Chimera of Batius - Chapter 21
Cheil, who had previously left the room to eat, couldn’t help but widen his eyes at the landscape that had changed overnight.
“Where did all these flowers come from?”
The interior, once monotonous, was now filled with blooming blue roses. These were not flowers that could grow in such cold weather—blue roses were hard to find not only in Heinsley but throughout the south.
“Those are the roses from the greenhouse. They’re a gift that Sir Ruzerolt prepared for you, Mr. Cheil,”
River commented proudly with a smile.
Through the window, the snowy field was visible; the walls were covered with dark carpets, and the furniture was made of dark wood. Everything formed a tranquil landscape, as if in hibernation. Yet the blooming blue roses exuded a freshness reminiscent of the southern sea.
“They’re truly beautiful.”
Since they had become a couple, Ruzerolt’s attitude had changed. He was still affectionate but now expressed his feelings more directly. It was good progress. Still… Cheil longed for a slightly rougher expression of his emotions.
As he descended the stairs, Cheil tilted his head toward the flowers adorning the railing.
“And the scent is delightful.”
He inhaled deeply, like a delicate dancer intoxicated by the fragrance. Seeing this, River looked at him with flushed cheeks. Cheil, of course, knew exactly where that gaze was directed.
…Should I use this boy to provoke Ruzerolt?
Cheil turned his eyes toward River and gave him a radiant smile. River’s cheeks reddened even more.
“Where is Sir Ruzerolt?”
“Ah, he’s waiting for you downstairs!”
“Then let’s go…”
While going down the stairs, Cheil’s body swayed. He had tripped. Just as he was about to fall forward, River reached out.
“Ah!”
Bang!
Their bodies tangled as they tumbled down the remaining few steps.
“Mr. Cheil! Are you all right?”
River, still holding Cheil, lay on the floor. Cheil, bracing himself on the ground, lifted his upper body.
“I’m fine. But are you okay, Mr. River?”
With a worried expression, Cheil placed his hand on River’s chest, then pressed his knee between River’s legs.
“Are you really all right? It’s my fault… I’m so sorry.”
“I-I’m really okay…”
As Cheil continued pressing between his legs, River began to show discomfort. Cheil could feel how River’s body hardened against his knee.
“Cheil, what’s going on?!”
Ruzerolt, alarmed, rushed over and saw the two entangled on the ground.
“Sir Ruzerolt…! I tripped, and I think I hurt River…”
River’s neck was completely red. Ruzerolt glanced at him before offering his hand to Cheil, who took it and stood up.
“Cheil, are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. I think River was more injured.”
“I-I’m fine too! Nothing hurts!”
River jumped to his feet, his voice a shout. His loose pants looked bulky. Ruzerolt pulled Cheil into an embrace and looked at River.
“…River. Are you quite sure you’re not hurt?”
“Yes, Sir Ruzerolt!”
“Good. You are dismissed for now.”
As soon as he finished speaking, River bowed and hurried away. Once he was gone, Ruzerolt looked Cheil over again.
“You must be more careful. Are you absolutely certain you’re alright? Shall I call a physician?”
Cheil shook his head.
“There were only a few steps left when I fell. River caught me, so I’m perfectly fine. By the way, Sir Ruzerolt, the flowers are truly beautiful.”
Cheil changed the subject, his goal achieved.
“I had them brought from the greenhouse.”
Ruzerolt offered his arm to escort him. Cheil took it, and they proceeded to the dining room.
The space was splendidly decorated with roses.
Ruzerolt seated Cheil and presented him with a lavish bouquet. These blossoms were far larger and fresher than all the others.
“They’re beautiful…”
Cheil inhaled the scent with a deeply moved expression. The characteristic fragrance of roses filled his senses.
“My mother was exceptionally fond of blue roses. While she lived, she always kept the interior decorated this way. I am glad you like them as well.”
Cheil smiled and set the bouquet beside his plate. He then recalled that the Kingdom of Operta, the old Grand Duchess’s homeland, was the primary habitat for blue roses.
Once they were both seated, the servants brought the food. The meal consisted of fresh dishes rich with fruits and vegetables. There was cooked meat and fish as well, but most of the offerings were a stark contrast to the northern palate, which favored raw meat and fish. Their eating habits, their inherent nature, and their manner of loving were all profoundly different from those of the north.
The blue roses were a manifestation of Ruzerolt’s heart. Gazing at the blossoms in the centerpiece vase, Cheil imagined Ruzerolt adorned with flowers.
***
“I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
Once Ruzerolt had left, the cabin fell silent, broken only by the occasional sound of River working. The characteristic scent of Ruzerolt permeated the entire space. It was strange that the smell of another alpha could feel so comforting.
It was fortunate that Cheil was a mutant, a chimera. Otherwise, no matter how beautiful his appearance, he would have found it difficult to deceive Ruzerolt due to the instinctive aversion alphas feel toward one another.
Unable to bear the boredom after sitting on the sofa for so long, Cheil stood and headed toward the faint clinking of ceramics. He found River with his back turned, hard at work. Leaning against the doorframe, Cheil watched him.
River was tall and thin, his face dotted with freckles. His prominent member contrasted with his youthful features, making him all the more striking.
Cheil had heard that River’s family had served the Heinsley household since his grandfather’s generation. The fact that he alone was entrusted with Ruzerolt’s private spaces among the numerous servants spoke of the great trust he enjoyed.
Someone close to Ruzerolt. Another relationship for Cheil to infiltrate.
His hunting technique was simple: approach the prey, gain their favor, and lure them into his web. In this process, one or two followers always appeared who denied Cheil, so it was necessary to isolate the prey. By severing ties with those who offered sincere advice—whether subordinates who spoke unpleasant truths or friends who told it plainly—the prey was left alone and drifted inevitably toward Cheil.
River wasn’t in a position to say unpleasant things, but his trusted status meant he could become an obstacle at any moment. Therefore, for Cheil, River was also a target to be eliminated.
“All that’s left is to fill the jug with water, and I’m done!”
River lifted a large jug with a satisfied expression. Cheil fixed his eyes on it, pressing himself back against the doorframe to remain unnoticed. As River approached the door, humming, Cheil stepped into his path as if by chance.
“River.”
“Ah!”
Startled, River flailed. The water from the jug splashed onto Cheil’s pants.
“Oh! I’m so sorry, Mr. Cheil! How clumsy of me… I’ll go get something to clean it up, just a moment!”
River ran off in a panic. Meanwhile, Cheil glanced out the window toward the entrance.
Ruzerolt would be returning soon. Based on the daily schedule Cheil had learned and the usual time the work took, his arrival was imminent.
“Let me dry you off!”
River returned with a dry towel. Cheil propped one leg forward and leaned against the wall.
“My knee is quite wet, I think.”
River knelt and began to dry Cheil’s pants.
“How could I be so clumsy…”
He scolded himself as he rubbed the fabric. Cheil, whose eyes were on the door, allowed a smile to curve his lips.
“Your thigh is also very wet.”
“Yes… it is.”
Cheil lowered his hand and breathed deeply. The forest… he could feel it getting closer. Satisfied, he smiled and let the rope from his waist slither down.
“Perhaps it would be better to change…”
On his knees, River looked up at Cheil. His freckled cheeks lent him a youthful innocence.
It’s hard to believe someone with this face has already had his coming-of-age ceremony.
“Y-yes, I suppose so.”
His face was level with Cheil’s lower body. Cheil looked down at him, then gently brushed his index finger through River’s red bangs. River stuttered as if his composure had shattered.
“I thought your bangs were poking your eye.”
“Ah.”
River lowered his gaze, his cheeks flushing. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. Cheil watched and smiled.
Clack!
The door swung open at that moment. A gust of cold air swept into the room, accompanied by the loud noise. River jumped and shivered. Cheil pressed his back and palms flat against the wall.
Ruzerolt, who had just entered, froze. His eyes widened as he tried to comprehend the scene, flicking between the two of them. The angle from which Ruzerolt saw them was compromising: River’s head was positioned very close to Cheil’s lower body, and Cheil was pressed against the wall as if trying to escape the attention. Ruzerolt’s green eyes fixed on the untied rope at Cheil’s waist.
River scrambled to his feet, startled.
“Sir Ruzerolt!”
Ruzerolt approached Cheil, his expression warmer than ever.
“Cheil. Why were you pressed against the wall like that?”
“Ah… River made a small mistake…”
Cheil gathered the loose rope at his waist and leaned into Ruzerolt. As he did, Ruzerolt’s eyes, now on River, clouded with distrust and doubt.
“It’s because I spilled water! That’s all…! I was just cleaning it up! Have you finished your work, Sir?” River asked, fidgeting with the towel in his hands.
“Yes. I returned because Cheil was alone.”
River offered an awkward, strained smile. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he hurried toward the stairs.
“I’ll prepare a change of clothes for you!”
“I will handle it. You are dismissed for the day.”
Ruzerolt refused his service. When River looked to Cheil, he also shook his head.
“I will also take care of Cheil. It would be best if you remained here today.”
River nodded.
“Understood. I will return tomorrow.”
Ruzerolt watched River depart with a heavy gaze as the young man left with his head bowed. Cheil curved his lips into a smile and hugged Ruzerolt’s waist. At the sensual contact, Ruzerolt’s attention returned to Cheil.
The next day, Reym visited the guest house early in the morning.
As River fastened the cloak on Ruzerolt, the metal of the shoulder ornaments grated with a faint, friction sound.
“Captain.”
Reym stepped closer, the documents tucked under his arm.
“This is the list of candidates for next year’s knights.”
Ruzerolt took the papers after securing his sword at his waist.
“This year, there are many recommendations from Lorencelot. I think it would be best to discard them in the first round of selection.”
“If they have skill, they should not be discarded.”
When Ruzerolt headed for the door, River hurried ahead and pulled it open.
“But, Sir…”
Snowflakes, mixed with wind, blew through the doorway. Yet, Ruzerolt stopped and looked at River for a long moment without flinching.
“Sir Ruzerolt, is something wrong…?”
His cold gaze shifted toward the second floor, where Cheil was sleeping.
“…River. Have someone else attend to Cheil today. You are to organize the office in the main house.”
“Ah, yes.”
“And for the time being, others will handle the guest house and Cheil’s affairs.”
River, who had been docile until then, was stunned by the command. To be entrusted with the care of someone Ruzerolt cherished was a mark of high trust. And today, for the first time, that privilege had been stripped from him.
“Sir Ru- Ruzerolt. Why so suddenly…?”
A cold gaze fell upon him. River grew tense under the icy demeanor of his lord. A brief, heavy silence intensified the atmosphere. The suffocating tension only dissipated when Ruzerolt finally left the guest house.
Reym, who had observed the entire scene from a prudent distance, wore a shadowed expression. It was the first time he had seen Ruzerolt’s green eyes—usually so reminiscent of a deep forest—become as cold as ice, and moreover, directed at River.
For some time now, Ruzerolt had been changing. More precisely, ever since he had brought that dancer home.
Reym’s gaze shifted to the dejected River, then back to the upper floor, before he finally moved toward the exit. With a soft click of his tongue, he left the guest house.
Slam!
The sound of the door closing was as heavy as Reym’s heart.
The snow, which had not yet melted, crunched under their boots. Reym, who had been silently following Ruzerolt, lengthened his stride to walk beside him.
“Captain.”
“Speak.”
“The closure will end soon.”
“I know.”
Ruzerolt’s long legs advanced without hesitation. The folds of his fluttering cloak swept the snow as he passed. One of the two sets of footprints left in the snow was straight and firm, but the other, beside it, wavered and curved irregularly.
“When the door opens, there will be no reason for the theater company to remain.”
The straight line of the footprints faltered.
“What do you mean?”
“We must also dismiss the dancer.”
Ruzerolt turned at that moment. The cold gaze he had directed at River was now fixed on Reym. It was not the look one gives a trusted subordinate.
“Why do you speak of Cheil’s fate?”
“…Captain. When Mr. Dexler first invited the company, he said their stay would last only until the quarantine ended. What more could a troupe and a dancer do in this castle? All they do is dance and seduce people.”
“Do not speak of him that way, Reym.”
“…Sir Ruzerolt.”
Clang.
Reym clenched his fist, and his metal glove emitted a sharp sound.
The captain of the order, the heir of Heinsley—always upright and just. Though some considered him inflexible, it was this very quality that many believed would reform the north’s corrupt customs. Ruzerolt was a man above reproach. And yet, that man was now plummeting from grace because of a common dancer from a third-rate company. Reym gritted his teeth.
“Even if you were to point your sword at me, I must speak. You know better than anyone that people from that company are not fit to govern a territory or care for its people. That is why you have kept them at a distance until now, is it not? You have always been a man who could distinguish good from evil. That is why I trusted you. You always told me to trust you, and I did! But…”
“Yes. So, trust me this time as well.”
“Captain!”
“Cheil is different from the others.”
“Why him? Why that dancer, the one Dexler brought…? Why not someone else…?”
“Is there anyone in the company, or in the Heinsley order, who was not brought by Dexler?”
The banquets and all matters relating to the castle’s interior were Dexler’s responsibility. Therefore, it had always been Dexler who organized the festivities and invited the troupes.
“Until now, every dancer who has set foot in this castle has been invited by Dexler. So your statement is incorrect.”
“Why must it be that lowly, vulgar dancer when we have noble ladies from good families?”
“Reym!”
The whirlwind of power gathering at their feet erupted. Ruzerolt’s eyes no longer held the clarity of a forest, but the scorching heat of anger and indignation.
“The only thing you have seen of Cheil was his performance in the ballroom. How can you judge a man without having spoken with him properly, without knowing the delicacy of his soul or the nature of his worries?”
“Captain, this is not a matter of judgment.”
“Do you judge a person solely by their qualifications and status? If so, was the day you swore to serve me the same?”
At a time when most people deemed Ruzerolt unworthy of being a citizen and resident of the north, when everyone distrusted him, Reym had chosen to serve Ruzerolt over Dexler.
“Captain, that’s…”
“Cheil is now my lover.”
Reym’s bewildered gaze widened in shock.
“…L…lover…?”
“I will not tolerate anyone—not even you—insulting my partner.”
Ruzerolt once again repressed his emotions. The tip of his cape continued tracing a line across the virgin snow. Reym, standing in the white plain, watched Ruzerolt’s retreating figure with a look of utter bewilderment.
For more than ten years, he had served his superior—a man he respected as a friend and comrade, and admired as a future leader. What could that dancer have done to his impeccable captain to make him crumble so suddenly, like a tower giving way?
Reym shoved the snow aside and ran after Ruzerolt. His tightly pressed lips turned pale.
“I am also one of your people, Captain!”
The distance between them shortened with each shouted word.
“Sir Ruzerolt, I swore loyalty to you and to Heinsley! I promised to be yours alone! I have served you for more than ten years. What have you found in that person to…”
A wall of incomprehension was rising between them. Every mention of Cheil’s name was another brick in that wall, separating their loyalties.
Ruzerolt looked at Reym with an expression of pained betrayal.
“You would not understand. You don’t know what it’s like to wear a suit that never fits. After my mother passed away, I sometimes felt the North was a foreign land—despite it being the place I belonged to most. Isn’t that ironic?”
Ruzerolt placed a hand over his heart.
“But when I am with Cheil, my soul finds peace.”
“…”
“Cheil feels the same shame and the same sense of failure that I do. He does not despise my nature for being untypical of the North. Nor does he mock my delicate feelings and beliefs. Cheil and I are kindred spirits.
“Cheil is my refuge.”
By Cheil’s side, he never felt judged for his inner self.
“To deny Cheil is to deny myself, Reym.”
“…”
That unbreakable bond was something he hadn’t experienced since his mother’s death. That was why it was so precious to him.
When he thought of Cheil, his heart began to beat powerfully. Ruzerolt pressed a hand to his chest and then released it, making a deep plea.
“So if you truly care for me, I hope you will look beyond Cheil’s appearance and see his heart.”
Reym bit his lip and lowered his head.
“…Yes. I understand… what you mean, Captain.”
Ruzerolt gave him a heavy pat on the shoulder. His gaze remained fixed on a point in the distance.
Yet, the path of another person wavered chaotically and was lost.