Chapter 13 - King Cinderella: Two Hearts Entwined in Sin

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Mounting his beloved horse Keith, Chalon looked up at the sky, preparing to leave the castle and meet Erald.

 

The weather was pleasant for the moment, but Keith—who loved walking in sunshine—and the ten hounds that often accompanied them refused to move as they normally would.

 

It seemed they were trying to stop him.

 

All eleven animals, in perfect accord, were radiating unease.

 

Then the white doves Chalon had raised from chicks—whom he fed beans every day—began to descend, one by one, perching on Keith's head and saddle. Their coos came in chorus, as if in protest. They, too, were trying to say something.

 

Apparently, they sensed rainclouds gathering nearby, urging him to stay behind. Chalon paused, hesitating, as he felt their message settle around him.

 

"Thank you… I know you're worried. But I told him I'd see him every day until my brother returns, and Erald might already be on his way. I can't just not go."

 

Chalon didn't know where Erald lived. But rain or no rain, clouds or storm, he knew—Erald would come.

 

He reluctantly decided to leave the dogs behind, gently coaxed Keith, and rode out past the castle gates. Whatever storm the animals had sensed, it was lost on the humans around him—no one tried to stop him.

 

If all goes according to plan, my brother will return tomorrow. If he finds out I have been going to the forest daily, he may get angry and forbid me from leaving the castle for a while. Even if Father gave permission, if my brother strongly objects, I won't be able to go out again… That's why I need to see Erald now, while I still can.

 

As Keith finally broke into a gallop, Chalon pictured Erald's gentle voice, his vibrant palette of colors, and the shape of the shadows he cast.

 

The thought of seeing him again made Chalon's heart leap with joy. But the thought that tomorrow they might be apart sent his spirits sinking, as if into a bog. Of course, he wished for his brother's safe return… but deep down, he couldn't help hoping something might delay it—just a little.

 

If only Erald could become my tutor, then I could see him every day at the castle. But my brother would never allow a young man to be that close to me. If I so much as mentioned his name, it might cause trouble. And more than that… I want to keep Erald a secret. Just for myself.

 

With a sweep of his cloak trimmed in white fur, Chalon passed through the town and headed toward the western forest.

 

He longed to boast to someone about Erald, his noble and admirable older friend—and yet, at the same time, he wanted to keep him hidden away forever. So neither his existence, nor the small sins Chalon was hiding, had yet been confessed to anyone.

 

I told Father and my brother that I've helped an elderly gentleman. But ever since I met Erald, I can't stop lying. I might keep piling on more falsehoods just so I can keep seeing him. So selfishly wishing my brother's return might be delayed, even knowing how many others it would inconvenience… what's wrong with me?

 

This was the first time Chalon had ever felt such a clinging attachment to another person. And he was stunned by the change in his own heart.

 

Whenever he saw Erald, he was flooded with joy and warmth. When they were apart, he could think of nothing else—and a deep, twisting ache would settle in his chest. It felt so much like the symptoms of love he'd read about in stories.

 

Just like the moment they first met, this feeling—if between man and woman—would surely be called love. But between two men… perhaps it would become a deep, devoted friendship.

 

I used to think this joy came from simply having found my first true friend. But… I'm starting to wonder if that's really all it is.

 

This affection didn't shine like a sunlit joy; it carried with it a quiet pain, something he couldn't share with anyone, something he wanted to keep locked away. With that realization, Chalon guided Keith toward the lakeside villa.

 

And just as the doves and dogs had warned, the sky began to growl, and heavy rain came pouring down. At first just a drop on his cheek—but in the next instant, the world darkened, and it fell like water from an overturned bucket.

 

Because of his poor eyesight, Chalon usually avoided wearing hats. But now he regretted not bringing one. His hair was soon soaked, and even beneath his cloak, his jacket, and eventually even his shirt, were drenched.

 

"Keith… I'm sorry. You hate the rain, I know. But thank you—for pushing through it."

 

At last arriving on the private grounds, Chalon leaned against Keith's neck, grateful the horse had carried him safely this far. With thunder rumbling in the distance, it seemed wiser to dismount—but he couldn't bring himself to. On clear days, he could manage to walk alone. But in storms like this, the shadows thickened into a kind of blindness that made him feel like he'd been swallowed by the dark.

 

"Chalon!"

 

As he murmured thanks to Keith, Erald's voice rang out.

 

Through the rain and fog, Chalon could see nothing—but just as he strained his eyes, a flash of lightning split the sky.

 

For a single heartbeat, the world lit up. The silhouettes of the trees leapt into focus, and all at once, the rain, the mist—everything—vanished from view.

 

"Erald!"

 

There he was—standing at the forest's edge with Aston beside him.

 

Even though Chalon had shown him where the villa's key was hidden and told him it was safe to wait inside, Erald had not done so. Not even in this storm. He didn't shelter under the eaves but instead waited—just beyond the boundary rope—with Aston at his side.

 

"Ah—!"

 

A second bolt of lightning carved across the sky, tearing it open like a divine crack, and thunder roared behind it, a sound so deep it rattled his very bones.

 

Keith, clever as he was, still nearly bolted in fear.

 

Chalon barely managed to stay mounted, but the jolt left him breathless.

 

"Chalon, please! Keith might panic at the thunder! Let me take the reins—quickly, dismount! It's dangerous to be near trees—please, we must get inside!"

 

"Y-yes… You too, hurry!"

 

Obeying Erald's voice, Chalon dismounted and handed him the reins.

 

The moment he did, Erald took his hand and said firmly, "Mind your step!"

 

He urged Chalon to stay away from the horse as much as possible while walking, and that small act of concern made Chalon's chest burn warmly.

 

He was soaked through, shivering under the autumn wind—but his heart, pulsing in his chest, radiated heat.

 

"Erald, how long were you waiting? You're drenched… Your hands are ice. Please, warm yourself by the fire!"

 

"I'm fine! But you must change at once, Chalon!"

 

As they stumbled through the front door, Erald's voice rose in anxious protest. "I thought you wouldn't come today—why take such a risk?"

 

His tone sharpened, echoing more and more like his brother Varius, and Chalon flinched. Yet even as he removed his cloak and jacket—water pooling at his feet—he reflected inwardly.

 

"I…"

 

He had come, despite knowing better, simply because he had a feeling Erald would be there.

 

And he was. They had met. And that made it all worth it. He couldn't imagine choosing to abandon such a moment.

 

"I came… because I wanted to see you."

 

"Chalon…"

 

Though his sight was dim, Chalon could tell by the twitch of Erald's mouth and brow that he was surprised. Just seeing his face made Chalon feel like he could breathe again. He realized that more than when they first met, he had come to love this person.

 

What began as something close to love at first sight had deepened and taken root.

 

"Keith, the dogs, even the doves tried to stop me. They all sensed the storm coming. I knew there would be thunder and rain—but I never considered staying away."

 

"Why…? Why go so far?"

 

"Because I wanted to see you. That feeling—that impulse—I couldn't stop it. It was selfish of me, and I made Keith suffer for it. But I think… I think I care about you so much, Erald, that I would ask even my dearest companion to bear the burden, just to see you again."

 

The words, even to Chalon's ears, felt far too strong to be mere friendship. But he couldn't hold them back.

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