Disclaimer: I only own this story

Beta Reader:

I have three awesome editors special for this chapter! Becca2793 who did the editing from the first until seventh chapter, ani_fukutaichou who gave me her awesome suggestions, and XEOHE -- the brand new beta reader who becomes my partner from now on! Big thanks to them x3

Comment:

I'm sorry for the delay, many things happened and I had to seek for a new beta reader, which is why I couldn't publish this chapter sooner. I'm really sorry… m( _ _ )m

But now that I have found a new beta reader (XEOHE), I hope I can update faster from now on :)

'Refresh Your Memory Corner':

Richard Weller = the new King of Dai Shimaron

Gregorian Blackbourne = the King of Vescavia

G. Dieterich = the author of the Resurrection Book.

Dictionary for This Chapter:

Houseki: The red stones used by humans to produce magic (houryoku)

Important Information for This Chapter:

'Photographic memory/Eidetic memory'

The ability to recall images, sounds, or objects in memory with extreme accuracy and in abundant volume. Often called as photographic memory because a person with such ability could memorize everything perfectly and vividly (just like seeing a photograph) within only thirty seconds, and would never be able to forget it. (Wikipedia)

LEARNING THE VERITY

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#7 Truth: The Desires Within

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As the door gently closed, the sound produced was nearly inaudible. A man wrapped in a white outfit, made from the finest silk and golden threads, elegantly stepped into the centre of his bedroom. His red cape swung along with his steps, creating a rustle each time the material caressed the carpeted floor.

With a pair of turquoise orbs, he scanned his surroundings, noticing the chill wind that blew light gray strands from his forehead.

Did I open my window?

Half confused, he narrowed his eyes, purposefully making his way towards the direction from where it was that the wind blew. His pale skin glowed under the moonlight as he touched the cold, thin glass of the open window. Then suddenly, his face became alert.

From this touch alone, he fathomed that something was not right. Although he could find nothing outside, he was certain that he had not been the one who had opened the window, nor had it been the maids who regularly cleaned his chamber. Nothing like this had happened before, meaning it was likely that someone had intruded in his room.

He closed the window, locked it, and then walked towards the small table beside his bed. He reached for a crystal lamp and then lifted it before his chest; with moving lips he whispered something that only bats could possibly hear. Soon after, a spark of fire lit up within the round crystal, illuminating the entire room.

Glancing around, the King of Vescavia began examining his chamber's conditions. He pushed a few locks of his hair – which were only longer than Conrart's by two or three inches – behind his ear and his hand was still holding the crystal lamp. He had been born with astounding observation skills: photographic memory. Therefore, surely it would not be long before he was able to cognize any changes within these four walls.

A few books had been misplaced. Only three had been brought to his attention, but it was enough proof that someone had interfered with his bookshelf. There was dirt on the off-white carpet; just a slight amount, but there was a trail which led right underneath the largest mirror that was placed upon one of the walls. And lastly, there were fingerprints on the mirror itself, undoubtedly caused by someone touching or pushing the glass in a reckless manner.

Someone came in from the window, to the path behind this mirror or… He pondered, rubbing his chin while thinking. Wrinkles started to appear on his forehead as his bangs obscured his line of vision.

...Or someone came in from the path and escaped using my window.

Was it possible that there was someone who knew about this secret chamber he had built when he was first crowned as King? But nine years had already passed since that time. And besides, no one except his sister should have known of its presence, because…

Shaking his head, a pearl of cold sweat rolled down his cheek and he covered the side of his face with his palm. He did not want to remember any of those childhood memories. But… as always, his disturbingly accurate ability to recall such details interfered each and every time he wished for nothing more than to forget.

Taking quite a long moment to calm his mind, he finally inhaled deeply. He was one hundred percent sure that there were no remaining eye witnesses to the secret chamber. Meaning that whoever had entered must have only accidentally opened the hidden door. If he was calm, he could acknowledge that there was nothing yet for him to fear. He could later decide what action to take, after he finished completing his investigation.

With that thought, he straightened his face, put the crystal lamp that he had held onto the desk near the bookshelf, and then pushed the mirror to proceed through the secret brick path.

If the intruder had indeed come from the window into the brick chamber, he or she must still be present. That was why, if he found no one inside the chamber, it meant that the intruder had accidentally fallen through the hallway's wall, and had then used the bedroom window to escape.

Briskly walking along the path, he considered the many possibilities that could occur, and also reminisced the events of the party that had been held on this night. The long path he had to pass was unexpectedly short for him, as his mind was preoccupied by his thoughts until he finally encountered the passage's entrance. And yes, as he expected, the entrance – which was supposed to be closed – was now open, signalling that someone had found the misplaced brick on the wall and opened the hidden corridor.

Stopping before his destination then, he took a readying breath. His palms felt damp with sweat, and he now regretted the fact that he had brought no one along with him. But upon a second thought, he could not allow anyone to know about this chamber. So once again, his decision to come alone was correct.

Slowly, he peeked into the room, roving his eyes nervously around the entire space. Once he had finally confirmed that he was the only living being inside, he released his breath, which he had unconsciously held due to the ever building tension.

"Then that person escaped using my window...," he mumbled to himself in relief. But his relaxed state only lasted a short while, as he put on a serious face once more. Now, he had to discover who this person was that had come in and witnessed all of his secrets here.

He stepped into the chamber, and began to explore around with his eyes. With the aid of his eidetic memory, he was able to identify the many things that were different since his last visit to this room. However, he still could not find any evidence that could help ascertain who the person had been. Had it been one of his subjects? Or one of the guests that had attended tonight's party? He continued to guess the origin of his culprit, until his eyes spotted something near a part of the wall, which could slide away from the hallway.

Crouching down to take the thing, he smiled belatedly.

A flower.

Someone must have dropped it when they had fallen inside. How fortunate. For now, he could simply use his ability to identify to whom it had belonged. And yes, amongst all of the guests, there was only one girl who had slipped this white rose behind her ear. He had not spoken with her, nor even passed anywhere near her. But his skills were such, that he was able to recognize both what and how the guests had worn their accessories… including this mysterious person. A girl, he noted, a visitant from Shin Makoku.

Now things become easy…, he smirked.

Unaware to him, the air in the chamber had become thicker, and suddenly he could sense the presence of a person right behind him, sending a shiver down his spine. He gasped, snapping his head around to face whatever it was that now existed behind him, as he dragged himself away and glued his back against the safety of the wall. His frantic eyes gradually softened as he bore witness to the one who had caused him such a fright.

"You startled me," he sighed in relief, before forming a hesitant smile on his lips.

"Wolf… Wolfram…!"

Yuuri shouted breathlessly as his hand was pulled harshly. His breathing became shallow and his legs felt as though they had died from running too fast. But most of all, his heart felt as if it were trying to break the world's record for fastest beating.

"Keep running, Yuuri!"

Lines upon lines of trees passed their eyes as their legs galloped, offering no clue as to where they were. No single light existed but for that of the moon and the castle's garden through which they ran. Still, Wolfram knew that they had to run as fast as possible, away from the window that they had used to escape.

"Wolf… my legs… my......"

"YUURI!"

Due to their tightly held hands, Yuuri's collapse caused Wolfram to fall on his back along with the Maou's already slumped body on the grass. Together they groaned, but Wolfram decided that he did not have such time to mourn his aching spine. He briefly sat up to observe his fiancé's condition.

"Yuuri! Are you alright?"

The King only shook his head weakly. Half of his face was concealed by the green grass, whilst his breaths came in short bursts, as if he were suffering from an asthma attack. His face turned bright red, mouth slightly open from trying to inhale. Yet his hand still grabbed Wolfram's nevertheless.

"Yuuri!" Wolfram bit his lip; his eyes stared restlessly at Yuuri's figure which then shifted to the direction from whence they came, afraid that someone was giving chase.

"Sorry… Wolf… ram… Just a… minute…" Yuuri desperately strived to talk. But indeed, his feverish state did not allow him to produce even one proper sentence. His body felt like exploding, burning from the inside but also cold from the outside concurrently.

Wolfram munched on his lower lip uncomfortably, contemplating on what he should do, before suddenly springing to his feet and braking off his shoes' heels.

"This way I can run faster," he nodded to himself, while throwing the broken heels towards the deep forest-like garden, since the number of trees was too many for only a castle's garden.

"Wolf… ram..?"

"Yuuri, please bear with it just for now!" The blond then carefully crouched to take Yuuri's limp body into his arms, making the King's eyes widen slightly in surprise.

"Wolfra—"

"We don't have any more time, Yuuri. Please understand." Wolfram stood up, carrying Yuuri, and started to run again, this time faster.

Truthfully, his legs and even his limbs had been aching continuously, exhausted from the previous events he had gone through to find Yuuri. But his knight's instinct forbade him to give up. Not when he had finally found Yuuri. He must, no matter what, secure the King from any possible threats that could happen.

Wolfram…

Nestling his head deeper into Wolfram's neck, Yuuri's eyelids slid half shut. His vision started to blur; only the shades of dark green from the trees and the black of the night were visible.

He wanted so badly to be useful, not relying on Wolfram like this, especially now that he had just admitted his true feelings towards the blonde. He was the King… wasn't it the King who must protect his people? Wasn't it the King who must protect his beloved? But in reality, he could only give burdens to Wolfram. His current state was so pathetic that it made him want to vanish from the blond's sight. And it was all thanks to his stubbornness, concealing the truth of his illness all this time.

"Yuuri, I don't know where we are going, we are totally lost, but I think we are far enough from that place," Wolfram informed him, his breathing ragged from running, eyes beginning to seek for a safe place to hide.

Merely nodding, Yuuri brought his hand around Wolfram's neck. It was wet from perspiration, streaming down the ex-prince's fair skin endlessly. Yuuri then realized that his fiancé was just as tired as he. If only he had not made such a reckless decision, in wanting to return the earring all by himself, then Wolfram wouldn't have had to face these problems…

Suddenly, Wolfram halted, startling Yuuri and pulling the double black's mind back to reality. Glancing upwards, Yuuri noticed how Wolfram's eyes had widened, his expression becoming alert. It took no more than a second for the blonde to storm farther into the trees and hide behind the biggest one.

"Wolf—"

"Sssh!"

Wolfram quickly leaned back on the tree, and then settled Yuuri to stand on his own legs. One of his palms covered the King's mouth, while his other hand curled around Yuuri's middle, so that the double black's back was pressed against his chest, preventing him from falling over. After all, even though they were hidden behind the largest tree, they still sought to keep their bodies out of view.

At first Yuuri was surprised at the sudden taste of Wolfram's palm. Then he was even more surprised when he felt the blonde's hand hugging him from behind. Not only was his heart racing from the fever and their scare in the chamber, it was now racing even faster from happiness. However, it lasted for only a second, as a collection of voices interrupted his thoughts.

"I wonder if all of them have already formed couples inside…" A guard mused. He wore thick glasses, a red uniform, and carried a spear in his hand. "If only we weren't on duty tonight, we could have participated in that match-making party." He lazily scratched his head.

"Ha-ha, it's been a while since the last time I got a girl," the other guard responded playfully, swinging his spear left and right, just attempting to appear cool to no one but the trees around them, something Wolfram thought as stupid.

"At least you've done better than me. I've never even been on a date before," his friend sighed, admitting his own misfortune.

The two guards continued talking as they walked past the tree where Wolfram and Yuuri currently hid behind. While Wolfram seemed uncomfortable, impatiently waiting for the guards to go away, Yuuri only stayed silent, listening to what the guards were talking about. Despite his sickness, Yuuri could actually think of something that, for Wolfram, was unnecessary and weird.

"Wolfram, we should act."

Knitting his brows together, Wolfram got distracted from his present activity: observing the guards' movements with his trained eyes.

"What, Yuuri?" Wolfram answered with less care, a little bit annoyed by the fact that Yuuri didn't shut his mouth even with his palm attached to the Maou's lips.

"Those guys want women...." Yuuri answered, now struggling to be free from Wolfram's embrace, still with his back facing the other's chest. His energy was drained and he was burning hot, but being carried by Wolfram before was enough to make him able to stand on his own. Even though his legs were still trembling and his vision remained blurry still.

"And? So what?" Wolfram replied, now facing Yuuri, irritated.

"We are women…" Yuuri stated somewhat ominously.

The creases in Wolfram's forehead deepened, as he was about to counter that they were both men… when finally, the realization struck him. Yes, they were disguised as women now.

"We can ask them to escort us to Conrad and Murata…"

Wolfram shook his head, pressing his back tighter against the tree as a bad feeling crawled within him. ".... Yuuri.... you are not telling me to seduce them, are you...?"

"Well… you disagree...? I could do that if you don't want to." Yuuri turned around, now face to face with his fiancé. "We are lost now though, aren't we?"

Biting his lip, Wolfram felt the colour drain from his face. How could he allow Yuuri to do such shameful things? He was the Maou for crying out loud! Now he was left with but one option; to accomplish the mission himself. Oh how he hated this day so much. He'd had to kiss a man, he'd had to run around everywhere, and now he had to seduce patrolling guards?!

"Listen, Yuuri," Wolfram carefully began, grabbing Yuuri's shoulders. "You are sick. You wouldn't be able to act. Let's just wait until they're gone and then I'll carry you again, alright?"

Contrary to his expectations, Yuuri stubbornly shook his head, causing Wolfram to open his mouth once more to berate the misbehaving king. But Yuuri's next move forced him to be silent.

"You are tired, Wolfram," Yuuri raised his hand gently, cupping Wolfram's sweaty cheek with one of his palms. "Don't push yourself too hard."

Wolfram blinked twice, freezing up. It was the first time Yuuri had ever treated him so tenderly like this. The way in which the Maou softly gazed into his eyes made him feel as though he were being showered with care, with concern, with… love?

Shaking his head, Wolfram rapidly drove away this thought. It was only his imagination, since Yuuri would never ever be attracted to men, including himself. He groaned inwardly, feeling as though he was starting to lose his sanity, all thanks to the pressure he had experienced over these past few days. He began to think about love at any given opportunity.

Taking a deep breath, Wolfram seized Yuuri's hand on his cheek and moved it away.

"Fine, Yuri. But we will only ask them for help normally. No seducing attempts are allowed, got it?"

Yuuri's face grew brighter as he smiled with gleaming eyes. And seeing the ridiculously happy expression of his fiancé, Wolfram was forced to groan under his breath. Now it had been proven: he was specifically weak to Yuuri's naivety. Therefore, he surrendered. But as he was about to step out to greet the guards, said men were suddenly knocked down and collapsed against the ground, all in a blink of an eye.

"What?!" Wolfram hissed, immediately taking on a defensive stance as he caught an outline of a huge man's body beside where the guards now lay. The man had his back to them and only a glimpse of gold could be seen faintly from his hair. Wolfram gritted his teeth. His panicked state steered him away from recognizing whose figure it was – even when the man turned his head towards him – until Yuuri's yell broke the silence.

"Adalbert!"

The man slowly smirked and then playfully shrugged as he made his way towards the shocked Yuuri and Wolfram.

"Well, well… What do we have here...?"

It was already very early in the morning and from between the curtains, the soft rays of daybreak sprayed inside the inn's room. Although it was bright, the city remained dull as majority of the residents chose not rise so soon. Only those few who needed to go to the market, or had work, could be seen outside.

Sighing, Wolfram put his knuckle to Yuuri's forehead and nodded when he felt the temperature had decreased. He fixed the blanket's position, so that it covered Yuuri up to his neck and then walked out of the room, after making sure that the King was sleeping soundly.

They had just returned from the party, and throughout the journey Yuuri had slept in the carriage. Conrart had later made him drink some medicine and the baseball boy fell into a deep slumber once more, only this time in the Inn's room. Thereafter, Wolfram only checked on him every once in a while, in turn with Conrart and sometimes Murata. As for themselves, sleep was something that they had to delay. Although their bodies yearned for rest, they had many things to talk about before Adalbert took his leave.

"How is he?" A question from a familiar gentle voice greeted the blonde's ears.

Walking past the door, Wolfram made his way to sit on one of the beds in Conrart's room, before responding to his brother's question properly.

"His fever is going down, but he still needs to rest a bit more."

"He surely has a way to make us worry, doesn't he?" Murata chuckled, whilst his hand wiped his glasses with a soft cloth. "Good thing that we met Lord von Grantz while searching for the secret passage's exit."

"That's right." Wolfram's ears perked up, immediately settling his eyes on the huge man standing by the room's window. "Why was he there?"

"Apparently he was hired to be the bodyguard of a noble," Conrart spoke up, putting his intertwined fingers in between his parted legs as he sat on the bed opposite from where Wolfram was perched. "We asked him to help search for the both of you."

"What, third son? Ungrateful for me being here?" Adalbert smiled slyly, leaning his back against the wall beside the window. "It was shocking, meeting all of you there, wearing that kind of… outfit," he continued to tease, obviously referring to the dresses that Wolfram, Murata and Yuuri wore even until now.

"Why else would we look like this, if it wasn't for that weird invitation? This strange country...." Wolfram tsk'd, and thanks to his fatigue, he was in no mood to respond to Adalbert's sarcasm. His well-shaped brows furrowed then, as his mind travelled to the things that he had witnessed in the secret chamber.

"There is much I need to report to brother."

"Do you mind telling us what you saw in there?" Murata took the initiative to start the meeting, setting his glasses in place and leaning back to the nearest bed board. His face was calm, although deep inside, he could already sense that there was something not quite right about the country of Vescavia.

Not that Murata possessed a sixth sense, or even had enough evidence to stamp this country as dangerous; but having Yuuri involved in such an incident within a castle upon their first visit was far from normal. Moreover, even the tiniest amount of information was necessary if they were to consider Vescavia's request to join the Shin Makoku alliance. They, specifically, must seek the true reason why Vescavia suddenly opened their self for a diplomatic relationship with another country.

Responding to Murata's question, Wolfram slid his gaze to Adalbert disapprovingly, showing his hesitation towards talking about such things with the huge man in the same room. However, Adalbert – who had only been staring at Wolfram in turn – now broke his serious expression into a confident smile, exclaiming something that he thought to be the key to defeating Wolfram's stubbornness.

"I have important information, if by any chance, you wish to exchange it with yours."

Quirking his brows upon Adalbert's offer, Wolfram then stared at Conrart and Murata, seeking for agreement; ascertaining if it was alright for him to accept. After all, although Lord von Grantz was already considered a friend by Yuuri and had helped them quite often in the past, he was still no longer a member of Shin Makoku's people. And that fact caused Wolfram to be unsure.

If Wolfram were to be frank, he had decided that no matter what would happen, he would always put his trust in Yuuri. Therefore, those who obtained Yuuri's trust would gain his trust as well. However, he still needed approval before he could let slip any information that could be considered confidential in front of a non-Shin Makoku resident. Especially information that could possibly complicate matters for their land in the future.

"Interesting offer, Lord von Grantz." Murata smiled, straightening his back, while Conrart nodded to Wolfram, signalling that they had agreed for him to speak up. "Actually, I am curious in regards to your presence in Vescavia, as well as the information you have mentioned."

"Wise words!" Adalbert answered simply, with a victorious smile. "Then shall we start from the third son?" he suggested, devolving his attention towards Wolfram and locking his eyes upon the pretty boy's intently. The youngest son of Cecilie huffed and put his chin on top of his intertwined fingers, his elbows resting on both of his thighs.

"In that chamber, I found things that are too implausible to understand," Wolfram begun, as the others turned their focus on him, and the tension within the room increased. "The interesting thing is that they actually have Feuer Stones in that room behind the wall, and also in the brick path leading to another room."

Widening their eyes, all other occupants in the room except for Wolfram were now in a daze. Hearing the name of that stone was not really surprising, since it was common knowledge. However, to be in possession of the actual stone was unexpected indeed. Neither Adalbert nor Conrart had ever seen the stone with their own eyes. In the meantime, Murata was forced to recall the stone's shape from the memories of a previous life, since the stone had now been claimed extinct.

"That's big news…" Conrart at last could manage to talk, squeezing his fingers. "If every country knows about this…"

"Then there would be a big impact on this world," Murata added, eyes narrowed as images of countries fighting over the rare stones flashed in his mind. "I know that Vescavia is a rich nation with many natural resources, but I could never have imagined them having the Feuer Stone here. It is a really valuable item, even more than Houseki."

"Having the stone would put Vescavia at an advantage, especially with their defence abilities and knowledge. But they hide the fact…" Adalbert stared at Murata, while the sage nodded in agreement.

"It is either they think that they are rich enough without publishing that they own the stone, or they only use it for their own country's benefit. It is a rare stone, so we can presume that they don't have enough stocks to sell it outside their country. Besides, they never formed any international relationships until just now. That may be the reason why they keep it as secrets and didn't show the stone in the party. "

Adalbert shrugged at Murata's saying, then moved his eyes towards Wolfram, hoping to hear more from the blond.

"Well, I saw so many numbers of Feuer Stone in the brick path, placed in round-shaped transparent glasses, just like crystal lamps," Wolfram continued on, and suddenly his body hair stood, remembering something really inhuman in there. "And not only that, I saw something that almost made me vomit."

"...And what was that, Wolfram?" Conrart carefully asked when he saw how Wolfram's face paled out of the blue. The remaining members of the meeting kept their concentrations fully on the pretty boy, before Wolfram finally spilled what was inside his head.

"…I saw a very old book on something like an altar.... It was handmade, containing writings on how to resurrect the dead…"

"The dead...?" Murata echoed hesitantly, to be replied with a nod by Wolfram.

"I read some of the first few pages and the author actually described everything in clear detail. I could even say that the book was based on the author's true experience since it was written more like a journal...."

"Hmn… So it is true that the King of Vescavia has a weird interest," Adalbert rubbed his chin, thinking. "I heard rumours that he loves to collect black magic books and anything related to resurrection."

"When I met Yuuri, he was already in the other room after passing the long brick passage. I don't know whose room it was, but judging from the painting inside, it was possibly the King's room. And there's a bookshelf in there," Wolfram carried on with his explanation, now glancing at Adalbert, Murata and Conrart in turn. "Perhaps Yuuri has seen his collection of books…"

"But the first book you talked about, you saw it in the room behind the wall, didn't you?" Conrart confirmed, and he received a nod from Wolfram. Conrart's gaze slumped downward, staring at his own feet in deep thought subsequently. "Perhaps that book is the best one for him since you found it on top of the altar…"

"Possibly," Wolfram agreed. "It also seemed like the oldest one. Judging from the appearance, it looked like the book had been stored for hundreds years or more. But I'm not sure if it could affect Shin Makoku in any way since it may only be a manifestation of the King's weird liking."

"I suppose so; but it's not bad to investigate further, concerning they have the extinct Feuer Stone there," Conrart sighed in confusion, while Adalbert groaned under his breath, thinking of something the others still didn't know of for now.

"If I could ask… Do you, by any chance, know the author of the old book's name, Lord von Bielefeld?" Murata voiced out finally after taking some moments just to listen to the others' talking.

"I certainly remember it was.... G. Dieterich, Your Eminence."

A deep silence engulfed the whole room afterwards. Conrart and Adalbert strived to recall if they have ever heard the author's name, while Wolfram's mind was still dominated by his own uncomfortable experience. Not long after, Conrart shifted his eyes towards Murata and quickly uttered his concern to the youth sitting beside him.

"Your Eminence, is everything alright?"

Distracted, Murata snapped his head towards the brunette, quite lost in his own thoughts. But he did not take a very long time to regain his composure, nevertheless.

"I'm fine, Lord Weller. Just… lack of sleep I assume." He smiled sheepishly.

"Then you should take a rest, Your Eminence," Conrart nodded knowingly, then stood up to prepare himself in escorting the sage to Yuuri's room.

"Not before I hear Lord von Grantz's valuable information, Lord Weller." Murata smiled, scratching his un-itchy head as Adalbert sent his eyes to the sage upon hearing his name.

"I can try to stay awake just a little bit longer," the sage continued.

"Well, well, that's true; I guess it's my turn." Adalbert clapped his hands and walked nearer to where Conrart stood. "Actually, regarding your saying that it has nothing to do with Shin Makoku, I hardly believe that."

"And why is that?" Conrart briefly represented Murata's and Wolfram's question, as his expression grew uneasy.

"I heard interesting rumours that Vescavia established a connection with Dai Shimaron."

"What!?" Wolfram sprang to his feet immediately, followed by Conrart's and Murata's shocked mimics. "But they asked us to form an alliance!" the blond added.

"I came here and became a noble's bodyguard to investigate about the truth. This country is mysterious enough so far, and the fact that it is making alliances with both Shin Makoku and Dai Shimaron makes it even more suspicious."

"Of course it does!" The proclamation of the blond soldier was approved by Conrart's and Murata's nods.

"And how about your investigation's result?" Murata cocked his head up, facing Adalbert with eyes searching for the truth, beyond his glasses. Said man only sighed, shaking his head a little as his expression showed disappointment.

"We still don't get much. Keenan's still following the King's advisor now."

"Keenan…" Wolfram muttered, acknowledging his ex-underling's ability. Although he was no longer his subordinate, Keenan was becoming more reliable since he worked under Adalbert's command. Admittedly, Wolfram knew that he could trust Keenan's works. "Then, for now, the rumour hasn't been proved as true?"

"Not yet, but when I accompanied the noble I worked for, I heard him talking about how Dai Shimaron moves with the King's advisor."

"Dai Shimaron...." Conrart talked to himself, causing the others to divert their eyes to the brunette.

No one could deny that amongst them, Conrart was the one who had the closest connection with Shin Makoku's arch enemy, Dai Shimaron. And for now, his mind was full with the new mysterious King of Dai Shimaron, Richard Weller.

What was more, he wondered whether this Richard Weller actually took Shin Makoku as his enemy just like his ancestors did, or not. Besides this, there was also the King's probable plan now that the rumour about Dai Shimaron's connection with Vescavia had occurred. Too many things had happened, which made the situations become too complicated for him to fathom.

"…Well, thank you for your cooperation, Lord von Grantz." Murata smiled politely, breaking the ice that overwhelmed the party members. He turned to his feet, then with an expression nobody could read, slowly made his way towards the door. Yet, he stopped before stepping out and turned to face the others, plastering a smile again.

"It's morning already, but you all still need to sleep."

"Oh, yes, Your Eminence. Then I will escort you to His majesty's roo—"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Murata hurriedly cut Conrart's words and slapped his own forehead, leaving the brunette to open his mouth in question. Chuckling to Conrart's reaction, Murata then slid his gaze to Wolfram, saying something that made Wolfram's eyes widen instantly.

"Lord von Bielefeld, please accompany Shibuya."

"…What?" Wolfram unsurely voiced out. His heart skipped a beat as he hoped that he had misheard Murata's statement.

"You could sleep in Shibuya's room, could you not? Because I still have things I should talk about with Lord Weller. I will sleep in this room instead."

"Your Eminence?" Conrart inquired, confused, staring from the startled blond then to the smiling sage before him. "I don't mind, but…"

"Your Eminence, I have my own room! We rented three!" Wolfram uncomfortably shouted, still unable to say yes to Murata's order. Indeed, they rented three rooms since Wolfram still didn't want to sleep with Yuuri, and nor did he want to sleep with Conrart. Hence, both Conrart and Wolfram slept in separated rooms, while Yuuri and Murata shared a room.

"I know, but Shibuya is sick, right?" Murata chuckled, as if he could read Wolfram's mind. When the blond clammed up at Murata's words, the sage added with a meaningful tone.

"Please take care of him as his fiancé, Lord von Bielefeld."

Subsequently, Wolfram could only gaze at Murata with a wordless expression. He was after all, still unable to sort his feelings out and still had no guts to sleep with Yuuri after having disgraced their bond, and telling lies about his feelings all this time.

What was more, for the blond himself, he felt deeply unworthy to share a room with the King in his current condition. He needed time to think alone. That was why he made the decision not to sleep with Yuuri anymore. However, it was true that he was still Yuuri's fiancé, and as it was, his duty was to stay by the Maou's side.

"Well then, everyone, could you please excuse us? I'm already tired from wearing this dress." Receiving no answer from Wolfram, Murata opened the door and signalled for Adalbert and the pretty boy to exit the room. On the sidelines, Conrart merely observed Wolfram through his concerned eyes, pitying his brother for being forced to confront something he still wasn't prepared for.

"…I understand."

Uttering the short answer, Wolfram briskly walked out and left the remaining party members without a second glance. After hearing all of their conversation, Adalbert then sighed and turned towards both of Murata and Conrart, shaking his head when Wolfram was out of earshot.

"I have expected this to happen, but don't you think you're both too harsh to him?"

Taking a long moment to answer, Murata just smiled bitterly, while Conrart refused to say anything.

"Unfortunately, we have no other choice, Lord von Grantz."

The huge man remained staring at Murata, before he finally smirked. He stepped out of the room, his face showing something that could be read as mockery to the sage.

"All for the country that Shinou and you built, isn't it? Really… nothing has changed in Shin Makoku."

With that, he left Murata and Conrart, who only exchanged glances in utter silence.

Wolfram reluctantly walked inside Yuuri's room, sighing as he saw the King sleeping so soundly. He approached Yuuri's bed and sat on the edge, touching his fiancé's forehead. There wasn't much of a change in Yuuri's temperature; it was still warm, although not as hot as before. Seeing Yuuri like this, Wolfram's forehead creased eventually, his problems invading his brain once more.

His confusion. His feelings. He really had no idea of what he should do about their engagement now.

"Umn… Wolfram?"

Startled, Wolfram snapped his eyes widely with a jolt.

"Yuuri… Ah, sorry I woke you up!" he apologized, then quickly got up from Yuuri's bed, nervously trying to head towards his own – which was only separated from Yuuri's by a small wooden table near the headboard. But out of a sudden, his hand was grabbed, making him sit on the bed again and jerk his face at Yuuri in bewilderment.

"Yuuri? What are yo—"

"Have you slept, Wolfram?"

"Uh…" Wolfram blinked, tardily striving to release his wrist from Yuuri's grip. But the King was unexpectedly persistent, not letting him go, causing Wolfram to give up as he did not want to use too much power on this sick fiancé of his. "Actually I am going to sleep now."

"…You must be really tired, I'm so sorry." Yuuri weakly smiled, looking right through Wolfram's worried orbs. "Ah, you haven't even changed that dress."

"Well, neither have you, Yuuri." Wolfram's lips gradually curved into a smile, tickled by Yuuri's words. "How is it? Feeling a little better? Want me to help you change your clothes?"

"I feel much better." Yuuri released Wolfram's wrist, then slowly sat up before flipping down the thick blanket Wolfram had covered him with earlier. He pulled off his wig and messed his own wet-from-sweat-hair afterwards. "I can change my clothes by myself."

"I see…"

Yuuri made his way to his bag and rummaged through all of the clothes inside to get a pair of pyjamas, then slid out from the disturbing ruffled orange dress he was forced to wear. The fabric was damp from his perspiration, making him miss a hot bath just to refresh his body again. As he complained of how hard it was to take a bath in this old Inn just like in an RPG game, his attention drifted to Wolfram, who was fidgeting and not even taking his own dress off after tossing his wig to the floor.

"What's wrong, Wolfram?"

"What? Oh… nothing, Yuuri," Wolfram replied, caught off guard while contemplating something in his head. He tried to cover it from Yuuri's eyes. The King, however, stared at him sceptically, not really believing "nothing."

"Why don't you get prepared? You want to sleep, don't you? Where's your nightgown?"

"Well, I… am too tired to do anything else; I'll just sleep like this!" Wolfram got up, moved to sit on his bed and hurriedly slipped under the thick blanket, even though the long dress was too annoying for him to sleep in with. He used the blanket to cover his head, backing Yuuri.

"Wolfram, you lied."

Upon registering Yuuri's statement, Wolfram instantly revealed his face from under the blanket, surprised.

"Yuuri?"

"You hate wearing that dress so much and you care for hygiene the most. Now you tell me that you want to sleep in that sweat-soaked dress?" Yuuri crossed his arms over his chest, walking near to Wolfram's bed just wearing his pyjama bottoms. "You forgot to bring your nightgown, didn't you?"

Blinking twice, Wolfram's face became vacant, before his lips slowly formed a sheepish smile just to play along Yuuri's guess. "Ah, well yes, I did."

Smiling, Yuuri took a seat near Wolfram's feet, while said blond awkwardly sat up and leaned his back to the bed board. "Thought so… why don't you sleep without your clothes on?"

"Huh? But you didn't like it when I slept naked on your bed before, did you?"

Yuuri waved his hand nonchalantly, laughing casually when he recalled the first time Wolfram sneaked in his chambers and slept naked beside him. "You are not sleeping in the same bed as me now, so I don't mind."

"Really?" Wolfram warily confirmed, cutting the gap between them by bending over a little to see Yuuri's face clearer.

Smiling a while, Yuuri nodded to grant Wolfram permission to take his dress off. Said blond then nodded tardilly back, obeying his King, and got off the bed to start unbuttoning his clothes, still with hesitations. Behind his back, Yuuri's eyes softened as his gaze left Wolfram's figure and fell to the floor. Inwardly, he knew that Wolfram had lied to him.

Wolfram had never forgotten anything in every journey he had gone through with him before, not with his neat and well-organized way of life. Most of all, in his normal state, Wolfram would never admit that he made mistakes that easily. Yuuri was almost a hundred percent sure that his fiancé would exclaim his infamous 'humph!' at him and would then counter every single word he said. But now, the blonde received everything so easily, as if trying to mask something. And Yuuri was scared to know about it.

…Utterly scared that he chose to pretend he did not notice anything.

Elsewhere, Wolfram stole a glance at Yuuri anxiously. He did not know whether or not he should feel at ease, being able to escape Yuuri's suspicion. He had not planned to sleep in Yuuri's room, and so did not bring his nightgown.

In actuality, ever since he had realized that his attempt to gain Yuuri's attention was only based on his selfish reason, he had decided that he would never wear the nightgown any longer. It was after all, not fair to Yuuri, since his feelings were not real. He did not have any sincerity behind his actions.

"Wolfram, how did you know that I was in that room?" Yuuri enquired out of the blue just to divert his thinking to anything else.

Glancing at the Maou, Wolfram began to sit on his bed again as he had finished undressing, only wearing a pair of pants he had brought from Shin Makoku. He slipped inside the comforter, while Yuuri eyed him in curiosity, still sitting on his bed.

"There was a man who guided us to where you were last seen, and we found your flower in the hallway."

"A man? How could he guide you?" Yuuri tweaked his brows, shifting his position nearer to Wolfram.

"He… offered to guide me if I did something in return."

"Did what?"

Taking a short moment to swallow, Wolfram answered, eyes avoiding Yuuri's piercing gaze. "…A kiss."

"A… Kiss...?" Parroting Wolfram's words, Yuuri stared at the blonde, dumbfounded. An awkward silence prevailed upon them, as Yuuri slowly understanding the meaning of Wolfram's answer, causing a pang emerge so suddenly and stab his heart.

"A KISS!? Wolfram, how, how did you, how could you...!!!"

Surprised by Yuuri's sudden panicked blurt, Wolfram was taken aback, attaching his back to the bed board deeply. "I had no choice, Yuuri! And it was nothing big! It wasn't really a kiss!"

"Wasn't really a kiss?!" Yuuri pathetically whined as his mouth kept on opening and closing like a fish, obviously feeling anger building inside him. He knew he was a fool. He was the one who made Wolfram kiss another man. He was really, really a super idiot!

"Yes, you don't have to be that panicky just because I did something against your principle!" Wolfram sniped, half-annoyed.

"What principle!?" Yuuri's voice broke several pitches higher, urging Wolfram to cover one of his ears.

"The things between two guys you always talk about! I know you hate something called a gay relationship in that world of yours, but I'm not—"

"That's not the problem, Wolfram! The problem is that you kissed someone else!"

Blinking, Wolfram's mouth hung open as he fell deeper into the puzzle Yuuri had given him. Since when did Yuuri care about him doing something with someone else? And what did he mean by that anyway?

"Look, I really don't understand what you are talking about. But the point is, that really wasn't a kiss. A kiss should be done between two persons who love each other, not something random like that," Wolfram sighed tiredly, giving up on trying to decipher Yuuri's strange behaviour.

Biting his lower lip, Yuuri stared at Wolfram disapprovingly. No, he still could not accept the fact that Wolfram's plump lips were claimed by another man's. But again, he was the cause; he had no right to behave like this. Still having difficulties towards his emotions, he clutched the comforter and took a deep breath to calm his raging sentiments.

"Yeah, and it wasn't your first kiss anyway, so it may be okay…" he murmured with a forced smile.

"Of course it wasn't. I've never even been kissed."

Hearing Wolfram's reply, Yuuri's eyes widened as he felt a second pain shoot right through his chest, penetrating his lungs and indeed, his heart as well.

"But, Wolfram… We kissed before!!" he screamed desperately, again.

"What?" Wolfram quirked his brows, expression clearly confounded. But not long after, he finally remembered the event Yuuri talked about and spoke up matter-of-factly.

"If you meant that time… Yes, we kissed. But actually I didn't feel anything, because I was possessed by The Great One, Yuuri."

The revelation struck Yuuri's entire being as if he was shocked by some kind of electric jolt. This time the pain was harder, deeper, and it made his chest tighten when he tried to breathe.

Ah... the asthma is coming again...

"Yuuri…?

Utter silence embraced them.

"Yuuri, are you alright?" Getting no answer from the double black, Wolfram hurriedly grabbed the Maou's shoulder as he noticed the changing colours of Yuuri's face. "Are you feeling sick again?"

"...let's...."

"Huh?" The blond wrinkled his flawless forehead, not really hearing Yuuri's barely audible voice. "Did you say something, Yuuri?"

"Let's kiss now!" Yuuri briefly stood up, bending over; he grabbed the blond by his shoulders so that he could see Wolfram right in the eye. The shocked bishounen could only open his mouth, staring at Yuuri with such wide eyes that could even make his eyeballs slide off from their respective places.

"I will give you your first true kiss now!"

"Yuu… Ugh!" Wolfram winced at the sudden sharp pain on his shoulders, noticing Yuuri's nails now digging into his skin so tightly. The King's orbs locked right onto his own.

With his mouth still hanging open, Wolfram halted wordlessly. It was the first time he had ever seen Yuuri serious, so focused, and even his expression was so mature without him changing into his Maou mode. It rendered Wolfram speechless; he felt something blocking his throat, forbidding him to produce any sounds. His entire body froze, as inch by inch, Yuuri's face loomed in closer and closer. He could even feel Yuuri's warm breath tickling his nose, his lips, his cheek...

'A kiss should be done between two persons who love each other...'

His own statement hit his conscience out of a sudden, jerking his eyes to open even more. His face started losing its colour as he unconsciously sunk to the bed board while cold sweat began forming on his forehead and palms. And now, Yuuri's lips were already too close for him to even realize.

No, please, I...

He shut his eyes tightly, pressing his own lips and kneading his fists until they became pale white.

I...

"I'm sorry…"

Still clenching his eyelids shut, Wolfram was aware that his lips were still free, as a few seconds had passed by since he heard something he could hardly understand. Sensing that the warm air which had surrounded his face before was now gone, Wolfram at last urged himself to open his eyes, only to catch Yuuri sitting quite far from him.

"I'm sorry I was so childish." Yuuri smiled dryly, now finding the floor the most interesting thing in the world. "You were right, I don't like gay relationships. I only wanted to punish you for… doing something recklessly."

Still having a hard time trying to recognize the situation, Wolfram remained silent. It took quite a few moments for him to muster his ability to talk again.

"…You mean… You just pretended to kiss me?" He inhaled, cognizing that he had held his breath all this time.

"Yeah, just joking around. Sorry, Wolfram," Yuuri grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you angry?"

Slowly shaking his head, Wolfram remained in his blank expression, yet feeling somewhat relieved after Yuuri's conduct. Normally, he should be angry, should be throwing tantrums at Yuuri for tricking him. But now, for the first time in his life he felt grateful that Yuuri hated gay relationships and only played around with him.

Thinking about it, Yuuri had just given him the answer to one of his confusions; about what he should do concerning their engagement…

"Wolfram?"

"Uh..." The blond was pulled back to reality, then quickly strived to make the situation more casual.

"Well… Yuuri, I can't be angry at you when you are sick, can I? But at any rate, I still don't approve your ungraceful behaviour. A King should never do that." He threw his nose up high in the air, acting almighty like he used to, although he was also just playing around this time.

"I said sorry, okay?" Yuuri laughed lightly, still rubbing the back of his neck in pure wimpy fashion. He stood up from Wolfram's bed afterwards, heading to his own.

"Stop sulking, Wolfram. We should sleep again now. You haven't been asleep at all."

"Yes, all thanks to you," Wolfram joked, still with his face in a pout; but then he felt a smile tugging the corners of his lips as his once tensed muscles gradually relaxed.

"Sleep tight, Yuuri," he murmured, this time in a gentle tone. He laid his head on the pillow, burying himself deeper into the blanket and smiling pleasantly.

"The same for you, Wolfram," Yuuri replied with a grin whilst climbing on his bed, after seeing Wolfram's face for a little while.

Right after, a peaceful silence fell upon them, as they both had settled in their beds, each sending their backs towards the other. However, when Wolfram had closed his eyes and tardily drifted to sleep, Yuuri started losing his composure. He covered his head completely inside the blanket, shutting his eyes, while his hands clutching the sheet tightly; as slowly but surely warm liquids began tracing along his cheeks.

Stupid Shibuya Yuuri..., he cursed silently.

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To be Continued

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A/N: Finally! A little development on Yuuri's side! The mysteries are still so many to be revealed in the future chapters, hope you'll continue reading until the end ;D

And as always, I'll be eagerly waiting for reviews from both of registered and anonymous readers~!

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