Dry Drowning - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Unlike before, when he was dragged like a dog, the corridor where he had to walk on both feet was quite long.

I felt the knights closely following me as I moved on meaninglessly looking through unnamed artworks and antique ornaments.

I guess, I must have looked as if I had seen a ghost. 

Even as he recalled his somewhat imaginative image, Ian did not turn his head.

Unexpected situations suddenly happened all at once, so I couldn’t come to my senses for a moment. I met him there with a blank in my memory. It was quite unexpected.

But empty memories are unavoidable for now. It was ridiculous that I couldn’t even think of a reason for my death, but it’s important to get my priorities straight.

Bang! As soon as I arrived, I was pushed inside and the door was instantly closed.

Looking around the room that he returned to, Ian decided to summarize his situation first.

Well, in fact, if I combine what I’ve been through so far with what I’ve just heard, it’s not difficult to come to a conclusion. There’s no need to use my brain much.

The knights who stood up were using honorifics consistently. That tattoo man I met on the terrace, and the man whom I just met, all called me with the same title.

“……….”

As I sat on the bed and rubbed the futon with my palm, I could feel the softness of it. Well, it is an overly luxurious room to imprison a criminal. The act of bringing every meal and giving me only sleeping pills is just too polite.

It’s like a medieval setting, so it wouldn’t be strange to put someone in a dungeon and give him pork porridge.

Recalling the moment when he was treated like a monkey at a zoo, Ian slowly closed his eyes.

To say that it did not mean a few things. It was said that the Northern part of my country was the first to be disturbed, but the people in the hall were too busy speaking to each other in whispers, saying they had never seen a Roxian before, with a face too carefree for wartime.

Was Rox defeated in the war?

So I am like a hostage for a war that ended a long time ago and was sent to this country as a tribute?

However, as a prince of a vassal state, he was treated a little differently. Apart from the resentment he had, Ian knew that he was still concerned that he might die.

Given that he had been on the periphery all his life, he was probably a low ranking prince.

When I opened my closed eyes and lowered my head, the back of my white hand caught my eye. It was only then that I realised it was clean without any sort of scratches.

Smooth hair, well-managed nails, smooth skin.

It was different from my original body, which had many scars.

Ian rolled up the sleeves of the clothes he was wearing, not knowing that he was the first to recognize the parts he had not paid much attention to. The sense of incongruity became a little more intense as he swept his hair down the side of his cheek.

I eliminated the probabilities of having long hair as it may catch people’s attention.

Ian’s specialty was to make few signs, because he was often assigned to follow targets and monitor every move. It was rather cute to get hurt and broken. The skin, which was full of stitches and burned marks, would not have looked good no matter how well you tried to wrap it up.

As the body remembered what it had been through, the fingernails that had been pulled out and broken many times did not return to their beautiful shape even when they grew back.

There was a time when I thought that it was normal even though I was groping around the corner.

There was a suitable wound on the broken one.

No matter how much you try to hide it, there will be traces.

Although it was not necessarily engraved on the body, there was inertia in the unfortunate memories. Ian has seen countless people who tried to overcome their innate misfortunes by dragging their feet back to the starting point even if they struggle to escape. In the end, the ending is far behind the starting point.

So what is that man?

Ian broke out of the past before he finally stopped again after taking a detour.

I felt a sense of reality, when I stared at the blood-stained bandage which was oozing out blood and stained bare.

His reaction was too intense to be met with the person who accepted the request and handled it. It wasn’t common for the killer to come back alive, but it was a little different.

When I checked his face and realized who was standing in front of me, it’s like…..

Knock, knock, knock.

It was when I frowned reflecting on my emotions that I couldn’t even read properly.

I could feel the presence of other people, so I looked back and saw a man who had been knocking. I stared at him without saying anything, and opened the door to the terrace with my hands. The man who stepped into the room looked very excited.

“Did I interrupt your emotional moment?”

Even if I saw him yesterday, he was a person who couldn’t be forgotten easily, so I couldn’t help sighing.

When Ian turned his head while looking at the tattoo engraved on the man’s cheek, he noticed such an ideology and strode towards his bed.

“No, I knew our prince wasn’t normal, but haha, I didn’t know it would be this much.”

There was no hesitation in the tone of his voice who began to squirm with squinting eyes. Ian just looked at the man who chatted friendly and was flirting as if he had known him for a long time. It was even more crazy to see it in the daytime when the sun was setting.

“What Roxian has 30 lives? Or try a new way to commit suicide? What, you don’t want to live like that?”

What was even more insane than that, was that mouth.

“How surprised must’ve you been to run right away? I sent the guy who was on duty to dreamland. Come on, nothing will change even if you look dead like that. Ah! If you left your liver in Rox, should I go fetch it for you? Huh?”

If Ian did, he would really run to the country of Rox. When the man looked at him with an expressionless face, he suddenly shook his head to correct himself.

“No, no, no. Let’s just forget about it. It’s much more fun now. By the way, did you see the faces of the aristocrats earlier? You scared the sh*t out of everyone!”

“Hahaha.”

It was not normal to laugh out of breath. I think he’s a knight, too, but is he really okay? He seemed to be in charge of monitoring himself, but he didn’t seem to care about it.

Maybe it’s a personality that doesn’t matter if it’s interesting to you or not. When I blinked thinking it was a work assignment that didn’t suit such a human being, the man who had been talking suddenly said, “Ah!” and put his face right in front of my face.

“By the way, did I introduce myself?”

I wasn’t interested.

“Kyle, there’s no last name, so you can just call me Kyle. I look forward to your kind cooperation, Prince.”

However, regardless of my intentions, the statement was made, and Kyle, who introduced himself in a flash, seemed to have come to his own room. As if it was the last time I put my face close, he stepped back casually, and then approached the table, swooped down on a chair, all movements were as natural as flowing water.

The mouth is still talking nonstop.

It was only a few minutes later that Ian, who would never let someone like Kyle stay by his side, discovered the value of Kyle.

I don’t think he’s in his right mind, so I think he’s going to answer questions without thinking much.

The problem was that I couldn’t speak.

Feeling the disconnection in communication, a chronic disease of modern people, Ian tapped the decorative part of the wooden bed with his fingernails.

“Huh?”

Even though it was a light sound Kyle immediately noticed, and turned his head. He was in the middle of complaining how he was about to die last night because of the knife being stolen, but Ian acted as if it was none of his business.

I called you, but how should I ask you a question? I don’t think you can interpret it even if I write it.

Kyle, who blinked a few times as he paused to recall yesterday’s disaster, spoke as if he had heard the voice of his heart.

“Why? Do you have any questions?”

That was the answer he had wanted to hear. When Ian nodded, Kyle smiled and squinted his eyes as if he knew Ian was going to say yes. Ian, who was looking at Kyle’s purple eyes that was similar to his hair, finally decided to use his stuttering hands.

Ian, who pointed at the door once, tapped his own chest with his fingertips and grabbed his collar slightly.

I wanted to say, “earlier there, the man I held on to” but it was a poor expression compared to the serious attitude.

If it was a game like talking with your body, it would have ended in a time-out without mercy, but fortunately, Kyle was a man with a perfect sense of understanding even if he expressed it like a dog. Biting his molars tightly, as if he was holding back his laughter, and cleverly opening his mouth were the ones he understood.

“Ah~ I get it.”

“……….”

“Do it again. I’ll interpret it.”

He wasn’t disappointed at all since Kyle was willing to try and understand him. Once again, he pointed his hand at the door and tried again with a serious look on his face.

“Before, there.”

That’s right. When Ian, who didn’t expect much from him, nodded with a surprised look, Kyle urged him to continue.

“Our prince.”

I taped my chest, and he understood it like a ghost. I didn’t like that crappy title, but I can’t help it now.

Ian, who corrected Kyle’s evaluation from an annoying person to quite tactful one, grabbed his collar for the last time. Kyle, who smiled confidently, opened his mouth, frowning his eyes as if this was just his cup of tea.

“Holding by the collar.”

“Captured…”

“B*st*rd?”

“………..”

“………..”

I thought he was just talkative, but he was actually a b*st*er with a talent for crafting.

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

Stay safe and healthy along with your loved ones. And have a good day!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for more.

~Dazzel.D~