21
Hylm heard that story from Alton 30 minutes ago.
Cut off all ties with all women you’re involved with right now
Instead, have a relationship with the one Alton as chosen
If these two conditions aren’t upheld, consider the throne gone
While thinking, Isn’t it too late to say that now?, Hylm immediately agreed.
Cutting ties with the women he’s currently involved with is absolutely nothing. He can just fine another woman once the heat dies down. And if he just has to have a relationship with the women Alton chose, it won’t be difficult. He can simply hold her once if he doesn’t like her, and continue that relationship if he does.
He remembers being annoyed by Alton’s nagging recently but he just tides over it like usual because he’s(A) always like that. (TN: Alton)
Hylm headed towards the room where the woman that Alton chose is said to be waiting.
Just what kind of woman is she? Being chosen by Alton means that she may be his prospective fiancee. He doesn’t want to get married yet since he’s still in his prime of wanting to play around but Alton’s eye for people trustworthy so he began expecting a beautiful and excellent woman. If she’s that great of a woman then I may reconsider it.
Hylm opened the designated door while expecting a little.
It has been two days since he came to the palace, time was passing by with Yaquel doing nothing in particular. Hylm doesn’t come no matter how much time passes and Reno also hasn’t shown up since then. It may be unavoidable since it will be weird to show himself because he’s an intelligence operative.
He’s not allowed to go out so he is currently under lenient confinement. He has nothing to do so he tried cleaning the room a little but this is the peerless palace, there isn’t a single speck of dust anywhere. He has no other options so he tried reading a book on the bookshelf but when the second volume started, the letter started dancing so he stopped reading. Currently, the only thing he could do was physical training so his endurance wouldn’t drop.
While Yaquel was doing push-ups with one hand with books on his back, the door that opened only during breakfast, lunch, and dinner opened during an odd time in the evening.
“What are you doing?”
Yaquel was engrossed while doing push-ups and didn’t notice the door open, he exclaimed ‘eh?’ in shock because a voice called out to him out of nowhere and the books on his back fell flappingly on the floor.
“What are you doing here?”
“……! Your Highness Hylm!”
Yaquel stands up in a hurry and adjusts his appearance.
“You’re… the one who was with Sajis the other day…..”
“Yaquel Rogino, sir.”
“Oh… that’s right, you’re Yaquel.”
“Yes.”
Yaquel is a man who understands his identity so Hylm relaxed a little. But it’s strange that a mere commoner is in the palace’s guest room for noble visitors, which are only few in number. And this room is supposed to be where Hylm’s partner is waiting.
“What are you doing here?”
“Yes. I’m waiting for Your Highness Hylm.”
“What?”
A beautiful and excellent woman should be waiting for him. Not a bearish man that doesn’t seem to have a shred of intelligence like this man.
“Are you kidding me?”
“No, I am not, sir. I was told by His Highness to be your partner and have been waiting here.”
“…………”
Has that stupid father finally gone crazy!?, Hylm wanted to yell that out loud but because of his status, he clenched his fists and managed to hold it in.
“Yaquel. That’s enough. I’ll talk to His Majesty and pretend that this conversation didn’t happen. You may go back.”
As expected, it became like this.
Yaquel felt relieved in some respect when Hylm showed a reasonable reaction. That’s normally the correct response.
Reno also said that he may go back if Hylm rejected him. Although he can’t fulfill Alton’s request, since he was rejected in spite of preparing himself, it should be alright to consider this fulfilling his role. He should no longer cause any trouble for Sajis and Guinn.
When Hylm judged that he no longer has any business in this room turned and his back on Yaquel, Reno appeared out of nowhere and stool in front of Hylm.
“Your Highness. You can’t do that.”
“Reno? Move.”
“I will not. This is an order from His Majesty. He said not to open this room’s door until you had s*x with Yaquel-san.”
“That’s enough from you, Reno.”
Looking at Hylm who tried to intimidate the small Reno by staring down at him, Yaquel panicked and approached the two to stop them.
“Well, that’s how it is so”
By the time Yaquel got to where the two is, Reno gets out of the room and seemed to have locked the door from outside.
“HEY!”
Hylm hurriedly tries to open the door but it doesn’t budge. And the key to lock it from inside also seemed to have lost its purpose. It seems to use a special key.
“You can’t open it…?”
“He got us…”
“Let me.”
He wasn’t training his muscle strength just for show. “Excuse me.”, Yaquel said and leaves in front of Hylm and repeatedly twisted the doorknob forcefully. But it stays quiet as expected so this time, he tries pulling and pushing it with a clatter. And then at the same time as a *clank*, the doorknob came off.
“Oh.”
“…………”
He tried putting the doorknob back on while feeling Hylm’s chilly gaze but it doesn’t fit at all. And the door didn’t open just because the doorknob came off.
“I, I’m sorry……”
“…Forget it.”
Hylm sat on the sofa and sighed as if he had given up. And Yaquel awkwardly curls his back and sits on the usual simplest chair in the corner.
And then after a while of silence, Hylm spoke.
“You said you’re called Yaquel.”
“…Yes.”
“Sorry. It looks like you got involved in this because of my foolish father’s stupid idea.”
Yaquel was a little shocked. It’s because he never expected Hylm to apologize to him. Considering his attitude when they first met, he thought that Hylm still believed in the hierarchical system of favored thinking. However, if he’s really partial to the hierarchical system, it’s impossible for him to apologize to Yaquel who is a commoner.
And just as Yaquel guessed, Hylm was neither a class system believer nor did he have any discriminatory thoughts. It was just because he wasn’t interested in commoners.
Hylm believes that luck is also considered an ability. That’s why he believes that just by being born as royalty or as a noble, they are already lucky. Even if they’re a commoner, they’ll be successful if they flourish in business. If that’s the case then they’ll probably become influential, so they’ll naturally be closer to him(H). For that reason, he was totally uninterested in the commoners who had nothing to do with him. That’s why, upon knowing that Yaquel was a commoner on their first meeting, he only gave a curt ‘oh’.
“N, No, there’s no reason for Your Highness to apologize. I’m the one who agreed to His Majesty’s request. On the contrary, I’m now wondering if this is a good thing or not…”
Somehow, he came to realize that this Hylm is not just a simple philandering man as Alton and Sajis implied.
He properly looked at Yaquel in the eyes and was talking to him, and he felt that he’s slightly different to his(H) image when they met for the first time.
If so, even if Yaquel didn’t accept this, the father and son may be able to resolve things as long as they properly talk with each other.
“No, this isn’t your fault. That damned father of mine seem to really hate me.”
Hylm looked a bit irritated but sadness can be seen slightly from his expression.
“I never thought he’d go this far.”
“Your Highness…”
It’s inevitable even if Hylm came to that conclusion. Even if it’s to fix his womanizing habits, preparing a man who looks the complete opposite* of those women would generally make him think that he’s(H) being harassed.
But Yaquel knows that Alton isn’t doing this out of hatred.
“Your Highness, I know that I’m being impertinent but, may I?”
Yaquel felt that he couldn’t let things be so he thought about telling Hylm what he felt.
“I don’t mind. What is it?”
“Yes. Thank you very much. This is just what I felt but perhaps, His Majesty made this bitter decision while thinking about Your Highness.”
“Bitter decision…?”
“Yes. I was told by His Majesty this time to be your lover. His reason was that you can’t sleep with women anymore because you might end up with a lot of children here and there.”
“……I’m not that stupid. I’m taking extra care on that part.”
“You’re right. But maybe His Majesty is still worried despite that.”
“…………”
“I think that maybe His Majesty is more worried about Your Highness getting hurt about it rather than your philandering disturbing the national affairs…”
“……”
“After all, it’s clear from His Majesty’s use of Reno to investigate me, with the power that His Majesty holds, it will be easy to suppress it even if Your Highness happened to have a child unintentionally, is what I think…”
“That’s…”
“Despite that, he went out of his way to investigate a man like me and understand my identity, and on top of confirming the safety, His Majesty even made the request himself. For him to go this far to fix your womanizing habits, rather than him hating you as Your Highness said earlier, I wonder if it’s because he cherishes you instead that resulted in this situation…”
On Yaquel’s words, Hylm puts his hands over his knees and perhaps Alton’s feeling have reached him, “That foolish father……” he whispered and sighed deeply.
“But, Yaquel. While that may be true, it doesn’t change the fact that he bothered you. Please let me apologize on my father’s behalf. I’m sorry.”
As expected of the son of Alton who rebuilt this country. His ability to take action and sense of justice to apologize when he thinks he did something wrong regardless of status.
Yaquel believed and did not doubt the future in which the country would continue to grow and prosper.
“Your Highness Hylm, apologizing is absolutely unnecessary. I’ve experienced a lot of great things since I got here. Just that is enough.”
“Is that so? I’m relieved to hear you say that.”
“Yes. Of course.”
“By the way, Yaquel, are you a male prost*tute or something? His Majesty chose you because of that, right?”
“No, sir, I work as a manservant in a small brothel in a town called Pyacca.”
“Are you really just an errand boy?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
Hylm felt shocked about that. There’s no way that Sajis would escort a mere errand boy and Alton would use Reno of all people to investigate him. There’s something suspicious here. However, he couldn’t feel any shadiness or scheming from Yaquel.
Hylm was gradually getting interested with Yaquel. Then he moved to Yaquel’s side and pulled his hand. After he made Yaquel sit on the bed
“Yaquel. We can’t get out of here without having s*x with you no matter what.”
“Your Highness…?”
“Since they went to great lengths to do this, let’s enjoy it.”
He pushed Yaquel down and dropped a kiss on his neck.