Zetak said that and left the room. They say that in cases of extreme pain, you sometimes don’t even feel it. I suppose this is what they meant. I glanced down at my right arm, where the bone was shattered and sticking out. The marks from where Zetak’s fingers had dug into my skin were visible.

He mentioned that I wouldn’t be able to hold a sword for a while. It seems he doesn’t understand. But then again, Zetak wasn’t born a monster—he’s just starting to change, so he probably knows little about his own body.

“It’s a wound from a monster’s claw. I guess this hand…”

***

I won’t be able to use it for the rest of my life.

As I sipped the tea that Zetak had prepared, I glanced down at my arm. The arm, once twisted into an unnatural shape, had long since returned to its proper position. The protruding bone had healed flawlessly, and at first glance, no one would suspect it had ever been injured—it looked completely normal. Of course, that was expected, given that the Deputy Priest himself had treated it. However, what looked perfect on the outside didn’t necessarily reflect the true condition underneath.

“I never expected the Deputy Priest would come running to the palace… It seems my duel with Barpharos has become the talk of the palace.”

It hadn’t even been a day since the incident. Whether through the scrying stone or by passing directly through the gate, the gossip-loving noblemen must have spread the word. Otherwise, there’s no way the Deputy Priest would have come from the palace so quickly.

My father is someone who never looks back at those he has cast aside. So, if things had gone as expected, it would have been a mid-level priest stationed at the academy who would come to treat me. Yet, it was the Deputy Priest who had rushed over from the palace. He must have received orders to completely heal the prince’s arm. By now, my father must have heard that Zetak was the one who had done this to me. Given how pale the Deputy Priest turned upon seeing the scratch marks on my arm, it’s likely he confessed as soon as he returned.

“The paladins are probably sent by the temple to capture you. If the Temple is acting under the Imperial Decree, it’s not a matter I can smooth over from my side. For now, allow yourself to be captured quietly. If you resist, you may face summary execution on the spot.”

“…….”

“Are you listening?”

I’ve been captured in the Temple before. I know what kind of treatment I’ll get, but Zetak showed no particular reaction. He had become strangely fixated on my arm since the Deputy Priest’s visit.

“……Why?”

“……?”

“Why haven’t you been using your hand since earlier?”

He paused just as he lifted the teacup to his lips, his gaze shifting to my left hand, which was holding the cup.

“The Deputy Priest treated that arm. By now, you should be able to handle simple daily tasks. Yet, you’ve been using only your left hand since then.” 

“It seems you’re worried about the Deputy Priest’s reaction.”

I could easily understand why he said that. The Deputy Priest had been horrified when he saw my arm, and his reaction was far too intense for it to be just about a royal’s arm being shattered.

“In a way, this is my fault. I should have warned you that something like this might happen.”

I set down the teacup and shifted in my seat. 

“There’s a lot you’ll need to learn going forward. Your body is…”

Before I could explain about the body of a monster, the door burst open with such force it seemed ready to break. Instead, 15 knights clad in silver armor stormed in, surrounding the room in an instant. 

At the sudden arrival of the knights, I noticed the nobles outside craning their necks to peer into the room. One of the knights stepped forward, approaching Zetak.

“You are hereby stripped of your position as a servant for attempting to assassinate the royal.” 

“Who decided to dismiss my servant?”

I interrupted, causing the knights’ expressions to tense. I pushed through the circle of knights surrounding Zetak and walked over to him. He seemed unbothered, likely having anticipated this from my earlier warning. 

“This is a matter of imperial decree. He has caused serious harm to a member of the royal family. He will be taken to the temple, and after a trial, if found guilty, the appropriate rituals will be performed.” 

“A trial…?”

I had assumed it would be a simple interrogation and then resolved. But it seemed the situation was more serious than I had anticipated. It appeared my father was intent on dealing with Zetak because of this incident.

“Until a verdict is delivered, he is not officially a criminal. He remains my servant. I advise you to handle him with care.”

“If that is Your Highness’s wish, we will respectfully accept it. But our retreat ends here. Preparations for the trial have already been made, and the Emperor sits and waits.

“…So, you intend to block my escape routes.”

The fact that the Emperor was already waiting meant there would be no room for negotiation. They had anticipated that I would try to intervene and had fully blocked my exit. This was nothing more than a nominal trial; it was clear that as soon as Zetak was taken away, the rituals would begin.

“A notice for Your Highness’s appearance will be sent in due time. You will be required to attend then.”

“In other words, after the execution, I’m just expected to show up and confirm what happened. Since I once smuggled Zetak out of the temple, they likely suspect I might try the same thing again, so they’ve decided to exclude me from the trial entirely.”

The trials held in the temple are beyond the reach of imperial authority. Sacred trials fall entirely under the temple’s jurisdiction. Therefore, the decision to bar my attendance must have come from the temple, not my father. If it weren’t for the imperial decree, there would have been plenty of loopholes I could exploit.

I took Zetak’s hand. Though he flinched at the sudden gesture, he didn’t pull away.

“You’re aware of the rumors about me and this boy, aren’t you?”

The knights’ expressions hardened at my words. For them, the thought of a prince embracing someone tainted by monsters was difficult to accept, given their rigid beliefs.

“As you can see, that rumor is true. You know that just because the wounds were healed with divine power doesn’t mean the pain disappears immediately. Right now, my arm hurts so much that I feel like I might collapse.”

At my words, the knights’ expressions seemed to say, What nonsense is this? It was understandable—who would believe such statements when delivered in a flat, emotionless tone? Nevertheless, I continued to speak my mind.

“It’s already hard to bear the pain in my body, and now I have to watch my lover being taken away. I’m sure I’ll be shocked and faint.”

“Your Highness, that’s quite unreasonable…”

“If I collapse, who will take responsibility for that?”

At my words, the knights stiffened. As I glanced around, I noticed that each time our eyes met, they would subtly avert their gaze. They likely had their justifications for merely carrying out their duties. However, if a member of the royal family were to faint because of their actions, the situation would take on a whole different tone.

“If my prediction is correct, I won’t wake up for at least three days. And when I finally regain consciousness, if I find out my lover has been executed, I’ll be so devastated that I might refuse to eat or drink. Is that how my future will end? How tragic.”

“Not exactly like that…”

Their faces twisted in frustration, clearly showing how much they wished they could strike me if only I weren’t royalty. I raised my hand, still clasped with Zetak’s, to show them.

“See? By holding my hand, this child is helping me keep my mental stability, allowing me to endure the pain in my arm. If you take him away now, what do you think will happen to me? I’ll collapse from the pain.”

Their expressions twisted even further, clearly wanting to refute my words. However, they had no real choice but to listen. It would be better for them to comply than to risk the disgrace of having a member of the royal family faint because of their actions.

This wasn’t just about them bearing the disgrace. If a member of the royal family collapsed as a result of something done by the temple, it would tarnish the honor and prestige of the entire institution.

“Then shall we go?”

As I held Zetak’s hand and walked, the knights stepped aside with sour expressions. The nobles who had gathered at the door to peek inside jumped back in surprise, scattering as I emerged.

“Goodness! The rumors were true! I didn’t believe it, but he’s holding that child!” 

“What’s going on? But, wow, my heart just skipped a beat. I never thought I’d feel this way about that corpse!” 

“I get it now. It sounds absurd, but why does it look so cool? Is that it—protecting what’s mine?! Seeing someone who’s usually so indifferent act like this, it’s making my heart race!”

I could hear the laughter of the young ladies echoing down the hallway as they giggled and ran, holding up their skirts. Zetak frowned, clearly displeased by their behavior.

“I’m sorry the rumors have blown up like this. I know you probably didn’t like them in the first place.”

“……”

“Once this situation is resolved, I’ll give you whatever you want. If you want a separate bed, I can arrange that. If you prefer a different room, I can provide that too.”