Chapter 84: 83

‘……’

Renato looked at Khalid’s face, who was nervously waiting for his answer, and the large, thick hand in front of him. He felt strange because he should be the one begging the man to take him, but it seemed as if Khalid was pleading with him.

‘I want to go with you, your highness, no, please bring me together with you.’

His contemplation was extremely brief. In the first place, there was no reason for him to hesitate. Because it was Renato himself who wanted to leave the Imperial Palace.

Anywhere would be better than here. Renato truly believed so. He was relieved to hear that Khalid would help him by his side until he adjusted to the kingdom. His heart fluttered for some reason when the man said he would do his best to make him happy.

Without delay, Renato took Khalid’s hand. It was not possible, but the thought that the man would take back what he had said made Renato hurry. Unlike his hand, the man’s thick knuckles, strong fingers, and calloused palm were all firm yet warm.

‘Thank you for accepting my offer.’

Khalid’s shoulders involuntarily flinched when Renato grabbed his hand, then he exhaled in relief. Perhaps thinking that Renato’s hand would break if he held it too tightly, Khalid gently clasped Renato’s hand and said thanks in a lower voice than usual.

Shouldn’t the one saying thanks be me? Why is he thanking me?

Renato slightly tilted his head when Khalid thanked him. He couldn’t understand the man who had shown a strangely timid attitude from a while ago.

‘I think the one saying thanks should be me, though……’

Renato, who opened his mouth with a puzzled expression, trailed off at the end of his sentence when seeing the man’s faint smile and his relaxed face. The man’s calmly curled eyes, the raised corners of his lips, and his somewhat flushed cheeks were all real.

Renato realized Khalid was genuinely relieved because of his reply that he wanted to follow the man. Then, strangely, his heart fluttered.

The smile was said to be contagious. Renato’s lips also curved up, following Khalid’s. It had been a long time since he last smiled. Feeling a deep, strange joy, he softly laughed. Then, he said out loud what he had always wanted to say to Khalid.

‘I have had this thought for a while, but you are a really kind person, your highness.’

‘……Me?’

Khalid, whose eyes momentarily widened because of Renato’s laughter, immediately asked back with an absurd expression. Renato nodded with a faint smile. Perhaps embarrassed by the sudden compliment, Khalid let out several coughs and said in an awkward voice.

‘You are the only person in this world saying that I’m kind, Your Imperial Highness. I am not such a good person.’

‘But you are kind to me.’

‘That……’

Khalid moved his lips, trying to say something in response to Renato’s confident rebuttal, then closed his mouth again. Renato conveyed his thoughts toward him.

‘Even if you say you aren’t, that’s how I really feel, your highness. I don’t care what other people say or evaluate, because at least to me, you are the most kind-hearted person.’

From the first time they met till this day, Khalid had always been a good person to Renato. Renato recalled the day the man first spoke to him. Khalid approached him, who was killing time by sticking to the corner of the banquet hall just like usual, and politely asked for a dance.

After dancing together that day, Khalid greeted Renato first whenever they met. He always did so, whether they met at the Imperial Palace, at a banquet hall, or anywhere else. He didn’t care if people looked at him strangely or gossiped.

He clearly knew Renato’s circumstances, but Khalid was always polite. There was no pretense in his eyes, tone, attitude, or actions toward Renato. So Renato was grateful.

‘I’m so glad to have met you, your highness, thank you. Thank you for helping me…… It must have been a tough decision……’

Renato recalled what happened on Trudy’s death anniversary about a year ago. If he hadn’t met Khalid that day by chance, if the man hadn’t reached out to ask if he needed help, he might not have been able to hold out this far. Khalid’s presence was a great comfort to Renato.

That was also why he was constantly nervous and anxious. He was afraid that Khalid would be in danger because of him, and that Maximo would attack the man.

The reason why he was worried was that Maximo had been running wild like an unbridled horse. Having failed to receive the Fairy King’s blessing at the coronation ceremony, he was embroiled in controversy over his legitimacy from the very beginning of his reign.

The nobles in the late Emperor’s faction strongly pressured Maximo and Marquis Medus, saying that they had doubts about Trudy and Tristan’s deaths. Some even claimed that Maximo was not recognized by the Fairy King because he had unlawfully ascended to the throne.

Maximo caused a conflict by blaming Marquis Medus and Blanche when his position was shaken. The feud between the three became worse day by day, and in the end, Maximo killed the two in the greenhouse of the inner palace.

After that, Maximo began a reign of terror, mercilessly purging those who criticized or opposed him. And he began to obsess over Renato. There were already signs of that in the beginning, but lately, it had changed into something close to madness.

Will he stay still? A deep fear lingered in his darkened lavender-colored eyes. He couldn’t stand it if Khalid was in danger because of him.

‘It seems like I will continue to cause trouble to you in the future, but…… Please take care of me, your highness.’

‘Please don’t think of it as trouble, it is my sole will to help you, Your Imperial Highness. It’s something I want to do, so I hope you don’t feel burdened.’

Khalid firmly held Renato’s hand, then let go. He reiterated that this was what he wanted to do.

Renato looked at Khalid, feeling regretful that the warmth around his hand was gone. How could he convey his gratitude? No words could express how he felt right now.

‘How am I supposed to repay this favor……’

‘I already said this before, but I’m not doing this for the sake of a repayment.’

‘Still, I feel both apologetic and grateful to you. I’d like to give you something, is there anything I can do?’

‘Uhm, it’s not exactly a reward, but…… I wish for one thing from you, Your Imperial Highness.’

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‘From me? What is it? Please tell me anything.’

While Khalid struggled with his words, Renato was delighted. He didn’t know what the man wanted, but he was willing to give anything he could give.

‘What I want is……’

Khalid couldn’t easily say when seeing Renato waiting for his answer with an eager face. After hesitating for a while, Khalid asked in a slightly trembling voice.

‘……Could you please permit me your name, Your Imperial Highness?’

Name. Renato’s eyes widened because of his unexpected words. The act of an imperial or royal family member allowing someone other than their family to use their name had a special meaning. Calling them by name was possible only with close friends or lovers.

‘O, okay!’

Before he could think, his mouth moved first. He was in such a hurry that his tongue twisted and he stuttered. Realizing he was too excited, Renato slightly blushed.

‘But would you be okay with just that?’

‘It is enough.’

Khalid brightly smiled as if he had received a precious gift. Then he cleared his throat and gently called Renato’s name in a whisper.

‘……Renato.’

Renato held back his breath. Even though the man only called his name, he felt suffocated, and his heart pounded. His cheeks, which were still hot, heated up even more vigorously.

‘It’s more embarrassing than I thought.’

Khalid scratched his chin in embarrassment and awkwardly smiled. The tips of his ears, exposed behind the man’s dark hair similar to a pitch-black night, were a little red.

‘……You can call me Khalid too.’

‘N, next time.’

Renato hesitantly promised the next time. Khalid nodded his head to say that he understood with a regretful expression.

‘Then I will go back now.’

‘Please go back safely.’

‘I hope you have a good dream, ……Renato.’

Khalid left a more awkward night greeting than usual, then turned around. Renato’s gaze followed the man’s back as he moved farther away, and his lips quietly moved.

Good night, Khalid.

After letting out an inaudible good night, Renato bit his lip. He felt as if the sounds of his pounding heart would come out of his mouth if he didn’t do so.

Standing there until Khalid disappeared from sight, Renato then returned to his palace. The man wished him a good dream, but he thought that he wouldn’t be able to sleep easily tonight.

In the following three months, after promising to leave the Empire together, the two still met briefly twice a week. It wasn’t simple to avoid Maximo’s surveillance, but Khalid easily visited Renato. He didn’t know if the Empire’s security was lax or if the man’s ability was excellent.

‘You can think of the Khan Kingdom as having winter half of the year. Spring and autumn almost don’t exist. Instead, it’s cool in the summer…… so nobles from other countries also come there for recuperation.’

As Khalid informed Renato about how things were going, he also told other stories. They were mainly explanations about the Khan Kingdom and anecdotes about the areas he visited on his missions.

‘The deserts in the eastern part of the continent have villages and cities around their oases. The most famous region there is Namia with its salt desert.’

‘Salt desert?’

‘Yes, to be precise, the lake in the desert dried up, and the salt dissolved in the water has crystallized……’

As a knight and mercenary of the kingdom, Khalid knew a lot of things compared to Renato. The thing that Renato was most interested in his stories was the Namia region’s salt desert.

‘Salt desert, it’s fascinating just hearing about it. I really want to go there later.’

‘……You can go.’

‘Will there be any chance?’

‘How about going on a trip there when the situation settles down later? I will guide you.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes, as long as you don’t feel uncomfortable traveling with me.’

‘How can I feel uncomfortable? I would love to.’

Renato quickly answered. The thought of a trip with Khalid already made his heart flutter. He longed for the day when he and Khalid left the Empire to freely travel.

However, just before it could be achieved, an unexpected turn of events occurred. A rebellion broke out in the Khan Kingdom, and Queen Maryam was on the brink of death.

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