“They say he was cast out after saving a child who had been tinted by a monster. Why would anyone want someone like that?” 

“I heard he made him his servant. I think that’s it,” murmured one of the noblewomen, her voice hidden behind her fan. 

“That?”

“A hidden lover, of course,” she muttered. Though she tried to be discreet, it was useless with my heightened senses. If I could hear her, so could Zetak, who was beginning to turn into a monster. I glanced down at him briefly, but there was no noticeable change in his expression.

Back in the dormitory, the stares directed at me and Zetak continued unabated. Some people gasped in horror at the sight of Zetak and quickly fled, while others openly frowned and turned their heads away in disgust.

“A lover? That’s ridiculous. How could someone like that corpse-like guy ever love anyone? It goes beyond the fact that he is a monster.

“True. That’s right. A corpse and a monster? What a disgusting combination.”

A noble child spat the words, and almost instantly, Zetak’s steps halted. He was annoyed by the way they were linking him to me. His gaze locked onto the noble who had just spoken.

The noble boy turned pale and backed away in fear, while the others around him quickly distanced themselves. They probably thought Zetark might devour him. Ridiculous—he hadn’t transformed enough into a monster to feel any hunger for humans yet.

“That’s enough.”

“……”

Zetark remained silent, but the tension in the air was palpable.

“If you raise a hand against a noble, it will only lead to trouble. You’ll be hearing that a lot if you stick with me, so you might as well get used to it.”

At my words, he looked away from the nobles. As expected, his calm expression was very different from five years ago.

[How dare they insult the Crown Prince! Calling you a corpse, how could they say such things about Your Highness!]

Back then, when Zetak had overheard the nobles’ gossip, he had been outraged, as if the insults had been directed at him instead of me.

[…You are such a tearful child, aren’t you?]

Indeed he was, to the point where he could no longer hold back his anger and tears. Zetak’s red eyes filled with tears as he clenched his fists and bit his lip as if the frustration would consume him.

[I never realized until now how much it hurts to be a commoner. They insulted Your Highness, and I couldn’t say a single word in your defense. All I could do was stand there and listen.]

Instinctively, I reached out to the tears that finally overflowed. Did I brush them away with my fingers? Maybe I just wanted to feel them—the kind of tears that come from deep emotion, not physical pain. I can still recall the sensation of those tears moistening my fingertips.

How could he cry over something that wasn’t even his burden? After all, they were insulting me, not him. Why was he so torn up about it? I thought that, yet I didn’t bother asking. Even if I did, I doubted I would understand his answer.

“Now that I think of it, something like this happened before. Do you remember?”

“……”

Zetak remained silent as if lost in thought.

Seeing no reaction, I assumed he didn’t remember. It wasn’t surprising. In the grand scheme of things, it was just a small, insignificant moment in our daily lives – nothing worth remembering. Even I was surprised that such a trivial memory had resurfaced. It was something I thought I had long forgotten, but memories of it always seemed to remain remarkably vivid.

As we walked, the eyes of the nobles never stopped staring at us, but when we finally reached the room, an unexpected guest was waiting for us.

“Your Highness! You’ve finally returned!”

At the door stood a silver-haired girl, the daughter of a powerful earl’s family with influence in social circles. That was the only impression I had of Karial. As soon as she saw me, she lifted her skirt and hurried over.

“What brings you here?”

“I heard the rumors… that you’ve been dethroned. I was worried, so I came to see you.”

Karial’s eyes looked as if they might burst into tears at any moment, and for a brief moment, she overlapped with the image of Zetak from the past that had resurfaced in my mind. Without thinking, I gently brushed my thumb across her eye. Her face flushed a deep red almost instantly, and as I watched, the memory of that moment came back vividly.

Zetak had also fumbled awkwardly with a similarly flushed face, completely forgetting that he had been crying just moments before.

[Y-Your Highness! It’s dirty! How could you use your hand for… something like this!]

[Living long enough, I now hear that tears are considered dirty. Do your eyes emit pollutants or something?]

[That’s not it…! But still…!]

Zetak flailed his arms in protest, his ears turning bright red. Just moments ago, he had been crying, but now his eyes shone with an inexplicable happiness. It was as if the illusion of a blooming flower garden had sprung up behind him. But it wasn’t just an illusion—there was a garden behind us.

While I was lost in thought, I felt a strange sensation creep up my back. When I turned around, I immediately realized that something was wrong with Zetak.

His gaze, cold and disturbing, was fixed on Karial. Through the strands of his hair, I could see his pupils, vertically dilated in a way that suggested his heightened state of excitement. I knew exactly what that look meant: Murderous intent.

That’s the intense feeling you get just before a fight to the death. I had no idea why he was so hostile towards Karial, but there was no doubt that he felt that deadly instinct towards her. Worse, I could sense traces of hatred mixed in with it.

I found myself puzzled. I could understand if he harbored hatred toward me, but why would he feel the same toward Karial? Could they have known each other in the past? Whether oblivious or simply ignorant, Karial hadn’t noticed the blatant killing intent directed at her.

“There is no need for you to worry. You should leave now.”

“But, Your Highness, I imagine this must be a great sorrow for you. It may be presumptuous of me to say this, but…”

“Whatever you are about to say, it is presumptuous, so I told you to stop.”

I cut her off sharply, hoping to end the conversation before Zetak’s hostility escalated any further.

She bit her lip with a somewhat frustrated expression, and I was struck by how similar her behavior was to Zetak’s of the past – not in appearance, but in action. Why was she so persistent, even in the face of my cold demeanor? What made her continue to approach me?

“Let’s go inside. Zetak, come here.”

“…”

At my command, Zetak’s eyes immediately returned to normal. It seemed that with no reaction from the target of his killing intent, his tension had dissipated. The moment had passed, leaving him deflated.

“So you’re sharing a room with that thing, just like the rumors say…” 

She muttered quietly, looking down at Zetak with a condescending expression.

“How shameless. His Highness saved your life, yet instead of leaving to find your way, you cling to his pity. Your audacity knows no bounds.

“And what do you think you’re doing?” 

“Y-Your Highness…?”

“Are you harassing my attendant right in front of me?” 

My voice was calm but firm. The weight of my words seemed to take her by surprise as she quickly realized the gravity of her words.

I grabbed Zetak’s arm and pulled him behind me. Even as I did it, I couldn’t quite understand why I was acting this way. Given Zetak’s earlier reaction, if Karial dared to lay a hand on him, it wouldn’t be Zetak in danger—it would be Karial.

Although Zetak’s weakened state meant that he could hide his claws for the time being, that was only true when facing someone with divine power. Against an ordinary human like Karial, a simple slash from him would tear her body apart.

And yet I found myself shielding Zetak behind me. Why was I protecting him and not Karial? Was I perhaps trying to win Zetak’s favor? Even as I questioned my actions, Karial’s voice cut through my thoughts.

“Your Highness! Are you protecting that filthy creature?”

“Whether he’s filthy or not is not for you to decide.”

“But, Your Highness! It’s bad enough that there are rumors that you share a room with a servant, let alone a boy who’s been tainted by a monster. You must not be aware of the kind of rumors that are being spread about you!”

“Whatever rumors are spreading, they are none of your concern.”

“No, I cannot stand by and watch. There are even vile rumors that Your Highness has an inappropriate interest in young boys. They say that’s the only way to explain why you would allow someone who’s been tainted by a monster to stay with you.

It seems the rumors aren’t entirely unfounded. Although I don’t have a thing for young boys, I do intend to charm and tame Zetak at some point.

“This is none of your concern. Whether I take a boy or an adult to bed is my affair, not yours.”

Her face grew pale at my words. She seemed to have more to say but stopped and closed the door behind her. It’s strange. Five years ago, Zetak followed me around with far more devotion than this, and yet I never once found it bothersome. So why is it so annoying when Karial pushes the issue?

“Did Karial’s words upset you?”

“……”

“If you want, I can punish her. It doesn’t have to be for this particular thing. Just tell me if there’s something you want. If it’s within my power, I’ll grant it.”