Aiden had never cared much for his appearance in this world. Servants weren't meant to stand out. But after Celestia's veiled threat, after Shinomi's silence, something inside him shifted.
He wasn't going to fade into the background anymore.
So the next morning, instead of tying his hair back as usual, he let it fall freely over his shoulders. The light chestnut strands had grown longer since arriving—soft and wavy, framing his pale face gently. He washed it with mint leaves from the river and combed it with his fingers until it gleamed.
He adjusted the collar of his tunic, loosening it slightly. Then he tied a thin blue ribbon around one wrist—subtle, but deliberate. Something that looked more delicate than military.
When he stepped into the training grounds, heads turned. Not many. Just a few glances.
But Shinomi was one of them.
The commander paused mid-step as he passed by, eyes flicking toward Aiden's hair—then his face—then away again, too quickly.
But Aiden saw it.
A flash of hesitation.
A flicker of something human.
---
Throughout the day, Shinomi found small excuses to call Aiden over.
"Bring the updated patrol routes."
"Refill my ink."
"Check the arrow supplies."
Simple commands. Nothing unusual.
Except Shinomi always looked just a little longer than necessary. His voice always softened at the end of each order. His eyes dropped to Aiden's hair once—twice—before he quickly averted them.
And once, Aiden caught him watching from the upper tent window, arms crossed, gaze unreadable.
It wasn't desire. Not yet.
It was curiosity. Unease. Interest he didn't want to admit.
And that was a crack Aiden could work with.
---
That evening, while polishing weapons in the shade, Aiden caught sight of himself in a polished shield. For a moment, he didn't see Ren Valis's son or Shinomi's servant.
He saw a softness in his reflection. Something in-between. Something free.
In his old world, he had never dared express himself this way. Boys weren't supposed to wear ribbons. Weren't supposed to care about beauty. Weren't supposed to fall in love with other boys, especially not fictional ones like Shinomi.
But here, in this twisted fantasy, maybe he could be everything he had hidden.
Maybe he could become someone unforgettable.
---
Later, as he delivered tea to Shinomi's quarters, the commander looked up and froze.
"You…" Shinomi began, voice low. "You did something."
"My hair?" Aiden asked innocently.
Shinomi frowned. "You're a soldier's son. You know long hair in camp is impractical."
Aiden smiled slightly. "I'm not a soldier, remember? I'm just your servant."
Shinomi stared at him for a long beat—then looked away, almost annoyed.
"Wear it how you like," he muttered. "Just don't distract the men."
But it wasn't the soldiers who were distracted.
It was him.
---