☆、(10 Fresh Coins) The Sigh of the Rose (14)
"..." Calvin was silent for a while, then slowly said, "Adam... don't be so nice... otherwise I'll have even less of a chance to let you go."
From yesterday to today, the Holy Knight's erratic behavior when facing the elves had caused him considerable trouble, but now he had unexpectedly regained his usual sharpness—he grasped the deeper meaning in the elves' words and blurted out, "You will let me go?"
A hurt expression flashed across the elf's face. He almost couldn't help but ask, "Does he really want to leave you that much?" But he held back. Slowly lowering his head, he avoided the man's gaze: "I'm not stupid. If I let you stay now, you would never do it willingly. I'll let you go back... but on the condition that you stay with me for a while."
When Adam heard the first half of his sentence, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. However, when he heard the second half, he couldn't help but frown: "A while... how long is that?"
So, for the next "period," he actually settled down in the castle. In truth, this time there was easier than any he had ever experienced before in the Papacy or the palace. Here, there was no Pope or Emperor to protect, no need for him to run around fulfilling his duties, and far less red tape. He didn't have to hide from those noble ladies every day. Now, he only needed to deal with Calvin.
During the day, he could roam freely in the castle or forest, most of the time accompanied by an elf who, like a hospitable host, would accompany him on his travels—the Miracle Forest truly lived up to its name; all its wondrous scenery and bizarre creatures were unlike anything he had ever seen anywhere else. Before him lay a breathtakingly beautiful landscape, and beside him stood a gentle and charming young man; the knight was almost reluctant to leave. However, at night, the delicate young man would transform into a beast, relentlessly pursuing him, demanding pleasure all night long, seemingly insatiable. This left the knight teetering between heaven and hell every night, truly experiencing the agony of wanting to live and die, his mind clouded, wishing he could slap himself for his own foolishness. This person was far more difficult to deal with than any noblewoman or even the emperor himself—what debt did he owe in his past life to be forced into such an awkward yet inescapable situation every night? Hmm… it seemed he really did owe a debt from a past life, a huge debt of love.
Of course, he had refused at all costs, but each time he surrendered to the other party's combination of soft and hard tactics. Sometimes, when he was really tormented, he would resist desperately, but the other party's pitiful expression and soft pleading words—"Adam, you're leaving, I may never see you again..."—every time he heard these words, he was as if bewitched, unable to muster any will to resist, as if the word "separation" itself carried an irresistible magic.
Half a month passed, and just before the knight felt he was about to die of shame from excessive indulgence, he finally received the promised return date from the elves. Standing before the gates of the magnificent castle, Adam glanced back at the distant bell tower and gripped his sword tightly. He took a deep breath and began his journey home.
Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes were fixed on him, their gaze lingering even after he was no longer visible. Last night, Calvin had been exceptionally passionate, yet after a long and tender moment, he hadn't uttered a word about letting him go. Adam pondered and struggled for a long time before finally bringing it up himself. In truth, in these short two weeks, he had fully felt the elf's deep love for him, and he himself had unknowingly begun to cling to this affection. Even in the heat of passion, when the elf urgently urged him to confess his love, he simply closed his eyes and refused to speak, yet he couldn't deceive himself into remaining unmoved. Neither Adam Cozmo nor Adam Scylla would allow a man he didn't love to do such a thing to him. However, none of this could change the reality he had to face—he had to return to report to the Emperor, and he couldn't possibly abandon his duty as a Holy Knight to elope with the elf.
Calvin paused slightly upon hearing his words, then nodded dismissively, seemingly unwilling to elaborate further, and intensified his torment of him. Even someone as oblivious as him sensed the other's resentment and anger, and felt a pang of guilt and heartache. Fearing that further discussion might lead to Calvin's change of heart, he remained silent. When he awoke today, Calvin was nowhere to be found, leaving only a small glass bottle filled with a clear liquid, along with a brief explanation of its effects and usage. This was the potion that could grant His Majesty the Emperor's wish. While relieved that the elves had indeed kept their promise and let him go, Adam felt an overwhelming sense of melancholy. He forced himself to stay alert, took the potion, and fled back to the capital as quickly as possible to report.
Upon returning to the capital and handing the potion to the emperor, Adam heard the emperor's ecstatic decree within three months, richly rewarding the empire's first holy knight—the potion had finally taken effect. Adam, however, felt no joy at the reward. For him, belonging to the Holy See, worldly fame and fortune held no real meaning. What he refused to admit was that although his body had left the castle, his heart seemed to remain there, living in a daze, completely oblivious to the passage of time. This abnormal state also caused him to ignore his own ailments. He began to loathe crowds even more; the mere presence at the emperor's banquets, the smell of spices representing extravagance and materialism, made him want to vomit. He preferred to stay in the hunting grounds' woods, enjoying the fresh, natural fragrance, reminiscing about the beauty of the Miracle Forest, and longing for the natural scent emanating from that person.
However, even if Adam ignored his own condition, some people around him still noticed that something was wrong with him. One day, his friend Serin from the Knights found him and said to him bluntly, "Adam, I think something is wrong with you."
Upon first hearing this seemingly nonsensical remark, Adam assumed his friend was simply amusing him out of boredom. However, after Serin forced him to attend a ball that evening, he finally realized something was amiss. Half a year had passed since returning from the Forest of Miracles, yet he was increasingly ill-suited to court life. Tonight, he had even vomited violently whenever the ladies approached him, ultimately fainting in his friend's arms—this was no longer a matter of mere "unsuitability."
Author's Note:
I'm still in the dark room Q_Q (Mobile user's tears)
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