Crossing the Line

Agniele knew he needed to focus, but he couldn’t. He was unintentionally letting the voice—calm yet firm with an underlying strength—go in one ear and out the other. The focus of his eyes on the documents had long since vanished.

Flutter. At the sound of the other person turning a page, Agniele’s hand moved reflexively. Perhaps thanks to that, even though one of them wasn’t paying attention, they were both on the same page.

“Agniele.”

At first, the other man had ignored it, thinking he would snap out of it soon. But as Agniele showed no signs of returning to reality even after time had passed, the man finally set down his documents.

It had been strange that his son, who used to roam outside every day, was staying home lately, but the Duke happened to have some free time. He had called him in thinking he could teach him some business, but what was the point if he was like this?

I suppose staying cooped up in the mansion wasn’t his choice. The Duke called his son, intending to ask what exactly was distracting him.

Unfortunately, the Duke’s low call didn’t reach the dazed Agniele. When the silence continued, the Duke let out a small grumble.

“Iel.”

“I’m listening—ah…….”

The son who hadn’t responded to his name answered the nickname instantly. Perhaps it was a reflexive reaction; Agniele, realizing late who had called him, showed a hint of disappointment.

Yes, disappointment.

Agniele’s facial muscles were as stiff as stone, leaving him with few expressions, but the Duke could easily read the emotions on his face. After all, Agniele was his son, and they had spent years together.

“Did you mistake me for someone else?”

“I apologize. I was foolish and failed to meet your expectations.”

“……I didn’t say it with that intention.”

The Duke was curious about why his son was not just disappointed but practically despondent. He had just prodded him a bit, but Agniele looked as if he were about to dig a hole, climb in, and cover himself with dirt.

Because of that, the Duke couldn’t hide his look of bewilderment. He had only thrown the word out wondering if someone besides family had finally started calling Agniele by his nickname.

“You’re only human; there can be days when you can’t focus.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I wasn’t trying to blame you. I just wondered if you two had started calling each other by nicknames now.”

The Duke knew it was better to be direct with his son. As proof, Agniele, who had been blinking dully, flushed at the tips of his ears at the Duke’s question. He bowed his head, lowering his gaze to the floor, and nodded slowly. Only a moment later did he realize the meaning behind the question about his mistake.

“There’s only one person lately who could make you lose your wits like this…… if you want to see them that badly, why not just go? Moping here won’t change anything.”

Subtly sliding the documents out of sight, the Duke rested his interlaced hands on the desk. As he leaned slightly toward Agniele, his eyes were colored with an interest that anyone could recognize.

“……He said he couldn’t show his face.”

“Hmm?”

“I was told to refrain from visiting until I received word.”

“Hoh—.”

The Duke let out a heavy sigh at Agniele’s gloomy words. He ignored the fact that the document in Agniele’s hand was being crushed. To only crumple a document that could be reprinted at any time—how refined a reaction.

“The reason—hmm?”

The Duke, who had been about to coax Agniele for more details, cleared his throat as he felt a presence approaching the office.

Sensing a familiar presence and an unfamiliar one simultaneously, it seemed a guest had arrived late at night. Or perhaps the news the person sitting before him had been desperately waiting for had arrived.

In any case, now that he was certain an outsider was approaching, the Duke had to regain his usual composure. It meant that even if he was curious about his son’s love life, he had to endure for now.

There was no way Agniele had failed to notice the presence the Duke felt. From the moment he heard the footsteps, Agniele’s gaze was fixed on the door separating the office from the hallway.

Knock, knock. Soon, there was a knock at the door. Agniele, who was about to speak immediately, hesitated as he remembered the Duke’s presence. When he turned to look at the Duke, the man nodded lightly as if telling him to do as he pleased.

“Come in.”

As if to satisfy Agniele’s anticipation, an unfamiliar figure appeared behind the butler—a man wearing the same uniform as the servants he had seen coming and going from the Jade Mansion.

“A message has arrived from the Jade Mansion.”

The butler bowed, apologizing for not giving prior notice. Agniele had told him to inform him immediately regardless of where he was if news came from that mansion. Nevertheless, the fact remained that the butler had committed the rudeness of entering the office late at night with a servant from another house.

“It’s fine.”

The Duke, who wasn’t one to be bound by formalities, brushed it off. Such things weren’t particularly important. It was also because the person following the butler didn’t seem like an ordinary servant.

Though dressed as a servant, his gait was more than refined—it was silent. His movements were efficient, and his firm muscles weren’t fully hidden by his clothes. Even the calluses on his hands, clasped in a polite gesture, were characteristic of someone familiar with weapons.

Every single thing about the suspicious “servant” displeased the Duke. That was to be expected, as this servant was born from Ensi’s own oversight.

When Ensi had given the order to his servants, those who had been listening under the guise of protection read their master’s blatant desire.

Being somewhat fanatical, they prioritized their master’s wishes above all else. Thus, they used the excuse that “Ensi didn’t tell them NOT to go” and willingly took the risk. The fastest among them disguised himself as a servant and ran to the Lacius estate.

All of this happened without Ensi’s knowledge.

“More importantly, your hands are empty.”

As the Duke scrutinized the visitor with narrowed eyes, Agniele quickly changed the subject. Even without the scrutiny, his heart was racing because it was a matter he had been worrying about.

“I have been sent with a verbal message.”

“A verbal message?”

“Yes.”

The servant, giving a slight bow, glanced around. Agniele hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was alright to speak here, but ultimately his impatience won. He nodded quickly.

The servant showed no dissatisfaction with Agniele’s choice. He simply lowered his head and parted his lips to recite Ensi’s message exactly.

“‘I’m sorry for being cold lately. I want to see you because the longing has grown in proportion to the time I haven’t seen you. If possible, right now.’…… Those were his words.”

The servant, who had delivered the cringeworthy words shamelessly as if he weren’t embarrassed at all, remained with his head bowed. The Duke, who had unintentionally eavesdropped on his son’s romance, cleared his throat in embarrassment.

He had been curious, but he hadn’t expected it to be like this. Above all, he was flustered because it was his first time hearing such a simple and honest message. He thought they would at most send a letter or a note, but a verbal message?

“……He really said that?”

“Yes. I swear there is not a single lie.”

At Agniele’s murmur—who seemed dazed in a different sense—the servant answered emphatically. It contained the loyal heart of wanting his master’s sincerity not to be misconstrued, but Agniele had no room to care about that right now.

Longing, want to see, now. After repeating those words in his mind several times with a dazed look, Agniele suddenly stood up.

“Agniele?”

Surely he won’t go visit at this hour. The Duke, who knew his son’s character well, made a premature assumption and was blindsided.

“I believe I must go now.”

For someone whose heart was already gone, his voice was unnecessarily firm. Whether the Duke looked on with an absurd face or not, Agniele closed his ears like a man who couldn’t hear a thing.

In the first place, the person who could have stopped him was so flustered he couldn’t even move his lips. Thus, Agniele left the office like a gust of wind, without even thinking of changing his clothes.

Watching Agniele’s retreating back as he rushed off without further hesitation, the Duke clicked his tongue. It seemed the sender of the message had easily predicted Agniele’s behavior.

Otherwise, would the servant of the Jade Mansion act as if he expected Agniele to suddenly dash off like that?

Good heavens. Seeing him already so tightly wrapped around someone’s finger, he couldn’t even bring himself to lament.

“Haha—!”

In the distance, the firmly closed main gate opened, and through the gap, a man with dark red hair appeared. Seeing this, Ensi couldn’t help but burst into clear laughter.

Should he say the wait was worth it, or that the person moving exactly as expected was adorable?

Whatever it was, he felt quite good. He straightened up from where he had been leaning against the terrace railing and stepped back into the room.

If I’d known this, would it have been better not to change my clothes? No, perhaps changing was the right choice. Since he was a guest arriving late at night, he would have expected Ensi’s attire to be somewhat informal.

He pulled his robe tighter, having layered up against the cold. Without any special grooming, he finished by roughly tidying his wind-blown hair.

Since it was late, only Noah and Emma remained as servants guarding the main building. Since the other servants would have already returned to the annex, Ensi headed to the entrance to greet Agniele himself.

Having taken off his veil for the first time in a while, the slight breeze he felt with every movement touched his skin vividly. Since he even liked that trivial fact right now, the smile never left Ensi’s lips.

He descended the stairs and stepped into the hall, speaking in a low voice.

“Anje.”

“Yes, yes. We’ll take care of the horse.”

He already knew Anje was following closely behind him. Anje also knew he’d been caught, so he revealed himself without hesitation.

Anje, who keenly understood what his master wanted without being told, replied somewhat mischievously and opened the front door.

At the sound of the heavy door opening fully, Agniele, who had dismounted, tilted his head up. Lifting his gaze, he soon found Ensi standing at the boundary between the dark mansion—which hadn’t been lit—and the outside where only moonlight settled.

Hair still damp with moisture flowed over the shoulders of the white robe Ensi wore. Was it because of his skin, which remained pale despite midsummer fast approaching?

Agniele, who had been staring blankly up at him, suddenly snapped to his senses as if he had been doused with cold water. At the same time, he instinctively felt that if he stepped into the mansion now, he would be crossing the line he had maintained until now.

Perhaps that was why Agniele couldn’t bring himself to move. At that, Ensi tilted his head slightly and reached out the arm that had been wrapped around his torso toward him.

“I trust you didn’t come all this way just to turn back immediately.”

As if he knew what the other’s worry was, he narrowed his eyes and laughed, his voice soft and smooth.

“Ensi…….”

When Agniele called him as if in pain, Ensi wore a deep smile. He shook his extended arm slightly and spoke with a deliberately sweet voice.

“The night is still cold.”

“That is—”

“So come and hold me, Iel.”

Hurry.