Guiding the Male Lead out of His Trauma - Chapter 32.2
Like many countries, but perhaps even more so, the Valégr royal family of Valmoth is almost obsessed with architecture.
The symbol of the Valégr dynasty is the phoenix.
The royal family, who adopted the immortal bird as their emblem to defend and pioneer the harsh northeastern lands, endowed the creature that ‘rises again even after death’ with special meaning and affection.
The way the royal family continuously reconstructs old, crumbling buildings or occasionally assigns new significance and expands the palace—it’s all a reflection of that extravagant affection.
If this were a different era, or a world without war, this country would surely be a living treasure of ancient ruins and artistic architecture.
‘But as things stand, they’re nothing but the main culprits for squandering the people’s tax money.’
And though not yet, sooner or later, this obsession would become another fuse for protests like those we’d witnessed.
The first place one passes after entering the palace gates:
The carriage passed through the ‘Gate of Immortality’, a door so large it seemed made by binding together two massive trees.
No matter how grand and beautiful a gate might be, its shadows were just as ordinary and dark, making me click my tongue.
The carriage, now inside the palace proper, stopped before the outer palace where the audience chamber was located.
It was connected to the main palace, but more commonly used for meetings between military officials rather than guests of honor or high-ranking dignitaries.
Prince Isadore, who got out first, patted my shoulder.
“I’ll be leaving you here, since I’ve delivered you safely. If you show your ID to the guards, they’ll take you to where my brother is. Don’t worry.”
“Thank you for your help. Honestly, I believed you’d have no choice but to come…”
“So you had a sliver of doubt, did you? Well, I got to see something interesting thanks to you. And, I do owe you a debt, after all.”
A debt?
I’m not sure how he’s using me, but that’s not something you can just brush off… it’s an uncomfortably pointed thing to say.
With a smile, he stepped away from me, then patted Acteon on the shoulder. Leaning in, he whispered something quietly in Acteon’s ear.
“……”
Acteon’s uneasy expression shifted into something else. This time, an expression tinged with hostility and agitation.
“That was intentional, Your Highness. You wanted to give us no choice but to be suspicious of you.”
That fleeting expression of hostility soon faded when the prince left, and Acteon returned to his usual self.
“It’s because I have high expectations of you.”
“I’m already sick of being at the mercy of those above me.”
His warning was not something to take lightly.
“I wasn’t born to be the loyal dog the country wants. Your Highness would do well to remember that.”
With a wry smile, Prince Isadore muttered,
“That’s truly frightening…”
He left with his aide, who’d been waiting, and I was once again left standing with Acteon in front of the palace.
The guard at the entrance glared at us as if to ask what we were doing, so I showed my control stone bracelet.
A kind of identification only Manifesters could wear.
According to the Awakened Management Law, all Manifesters hold the status of soldier or public official, so after confirming it wasn’t a forgery, they let us pass.
A guard told us to wait in front of a certain door, then disappeared. Acteon leaned closer to me.
“Senior, I can hardly sense any mana around here.”
“It’s probably always been that way, but it might also be because most of the mana here has already been drained.”
“…Maybe that’s why it feels a little suffocating.”
He absently loosened his tie and the tightly buttoned collar. A look of embarrassment briefly crossed his face at the unthinking gesture.
He seemed about to retie his tie.
Does he not know how to tie a tie?
That thought flashed through my mind, and I realized once again that Acteon was still just a first-year cadet, new to the academy.
Of course he wouldn’t be used to things like this.
“If you don’t tie it so tightly, it’ll feel a lot better. Bow your head.”
Honestly, struggling with a tie, he really is still young.
Just for a moment, Acteon looked like a kid his age.
A bit of the tension I’d been holding in my shoulders finally eased.
As I worked with my hands, I could feel his gaze quietly following me.
It was a little loose, but not enough to be noticeable.
“There, all done. Isn’t that better than before?”
“Yes, much better.”
As I told him he could fix his posture now, our eyes met.
He looked visibly more relaxed, though it seemed he was trying hard to keep his face composed.
He’d looked displeased because of Prince Isadore, but now that the prince was gone, he seemed fine.
“Even if it’s uncomfortable, you should wait to unbutton your collar until after the audience. The atmosphere’s going to be suffocating enough anyway.”
“I feel a lot better, thanks to you, Senior. It’d be even better if you tied it for me every day.”
“Are you trying to make your senior into your attendant…?”
I was dumbfounded at his completely unfiltered honesty.
Like this… anyone could easily misunderstand. The atmosphere felt strangely charged.
At that moment, the returning guard had an officer in uniform with him.
The officer spoke stiffly.
“He’ll be here soon. You may enter.”
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