Chapter 212

Chapter 212

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Chapter 212

To express vague worries would only invite danger in return. There was no need to make a fuss every day just because one was worried. Yuder had merely been waiting in silence, but it seemed that his demeanor appeared extremely calm to others. He recalled a particularly serene expression on his face and absently stroked his chin.

"When I heard the Commander's words, I assumed that this cycle would end quickly. But isn't it lasting far longer than expected?"

"Indeed, it is lasting quite long this time."

Nathan Zuckerman nodded in agreement.

"Yet it still hasn't surpassed the longest duration."

"What was the longest period?"

"One month. It was two years ago."

Two years ago. Around the same time that Kishiar had awakened. Yuder could not even begin to imagine Kishiar of that era, who he only knew from stories, and who he could never truly know. Giving up on this fruitless effort, Yuder raised his head. Nathan Zuckerman was still sitting upright, looking straight ahead.

"Does the cycle lengthen when his physical condition is poor?"

"No. Rather than that..."

Nathan Zuckerman's words trailed off, and his eyes darkened.

"It is known to lengthen when the power does not dissipate properly."

"Dissipation, you mean..."

Yuder recalled the small potion Kishiar had shown him.

"Isn't that why he drinks the potion? That's what I heard... But even after taking the potion, are there times when the dissipation is particularly good or bad?"

Nathan Zuckerman did not immediately answer. Just as Yuder was about to give up on waiting for his response, a soft, low voice resonated in the room.

"That is..."

"Oh, you're already here."

At that moment, the aura in the inner hallway surged, and Kishiar appeared. The man, who usually kept his aura well suppressed, was releasing it so much today that it could be felt from afar. He was, as always, dressed in a white uniform. Yuder was captivated by Kishiar's beautiful face, which looked freshly washed and still damp. His appearance was already eye-catching, but today the combination of dampness and languor made him even more devastating.

"You're here."

Nathan Zuckerman promptly rose from his seat and bowed. After Yuder also stood and greeted him, Kishiar's gaze moved towards the desk. He scanned over the classified pile of letters, the pile of chocolates on the tray, and the single cup of tea, before his red eyes returned to Yuder.

"Were you two chatting?"

"Sir Aile had a question, so we were briefly engaged in conversation."

"It seems you've become quite friendly in my absence. I feel a bit jealous, Nathan."

"..."

Where in this cold silence could there be jealousy? Yuder read from Nathan Zuckerman's silence that he shared the same thought.

"Was there anything urgent to confirm while I was asleep?"

"Nothing urgent. The sequential tasks are over there for your review."

As Kishiar's adjutant, Nathan Zuckerman primarily handled the communications related to Kishiar's territory of Peletta, but that was not all. Besides managing Peletta's Knights, he received all sorts of secret communications through various channels when Kishiar was absent. Seeing how he managed to handle such a volume of work while also attending to Kishiar, Yuder couldn't help but admire him.

‘He might have done something else as well...’

At Yuder's response, Kishiar suddenly wore an odd expression. Yuder stopped mid-sentence and blinked.

"...Wasn't that what you asked about?"

"No. I was curious about that too. But what I asked about..."

Kishiar trailed off, chuckling weakly as if he found his own question amusing. His red eyes softened.

"...was about you."

Something in Yuder's chest felt tight. He could feel the atmosphere subtly shift.

Unintentionally, his gaze fell to Kishiar's lips before dropping away. Looking at his smile was, for some reason, difficult.

"I am, of course, well. You saw me yesterday, didn't you?"

"That was brief."

"..."

"Very brief."

Nothing had changed since they had admitted their attraction and shared a kiss. Despite the trials they had faced, including the first conflict with the House of Apeto and Kishiar's constant struggles with his own body, Kishiar's attitude towards Yuder had remained unchanged. The only shift was a subtle change in how he addressed him.

Whenever their faces brushed past each other in passing or they locked eyes during conversations about work, the intensity of his gaze was warm yet fierce. It was incredibly difficult to ignore such a powerful pull, strong enough to make one forget the presence of others.

Time and space seemed to melt away in his presence. It had been like this before, but now it was even more intense. Once Yuder looked at him, it was impossible to look away. That precarious feeling was subtly knocking at the back of his mind now.

"Is your work for today done?"

"No, I've just finished sorting."

"That's good."

Not understanding what he meant by 'good', Yuder looked at Kishiar who was smiling at him.

"Then you can stay here a bit longer."

"...Do you want me to stay here longer?"

"If possible."

His answer was light, almost joking, but it could have been serious. Yuder hesitated, unsure of how to respond, before cautiously opening his mouth.

"I will try."

"How?"

His languid voice asked, seemingly teasing.

"Why don't you give me more tasks to do here, Commander?"

Yuder thought this was a pretty good response. However, Kishiar's red eyes, holding a deeper heat than usual, seemed to disagree. He soon tilted his head and spoke, a smile playing on his lips.

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