Chapter 67: Are you alright?

Lorcan hesitated for a moment, but in the end he didn’t push Oisín away.

Lorcan looked at the major general’s drawn brows and sighed softly. Never mind. I’ll stay a bit longer and leave before he wakes up.

Oisín had been awake the whole time.

He had only wanted to use the chance to see Lorcan, test his attitude toward the first prince, and then decide what to do next. But the soft bedding, the warmth beside him, and the citrus scent all around made him sink in deeper and deeper.

Oisín carefully tested how far Lorcan would let him go. First he pretended to wrap an arm around Lorcan’s waist by accident. Then he pressed his whole body against him. Finally, still not satisfied, he almost completely held him.

Lorcan seemed a little uncomfortable but didn’t resist. He let Oisín hold on, without waking him or pushing him away.

Oisín lowered his eyes.

The Third Prince really is very kind to me.

System 106 said, "The general’s fever has gone down. Should we go?"

Lorcan: "...Let’s wait a bit longer."

Oisín was holding him too tight, and he looked reluctant to let go.

Lorcan felt awkward. They had done more intimate things before, but that had been driven purely by need. Oisín had no feelings for him at all. Yet now, lying like this, they looked like a loving couple.

Lorcan kept telling himself, He’s just a patient. He’s just a patient. He stayed in the room for over an hour before finally getting up to leave.

Early the next morning, Lorcan got a letter from the first prince.

Tadhg used his pet name and said he wanted to visit. Lorcan had no choice but to agree, and then he told the servants to get everything ready.

The visit was set for the afternoon. Lorcan spent the morning in the study, reading the original text. As he studied, System 106 suddenly spoke up. "Host, could you pause for a moment?"

Lorcan: "Let me finish this part first."

System 106 was lying on a small cushion by the bay window, with only a corner of its screen showing. Hearing this, it pulled back and muttered, "Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you."

The key plot points in the novel were described in great detail. The Chapter about judgment day, for example, listed the judge’s verdict, Oisín’s metal handcuffs, the reactions of the different guests, and even the scornful looks of the first prince, the Third Prince, and Colm. It was hard to handle, and even after thinking deeply, Lorcan couldn’t find any gap in the plot.

He began to get a headache. Just then there were three knocks at the door, probably the butler bringing breakfast.

Lorcan: "Come in."

Someone came in.

The footsteps were crisp. They weren’t the soft sound of the butler’s leather shoes but the clack of long military boots with metal heels. But Lorcan, lost in thought, didn’t notice at all.

A glass of milk was set in front of him, then a small cake. The person wore pure white gloves, and the cloth wrapped long, elegant fingers.

Lorcan didn’t look up. "Thank you. I’ll eat it later."

"..."

System 106 peeked out timidly. "Host."

"Host, could you pause for a moment..."

"I’m busy right now," Lorcan said, with a slight headache. He reached up to press his temples, and then a pair of hands took the place of his own and gently massaged them.

The touch was smooth and clearly well practised.

The butler knew a bit about massage too. Lorcan was about to thank him when he heard a soft sigh and someone asked gently, "Feeling better?"

Lorcan’s head shot up.

The general was in full dress uniform and white gloves, with his silver hair tied in a low ponytail, the base fastened with a ribbon of the same colour. He looked almost exactly like the butler’s uniform, and he was looking at Lorcan with concern.

"What’s going on here?"

Oisín arranged the tea and the small cakes one by one, then bowed gracefully. "I told the butler that since I’m living here now, I should look after your daily life too, so I’ve taken over some of his duties."

Lorcan shifted uncomfortably.

He stuffed the draft into a drawer and locked it, looking guilty. Then he coughed and hurriedly picked up a small cake. "No, don’t trouble yourself. You’re still recovering. You should rest."

But Oisín didn’t move. He stood holding the tray and smiled. "I overheard the servants talking about the first prince’s visit."

Lorcan paused in the middle of eating. "Yes," he mumbled.

Oisín: "Then you should tie me up."

Lorcan fumbled, and the plate clattered to the floor. Oisín swooped down and caught it easily, and put the cake back in front of Lorcan. "Please be careful."

He spoke calmly, almost casually, as if he had said "the weather is nice" instead of "tie me up."

Lorcan nearly choked. He picked up the tea, speechless. "Tie you up? Where would I even do that?"

Oisín smiled. "The cellar."

Lorcan spat out his tea.

Oisín put down the tray and patted Lorcan’s back with concern. "Please be careful. Are you all right?"

Lorcan pushed his hand away and coughed by himself. Only after he had finally stopped did he say, "Just... stay away from me."

If the general kept talking, Lorcan was sure he would choke.

The prince’s home did have a cellar, even a private interrogation room. But because the empire had laws against private punishment, the nobles had toned things down. The cellar still existed, but no one dared to use it too much.

Since Lorcan had arrived, the cellar of his home had never been used.

Oisín said, "You can put me in the middle of the interrogation room, put chains and a collar on me, and smear red paint on my clothes..."

He didn’t finish, but Lorcan understood.

It really was a good idea.

Put Oisín in the cellar, show him to the first prince from a distance, say a few random lines, and leave. The first prince wouldn’t dare rush into the cell to inspect the wounds himself.

He thought it over, then called up his device to summon the butler. "Do I have a cellar? Where is it?"

The butler paused, seeming a little speechless. After giving the address, he couldn’t help asking, "You really didn’t know at all?"

It was a huge cellar.

Lorcan defended himself. "I never go near creepy places like that. How would I know?"

Oisín heard everything, and a glimmer of amusement showed in his eyes.

The Third Prince really is as gentle and kind as I thought.

The entrance to the cellar was in the garden pavilion. The butler took out a key that hadn’t been used in a long time, and as Lorcan stepped inside, a cold, rusty smell hit him.