“You can do anything you want to me, hyung.”

D’Élysée smiled quietly, pressing a kiss to Egru’s cheek. Just as he began to gently rub his brother’s soft belly, a cheerful knock echoed through the room.

“Lord Egru, and the unnamed adventurer.” It was the attendant assigned to them, his voice as bright and energetic as the morning itself. “His Grace the Duke requests your presence in the audience chamber in twenty minutes.”

“D-D’Élysée! We have to wash up, quickly!”

“There’s no need to rush…”

Whether he was aware of D’Élysée’s disappointment or not, Egru diligently began to fill a basin with warm water. “Bend over! Hurry!”

D’Élysée belatedly stooped, and Egru busily splashed the hot water over him. Splash, splash. Steam rose from the thoroughly soaked platinum-blonde hair. Only after all the soap was gone from his brother’s body did Egru pour water over his own head.

“D-Do you want to go out and get ready first?”

“Hyung, my eyes sting.”

“Huh?” Startled, Egru turned to D’Élysée, who still had his eyes shut. “Just a second…”

His small but deft hands quickly dabbed at his brother’s eyes. Up close, he could see how his thick lashes were beautifully arranged. “H-How is it now?”

“Yes, it’s better. Thank you.”

D’Élysée’s neatly closed eyes slowly opened. A pair of emerald orbs looked down at Egru. The corners of his eyes, which could at times appear cold, curved gently into a smile so perfect it could make anyone fall in love at first sight. D’Élysée was now openly trying to seduce him.

“Hyung, let’s stay together just a little longer…”

“N-No.”

The plea, however, had no effect on Egru, who was strict about appointments. He had been late only a handful of times in his entire life; he was that meticulous about punctuality. It was one of his few sources of pride. He believed the only reason he had a steady stream of work in a capital that shunned demons was because of his diligence—though in reality, it was only because Levian had placed him in businesses that were under his thumb.

“L-Let’s wash together again later, D’Élysée.”

“…Tonight?”

“Y-Yes! Tonight!”

Only then did D’Élysée’s smile return as he exited the bathroom. But the moment Egru followed him out, “Gasp!“

D’Élysée, who had wrapped his brother snugly in a towel, whispered something into his pointed ear. It was a short magical chant. A breath of blue, glowing light seeped into his ear. Egru’s body stiffened for a moment, and then his amber eyes slowly began to close.

“Wh-What’s this? I’m so… sleepy.”

“Of course you are, hyung. You have a full stomach, and you just had a long, warm shower.”

“I guess so…”

At the gentle, ticklish whisper, Egru could no longer hold a coherent thought. Smiling, D’Élysée laid him down on the bed, still wrapped in the towel. “Get some more sleep. I’ll go and listen to the briefing. I’m sure it won’t be anything special.”

“No, I should go with you…”

D’Élysée’s warm palm gently covered Egru’s eyes. The sound of the same chant echoed once more. A gentle warmth spread through him, and his eyes slid shut on their own. Was it because of yesterday’s fatigue? He had never felt so drowsy. Before he knew it, Egru was fast asleep.

As the sound of his brother’s faint breathing filled the room like a lullaby, D’Élysée changed into practical attire. Shing. He drew his sword from its scabbard, inspected it, and sheathed it again. This was clearly not the attire of someone going to a simple briefing. The exploration team’s assembly time had never been noon in the first place.

Finally, draping his robe over his shoulders, D’Élysée pressed a kiss to the sleeping Egru’s forehead and pulled the doorknob. The bedroom door closed without a sound.

***

Having unintentionally become a sleepyhead, Egru only woke after a great deal of time had passed. He blinked his sticky eyes several times. The dim scenery outside the window came into focus.

“Huh?”

Like a bolt of lightning, he threw off the towel and blanket and shot up. It was impossible. He had only closed his eyes for a moment, but the day had already ended.

Wh-What happened to the afternoon exploration? And D’Élysée…?

He scanned the room, but there was no sign of anyone but himself. Just then, the doorknob turned, and the bedroom door opened. Egru’s head snapped toward the sound. Click. The door swung open, and the person he had been desperately searching for appeared.

“Did you sleep well, hyung?”

The weary look on D’Élysée’s face vanished the moment he saw Egru. He brushed back his hair, which was soaked in blue blood, and entered the room.

D-Did D’Élysée go on the exploration by himself?

Egru was overcome with an indescribable feeling. Why did he leave me behind? When did I fall so deeply asleep? Don’t tell me… “D’Élysée,” he asked quickly. “D-Did you try to wake me up, and I just didn’t get up?”

“No, hyung. Just a moment…”

D’Élysée didn’t elaborate. He propped his sword, also covered in blue gore, against the wall and shed his robe, which was spattered with chunks of monster flesh. An attendant who had followed him in respectfully took the stained robe. After murmuring his thanks for his hard work, the attendant bowed and exited the room.

“I wanted to wash with you,” D’Élysée said with a disappointed look. “But I can’t like this, I’m too dirty. I’m sorry, hyung. Let’s talk after I’ve had a quick wash.”

“Okay…”

But even after his bath, Egru didn’t get a chance to talk with him. It was time for the evening banquet, which would double as an exploration report. As they walked down the corridor together, Egru did his best not to show his disappointment.

D-D’Élysée wouldn’t have left me behind on purpose.

He held fast to the belief that there must have been circumstances he didn’t know about.

“We found traces that the dungeon’s seal was intentionally damaged. We’ll need to find a mage with advanced sensory abilities to identify the culprit.”

“The Hero Union made progress on another front. It may just be a guess, but we’ve observed a pattern suggesting the smaller dungeons are expanding, as if they were living organisms.”

“Incredible. Remarkable progress for a single day.”

But even at the banquet, the conversation was about things Egru knew nothing about. No one seemed to notice his absence.

Wh-What was I doing while everyone else was working so hard…?

Even a pebble on the roadside had its purpose. Egru couldn’t stop his pointed ears from drooping. Still, a meal was a precious thing, so he ate diligently. It was as they were leaving the banquet hall that Jade accosted them again.

“Aren’t you going to say thank you?” he sneered. “It’s an honor just to sit at the same table as humans. Demons are supposed to eat slop with their faces to the floor.”

“That’s enough.”

Tutu stopped Jade before D’Élysée could clench his fist and step forward. Jade just shrugged and laughed. “I’ve had some whiskey. Just having a little fun because I’m in a good mood, right?”

“There are some jokes in this world that you can’t excuse with alcohol.”

At Tutu’s firm declaration, Jade’s expression soured slightly. Tutu gave Egru a small nod before dragging Jade away. D’Élysée stared at the back of Jade’s head with an intensity that could have shattered it.

“Wait here, hyung. Just for a second…”

“It’s okay, D’Élysée.”

“I’m not going to do what you think I’m going to do.”

A chill went down Egru’s spine. Then what is he going to do? He pushed the sudden thought away and clasped D’Élysée’s hand. “Really, you don’t need to worry about it. Compared to the things I heard in the capital, that was nothing.”

Egru said it with confidence, but for some reason, D’Élysée seemed even more crestfallen than before. Egru cautiously studied his brother’s face. “More importantly, the exploration tomorrow… I-I have to go with you. Okay?”

“Hm? Oh, uh…”

That’s when he sensed something was wrong. D’Élysée suddenly began to rub the back of his neck, his gaze darting away.

“Wh-What’s wrong, D’Élysée?”

“Actually, I think I’ll be fine on my own for a while, hyung. It’s pretty boring work; you’d be bored.”

“B-But we should still go together. We’re companions.”

“I’m a little tired today. Can we talk about it tomorrow, hyung?”

At his continued evasiveness, Egru, holding back tears, knew for certain. For some reason, D’Élysée was avoiding his question.