No, it’s an illusion that disappears as though it never existed in the first place.

Despite the tempting offer from the charismatic Ail, Ruth couldn’t bring himself to answer immediately and kept his gaze fixed on Ail’s eyes.

Ruth wasn’t sure he could grasp the fleeting dream of a week that everyone experiences. He feared the emptiness that would follow once that short moment passed. The pain of holding something in his hands only for it to vanish like the wind was unbearable.

How could something that once existed just disappear?
How could the passionate feelings that once burned in his chest vanish as though they never existed?
How could he pass by someone he had cherished so deeply as if they were a stranger?

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t easily forget and move on.

Thinking it was something that could never happen, Ruth lowered his gaze and responded firmly without looking at Ail.
“It’s impossible. I… can’t do something like that.”

A brief silence followed. Ail remained silent, his gaze still fixed on Ruth’s face. Ruth, feeling as if his heart was being pierced by that gaze, closed his eyes and bowed his head. Ail’s breath was close to his forehead. The sensation made Ruth’s heart flutter, and he tensed his body as he waited for Ail’s response.

He was waiting for this hellish moment to end.

“Seems you’ve misunderstood.”

After a long pause, Ail’s voice broke the silence, and Ruth opened his eyes. Ail continued.

“I’m not asking you to love me. What I mean is, for the week, act like the perfect lover. Don’t tell me you thought I was begging for your love?”

Ail’s words, dripping with sarcasm, pierced Ruth’s heart. His words were like daggers, tearing at his heart.

“Don’t get it wrong, Ruth Kaizel. Our contract is not over yet. And this is not a request, it’s an order. It’s a time that will disappear anyway. A dream that will be buried in memory, never to be remembered by anyone. Act like a real lover, smile, look at me, and say you love me. You don’t have the right to refuse. If you even think of truly loving me, don’t start this at all. Even if you say it’s genuine, I’ll throw away that kind of love cleanly.”

The cold blade of those words tore at his heart. Blood dripped from him. He felt as though his heart was stopping, about to die.

“Rest. We’ll be climbing the mountain early tomorrow.”

Ail’s breath, once against Ruth’s forehead, receded. Ail moved to the side, opened the door, and disappeared outside.

Once he was gone, Ruth finally relaxed. His shoulders slumped, and his legs gave way as he barely managed to lean against the door.

Left alone in the room, Ruth stared vacantly at the empty air.

He could hear the sound of blood dripping. Somewhere deep in the darkness, droplets of blood fell.

This was hell.

The first day of the hunting tournament had arrived. Ruth, who had spent a sleepless night, looked around at the members of the Third Knights. The tournament itself lasted only one day, so all the knights were mobilized. Ruth, too, was assigned to stay by Ail’s side all day.

When the knights saw Ruth’s pale, exhausted face, they whispered among themselves, some even giggling. Ruth knew exactly what they were talking about, but he didn’t care. It was too much of a bother to think about.

“Kaelen, is the team assignment complete?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’ll take the left side. I’ll guard the right.”
“Understood.”

After all, Ail didn’t actually hunt. The sharpness he once had at fourteen seemed to have disappeared. In the past three years, his hunting skills had deteriorated. The arrows would always hit trees or rocks, and sometimes they would even plummet to the ground. Because of this, the knights guarding Ail had little to do. They just wandered around the edges of the hunting grounds, like they were on a leisurely stroll. In fact, many of the knights who had guarded Ail for three years had started seeing the hunting tournament as a day for walking. Some even said they found it more comfortable when they were at the palace.

The garden of the temporary palace was filled with noble carriages. After enjoying last night’s ball, the women were still deep in their late-morning slumber, while the men, dressed in hunting attire, led their escort knights. Ruth glanced around the area and, amidst the groups of people boasting about their bows and arrows, spotted Elsen and offered a weak smile.

Elsen, who had been assigned as a guard for the temporary palace rather than an escort, was also in uniform, not hunting attire. When he spotted Ruth, he waved. As Ruth weakly smiled in return, the atmosphere in the garden suddenly grew quiet, and turning around, he saw, as expected, Ail walking out of the building.

At the sight of Ail, dressed in his forest-green hunting attire adorned with golden banners, everyone in the garden bowed in greeting, and he leisurely walked toward them. The summer sun shone down on his short hair. The intense, blood-red clarity of the sunlight almost made Ruth dizzy, and he held back the sharp pain, stiffening his expression.

Ail, holding a bow and a quiver of arrows, walked over with Meril and two attendants. He briefly glanced at the four horses prepared for him and chose the second one before mounting it. Unlike usual, Ail moved without saying a word, and Ruth, aware of his awareness, nodded toward the knights behind them to prepare. Just as Ruth was about to mount his own horse, Ail spoke.

“Meril, the bow.”

Ail reached out his hand, and Meril passed him the bow. The other attendants quickly loaded arrows into the quiver hanging by the saddle.

“This bow is stiff; it’s new.”

Ail muttered as he gently pulled the bowstring. Looking down slightly at Ruth, he smiled coldly. The smile was so chilling it made Ruth’s heart shrink. When Ruth lifted his head in confusion, Ail, now ready with an arrow, nocked it and gently pulled the string back.

It was common to adjust the tension of the string and aim several times when using a new bow, so Ruth simply watched Ail’s actions without thinking much. The garden remained quiet, as Ail had not yet made any announcements. The young nobles, their attendants, and the escort knights all waited in silence, bending their waists in anticipation of his command.

After aiming at something in the distance, Ail pulled the string, and Ruth began to feel uneasy. Although Ail still trained with the bow and sword, he had always been half-hearted. As Ruth began to approach him to speak, a sound broke the silence.

“Your Highness, I…”

Before the sentence could finish, the arrow suddenly shot from the bow. A scream rang out in every direction. Ruth, watching the arrow fly through the air, had to stifle the scream that threatened to escape.

“Ah, my hand slipped. It’s been a while.”

Ail muttered shamelessly. Ruth couldn’t help but suspect whether it was truly a mistake. The arrow had narrowly missed Elsen’s cheek, grazing it before embedding itself in the nearby tree.

A scar from the arrow left a mark on Elsen’s left temple. His face was frozen in shock, and Ruth, pale, looked at Elsen. Ail, on the other hand, seemed pleased and shouted joyfully.

“Alright, everyone, let’s head out. The hunt begins.”

Ruth, momentarily distracted by concern for Elsen’s injury, was soon amazed by Ail’s archery skills as he shot down game with perfect precision. It was impossible to believe that this was the same man who had missed every shot in previous hunting tournaments. With clean, accurate shots, Ail pierced the hearts of his targets. Ruth shuddered slightly at the coldness of his skill.

Although he couldn’t understand why Ail was suddenly so focused on the hunt, Ruth now knew for certain that the arrow aimed at Elsen had not been an accident—it was intentional. The question was, why had Ail done it?

Ruth frowned as he watched the arrows fly straight toward their targets, piercing them without deviation. He still couldn’t watch the dying creatures, their last cries and eyes full of sorrow, as it made him feel guilty and pained. He couldn’t bear it—he was too empathetic.

“Your Highness, that’s the sixth one,” Meril shouted, unable to contain his excitement.

Ail smiled, his face glowing with a childlike joy.

“Feels good, so the arrows are on target. I had a lot of fun last night.”

Ail said this, glancing at Ruth with a meaningful look. Ruth felt confused, unsure of Ail’s intentions. Although Ail seemed pleased, Ruth couldn’t shake the feeling that something was deeply twisted about him.

“It seems like you had an enjoyable night. Your archery skills don’t seem to have dulled at all.”

“Indeed. What do you think, Ruth?”

Ruth, caught off guard by the sudden question, answered bluntly.

“… Your aim is precise, and there is no wobble in your bow. Excellent.”

“But don’t you think it’s more accurate at night? My shots are stronger at night.”

“I’ve never seen you shoot at night, so I wouldn’t know…”

Ruth’s foolish answer, not fully understanding Ail’s joke, made Ail burst into laughter. Meril and Kaelen, too, chuckled softly. Ruth, initially puzzled, suddenly realized the meaning behind Ail’s words and his face turned bright red.

He felt like a fool.

“It seems that the commander Kaizel is still innocent. I thought you’d be clever, being from Vera.”

Meril casually teased, but Ruth felt uncomfortable. Not only was his origin being mentioned, but he was also being subjected to sexual jokes. Moreover, the embarrassment of being mocked in front of his subordinates was something Ruth despised.

“Meril, enough. The commander’s face is going to burn. I’ll be the one who’ll miss that beautiful face,” Ail said, laughing as he teased Ruth.

Although Ail’s mocking bothered Ruth, there was some strange comfort in the way Ail smiled at him. After parting last night, Ruth had been troubled by Ail’s behavior, but now he seemed fine. No, in truth, Ail had been fine yesterday as well. Ruth was the one who had been torn up.

A small lump of frustration sat in Ruth’s chest, and he knew what it was. But he was deliberately ignoring its true nature.

He shouldn’t acknowledge it. If he did, it would destroy his fate.

He had to bury it deep within, wrapped up tight, hidden in the corner of his heart. It wasn’t because it was precious, but because it was too terrifying to confront.

“If you win today’s hunt, I’ll give you the jewel that goes to the winner. Cheer up.”

Ail spoke in a tone so sweet it almost made Ruth’s heart ache, as if he were talking to a true lover. Despite knowing it wasn’t genuine, Ruth felt his heart race at the sweetness of his tone. He gripped the reins tightly to suppress the pain in his chest and bowed his head silently.

Ail, smiling as if Ruth were cute, turned his gaze away.

“Take a break for a moment.”

The sound of water could be heard. As Ruth turned toward it, he saw a small stream flowing. It wasn’t rainy season, so the flow was small, but the water was clear. Relieved by the coolness of the stream after the heat of the morning, Ruth was about to dismount when Ail suddenly leapt off his horse.

Normally, knights dismount first to wait for their lord, but Ail, unexpectedly, approached Ruth, taking his arm.

“Be careful when you get down.”

Ruth, startled, leaned on Ail’s arm as he got off the horse. Before his feet touched the ground, Ail’s hand rested on his waist, making him flush with the heat of Ail’s touch. They had often brushed against each other lightly, but this was the first time Ail had his hand on Ruth’s waist like this.

It felt dizzying.

“Meril, give the horses some water. I’ll take a walk with the commander.”

Ail said, holding Ruth’s waist as they walked toward the stream. Ruth followed silently as Ail led him along the mountain path. After some time, Kaelen dismounted, his voice heard organizing the knights. Ruth, confident that Kaelen would handle things, approached the stream. The air around it felt cooler, and Ruth breathed deeply, relieved by the crisp mountain air.

Despite the scorching sun, the air was fresh and pleasant. As Ruth relaxed and looked around, Ail suddenly asked:

“Why did you join the knights?”

Ruth, caught off guard by the question, stared blankly at Ail, who asked again.