“Is that so?”
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“Yes, it was strangely awkward when I lay down to sleep yesterday. It wasn’t cold, but I felt a bit chilly, and the bed also suddenly felt too big……”
Renato’s voice tone, which had become higher than usual, gradually turned smaller. He momentarily thought that he was too excited while speaking. Worried that he might seem strange, Renato trailed off at the end of his words and looked at Khalid.
“Hmm, that’s a big deal.”
Fortunately, Khalid didn’t seem to think it was strange. It was because Renato’s symptoms were similar to what he had experienced. With a small hum, the man rubbed his chin with his hand with a serious expression.
“Big deal?”
“Unlike our kingdom, the Empire doesn’t allow us to live together until the wedding ceremony, right? There’s still a month left before we get married, but we are both suffering from insomnia, aren’t we?”
“Uh…… I guess so?”
Renato stammered back at Khalid’s reply. He was a little confused about whether the man was joking or if he was serious. At the same time, he sympathized with the concern that they might get insomnia.
He had a hard time as his heart pounded whenever he was with Khalid, but if he couldn’t sleep deeply regardless of whether the man was by his side or not, he would rather be with him. For there was nothing more cozy and pleasant than the warmth Khalid gave.
“Should we go inside first? Others are staring.”
Conscious of the gazes directed at them, Khalid sheepishly led Renato indoors. He didn’t show it when his body moved faster than his thoughts earlier, but Khalid was also quite embarrassed. Looking back, he thought that he had acted too impulsively.
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But at that moment, nothing came to his mind. There was nothing but a desire to fill the unknown emptiness that had haunted him since last night.
How did I get used to it?
Khalid was amazed at himself for getting used to Renato staying by his side. Having spent time together with Renato for the past two months in the same space, he knew he had grown attached to him, but the impact was far greater than expected.
The insomnia that came last night was a very perplexing experience even for Khalid himself. He actually slept well anywhere, anytime. Not only Khalid but most of those who lived as knights were like that.
Soft and warm beds were not guaranteed on the battlefield. The royals were no exception, either. It was common to sleep without blankets when carrying out operations such as avoiding the enemies’ scouts or ambushing for a surprise attack. There were also many times when he would bury himself in the bushes or lean his back against a tree for a nap. It was a luxury to share warmth leisurely with someone in a situation where a battle could happen at any time.
Even when not living as a knight, Khalid was comfortable alone. He hadn’t slept in the same bed with someone else except during childhood with Jamila. Not so long ago, he never would have thought of putting another person on his bed.
But with Renato, a lot had changed in merely a few months. Khalid became so used to being with Renato that his fear of discomfort completely faded.
Just embracing Renato in his arms relieved his tension, allowing him to sleep better than usual. The soft breaths, the regular sounds of heartbeat, the moderately warm body temperature, and the soft skin were all good. Comparing Renato to a stuffed doll earlier was not just empty words.
Of course, he had some difficult times as well. Whenever Renato dug into his chest while asleep or a light breath tickled his skin like a gentle breeze, Khalid would be unconsciously engulfed in desire.
Even though he knew it was a perfectly natural phenomenon, he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed whenever his body heated up and reacted to Renato. Truthfully, he felt as if his patience was being tested once in a while.
“Let’s wait here for a bit until the meal is ready.”
Khalid led Renato into the drawing room and invited him to sit down. Then, suddenly remembering something, he asked.
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“Should I ask them to bring tea?”
“You don’t have to. I just had some before coming here. By the way, I saw workers near the official residence when entering…… Has construction already started?”
“Yes, there is not much time left, so I think it would be better to start as soon as possible.”
Khalid leisurely answered and sat down next to Renato. The reason for the construction of the official residence’s interior was that it would be their newlywed house for a while after they got married. This was Tristan’s idea to block the personal approaches of Marquis Medus and the nobles.
Although the official residence connected to the diplomatic office existed in the Empire’s capital, it was a unique place recognized as a territory of the Khan Kingdom. In other words, even the Empire’s nobles could not enter without permission from Khalid, the diplomatic ambassador.
Shortly after hearing that Khalid would remain a diplomatic ambassador for the rest of his term after marriage, Tristan made an imperial order to confer one of the capital mansions owned by the imperial family to Renato, who would become Archduke Esteban, and immediately commanded interior construction.
And at last evening’s imperial dinner banquet, he publicly expressed his intention to use Khalid’s official residence as their newlywed house till the interior construction of the Archduke mansion was completed.
The reason was for Renato to spend time with Khalid, who was from the Khan Kingdom, and get closer to each other while staying at the official residence as they had different cultures. Since the reason was valid, Blanche and Marquis Medus had no justification to object.
“I was supposed to take you to a better place…… I’m sorry.”
Khalid glanced sideways at the official residence seen through the window and lightly wrinkled the bridge of his nose. Compared to the Prince’s Palace where Renato lived, the official residence was modest and simple. Even when the interior construction was done, it would not be as glamorous and luxurious as the Imperial Palace since it was not newly built.
“Please don’t say that. The official residence is enough.”
Renato smiled softly to say there was no need to be sorry at all. His words were sincere. For Renato, the Prince’s Palace was nothing more than an unnecessarily large space.
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It was familiar to him as he had lived there since childhood, but it was not a comfortable haven. There were not many visitors or attendants staying, so a lot of empty rooms were not used, making it sometimes feel empty. The Prince’s Palace was always a lonely and desolate space, resembling water flowing placidly.
In comparison, the Khan Kingdom’s diplomatic office was lively every time he came. It always felt like a place filled with people, not leaving any empty space. Renato liked that.
“I can’t wait to live here.”
Renato murmured, listening to the shouts of the knights and the chatters of the workers through the slightly opened window. The thought of having to return to the Prince’s Palace after a few hours felt horrible, as he had just dealt with Marquis Medus and scuffled with Blanche.
“Please don’t expect too much. When you live here, you may want to go back to the Imperial Palace. Most people here are knights, so they can’t stay still. Imagine hearing that from morning to night.”
Khalid said while pointing his hand out the window. The mornings of nobles who were not knights usually began late. Khalid pondered whether he should refrain the knights from training at dawn or warn them not to shout loudly when Renato lived in the official residence. Then, noticing something, he stopped his thoughts and squinted his eyes.
“……What is this?”
“Yes?”
Renato, taking off his gloves, flinched when Khalid suddenly lowered his tone and grabbed his wrist. As he looked down following him, he saw some red lines on the back of his right hand.
“Who caused this?”
Khalid frowned as he saw scratches on Renato’s pure white skin. It was obviously a wound someone intentionally scratched.
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“Ah, this……”
Seeing red lines on the back of his hand, Renato mumbled in bewilderment. He didn’t even know that he had a wound on his right hand until Khalid spoke. However, he roughly knew when this happened. Perhaps it was when he stopped Blanche, who ran at him and scratched him to pull his arm out.
“It’s nothing, just……”
“You were supposed to meet Marquis Medus this morning. Did that person cause this?”
Khalid easily recalled Marquis Medus making an appointment with Renato yesterday. He knew in advance that Renato had planned to refuse the blood draw today. When his thought reached that far, he made a guess.
“Could it be that because you refused the blood draw, so……”
“No, this, uhm, I think His Majesty the Empress did. No, he definitely caused this.”
“His Majesty the Empress did this?”
“Yes, we had a bit of conflict before I came here.”
“Do you mean that he hit you?”
Khalid’s eyes turned stiff at Renato’s words. He knew Blanche hated and harassed Renato, but he didn’t expect that Blanche would not keep his dignity as the Empress and use violence.
“It’s just a small scratch. I didn’t even know there was a wound until you told me, your highness.”
Seeing Khalid’s expression stiffened terrifyingly, Renato hurriedly opened his mouth. Despite knowing Khalid wasn’t angry with him, his heart still sank when he saw warmth fade from the man’s face.
“Is that so?”
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“Yes, it was strangely awkward when I lay down to sleep yesterday. It wasn’t cold, but I felt a bit chilly, and the bed also suddenly felt too big……”
Renato’s voice tone, which had become higher than usual, gradually turned smaller. He momentarily thought that he was too excited while speaking. Worried that he might seem strange, Renato trailed off at the end of his words and looked at Khalid.
“Hmm, that’s a big deal.”
Fortunately, Khalid didn’t seem to think it was strange. It was because Renato’s symptoms were similar to what he had experienced. With a small hum, the man rubbed his chin with his hand with a serious expression.
“Big deal?”
“Unlike our kingdom, the Empire doesn’t allow us to live together until the wedding ceremony, right? There’s still a month left before we get married, but we are both suffering from insomnia, aren’t we?”
“Uh…… I guess so?”
Renato stammered back at Khalid’s reply. He was a little confused about whether the man was joking or if he was serious. At the same time, he sympathized with the concern that they might get insomnia.
He had a hard time as his heart pounded whenever he was with Khalid, but if he couldn’t sleep deeply regardless of whether the man was by his side or not, he would rather be with him. For there was nothing more cozy and pleasant than the warmth Khalid gave.
“Should we go inside first? Others are staring.”
Conscious of the gazes directed at them, Khalid sheepishly led Renato indoors. He didn’t show it when his body moved faster than his thoughts earlier, but Khalid was also quite embarrassed. Looking back, he thought that he had acted too impulsively.
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But at that moment, nothing came to his mind. There was nothing but a desire to fill the unknown emptiness that had haunted him since last night.
How did I get used to it?
Khalid was amazed at himself for getting used to Renato staying by his side. Having spent time together with Renato for the past two months in the same space, he knew he had grown attached to him, but the impact was far greater than expected.
The insomnia that came last night was a very perplexing experience even for Khalid himself. He actually slept well anywhere, anytime. Not only Khalid but most of those who lived as knights were like that.
Soft and warm beds were not guaranteed on the battlefield. The royals were no exception, either. It was common to sleep without blankets when carrying out operations such as avoiding the enemies’ scouts or ambushing for a surprise attack. There were also many times when he would bury himself in the bushes or lean his back against a tree for a nap. It was a luxury to share warmth leisurely with someone in a situation where a battle could happen at any time.
Even when not living as a knight, Khalid was comfortable alone. He hadn’t slept in the same bed with someone else except during childhood with Jamila. Not so long ago, he never would have thought of putting another person on his bed.
But with Renato, a lot had changed in merely a few months. Khalid became so used to being with Renato that his fear of discomfort completely faded.
Just embracing Renato in his arms relieved his tension, allowing him to sleep better than usual. The soft breaths, the regular sounds of heartbeat, the moderately warm body temperature, and the soft skin were all good. Comparing Renato to a stuffed doll earlier was not just empty words.
Of course, he had some difficult times as well. Whenever Renato dug into his chest while asleep or a light breath tickled his skin like a gentle breeze, Khalid would be unconsciously engulfed in desire.
Even though he knew it was a perfectly natural phenomenon, he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed whenever his body heated up and reacted to Renato. Truthfully, he felt as if his patience was being tested once in a while.
“Let’s wait here for a bit until the meal is ready.”
Khalid led Renato into the drawing room and invited him to sit down. Then, suddenly remembering something, he asked.
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“Should I ask them to bring tea?”
“You don’t have to. I just had some before coming here. By the way, I saw workers near the official residence when entering…… Has construction already started?”
“Yes, there is not much time left, so I think it would be better to start as soon as possible.”
Khalid leisurely answered and sat down next to Renato. The reason for the construction of the official residence’s interior was that it would be their newlywed house for a while after they got married. This was Tristan’s idea to block the personal approaches of Marquis Medus and the nobles.
Although the official residence connected to the diplomatic office existed in the Empire’s capital, it was a unique place recognized as a territory of the Khan Kingdom. In other words, even the Empire’s nobles could not enter without permission from Khalid, the diplomatic ambassador.
Shortly after hearing that Khalid would remain a diplomatic ambassador for the rest of his term after marriage, Tristan made an imperial order to confer one of the capital mansions owned by the imperial family to Renato, who would become Archduke Esteban, and immediately commanded interior construction.
And at last evening’s imperial dinner banquet, he publicly expressed his intention to use Khalid’s official residence as their newlywed house till the interior construction of the Archduke mansion was completed.
The reason was for Renato to spend time with Khalid, who was from the Khan Kingdom, and get closer to each other while staying at the official residence as they had different cultures. Since the reason was valid, Blanche and Marquis Medus had no justification to object.
“I was supposed to take you to a better place…… I’m sorry.”
Khalid glanced sideways at the official residence seen through the window and lightly wrinkled the bridge of his nose. Compared to the Prince’s Palace where Renato lived, the official residence was modest and simple. Even when the interior construction was done, it would not be as glamorous and luxurious as the Imperial Palace since it was not newly built.
“Please don’t say that. The official residence is enough.”
Renato smiled softly to say there was no need to be sorry at all. His words were sincere. For Renato, the Prince’s Palace was nothing more than an unnecessarily large space.
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It was familiar to him as he had lived there since childhood, but it was not a comfortable haven. There were not many visitors or attendants staying, so a lot of empty rooms were not used, making it sometimes feel empty. The Prince’s Palace was always a lonely and desolate space, resembling water flowing placidly.
In comparison, the Khan Kingdom’s diplomatic office was lively every time he came. It always felt like a place filled with people, not leaving any empty space. Renato liked that.
“I can’t wait to live here.”
Renato murmured, listening to the shouts of the knights and the chatters of the workers through the slightly opened window. The thought of having to return to the Prince’s Palace after a few hours felt horrible, as he had just dealt with Marquis Medus and scuffled with Blanche.
“Please don’t expect too much. When you live here, you may want to go back to the Imperial Palace. Most people here are knights, so they can’t stay still. Imagine hearing that from morning to night.”
Khalid said while pointing his hand out the window. The mornings of nobles who were not knights usually began late. Khalid pondered whether he should refrain the knights from training at dawn or warn them not to shout loudly when Renato lived in the official residence. Then, noticing something, he stopped his thoughts and squinted his eyes.
“……What is this?”
“Yes?”
Renato, taking off his gloves, flinched when Khalid suddenly lowered his tone and grabbed his wrist. As he looked down following him, he saw some red lines on the back of his right hand.
“Who caused this?”
Khalid frowned as he saw scratches on Renato’s pure white skin. It was obviously a wound someone intentionally scratched.
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“Ah, this……”
Seeing red lines on the back of his hand, Renato mumbled in bewilderment. He didn’t even know that he had a wound on his right hand until Khalid spoke. However, he roughly knew when this happened. Perhaps it was when he stopped Blanche, who ran at him and scratched him to pull his arm out.
“It’s nothing, just……”
“You were supposed to meet Marquis Medus this morning. Did that person cause this?”
Khalid easily recalled Marquis Medus making an appointment with Renato yesterday. He knew in advance that Renato had planned to refuse the blood draw today. When his thought reached that far, he made a guess.
“Could it be that because you refused the blood draw, so……”
“No, this, uhm, I think His Majesty the Empress did. No, he definitely caused this.”
“His Majesty the Empress did this?”
“Yes, we had a bit of conflict before I came here.”
“Do you mean that he hit you?”
Khalid’s eyes turned stiff at Renato’s words. He knew Blanche hated and harassed Renato, but he didn’t expect that Blanche would not keep his dignity as the Empress and use violence.
“It’s just a small scratch. I didn’t even know there was a wound until you told me, your highness.”
Seeing Khalid’s expression stiffened terrifyingly, Renato hurriedly opened his mouth. Despite knowing Khalid wasn’t angry with him, his heart still sank when he saw warmth fade from the man’s face.
