Chimera of Batius - Chapter 13

The place Ruzerolt took Cheil to was none other than his own bedroom. Without hesitation, he sat Cheil on his bed.

“Ugh…”

Slowly, he began to remove Cheil’s shirt. Despite the delicacy of his hands, Cheil flinched. His pained expression filled Ruzerolt with sadness.

“Hold on a little longer.”

Cheil nodded and clenched the fists resting on his knees.

“Sir Ruzerolt. Should we call a doctor?”

Nesiem, who had received the message, quickly found Ruzerolt.

“It’s not necessary.”

The wound wasn’t serious enough to require a doctor’s attention.

“Then I’ll order fresh sheets to be prepared.”

“No need. Don’t worry about it. Dismiss everyone.”

Nesiem’s wrinkled forehead filled with concern. However, he couldn’t say anything more and, after bowing politely, left the room.

To care for Cheil in his current state, a doctor or River would be more suitable. But there was another reason he was sending everyone away.

“I think it would be better if you stayed here tonight.”

By taking Cheil away like that in front of everyone, it was like publicly announcing he would spend the night with a dancer. That was one of the reasons Dexler had yielded Cheil so easily.

Among the northerners, always so open and free about sexual matters, it was common to yield sexual partners this way. Keeping such a possession and not using it as a sexual partner or leaving it abandoned in another room would be disrespectful to Dexler and to everyone present at the banquet. At least that’s how the northerners saw it.

Spending the night together was the best solution to avoid awkward situations. Inviting other people to his room at that moment wasn’t a good idea. Cheil knew it too.

“I’m sure you understand without me explaining.”

“…Yes.”

Cheil nodded. Seeing Cheil pretend to be calm, Ruzerolt began treating Cheil’s wounds with the first aid kit he always kept handy. With skilled movements, he finished bandaging the wound. When he was about to tie the last knot on his shoulder, Cheil’s hair slid to one side. Ruzerolt used his rough hand to push the black hair to the other shoulder. The slow touch made Cheil shiver. Finally, he stopped looking at the floor and turned to Ruzerolt.

“Sir Ruzerolt.”

He felt sorry for him, who had only suffered since arriving in the north. Ruzerolt looked gently into his eyes, assuring him everything would be fine, and tied the knot.

“You don’t have to worry about how to repay me.”

His low voice conveyed sincerity.

Ruzerolt still thought the same about Cheil. He was the type of person best kept at a distance.

But was he right?

“There’s nothing to thank me for. So don’t worry about it.”

“But… how could it be like that?”

Cheil was different from the other dancers he had known. Perhaps that’s why, even though he knew it was dangerous to feel more curious, he couldn’t stop. He wanted to know Cheil’s true self, not just the image he had created of himself.

Who was Cheil really? A lascivious dancer? Or a sincere person with his beliefs?

And what if they talked a little? Maybe that way he could get to know him better…

His thoughts branched out uncontrollably. But suddenly, he stopped.

Why did he want to get to know him better?

He was a dancer sent by Dexler. What would he gain by getting close to someone so opposite to him? No, he shouldn’t feel any more curious about him.

To cut off those thoughts, Ruzerolt pulled the sheets and covered Cheil’s legs.

“Get some sleep.”

He decided to go to his office. Once they were apart, maybe his curiosity would fade. But Cheil gripped the sheets tightly and said:

“I can’t sleep. I think I’ll have nightmares if I fall asleep like this… Could I talk with you for a while, if it doesn’t bother you?”

The wind howled like a snowstorm and the window creaked. Ruzerolt could see the tendons tense on the back of Cheil’s hand holding the sheets. It was clear he expected a negative answer.

He could leave and close the door connecting the room to his office. That way, the night would end there.

But…

“Couldn’t it be…?”

Cheil put on that expression again. An expression of complete resignation.

“…”

Ruzerolt turned around. He couldn’t leave him like that, asking for something with that look. Finally, the internal struggle he’d been maintaining broke.

Ruzerolt went to the table, poured a cup of water, and sat next to Cheil.

“What do you want to talk about?”

A slight blush appeared on Cheil’s face.

“Whatever. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”

After a moment of hesitation, Ruzerolt asked the question he’d been thinking.

“How did you come to join the theater company?”

As he handed him the water, Cheil’s hand, which had been very tense, relaxed. Ruzerolt’s heart melted along with that gesture.

Cheil played with the cup he’d received. The crackling of firewood in the fireplace filled the silence. After a while, Cheil opened his mouth.

“I lost my family in a fire when I was little. I was just a child, and the only person who took care of me was a relative who worked at a theater company. Since then, I naturally joined the company, following him.”

It was a very common story. Something that could happen in that social stratum.

Cheil, who spoke of his past calmly, seemed a little emotional. It was as if no one had ever asked him that question before, like an excited child. That’s why he wanted to hear more about him.

“Have you never regretted joining the company?”

Cheil smiled at that question.

“If I hadn’t joined the company, I’d probably already be dead, eaten by a bear.”

“A bear?”

“Yes. The southern forest where I lived was famous for being bear habitat. If you ask me if I regret it… Of course there were difficult times after joining the company, but I don’t regret it because I was able to survive. And I still have a dream to fulfill.”

His low voice faded as if he were embarrassed, and that made him want to know more.

“What dream is that?”

Cheil, who had been toying with the cup, took a sip of water as if he were very thirsty.

“You’re not going to laugh at me, right?”

What could be so important that he reacted like that?

“No.”

When Ruzerolt answered, Cheil turned the cup and said in a low voice:

“I still… haven’t experienced what it means to give my heart completely. I’ve never been connected with someone I love.”

Cheil’s ears were red as he said that.

“I want to love someone I can truly give my heart to.”

Ruzerolt’s green eyes reflected Cheil’s feelings.

“However, I would choose to use the flower. One of my wishes is to spend my whole life with the person I love… If I don’t do it that way, no one would be able to stay with someone as lowly as me for the rest of their life.”

“You think protecting the heart… isn’t a way to protect oneself? You think someone as low as me has no right even to that?”

He didn’t know exactly what kind of life Cheil had lived until now, but one thing was certain, he had never experienced love and reciprocity. Though his body might have been promiscuous, his heart was pure and delicate like no one else’s.

He didn’t fit in the North, just like me.

Finally, he understood the reason for his growing interest in Cheil. His instinct had sensed a connection with him before his reason did.

“Do you still think I’m a fool?”

At this moment, in the North, there is someone like me.

Realizing that, a part of Ruzerolt calmed down. After living so long in Heinsley, feeling comfortable with a dancer from the South… it was ridiculous.

An ironic sigh escaped his lips at the thought. Cheil, who interpreted the meaning of his sigh differently, immediately stiffened.

“I’m sorry. I said something foolish and upset you…”

“No, it’s not that.”

He didn’t think it was foolish. Rather… he even felt a little grateful. Seeing Cheil so tense, Ruzerolt lifted the corners of his lips.

“I don’t think you’re a fool.”

Hearing those words, Cheil’s lips, hidden behind the mask, curved into a smile similar to Ruzerolt’s. His smile seemed especially beautiful today. Had he always been this beautiful when he smiled?

His heart was beating strongly, out of control. Everything in this room, except for his own senses, seemed to move in slow motion.

***

Ruzerolt’s office was connected to the room through an interior door. After putting Cheil to bed, he headed to his study. It wasn’t just that he couldn’t share a bed with Cheil; he wasn’t used to sleeping with other people. It was a notable difference from the people of Heinsley, who from childhood were accustomed to spending nights with relatives, lovers, or partners.

However, Cheil wasn’t the only reason Ruzerolt spent the night awake.

[Anomalous phenomena in the northern forest.]

The more he examined the report, the darker Ruzerolt’s expression became.

Heinsley, the northernmost region of the Catanel Empire. The Yakli forest, located at the extreme north of that land, was a vast wooded area along the Yakli River and the source of livelihood for the village inhabitants. And now, a chimera had appeared there.

More than ten years had passed since the chimera hunting order was issued, and five years since people had accepted the extinction of these creatures.

Ruzerolt fixed his gaze on a page of the report.

[The chimera hunted this time is very similar to the bears that inhabit the south.]

“The reddish-brown brown bear… its only habitat is the southern region of Meldine…”

Did this mean a southern chimera had escaped all the way here?

Although he had inspected the forest before, it was necessary to inspect it once more. If the population of these creatures increased during the period when the gates were closed, the problem would worsen.

Time was pressing and there were many details to decide. Ruzerolt immersed himself in his thoughts, reading the report letter by letter, so concentrated that he didn’t even notice when the bedroom door opened.

A long shadow approached Ruzerolt’s desk.

“Sir Ruzerolt.”

Surprised by the shadow covering his desk, Ruzerolt jerked his head up. He was even more surprised because it was too early for servants to be working.

“Cheil.”

Cheil was standing at a distance, dressed in white.

“Was I the reason you’re here?”

“No. It’s very early. Why did you get up so soon? Rest a little more.”

Cheil shook his head.

“I’ve rested enough.”

His gaze turned to a corner of the desk.

There were piles of books of different sizes and thicknesses.

[Bear Ecology.]

[The Chimeras of Batius.]

[10 Years Since the ‘Chimera’ Hunting Order.]

[Atlas of ‘Chimeras’.]

Next to the books, there was a detailed map of the Meldine region.

Cheil’s gaze fixed on them. The bright light made his irises appear even more yellow.

“Would you mind if I stayed?”

At the cautious question, Ruzerolt rubbed his cheek.

“Alright. I was just about to start organizing.”

As they spoke, Cheil’s gaze remained fixed on the desk documents. Realizing his intense stare, Ruzerolt turned the report to hide the books.

“You’re very interested in this.”

Cheil immediately stopped looking.

“I like books. So, without realizing…”

Raising an eyebrow at that response, Ruzerolt straightened up.

“Can you read?”

He nodded.

“That’s surprising.”

The Empire allowed even low-ranking people to learn to read. However, for commoners or slaves who had to work for a living, learning to read was impossible.

“Sometimes, you have to cater to the nobles’ tastes. The company director gave me the chance to learn.”

Ruzerolt recalled the scrawny figure of the company director. Though he had only seen him a couple of times, that anecdote didn’t match the stingy image he had of the director.

Looking at Cheil, who kept sneaking glances at the books, Ruzerolt asked casually:

“What kind of books do you like?”

“I have no preferences. There are many ways to learn with the body, but for everything else, opportunities aren’t always available. If it’s a book containing knowledge that’s hard to obtain, I’ll like any of them.”

“You’re a very peculiar dancer.”

I think I’ll have to give him a book next time. I wonder what expression he’ll make when he receives it. I hope he’ll be happy.

“Next time I’ll prepare something more interesting than this.”

Tap, tap.

When he tapped the books covered with the report, Cheil was surprised. But soon his eyes curved into a smile.

“Thank you.”

As he responded, Cheil made an awkward gesture. Noticing his hesitation, Ruzerolt tilted his head. At Ruzerolt’s gesture, Cheil approached.

“Sir Ruzerolt.”

“What is it?”

Ruzerolt gestured with his eyes for him to continue. Then, Cheil knelt and sat where Ruzerolt’s hand could reach. Before Ruzerolt could be surprised, Cheil raised both arms and took Ruzerolt’s hand.

“Really… thank you.”

He bowed his head. His soft lips touched the back of his hand, and his black hair slid across his face.

“When I was imprisoned, I was very scared. I thought I would die here because of my stubbornness and cause problems for the company. I was very scared while they beat me. The same happened yesterday. If it weren’t for you, Sir Ruzerolt, I wouldn’t be alive and well like now.”

He wanted to brush the hair from his face. At that moment, without realizing it, his hand moved on its own. Cheil closed his eyes as he felt his hand stroking his hair.

“You’re the first person who has saved and cared for me like this. I don’t know how to thank you.”

Cheil still wore the mask. The mask he never took off.

Then, Cheil slightly lifted the fabric and, beneath it, pulled Ruzerolt’s hand. When his cheek touched the palm, he felt the softness of his skin, warm and smooth. Cheil kissed the palm of his hand. Ruzerolt was only confused for a moment. He couldn’t reject the warm breath he felt on his hand.

“If it’s you, Sir Ruzerolt, I wouldn’t mind whatever you decide to do to me.”

Red lips touched the knuckles of his fingers, then the middle phalanges, and finally the tips of his fingers.

Feeling a tingle, Ruzerolt withdrew his fingers.

“…How can you say something like that, knowing what I’m capable of doing?”

Cheil smiled.

“Whatever I do, Sir Ruzerolt… anything would be fine.”

Ruzerolt felt his heart beating hard in his chest. A strange satisfaction washed over him. Cheil closed his eyes, like a lazy cat, and rested his face against his hand. Ruzerolt thought about the calluses and scars on his palm. It was a texture that could never be considered pleasant, not even as a joke, but Cheil pressed his cheek against it as if it were a soft pillow.

“Cheil. My hand…”

When Ruzerolt made a gesture to pull his hand away, Cheil grabbed his wrist.

“Could you caress me a little more?”

The dancer, more robust than him, seemed like a fragile creature at that moment. He felt an impulse to protect him. At the same time, Ruzerolt felt a tingling in his lower abdomen. His Adam’s apple moved. The hotter the skin he touched felt, the thirstier he became. Ruzerolt rubbed Cheil’s lips with his thumb.

As if he understood, Cheil kissed the tip of his thumb. The area where they touched felt numb. To soothe his dry throat, Ruzerolt swallowed.