After saying that, Jessie stood up, as if he had nothing else to discuss. Kamiel also got up from his seat and, as Jessie told him there was no need to see him off, Jessie walked briskly toward the door. Just before opening it, he turned slightly and looked back.

“In case it comes to that… if Ruth Kaizel’s entry into the harem isn’t his own will, what will you do?”

Kamiel deliberately avoided eye contact with Jessie’s cryptic question. However, Jessie persisted.

“If Ruth Kaizel is being forced into the harem because of Elsen, you, as his friend, must be heartbroken, right? If you want to find a way out, you can come to me. I won’t harm you or your friends.”

After leaving those words, Jessie turned the doorknob, opened the door, and left the office. Kamiel was left even more troubled by Jessie’s mysterious visit.

What exactly was going on, and if, as Jessie suggested, Ruth had been forced into the harem against his will, what was he supposed to do? Kamiel squeezed his eyes shut. The weight of concern for his friends’ well-being and the complicated political situation weighed heavily on his chest. Meeting Ruth was his top priority. And if all of this was not Ruth’s own decision, he would have to find a way to save him.

Even if it meant turning his back on Ail, Kamiel vowed that he would save them.

After their meal, late into the night, Ail was lying in bed, holding Ruth while going over some documents. Ruth, leaning against Ail’s shoulder, couldn’t help but read the documents, which were filled with detailed information. Ruth was astonished by the level of detail, not only about the internal changes within Karileum, but also the political situations of other countries and small issues within the imperial family. Wondering where Ail had gotten such an extensive network of information, Ruth glanced at him, and Ail gently stroked Ruth’s hair.

Seeing this, Ruth fell into deep thought. Last night had passed so quickly, and today he had been too ill to think properly, but as the pain subsided, his mind began to fill with questions.

Why had Ail embraced him like that, and why had he made such a proposal? If it was for the situation after the coming-of-age ceremony, the right thing to do would have been for Ail to deal with him. That was the natural course. That was why Ruth had made plans to leave first. If he didn’t leave, it was too obvious that Ail would deal with him. So why was Ail trying to keep him, even when Ruth had already decided to leave?

The coming-of-age ceremony was just around the corner. In terms of what would come after, it would be better for Ail to deal with him now. But why go to such lengths to keep him, even repairing the northern palace? The reason for that was something Ruth couldn’t shake.

More than anything, what Ruth was most curious about was Ail’s intentions. Even if all Ruth had to offer was his body, Ail, being a man, wouldn’t have embraced him for such a reason. Ail could have done anything he wanted by now, but he hadn’t touched him. So, it wasn’t out of lust for Ruth’s body. Moreover, if it was simply to keep him, there was no need to embrace him. Ruth couldn’t make sense of why Ail would have held him just to keep him.

Everything was a confusing mess. Why had Ail embraced him, and why was he trying to keep him? Ail must have another reason, but Ruth couldn’t figure it out. Ruth was just a burden by his side, and he was of no help. Especially if Ail planned to destroy the Kaizel family one day, Ruth knew that he was powerless. Ail knew better than anyone that he was a son abandoned by his own family, and he knew Ruth had no value as a hostage.

If Ail was angry because his pride had been hurt by Ruth’s independent actions, killing him would be the easiest solution. Ail could come up with any excuse, and as someone in a position of power, he could easily kill Ruth. So why make things so complicated?

No matter how much he thought about it, nothing made sense.

What was Ail thinking?

While Ruth continued pondering, Ail, who had been looking at him, suddenly asked.

“How’s your back?”

“Huh?” Ruth replied, confused.

“How’s your waist?”

“Ah… I’m fine.”

“Then you can do it.”

Before Ruth could ask what, Ail, who had placed the document he was holding on the table next to the bed, turned and kissed Ruth who was resting his head on his arm. Ruth tried to pull away, startled by the light and gentle kiss. But Ail persistently explored his lips, pressing him down.

The lips that had lightly touched at first soon pressed down strongly, forcing his lips open with his tongue. Ruth tried to push Ail’s shoulder away with his hand and separate their lips from the foreign object stirring in his mouth, but it was impossible to stop him pressing down from above. Meanwhile, Ail’s hand went below his waist and grasped between his legs.

Ruth, startled, resisted strongly this time, and Ail pulled away with a displeased expression.

“Why?”

“I, I still.. hurt…,”

Ruth said, trembling slightly, still not over the shock of the penetration from the night before. Ail soothed him, kissing his eye.

“I won’t put it in, so just stay still.”

Ail gently overlapped their lips, whispering sweet words, but Ruth was tense. He said he wouldn’t put it in, but the pain from yesterday was too great, and he couldn’t bring herself to yield. He knew he had no right to refuse, but he was afraid.

“It was your first time yesterday, right?”

Ail, who had been kissing his eye, now licked his neck, asking that. Ruth was too busy catching his breath from the tingling sensation to answer. Ail, after waiting a moment, bit hard into Ruth’s neck.

“Ugh!”

It seemed like he had bitten hard enough to leave a wound. Ruth shook his head, tensing his shoulders.

“I haven’t been with anyone else.”

“Really? No one has touched here – you mean no one has ever touched you?”

Ail’s hand, gripping Ruth’s genitals through his clothes, made Ruth frown in pain.

“Really, no one has ever touched you? You’ve never been with a woman either?”

Ail, who had been holding his genitals, let go and put his hand inside the thin chemise. Ruth trembled at Ail’s hand touching his bare skin. It was due to the pain and the pleasure that remained in his mind.

“When I was younger… sometimes senior knights would call me to their rooms and make me touch their things, but I never did that.”

It was unavoidable. In the knights’ quarters, full of men, the officially knighted men sometimes called young trainees to their rooms and had them touch or lick their genitals. Sometimes, they even penetrated them, he heard. Ruth, due to his good looks, had been called by a few. Fortunately, thanks to his family, not just anyone could do that to him.

“Who was it?”

Ail’s hand, which had gone inside the chemise, went between Ruth’s buttocks. The pain that struck his body instantly made Ruth gasp and twist.

“It still, hurts. There…,”

“I asked who touched you. Who was it?”

Ail pressed his finger hard on the sensitive area that was still wounded, ignoring Ruth’s plea. Ruth, with tears in his eyes, shook his head in agony.

“Answer me. Who touched you?”

Ail was persistently trying to find out. He didn’t know why it was so important, but he seemed quite curious.

“…. I don’t remember because I was so young. It was a long time ago.”

“You can’t forget something like that easily?”

Ail’s finger went hard into the narrow hole between his buttocks. It wasn’t rough, but the area was still wounded from yesterday, and even that one finger felt unbearable, sending a tingling pain through his body.

It felt like torture. Like he was a criminal being forced to confess.

“Really… I don’t remember. It was common in the knights’ order… I didn’t need to worry about it.”

“Hmph, you didn’t worry about something like that… that’s ridiculous. Is that your nature? You don’t care if another man touches you?”

“That’s not it… Ugh!”

Ruth, once again hit by the finger stirring inside him, grabbed Ail’s arm and began to plead earnestly.

“It really hurts. Stop.”

Ruth said that with slightly teary eyes, and Ail finally twisted his lips into a smile and pulled his finger out.

“You’re crying over something like that… Are you too weak to handle pain?”

“It’s different from breaking an arm or leg.”

“You can endure a broken arm or leg, but you can’t endure being penetrated? In terms of pain intensity, isn’t it similar?”

“There’s also a mental aspect to it.”

Ruth replied with a bitter expression, and Ail, as if he understood, completely removed his hand from his buttocks. Instead, he put his lips on his neck and slowly began to knead other parts of his body. It seemed he was going to do everything except penetration. Feeling that this wouldn’t end easily, Ruth thought, ‘At least he’s not going to penetrate me,’ and decided to accept Ail’s actions as they were, relaxing his body.

***

The next day, when Ruth opened his eyes, he was greeted by a mountain of clothes. Seeing the piles of clothes that the servants had stacked up, Ruth thought for a moment, “What is this?” before realizing it was his clothes and sighed
“I had the tailor who makes your knight’s uniform take your measurements and make these. They should fit you roughly. You can’t keep wearing my chemise, so make do with these for now.”

Ail casually tossed the top garment from the pile to him. It was made of a very high-quality fabric, despite his indifferent tone. The decorations and stitching on the clothes were clearly done by a master craftsman, but Ruth didn’t point it out. He figured he was paying attention because of his position, so it was natural. It wouldn’t be fitting for the concubine of the Crown Prince to walk around in shabby clothes. And since he had to start moving around today, he had no reason to refuse the clothes.

“Thank you.”

Ruth accepted the clothes and replied. Ail looked at his face for a moment. It was a gesture that implied suspicion. Knowing that Ail was a suspicious person, Ruth silently endured his gaze. Then, Ail couldn’t hold back and spoke first.

“Why are you so docile?”

Surprised by the question, Ruth unconsciously snorted.

“…Do you dislike it?”

“No.”

Ail, who had flatly denied it, continued to stare at Ruth intently. His gaze felt prickly, but Ruth didn’t bother to look at him. If he asked why he was so docile, Ruth had no answer. If he told him the truth, that he had given up everything because of him, he would get angry. And if he gave a flimsy lie, he would surely be caught.

“I know that if I struggle, I’ll only tire myself out. There are things in this world that no matter how hard you try, you can’t change. If something is impossible, it’s wise to give up beforehand and retreat. I don’t want to waste my energy.”

Ail knew what Ruth meant by “impossible.” Thanks to being caught by Ail and forced to stay in the palace, Ruth was talking about the things he would lose in his own way. It was impossible anyway.

“It’s good that you know.”

Ruth had no way to escape, no matter what he did. So, it would be wise to accept reality and adapt, Ail had been about to say, but he stopped because it seemed like Ruth himself knew better than anyone else. As Ruth had said, if this was how things were going to be, it was important to accept reality and comply.

But Ail couldn’t understand why he felt so empty. He kept repeating to himself that there was no problem. Ruth had already made up his mind to stay in the palace, and he had gotten his surrender declaration as he wanted. And Ruth was now understanding and following his words. He was incredibly obedient. It was perfect. So, there was no problem.

“I told them to dispose of all the clothes in your room. I’ll have all your other belongings burned as well. I’ll have new clothes prepared for you in the North Palace, so you don’t need to move anything else.”

The North Palace was well-preserved, so there wasn’t much that needed to be repaired. They were cleaning, replacing furniture and bedding, and tidying up the garden, so it was being done faster than expected. Ail was rushing things because he had heard that it would be ready for them to move in within a few days.