Chapter 109: 109 — Long Journey
With each step he took, his boots left a faint trace behind. Even though the trees stood lifeless now, and the soil lay draped in snow, Ren remembered the road perfectly. His steps faltered when his gaze fell on the tree where he had once tied a lavender ribbon.
His chest tightened as he walked closer. The field of roses lay dead, nothing but brittle branches peeking through the cracks of ice. He knelt, brushing the frozen ground with a careful hand.
"I will be back soon," he whispered. "I can’t let him take away our son. And in front of those monsters," his voice laced with rage, his eyes burning. But he inhaled deeply. "I should hurry before someone notices my absence," he mumbled, rising from the ground.
He began walking back toward the carriage waiting at the edge of the forest. The servants were still busy preparing food for the journey, giving him the chance to slip away. He had visited this place countless times over the years, so even in winter, he could now find it with ease.
But during his first winter in Revhara, it had been different. Back then, he couldn’t locate it at all. He had been forced to use his powers to trace the black string before finally tying a lavender ribbon—borrowed from Maria—to mark the spot.
"Where did you go?"
Ren flinched, as if caught stealing, and turned to find Zayden standing to his right. The man leaned against a tree trunk, arms crossed, his long dark coat tugged by the wind.
"I wanted some fresh air," he answered, fixing his white jacket’s hoodie, carefully hiding his hair.
He wore heavy clothes so he could easily hide himself in front of the High Priests coming from Hianshu. They must not remember him properly—unless it were those who knew him personally who were coming to Revhara.
Zayden snorted, clearly not believing him.
"Fresh air? In this cold?"
Ren didn’t answer. What could he even say?
"Let’s go, Papa, Dad!" Eiran called, waving as he climbed into the carriage. He was no longer a child who needed to be carried inside.
Without another word, Ren slipped in after him, settling at Eiran’s side. The General followed moments later, taking the seat across from them. Soon, the carriage rumbled forward down the snowy road.
Zayden leaned back, his coat slightly folded, and began recounting his childhood days in the palace to familiarize Eiran with it.
"Elder Brother tried to climb that old oak by himself! I swear, I nearly had a heart attack. He wanted to bring me to the court because Father called for me. And as reckless as I am, and stubborn..."
Ren kept his eyes forward, pretending to stare at the falling snow, but his attention lingered on Zayden.
Normally, Zayden’s rambling would have grated on him—loud, messy, chaotic—but today, he found himself listening, noting the way the General’s scarlet eyes softened when he spoke about his childhood, and a sincere smile reflected on the window. One Ren rarely saw.
"He almost toppled off the branch, but I jumped down, and caught him just in time. Can you imagine?" Zayden chuckled, oblivious to the cold air that made Ren’s fingers stiff.
Ren’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly. He straightened slightly in his seat—not out of comfort, but because he didn’t want to miss the slight curve of Zayden’s smile.
"And you, Ren, are as quiet as ever," Zayden said, glancing up with a teasing glint in his eyes. "Not that I mind. I like that you are... listening."
Ren turned his gaze to Zayden briefly, and for a heartbeat, he let himself see the joy in Zayden’s expression. Then he looked away quickly, the corner of his mouth betraying nothing.
Why do I care that he noticed?
He thought, as a warmth spread through his chest that had nothing to do with the fire from the carriage stove to keep them warm.
Eiran yawned, leaning against Ren’s side, and Ren instinctively shifted to support him, careful not to disturb Zayden’s animated storytelling.
After a few minutes, the General stopped talking, realizing Eiran had already fallen asleep.
"And then?" Ren’s voice cut through the momentary silence, catching Zayden off guard.
"What?" Zayden blinked. Was Ren asking him to continue? His heart skipped a beat. Maybe he did have a tiny bit of interest in him after all!
"What happened after His Imperial Highness was caught by you?"
"I fell," he chuckled, rubbing his hair, slightly embarrassed.
A soft laugh escaped Ren despite himself.
"I-I was a child!" Zayden argued. "He was much taller than me. AND heavier," he grumbled. However, his gaze didn’t leave Ren for a second.
"But at least this story made you smile," he said, his expression serious now.
Ren looked at him, the smile slowly fading.
Zayden sighed. He shouldn’t have mentioned it at all.
If I had kept my mouth shut, he would still be smiling, right?
He bit his lower lip, cursing himself.
"You are... funny sometimes, My Lord," Ren said, smiling softly at him.
"Is it a compliment?"
Ren nodded.
"I thought you were mad at me."
The servant turned his head. He couldn’t argue with that. He was certain he had been mad earlier, but the feeling disappeared almost immediately.
Perhaps he was too grateful to Zayden for taking such good care of Eiran to stay mad at him for long. After all, he had seen how the General had spared nothing in trying to find him when the child was abducted.
"So? You were mad?" Zayden gasped. "You were mad at your master?"
Ren narrowed his eyes, looking at Zayden.
"Master? You are My Lord, not master," he corrected.
"Is it not the same thing?" Zayden raised an eyebrow.
The servant sighed.
He is talking nonsense again...
"Answer me."
"I am not sure. You are more educated than me," Ren said, once again gazing at the field of snow outside.
"... Yeah," Zayden sighed. "A master controls you. Who am I to control you, my dearest attendant?"
Ren didn’t answer.
This is going to be one long journey...