Let’s Not Write A Novel Recklessly

CHAPTER 10 – FADING MEMORIES

After the barracks were set up, Tae-ram and his comrades sat around the campfire in a huddle. They were all disheveled from the successive battles. Their weapons and clothes were stained with the blood of unidentified monsters, and their faces showed a deep weariness.

It had been a week already, and even Kairan and Lucias, who had stood idly by as monsters swarmed from every direction, had no choice but to join in. They still had a long way to go to the Demon Castle.

One question after another came to Tae-ram’s mind. If he, who didn’t even participate in the battles, was so tired, how were the others holding up? Was it always this long and difficult to get to the Demon King’s Castle? It can’t be like this. As Tae-ram looked frowning, Se-ho came over and whispered to him.

“Was it always like this?” 

“What?”

“The way things are now. It’s like someone is sending monsters after us.” 

“I don’t know. In the original, the road to the Demon Castle was smooth. It didn’t stretch like this….” 

“Is it possible that someone intervened?”

“That’s impossible….”

Tae-ram’s head ached from the questions that kept popping up. He’d left things blank before. New characters were ridiculous, to say the least. But other than that, there was no other way to explain the situation.

Fran’s lazy voice interrupted his thoughts. 

“What are you two talking about like that?”

“Oh… We discussed our plans.”

Tae-ram smiled awkwardly, but Se-ho was the one who answered. 

“It has nothing to do with you.”

“I asked Tae-ram. And I am also your comrade, so why doesn’t it concern me?”

“Don’t make a fool of yourself. Yesterday, you forced him to stay with you, and he suffered the consequences.” 

“It’s likely that the trouble was caused by the prince. Two days ago, you almost got Tae-ram seriously injured.”

“That was because of your lousy magic.” 

“What!”

Tae-ram was dumbfounded as he looked at the two people who had suddenly started fighting.

Yesterday’s trouble had been caused by Se-ho deliberately throwing a cannibalized flower at Fran. Fran had snapped the flower in half with his magic, and Tae-ram, who was right next to him, had been covered in the remains.

Two days earlier, the story was similar. Fran had encountered a horde of undead and used his Sanctuary Declaration spell to maneuver the undead toward Se-ho. Caught in the crossfire, Tae-ram almost died.

No one thought to stop Se-ho and Fran from fighting, which had become routine. Even Tae-ram had grown tired of it and stood back to watch.

Just then, Amil jumped to his feet.

“I’ll cook the meal, and while I’m at it, why don’t you guys go wash up?” 

“I’ll help, Amil. After all, I’m the fittest of them all.”

The others began to chime in with their comments. 

“Tae-ram? Cooking? Don’t you think that would be hard?”

“I don’t think so, no matter how much I think about it.”

“Me neither. He’s cute at eating, but he’s not good at cooking.” 

“You shouldn’t try too hard.”

Tae-ram cringed slightly, feeling ignored by the addition of Lucias, a man of few words. He was thinking of everyone, too, but they were all so mean.

“Let’s go, Amil! Stop fighting, get cleaned up, and wait.”

Tae-ram, who showed his discomfort by glaring at everyone, stomped ahead. 

“Oops, Mr. Tae-ram, not that way, this way.”

Following Amil’s lead, they arrived behind the barracks, where there was a minimally equipped kitchen. There were temporary stoves, various spices, and even a cutting board.

“You brought all this with you? It must have been heavy to carry.” 

“This is nothing.”

Amil was stronger than him. Tae-ram was quickly convinced. Amil carried loads many times his size with ease.

“I’m so happy to cook with you, Mr. Tae-ram.”

An excited Amil pulled a pouch about the size of two fists from somewhere. 

“What’s that?” 

“You’ll know it when you see it.”

Amil opened the pouch and shook it out, revealing shrimp, cockles, and blue crabs. Octopus, mussels, squid, and other oceanic delicacies spilled out onto the chopping board.

“This is amazing. That’s a magic tool, right?”

“Yes! Kairan gave it to me, and when I put the ingredients in these pouches, they instantly freeze and stay fresh. I also brought pouches for each type of monster, just in case.”

Tae-ram thought he’d learned something he didn’t want to know. Amil’s serious about cooking monsters, let’s just get over it.

“What’s on the menu today?” 

“Steamed seafood!”

“Sounds delicious, what do I need to do?”

“I need you to wash the seafood thoroughly under running water, and then I’ll clean it. If there are any impurities left, you might get an upset stomach, so please be thorough.”

“Yes, sir.”

Tae-ram began to scour the seafood like a raccoon cleaning its prey. 

“You’re doing a good job, I think it’ll be fine, now give it to me.”

Tae-ram handed his laboriously cleaned ingredients to Amil. With deft hands, Amil quickly cleaned the ingredients, seasoned them simply, and added them to the pot. Soon, an appetizing smell filled the barracks.

“Smells delicious….”

Tae-ram was so curious to see what was inside the pot that he tried to lift the lid. 

“No, you can’t, it’ll blow all the flavor out.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Frozen by Amil’s determined expression, Tae-ram smiled awkwardly and gently lowered his outstretched hand on the lid.

“Now we just have to wait.”

As they waited for the broth to boil, the two engaged in a casual conversation. 

“So, Mr. Tae-ram, which one of the four do you like?”

Amil asked with a twinkle in his eye that was almost overbearing.

“What? What does that mean….”

“It doesn’t mean anything deep, it’s just that this party is centered around you, so I was wondering which one of them you feel most connected to.”

“I don’t know, I guess I feel closest to the Prince because he’s the first person I’ve met since coming here.”

Amil mumbled incoherently at the thoughtlessness of Tae-ram’s words. 

“Kirik-Tae-ram… The combination of swordmaster and flower person is royalty… This combination is also official….” 

Tae-ram pretended not to hear Amil’s words and changed the subject.

“By the way, Amil is good at cooking. No wonder you were the top student at the training school.”

“Yeah. It’s embarrassing, but I did a good job. But how does Mr. Tae-ram know I’m the top student?”

“That’s because… Well, the prince told me, because where I was, there’s also an educational institution called a university, and I heard about it while we were talking.”

“I see, that’s interesting. Did you go to school there too, Mr. Tae-ram?” 

“I went to….”

Tae-ram was momentarily speechless. He couldn’t remember.

Was he in college? Was he? Come to think of it, when was the last time he checked the jewel? Where the hell had he lost his memory?

Amil looked up worriedly at Tae-ram’s stiffened face.

“Mr. Tae-ram?”

“I’m sorry, I’m just tired and a little dazed. I think the broth is ready?”

“I’ll have to make some more before we get on, and I’ll have more seafood specially made for you, Mr. Tae-ram.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

When they finished cooking and returned to the table, Se-ho and Fran were still arguing. 

“Everyone, eat!”

A large pot was placed on the table. The group gathered around the table, drawn by the delicious smell. Amil set the table perfectly in front of him, ladle and tongs in hand.

“I’m looking forward to eating this, and I’m glad to hear it’s your cooking.” 

“Shame, it was mostly Amil’s. What….”

“It smells good! You’re a surprisingly good cook.” 

“Leave the surprise out of it, Kairan.”

“Amil was there, so I guess I can trust you.” 

“Shut up and eat.”

“Good work.”

“Enjoy your meal, Lucias.”

The lid of the pot finally lifted. Everyone’s mouths watered as the savory, salty, oceanic aroma of seafood hit the air. Tae-ram and Amil sat down and frantically ate the seafood.

“Tae-ram, please eat this.”

Fran slid a plump piece of shrimp meat into Tae-ram’s mouth. 

“Eat this, too.”

This time, Se-ho shucked the clams and placed the tender flesh on Tae-ram’s plate. “Thank you.”

Tae-ram ate the clam with a big smile on his face, and Se-ho and Fran sped up the shucking and peeling as if they were in a competition.

After a while of eating as they were given, Tae-ram finally put down his fork. 

“Enough, both of you. I’m full.”

“There’s still a lot left….”

“You’re skinny, you can eat more.” 

“I really can’t eat more.”

“You’ve gotten yourself into this mess for nothing.” 

“Ha. Funny.”

Unable to hide his disappointment at Tae-ram’s firm refusal, Fran muttered a word of resentment at Se-ho, and the second round, or rather, the third round, began. Watching, Tae-ram stood up from his seat, leaving the two battling at each other’s throats.

“I’m going to go for a walk.”

Seeing him leave, Kairan swallowed the shrimp he was eating whole and got up from his seat. 

“I’ll come with you, it’s dangerous to go alone!”

“Yeah. Okay.”

“I’m excited.”

Tae-ram found Kairan’s cheerfulness endearing, and they set off down the path side by side. 

“It’s darker now that it’s night.”

The dark sky and barren land without a single blade of grass, the humid, stale air, and the sense of death. He suddenly realized that this was a demon world.

The demon world didn’t have to be dreary and dismal.

Faced with the karma of his past, Tae-ram sighed softly. The nightmares he had every day seemed to be self-inflicted.

“Depressing emotions are seeping in. A lot of them.”

“It’s just frustrating.”

“Frustrating? Why?”

“I don’t know if I’m doing a good job.”

The nightmare that flashed through his mind when he closed his eyes berated him.

The image of Lucias with a hole in his chest, coughing up blood and still trying to make a commitment, terrified that he would have to sacrifice himself. The image of Fran blaming him for his unfortunate past, and he felt bad that he couldn’t see him through to the end, and the image of Kairan longing for freedom, not wanting to be tied to one place.

“Don’t apologize to me. Dreams are just dreams.”

Kairan seemed to read Tae-ram’s feelings of guilt and stopped his thoughts from spiraling further.

“I’m sorry for making you worry.” 

“It hurts, but it’s fine.”

“Hurts, and yet you’re okay?”

Tae-ram questioned Kairan’s words.

“Yes. One side of my chest just ached when you were sad, but I didn’t hate it one bit. I guess this is the love you were talking about.”

Tae-ram smiled softly at Kairan’s wacky but cute words. 

“I hope you love me too.”

“I like you too, Kairan.” 

“I’m serious….”

Kairan’s eyes were as serious as ever as he looked at Tae-ram. He didn’t feel like he could give a flimsy answer.

“To be honest, I don’t know, but I enjoy being with you.” 

“I’ll settle for that for now.”

“Thank you for considering.”

Kairan leaned down and rested his head on Tae-ram’s chest as he always did. Tae-ram stroked his hair gently, just the way Kairan wanted. The soft-touch felt good. When Kairan grew as languid as a purring cat, he spoke quietly to Tae-ram.

“I won’t try to know anything. So don’t worry.” 

“…Thank you.”

Tae-ram was sincerely grateful to Kairan for not asking any questions. Even in the demon world, Kairan was as bright as the sun. It was comfortable to be around him.

* * *

The closer they got to the Demon Castle, the more complicated the road became, and the more lost the group became. The only consolation was that no monsters had appeared recently.

‘I don’t want to see you suffer.’

Tae-ram recalled what Lucias had said yesterday, speculating that he might have unleashed his power to ease Tae-ram’s burden. After he said that, the approaching monsters disappeared. It was also around that time that Kairan started acting strangely, seeming preoccupied with Lucias.

Maybe Kairan felt something. Come to think of it, it’s pretty amazing. During the dragon hunt, there was a dragon in the party, and during the demon king’s subjugation, there was a demon king.

“At this rate, it will become night soon.”

Tae-ram said, finding the situation hilarious.

“You must be having a hard time, should we try some navigation magic?”

It was good that there were no monsters, but Tae-ram’s body was at its limit after walking for so long. 

“Yes, please. I apologize for causing trouble.”

“No problem. We should find a safe place before it gets any darker. Lian, guide us in the right direction!”

As usual, Fran was surrounded by light. 

“What do you think, Fran, do you see anything?”

“That’s…” 

Tae-ram’s expectant words made Fran smile awkwardly.

“Is there a problem?”

“I found a cave, but we’re going to have to walk for the next two hours.”

Shocked, Tae-ram sank to the ground. Part of him wanted to scream at Lucias, ‘I want to go to your house, can you show me there right now?’

“If it’s too much for you, should I help?” 

“I’ll pass.”

Fran’s offer was sweet, but Tae-ram politely declined, knowing that the moment he accepted, others would follow. He didn’t want to add something to his already difficult situation, but he was still under a constant healing spell, so he could move somehow.

Finally, they arrived at the cave Fran had told them about. Tae-ram stretched out on the floor. 

“Mr. Tae-ram, your clothes will get dirty.”

Amil scooped him up and carried him over to the rocks. Tae-ram thought he looked pathetic, but he didn’t have the energy to lift a finger.

“I’ll make you a place to rest soon, but you’ll have to stay here for a while.” 

“Thanks, Amil.”

“You’re welcome.”

The others helped Amil through the bustle. Only Se-ho remained out of Tae-ram’s sight. 

“Amil. Where’s the prince?”

“He was here earlier. Mr. Kairan, do you know where the prince has gone?” 

“No, I haven’t seen him. Fran, have you seen the prince?”

“Don’t expect me to know about the prince.”

Lucias locked eyes with Tae-ram and shook his head wordlessly.

“Come to think of it, I thought I saw him go into the cave earlier.” 

“I have nothing to do, so I’ll go find the prince.”

Tae-ram forced himself to his feet. He was worried about Se-ho, and now that he thought about it, it had been a while since he’d spoken to him.

“What? It’s dangerous.”

“I won’t go too far anyway. If it gets dangerous, I’ll be right back.” 

“Mr. Tae-ram, if you go away like that, I’m going to….”

Ignoring Amil’s nagging, Tae-ram quickly went into the cave. Once deep in the cave, Tae-ram found Se-ho sooner than he thought. 

“Se-ho.”

Squatting in front of a small lake, Se-ho was deep in thought and didn’t respond to Tae-ram’s call. Tae-ram couldn’t help but move closer to him.

“Lee Se-ho, what are you doing?”

“…Nothing.”

“If it’s nothing, you don’t look well. Are you sick?” 

Se-ho clamped his mouth shut and avoided Tae-ram’s gaze.

“There you go again. You need to get over your habit of shutting up when you’re at a disadvantage.” 

“It won’t hinder the story’s progress.”

Tae-ram was offended by Se-ho’s businesslike response. Still, he didn’t want to lose his temper, so he decided to hear the story first. He didn’t know what had set him off, but he wasn’t the kind of kid to do that for no reason.

“I don’t know what happened, but you should lean on me sometimes.” 

“I don’t need to.”

Se-ho stroked his back, turning away from Tae-ram. Tae-ram’s brow furrowed. He was starting to get a little annoyed at his attitude after being so concerned.

“Do you want me to be angry?” 

“I don’t think so.”

“Your behavior right now is making me angry.”

Se-ho still didn’t look at Tae-ram. Tae-ram was hurt. Se-ho always avoided communicating with him like that. It wasn’t overly self-conscious, but he suspected he had some sort of crush on him, and it irritated him to see him act like that.

“Do you really have nothing to say?”

Tae-ram’s voice was tinged with anger, and Se-ho reluctantly opened his mouth. He sounded uncharacteristically unsure of himself.

“Even if you don’t care about me, there are plenty of other people around you who would be there for you.”

Se-ho’s face looked very upset as he said that. At least it was powerful enough to cool Tae-ram’s irritation.

That’s jealousy, right? Why can’t he admit that he likes him? Is it because he’s a man, or is it because he’s being coerced and it’s temporary? At least he doesn’t mind either way.

Tae-ram decided to speak first.

“The illusion I saw last time with Kairan. It’s about that.”

 “What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Just be quiet and listen to me first.”

Tae-ram calmly told him about the illusion he had and how he felt at that time. How it bothered him to see someone else besides Se-ho. How hurt he was when Se-ho laughed at him lying on the ground. The words flowed out like a river, enough to show how bothered he was at that time.

“What do you think?”

Se-ho pondered for a moment before speaking up. 

“I thought it was disgusting.”

“Can’t you say anything?”

Tae-ram wondered for a moment if he should like this guy.

“Stalking is bad, but the illusion’s version of me was true to my feelings, and I think the version of you squatting here is worse than the illusion version.”

“What are you trying to say?” 

“Don’t run away from me.” 

“I haven’t run away.”

“I like you.”

“You….”

“So I want you to stop running away from me and tell me your feelings. Your heart.”

Se-ho closed his mouth, lost in thought. 

“…….”

Tae-ram waited for Se-ho without speaking. After a long moment, he spoke, seemingly determined.

“The senior in my illusion was always trying to protect me from subjects weaker than me. I thought it was ineffective, stupid, and yet I loved being protected by him. As a result, I lost him.”

Se-ho bit down hard on his lower lip and shuddered slightly. Even with Tae-ram still alive and well in front of him, Se-ho looked very distressed. Tae-ram tried to understand him a little better.

It’s never pleasant to see someone die, and it’s even worse when it’s someone you love. He’s so clumsy. He doesn’t hate him. Idiot.

“Don’t bite your lip. It’ll hurt.” 

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me.”

Tae-ram pulled Se-ho into a tight hug. Se-ho flinched in surprise but stayed still as Tae-ram leaned down to make it easier for him. Once he was comfortable, he burrowed deeper into Se-ho’s arms.

“It’s okay. I’m not going to die, and I’ll use you as bait to survive if I have to.” 

“You’re ruining it when you say that.”

“It’s only half the battle.”

“Just don’t say anything.”

Wordlessly, Se-ho pressed his lips to Tae-ram’s. It was a careful kiss.

Again and again, their lips overlapped until their dry lips were moistened with saliva. For the first time, they kissed as Lee Se-ho and Han Tae-ram, not as Prince and the main character.

* * *

Tae-ram rubbed his sleepy eyes as he exited the barracks, his sleep stolen by the bitter cold. It was still dawn through the thick fog. He tossed kindling into the dying campfire and sat down beside it.

Last night, he’d kissed Se-ho for a long time and then run away, leaving him alone. He’d told his comrades that he was tired, and then he’d gone to sleep, a kind of escape from reality. It wasn’t the first time he’d kissed him, but all of his previous acts of affection had been for a reason. He didn’t do it reluctantly, but he did it because he had to.

But yesterday’s kiss was different. Se-ho didn’t seem to mind, but it was still too bold, to say the least.

Tae-ram pressed his lips together unnecessarily. Yesterday’s Se-ho had been pitiful, cute, and adorable, and he felt like he’d done something terrible.

Older, a man, and someone he used to fight with constantly. Tae-ram wondered what Se-ho thought of him.

Should he have run away after hearing his confession? No. Why did he run away in the first place? He should have stayed. What would he say if he saw him face to face?

Tae-ram felt so embarrassed that he wanted to disappear. He didn’t know how to look at Se-ho’s face. He couldn’t think of anything right now, but for now, he had to keep his mind calm until breakfast.

“…Senior. Senior Tae-ram… Brother Tae-ram?”

Lost in thought, Tae-ram blinked in surprise. He looked up to see Se-ho standing there with his usual blunt expression.

“Se-ho, didn’t you just say I am your older brother?”

“Are you tired? You’re pushing yourself on a subject you don’t have the stamina for.” 

“Don’t change the subject.”

“What?”

Se-ho said casually as if nothing had happened. Tae-ram seriously wondered if his ears were weird.

Was it a hallucination he made up because he wanted to hear the word ‘brother’ so badly? No. It was the word ‘brother’ that penetrated his ears. Reality! It’s not about being ashamed.

It’s the fact that he never hears the word “brother” unless it’s an emergency. Besides, it was kind of sweet. Tae-ram hadn’t realized he was the type of person who was obsessed with names, but he wanted to hear it again. The question of what to make of Se-ho’s face had already faded into the distance.

“I heard you right, did you just call me big brother?”

Finally, Se-ho’s stoic expression crumbled, and he clamped his mouth shut like a clam. It was hard to read his poker face, but Tae-ram could tell he was quite flustered.

“You still have the habit of shutting up when you’re at a disadvantage. You said brother, very nicely.” 

Tae-ram deliberately stressed the word ‘nicely’.

“I never did.”

Se-ho’s knife-like denial. But his eyes were darting from side to side.

“Really?”

“Really. You’re….”

“Brother.”

“So…” 

“I said brother.”

Finally, Se-ho raised his white flag. 

“Brother Tae-ram is so weird.”

The corners of Se-ho’s mouth lifted gently as he put something down. It was one of the nicest smiles Tae-ram had ever seen. It made him feel good, even if the word “wacky” wasn’t a very nice one.

He’s so handsome. He’s probably the only one who knows this Se-ho, right?

Tae-ram couldn’t control the rush of emotions. His words spontaneously came out of his mouth. 

“I like you. I think I like you more than I thought.”

“Why are you so straightforward?”

At Tae-ram’s blunt confession, Se-ho covered his face with his hands. It was hard to see with his hands covering his face, but his ears were already as red as apples. It should have been gross for a big guy to be like that, but in Tae-ram’s eyes, he was just adorable.

Tae-ram squatted down in front of Se-ho.

“Hey, Se-ho. Put your hands down.” 

“I don’t want to.”

“Se-ho, let’s talk face to face. Okay?”

Tae-ram spoke softly, as if soothing a child, and carefully reached for Se-ho’s face. He flinched at his touch but didn’t protest. Removing Se-ho’s large hand, Tae-ram made hard contact with his pretty eyes. His pale amethyst eyes glowed with the faintest hint of jewelry.

“When I return to my original world, I want to be this close to you again.” 

“I hate you so much.”

Se-ho’s face had evolved beyond an overripe apple and into a flaming sweet potato. Tae-ram was frustrated by the violent cuteness that made his heart stiffen. He felt a hidden sadism stirring.

Lee Se-ho. What a dangerous man. 

“Do you really hate me?”

Tae-ram deliberately shoved his face into Se-ho’s shy face. Se-ho desperately avoided Tae-ram’s gaze and muttered in a voice barely above a whisper.

“Get your face away from me.” 

“I’ll take it away if you tell me. Do you hate me?”

Se-ho shut his mouth again and hung his head low. Realizing that further teasing would backfire, Tae-ram decided to take a step back.

“I’ll wait, so tell me slowly.”

Se-ho was more sensitive than he looked, and Tae-ram thought he should understand. After a long, patient wait, Se-ho’s lips finally twitched. He was finally about to say something.

Amil’s cheerful voice broke the silence before he could. 

“Prince! Mr. Tae-ram! Good morning! You’re up early!”

The two men quickly moved away from each other, startled. 

“I am. Good morning.”

In an instant, Se-ho had transformed into Prince Kirik, as if he had changed his mask. Tae-ram followed suit and became the main character.

“Amil. Hello.”

“I’ll have breakfast ready in a moment, but would you two mind waking the others?” 

“Yes. Okay.”

“I see.”

Tae-ram grumbled inwardly, but he and Se-ho did their part. It was ridiculous that it was Amil who was interrupting them and not someone else.

* * *

﹤The Delicious Man﹥ Page 220

I really enjoyed cooking with Tae-ram, he was so adorable, like a small animal as he washed the seafood with his clumsy hands. I wonder what he grew up eating to make him so cute. We had time to talk, so I found an opportunity to pretend I didn’t know and pushed for the candidates.

Tae-ram chose Prince Kirik, whom he had the pleasure of meeting since he first arrived here! I think the combination of a normally gentle, but incredibly possessive and violent nobleman and a slender, beautiful flower girl is a winning combination with a time-honored tradition. I love the other combinations, but Kirik-Tae-ram is especially new and makes my heart flutter.

Even in the cave where I had no choice but to hear them, Tae-ram took care of the prince, and even at dinner he stayed right by his side, so what happened? The vibe between them was somehow different than usual, and while it’s a shame it happened in a place I don’t know, I’m still happy that my two favorite people are doing well.

* * *

After telling Se-ho his true feelings, Tae-ram had a dream that night that was a little different than usual. First, it was in Runever Castle instead of the Demon World, and instead of Lucias, it was Fran.

“Fran?”

Fran stood precariously at the top of the palace. For a moment, he thought it was strange, but then he realized he was in danger.

“Fran, what are you doing up there? You’re in danger!” 

“Tae-ram….”

Fran’s face didn’t show any emotion when he turned around. His expressionless face was unfamiliar to him, as he usually smiled sweetly at him. He felt uncomfortable, but he knew he was in danger, so he called out again.

“Get over here, now!”

“Strangely, your condition is stable today. Is that why you’re like this?” 

Tae-ram could barely hear what Fran was muttering.

“Fran, please, it’s dangerous!”

“The look of concern on your face. I want to see more, but I don’t want to hurt your neck….”

Fran chanted, and the next moment, the space began to shimmer and change. Like putting together a puzzle, the reconstructed place was familiar to him.

“What is this?”

Spring flowers bloomed beautifully in the warm sunshine, and the garden trees were neatly trimmed, giving the place an ethereal feel. It was the greenhouse garden where Tae-ram often enjoyed tea time with Fran.

“I’ve prepared only Tae-ram’s favorite dessert, so please eat it before it gets cold.”

An ornate three-tiered tray sat on the table with a crisp white tablecloth. Inside the tray were jam and pumpkin scones, scented with fragrant roses. There was chocolate cake, fruit pudding, and more.

“It’s all so weird.”

“Tae-ram. It’s a dream. You don’t have to think about it, just enjoy it.”

At Fran’s words, Tae-ram felt all the questions in his head dissolve, and then his eyes fell on the delicious desserts in front of him.

“Can I have some?”

“Of course.”

Fran spoke in a soothing voice as he watched Tae-ram eagerly destroy the dessert.

“You seem to be having trouble sleeping lately. Are you okay? You’re still having nightmares, right?”

“Can you tell I’m tired?”

Tae-ram’s busy hands stopped. 

“Not at all.”

“Then how did you know?”

“Because I’m always looking at you.” 

“I see.”

Tae-ram felt a little embarrassed by Fran’s blatant flirting, absentmindedly thinking that he was starting to look a little like Kairan.

“You’re so great, Tae-ram. You never hold back, no matter how hard it is, and you make everyone around you smile.” 

“I’m not that great….”

“You seem to have a lot on your mind.”

“Maybe because the Demon World is getting closer, my heart feels complicated.”

“I see. Just relax for a while. Don’t think about anything.” 

“I’ll do that, thank you for your concern.”

“I’d like to take you to a place where you’ll be more comfortable.” 

“What?”

Fran suddenly hugged Tae-ram tightly. 

“My, put me down!”

“If you squirm, I might drop you. If you stay calm, I’ll walk you to your bedroom.”

At Fran’s gentle but firm warning, Tae-ram stopped struggling. Fran picked him up and carried him slowly away.

“It’s just like the first time we met, isn’t it?”

“…You know, Fran, sometimes you exceed my expectations.”

“Why? Isn’t this the me you know, or is this me being weird?”

Fran’s seemingly casual remark bothered Tae-ram for some reason. What is this feeling? 

“I don’t think so.”

“It’s okay, lean on me, you’re a good boy.” 

“Stop treating me like a child.”

“You’re not being treated like a child. You’re being treated like a princess.” 

“That’s worse.”

Despite his frustration, Fran’s embrace felt good. Tae-ram was so relaxed that he felt sleepy.

“If you’re sleepy, go to sleep.”

“…I always feel like I’m the only one who gets help.” 

Tae-ram managed to say in a half-sleepy voice.

“That’s not true, because I’m saved because you’re here, Tae-ram.” 

“That’s… That’s a bit much.”

“It is. When I first came to the capital, led by the hand of a priest… I must have been about fifteen years old.”

Tae-ram smiled a little at the thought of the young Fran, who must have been beautiful.

“What man would hug a man like this? The sight of the two smiling at each other looked so beautiful… Perhaps they were lovers?” 

“Maybe.”

Fran continued, even as Tae-ram mumbled in his sleep.

“Ever since then, I’ve been thinking, I wonder if I’ll ever have someone I care about, what would it be like, and if I did, I’d cherish them very much. I’d have to be with them for the rest of my life. …Tae-ram, are you sleeping?”

“I’m not sleeping….”

Tae-ram’s eyes were almost closed, and he answered with difficulty.

“Sweet dreams this time, please.”

Fran’s face, the last thing he saw in his fading consciousness, felt infinitely kind. When he opened his eyes, he was in the barracks, his whole body drenched in a cold sweat.

“I don’t remember anything.”

He felt like he had met someone in a dream, but he couldn’t remember anything.

All he could remember was a mixture of emotions. He felt urgent, scared, angry, and yet somehow relaxed. It was hard to tell if it was a nightmare or not.