Ruth barely managed to lift his heavy eyelids, roused from unconsciousness by the sharp sting on his cheek and the desperate voice calling his name. As his vision cleared, the sight of Elsen’s pale, stricken face came into focus. His neatly combed brown hair was soaked as if he’d been caught in the rain, and his lips trembled. His cheeks and lips were already tinged blue.

“…Elsen…”
“Yes, are you awake?”
“How did you…?”

Before Ruth could ask how Elsen had found his, he pulled his limp body into a tight embrace. His strong arms, trembling slightly, wrapped around his shoulders, and he felt the warmth of his tears against his neck. He must have been deeply worried.

Hearing his pitiful sobs, Ruth tried to raise his hand to stroke his hair but had to lower it again as searing pain shot through his. A low groan escaped his lips, and Elsen quickly pulled away, startled.
“Are you hurt?”
“Yes… a little.”
“It’s not just ‘a little.’”

When Elsen finally noticed Ruth’s injured left arm, his already pale face grew even whiter.
“We need to treat this immediately.”

It was only then that Ruth, regaining some clarity, looked behind Elsen with dazed eyes. Though the rain had stopped, it was still dark outside. The gentle hum of insects hinted it was still night. Surely no search party would be operating at this hour—it must have been Elsen acting alone.

“Did you come here by yourself?”
“The knights wouldn’t move, so I had to. Climb onto my back. Let’s get out of here.”

Elsen removed his cloak and wrapped it around Ruth’s body. As he fastened it, Ruth suddenly remembered something important and grabbed his hand.
“What about His Highness?”
“…He’s safe. He reunited with the knights and returned straight to the villa to rest.”

Hearing Elsen’s explanation, Ruth let out a small sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness.”
“His Highness is fine. Right now, you’re the one we need to worry about. We need to get you treated.”
“It’s too much right now.”
“You can move. The rain’s let up; we’ll make it down the mountain.”
“It’ll be hard to find the path at this hour.”
“I made it here, didn’t I? I know this mountain well.”

Elsen spoke reassuringly. Feeling that everything would be alright with him, Ruth gave a small nod. Both of them were familiar with the mountain terrain—they could find a way out.

“Lean on me.”

Elsen bent his back and grabbed Ruth’s arm, helping him rise slowly. A chilling cold and sharp pain shot through him, but Ruth bit his lip and endured.

“Just hold on a little longer.”

With Elsen’s support, Ruth finally stepped out of the cave, letting out a sigh as he saw the faint moonlight. The mountain, heavy with damp air, was illuminated by the round moon. The thin drizzle sparkled in the white light, resembling falling snow. It glimmered like a midwinter snowfall under the moon’s glow, though Ruth realized it wasn’t snow—it was light descending to the earth.

Ruth gripped Elsen’s arm tightly and shook his head, trying to keep his fading consciousness together. He had to stay awake until they escaped the forest. But his head kept drooping, his strength waning.

“Ruth, stay with me.”

Elsen, holding him up, tried desperately to rouse him. Ruth also fought to keep his head upright, but his weakened body defied his will. His strength failed, and he began slipping down.

“Ruth, get on the horse. Ruth?”

Elsen grabbed the reins and spoke urgently, but before Ruth could respond, a torch appeared in the distance. Shouts and the sound of rushing air filled the forest.
“There they are!” a rough male voice roared as the pounding of hooves approached rapidly.

“Ruth, get up. Just hold on a bit longer.”

As the cacophony grew closer, Ruth gritted his teeth and struggled to open his eyes. Just then, the sharp whistle of an arrow pierced the air.

A distant torch fell, and soon more arrows followed, extinguishing the lights approaching them. The torches had served as perfect targets.

Then came the rhythmic pounding of hooves—a sound of discipline and precision. It was the trained soldiers, their orderly movement unmistakable, heading directly toward them. Relieved, Ruth’s body slackened. Somehow, the knights had moved to find him after all.

It was a stroke of luck—Ruth’s life spared, and Elsen saved from sharing his fate. Both were beyond grateful.

Elsen, who was cradling Ruth beside the horse, quickly bowed his head as the figure leading the approaching knights came into view. Elsen had indeed deserted without authorization. After protesting the commander’s decision not to send a rescue team due to the late hour and the rain, he had stormed out on his own. He knew it was reckless to search the mountain at such a time, but he was confident he could find Ruth. He was certain he would be in the small cave he had always retreated to when he ran away during their childhood.

That certainty, however, had not convinced the other knights. Accepting this, Elsen had resigned himself to facing punishment, only to discover that the knights had followed him shortly after his departure. What surprised him more was that the person leading the rescue party was not the commander but Ail himself.

Under the soft moonlight, Ail’s red hair glistened, wet from the rain, its striking color so vivid it seemed unnatural. The droplets falling from his hair were clear, not bloodstained, despite its intense crimson hue. Ail, standing under the moonlight, appeared both chillingly cold and hauntingly captivating. His pale face, sharp and sculpted, seemed almost like an icy statue.

Elsen bowed his head even lower, averting his gaze, and confessed his guilt.
“Your Highness, I deserve punishment for leaving the knights without authorization. However, please allow me to move Ruth first. His injuries are severe.”

Tightening his grip on Ruth’s limp body, Elsen spoke with urgency. Ail’s cold voice fell like frost.
“…Let go.”

The subject and object of Ail’s command were omitted, but his words were unmistakable. Elsen lifted his head in confusion.
“Pardon?”
“I said let go of Ruth Kaizel. Kamiel, take the Commander.”

Only then did Elsen notice Kamiel standing behind Ail. It seemed Kamiel had come straight from the royal palace upon hearing the grim news. After all, the enemy’s entire knight order had gathered on the mountain.

Elsen remained motionless for a moment, prompting Kamiel to dismount and approach him. Taking Ruth into his arms, Kamiel reassured Elsen softly.
“Don’t worry. Ruth will be alright.”

After calming Elsen, Kamiel gently woke Ruth and hoisted him onto the horse, climbing up behind him to secure his position. Though the terrain wasn’t overly rugged, it was unsuitable for a carriage or stretcher. As Ruth’s body kept slipping, Kamiel steadied him firmly before gripping the reins. Ail, looking down at Elsen, spoke coldly.
“The punishment for deserting the knights will be handled by your commander. Let’s move down the mountain.”

Without another word, as if the matter wasn’t worth further discussion, Ail turned his horse and rode back the way he came. Kamiel followed, gesturing for Elsen to mount his own horse. Elsen quickly obeyed, falling into step with the knights’ procession.

It was a summer night bathed in moonlight, painting the world in silvery white.

—

Time crawled forward, even more so when confined to a sickbed.

A month later, Ruth finally donned his uniform again, his left arm still immobilized in a sling strapped from shoulder to chest. Leading four knights, he walked through the gilded palace corridors. Despite his lingering injuries from the hunting tournament, Ruth had pushed himself to recover and return to the knight order as soon as possible. The reason for this urgency was simple: he needed to meet Ail and confirm something.

Two nights ago, while recuperating at the Kaizel estate, Ruth had received unexpected news from his mother. Jessie Errington had proposed to Ruth’s younger sister, Leia. Though Ruth had momentarily forgotten due to his illness, he remembered that he had entered into a peculiar agreement with Ail. He needed to find out if Jessie’s proposal was part of Ail’s plans. And if it was, he had to understand what Ail was thinking.

Ruth also needed to confront Ail about the gifts and letters that had been sent daily during his convalescence. Ail, who always seemed indifferent toward humans, had sent him flowers, peculiar notes, and strange trinkets. It was so out of character that Ruth’s father and brother had relentlessly questioned him about his relationship with Ail, leaving Ruth thoroughly exasperated.

“What kind of tune is he playing? I can’t dance without knowing the melody,” Ruth muttered under his breath as he sighed. Before he knew it, he had arrived at Ail’s chamber.

Nodding politely to the knights standing guard outside, Ruth asked a steward to announce his presence. The steward knocked on the door and waited for a response. Soon, Ail’s resonant voice rang out.
“What is it?”

“Commander Ruth Kaizel is here,” the attendant announced.

As Ruth waited for Ail’s response, the door suddenly flew open, and a boy with fiery red hair darted out, throwing himself into Ruth’s arms.
“Welcome!”

Startled by the unexpected greeting, Ruth looked down at the boy clinging to him. In just a month, the boy had grown noticeably taller, his frame more solid and defined. The rate of his growth was astonishing.
“Oh, uh… I apologize for causing you concern…”
“It’s fine. As long as you’re healthy. Come in. Meril, prepare some refreshments.”

Ail’s warm, almost excessive welcome—personally running out, hugging him, and then pulling him by the hand into his room—left Ruth questioning if he was dreaming. Ail’s behavior was unusually reminiscent of an ordinary boy his age. It felt oddly out of character for him.

What on earth had happened in the past month? Did Ail hit his head or something? As these thoughts swirled in Ruth’s mind, he entered the room. The moment the door clicked shut, Ail let go of Ruth’s hand, stepping back. Ruth stole a glance at him, and a quiet sigh of relief escaped his lips. Standing before him was the same cold and impassive prince he had seen a month ago.

“You returned sooner than I expected,” Ail said, his voice low and devoid of warmth. He didn’t even look directly at Ruth, his demeanor entirely transformed. Ruth silently admired Ail’s impressive ability to act. As expected, people don’t change so easily.

“Take a seat. I was going to bring this matter to you regardless. If you hadn’t returned soon, I would have gone to the Keisel estate myself.”

Ruth thought to himself that it was a good thing he had returned when he did. If Ail had shown up at his family’s estate, it would have been a disaster—not just an inconvenience, but an outright catastrophe.

As he slowly sat in the chair Ail had indicated, Ruth composed himself and spoke calmly.
“Before that, there’s something I’d like you to answer for me.”

Meeting Ail’s gaze directly, Ruth’s voice was steady. Ail leaned back in his chair, a cold smile playing on his lips.
“You’re amusing.”
“What is?”
“A month ago, you would tremble like a leaf just at the sight of me, barely able to meet my eyes. And now, you’re speaking to me so confidently.” Ail chuckled. “Fascinating. You used to fear me—so much so that you couldn’t even look me in the eye.”

It seemed Ail had been acutely aware of Ruth’s previous behavior. His sharp observational skills were impressive. With no reason to deny it, Ruth replied calmly.
“At the time, I really was afraid of Your Highness. You weren’t the kind of person I could deal with easily.”
“And now?”
“Now that we’ve entered into a contract, binding each other with our weaknesses, there’s nothing to fear. We stand on equal footing.”

At Ruth’s explanation, Ail’s eyes gleamed with amusement as he laughed again.
“You really are fascinating. That’s exactly why I chose you. Even though you were trembling like a frightened kitten back then, you had eyes that couldn’t betray someone. You’re too scared to even think of betrayal.”

Ail’s assessment was painfully accurate. Ruth muttered with a bitter tone.
“That’s not exactly a compliment I enjoy hearing.”

“So, what do you want to ask me?”

“I heard that Lord Jesse proposed to my younger sister. While my family welcomes the connection to the royal house, I’m curious if this was Your Highness’s intention.”

“It was my intention. The more hostages, the better. Besides, Jessie may be a bit frivolous, but he’s a good guy. He’s not a bad match for your sister. He has no interest in power struggles, no grand ambitions, but he has sufficient wealth and the backing of his family name. They can live a quiet, comfortable life. Most importantly, he’s someone who knows how to value others.”

Public opinion about Jessie was indeed favorable. He was known to be straightforward, cheerful, and easygoing. While he had a tendency to enjoy gossip, he wasn’t foolish enough to cause trouble. As Ail said, Jessie was an ideal match for noblewomen seeking a peaceful life rather than the glamour of court.

“Then why did you send me flowers?”

“To court you. Well, to pretend to, at least.”

At the word court, Ruth furrowed his brow.
“Excuse me?”

“If I act like I’m hopelessly infatuated with you, your family will feel secure, and for the time being, they won’t dare make a move against me. From here on, it’s up to you. Just play along and accept me at a reasonable distance.”

“So, when you told me to act as a shield, this is what you meant?”

“Exactly.”

“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to meet Your Highness’s expectations.”

“You’ll have to. Otherwise, the hostages might be in danger.”

“That’s a threat.”

“How impudent. But I’ll overlook it since, in many ways, you’re essential to me. All you need to do is serve as my link to humanity. Dealing with people still feels awkward to me.”

As soon as Ail finished speaking, a knock sounded at the door. When Ail granted permission to enter, the attendant stepped in, carefully carrying a silver tray with tea and fruits, placing them on the table. Ail watched the attendant’s movements silently before issuing a softer order.
“Bring me the red box on the table next to the bed.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Curious about the box’s contents, Ruth’s attention sharpened as he waited. The attendant, moving quietly across the room, returned with a box covered in red silk and placed it before Ail. Ail then gave another instruction.
“Let no one into the room. Not even you, until I call.”

“Understood.”

With a low voice, the attendant acknowledged the command, bowed, and left the room. Ruth’s gaze remained fixed on the red box. It was the kind of box noble families used to store precious jewels. Was Ail about to present him with a ring or necklace? Feeling a twinge of anxiety, Ruth kept staring at the box as Ail opened it with a sly smile.

“Let’s start with a game of cards first, shall we?”