Chapter 27

“…”

Isaac stared at the beasts, his mind blank with disbelief. This time, they met his gaze with spiteful eyes and wide, mocking grins. That wretched magic and its infuriatingly precise obedience to every syllable he uttered. How was this any different from being locked in a cage with predators until daybreak? As Isaac hunched his shoulders in crushing defeat, the prince spoke from behind him.

“Does that imply I must remain here until dawn as well?”

「Yup.」

“Watch your tongues, you beasts! I am sorry, Your Highness. If you can bear with it for just a few hours…”

Isaac rushed to the nearest tiger, clamping its jaw shut before pivoting to offer a frantic apology to the prince. The prince, who had been observing his own hand, gave a slow, measured nod.

“Fine. My mood is not particularly foul today.”

Isaac felt a wave of relief wash over him and risked a glance at the prince. As always, the man wore a mask of absolute indifference, yet his energy seemed genuinely stable. It was only natural, he supposed; the prince was likely savoring a rare reprieve from the agonizing, cyclical toll of the new moon.

Kaiyan reached out and retrieved a book from the table beside the sofa. He had evidently been mid-chapter, as he plucked the bookmark from its place and immediately began reading. Seeing this, Isaac’s anxiety ebbed. Once the prince committed to a book, he rarely abandoned it unless duty intervened. The volume was thick, and at this pace, it would easily consume the night.

Now, Isaac only had to remain still and hold his breath.

He settled in to wait. The palace was deathly quiet. Whether due to the late hour or the barrier that suppressed sound long before it reached the interior, the Blue Shadow Palace was perpetually stagnant. Because its master possessed such a chilling presence, the attendants moved like ghosts, terrified of drawing attention and suffering some sudden calamity. That was precisely why guards like Isaac loathed this duty; the air was sterile, utterly devoid of the warmth of human life.

Isaac scanned the room. Despite serving at the palace many times, he had never stepped foot in the bedchamber. It was vast, echoing the scale of a banquet hall. Inside, he noted a colossal bed, a bathtub that could easily accommodate five people, and a sparse, utilitarian collection of furniture. There was nothing superfluous—no ornaments, no vibrant hues. He realized with a start that even the air felt scrubbed clean. There were no aromatic oils or candles, the standard comforts of the nobility.

No sound to grate the ears.

No object to offend the eye.

No scent to intrude upon the senses.

What a stark, hollow room. Could there be any space that better mirrored the man who inhabited it? Isaac instinctively pressed a hand to his heart, which ached without a discernible cause. Just then—

「Why is this room such a dump? Didn’t you say he was royalty?」

「Look at how he guzzled that blood like a starving toddler. He clearly isn’t living well at all.」

「How pathetic must this kingdom’s coffers be? Tsk, tsk.」

The tigers, which had been prowling the corners of the chamber, returned to whisper among themselves. There isn’t a nation on this continent as wealthy or formidable as ours, you ignorant fools, Isaac thought, but he held his tongue, knowing all too well the gaudy, extravagant tastes common to witches.

His mother had been no different. Regardless of value, she was perpetually entranced by anything that glittered, shimmered, or bore an elaborate design. Her visitors had shared this penchant for the ostentatious. Even Isaac, if he were honest, felt a gravitational pull toward the ornate over the plain.

Still, fearing they might disrupt the prince’s reading, Isaac prepared to order them into silence when—

「Goodness. What’s the point of being so smooth and handsome if he’s this destitute?」

「Why? They say he’s still the greatest beauty in the kingdom. A man can’t have everything. If his face is that divine, you just have to accept his vile temper and empty pockets. What else is there to do?」

「Fair enough. That face did hook our Muddlehead, after all. Since he managed to snag a decent painkiller, his looks aren’t entirely useless.」

「Who is Muddlehead?」

「The kid who’s confused, dazed, and naive about everything.」

「Oh, the one whose life imploded because he had a thing for pretty faces?」

“You damned cats, can you show some respect and shut up?!”

That is right, that one, the tigers were nodding amongst themselves when Isaac shouted, overcome by frustration. In an instant, his eyes locked with the prince’s. As those blue, piercing depths fixed upon him, Isaac hiccuped, snapped his mouth shut, and bowed his head, muttering in a voice barely audible, “My deepest apologies, sire.”

The prince studied him with expressionless eyes for a heartbeat before shifting his gaze to the tigers, whose great eyes were rolling restlessly. “I see you aren’t their master.”

Isaac opened his mouth to retort—If I were their master, I would have tossed those pests out weeks ago—but—

「Master?!」

「Master?! He actually thinks he’s our master!」

「We’re only humoring him because we pity him!」

「Indeed. Because he serves us and pays tribute, we find him tolerable and choose to look after him.」

「Exactly, exactly. Our little Muddlehead—who would keep an eye on him if we didn’t?」

“…I still have one wish remaining. Keep your traps shut before I hang every one of you upside down in a pepper shaker.”

No sooner had Isaac ground out the low threat than the tigers rounded their eyes in exaggerated surprise. What? What did we do? Even though they remained silent, their rolling eyes conveyed the question with perfect, mocking clarity. Isaac swallowed a groan and pressed his palms against his throbbing temples.

A low voice cut through the stillness.

“A third wish.”

Isaac felt his shoulders tense, a cold coil tightening within his chest. This is spiraling out of control, he thought, turning slowly to face the source of his unease. The prince watched him with eyes narrowed, his expression sharp with calculated scrutiny.

“You mentioned that these wishes were only valid during the new moon, if I recall correctly.”

Isaac remained silent.

“And it appears those beasts aren’t entirely unrelated to these wishes.”

Isaac remained silent.

Isaac sat rigid, paralyzed by an inability to frame a response, while the prince rhythmically drummed his fingers against the leather cover of his book. Tap. Tap. The repetitive striking continued until the book snapped shut with a sharp, final report. Isaac’s heart plummeted in sync with the sound.

“How many wishes are granted in total?”

“…Three.”

“So you are limited to three acts of magic on the night of the new moon.”

Again, Isaac retreated into a wall of silence. The prince scrutinized him, dissecting every micro-expression, and Isaac knew with mounting dread that his reticence was being interpreted as a confession.

Even with his gaze averted, Isaac felt the intensity of the prince’s stare, a physical prickling against his skin. That face, forever devoid of warmth or readable emotion, felt all the more terrifying because the thoughts of Kaiyan remained completely impenetrable.

“If a third remains, you have already expended two. How were they utilized?”

Isaac offered no answer. A bead of cold sweat trailed down the nape of his neck. The prince studied him intently, his silence heavy and suffocating in the air, before he finally tilted his head with a languid, predatory motion.

“One would have been for your arrival here. The other…”

The prince’s gaze drifted, searching the air as if tracing a ghost. Then, he nodded to himself.

“…Ah. Of course. That explains why I cannot recall your face.”

Isaac felt his stomach drop. Another cold droplet rolled down his spine. He had always known Kaiyan was terrifyingly intelligent, yet this display of perception was chilling. As Isaac realized the prince had verified his conclusion based on the fleeting shadow of emotion that must have betrayed him, his chest felt hollow. It seemed as though every careless remark was boxing him further into a corner.

“So, what do you intend to use the final wish for?”

“…I was debating whether to seal those beasts in a pepper shaker or perhaps something else entirely. Do you… desire anything, Your Highness?” Isaac muttered, his voice thick with dismay. He could not bring himself to omit the inquiry, out of ingrained deference to his superior, yet his nerves coiled tight as he anticipated the man’s demand.

TAP

“That is for you to decide. It is enough for me that this hellish agony has subsided.”

Unexpectedly, the prince shook his head, his dismissive gesture fluid and dismissive. Isaac blinked in surprise, though a part of him acknowledged it was entirely in character. When he reflected on it, the prince possessed no greed beyond his immediate physical needs. Once he sated the hunger he had first felt, he sought nothing more.

Yes. He had always been that sort of man. That was precisely why everyone feared him, yet none dared despise him.

A flicker of warmth bloomed in Isaac’s chest. Perhaps his tension had finally ebbed, leaving him feeling uncharacteristically temperate. Watching the prince glance toward his attendant with a flicker of indifference and rub his own throat, Isaac blurted out the words before he could check them.

“Then… would you care for tea? There is still some time remaining before dawn.”

At the offer, the prince’s eyebrow arched slightly. Isaac gripped the flint in his pocket, rubbing the cool stone for grounding. Beside him, the final tiger shifted, swelling in size before bounding to his side.

“I would appreciate tea and refreshments. Something to satiate the hunger and soothe the throat.”

It felt like a waste to squander his third wish on such a triviality, but he chose to let it go. He had no other pressing needs for the night, and another new moon would inevitably arrive in time. Besides, he found himself parched as well.

THUD

The tiger, which had been peering down at Isaac with its neck twisted at a curious angle, gave a sharp nod. Almost instantly, a tea table manifested between them, complete with a teapot, cups, and a tray of delicacies. The fragrant, warm tea that glided down his throat was exceptional, and Isaac nodded, satisfied. For the first time today, a fulfilled wish felt truly worthwhile.

“Are you quite certain you do not mind squandering your final wish on such a trifle?”

“I cannot say for certain. At this moment, nothing else holds any weight. …It is warm, and it is pleasant.”

Isaac offered a faint smile, lifting his teacup, though the expression vanished the instant he collided with the prince’s unyielding gaze.

“There should be something necessary. My death, for instance.”

At the prince’s casual observation, Isaac froze. He stared blankly, blinking in total shock. He had not known. Why had that possibility never crossed my mind? I never considered it, not even once.

If the prince died. Yes, things would become infinitely simpler. He would no longer have to pull his hair out over the River of the Moon oath or the legendary tinderbox purportedly hidden within the vault. He could cast the flint into the deepest river and bury the memory forever. He could simply return to his peaceful existence. If the prince died. If he only dared to wish for it.

…But.

“By the time the next new moon arrives, I shall consider if there is something better.”

Isaac shook his head, but the prince merely glanced at him, maintaining his silence. Even though Isaac held the power to make such a wish, the prince appeared entirely unconcerned. Would this man ever feel a hint of anxiety or loss? How has he survived, having become so utterly detached from the world?