A sigh slipped through Leonardo’s teeth. The time that had passed—short in some ways, long in others—flashed through his mind along with it. The moments when he had clashed with this man, tangled with him, and faced him again circled the clock tower like a slow panorama.

The man he had met first in the past had looked at him with pity. At times he had been cold enough to make Leonardo’s chest ache, and at other times so upright and gentle that it felt almost cruel. Yet nowhere in those memories was the face now before him.

Perhaps the closest had been that moment when he had fled the Peninsula, climbed up a tree, and looked back. Even then the man’s expression had been bitter enough to sear itself into memory—but it had been different from this.

Now, just as the distance between their hearts had narrowed, the sense of transience in those eyes gripped a corner of his chest tightly.

Leonardo could not easily continue speaking.

It felt as if he were committing some grave wrong against this man.

“Ah....”

He tried to answer at once, but a rough sound escaped as though his throat had closed.

Perhaps he simply was not ready yet. A sad premonition brushed past him—that no matter what he said, it would not be the answer this man wanted to hear.

As Leonardo only hesitated with his lips parted, Hugo watched the troubled golden eyes for a moment before lowering his gaze with a quiet breath.

“I said something unnecessary. Don’t worry about it, Leonardo.”

As if trying to gather up spilled water, he slowly ran his hand over his own mouth and chin. Then he straightened his leaning body and looked ahead, quietly tidying the disordered table without another word.

Watching him, Leonardo’s brow creased slightly.

He did not want to indulge in such childish sentimentality, yet hearing “Leonardo” from that mouth felt less like giving up expectations and more like a declaration of distance.

Just like that time when he had said the reason he protected him was merely obligation.

But Leonardo knew it was not the truth.

Biting his lip, he silently watched Hugo’s hands for a moment before suddenly reaching out toward the man who seemed ready to retreat again on his own. His hand rose to the smooth cheek that still felt difficult to touch carelessly.

He hesitated for the briefest instant.

Then the cool skin settled into his palm.

Just as those blue eyes began to turn toward him, Leonardo grabbed Hugo’s jaw and pulled him to face him directly.

A man whose thoughts were usually impossible to read was strangely transparent at moments like this. Perhaps surprised by the audacity of someone daring to touch a duke’s face, Hugo’s elegant brows rose sharply.

“......”

For a moment his gaze turned sharp as well. Leonardo feared he might show displeasure—but contrary to expectation, the blue eyes soon regained their light and slowly closed before opening again.

He made no other movement.

He did not pull his head away.

Leonardo realized this was Hugo’s way of allowing such insolence little by little.

Encouraged, he spoke.

“Don’t call me Leonardo.”

The words burst out abruptly. Silence followed for a while.

Hugo frowned faintly.

“...What?” 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

“Call me Leo. You’ve been doing it since the Peninsula anyway.”

Hugo’s eyes narrowed slightly. Being grabbed like this was absurd enough, but the sudden remark made even less sense.

At some point he had begun calling him Leo of his own accord. Since Leonardo had never commented on it, he had assumed he did not mind.

As Hugo tried to interpret the meaning, a faint laugh slipped out.

“I’m not sure I’m allowed to.”

For a moment Leonardo felt his head ring.

The answer was overly cautious. It sounded considerate, but that was not what it truly was. Hugo knew perfectly well. He had been doing it all along. Leonardo had just said it was fine.

Yet now Hugo was behaving as if the distance between them were far greater than it was.

Leonardo stared at him with a look of disbelief.

But Hugo remained calm and distant, dignified as ever.

Because of that, Leonardo slowly lowered the hand that had been gripping his jaw. Allowing the title was supposed to be his choice, yet somehow it felt like he was the one being held hostage.

A faint resentment twisted the corner of his mouth.

Still, as if deciding to concede a point this time, Leonardo continued in a calmer tone after a sigh.

“One question. Just one today. Ask me anything you want, and I’ll answer honestly.”

The red lips moved resolutely, as though making a great decision.

Feigning ease, he leaned back heavily against the sofa and crossed one leg over the other.

Though the direction remained turned outward.

The unexpected offer made Hugo’s eyes widen slightly.

At the same time, a strange thrill ran down his spine, as though the truth he had been searching for stood right before him.

Answer honestly?

The blue eyes slowly lowered.

Naturally, his gaze fell on the black choker tightening around Leonardo’s neck.

Leonardo’s Adam’s apple moved once as he felt that gaze.

An unmistakable sign of tension.

The atmosphere felt as fragile as though it might snap at any moment.

Hugo was seized by the urge to grab the bait placed before him immediately. Though he showed nothing outwardly, how long had he yearned for the truth?

Yet it also left him uneasy, because in the end it felt as though he himself had pushed Leonardo into offering it.

The golden eyes that had been trying to appear calm were now stiff, as if already imagining the worst.

Even choosing only one among the many questions that had accumulated was difficult—but what troubled Hugo more was the possibility that Leonardo, after speaking the truth himself, might avoid meeting him afterward.

It had taken months since their parting for them to meet like this again.

People naturally sought places where they felt comfortable and wanted to remain there.

That was why Hugo had made constant efforts to provide Leonardo with a sense of stability. Knowing that being at his side could never truly feel safe for him, Hugo had waited until Leonardo came of his own will.

But if he placed a burden on the man who had finally approached him with an open heart, would their relationship freeze again?

Would the person he could barely hold onto now disappear from his sight once more?

Caught in such thoughts, Hugo remained silent for a long time.

Finally he spoke.

There was something he needed to confirm first.

“Leo, before that.”

Leonardo’s tense gaze wavered.

“Promise me one thing.”

“...What promise?”

“No matter what I say, you won’t run away from me.”

Leonardo tilted his head, trying to grasp the hidden meaning.

...What was that supposed to mean?

Seeing Hugo’s face—just as resolute as his own—left him both bewildered and deeply uneasy.

Hearing the word “run away” suddenly reminded him of the moment on the Peninsula when he had sensed the signs of losing control after killing the Queen Bee and had tried to drive himself to the brink.

Back then this man had been the only one who chased him to the end, grabbing him while saying, “Just don’t run.”

And now that same man was saying something eerily similar.

What kind of words was he preparing to say that required laying groundwork like this from the start?

Fear crept in.

It was only natural that his instinctive defenses would rise.

“How am I supposed to promise that now? I haven’t even heard what you’re going to say.”

“Then will you run?”

“No, it’s not that....”

Leonardo could not even begin to guess why the man was acting like this.

This could go on forever.

Afraid he might be dragged along by Hugo’s intentions, he cut the matter off firmly.

“I don’t make promises like that lightly. So are you going to ask or not?”

A trace of disappointment flickered at the corner of Hugo’s mouth.

He had hoped for that promise.

But he could not delay any longer. If he hesitated further, this cautious man might withdraw the opportunity he had offered so generously.

After a moment’s thought, Hugo decided to use this strange “right to ask a question” in the wisest—and most careful—way possible.

He had kept his lips tightly closed until now.

Slowly, he began.

“Actually, there was something I wanted to tell you today.”

Leonardo’s eyes sharpened at the suddenly serious tone.

“But before that, I thought it would be better to hear your opinion first. To put it simply... when you were captured by the Council, the actions of one of my subordinates worked very much against you. It was a grave mistake. I only learned of it recently. Since I was your guardian at the time, you must have assumed I knew nothing about it either.”

Instead of snapping up the bait placed before him, Hugo gently closed his hand around it.

As if to keep it from being hurt.

Leonardo’s golden brows shot upward.

“The investigation is already underway, but it will take some time to resolve completely. We’re currently verifying the details and testimonies.”

Even as he spoke, Hugo carefully observed every subtle change in Leonardo’s expression. The relaxed muscles of his face gradually stiffened.

“Of course, the incident itself is already in the past. What I mean is that nothing about it will threaten you. I hold the authority over the investigation, and you have already been released. There is no reason for you to be summoned back to the Council or entangled in internal matters. Whatever you do in the future, this will not endanger you or hold you back. I guarantee it.”

His explanation grew longer and more roundabout.

Hugo himself knew that.

But looking at Leonardo’s increasingly motionless face made the words refuse to come out cleanly.

After a short pause, Hugo lowered his eyes briefly before meeting his gaze again.

“The reason I’m telling you this is because I believe you have the right to know. If you want, I can explain the full situation to you right now and bring every person involved to kneel before you and apologize. And as the one responsible, I cannot overlook my own failure either. You may resent me for not preventing the situation beforehand. But—”

“What’s the point of all this? Are you asking whether I want to know what your subordinate did and why? ...Or whether I want an apology?”

The tone that interrupted him was distinctly cold.

Hugo’s thoughts, which had been circling awkwardly, suddenly cleared.

A faint trace of surprise passed through his eyes before he answered in his usual calm voice.

“All three. Some people may not wish to know about the past. But regardless of your answer, they will still pay for their crimes.”

Leonardo remained expressionless.

He stayed silent for a long moment.

They, he thought.

So there was more than one.

He did not look confused, but his gaze sank as if organizing his thoughts.

Hugo waited quietly beside him, allowing Leonardo time to decide.

At the same time, he worried that the perceptive man might already guess what incident this was.

Because the shockwaves from that event had nearly shattered the fragile connection between them.

The silence lingered.

Another breeze drifted through the tower.

It was warm, but the sensation against the skin felt strangely cold.

Suddenly Leonardo ran a hand roughly through his hair. He turned his head aside, bit his lip lightly, then twisted his mouth.

After a heavy sigh, as if shaking off tangled thoughts, he looked back with determined eyes.

“Can you really solve it?”

Hugo paused at the unexpected question.

Then he answered without delay.

“I will.”

“Completely? Dig it up from the root and wipe it out?”

“I promise.”

“Then don’t tell me.”

The answer was blunt.

Hugo’s expression showed clear surprise.

Noticing the look, Leonardo added casually,

“To be honest, the stuff your subordinates did to me? It wasn’t just once or twice. It was worse when you weren’t around. There are probably plenty of things I know that you don’t. And honestly, it’s not just the Council. The whole damn world tends to treat me like shit.”

The cynical tone left Hugo speechless for a moment.

Though Leonardo sounded calm, the heat of emotion crept into his voice and his words began to spill faster.

“Asking who was right or wrong now isn’t the problem. But I really don’t give a damn about whatever grudges those people have against me or the creepy little schemes they come up with. I don’t want to know. I don’t want to hear it. Those pathetic stories always come with endless excuses....”

“......”

“You know what they do? They convince themselves their lives are the most tragic and miserable things in the world, and then they justify whatever they did like lunatics. They don’t even realize how petty and ugly it is. Listening to that garbage makes you so disgusted you want to kill them. So don’t tell me. I was doing just fine not knowing. Of course if it threatens my work or my safety, that’s different. But you said it yourself—it won’t hold me back. You guaranteed it.”

Hugo had only mentioned that his subordinate had committed a grave wrongdoing.

But Leonardo seemed to understand that it had been intentional.

And knowing that Leonardo must have endured countless things like that outside Hugo’s sight, Hugo realized there was nothing he could say ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) that would truly comfort him.

So he simply nodded slowly.

“Alright. It won’t be a problem.”

Leonardo clenched his teeth briefly after venting his frustration, then let out a quiet breath.

He took a deep breath, forcing the emotion down.

Then he uncrossed his legs and leaned his head back against the sofa, staring up at the bell above.

After closing his eyes for a moment, he opened them again and looked at the man who had waited silently for him.

“I know you keep your word.”

Hugo’s eyelids moved slightly.

“...Yes.”

“And I know you’re stubborn and capable enough to actually do it.”

“...Yes.”

“So I’m not running away over something like this.”

Leonardo suddenly reached out and grabbed Hugo’s large hand.

His warmth was startlingly hot.

The cold skin slowly warmed beneath that surge of emotion.

Hugo stared at him in silence.

Leonardo’s fine brows twisted sharply.

His expression contradicted his words, yet somehow the two fit together strangely well.

All the tangled emotions that had been wandering with nowhere to go now lay exposed before him.

“Because I want to believe you.”