“I brought you along to use you as bait.”
“……”
“To lure out the Empire.”
“……”
“I thought that if I let slip that someone from the Empire had arrived in the capital, the earless bastards from Lukus would make a move.”
“……”
“So I deliberately didn’t tell you.”
It was obvious what he had left unsaid.
—You not knowing made it easier to use you.
A reasonable decision.
There was no reason to share their plans with someone who might be an enemy.
And if a spy lurking among them revealed their true colors by trying to contact the Empire’s envoy, they could be eliminated before they caused trouble.
But now, Claude had shattered that opportunity himself.
By telling Latian the plan.
Claude watched him in silence, his blue eyes half-lidded beneath long lashes.
His gaze was calm, tranquil—like an undisturbed lake.
Then he spoke again.
“Do you want to be part of the plan to draw them out?”
At that moment, something flickered before Latian’s eyes.
[ A significant turning point has been detected. ]
[ A side quest has been unlocked! ]
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
[Side Quest (3-1) ]
You have received a proposal from Claude, who seems to have undergone a shift in perspective. The content of your response will determine the next side quest.
– Quest Completion Reward: ???
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
[ A crucial branching point has been detected. ]
[(❗) Your choice will open different side quests.]
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
▸Option 1: Accept the proposal.
▸ Option 2: Refuse the proposal.
▸ Option 3: Choose an alternative option.
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
Latian quietly took a deep breath.
The slight trust that Claude let slip—like a leaky faucet, just enough to dampen his heart—felt strangely significant.
If this kind of trust had been natural between them, he wouldn’t have felt this way.
But because Claude wasn’t someone who easily offered it, it meant something.
A slow smile spread across Latian’s lips as he looked up with round, bright eyes.
“Yes. Sounds good, Brother. Let me help.”
[‘A Mutual Proposal’ quest complete!]
[…Evaluating quest completion result…]
[Completion success value has been determined.]
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
[ Chapter 1 – ]
– You have accepted Claude’s proposal.
– 『Those eyes looked too pure to belong to a spy. Then maybe… just maybe, he wasn’t one. Before he realized it, he found himself hoping that was true.』
– (❗) Claude’s trust in you has slightly increased.
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
[ You are now a “Gained Opportunity Collaborator.” ]
[ A significant turning point has been detected. ]
[ A side quest has been unlocked! ]
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
[Side Quest (3-2) ]
You have accepted the lord’s proposal to assist in the plan to lure out the Empire. This operation may carry some risk. The outcome of the mission will determine your reward.
– Quest Completion Reward: ???
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
For the first time, Claude’s ever-rigid brow relaxed slightly.
Like the first thaw after winter, a faint softness surfaced in his expression.
It was an almost surreal sight.
Beautiful, handsome—no ordinary words could capture the man standing before him.
The once-icy man was someone who could melt.
And now, seeing it for the first time, Latian felt as if he were spellbound, caught in something he couldn’t escape.
He didn’t even have time to react before Claude averted his gaze and spoke again.
“The King of Kesid enjoys his luxuries… He’ll probably throw a banquet to welcome me as soon as we arrive and insist that I attend.”
“…Ah, right, yes.”
“At that banquet, I’ll subtly let slip information about you. If someone tries to make contact, just go along with it. It’s best if you end up alone with them. From there, we’ll take care of the rest. You don’t need to worry.”
“…And if no one tries to make contact?”
“Then it’ll be a waste of time. Nothing more.”
In other words, there would be no punishment for failure.
Latian nodded earnestly.
Claude let out a brief chuckle through his nose, then turned as if the conversation was over.
Latian hurriedly grabbed the water container and scrambled after him.
The quiet dawn settled around them.
Later, curled up in his sleeping bag, Latian lay wide awake, staring at nothing.
The twins were asleep, and Claude—who was standing watch again—had his eyes closed for a moment.
Latian mulled over the text that had appeared after clearing the quest, feeling… strange.
‘Was that… Claude’s actual thoughts being displayed?’
Innocent-looking, not fit to be a spy, hoping he wasn’t one…
The sentimental lines made him acutely aware of Claude in a way he hadn’t been before.
‘…One thing’s clear—I’ve earned a lot of his trust.’
Then… I guess I can say we’ve gotten a little closer.
Latian quietly observed Claude, who stood with his back against a tree, eyes closed.
After a moment, he closed his own eyes as well.
That night, despite everything that had happened, Latian fell into a peaceful sleep.
The next morning, he woke up in high spirits, back to his usual self.
“Mr. Sien, Mr. Haen! Good morning!”
The twins, noticing the change in him, chuckled.
“After everything that happened, you bounced back in just one day?”
“We thought you’d be sulking for at least a few days.”
“Seriously. You’re tougher than you look.”
“Haha. Well, as long as I’m alive, that’s all that matters, isn’t it?”
At Latian’s almost enlightened response, the twins let out exaggerated exclamations of admiration.
And, as usual, it was Claude’s job to cut their chatter short and get them moving.
Feeling a little braver after yesterday’s events, Latian no longer just followed Claude’s back from a distance. Instead, he walked beside him.
“Brother, brother.”
“…….”
“You must be tired from standing guard all night. Are you okay?”
“…We take turns, so it’s not that bad.”
“I see. If you ever need help, I can—”
“…….”
“Guess not. Well then, I’ll just focus on sleeping well and waking up refreshed!”
“…….”
“By the way, brother, what did you eat growing up to get this tall?”
Latian leaned toward Claude, sticking close with playful curiosity.
“You’ve got to be way over 190cm. Did you eat a lot of meat?”
He casually raised his hand, comparing the top of his head to Claude’s, alternating between their heights.
From what he could tell, the top of his head barely reached Claude’s chin, meaning there was at least a 20cm difference between them.
“You could be a model. Seriously, you’re like a model.”
Latian briefly wondered if Claude even understood what a model was, but he kept chatting away without a care.
That must have been the last straw.
Claude, who had been staring straight ahead, suddenly furrowed his brow.
Then, without warning, he turned to face Latian, blocking his path.
As a result, Latian’s face slammed right into Claude’s broad chest.
He staggered back, clutching his forehead.
The sharp gaze looking down at him was anything but amused.
“I think you’re misunderstanding something, so let me make it clear.”
“…….”
“I never said I fully trust you.”
“…….”
“If you understand that, then stop clinging to me so carelessly.”
His low, chilling voice carried an unmistakable warning.
Latian already knew this.
The [Shackles of Suspicion] quest wouldn’t be complete until he had earned Claude’s complete trust.
‘Yeah… I knew that.’
Still, an unpleasant feeling stirred inside him. He had thought they’d grown a little closer, but Claude’s coldness was exactly the same as before.
Somewhere along the way, he had unknowingly started to rely on him.
And, he realized, he had gotten a little ahead of himself.
‘…Annoying.’
But he quickly smoothed out his expression and flashed a bright smile.
“Understood, brother!”
‘So, our boundary stops here.’
It was clear that Claude’s trust in him had grown significantly.
But Latian couldn’t be certain that trust wouldn’t break again. It was best not to take unnecessary risks.
“…….”
Claude’s expression twisted slightly, as if something about this displeased him.
But he didn’t say anything further, simply resuming his pace in silence.
Latian followed closely behind.
The lighthearted, teasing conversation from before was gone.
But every now and then, Latian still spoke to Claude first.
Claude didn’t tell him to stop that, at least.
From an outsider’s perspective, their relationship even seemed somewhat amicable.
Watching from behind, the twins whispered to each other in awe.
“Doesn’t seem like the aide is afraid of the lord at all.”
“In a way, isn’t he the strongest one here?”
Normally, anyone who had been treated like that would have backed off ages ago.
But Latian just kept going, as if nothing had happened.
Not even a tumbler doll could bounce back as well as he did.
“But honestly, the lord is acting different too. He’s being way softer than usual.”
“For dealing with an outsider, this is actually kind of kind, isn’t it?”
To most, Claude’s treatment of Latian would seem just as cold as usual.
But to the twins, who had watched Claude for a long time, it was obviously different.
“Guess it’s love, after all?”
“Yeah, definitely love.”
“Seems mutual, don’t you think?”
“Probably. At least for now.”
The twins firmly believed that love was the only explanation for this.
And they were absolutely convinced that Latian’s confession had been sincere—just as convinced as they were that Claude harbored some unspoken feelings of his own.
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