As Ruth watched the bandages, the blood began to spread more vividly. It seemed that he had gripped the pendant too tightly. He thought the wound was almost healed, but it started bleeding again, and he felt uneasy. The fact that the injury caused by Ail wouldn’t heal kept bothering him. He wished the wound would heal soon so that the memories of him would fade, but the constant reopening of the wound felt like a reminder of him, and it made him angry.

“Looks like the wound is pretty bad. How did you get hurt? I thought it was just a scratch.”
In response to Elsen’s question, Ruth answered with the example Kamiel had given.
“I fell while holding a piece of glass.”
“Huh? You can be that stupid?”
“Sometimes, I cram all my dumb moments into one year.”
“That must hurt.”
“It’s bearable.”

In truth, Ruth didn’t feel much pain at all. It just stung a little. Without much thought, he arrived at the door to his assigned room with Elsen and grabbed the doorknob without hesitation, pushing the door open.

“By the way, did you get a letter from Kasha? That guy…”

As Ruth was about to tell Elsen about the message from Kasha, he noticed Elsen’s face go pale. He stopped walking.
“Elsen? What’s wrong?”

Despite Ruth’s question, Elsen didn’t respond and simply bowed his head, facing forward.
“Why…?”

With a strange feeling, Ruth turned his gaze toward the room. He saw Ail sitting inside, and he fell silent. Ail, sitting with his legs up on the table, looked at Ruth and smiled warmly.
“Welcome. It seems Miel’s deputy is with you.”

Although Ail’s tone was gentle, his voice was low and heavy. Ruth stiffened at the chillingly cold voice, which sent a shiver down his spine. It was strange that Ail, who should have been in the ballroom, was in his room, and his expression didn’t look good. In fact, it wasn’t just not good—it looked like he could tear him apart in an instant.

Ruth couldn’t shake off the eerie feeling and stood frozen, bowing his head.
“What’s going on? I thought you were still at the ballroom.”
“I didn’t see you, so I thought I should come up. Miel’s deputy can come in too.”
“No, Ruth seemed to have hurt his hand, so I followed him up to check. I’m glad to see you’re here, Your Majesty. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Alright then.”

Ail still smiled kindly as he waved at Elsen, who glanced at Ruth before quickly turning around and leaving. As Ruth heard Elsen’s footsteps fading away, his body stiffened. The farther Elsen’s footsteps grew, the closer he felt to hell. Being left alone with Ail in a room felt like a fate worse than hell.

He felt suffocated. His heart ached.

“You’re quite affectionate with Elsen.”
Ail’s tone had grown harsh. Ruth, feeling helpless, closed the door behind him without any resistance.
“He’s an old friend.”

Ruth answered in a slightly shaky voice, avoiding Ail’s gaze. The sight of him with Salina was still fresh in his mind, and he feared he would say something strange if he looked at him. To distract himself, Ruth began reciting military tactics in his mind.

He needed to think of something else. He couldn’t waver in front of him.

“Your acting is so awkward, I can’t stand it. Try to be more natural, like you are with Elsen.”
Ail’s tone was clearly teasing, looking for a flaw.

“Your Majesty is not Elsen.”
Ruth purposely spoke in a stiff manner, trying to focus on memorizing the tactics. But no matter how much he tried, the sentences wouldn’t come out. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, and he couldn’t get past one sentence. It felt like his brain had shut down.

“So, you’re telling me to ‘pretend’?”
Ail rose from his seat, making Ruth flinch.

“Your Majesty, I’m not good at pretending, like I am with Elsen.”

Ruth’s head felt like a blank canvas, and he struggled to recall the next line but couldn’t.

“Why? Oh, is it because I don’t know you well enough? I didn’t know you barely passed your basic subjects.”

Ail’s voice, with its mocking tone, made Ruth’s body tremble. He had a feeling now. If Ail was speaking so surely, he must have overheard their conversation in the garden.

“Did you overhear what we were saying?”
Ruth asked, glaring at Ail, who was now standing right in front of him. His cold eyes were fixed on him, and without realizing it, he took a step back toward the door.

His hands clenched tightly behind his back, and his shoulders trembled. It felt like he had done something terribly wrong. Although Ail had eavesdropped, Ruth couldn’t help but feel guilty, like he had done something shameful.

Before he knew it, Ail was right in front of him, and his hands braced against either side of the door. Ruth inhaled sharply, and suddenly a sweet floral scent surrounded him. It was Salina’s scent.

“Please move.”
Ruth couldn’t stand the smell. He couldn’t bear the thought of beautiful Salina laughing beside Ail.

But Ail simply ignored Ruth’s request and moved even closer, whispering into his ear.
“But the thing I didn’t know was how reckless you are.”

It was an insult. A direct attack on Ruth’s character. As Ruth stared at Ail’s eyes, he couldn’t look away. They were close enough for their breaths to mingle.

The golden eyes that had pulled him in from the first time they met shone brightly, and Ruth couldn’t help but stare at them, mesmerized. They were a light that no jewel could compare to, so noble and dazzling that he lost herself in them.

“I can’t replace his time, but during this week, this festival, you must fulfill your duties as my lover. Pretend to love me. Smile as if you’re happy, look at me and smile. And whisper that you love me. After all, this time is a mirage. When the festival is over, it will be forgotten. Love me during this time. That’s an order.”

One week out of the year. Any love that happens during this time is never acknowledged. It’s time that must be discarded, a fleeting love that appears like a mirage and disappears without a trace.

It’s a love for which no one will be held accountable.