"Are you leaving already?"
Godric grabbed the chair with a simple gesture, preventing me from standing up.
"Dessert hasn't even been served yet."
"No, I'm full…"
"You can leave after finishing your plate."
But Godric didn't let go easily. He stubbornly held on, pestering me to eat dessert. What did he put in the food? Why is he being so persistent?
「Isaac, are you okay?」
'Full… I'm full…'
「Isaac?」
'Stop…'
A bite-sized pie made with sautéed beef, a fluffy steamed egg dish with finely strained eggs, custard pudding topped with raspberry jam, and a fruit cake filled with honey-soaked fruits.
Since it was the king's table, the line for dessert never seemed to end. I was happiest when I was eating the sweetened rice cake. While I was dawdling and suffering, Godric was beaming with a face that said he was having the time of his life.
"That's right."
'At times like this, I can't tell if the bar for laughter is low or high.'
He pressed me to eat until I finally finished everything bit by bit. Satisfied after successfully making me eat everything, including the last fruit, Godric stepped back. What annoyed me was that while I was being tortured, that guy was just sipping tea.
"I stuffed myself full, so why aren't you eating…?"
"There's no need to feed a corpse, is there?"
Godric rested his chin on one hand and rolled the grapes left on the plate. The red juice from the sugar-coated, frozen, and crispy fruit dripped from the king's fingertips.
'So you're aware that you're a corpse.'
Just as the main author borrowed from Butier, the assistant writer borrowed from Orlie, and Leovald borrowed from Leonardo. Sub-writer 1 also borrowed from Godric.
Borrowing someone else's guise to act on stage is the job of an actor. So, in a way, aren't they all closer to actors than writers?
The only difference between the writers and Leonardo might be this:
'Don't they need to eat or sleep?'
Far from starving, Leonardo easily devours enough for nine people a day and sleeps in with me whenever the situation allows.
Come to think of it, Godric only finished his bowl of swallow's nest soup cleanly and hadn't touched anything else afterward. Most of the dishes were cleared away untouched — I was the only one eating.
It was a good thing Godric had the royal attendants all under his dominion of submission. Otherwise, the scene would've looked quite strange.
'It might even serve as convincing evidence if someone claimed the king was conspiring with that thing.'
While I was busy plotting ways to stab Godric in the back, the king, who had been toying with his food instead of eating, spoke gently.
"Thanks to you, I remembered things I had forgotten, laughed for the first time in a while, and had a pleasant evening. It's been quite a good night."
The king — wearing a benevolent smile as if he'd stepped right out of a holy painting.
The man I remember was almost always smiling.
But the fleeting moment I once glimpsed — that brief instant filled with boredom and weariness — flashes through my mind.
"They say the beauty of the hunt lies in the waiting, but sometimes, it's unbearably dull."
Godric's pale fingertips crushed a grape. The reddish juice smeared his fingers, making them look no different from the flushed skin of a living person.
Even after he wiped his hand, a faint pinkish stain lingered, leaving one finger unnaturally vibrant. Godric tapped the tip of my nose with that grape-scented finger.
"If you help me, this boredom could end much faster."
"…"
So it comes back to this, after all.
I left the table in silence. Once I finished the meal as promised, Godric didn't stop me from leaving.
As I pulled aside the curtain at the entrance, ready to go, a voice followed me from behind.
"Sleep well."
'What a strange evening.'
I patted my full stomach and trudged my way to the Ertinez subjugation squad's outpost.
It was pretty quiet — probably because it was so late. Raul, who seemed to be on night watch, sat by the campfire. He noticed me and his eyes widened.
"What the hell took you so long? The commander's been— wait, what's with you? You're shaking like a newborn goat."
It's because of the carriage sickness. After eating so much and riding over that bumpy, unpaved road before even digesting it all, it's only natural to feel nauseous.
I shoved Raul aside and took over the log he was sitting on. Sitting down felt like a relief.
"Where's Leo?"
At that moment, feeling a cold chill, I tilted my head back — and there was Leonardo, standing quietly under the night sky, looking down at me.
"Isaac."
"Mm…."
I figured he must've been anxious, leaving just Godric and me behind. Even though I reassured him several times during our brief meeting on the way back that we were fine, it seems he wasn't comforted at all.
Leonardo's expression quickly crumbled. He brushed Raul aside and took the seat next to me. Raul, grumbling about losing his spot, dusted the snow off his pants and wandered off somewhere else.
The warmth of the campfire felt soothing against the cold winter air, and I leaned against Leonardo. He wrapped an arm around my waist.
'How did things go with the body?'
「It's done. I'll explain more later when we're alone. More importantly, you—」
'I'm fine. Nothing happened.'
Leonardo didn't look convinced. He fidgeted anxiously, taking off his cloak to wrap around me and rubbing my hands gently, unable to stay still.
'I'm telling you, I'm fine. No injuries, no problems. Want me to prove it?'
"!"
What's he expecting now? Want me to prove it just like he's hoping? I grabbed his cheek and stretched it. It didn't stretch as easily as I thought it would.
'He's acting like this after just being apart for a few hours. I wonder if he'll handle himself better during the rescue operation later.'
While I was passing the time lazily, Raul, who had disappeared after losing his log, came back holding something in his hand.
"You haven't eaten dinner yet, right? I left this for you, but it's a bit cold now…"
"Ugh, no, it's fine. I feel like I'm going to puke…"
I'm so full that if I eat anything more, I'll definitely burst. I waved my hand to refuse, and the surroundings grew quiet for a moment. Raul stood there dumbfounded, then, shaking his hand nervously, finally spoke up.
"Wait… No, this can't be… What is this? Betrayal?! No…."
What is he saying?
[
[
The knights on night watch behind Raul blinked in surprise. Before anyone could ask what was going on, Leonardo's voice, flat and emotionless, drifted from beside me.
"Move it."
"Yes!"
Raul turned around like the wind and disappeared, obeying without protest or hesitation, just a simple obedience to the command.
Worried by the rare tone, I looked up at Leonardo, and he stared at me silently for a moment before winding his hand around my waist and gently rubbing my stomach.
"Are you feeling sick?"
"No… it's just that a lot went in, that's all."
His thick fingers lingered on my clothes, tracing a soft circular motion. Then, as if soothing a child to sleep, he lightly patted my stomach before lowering his head and whispering.
"It'll be hard to sleep like this. How about we take a walk?"
"Hmm, that sounds better."
I needed to hear if he had managed to convince the anti-Godric nobles. Agreeing, I took his outstretched hand and stood up. The dizziness from the carriage ride had finally started to ease.
Together, Leonardo and I walked slowly through the night forest.
I briefly wondered if wild animals might be lurking nearby, but the strong smell of blood in the area was enough to ensure that no beasts would be roaming these woods tonight.
"So, how did it go?"
Digesting my food was one thing, but right now, I was more curious about the progress of the situation.
Fighting through the nausea, I showed interest and asked. Leonardo took a deep breath and began reporting in detail. He had explained to the anti-Godric nobles about the strange bond between me and Godric, and how the burial method for the fallen had suddenly changed. He also confirmed the situation with those who had suspected something was amiss.
"The Imperial Guard exhumed the bodies of the fallen and witnessed another failed subject being offered to them."
"So…"
"The conclusion is that the king either was replaced at some point in the past or is in league with something corrupt."
"Good. It's going according to plan."
Now, how to make use of these newly-formed allies?
I walked on, satisfied with the results of testing the limits of our disguise, when suddenly, Leonardo stopped. I, still holding his hand, came to a halt as well.
"Leo?"
"…Lately, when I don't see you in front of me, I feel uneasy."
Leonardo whispered softly, his voice almost a murmur.
"When I'm not around, I worry you'll get hurt."
His hand slowly moved up, brushing past my right arm and hovering around the back of my neck. Hesitating, his hand hovered in the air for a moment before shielding me from the cold wind that cut across my face.
"I worry I won't be able to rush to your side when you need me."
A snowdrift falls from the branch above, creating a small white depression in the fresh snow below.
"I worry you'll leave."
His hand finally settled on my cheek, gently adding warmth, as if he were carefully handling a melting snowflake.
For a while, Leonardo didn't move, quietly gazing at me as if trying to etch this moment into his memory. It wasn't a request for comfort or a promise; it was as though he was reflecting on the changes within himself.
I stood there, leaning into his hand, lost in thought, and though I wanted to say, "I'm also afraid you'll die in front of me," the words stayed locked inside me.
That night's walk passed without any incident.
It was simply a longer walk than usual.
And the next day…
"Are all of these letters for me?"
Suddenly, a pile of letters began to spill out in front of me.
If I were to summarize the characteristics of the senders, the one thing that stands out is that they are all from Godric's faction.
Raul, looking like he hadn't slept all night with his haggard face, stared at the pile of letters with wide, dazed eyes before muttering to himself.
"Are you seriously asking because you don't know? You were with the king late last night, coming out together. Nobles are all the same, pretending to be so dignified, but always looking for a chance to latch onto someone…"
Ah, so does that mean I'm being treated as the king's prospective right-hand man now?