The steady clatter of hooves faded, and with a small jolt the carriage came to a stop. After two knocks followed, Hugo, who had been about to rise, spoke quietly to Leonardo.

“There are servants here. If it makes you uncomfortable, shall I dismiss them? There aren’t many.”

“I’m fine.”

Having received the answer, Hugo signaled with his eyes, opened the carriage door himself, and stepped down. The attendant waiting directly in front of it took a step back and bowed his head. Those lined up on both sides bent politely at the waist as well.

“Welcome home, Master—”

Huh?

He’d said not many, yet the number was greater than Leonardo expected, and he hesitated for a moment. Counting quickly, there were around twenty. Certainly few for servants maintaining a duke’s villa. Still, when he had previously been handed the key, he’d been told no people would be sent for the time being, so he had naturally imagined time alone together.

Of course, months had passed since then — circumstances must have changed.

“Come down.”

Standing on the ground first, Hugo extended his hand to Leonardo. After a brief hesitation, Leonardo’s fingertips settled into his palm.

Escorted down almost by reflex, Leonardo quickly let go of the hand he’d taken. Once he became aware of watching eyes, the situation felt strange.

He wasn’t standing beside the Legion Commander as a force who had joined the subjugation unit, but being treated as the duke’s sole honored guest. He wondered whether he should receive such treatment in front of people of similar standing, and worried their contact might look unusual.

As if aware of Leonardo’s thoughts, Hugo casually stepped half a pace ahead while closing and opening his now-empty palm. Instead, he waved the still-bowed servants away.

Only after the statue-still figures dispersed in an instant did his gentle voice speak again.

“I’m glad the weather’s nice today. Warmer, isn’t it?”

Now that he thought about it, when boarding the carriage it had been rather chilly, yet now a pleasant breeze stirred. Perhaps it was true this was the mildest place in the lordship.

Looking up at the dawn sky, Leonardo turned his eyes back and answered.

“The clouds look like the south. I didn’t know your territory had a place like this.”

“I expected as much. Seems you’ve never even come near it.”

Damn.

His golden eyes slid aside, struck directly at the truth.

“...That’s—”

“Aren’t you hungry? You haven’t eaten anything since the match.”

With a faint smile, Hugo smoothly changed the subject.

“Ah, yeah... I guess.”

“It’s a bit late, but shall we eat first? Or would you like to wash up first?”

He added calmly that he had ordered the water heated, so it would be ready now. Leonardo rolled the words he’d been holding on his tongue but couldn’t bring himself to say them aloud. Servants were peeking from behind; how could he possibly say not that — you first? With too many ears around, he could only give a dry answer, and regretted it.

“...I’ll wash.”

“Then I’ll have everything prepared so you can eat immediately after. Come this way. It isn’t large, but the interior is complicated — easy to get lost.”

Hugo slowly guided him toward the stairs, an arm around Leonardo’s shoulders.

...Not large?

Walking along, Leonardo looked up at the open stone doorway.

Entering the considerable entrance, antique columns and ceilings of white and blue-gray spread wide before him. From outside the building didn’t seem tall, yet the ceilings were far from low. The expansive interior carried echoes of their voices — objectively, it could hardly be called small.

Among it all, the aged ceiling mural had faded almost beyond recognition. Apparently no restoration had been done. From that alone Leonardo guessed the elegant architecture held considerable history.

“Is this place old?”

A faint nostalgia, the sort felt in historic mansions, lingered here, prompting the question. He’d heard it had been acquired relatively recently, yet someone’s longing clung to it like an aftertone.

Following Leonardo’s gaze, Hugo answered.

“Perhaps a few hundred years. Maybe more.”

***

In one corner of the large, steam-filled bath stood a stone lion with jaws wide open, hot water pouring endlessly from its mouth. Submerged to his chest, Leonardo played with the flowing stream.

Soon, however, his wet brow knit tightly, and he struck the rippling surface with his fist.

Splash—

Small droplets scattered, dampening his cheeks and forehead flushed red by the heat. His already soaked blond hair bent in waves under the bathwater. Brushing back dripping bangs, Leonardo muttered irritably to himself.

“This isn’t it.”

The plan had gone wrong. By his expectations, he shouldn’t be alone in this sea-like bath; someone should have been across from him. In what was practically the Commander’s home ground — water — he was supposed to pretend to lose a few times, then flip him over in an instant.

Instead, beside Leonardo floated only two rubber ducks drifting along the ripples. As if mocking him, a yellow and blue pair glided side by side. When he squeezed one in irritation, it squeaked.

The toy’s cry echoed beneath the night-sky-shaped glass dome. It was the perfect place to grow intoxicated on each other’s breathing while watching starlight spill beyond the hemisphere. But what use was that when there was no one to tell the story of Taurus and what it meant?

Before he could subtly suggest entering together, the Commander had escorted him to the bath and turned away, saying he’d check the dining preparations — along with a warning not to stay too long because dilated vessels might cause another nosebleed.

The perceptive man was clearly pretending not to notice; perhaps he truly had much to prepare, so Leonardo held back.

“Shouldn’t have said I wanted octopus...”

The regretful voice slipped out like a sigh.

In truth, sharing a meal mattered — the menu didn’t. He felt slightly sorry for creating things the Commander had to fuss over.

It’s ridiculously big.

Complaining about the unnecessarily vast space, Leonardo released the duck. The two returned to shape and drifted away, tumbling beneath the strong waterfall, vanishing for a moment before floating into a wider section of the bath.

Following their path, he cynically looked around. Besides the central bath, stepped baths curved at both ends, while a goddess statue tipped an urn to create an endless circulation.

Because of it, the scent of natural oil overflowed through the enormous bathhouse. Growing intoxicated by the fragrance, Leonardo suddenly plunged his head underwater. Stretching his body like a mermaid and kicking forward, a golden current traced through the center.

Suddenly he remembered the words of a shop owner in Riverside Town.

If you soak in clear water imbued with purification, stray thoughts will fall away.

Is this a place like that.

Strangely, the pressure that had weighed on his left shoulder felt lighter. Not that the lingering heat in his chest disappeared.

Holding his breath underwater, Leonardo stared blankly upward.

Even without purpose, his mind felt oddly at ease.

When he finished washing and came out, a long powder room stretched before him — unnoticed in his earlier daze. Filled with antique mahogany furniture, one wall was entirely mirrors, and his belongings and new clothes lay neatly on a console table.

Shaking droplets from his wet hair, Leonardo picked up the garments. A silk blouse densely embroidered. Similar to clothes the Commander once selected for him at the Libertas residence.

You know — the sort a frail youngest son of a noble family might wear.

“His taste?”

A plausible suspicion now. Does he like pampered prince types? That’s far from me.

Drying himself instantly, Leonardo dressed in the prepared clothes. They fit as though measured. Even the underwear and trousers neither tightened nor loosened — how his size was known was slightly frightening.

He covered his mottled nape with the provided handkerchief and gathered his belongings, about to leave—

“...?”

The artifact flashed a signal. Opening it just enough to rummage inside, he found the communication device — three connection attempts recorded.

All from Terzio.

One eyebrow rose as Leonardo nearly pressed connect, then stopped. Whatever it was, he hesitated to hear troublesome talk at an important moment. Terzio had always been strongly negative about him remembering Agrizendro and keeping his belongings.

The surface reason was obvious: don’t get entangled with the leader of the imperial faction. Too conspicuous, a being born different from them — and what Leonardo felt toward him was longing for a life he could have lived, not truly for the man himself.

A man who even tried to control the shape of his emotions would surely be worried his partner hadn’t returned long after the test ended. No doubt he’d be urging him, asking where he was in case of some meeting with the Legion Commander.

Leonardo stared down at the device with sunken eyes, then shoved it back into the artifact as if discarding the thought.

He smoothed his hair as if nothing were wrong, yet Terzio’s voice lingered in his ears.

He could ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ become an enemy. Be wary.

Facing the mirror, Leonardo muttered sharply.

“I know. I know.”

At that moment, movement sounded outside the nearby door, followed by two polite knocks.

Knock knock—

“Excuse me. If you are ready, may I guide you to the dining room? The duke is waiting.”