Chapter 24

Chapter 24 — Gatess Trafviche (2)

Gatess Trafviche. Male lead of 「The Bed Strewn with Rose Petals」. An overpowered amalgam of every romance-fantasy male lead trope.

Handsome, outstandingly capable, cold-hearted, skilled at political maneuvering, and masterful at handling people.

Black hair, black eyes. Strikingly different, considering every imperial family member I'd seen so far had blond hair and green eyes. This, too, had its lore.

Gatess was the child of the first Empress. That Empress had died giving birth to him. The black hair and black eyes came from her—or so the setting claimed.

Every romance-fantasy male lead needed a tragic backstory, and black hair with black eyes suited the cold-hearted pretty boy archetype perfectly. That's all there was to it.

"General Sate, how is it that such a scene is unfolding before the Great Ancestor's Hall and you have not intervened?"

"I apologize. It was my negligence."

"Does saying sorry fix everything?"

Gatess's cold eyes pierced the general. That was fair. A general getting distracted by a petty street brawl was contemptible.

"My sincerest apologies. It was my oversight."

"You sound like a parrot apologizing."

Gatess smiled icily. That smile seemed to freeze the entire atmosphere solid.

Ah, so this was what it felt like. A romance-fantasy male lead was, to everyone except the female lead, an ice spirit scattering frost wherever he went. Getting caught in it directly wasn't pleasant either.

"Then, what is the cause of this quarrel? Depending on the circumstances, I may punish you both severely. Baron Otsuka, speak first."

Whoa. He even remembered a nobody extra like that. Well, he was the romance-fantasy male lead. This was what narrative consistency looked like.

"That Yensi person insulted the Great Ancestor."

"Oh? That is not something I can let slide. But you are......"

Gatess looked at me and slightly furrowed his brow. It seemed like he was trying to recall something, but no matter how capable the male lead, you couldn't retrieve memories that didn't exist.

I performed a Trafviche salute and knelt.

"2nd Prince's Guard, Guard Appari Tion, at your service, Your Highness."

"Hm. An unfamiliar face."

Gatess said. That wasn't a response to what I said—it was a conclusion he'd reached, muttered to himself. Right. A romance-fantasy male lead should have that kind of going-at-his-own-pace attitude. Of course, being on the receiving end was grating.

"I transferred in five days ago."

"I see. Is it true that you insulted the Great Ancestor?"

Was it true? Technically—I did smash the Great Ancestor's statue. But the Great Ancestor had enjoyed himself. That should be what mattered.

"Absolutely not."

"So he says."

Gatess turned his stare back on Baron Otsuka. Or rather, he just looked at him—but it felt like a glare.

"He did not offer an oblation at the Great Ancestor's altar."

"I simply made a pair arrangement."

I cut into Baron Otsuka's words. When I interjected, Gatess fixed me with a murderous look. Ah, so that was an actual glare.

"A pair?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"With whom?"

"I apologize, but that is a secret."

Sorry, but if you kept glaring like that, I'd have no choice but to match the energy.

The reactions around us were even more spectacular. Among the 1st Legion soldiers, some were covering their mouths to stifle eruptions, while the majority looked at me like I was insane.

"Guard, raise your head. I grant you permission to meet my eyes."

Gatess spoke in a frigid tone. I immediately raised my head and looked up at him. I was still kneeling.

"Answer me. Who is your pair? I have become personally curious."

Gatess's black eyes shifted to gold. This was a bad habit the imperials all shared. Trying to see through everything with those strange eyes. The Great Ancestor had done the same.

But unless you were on the Great Ancestor's level, you didn't stand a chance.

【Unique Skill: Collapse Resistance Lv. MAX in use】

Gatess held my gaze for several seconds, then unexpectedly curved the corner of his mouth into a faint smile.

"What an amusing fellow."

"I am glad you were entertained, Your Highness."

At my words, the surrounding onlookers were now shaking uncontrollably, unable to hold back any longer. Their eyes said they had no idea where this was heading.

Then, the general who'd saluted earlier shouted loudly at me.

"How dare you! What manner of insolent address is that before His Highness?"

Who invited you? Lost your points and now trying to claw them back—it was so transparent.

"General Sate, I do not believe this is your moment to step in."

Gatess said one calm sentence. Sate immediately crumpled to his knees, every ounce of a general's dignity gone. And yet he still glared at me on the way down. What was that about? You were the one in the wrong, not me.

"Very well. The pair will reveal itself soon enough. It was merely my personal curiosity. This guard has no obligation to disclose it."

"I apologize, Your Highness."

I wasn't actually sorry. I'd only said it because the expressions on the 1st Legion soldiers behind him were terrifying. The moment I apologized, those murderous looks finally softened.

"Now then, I shall head in. I cannot miss the chance to offer glory to the Great Ancestor."

At the same time, a drumbeat sounded. It was the signal to start heading back in. They said the drum was sounded with twenty minutes remaining. Ah, this was going to be tight on time.

"You should all head in as well. How long do you plan to keep kneeling?"

Gatess said. At that, every soldier and officer rose and marched toward the Great Ancestor's Hall like machines.

I headed the opposite way—toward the guard quarters. I still hadn't been to the bathroom. Then Gatess's voice caught my ankle.

"Guard Appari, are you not going in?"

"I need to use the bathroom."

I said, gave a brief salute, and weaved through the soldiers packed behind me. I could still feel that gaze at my back. Better hurry—my bladder was about to burst.

***

"He appears to be a madman, my lord. Please pay him no mind."

General Sate attached himself to Gatess's side and spoke. Gatess smirked.

"General, those epaulettes seem a bit heavy for gossiping about a mere guard."

Sate immediately closed his mouth and lowered his head slightly. Watching that, Gatess laughed inwardly. The man was commendable for trying so hard to earn points, but it was not the direction Gatess preferred.

Rather, his preferred style was someone like the strange guard he'd just encountered—Appari Tion. Standing tall and saying what needed saying. Granted, he'd never seen someone do it from the position of an enlisted guard.

"He said he was in the 2nd Prince's Guard."

"That is correct."

"I was thinking out loud. No need to respond."

Sate crumpled again. Gatess gathered his thoughts. The footwork Appari had shown when slipping through the 1st Legion soldiers on his way to the bathroom—it was enough to make Gatess doubt his own eyes.

Had there ever been a person in this world who moved like that? In any case, he now knew with certainty that this was no ordinary man.

"1st Legion Commander, Lord Gatess Trafviche, entering!"

The gatekeeper of the Great Ancestor's Hall bellowed. Every person inside turned their gaze to Gatess. He slightly furrowed his brow. This kind of attention was always burdensome.

As Gatess led his white horse forward, the crowd ahead parted like tearing paper, splitting left and right.

He did not slow his stride as he walked to the Emperor and knelt.

"1st Legion Commander, Gatess Trafviche, has returned from border defense."

"...Were you not supposed to arrive weeks from now?"

The Emperor asked in disbelief. Gatess smiled.

"A prince cannot afford to miss the glory of offering to the Great Ancestor."

"True enough. I simply did not expect you. Well then, have you prepared an offering?"

"I agonized over the selection on my way here. I am not certain the Great Ancestor will be pleased."

"If you are the one bringing it, he will surely bestow a purple flame. Come, step onto the platform."

Gatess dismissed his 1st Legion guards and ascended to the platform where the imperial family stood. Gatos, Gatis, and Princess Riyan were there.

"Welcome back early, brother."

His ever-beautiful younger sister—golden-haired Riyan—curtsied, tugging at the hem of her skirt. Gatess raised a hand to stop his siblings from paying their respects.

"Ah, Gatos. I have something to discuss with you after the festival."

"What might that be, brother?"

"A minor personnel transfer proposal, you could call it. Nothing significant."

Gatos tilted his head in puzzlement, but Gatess laughed to himself. Surely he'd give up one guard without fuss. He was the older brother, after all.

***

"Appari, you barely made it."

Kanna looked at me with clear reproach. I'd arrived right on time. Well, subordinates were supposed to show up ten minutes early, sure. But I hadn't done anything wrong, so I held my head high.

"I went to the bathroom."

"Is that something to brag about?"

Kanna sighed.

"I heard what happened. You had a run-in with Baron Otsuka."

"Yes. It was nothing. No need for concern."

"I am sorry. I should have taught you Trafviche's customs in more detail."

Kanna wore an unexpectedly glum expression. Why was she like this, all of a sudden? It was tearing my heart apart. She truly believed it was her fault.

"It's my mistake—well, it's not exactly my mistake either, but in any case, even if the glory is split in half, if the offering's magnitude is great enough, my honor would recover just the same, wouldn't it?"

"I-is that so? You're that confident?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure."

"You little—you're toying with me."

Kanna flicked my forehead lightly. Ah, sweet. I was getting glares from the 2nd Guard people for this. Ahem, ahem. Time to stop—the ceremony was resuming.

"The field-grade offering ceremony shall now commence! Step forward in the designated order!"

With the emcee's announcement, the field-grade offering ceremony began. Good thing I'd gone to the bathroom—the number of field-grade officers was considerable.

Still, these were people with years of military service under their belts. The flames burning on the altar were markedly different now.

Yellow was the baseline, with orange appearing here and there.

Then, someone's offering ignited the first red flame. Even I let out an involuntary gasp. Quite the impressive spectacle.

"A Hellboy's head—someone brought something remarkable."

The emcee was awestruck, and the Emperor looked visibly surprised. A red flame. The real deal. It blazed like a campfire, its smoke drifting skyward.

"A round of applause for Colonel Kal Karamov!"

Hm? Karamov? I glanced beside me and saw Kanna clapping fervently with a proud face. Kanna's father. My future father-in-law. I applauded for him too. A manly, fine-looking gentleman.

After Colonel Kal Karamov's red flame, no more reds appeared. Now it was the generals' turn. People adorned with rose-emblemed insignia began stepping forward imposingly.

First up was "that general" who'd picked a fight with me—Sate. He too produced a red flame. Was this expected of a general?

Among the generals, there wasn't a single yellow flame. Almost all were red or orange. Each time a flame erupted, the soldiers cheered.

Ironically, the first red flame had stirred something in me, but seeing so many dulled the thrill. The generals themselves looked disappointed at their reds, which only made it worse. They'd all been aiming for purple.

"And now, the imperial family shall close this festival!"

The Emperor stepped up first. What he brought was not a monster but dishes prepared by the head chef. That made sense. Even I had to admit the Great Ancestor would probably prefer something like that. Platters of meat dishes were carried to the altar by attendants.

A pale blue-green flame. The weakest offering of all, yet its residual warmth lingered the longest. Savoring every bite, apparently. Assuming the Great Ancestor was actually there, that is.

Naturally, the soldiers and officers thundered with applause.

"Next is Prince Gatos's turn."

Starting with Gatos, then a princess I was seeing for the first time. Her name was Riyan, if I recalled correctly. She'd been quite close with Marina. She was beautiful, as expected. Imperial family trait: gorgeous across the board.

Gatos produced a red flame, and Riyan produced a blue one before scurrying down as though embarrassed. Everyone looked on warmly. Cute—truly cute.

"Though he was not originally expected to attend, Prince Gatess has arrived upon hearing the news. Step forward for his turn."

Now it was the Emperor himself speaking, not the emcee. He knew this was the highlight. Gatess produced something that looked rare at a glance.

"What—a Sapphire Horn Rabbit?"

"They still exist?"

"Unbelievable."

The soldiers buzzed. I didn't recognize the monster, but it felt extraordinary.

The moment the offering was placed on the altar, a purple flame surged up as though possessed and devoured the Sapphire Horn Rabbit. The spectacle was—honestly, even if Gatess rubbed me the wrong way—magnificent.

"Wow......"

Even Kanna, who rarely lost her composure, was gaping. Gatess gave a brief nod of acknowledgment and stepped down. So this was what a romance-fantasy male lead looked like. Infuriating, yet undeniably impressive.

"Well then, let us conclude this festival—"

"Wait!"

Who would interrupt the Emperor? The blood of the imperial line, naturally. The one who raised a hand and disrupted the closing was my pair—Prince Gatis.

"Father, I have something prepared as well!"

"Hm?"

At that, everyone looked at Gatis with fond eyes. Impressive for one so young, they must've thought. But this would be a little different.

"My pair, Guard Appari Tion—step forward!"

Gatis called out loudly, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he looked at me.

With those words, every gaze in the Hall turned toward me. Particularly the shocked one, and the one who'd wanted to crush my pair. I'm talking about you. I wanted to tell him to try opening his mouth again, but now wasn't the time.

Kanna's gaze, Baron Otsuka's gaze, General Sate's gaze, Kal Karamov's gaze, the Emperor's gaze, Prince Gatos's gaze, Prince Gatess's gaze, Princess Riyan's gaze, and the gaze of every soldier and officer present.

Every single one of them looked lost. Their eyes bore the look of people who didn't know what to say.

I walked up to Gatis with confidence, knelt before him, and paid my respects.

"Guard Appari Tion, humbly prepared to offer glory at the Great Ancestor's altar alongside His Highness!"

At my declaration, the buzzing crowd fell silent. Gatis and I locked eyes and smiled.