As Zetak had predicted, the rumours spread like wildfire. Given the nature of the disease, there were bound to be many who laughed behind their fans and chewed on it for entertainment. While Zetak disapproved of the rumours circulating around the Academy, I didn’t care. After all, the gossip would amount to no more than “Which member of the royal family has hemorrhoids?” 

That was indeed the rumour on the first day. On the second day, however, something quite different and far from the truth began to spread. As I walked through the corridors after class, the nobles around me were busy whispering and gossiping as they looked at me. 

“Have you heard? About Prince Jaibid’s b*ttocks…” 

Not hemorrhoids, but b*ttocks. And not just b*ttocks –b*ttocks flesh, of all things. 

“I did it! They say if you don’t know that, you might as well drop out of the Academy. Apparently his mistress beat him so badly that his flesh was completely torn! They say he had to be treated in the temple for over an hour!” 

No, it only took five minutes. It wasn’t like I’d broken a bone – why would it take an hour? How did it go from haemorrhoids to my b*ttocks being torn apart? I had made it clear in the temple that it was nothing more than haemorrhoids. I hadn’t said a word about being beaten, either on my back or my thighs. And yet the rumours took a bizarre turn. 

“I can’t imagine it. That expressionless face enjoying something like that.”

For the record, I don’t like being beaten. Zetak certainly didn’t like being hit either. If anything, he probably felt self-loathing after those few blows. However, the rumours were that Zetak had become a sadistic deviant who took pleasure in inflicting pain on others, and I was cast as someone who derived ecstasy from being beaten. 

“A perverse couple for the ages, huh?” 

Yes, in just two days we’d become a legendary pair of perverts. 

As I pondered this, a dissenting voice cut through the chatter. 

“Don’t you think it’s a bit much to jump to conclusions like that? From what I heard, it was just an accident when you experimented out of curiosity. Didn’t you role play with your ex?” 

“Oh my God, keep your voice down! What if someone hears you?!”

“What does it matter? You said you even played the role of the slave, didn’t you? Who knows, maybe it’s the same with His Highness. Whether it was role-playing or whatever, they could have been fooling around for fun and someone just lost control. I mean, the other guy is a monster.”

Whether I enjoyed it or not, the fact that my bottom had somehow been ‘ripped apart’ seemed to have become an established truth. From behind me I heard Zetak give a small sigh. He clucked his tongue and covered his eyes with one hand.

“What on earth did you say in the temple…?”

“I didn’t say much, really. I just told them I had come to be treated for hemorrhoids.”

“And the priests believed that?”

I thought back to what had happened.

“Rumour has it that you like to play with your tentacles. Considering you’ve never been to the temple before, well… hemorrhoids seem inevitable. Next time, be sure to ask for a proper thickness check.”

The high priest, nodding knowingly with a benevolent smile, treated me as if he had weathered all the storms of the world. He even handed me holy water, saying it was for aftercare. I could still see the horrified faces of the apprentice priests behind him. 

“When men are involved in such activities, holy water is essential. Quick recovery, full restoration – holy water is truly a blessing from the gods.” 

“But… holy water isn’t meant for that, is it?” 

As far as I could tell, it took over twenty priests to make a single bottle of holy water, using their divine powers until they were completely exhausted. Nevertheless, the elderly high priest had pressed such a bottle into my hands and even patted me on the back. The bottle of holy water, which I’d taken without thinking, ended up next to the vial of medicine Darvin had given me. Holy water and monster t*sticles – an odd combination. 

“They actually believed it. They didn’t seem to doubt me at all.

At least they didn’t seem to think I’d been injured by Zetak hitting me. That was enough for me. 

“Still, why these rumours… No, maybe this could actually work in our favour…” 

He paused mid-sentence and halted his steps. Following his gaze, I saw a group of maids gathered on the opposite side of the corridor. One of them flinched and turned away the moment our eyes met. 

“Neiri.” 

I suddenly had a strong suspicion as to the source of the rumours. It was as if I now understood why haemorrhoids had somehow been transformed into “b*tt meat”. Zetak seemed to share my thoughts, judging by the incredulous look on his face. 

“Maybe it’s not Karial who rules the social circles, but Neiri. To overturn the entire rumour mill in just one day… That is ridiculous.” 

Neiri lifted her skirt and disappeared into the crowd of maids. Just before she disappeared, she looked back at me with a solemn expression and nodded her head as if to say, *Trust me.* Was it just my imagination, or did her eyes really convey those words? 

“At this point, I don’t even know which rumour is worse – haemorrhoids or torn b*ttocks flesh.” 

Zetak sighed deeply, as if faced with an unpleasant series of choices. 

“Neither is ideal for your image… but if I had to choose, the latter would be better.” 

His unexpected answer made me look down at him in surprise. Hemorrhoids could simply be dismissed as a medical condition, something that would disappear with treatment and time. On the other hand, a rumour that I enjoyed being beaten would probably follow me for the rest of my life. Why did he think this was the better option? Zetak began to walk again as he spoke. 

“In Your Highness’s case, there are many who would seek your downfall. Not necessarily because they want to harm you directly, but because there are those who enjoy seeing someone above them fall. Such people will latch on to the slightest flaw and magnify it endlessly. 

But no matter how much they exaggerate, hemorrhoids are just that – they wouldn’t suddenly turn into an incurable disease. Perhaps sensing my thoughts, Zetak continued. 

“They will spread rumours that it is a constant recurrence. They’ll laugh and say that you can’t sit properly, even when you’re just standing. They’ll whisper that you walk awkwardly, as if you’re in pain. And they’ll keep doing it, for the rest of your life. 

“By that logic, wouldn’t the rumour that you enjoy being beaten be even more damaging?” 

“No.”

“I like being hit. Only children know this. There are a surprising number of nobles who are rumoured to enjoy orgies. But that’s gossip for a moment, not gossip that will follow you for the rest of your life. Turns out he’s just like that…. It’s a bit of a PR disaster.”

I didn’t really understand what he was saying because I’d never paid attention to gossip before. By now I had arrived at my dormitory. It wasn’t until I was in my room that I was able to stop the gossip.

“Think about it. The rumours when the king started sharing a room with me.”

“What rumours?” I asked. Since I don’t bother to keep track of every little thing, I couldn’t think of anything specific. Zetak let out a small sigh, as if he’d expected this reaction. 

“You should at least remember the rumours about you.”

“They say His Highness has a fondness for young boys.” 

“…….” 

“That rumour spread when you and I started sharing a room. Even Karial came to you, didn’t she? She told you to throw me out because of such blasphemous rumours.” 

“Now that you mention it…” 

“But what about now? Nobody repeats that rumour anymore. They’ve all moved on. They’ve just come to the conclusion that you’re ‘that kind of person’ and left it at that. They’ve lost interest.” 

“Is that how it works?” 

Zetak nodded. 

“Every day, rumours about the debauchery of various nobles appear and disappear. Half of them are baseless nonsense, deliberately spread by someone. How long do you think these rumours will last? They’re nothing more than fleeting gossip. Nobles, by nature, don’t take s*xual rumours too seriously – they see them as mere entertainment.”

“So that’s the better option in the long run.” 

“Exactly. Neiri probably came to the same conclusion and deliberately turned the rumour around. If both options tarnish your image, it’s better to end it quickly. From the looks of it, she’s steering it towards the idea that it was just an experiment, born of curiosity.”

Zetak said this, but then suddenly fell silent. After a moment of thought, he turned to me with a puzzled expression. 

” Did you do anything for her?” 

“Her” probably meant Neiri. I searched my memory, but came up empty. I hadn’t even known her name until recently. 

“No, I don’t think so.”

“She seems strangely favourable to Your Highness. If she had been banished from the palace for spreading unfounded rumours, you’d think she’d be more careful with her words… but instead, she went out of her way to refute the rumour.”

Now that I think about it, that was true. If she made a mistake this time, it wouldn’t just end with a demotion. Why would she take such a risk? It was puzzling. Most of the guards shunned me, called me a corpse behind my back. But Neiri never seemed to feel that way. On the contrary, she’d even given me advice, despite the potential danger, saying that the higher can’t overcome the lower. 

“Come to think of it, I never got an answer. Do you know what she meant by the higher cannot overcome the lower?” 

At my question, Zetak’s expression changed slightly. 

“They can overcome it. Eventually.”

I was about to ask him to elaborate, but he turned away, as if to avoid the subject altogether. 

“Besides, the Academy seems a bit restless since yesterday.”