great shock would do. Then, when I become an adult and take the throne, you’ll have to stay by my side, becoming my shield. I’ll need to be protected from those who want to harm me, hiding in your shadow. At least until then, I need you.”

Ruth responded quietly, unable to understand Ail’s intentions.

“… I don’t understand what you mean…”

“You don’t need to know the details. I’ll handle everything. And another reason is, if I were to survive and go after your family, it wouldn’t be easy. The Emperor’s affection for my mother has already waned, and my relatives are losing power. I could end up getting stabbed in the back if I stir up trouble. Fighting against the Kaizel family is still too much for me. So, I’m choosing the safer path.”

“The safer path… what do you mean?”

“I told you, you don’t need to know. Your job is to decide whether you’ll board my ship and live, or whether you’ll abandon me and choose to die.”

Ail was asking a question with an answer that was all too obvious. No one wants to die, especially not in such a meaningless way. In a situation like this, everyone would refuse such a death. The choice between life and death wasn’t really a choice—it was just a threat disguised as one.

“If that’s how you put it, of course, it’s the first option… but how can you trust me? Didn’t you say you don’t believe in human will?”

Indeed, Ail had just said a little while ago that he didn’t believe in human will or oaths. There was no way he could believe in promises. How could he want to board the same ship as Ruth, after saying that? Ruth couldn’t understand his intentions, and above all, he couldn’t bring himself to trust him.

As Ruth looked at Ail with a somewhat confrontational gaze, Ail twisted his red, captivating lips into a smile.

“Of course, I don’t believe you. That’s why Erita Jenin and Elsen Miel will become prisoners. And your precious sister and mother, too. If you betray me, it won’t end with just your death. Once we’ve made this contract, you have to keep it to the end. If you betray me, I’ll kill them all right in front of you. It will be brutal and cruel. I’ll make them die slowly.”

It wasn’t a hollow threat or an exaggeration. Ail was speaking with complete sincerity, without a hint of exaggeration or metaphor, just straightforward honesty. He wasn’t threatening Ruth; he was simply giving him a warning. He was telling him that if he betrayed him, his death wouldn’t be an easy one. So, Ail was warning him to follow his lead and do as he said.

Ruth took a step back, a chill running down his spine as he thought of the fearsome image of Ail, now seeming more like a terrifying monster than just a young boy.

Seeing the pale face of Ruth, Ail seemed to read his thoughts. He smiled faintly and shrugged as if it were no big deal.

“It’s always good to have leverage over someone. To threaten them and keep them under my control, that’s the best strategy. And depending on the situation, I might even show some kindness.”

Ruth felt his body stiffen. It was as if his blood had frozen. The guilt over Erita and Elsen, the resentment and hatred toward his father, and the fear of Ail all mixed together in his mind, causing an explosion of emotions.

Still, despite everything, Ruth swallowed hard and asked with a voice that was barely audible, “What do you mean by ‘kindness’?”

“If you successfully protect me, I will break off my engagement with Erita before I become an adult and have the official wedding. That part is up to you. If you satisfy me, I will let her go.”

It was an incredibly bold offer. This was the perfect opportunity for Ruth to fix what had gone wrong because of him.

Ruth suddenly felt a jolt of clarity.

“Will you honor the contract?”

“If you do.”

“…Alright. I will accept that contract.”

As soon as Ruth’s words ended, the sound of branches swaying in the distance reached their ears, followed by the sound of hooves. The irregular noises suggested that a small group was moving in their direction. Ruth instinctively sensed that it was an enemy force approaching, not allies. Ail seemed to sense the same, standing up and gripping the hilt of his sword.

“Your Highness, you have made the contract, right?”

“Yes.”

The conversation continued as both of them stared in the direction of the sound.

“Then you should turn around and head back the way you came on horseback. And if you encounter the army along the way, lead them here.”

Ruth, with a serious look in his eyes, drew his sword. Ail turned his gaze towards Ruth and looked up at him with a puzzled expression. Without meeting Ail’s eyes, Ruth answered his unspoken question.

“Two is better than one because one can guard the rear. I’ll buy time, so you ride and join the knights. If you’re lucky, you might survive. If you’re unlucky, you’ll die. But if we both stay here, we’ll both die.”

Ail didn’t respond to this. After all, Ail wasn’t the type to have the loyalty to die alongside Ruth. Also, it wasn’t as if they could both escape together—the horses were already exhausted. If they both tried to flee on horseback, they would be caught quickly and die together. It would be better for the smaller, lighter Ail to ride first and lead the troops. Ail understood this as well, so he didn’t argue. Rather than replying, he quickly went to the horse and mounted it, pulling the reins. Listening for the sound of the approaching hooves, Ail, seizing the perfect moment, kicked the horse’s side and left Ruth with his final words.

“Don’t die.”

Soaked by the relentless rain, Ruth barely found a small cave and entered, clutching his bleeding left arm. Once inside, he checked the surroundings once again. The sun had already set. He couldn’t clearly remember how he had escaped here. It was fortunate that he knew the terrain of the area well. It was a small cave he used to hide in during childhood when he had run away with Elsen. He used long moss from the rocks to cover the entrance, then crouched inside the small cave that was just big enough for him to sit with his back bent.

Blood continued to drip from the wound on his left arm. Judging by the fact that he could still move it, it seemed that his bones and muscles weren’t affected, but the wound had been deep. His arm, neck, chest, and thighs were all covered with shallow cuts. To be honest, he owed his survival to the sudden downpour. After Ail left, a heavy rainstorm had swept through, swelling the stream and confusing the enemies, giving Ruth the chance to find this cave, which he had often hidden in.

It was pure luck. Or perhaps misfortune. He was the type who was cursed with terrible luck.

“Heh… ha…”

A hollow laugh escaped his lips. Now that he thought about it, the first time he had fled here had been on a day like this. Of course, it was a weaker rain and still had the coldness of spring. He had come to this place to avoid the chilly drizzle while climbing the mountain. He didn’t remember the exact details, but it was probably a day when his older brother had scolded him severely. His older brother, Eilen Kaizel, appeared gentle and soft-spoken on the outside, but to Ruth, he was relentlessly cruel and terrifying. Eilen, the child born outside the family by their father, had always harassed and despised him, often blaming him for his origins. In hindsight, it was strange how he treated his mother and younger sister with kindness and generosity, yet always showed disdain for Ruth, being particularly difficult with him.

The reason for his hatred was now faint, but Ruth remembered that he had been so sick of it that he had left the mansion, ridden a horse without a destination, and ended up in the Endia Mountains. After leaving the horse at a nearby inn, he had climbed the mountain without any plan. Perhaps he had been thinking of dying. No, it seemed that was exactly what he had wanted. He had climbed the mountain with thoughts of starving to death, but when it began to rain, he had rushed into this cave to spend the night.

The night on the mountain was cold and lonely. As he trembled from the cries of all kinds of beasts that echoed in the late night, Ruth made up his mind not to think about dying again the next day when the sun rose. He was determined to push aside the hunger and the fear that had tormented him throughout the night and descend the mountain. In some ways, that day became a turning point in his life.

Ruth, who had been lying with his eyes closed, listening to the sound of rain outside, eventually opened his eyes and tore the bottom of his clothes to bind the wound on his arm. If he was lucky, he would survive with the help of the knights. If not, he would die. Either way, it didn’t matter to him. At least Ail would survive, so things wouldn’t go exactly as his father intended.

That alone was enough for Ruth. By now, both hatred and regret had faded. All that remained was exhaustion and pain. The heat from the wounds all over his body and the deep, throbbing pain that seemed to seep into his skin made him clench his teeth. Ruth, his eyes squeezed shut, waited for the pain to subside.

All he could think about was how desperately he wished the pain would disappear as quickly as possible.

It was hot and painful.

Breathing itself was a struggle.

As his mind spun from the pain, his mother’s face appeared before him. He remembered her as beautiful as a flower, her presence full of a fragrant, free-spirited air. He could almost hear her sighing softly as she sat in a small room, embroidering. His father had never truly loved his mother. He only wanted to possess her. He had wanted to trap the most beautiful woman in Karileum, who was admired by everyone and had never been captured by anyone, in his own cage to show her off. When she accepted his proposal, his sudden shift of interest to another woman was proof of how false and meaningless his affections truly were.

Ruth had loved his mother, the woman who lived freely. She had worn dazzling dresses, had men at her feet, and exchanged witty and cheerful banter like the wind. That’s why Ruth hated his father even more. If it weren’t for his younger sister, he would never have come to the Kaizel mansion.

He wanted to return. To the bustling city of his childhood, full of the scent of wine and flowers, where the women’s laughter filled the air.

He planned to return there as soon as his sister’s marriage was decided and his mother permitted it. That city would give him stability and happiness.

Perhaps he was still holding onto illusions of the brothel city where he had grown up. It had always been beautiful and glamorous, and everyone there had been smiling, so it was easy for him to remember it as a paradise. But still, he missed it so much.

He longed for it terribly. His hometown, just as much as he longed for his mother. No, that city was his mother herself. The women who lived there had raised him. He wanted to see them all again. They would give him candy when he passed by, and the pretty women, with the scent of perfume, would gently touch his cheek. The women who had cried would smile through their tear-streaked faces when they saw him, and those who had been hurt by love would always hold him and ramble on.

He missed the women who would smile just because he smiled at them. Those delicate, weak women who were endlessly kind and deep-hearted—he missed them terribly.

He wanted to go back.

He wanted to go back so badly.

He wanted to break the chains that bound him, throw off the weight on his shoulders, and run away.

He wanted to escape from this filthy, shameless world of humans to a paradise of flowers.

The reason he was sitting in this small cave in pain was because of his father. The beginning of all his misfortune was his father.

The sun had set, and the temperature was dropping with the sudden rain. Ruth’s body temperature was also gradually decreasing. The surrounding cold and the rain had soaked him, but the real reason for the drop in temperature was the blood loss. Ruth thought that the knights would not venture deep into the mountains to search for him in such a heavy rain. He would not do something so reckless if he were in their place. If he were in good condition, it wouldn’t be a problem, but in his current state, he couldn’t guarantee that he would survive until the next morning. In fact, he knew that he wouldn’t make it. Even if he managed to hold on, it would be impossible to survive the night with all the blood he had lost.

As Ail had said, it didn’t matter what happened; he was going to die anyway. Perhaps that young and clever prince even had the ability to foresee the future.

Ruth smiled wryly as these thoughts crossed his mind and closed his eyes. At the same time, he wished that he would fall asleep and die peacefully without pain. Since he was going to die anyway, he wanted to pass away quietly.

“…Ruth! Ruth!”