Disclaimer:
Tyler : Ahem. Since our author here has finally collapsed due to overexertion of body and mind, I'll be doing this cruel, cruel job of denying any rights over KKM property and copyrights.
Wolf : Finally. That annoying person is getting on my nerves.
Yuu : (frown) Wolfram!
Chap 10
A deeply touched Gunter blew his nose through his napkin.
"Ah, Heika is such a diligent student(blow)...I knew that he will take interest in Shin Makoku studies! (blow) He'd finally realize how important it is!" "Hmph." Gwendal added as much doubt as he could into this one sound behind a huge stack of paperwork left by a certain ill-health king. "Yuuri is actually studying," Wolfram was midway in biting on his toast, "Willingly?"
"Ah yes, of course." Gunter raised his eyebrow, as if the past few years of chasing down a run-away king for lessons was merely his own delusion. "In fact, he personally ask me to seek out books on the history of Shin Makoku...ah, the nights he spent on them, the spirit, the will, the love..."
"Hist--cough!!" Wolfram promptly gulped down a whole glass of water. He turned to Gisela who came in with the darkest expression he had ever seen. Nevertheless, his concern of the king was just too great to hold his question back. "Gisela, is Yuuri suffering any mental problem?" Shinou bless them, he was studying! History-his most hated subject!
Gisela's expression seemed to fall from dark to dark and murderous. "Mental problem?" she repeated that question with a heavy tint of anger. Wolfram nodded as he gulped nervously, suddenly regretting to ask her when she was in such a foul mood. For a few minutes she stared at him - then, her face softened to a worry look. "I'm afraid you might be right," she said with a sigh, "Yuuri-heika, I'm sad to report, has been disobeying every single order of mine for him to recover." All but Gwendal drew in a sharp breath. Disobeying Gisela might as well be asking for your own execution. And that is enough reason for one to consider a brain check.
The aura around Gisela ominously flared up in burning rage, "For three days straight, Heika took cold showers in the morning - he's sick, unwell, what was he thinking?! - and unwilling to sleep without drowning himself in that sea of books till the dead of night when he needs SUFFICIENT rest; he's killing himself! Even without the cold, this is suicidal!" As she ended her ranting with a huff, she grabbed Wolfram by the hand and dragged him away, sending plates and cups shattering to the floor.
"A-ah, my breakfast! Gisela, what-" "Saving His Majesty from dying at a tender age." "It doesn't make sense-" "It seems that His Majesty's abnormal behavior had begun when you no longer shared the room with him."
Wolfram tensed up. All eyes fixed on him, their looks asking: what happened between him and Yuuri?
"Mah, mah. Don't put the blame on Lord von Bielefeld yet, Gisela-san." a smiling sage marched to the table in a carefree manner. "I'm sure he's not the direct cause of this." Gwendal watched the sage suspiciously.
Murata merely maintained his smile as he reached for a pancake. "Yummy! I simply love your cooking, Doria-chan...ah, Lord von Voltaire, your facial expression is too serious for one to enjoy their morning breakfast." Gwendal ignored the comment. "Tell me the cause."
Murata sighed as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. "The book."
...huh?
"From what Gisela-san has said, it is likely that Shibuya had read 'The Garden' which I gave him. Those who have read it should know that its graphic scenes tend to have this kind of effect on juveniles. However, the effect get this serious only when there is a subject in mind, so Sir Bielefeld might have contributed to this unknowingly." he widened his smile. "Do you get it?"
Most started coughing for no apparent reason while some blinked big, innocent eyes blankly.
Unfortunately, Wolfram, who was supposed to be part of the cause, fell under the second group. "Never heard of that book before. Can you explain it in more details?"
"Of course-" almost instantly Gwendal and Conrad went into a violent coughing fit. Murata shut his mouth knowingly. "I'm sorry, perhaps another day. But I suggest that you should spend more time with Shibuya. It might--help to ease his suffering."
Wolfram frowned as the laughing sage left. What does he mean? "Maybe I should shift back to his room." his original plan was to return after Yuuri had recovered, but apparently Yuuri needed his help. Or so the sage says...
"Wolfram. See me in the office later." Big brother? What does he want?
Gwendal, the vein on this forehead bulging a dangerous rhythm and seemed larger than usual, dragged his pen across the paperwork roughly like treating an enemy. Wolfram prayed silently. This was never a good sign, being called to his brother's office when it didn't concern any military issues. It happened once when he was fifty, he remembered, and it turned out to be the worst day for all men who dared to even glance at Wolfram.
For that, Wolfram had underwent a five months detention with Gwendal. Nightmare would be the closest word to describe it. "Ahem, good afternoon, big brother."
Gwendal glared up at his younger brother as he greeted him. He put down his pen. "Do you know why I want to see you?" "Ye...no." Wiser to act innocent than putting a bold front. Cute tactics worked better with Gwendal - was what Wolfram had learnt from his past experience.
His brother crossed his fingers. "This is about you moving back to the Maou's room." Wolfram immediately winced. "Yes. Is that a problem, aniue?" "Listen to this and decide for yourself: the longer you share the Maou's room, the higher our people's anticipation of..." Gwendal paid him a disapproving look, "...a royal wedding."
Wh-What?! A WHAT?!
"T-this i-is..." Wolfram could not blame the people for what they were thinking - he basically clung to the king all day and all night with the title of fiance...quite a lot of opportunity and reasons for things to take place between them, if Yuuri weren't that dense of a person.
But...a wedding?
He himself was once a wedding-dreamer, with the cakes and flowers and...but those were behind him now. He didn't know when and he didn't notice it before -- he'd already lost interest in such things. Probably the days of waiting in rejection had washed them from his mind.
So why do they have to bring it back up now...
"Impossible." he finally found the word. Expect anything more than friendship from Yuuri was impossible...wasn't it?
Gwendal furrowed his brows. "That's what you say. I haven't hear it from the Maou yet, and I won't rest until you move out of his room permanently. Don't give me that look, Wolfram. You knew that he isn't in a very steady condition now, and I'm not willing to take any risk by placing you in the same room or bed, with him."
"But..." "No buts. Unless you intend forcing me into arranging Conrad to sleep with you two, you would be better off with taking this option." Gwendal leaned forward with a serious tone, "Do I make myself clear?"
Wolfram mused. He should at least try to stay by that person's side. "Yes, brother." he made his famous sad puppy look, "How sad. I really like that room. The bed too." he put a finger to his lips as he pouted, too cutely for Gwendal, "I'm afraid that I won't be able to sleep comfortably from now onwards. Plus, now Tyler would use all means to climb into my bed. As troublesome as usual."
Peeking at his oldest brother's reaction from the corner of his eyes, Wolfram nearly smiled as he saw the vein already had twins crossing it. A sign which indicated that whatever problem he thought he'd solved, had gave birth to more trouble.
After a whole agony five minutes of waiting, Gwendal finally sighed and resumed writing his reports. "Fine. You can move back. But," he placed emphasis on this word with extreme authority, "I'll have Conrad and his squad on full surveillance around your room. No objections allowed on this matter. You should know better. The election isn't going to end for another month, so as long as you're a candidate -- watch out for your back."
Wolfram muttered a 'yes' as he fell back into his own world. Up until now, there were no assassins at all. This was a weird, abnormal situation seeing that during the previous elections assassins were literally all over the place until he'd no choice but to see everyone as one. Maybe, he didn't like this, It's because Yuuri is with me?
Was he under Yuuri's protection all this time, just being by his side?
He immediately discarded that thought. His previous identity as the Maou's son certainly didn't stop the assassins from pouring in. There was definitely another explanation. What was it? He didn't have time to work that out as another distraction came exploding from no where. With some weird machines by the name of '-kun'.
"No worries!" the famous red-haired scientist placed her latest safety helmet-looking invention on the floor with a firm 'thump'. "With my 'Fix-Your-Brain-and-Memory-kun', Maou-heika will definitely return to his original state!"
As expected from Gwendal who had survived Annissina's endless, persistent, random disturbance, he calmly finished his ninety-eighth report and reached for the ninety-ninth one. "There is nothing wrong with His Highness's brain."
Annissina smiled proudly. "Ah, don't underestimate women, Gwendal. We come up with the most useful tools to solve the problems men created. With this Fix-Your-Brain-and-Memory-kun, I can not only change his brain, but free him of illusions as well."
No one said anything. They knew all too well the outcome of her inventions.
Gwendal was doing a great job of maintaining his composure. "Heika will not agree to this."
"I would say quite the opposite. Heika is always the more compromising one."
"Not in his current state. You should have known about it already to have invented such a thing..."
"Fix-Your-Brain-and-Memory-kun." "...ahem. If you knew this, then Gunter..."
"He is lying in Gisela's room at the present time. Too much blood loss, after hearing from Tyler." "Not surprising. Mother..." "Chatting, no, squealing away with maids in the garden." "...now we know how the news leak."
Satisfied with his brief investigation on the web of news around the castle, Gwendal's frowns eased a little. "Wolfram." "Yes?" "Tell Yuuri-heika about our arrangements. Now. And Annissina, please kindly give our king a little time to recover before you put that thing--" "Fix-Your-Brain-and-Memory-kun." "...ah yes. Before you put that on his head, I still need a king to sign the paperwork. I'd prefer to have a living, sharp-minded one rather than one with a deformed brain."
Annissina placed one hand on her hip. "Ah, you worry too much, Gwendal. No mistake will take place with such a great invention that I now hold. Once I get this on Yuuri-heika's head, you'll see the results in no time!" she was gone in a blink.
"Annissina..." Gwendal was almost done with his hundredth report when he used too much strength and broke his quill. Argh. Now it was ruined. "Wolfram, follow her right away. I'll come shortly after this." that woman will never listen.
Wolfram looked around as he stood before the mahogany door of the royal chamber. No sign of red. She must have went to Gisela's to collect Gunter as her machine's power-provider. Poor guy.
Oh well. Might as well hid Yuuri in a safe place until Gwendal found a way to get rid of that dangerous looking thing. But...his hands stopped on the door handle, After that day, how should I face him? Act angry? Pretend that I forgot all about it? His hands tightened, No.
I'm tired of pretending.
With that determination in mind, he pushed open the door, only to be greeted by a face which looked like it belonged to one in the grave.
"Uwah!!" Wolfram took a huge step back. "Who are you? What happen to Yuuri? What have you did to him--" he paused as he noticed the familiar but extremely messy black hair. "...Yuuri?" he tentatively approached the drowsy being on the bed.
Looking up close, he realized that it was really the young king, holding a book in one hand while sleeping in a sitting position. He was so deep in sleep that he didn't even hear Wolfram at all. Wolfram sighed. As usual...he took the book out of Yuuri's hands, You made me worry again.
He carefully shifted Yuuri's body until he was lying down on the bed comfortably. "Seriously," Wolfram sat down on the edge of the bed, "Can't you take good care of yourself when I'm not around you?"
The person accused of ignoring his health scowled in his sleep, muttering something inaudible as if to complain it was not his fault. A rare smile graced Wolfram's lips as he leaned nearer to have a good look of him, his hands smoothing down Yuuri's messy, all-tangled hair. "Tsk, your hair...you must have been very stressed."
His heart pained to see such a sickly face. He didn't know what was going on with Yuuri. It might be what Murata had said: it was, indirectly, his fault. But he didn't remember going anywhere near Yuuri these three days. So how can he affect Yuuri when he is not even there?
"You're so unlike yourself recently." Wolfram let his hands slowly skimmed over Yuuri's cheek. "I know you can't do anything about it. It's just...I'm getting more and more nervous around you. And you're not helping at all by doing those things...I'm totally confused, but above all, I feel..." he lingered at the edge of Yuuri's lips, not daring to touch it. "Glad."
Really glad. That you can actually treat me as someone more than a friend. Even though it's just a fleeting dream.
He knew this deep in his heart, and he was prepared for it. Once Yuuri recovered from all this madness, everything will be back to normal. No more stolen kisses. No more embarrassing caresses. No more "Touch him and you die" possessive glares.
Yuuri turned his face a little, brushing his lips against Wolfram's fingers as he did. Wolfram snapped his hands back in reflex.
"Wolf..." hmm? "I..." Wolfram frowned as he shifted nearer to hear what Yuuri just mumbled. "I want..."
Even though it tickled, he placed his ears right next to Yuuri's mouth, noting that Yuuri's breath became short and ragged.
"I want...you."