Side Story 1
Part 4
1
“Heh, that’s……! Hey, Hedel……!”
The Chef stamped his foot in disbelief.
“Hedel……?”
Radan pushed Leshak away with a clumsy gesture. Having been forced to end the kiss prematurely, Leshak couldn’t hide his displeasure.
“Hedel? Where’s Hedel?”
Radan spun around to look for him.
Despite his displeasure, Leshak took Radan’s hand and led him to the window. It was times like these that he was glad he had that blindfold on.
“Hedel!”
Luckily, Hedel hadn’t gotten far.
There was a fluttering sound from just below the window, and then he was back on the sill.
“Hmm?”
Radan couldn’t tell, but Hedel had something in his mouth.
Walking right past Radan, Hedel stalked over to the Chef.
Plop.
And then Hedel put it down in front of the Chef.
“Huh?”
The Chef’s eyes widened.
What Hedel had set before him was a sparrow, the poor thing still fluttering its feathers.
“What am I supposed to do with this……?”
The Chef looked back and forth between Leshak and Hedel in confusion.
Meowww.
Hedel nudged the sparrow with a determined look in his eyes. His tail thumped the floor as if to say, “Do something quickly.
“Huh?”
Tsk, tsk.
As the Chef looked on, Hedel continued to push the sparrow. Then, as if on cue, he picked it up and placed it at the Chef’s foot.
It finally clicked.
“Oh, are you giving this…… to me?”
The Chef asked.
Hedel cocked his head arrogantly.
As the Chef picked up the sparrow, Hedel turned and walked back to Radan with a light step, as though he’d done his job.
Radan who was unsure of what exactly had happened turned to Leshak.
“Your Majesty. What did Hedel do?”
“…..A sparrow.”
Somehow the answer was bitter.
“What?”
“Damn it!”
Leshak spat out the expletive in a low voice.
A small, non-venomous water snake, and a mole.
It was Hedel’s doing!
No wonder no one had noticed the intruder. No one in the Crown Prince’s Palace, accustomed to Hedel’s wandering everywhere, would have bothered with the tiny, albeit somewhat larger than average, cat anyway.
A cat that could reach the ceiling without making a sound if it wanted to, it wasn’t a big deal if it came to the head of the bed and left the carcass of a small animal behind.
Come to think of it, the snake was found the next morning after the cook had sent up a fish cake as a new treat.
The next day, a mole, and then an impromptu sparrow when he came by with his new snack.
“…….”
Suddenly, Leshak realized that he didn’t know much about cats.
Come to think of it, the little beasts were incredibly deceptive and cunning.
It was beautiful enough to enchant anyone, and its claws were incredibly sharp. Its body wasn’t heavy for its size, weighing about half as much as a dog of the same size.
As light as it was, it was strong. But it was also very fast.
Moreover, he was cognizant of the fact that he was a skilled hunter in his own right.
That’s why he’d deign to share his kill with humans.
It was a gesture of thanks for the meal.
“For now,”
Leshak said to the Chef as he pulled Radan to him.
“……Yes, Your Majesty, what do you mean?”
“Don’t make any more food.”
“……What?”
“No Goat or fish.”
And with that, Leshak took Radan’s hand and led him out of the chamber.
It looked like he was going to have to learn to be fed up with the cat for a while.
“Your Highness, where are we going?”
“Well.”
Someplace without that damn cat.
“Why are you…… upset?”
“I don’t know.”
Probably because of that damn cat!
“Your Majesty.”
Radan pulled his hand from Leshak’s grasp. He was not trying to tear himself away. Radan then took hold of Leshak’s hand of his own accord.
“You don’t like Hedel……?”
“Why would you think that?”
“I can tell, that kind of thing.”
Radan swallowed dryly.
“I know what His Majesty doesn’t like, and I know what you do like……and when I say certain things, or do certain things, I know what it is that you dislike when I do them, and I know when you’re in a good mood and or not because all I do here all day is wait for you or think about you.”
“…….”
Radan’s grip on him was strong and sweaty.
That meant that this was going to be a difficult conversation.
Leshak felt the onset of a bitter taste in the back of his palate, where the sensation of his kiss still lingered.
“If your majesty doesn’t like Hedel, I’ll……um……I mean……,”
Instead of finishing his sentence, Radan squeezed Leshak’s hand in desperation.
For him, Leshak had always been a matter of choice.
Up until this very moment, his choice had always been Leshak, and yet in exchange, Radan continued to lose whatever he had. The moment he chose a life of being Leshak’s, he had to turn his back on the Kemened Kingdom, and he had to leave behind the scion of the Gett, the person who called him his destiny. Until finally, Radan was forced to abandon his elder brother.
It was not his fault and Radan had no regrets about his choices.
However, all that was sacrificed was his alone. He had given up so much, but he hadn’t been able to heal the raw wounds they had left in his heart.
The same was true with Hedel.
If Leshak made him choose between the two, Radan would choose to abandon Hedel, just as he had always done.
“It’s all right if I have to…… let him go.”
Radan said, holding back his tears.
“If you don’t like Hedel, that’s even worse, so it’s okay, I will do that, I can-“
“Radan.”
Leshak wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a tight embrace.
He realized how much of his patience and consideration had been sacrificed in Radan’s words as he choked back tears.
As if Radan could guess his feelings from his small words, so could he.
“The only times I don’t like Hedel is when you care more about him than me.”
It was the sort of situation like when he was talking to Radan and Radan’s back was turned, and he was petting the back of a cat who was chomping on a fish cake.
“No, I don’t……, I couldn’t……, I couldn’t…….”
Leshak also knew that.
It was just that he was a greedy man. A man who could not even tolerate his lover’s one small pet.
“I know.”
He just needed the occasional reassurance.
He just wanted to know that the next morning, as they slept in the same bed, Radan wouldn’t be in a hurry to leave just because of the cat.
“Sometimes I just need to hear it first. That I’m more important than anything in the world. That I’m the one you need.”
“…….”
Radan stood on his tiptoes and hugged Leshak around the neck.
“I love you more than everything else in the world, Your Majesty.”
“I know.”
Leshak beamed.
“Cause I do too.”
“…….”
Radan made no reply as he held back the tears that threatened to escape.
“Radan.”
Leshak leaned down and touched Radan’s eyelashes with the tip of his tongue.
A tear slid down Radan’s cheek like a floodgate opening. Leshak caught the tear and swallowed it with a look of satisfaction.
It was proof that he was a terrible partner, that he actually felt good when Radan cried for him.
And Leshak used Radan’s tears as an excuse to coerce him into staying in his bedroom again that night.
If you’re reading this anywhere other than FoolishtranslationsS.wordpress.com, it was stolen from the translator’s website. Reading this anywhere other than the translator’s website ensures that the translator may never translate any other works. Thank you.
2
“Please.”
An unexpected figure entered the throne room.
It was the Duke of Ireton, the Empress’s cousin and the highest-ranking member of the Noble Court. He was a leading figure in the anti-Crown Prince faction and one of the most vocal opponents of the end-of-war agreement with the Kingdom of Kemened.
His request for an audience was also unexpected.
He wanted to give the new owner of Elk Palace the courtesies he was due.
“What is this?”
Radan asked, smiling from ear to ear at the large box at his feet.
The Duke of Ireton’s courteous reply, which was politely ambiguous without betraying his intentions, was obviously not motivated by courtesy.
“I thought it might be the last ornament the Palace of Elk needed. With your permission, I would like to open the box for you.”
Radan considered for a moment, then nodded.
He had known from the Chamberlain’s remarks that the Duke of Ireton did not have the warmest of feelings for him.
Despite his reluctance to let him in on that information, the Chamberlain had warned him to be careful.
“Of course.”
Duke Ireton opened the box at Radan’s feet.
Kii.
Mew.
Radan heard the tiny, soft cry of a small animal.
“Oh, what is this……?”
“It is a silver fox, His Highness, Elkiana.”
“Ah…….”
“Have you ever seen one before?”
“Oh, no.”
The Duke of Ireton lifted the two still tender fox cubs from their box and placed them on Radan’s lap.
The squirming little beasts burrowed into his arms.
“They may be forest creatures, but they are surprisingly docile. I’m sure they’ll appreciate the comforts of the villa.”
“…….”
Radan gently stroked the fox cubs, whose bodies rolled over exposing their bellies under his palms.
They felt so different from Hedel. Their down was fluffy beneath their fur, which was smoother than silk. The ears were large and their muzzles were pointed. Their tails were bigger than their bodies, and they were so lush that stroking them was intoxicating.
Their appearance must have been even more enchanting. Though Radan couldn’t see them yet, the silver fox’s fur reminded him of Leshak’s silver hair.
With the end of the Seven Years’ War, the Crown Prince’s position had never been stronger, and Duke Ireton had been nervous all along that he was becoming the old man in the back room since he’d stepped down as Regent, but now with what the Crown Prince was doing, it was making his blood run dry.
He had not slept well.
If the Duke of Elkiana could open Leshek’s eyes so that he would look at him, he might realize how thin and gaunt he had become in recent times, and he might pity him.
So the silver fox cubs were a sign of capitulation.
He was too old to argue with the young and ambitious Crown Prince.
Whether or not the Duke of Elkiana’s questionable origins made him suitable for the Empire’s favor was still up for debate, but for now, he wanted to live.
Moreover, judging by what the Crown Prince was now doing, there was no regard for anyone’s opinions about the Duke of Erkiana, and everything was wrapped up quickly.
It was insane to declare a full-grown man, who was viciously rumored to be The Unknown Assassin, as Duke of Elk Palace.
The Court of Nobles was of course of the opinion that the Crown Prince should be made to come to his senses, but this had caused them all chased out of the room, so before they could bring him in line, their gusto had all withered away.
“There is no reason why His Highness should feel wary, I promise you. Please say so to His Majesty the Crown Prince as well.
The Duke of Ireton bent to one knee in deference.
In terms of status, he was Imperial Family, and his rank was on par with Radan’s, so he should not be expected to bow, but he didn’t want to bother with etiquette at this time.
He could only hope that this mysterious and beautiful young Duke was as pure and pristine on the inside as he was on the outside.
“A belated salutation. Welcome to the Empire with all my heart, Your Highness.”
“…….”
While Radan still hesitated, unable to comprehend the intricacies of the highest-ranking Nobleman’s mind, the Chamberlain, sensing the quick turn of events, stepped forward.
“Very well, then, I’ll accept your gifts and bring them inside. We’ll have to make a home for them in the garden.”
The Duke of Ireton seized the opportunity.
“I’ll have that arranged soon enough. I’ve already been looking for a suitable craftsman.”
The Chamberlain humbly accepted the Duke of Ireton’s words.
“That is most gracious of you, Your Grace.”
“This way.”
With that, the Duke of Ireton departed, leaving behind a lovely gift.
The two silver foxes, who had nothing but good intentions, caused a small, unintended problem that night.
“Fuck!”
Leshak let out an expletive not meant to reach Radan’s ears.
As if the cat wasn’t bad enough, there were now fox cubs, two of them!
Once the fox cubs were in the house, Leshak realized what a fine animal the cat was.
Hedel was extremely intelligent, capable of playing on his own, and had desirable habits. A cat was an animal that could fill its stomach with hunting, even if people forgot to feed it.
The fox cubs, on the other hand, couldn’t go to the bathroom and needed Radan to put food in their mouths.
Moreover, they were so fond of him that they would grab his ankles and wriggle at the slightest movement. Radan couldn’t even move freely for fear of stepping on the tiny, squirming cubs.
When a lesser Chamberlain took the fox cubs away from him, they cried as if they had lost their mother.
The problem was that Radan had taken the whole troublesome affair as his own responsibility.
The result was a message saying that he couldn’t go to Leshak’s bedroom that day.
It was actually a very carefully worded request for permission, but still a heartbreaking rejection.
Damn it. Did I really…….
He stomped off to the annex.
Once Radan slept in his bedroom, he didn’t want to sleep alone anymore. If Radan couldn’t come, then he would go.
Apart from that, he felt fierce. It was bad enough that he had to deal with Hedel, now he had to deal with fox cubs too!
If word got out about Radan’s fondness for animals, there was no telling what kind of beasts might come to Elk Palace in the future.
“I’ll get rid of them.”
He couldn’t allow it.
The fox cubs were just the beginning.
The problem was, he was going to have to be the greedy lover who forced Radan to make another shameless choice. He was free to cry, but he wasn’t free to have his heart broken.
“How can I…….”
Leshak’s brow creased with worry. To him, the problem was far more complex and difficult than securing the nation’s borders.
His head was noisy like dozens of different creatures were all calling out to each other.
“Damn it!”
But the solution was surprisingly close at hand.
“Radan.”
Leshak stepped into Radan’s chambers.
“Hedel, stop, please!”
Radan screamed, helpless.
Leshak saw the haughty white cat snarling and biting at the nape of the tiny fox cub’s neck, and the pitiful sight of Radan’s unseen eyes searching desperately for Hedel.
“Radan. What’s wrong?”
“Your Majesty.”
Radan cried.
All the while, Leshak wanted to lick the tear-streaked corners of his eyes.
“I think Hedel doesn’t like foxes, and I’m afraid he’ll kill them like moles or birds.”
“Sit here and I’ll take a look.”
Leshak walked over to Hedel who was perched on the window sill, staring down at Radan with a fox cub in his mouth.
Hedel snarled like a wild animal. The fox cub was still wobbling on all fours.
“Give it to me if you won’t kill it.”
Snort.
Hedel snorted in response.
“Come on.”
Leshak and Hedel’s eyes met. The different colors of his eyes seemed strangely intelligent, like human eyes.
Somehow, Leshak thought he could see what Hedel was thinking.
“If you return them safely, I will not leave them here. I will do you no harm.”
“…….”
And Hedel seemed to understand Leshak’s words.
With a plop, Hedel dropped the silver fox from his mouth. The fox squeaked and squirmed. Leshak scooped it up before it could reach Radan.
With a snap, Hedel was gone.
It was as if Hedel was saying, ‘You made a promise, so take care of it. I’m not coming back until you clear these things out.’
That was what he meant at least.
“Radan, I don’t think we can leave these creatures together.”
“Ah…….”
Radan looked disappointed, but he nodded quickly.
No matter how cute the silver foxes were, they weren’t as affectionate as Hedel. Besides, Hedel might bite the cubs to death.
“I guess there’s no other…… option.”
“Okay. I’ll put them in a paddock in the garden and raise them there. You can come and see them whenever you like.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Radan buried a sorrowful face in Leshak’s shoulder.
“I didn’t realize Hedel was so jealous.”
“Course not.”
Speaking of jealousy, that man used the excuse of a cat to hide his true intentions, even though a dozen Hedel’s would be no match for him.
Leshak gently ruffled Radan’s hair, which seemed to come naturally to him, and thought again about Hedel’s usefulness.
With Hedel, he wouldn’t have to worry about the other creatures that could follow.
Finally, Leshak now liked Hedel. Just like everyone else in Crateas Palace.
The next day, on the orders of the Crown Prince’s the state of emergency throughout the palace was lifted. The Guardian Knights and the Guards slept soundly for a time. So did other important figures in the Empire who had been under constant surveillance.
Hedel himself was pleased with his unexpected alliance with the Imperial Crown Prince. From now on, he would be the only beast allowed in Radan’s bedchamber.
All was well in the Empire.
-Bloody Moon, end of Book 1
(Continues with Book 2)
If you’re reading this anywhere other than FoolishtranslationsS.wordpress.com, it was stolen from the translator’s website. Reading this anywhere other than the translator’s website ensures that the translator may never translate any other works. Thank you.
Foolish Translations 
Welcome back and thank you for translating the extras!!! 💕
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Of course 😁
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Too bad foxes couldn’t stay 🥲
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