Somehow, it felt like Ruth might run away again if things stayed as they were. Though not officially, they needed to quickly prepare a residence for him within the royal palace to keep him from escaping. It was urgent to secure his place.

Whether or not Ruth was aware of Ail’s intention to settle everything regarding him before the coming-of-age ceremony, Ruth suddenly spoke.
“Please allow me to organize my belongings myself.”
“Why?”
“Because they are my things. And some of them are important. I don’t want to leave them to someone else.”

Looking at Ruth, who seemed stubborn again, Ail felt a tinge of irritation.
“In the end, things are just things.”
“I am one of those sentimental people who assign meaning to those things. Some of them are precious to me. While they may be things Your Highness wouldn’t hesitate to burn, they hold value to me.”

Ruth’s calm but firm words made Ail feel anxious again. Strangely, the moment Ruth left this room, he kept having the sense that Ruth would slip out of his grasp. Though he had clearly seized him, and Ruth was sitting quietly before him, it felt as though he might disappear. It felt as though Ruth, who held no affection for him, might leave at any moment. Especially once the matters with Elsen were resolved, it seemed as though Ruth would abandon him, regardless of any contract or obligation.

“I’ll have someone pack your important belongings. You just need to sit quietly. You don’t need to do anything. I’ll handle everything.”
“There are things that even Your Highness cannot do.”

Hearing Ruth reiterate that there were things people could not achieve no matter how hard they tried, Ail grew truly angry this time.
“No, there’s no such thing. I’ll have everything I desire. I’ll achieve everything and take hold of everything I want. You, just stay quietly and watch. As mine, just sit by my side. Don’t try to do anything. Wear what I give you, stay where I place you, and wait for me. Don’t think unnecessary thoughts.”

Ruth gave Ail a sharp look as if to say he couldn’t possibly agree with him. With a firm tone, he retorted.
“Are you asking me to become a doll?”
“Yes. You have no personality as my possession.”

At Ail’s decisive words, Ruth found the answer to a question that had lingered in his mind. The moment Ail’s intentions became clear, Ruth understood.

Ail didn’t want him for any other reason than to subjugate him. He couldn’t tolerate Ruth’s attempt to exercise his own will and slip out of his hands. It was the stubbornness of a child and the pride and ego of someone who had everything. The arrogance of believing that nothing should escape his control and the obstinacy of not allowing such things—it was just that.

For that reason alone, Ail sought to seize someone like him, who could harm him.

A momentary dizziness overcame Ruth. His heart ached, and a fierce anger surged to his throat, but he wisely suppressed it. If Ail’s desire was merely that, he was prepared to oblige.

Clenching the clothes in his hand, Ruth asked again.
“Is that what you want?”
“Yes.”

The confirmation was unmistakable. There was no longer a need to ask or any reason to harbor doubts.
“I see. Understood.”

Ruth answered obediently and bowed his head, resigning himself. He then looked down at the clothes in his hands.

Ruth had first learned at the age of ten that life doesn’t always go as one wishes. Back then, he thought he was without greed, wanting only to live freely with his mother, sister, and friends. Looking back, that was his greatest desire, but at the time, he didn’t think it excessive, as he lived in freedom.

But at some point, he lost the freedom and peace in his hands, lost his friends, and his beloved city. He learned to compromise with life. The first method he mastered was patience.

When he failed to suppress his anger and frustration, he received only humiliation and abuse—insults about his origins, his mother, and severe psychological torment. So, he learned to endure. For the sake of those he cherished, he endured and suppressed himself, realizing the importance of restraining his emotions in any situation. This led to his unyielding patience and stubbornness.

The next lesson was relinquishment. To protect what was precious, one had to possess the wisdom to let go. He had to reject others and abandon relationships, comfort, warmth, stability, and emotional connection. He learned not to desire anything. Desire led to attachment, and attachment became thick chains dragging him down. Knowing this, he relinquished everything, even cutting off budding emotions.

The third was compliance. Patience and relinquishment alone weren’t enough. Compliance was a tool to survive safely in the world. He needed to react flexibly, appear harmless, and give the responses others desired to keep them reassured.

He had come this far for one thing: the safety of his loved ones and friends. He comforted himself, thinking he would leave for his distant homeland once they were safe. But even that hope was thwarted.

Yet his heart was calm. He had learned to accept reality quietly. What couldn’t be done simply couldn’t be done. There was no reason to exhaust himself struggling against the impossible. He would wait quietly until Ail grew tired and let go of him.

That moment would be his time of freedom.

Ruth nodded indifferently as Meril informed him that preparations in the northern palace were nearing completion. Staying confined to his room dulled his sense of time and season, leaving him feeling emotionally parched. For days now, Ail had been excessively kind to him, almost as if intoxicated by the feeling of love. Meril, who had been sent to deliver gifts from Ail and praise the new furnishings in the northern palace, also seemed unusually chatty.

“You must have been very thoughtful,” Ruth remarked, his tone flat. He felt no need to comment further. He wasn’t interested in furniture or jewelry, which he considered destined to be discarded. It seemed wasteful.

“You seem in low spirits. Have you had a disagreement with His Highness?” Meril asked cautiously. Having served Ail for eight years and known Ruth for four, Meril had never seen him so withdrawn. His concern was genuine.

“No, it’s not that. I just feel down. Don’t worry about me,” Ruth replied gently.

“Would you like me to prepare something to lift your spirits?”

“Actually, I’d like to take a walk,” Ruth said sincerely. His injuries were mostly healed, and he felt restless after days of confinement. Though he disliked the idea of being seen by his former subordinates, he felt his joints would stiffen if he stayed in his room any longer. However, Meril’s expression hardened.

“His Highness has strictly forbidden you to leave. Please be patient. Once the northern palace is fully prepared, you’ll have more freedom to move around.”

It felt like imprisonment. Ruth sighed, resigning himself to avoid making things harder for Meril. If Ail didn’t allow it, there was no way around it.

“Shall I open the window instead? The sunlight is lovely today,” Meril offered.

“No, just bring me a book. If I’m stuck here, I might as well read.”

“Any particular book you’d like?”

“A history book by Roman, if we have one.”

“Understood. Anything else?”

“No, that will do.”

Meril promptly left for the library. Left alone, Ruth glanced at the pile of gifts Ail had sent before walking to the window. He was grateful for Meril’s company; without it, confinement might have driven him mad.

As he sat by the window, staring outside, a loud voice broke his reverie. It was kamiel, arguing outside the door.

“This is urgent! I need Ruth to confirm something personally!”

“His Highness has ordered us not to let anyone in,” a guard replied.

“The coming-of-age ceremony is just around the corner. What are you going to do if something goes wrong? I’ll inform His Highness, so step aside.”

Kamiel, rarely raising his voice, was speaking loudly. Ruth, worried that something serious might actually have happened, stood from his seat and approached the door.

“That won’t do. Not only you, Deputy Commander, but even Her Majesty the Empress has ordered that the door must not be opened. Not even we are allowed inside. If it’s urgent, please relay the message to Meril.”

“But Meril isn’t here right now.”

“He went to the library; he should be back soon. Deputy Commander please, understand our situations.”

Faced with Kamiel’s intense reaction, the knights were practically begging in near-tearful voices. It was cruel to both the knights and CKmiel, so Ruth simply grasped the doorknob, turned it, and opened the door. Once open, he saw the stand-off between the knights and Kamiel.

“What’s going on, Kamiel?”

Ruth asked in a calm voice, causing the knights to cry out in alarm.

“Commander, you mustn’t step outside!”

“I’m not leaving the room, am I? Kamiel, what’s the problem?”

“It’s about His Highness’s coming-of-age ceremony arrangements. If you can’t come out, then I’ll come in. It’s urgent.”

Seeing Kamiel’s serious expression and the documents he was waving, Ruth addressed the knights in a firm tone.

“Let the Deputy Commander in. I’ll take responsibility and inform His Highness myself.”

“But—”

To the knight, still trying to protest, Ruth lowered his voice slightly and spoke in a reprimanding tone.

“This is my responsibility. Come in, Kamiel.”

The knights couldn’t easily defy Ruth’s words, given that he was their direct superior and commander until just a few days ago. Furthermore, the fact that Ruth shared intimate quarters with Ail couldn’t be ignored. Reluctantly stepping aside, the knights allowed Kamiel to confidently stride in after Ruth, who closed the door behind them. Kamiel exhaled deeply.

“This place is… stricter than His Majesty’s residence. It’s hard to even get a glimpse of you.”

Although Kamiel’s tone was half-joking, Ruth couldn’t bring himself to laugh. This place was a prison. It didn’t have chains, but it was worse than a prison.

“I couldn’t leave either. So, what’s the problem? The arrangements should already be finalized.”

Ruth sat down in the chair by the table and reached out for the documents in Kamiel’s hands. Instead, Kamiel threw the documents onto the table and bluntly said:

“There’s no problem. Kaelen is handling things well.”

Ruth gave Kamiel, seated across from him, a puzzled look.

“Then why are you here?”

“I was worried. What’s going on? Don’t tell me it’s what I think it is.”

It was a sharp question, more perceptive than a detailed guess. Ruth lowered his gaze, unable to say anything, and Kamiel, understanding that silence as confirmation, pressed his fingers against his temples.

“So, it is that. How are you holding up? Are you okay with this?”

“There’s no ‘okay’ or ‘not okay’ about it. I was the one who initiated the deal. I don’t have a choice.”

Kamiel frowned slightly, looking angry at Ruth’s resigned tone.

“This isn’t the kind of situation where you don’t have a choice. If you don’t want this, you can ask Her Majesty the Empress or Lindsay to persuade His Highness. This is absurd.”

Of all things, this was the one Kamiel couldn’t accept. He could reconcile with the idea of Ruth entering the harem if it came from mutual feelings between Ruth and Ail. But now that he knew that wasn’t the case, Kamiel was firmly against it. Ruth wasn’t someone who could endure life in a harem, and there was no reason to suffer if he didn’t love Ail. Especially if Ruth’s deal with Ail was solely to revoke Elsen’s execution order, Kamiel couldn’t let it happen. People’s lives shouldn’t be bartered away through coercion and deals.

“Ruth, you don’t have to endure something you hate. Sure, some things can be endured. But this? You don’t have to endure this. Not even for Elsen’s sake. Her Majesty doesn’t approve of you entering the harem either, so maybe—”

Having been mulling over this for days, Kamiel was now resolute that he needed to get Ruth out of the palace, even if it meant opposing Ail. Sensing this determination, Ruth cut him off.

“There’s no need for that, Kamiel.”

“What do you mean? Are you saying you’re fine staying in the palace? Living like this?”

“It won’t last long.”

Ruth spoke with a self-deprecating smile.

“His Highness is angry at me right now. It’s just his pride that’s hurt because I decided my residence without consulting him. Once this phase passes, he’ll forget about me soon enough. After the coming-of-age ceremony, he’ll ascend to the throne, and when that happens, I’ll just be in his way. He’ll abandon me without hesitation. If I provoke him by resisting, he’ll only double down out of spite.”

“…This doesn’t feel like a trivial matter.”

“It is. His Highness is only eighteen. I sometimes forget it myself, but he’s still young. He made a poor decision in the heat of the moment without considering the consequences. But once he regains his composure, he’ll realize I’m of no use to him and lose interest. Toys lose their appeal quickly once they’re in hand.”

As Ruth calmly explained, Kamiel fell silent, rethinking his approach. Ruth’s explanation sounded plausible, but Ail had escalated the matter far beyond mere caprice. The repair of the northern palace, the grand announcement of taking Ruth as a concubine—even before a formal marriage or while his fiancée was missing and presumed dead—were massive steps. It wasn’t something even a reckless prince like Ail could have done on a whim.

“Ruth, do you even understand how serious this situation is?”

“I don’t need to. Ail will handle it himself. Anyway, have there been any updates on Elsen?”

Kamiel remembered the other reason he’d barged into the room.

“Oh… right. That’s why I came too.”

“Did they catch him?”

“No, not yet. And that’s the strange part. The palace is in an uproar because he hasn’t been caught. No matter how well he’s hiding, it shouldn’t be possible to evade pursuit with that many people. They’re suspecting he might have additional help.”

“Additional help?”

“Yes. No one knows who, but that’s the speculation for now. Honestly, I don’t understand the situation myself.”

Hearing this, Ruth leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. He had also found it odd that there was no news of Elsene or Erita. If Elsen had truly fled with Erita, he would have surrendered himself by now to avoid implicating others. He wasn’t someone who would harm his family or Erita’s household.

After clenching and unclenching his fists in thought, Ruth suddenly asked Kamiel:

“Have they checked Mount Endia?”

“Mount Endia? Why?”

“Do you remember the hunting competition four years ago?”

“Of course.”

“There’s a small cave I hid in back then. I told Elsen to leave a message there if anything ever went wrong. If he’s in the capital or if something else has happened, he would’ve left something there. It’s a place only the two of us know.”

In an instant, Kamiel stood up from his seat.

“Then I’ll send someone there right away. You mean the place near the oak forest, right?”

Kamiel looked ready to rush out and dispatch someone immediately, but Ruth grabbed the hem of his clothes.

“No, you can’t send anyone else. Honestly, I should be the one to go, but I can’t even leave this room right now. And you’re the only one I trust. You have to go. If someone else gets involved, it’ll only make things more complicated.”

“Ah…”

Now that Ruth mentioned it, sending someone else carried too many risks. Even if they were trustworthy, finding the cave would be difficult. And if they discovered any trace of Elsen there, it could escalate the situation further.

“Alright. I’ll go myself.”

When Kamiel nodded and agreed, Ruth let out a sigh of relief. Seeing this, Kamiel reached out and gently ruffled Ruth’s hair.

“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. It’ll take some time to go back and forth, so I’ll take leave in a couple of days to check it out. If I find any news, I’ll let you know immediately.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

Ruth’s heavy heart lightened slightly at his friend’s comforting words. Everything was a mess, but there was still a glimmer of hope. If Elsen and Erita could be safely found and the truth about the situation revealed, there might be a way to save them. Otherwise, his deal with Ail would have been for nothing.

As Kamiel continued to ruffle his hair, Ruth reached up and held his friend’s hand, offering a faint smile for the first time in a while. Seeing that bittersweet smile, Kamiel couldn’t help but pull Ruth into a gentle embrace.

“Everything will turn out alright.”

“Yeah. It has to.”

It had to, Ruth thought. And he believed it would.