A Snake’s Life Ch 56

Chapter 56

 

Warm sunlight and a cool breeze entered the office through the window. The breeze gently lifted the papers and let them settle repeatedly. A mountain of documents still lay piled on Zerpell’s desk, waiting to be dealt with. Had he reviewed them as usual, he would have cleared through a stack by now.

Along with the sound of the wind, a sigh from Ian spread through the room.

Zerpell was reviewing documents, but his attention kept drifting elsewhere. Whenever Ian called him in a low voice, Zerpell seemed to gather his focus and resume working, but his unmoving pupils and the idle tapping of his fountain pen against the papers betrayed his lack of concentration.

Eventually, a pool of black ink formed on an important document. Unable to bear it any longer, Ian spoke up.

“Your Highness. Is something wrong? Please focus on your work.”

“……”

“Your Highness?”

“Hmm… I suppose I should.”

“Do you know how many times this has happened already? Please, I beg you, concentrate now. What do you intend to do with all these documents?”

“…Ian, have you ever been in love?”

“…Excuse me? What kind of…”

Ian was flustered by the sudden question, momentarily mistaking it for a provocation. To him, Zerpell seemed to be in the middle of a romantic relationship. Ian curled his lips into a crooked smirk and spoke somewhat insolently.

“I have no time for romance because of work.”

“Tut, what have you been doing all this time without even experiencing love?”

‘I can’t hit him… because he’s the crown prince.’

Ian’s clenched fist trembled, but he composed himself and replied, his voice devoid of emotion.

“Indeed. I wonder myself. But why are you asking all of a sudden?”

“Hmm… Shuiren won’t come around.”

“What?”

Ian was taken aback. He had assumed they were a couple given the pink-tinted atmosphere between them… but apparently not.

Whenever the clock’s hand struck the hour for class, Zerpell would rise from his desk, muttering softly that it was time for lessons, leaving Ian—who had been diligently speaking—hanging in awkward silence more than once. Ian could only stare in disbelief as Zerpell walked away.

One day, Ian had gone to the classroom to deliver important news. Peeking in cautiously, he couldn’t even tell whether it was a class or a date.

Ian had quietly turned back without entering. Though the situation was laughable, he refrained from chuckling, knowing it would surely earn him a scathing glare. Zerpell was seriously brooding, wearing a grave expression.

Zerpell hadn’t expected it to be difficult. When they first kissed, Shuiren hadn’t shown any discomfort—his cheeks even turned a rosy hue. He hadn’t said he disliked it, and Zerpell was sure Shuiren had feelings for him. Using the lessons as an excuse, they spent more time together, and he treated Shuiren kindly, creating a good atmosphere. Yet Shuiren would often get distracted or bolt the moment class ended.

At first, Zerpell had found this behavior endearing, but his patience was beginning to wear thin.

“Why is this happening…?”

“How would I know?”

Zerpell asked with a tone of genuine curiosity. But how could Ian know? Displeased, Ian roughly flipped through the papers in a silent protest not to be questioned further. Zerpell stared intently at him.

He wanted an answer. After all, if the paperwork wasn’t processed, it was Ian who had to suffer. Sighing lightly, Ian finally set the papers down.

“Use your face. Shuiren likes your face, doesn’t he?”

“I already am.”

It didn’t look like he would make any work progress until he resolved this. Ian retrieved the ruined documents. The Shuiren Ian knew was someone with clear preferences.

“What about a barrage of gifts? Expensive ones—he likes those, right?”

“He said there’s nothing he wants.”

“…Well, Shuiren does have a lot of things.”

Ian recalled the room full of Shuiren’s belongings.

He sighed and held his head. He had caught on to Zerpell’s feelings, but “love” was still a difficult concept for the prince.

All Zerpell knew to do was act as gently and generously as possible. He merely mimicked how others expressed affection around him. Beyond that, he didn’t know what else to do.

Zerpell exhaled deeply, his breath tinged with frustration. Watching him silently, Ian casually suggested,

“Sigh…”

“Why not try a surprise gift? A present from the heart can shake someone’s heart in return.”

To Ian, Zerpell’s dilemma felt luxurious. Who on earth cuddled, fed each other, and slept together if not in love? From his perspective, the two were no different from lovers. Their feelings were mutual—only the parties involved seemed unaware of it.

‘I haven’t even experienced love myself…’

Ian shared what he knew as someone who, before being a royal aide, was still human—a person capable of giving relationship advice. Swallowing his bitterness, he continued,

“Did you ever confess again after that?”

“No. I told him I’d wait.”

Zerpell had clearly expressed his feelings once but had never pushed the issue afterward. Ian could guess what he was thinking. He was being considerate of Shuiren.

“Your Highness. From what I’ve seen, there’s a high chance Shuiren won’t say anything himself. No, I’m certain of it.”

The fountain pen dropped from Zerpell’s hand. It rolled across the desk and bumped into the ink bottle. Ian’s gaze followed it. Just then, Zerpell slammed his desk and stood up.

Startled by Ian’s words, it had been an instinctive reaction. A menacing air began to emanate from Zerpell. He glanced at Ian sideways.

“What… did you just say?”

Ian flinched under the sharp intensity radiating from Zerpell. He quickly adjusted his voice to avoid any misunderstandings and clarified,

“Shuiren does not dislike Your Highness. That much is clear from how he usually treats you, isn’t it?”

It was true. Shuiren behaved noticeably differently around Zerpell, a fact even the prince acknowledged. Which only made him more desperate.

“Indeed.”

Zerpell answered without hesitation. Ian wanted to scream: Then what are you agonizing over?

“But he won’t say it first. You know his personality—he’ll pretend not to know, feel embarrassed, hurt his pride… There’s a high chance he’ll never say a word. The one who falls in love first always loses. Just close your eyes and go all in. If you press hard, Shuiren will likely accept before he even knows it.”

Zerpell leaned back into his chair. Ian, with a sideways glance, dropped a subtle question.

“Isn’t it going smoothly?”

“…Does it look that way?”

The truth was, he had a reason for his anxiety. The Imperial Ball was approaching. It was not only hosted by the imperial palace but also served as a celebration of the arrival of the Divine Envoy. Public interest was unusually high.

The Empire was abuzz with Shuiren’s upcoming appearance. Newspapers left and right were publishing articles about him. One column even featured an interview with a noblewoman discussing Shuiren.

To summarize: they were all excited to see him. Some young ladies were even aiming to marry him. It was tabloid-level gossip, but enough to make Zerpell’s blood boil.

Shuiren seemed to have a slight aversion to men as romantic partners. The Imperial Ball would draw a diverse crowd, and there was always the risk that someone might win his heart. Banning noblewomen from the event was impossible.

Zerpell couldn’t afford to let his guard down around men either. There was no guarantee they wouldn’t fall for Shuiren. Of all occasions, the Imperial Ball was notorious for matchmaking. The thought of someone else approaching Shuiren ignited Zerpell’s fury.

“The ball is coming soon, isn’t it?”

“Ah…”

“Just imagining the vermin that might swarm around him makes my skin crawl.”

Zerpell’s eyes burned with passion as he envisioned his imaginary enemies. Ian shifted his gaze toward the newspaper on the table. Zerpell always read it religiously. The newspaper was a place where people expressed opinions freely, whether through fierce criticism, reflections of public sentiment, or evaluations of reputation.

Therefore… articles about Shuiren were flooding in, brimming with speculation and excitement. As the ball drew nearer, the writing grew more blatant. Ian’s eyes flickered with understanding—unease.

In fact, the one most sought after by the noble ladies was Zerpell himself. He too was one of the reasons the Empire was in a stir. Though famed as the crown prince who led the war to victory, few had seen him in person. After entering the palace, he had gone straight to government work, and the emperor—displeased with him—hadn’t even held a welcome banquet.

Through magic mirrors, both Shuiren and Zerpell had been seen. Rumors about Zerpell’s striking looks began to spread, and the noblewomen grew eager.

“No one should approach Shuiren. Everything is being prepared as I ordered, correct?”

Shuiren’s knight would be assigned to security for the nobles during the ball, and Ian, not being a noble, could not attend. There was no guarantee that Zerpell could stay by Shuiren’s side the entire time.

“Yes. I instructed that matching outfits be prepared. The samples will be brought tomorrow. The brooch is also being made.”

Ian clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘Wasn’t it Your Highness who suggested the idea and explained its meaning…?’

Wearing matching outfits—an unspoken sign of a couple at social gatherings. That was why Ian had assumed their hearts were already aligned.

Zerpell tapped the desk with a frustrated expression. It was rare to see him this anxious. Ian, tired of hearing that tapping, took a deep breath and began to neatly stack the scattered papers.

He had been informed that Shuiren had gone to the lake. Ian subtly suggested,

“Why not go meet Shuiren? I believe Your Highness could use a change of pace. I’ll handle the rest of the work. Don’t forget to take Cedric with you.”

“I will.”

Zerpell rose from the desk without hesitation and walked out, the sound of the door closing behind him echoing in the room. Ian would come to regret this moment for a long time.