Karin woke up feeling sore, a soft smile forming on his lips as he remembered how Cleven made him feel last night. The sticky warmth he felt before falling asleep was gone, Cleven had released all over him, but now, his body was clean.
He reached to the side of the bed, but it was cold. Empty.
Sitting up, Karin looked around the room, confusion stirring in his chest. Then he saw it, a bracelet resting on the table, beside a small note.
---
Karin,
I enjoyed last night. Wear this bracelet. See you again, my friend.
– Cleven
Karin's heart dropped. His hands trembled as he gripped the letter, eyes scanning the words again as if they would suddenly change.
"My friend…"
He rushed to get dressed, panic rising. No… not like this. He stormed out of the room.
"Butler, have you seen Cleven? He hasn't left yet, right? His travel's supposed to be tomorrow," Karin asked, his voice tight, breath short with hope.
The butler hesitated before replying, "He left early this morning. Said he wouldn't be returning for years."
It hit like a blade to the chest.
Karin's shoulders collapsed as he staggered back to the room. He stared at the note in his hand, then at the bracelet. A cruel
reminder. A farewell disguised as kindness.
Tears spilled from his eyes as he crumpled the note with shaking hands and hurled the bracelet across the room. It clattered to the
floor with a hollow sound that echoed louder than the silence left behind.
So this was his answer.
He couldn't even say goodbye.
Friends?
Was that what Cleven thought they were? After everything?
Karin's sobs quieted as he stared blankly at the floor, grief hardening into something colder. He wiped his tears, his face slowly
losing its softness.
Fine.
He stood up, jaw clenched, heart shattered.
If Cleven had truly meant to leave him behind, then Karin would make sure that was the last time he ever cried over him.
-----
Karin was helping Axel search for a book on one of the tall bookshelves in the manor's grand library. He had come in to read, as usual, and noticed Axel wandering between shelves with a furrowed brow, clearly searching for something. Since Karin spent most of his time here since arriving, he had
grown familiar with where everything was stored.
"You're looking for the financial books, right?" Karin called from the top of the ladder, scanning the uppermost shelves.
"Yes," Axel replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I want to study more. My knowledge is still pretty limited."
Karin's eyes lit up as his fingers brushed the spine of a thick, dusty volume. "Found it!" he shouted, waving it excitedly with a
triumphant grin.
"Great! Thanks!" Axel smiled, relief in his voice.
But just as Karin began his descent, his hand slipped from the rung, his still-bandaged arms not strong enough to grip tightly. His body swayed, and in a flash, he lost balance.
"Ahhh!" Karin cried out as he tumbled backward.
Axel reacted on instinct, arms shooting out to catch him just in time. The force knocked them both slightly off balance, but Axel
managed to steady them both.
"Whoa—are you okay?" Axel asked, eyes wide with concern as he looked down at Karin in his arms.
Karin clutched his chest, breath shaky. "That… that was scary. Thank you," he said, his voice soft, heart pounding in his chest like a drum.
Still holding him protectively, Axel gently set him down. Then he crouched to pick up the book that had fallen beside them, casting a
glance at Karin to make sure he was really alright.
"You should be more careful," Axel muttered, his tone gentle but firm, worry lingering in his eyes.
Karin offered a small, sheepish smile. "I'll try. I guess I got too excited…"
Cleven was standing at the door, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He had been walking nearby when a sudden shout caught his attention, and what he saw stopped him in his tracks: two men, Karin and Axel,
comfortably embracing each other.
"Let's go to the Glass Garden. They've been preparing something there," Axel said gently, placing a supportive hand on Karin's back
as they walked together. But both of them halted when they noticed Cleven standing in their path, silent and unmoving.
"Good morning, Prince Cleven," Axel greeted politely, his voice calm but wary.
"Good morning," Cleven replied, but his eyes were fixed solely on Karin, his expression unreadable
Karin, refusing to meet his gaze, tried to walk past him without a word. But Cleven reached out and gently grabbed his arm, stopping him.
"Let me talk to Karin for a minute," Cleven said, forcing a smile at Axel, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
Axel hesitated for a moment before nodding, then stepped away, leaving the two behind in silence thick with tension.
"What do you want?" Karin said in a serious tone, pulling his arm away from Cleven's grasp.
"You've been avoiding me since I got here," Cleven replied, his voice softer than expected.
Karin sighed, his shoulders dropping slightly. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm. He knew they needed to talk, sooner or later.
"Let's go back to the way we were," Cleven said quietly.
Karin hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Alright," he said flatly. If he just wants to be friends, then so be it.
"Really?" Cleven's eyes lit up with a hopeful smile.
"Yeah… my friend," Karin said with a sharp edge in his tone. He gave Cleven a light shove and forced a smile. "I'm busy, my dear friend, so I better go now."
He turned quickly, walking away before Cleven could see the pain in his eyes.
"Why don't we go somewhere? I know a good place here in the north," Cleven said, gently putting his arm around Karin's shoulder, his tone playful but laced with a quiet hope.
"I'm busy," Karin replied curtly, shrugging off Cleven's arm as he continued walking without looking back.
"I'll wait until you're finished," Cleven said, forcing a smile as he tried to keep his voice light, though a hint of disappointment
slipped through.
"I'm going to teach Claren and Axel, so I won't be finished anytime soon," Karin said flatly, his tone firm as if to shut down the
conversation.
"Why do you need to teach Axel?" Cleven asked, his brows knitting slightly.
"None of your business," Karin snapped, quickening his pace as he walked away, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.
Cleven stood still for a moment, watching him go, frustration and sadness flickering in his eyes.
Karin reached Claren's room and gently knocked before entering, Cleven followed him.
"Uncle Cleven!" Claren greeted him with a bright smile, running over with arms wide open.
"Hello, Ione," Karin said softly, offering her a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Hi, Prince Karin," Ione said politely. Then, noticing the tension in the air, she added with a gentle voice, "Since you're here, I should
go for now," giving him a respectful nod before quietly heading toward the door.
"Claren, let's start your lesson," Karin said, deliberately ignoring Cleven's presence.
"Uncle Cleven, do you want to listen to our lesson?" Claren asked innocently, looking up at him with bright eyes.
"Yes, I want to see if you've been studying well," Cleven replied with a soft smile as he gently pinched Claren's cheeks.
Claren giggled. "But you're distracting me!" he said with a laugh.
Karin couldn't help but smile at Claren's words.
"You're distracting him," Karin said, his tone firm but not cold. "So please, leave us now, Prince Cleven."
"I'll just sit here," Cleven said with a lazy grin as he lay down on Claren's bed, his eyes still lingering on Karin. "Go ahead and do your
thing."
Karin ignored him and continued teaching Claren, though he could feel Cleven's gaze burning into his back. It made him uncomfortable, but he did his best not to show it.
Cleven, meanwhile, liked what he saw, Karin was gentle, patient, and clearly good with children. He'd make a good mother, Cleven
thought, then immediately shook his head. What the hell am I thinking?
"Claren, do you want to come to my private cabin here?" Cleven asked suddenly, his tone light but eyes gleaming with something
unreadable.
Karin narrowed his eyes. What the hell is he planning now? he thought suspiciously.
Claren brightened. "Yes! I want to, but…" He glanced at Karin. "I still have a lesson."
"You can continue your lesson there," Cleven said smoothly, trying to sound casual but clearly intent.
Claren turned to Karin, his eyes wide and pleading. "Can we, please? Just this once?" he asked, his voice soft and hopeful, like a puppy begging for a treat.
Karin was hesitant to answer. He could see the excitement in Claren's eyes, but his heart weighed heavy, he didn't want to be around Cleven any longer.
"You can go with Cleven. We can resume our lesson tomorrow," Karin said softly, forcing a small smile before standing up to leave.
"Hey!! Come join us," Cleven called out, grabbing Karin's arm gently, trying to stop him.
"I don't want to," Karin replied firmly, pulling his arm free without looking back. He walked away, his steps brisk, emotions tangled
between frustration and pain.
Cleven let out a heavy sigh, watching him go, a flicker of regret in his eyes.
"What did you do to Prince Karin?" Claren asked with concern, quickly running after his teacher.
"Wait for me.." Cleven muttered, following behind Claren, his chest tight with emotions he couldn't explain.