Last night was not a silent night. Although the war in the bay outside the city was over, many people were still busy.
The blood-stained city walls were to be washed away, and the mountains of corpses piled up and down the city walls were to be cleaned up. , Also, the tangled wrecks of the pirate warships that blocked the city gate and the small warships of Tozes had to be cleaned up... In bits and pieces, the generals such as Seth, who were so busy in command, didn't even have time to drink.
The city is also noisy, and it is not quiet all night.
However, this was the most solid and sweetest night the townspeople of Tozes had slept in this period of time.
Reinforcements arrived, and the pirates were completely routed.
They were finally safe and no longer had to be afraid.
After the rain passed, the dark clouds that had accumulated over Tozes City finally dissipated, and the dark clouds that had been suppressed in everyone's hearts were finally dissipated.
On this day, the blue sky was cloudless, and the sea was calm.
When the night passed and the bright sun rose from the horizon, both citizens who had just woken up from their dreams, or soldiers who had been busy all night, looked at the fiery sun and smiled from their hearts. .
The bright but not scorching morning sun slanted into the window, and in the bright room, Garland sat on the warm bed, leaning against the head of the bed.
The long golden hair was scattered on the back of his neck. He finished the last mouthful of porridge, and the waiting medical woman reached out to take it, looked at Garlan with respect and admiration, and then used it up. The plate was returned.
Garlan leaned against the head of the bed, tilted his head slightly, squinted his eyes, and the warm sunlight that came in from the window fell on him, bit by bit expelling the cold air that had penetrated into his flesh and blood for several days, illuminating his entire body. People are lazy.
Although the wound on his back is still aching, the fever has not subsided, and his brain is dizzy.
But at this moment, perhaps because he suddenly completely relaxed from the tense state, a feeling of laziness filled his limbs, making him feel like he didn't want to move at all.
In fact, he is still a little depressed now.
It is precisely because he has been hostile to Heimos many times that he also understands the strength of Heimos better than anyone else.
As an enemy, Heimos is terrifyingly powerful.
But as a companion, Heimos is a very reassuring existence.
[Don't be afraid, I am here.]
he knows.
The safety of a huge city, the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, these heavy responsibilities that were so heavy that he could not breathe, could finally be lifted from his shoulders.
He finally didn't have to force himself to hold on anymore.
The string that was tensed all the time collapsed instantly because of Heimos's words.
He lost control of his emotions for a while, and actually showed that cowardly look in front of Heimos...
Now that he has slept and calmed down, he feels ashamed in retrospect.
I don't know how Heimos will laugh at him after being caught this time.
Ah, it's annoying to think about-
Garlan was sitting on the bed and continued to be annoyed when heavy footsteps suddenly sounded outside.
Immediately afterwards, the room was pushed open, and a round, chubby ball rushed in as if it were rolling.
"Prince! Prince! I heard you were injured!"
The ball rolled to the side of the bed, and the chubby boy's eyes swept across Garlan's body with a distressed look on his face.
"I've heard people say that you are a prince. You are so delicate and expensive, how can you go to such a dangerous battlefield? You were injured so badly?"
He crawled over the edge of the bed and stared at Garlan eagerly.
"Does it hurt, Prince? Well, it must be very painful. You are so grown up, except when you were a child. Over the years, the wound on your hand, the Tapti woman, was so distressed that she wanted to scold us. of."
"Ah, it's all my fault, if I could have brought the Elson Navy here earlier... No! It's all Elson's fault! It's all of them dawdling and refusing to send troops earlier!"
Tarr stared at Gallan with distressed eyes, puffed out his cheeks, and had an expression of hatred and bitterness on his face, and he kept reciting.
There were so many muttering words that it gave people a headache, but at this moment, it made Garland laugh when he heard it, and being muttered by Tarr, it seemed that the pain behind him had eased a little.
"Thank you, Tar."
He raised his hand and touched the fat boy's head with a smile.
"It must be easy to bring the Elson Navy, right?"
Being praised by Garlan like this, Tarton immediately became energetic.
"That's—it's not easy, Your Highness!"
He poured bitter water at Garland.
"The queen refused to agree to send troops at first, and it took me a lot of effort to persuade her."
"Listen to what I tell you, Your Highness, this is what happened."
As soon as he got excited, Tarr began to show Garlan the scene at the time.
…
a few days ago.
Inside the Royal Palace on Elson Island.
Seeing that Queen Elson, who had refused, got up and left, Tarr watched helplessly at the back of the Queen who was about to disappear, his heart beating violently.
He remembered the smile of Prince Garland who had sent him away before he left.
At that time, the prince said, it was all up to you, Tal.
The prince said it was all up to him.
Tal gritted his teeth.
No, he won't give up... It's impossible to give up so easily!
The prince believed in him, and only entrusted such an important matter, even his own life, to him. How could he betray the prince's trust in him
No matter what... No matter what method he uses, he must let Elson send troops!
At this moment, Tarr's mind was spinning rapidly.
Something... Something to impress Elson, or rather, something to impress Queen Elson...
From the time he met the Elson female warrior to the time he came to the palace, scenes related to Elson flashed in his mind quickly.
Suddenly, the slump of the trading port he had spent a lot of time on when he first arrived on the island flashed across his mind, and a flash of light flashed in his mind.
Bet!
Tar rushed forward, but was stopped by the female warrior guarding the throne.
Undaunted, he grabbed the female warrior's arm and shouted at the queen's back.
"Your Majesty! Are you going to let Elson continue to fall like this?"
As soon as he said these rude words, he immediately caused the anger of the Elson female warriors around him.
The female warrior who had just stopped him exerted a little force, and immediately made Tarr scream in pain.
But the little fat man screamed in pain, and shouted at the queen with all his might.
"If Elson continues to close himself and isolate himself like this, sooner or later, his country will be destroyed!"
With a loud bang, his head was smashed to the floor by the furious female warrior.
The force of the smashing was so heavy that Tarr had the illusion that his head was about to be smashed.
He was stunned for a while, and when he came back to his senses, he saw a pair of feet standing in front of him.
Queen Elson went back and forth without knowing when, and returned to Tarr.
"Emissary of Aaron Landis, do you know what disrespect you have just said?"
The tall and slender Queen Elson stood in front of Tarr, who was crushed to his knees and crouched on the ground.
Her sharp eyes carried an unkind aura, and she looked down at the chubby boy under her feet.
"Just based on the two words you just cursed our country, I can order you to be executed."
"Are my words a curse... woo... an alarmist..."
His head was firmly pressed to the ground, and Tarr grinned in pain from the twisted arm, but he continued to speak with difficulty and intermittently.
"Your Majesty, you should be very clear in your heart... otherwise... you won't tell me such nonsense, I'm afraid you will just stab me to death... it hurts!"
After trying hard to say a few words, the little fat man couldn't hold back in the end, he screamed several times, and a pack of tears came out.
The chubby kid's cowardly appearance made Vinier, who was originally angry because of his two words, amused.
She thought about what the hell is wrong with this little brat. So, she shook her head and walked over to the queen.
"Your Majesty, drive him out."
The queen didn't say a word, and looked down at Tar, who was pinned under her feet, with a sharp gaze.
After a long time, she suddenly raised her hand, motioning for the guard who held Tarr to let go.
When Tar got up, she waved all the guards around to retreat, leaving General Vinier by her side.
She stared at Tal and said, "What's your reason for believing that Elson will go down?"
"I know that Elson's female fighters are very strong, and your naval power is also very strong, but whether a country is strong or not depends not on its military strength, but on how well its people live."
Tarr grinned, rubbing his nearly broken hand.
"Actually, I don't know much about military and politics... However, I think this country will decline because the Elsons are not living well."
"Unlike countries on land, Elson is only an island country, so it is impossible to be self-sufficient at all. The food and materials you need must be obtained through trading. But when I came, I saw your foreign trade. There are very few merchant ships in the port... Yes, I can see that no one is willing to trade with you at all, and even if there are, I am afraid they want to gain great benefits from you."
"When I walked along the way, from what I saw, the living conditions of your people were not good."
Tar suddenly looked up and looked directly at the Queen.
"His Royal Highness once told me that the prosperity and stability of the people are the symbol of a country's prosperity and the responsibility of the king."
"So, Your Majesty, I want to ask you, do you really want your people to live such a hard life?"
"Even if you Elson think you are a country, but none of the surrounding countries admit that Elson is a country - are you going to deceive yourself like this?"
"presumptuous!"
Vinier roared angrily.
"How can you be so rude—"
The queen raised her hand and blocked Vinier.
She looked at Tal with awe: "What is the purpose of you talking so much?"
As a member of the mighty Elson female warriors, the Queen looks at others with a blazing, dreadful gaze.
When she stared at a person and radiated that power without reservation, it was even more chilling.
Tarr's chest couldn't help but tremble, his face was slightly pale, and his legs were trembling.
However, when he thought of the prince who was at stake, he gritted his teeth and suppressed the surging panic.
"send troops."
He took a deep breath and managed to meet the Queen's oppressive gaze.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, just as you love the little princess, we, King Camos of Aaron Landis, love the prince more than your daughter."
"So, if the prince died in Tozes, he would be heartbroken, and if he knew that the prince had asked you for help and was rejected... Although he would not send troops to attack Elson, he would definitely be in a fit of rage. A king order will be issued, and any Elsons will be banned from entering Aaron Landis from now on."
"The consequences of this, and the harm this situation will cause to Elson, don't need me to tell you, Queen, you should understand."
The queen looked at him coldly.
"Are you threatening me?"
"Of course I don't dare, I just told you this possibility in advance."
Anyway, it has come to this point, either he angered the queen to be cut into pieces, or he took Elson Navy back to save the prince.
The dead pig was not afraid of the scalding Tal Terrier with its neck stiff.
"But, on the other hand, as long as Elson sent troops to save the prince..."
He rubbed his hands together and suddenly grinned at the Queen.
"Your Majesty, have you ever wondered what the image would be if Aaron Landis recognized Elson as an independent country."
Vinier was startled and looked at the queen.
The queen frowned slightly, pondered for a while, and then said, "You don't have enough weight."
"I don't have enough weight, but the prince is enough. The prince is a person who will repay his kindness. As long as you save him, he will definitely persuade King Kamos to recognize your country."
Actually... Acknowledging Elson is not a big deal. Aaron Landis has always thought that such a small country, it doesn't matter if he admits it or not, he is too lazy to take care of him.
Of course, this truth cannot be told, otherwise the queen and the general will kill him if they lose face.
"Your Majesty, Aaron Landis recognizes the existence of the Elson country, and is willing to maintain friendly relations with the Elson country, and exchange trade, allowing the merchants of Aaron Landis to go to your port. At the same time, our The trading port can conduct official transactions with you and give you the lowest commercial tax concessions as friendly countries."
Tarr's eyes were fixed on the Queen, and he said so.
"As a condition, in exchange for you sending troops to rescue our prince of Aaron Landis, how about that?"
The queen raised her eyes and glanced at Tarr with a gaze as sharp as a sword light.
"It's a word!"
She said, decisively, simply and neatly.
Then turned around and waved.
"Vinelle, prepare to send troops!"
Tal: "..."
So crisp.
He looked stupidly at the queen who had already strode away in a hurry, thinking.
He also prepared a lot of words and didn't say it.
…
…
"I also prepared a lot of words, and I didn't have time to say it, and the queen suddenly agreed, choked me and almost didn't come out..."
Tarr's vivid description and deliberately exaggerated actions made Garlan laugh out loud.
"How is it, Your Highness, am I amazing?"
The little fat man made Garland laugh when he saw it, and leaned over to ask for praise.
He was lying on the edge of the bed, staring at Garland with watery eyes like a big chubby dog, and he could almost see a tail wagging hard behind him.
Garlan smiled and touched the little fat man's head.
"Well, that's awesome," he said. "Thanks to you, Tal, this time."
"Of course."
Tal's invisible tail was lifted up in an instant, slapping his fleshy breast, and said proudly.
"Whoever can protect His Royal Highness, who will give up on me—"
"… yes?"
A voice came, clear and light, indifferent, no emotion could be heard.
Those simple words made the fat man who was still boasting about himself instantly freeze on the spot.
He turned his fat neck and looked back.
Immediately, his face turned pale with fright.
"He, hehehehe, His Royal Highness Prince Moss."
He let out a dry, stammering cry.
Heimos didn't know when he came, and stood there listening for a long time.
At this moment, he crossed his chest with both hands, leaned slightly against the door, his long legs were folded, and he tilted his head slightly to look here.
He was wearing a dark suit, and his dark hair was scattered on his handsome face.
When Garlan's eyes came over, he stood up straight and walked over. As he walked, he glanced at Tarr, and Tarr immediately ran away like a mouse that met a cat.
Looking at the slumped back of the little fat man, Garlan blinked and couldn't help but laugh again.
"He's still the same, so afraid of you."
he asked Heimos curiously.
"What did you do to make him so scared?"
"nothing."
Heimos replied lightly, avoiding the question.
How could he say that it was because this little fat man was always clinging to Garlan when he was a child, which made him very uncomfortable, so every time he looked at the little fat man, his eyes became a little bit fiercer.
... Who knew that this would cast a psychological shadow on that little fat man.
While confounding Garlan's question, Heimos leaned over and touched Garlan's forehead.
"It's still a little hot."
He asked, "Does it still hurt?"
"The body is a little uncomfortable."
Garland nodded, then shook his head with a smile.
"But in a good mood."
Speaking of this, he suddenly paused, as if remembering something, and his face changed slightly.
He raised his eyes and glanced secretly at Heimos.
He opened his mouth, he seemed to want to say something, but he stopped.
Looking at Garlan's small appearance, Heimos raised the corners of his lips.
"What, do you want me to keep what happened last night a secret?"
"... uh, since you guessed it..."
It was really embarrassing to look out of control last night, and Garlan really didn't want others to know.
"Can."
Heimos said simply, and then the conversation changed.
"So, what's the reward?"
"what?"
"I'll keep it a secret for you, so shouldn't you give me something? It's an equivalent exchange."
"…Then what do you want?"
Garland was originally speaking out of anger, but when he suddenly saw the golden red eyes that were looking at him deeply, his heart suddenly froze.
During a big battle, he was so busy that he lost his head and forgot the key things.
He almost forgot... This guy has bad intentions towards him!
Almost reflexively, Garlan stretched out his hand and pressed against the chest of the man who was leaning over to push him away.
"That doesn't work!"
He rolled his eyes and refused sharply.
Don't think that he has seen few novels and movies.
At this time, men always say something like a kiss as a reward.
Don't try to trick him!
However, the young man's self-imposed stern appearance was completely different in the eyes of Heimos, who was looking down at him.
Whether it was the slightly pale face that looked up.
Or the big golden eyes that stared round.
Or that the whole body is tensed up like a little cat with fried fur.
It all makes people feel cute.
The corners of Heimos' lips lifted, although he didn't plan to do anything, but Gallan's cute appearance made him want to tease him.
So, he deliberately got closer and opened his mouth to speak.
Heimos actually didn't move much.
But Garlan, who suddenly remembered that incident, was too nervous. Heimos moved a little, and he subconsciously pressed his hand against Heimos to keep him from getting close to him.
As a result, the arm pulled hard and pulled the arrow wound on his back, and the sharp pain caused the corners of his eyes to twitch.
As soon as Garlan showed a painful expression, Heimos's expression changed immediately.
"do not move."
He grabbed Garlan's hands against his.
"Wait, you…"
Garland was a little flustered.
"Don't move, I'm not doing anything."
Holding the hand that Garlan wanted to struggle, Heimos said quickly.
"Don't move, it will be troublesome if you touch the wound."
When he said that, Garlan was startled for a moment, and then he obediently stood still.
Heimos held Garlan's wrist and slowly put it back on the bed with as light a movement as possible.
Raising his eyes, he saw those golden eyes squinting at him, not knowing what he was thinking or thinking, he smiled, raised his hand, and touched the soft blond hair.
"Okay, I won't tell you."
"real?"
The boy looked at him suspiciously.
"Even if you don't mention it, I won't say it."
Heimos stroked Garlan's forehead with a soft expression.
He stared intently at the pair of golden eyes that turned to look at him, at the boy who was obediently staying in front of him.
Garlan was right in front of him, he could touch it, he could touch it, and at this moment, the heart that had been hanging high ever since the dream of that flame finally settled down.
His heart was filled with something, he whispered.
"How can I let others know the way you cry."
That looks cuter than anything...
So adorable...
He just wished he could hide it so that no one could see it, how could he take the initiative to share it with others.
Garland froze for a moment.
Then, with a swish, his pale face suddenly turned pink.
"Heimos!"
"Um?"
"Did you go to Kejos to learn the tricks of wooing girls?"
The boy's face flushed with anger, gritted his teeth, and looked at him hatefully.
"what?"
"Don't use those things on me! I tell you, I'm not a girl, those tricks to coax girls are useless to me!"
"… "
Huymos felt innocent.
He really didn't do that kind of thing, he just didn't pay attention to what was in his heart.
"… Do you think that even if I ask, Cayhorth will tell me?"
Garland: "..."
Seems to make sense.
If Huymos really went to ask Kaihos, Kaihos knew that he had moved his thoughts about himself, don't teach him, it would be good to fight if he didn't commit a crime.
He tilted his head to think about it, and sighed.
"At the beginning... Although it was because the matter was urgent, I didn't answer you directly. It was my fault."
He hesitated for a moment, then said directly.
"Sorry, although I don't know how you treat me... uh, have this kind of mind. But, as I said, I like cute girls, so, for you... um, that... "
Garland was so embarrassed that he couldn't go on, so he secretly glanced at Heimos.
Heimos sat beside the bed, did not look at him, and listened quietly with his eyes down.
The sun shone from behind him, hiding most of his face in the backlight. Garland couldn't see his expression at the moment, but he could see the slender eyelashes hanging down quietly, reflecting the sunlight on the small half. Light shadows fell on the brown glossy side cheeks.
Heimos' lips were thin and light in color, a cool color.
For some reason, Garlan felt a little guilty.
People came to rescue him with the stars and the moon, and they rushed to save him. They even shortened the original seven days to four days, but he turned his head and dumped people mercilessly.
A typical bridge demolition across the river.
Is he like this... is he a bit scum
The teenager thought with a guilty conscience, the two hands on the quilt were clasped together unconsciously, and the fingertips moved uncomfortably.
Moreover, he really didn't understand, how did Heimos fall in love with him
The past four generations have no such signs at all, right
At that time, Heimos hated him to the bone, and the two could be said to be inseparable.
How inexplicable is this life...
Garlan thought for a long time in confusion, and couldn't help but think of another possibility.
"Heimos, I know you like me very much, since childhood, but, are you mistaken?"
He says,
"What you like about me should actually be the same as what Brother Wang likes for me, and it's different from that kind of lover. It's just because we have a good relationship and are very close since we were young, and you don't have any other close people, because As for the Opada incident, you were not happy that I was taken away, so this illusion came about."
"After all, you said yourself that you don't like men at all, so you always thought you should like girls."
"In this case, you must have really made a mistake..."
Heimos, who was sitting in front of him, raised his eyes, and the golden red eyes hidden in the shadow of the backlight seemed to cast a crimson shimmer towards Garlan.
With just one glance, Garlan's words came to an abrupt end.
I don't know why, but after a glance at Heimos, he was speechless.
"Gallan."
A low voice called out his name, and Heimos reached out, his fingertips resting on his cheek.
"My feelings, you can reject it."
The man's fingers brushed the ends of his hair, pulling up a strand of blond hair scattered in front of his eyes.
With a fingertip, he pulled it behind his ear.
"It can also be ignored."
The golden red eyes, the depths of the pupils seem to have a cluster of crimson flames burning in the depths.
His figure was reflected in the flame, as if his entire being was swallowed up by the flame.
Stared at by those golden red pupils, for some reason, Garlan felt inexplicably unable to move.
"Even, disgust it, hate it, you can."
The fingers that pulled the strand of hair behind the ear slowly slid down the strand of blonde hair.
to the tips of the hair.
Then, Heimos's fingers grasped the strand of blond hair.
Heimos bowed his head slightly, his slender eyelashes distinct in the sunlight.
He lowered his eyes and lowered his head, cold thin lips falling on the strands of blond hair wrapped around his brown fingers.
"But don't deny it."
He kissed the strand of blond hair in his hand with his eyes half closed.
The sunlight was refracted by that strand of blond hair and fell on his handsome side cheeks.
The gesture of kissing gave people a feeling of incomparable piety.
He seemed to put his fiery feelings and everything into this kiss.
"Don't deny it, I entrust to you... all the admiration."
…
The room was silent.
No one speaks.
The boy who was confided in his love didn't speak either.
He lowered his head and pursed his lips, as if he was a little overwhelmed, and his fluffy golden forehead blocked his eyes.
However, it couldn't stop the slightly reddish tips of the ears from the blond hair.