26
A week has passed since Yaquel came to the palace. Even though he couldn’t get out of the room when he was in the main hall where Alton was in, he was able to meet and talk to the people who sent him his meals and the bodyguards. However, he hasn’t met anyone other than Hylm ever since he transferred to this detached palace.
There’s a toilet, bathroom, and kitchen in this very spacious room so there’s no issue in simply living. Looking at the meals that have been prepared unknowingly, the cleanly laundried clothes and the arranged bed, someone probably found the chance to do it while Yaquel was taking a bath, sleeping, or being held by Hylm in the bedroom.
And ever since then, Hylm continued to embrace Yaquel whenever he had the time without getting tired of it. It’s quite obvious from Hylm’s recent behavior that he likes Yaquel,and that he will lose interest in playing with women if things continue as is just as Alton said.
Yaquel decided to be embraced obediently until that time comes. It’s Yaquel’s ridiculously diligent side to never back out once he decided to do something.
Besides the particular wickedness, s*x with Hylm feels good. Calling his name on his ears, whispering words of love repeatedly during the passionate and indulging s*x, even taking away Yaquel’s ability to think, makes him feel that leaving things as they are doesn’t seem so bad.
Today, Hylm has been away on official business since morning.
While eating the food that has been prepared for him, Yaquel thought about Hana-Hana.
How is everyone in Hana-Hana doing? It looked like the wind was very strong yesterday, did the door break again? Who goes shopping for groceries? The head chef’s handwriting has a peculiarity, has the shopper made any mistakes in buying the ingredients? Retana doesn’t go to sleep once she gets engrossed in sewing so it would be nice if some could tell her to keep it in moderation. Aria loves sweet treats and every time she eats too much she worries about her dry skin, so someone is hopefully doing a good job stopping her from doing this too. Also, the morning I came here, the clerk had a different hairstyle, but no one mentioned it, so I’m sure he’s sulking. Oh, but maybe Nila was able to flatter him well.
Yaquel imagined the clerk and Nila bantering and he smiled.
I want to go home soon….
The moment he put down the spoon and sighed, a knock came from the door. If it was Hylm then he would have opened the door directly. Since it’s the first time this happened after being taken to this place, Yaquel was so nervous that his response, “Yes”, cracked into a falsetto.
“I’m sorry for disturbing you during your meal.”
A tall and slender man came in with an ‘Excuse me’ and bowed in front of Yaquel.
With an outfit that clearly shows he has a higher status than Yaquel, Yaquel also stood up in a fluster and, “N, no, it’s okay.” similarly bowed his head.
“I am Bang Danner and I’ve been tasked by His Highness Hylm to take care of you.”
“To take care of… me?”
“Yes. His Highness has urgent official duties with a neighboring country, so he won’t be able to return for a few days.”
“I see.”
But Yaquel is also a sufficient adult. It’s fine when Hylm was there but he doesn’t find a reason to be taken care of alone, rather, he wishes to go back to Hana-Hana during these few days when Hylm is absent.
“Thank you very much for doing it for me. However, I can’t have Bang-sama trouble himself for someone like me. If possible, can I go home during those 2-3 days when His Highness is absent?”
Yaquel tried asking with hope in his heart.
“Please call me Bang. There’s no need for you to use honorifics towards me.”
“But…”
Caught in Bang’s cold and sharp eyes, it seems impossible to argue against him.
“Th, then… Bang, -san.” (TN: -san is less formal than -sama but they’re both “Mr.”)
“Yes.”
“Can I go home…”
He cautiously asks. He can just ask him boldly but he can’t handle Bang’s eyes.
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“His Highness Hylm ordered to never let Yaquel-sama out of this room. I can’t decide that by myself.”
“Is that so…”
“Please forgive me.”
“N, no, then, can you please tell me if His Highness gets in touch?”
“I understand.”
Bang bowed his head again so Yaquel also did the same, saying, “I’ll be in your care.”
And when Bang raised his head, an empty fruit plate entered his line of sight.
“Would you like more pyanki?”
The three slices of pyanki that were on the fruit plate were already gone before the main fish dish. Yaquel lowers his voice a little at Bang’s favorable words
“I, I’d like another serving please.”
and shyly handed Bang the empty plate. It looked like the lips of Bang, who accepted the plate and repsonded with “Understood.”, loosened for a moment but his face was still as cold when he looked again so Yaquel sat back down thinking that he was just imagining it. He resumed enjoying his meal while waiting for the pyanki to be brought over.
Alton and Reno noticed the abnormality ever since Hylm began to stay in the detached palace like a recluse.
Hylm, who was constantly looking for a rendezvous and excitement, always spent his time outside and he doesn’t go to the palace except for official business. And that Hylm who has never set foot on that detached palace these past few years has now secluded himself in the detached palace. He only brought along several of his most trusted servants and the rest are forbidden to even stand near the vicinity of the detached palace. According to him, he was tired of having contact with other people so he wanted to be left alone, added to that was his difficult status,so no one pursued it deeply.
However, only Alton and Reno noticed that weirdness. It’s unbelievable that someone who is proactive, ambitious, positive, and fearless to think that he’s tired of human relationships. It’s always his counterpart who gets tired first.
Suspicious. This is too suspicious.
Alton ordered Reno to thoroughly investigate it. And the result was immediately established. And the reason was because the time when Hylm secluded himself in the detached palace perfectly coincides with the time when Yaquel left the palace alone. Reno’s gut feeling was indeed proven to be correct. Reno immediately sent his men to Hana-Hana and hastened to gather information on the situation.
According to the report that his subordinate sent, Yaquel met with a robber on his way back to Hana-Hana and passed away after leaving the palace. Reno felt that something doesn’t make sense and, of course, it wasn’t just Reno who felt that.
Reno, who was called by Alton to his room, also told him(A) what his subordinate reported. After a while of silence, the one who seriously spoke was Alton.
“……It’s Hylm, isn’t it?”
“Most probably.”
“Despite being my own son, how pathetic.”
Alton placed his hand on his forehead and sighed deeply.
“Bang is probably the one moving as His Highness’s shadow. The intricate way to deceive others is his special move.”
“Is that so?”
“Yaquel-san is most probably detained in the detached palace, or confined.”
“How can he do such a thing…….”
“What should be done, sir? I want to rescue him as soon as possible, but the place is a detached palace, after all. On top of being unable to set foot in there without His Highness’s permission, Bang seems to also be there, and I’m afraid that I can’t intrude there so easily.”
It’s not easy to enter the imperial palace, which is surrounded by waterways. The only entrance is the main gate, which is heavily guarded so that only authorized people can enter.
And it was probably Bang who planned and directed these things. He’s a really formidable opponent.
Reno recalled Bang’s offensively composed expression and clicked his tongue.
“Alright, I got it.”
Alton came up with something and looked at Reno with a strong gaze.
“I’m responsible for things ending up like this. I will directly go to the detached palace in person.”
Alton slowly stood up and straightened his collar.