Don't Come Near Me, I'm Just a Background Character [BL Harem]

24 - Tsun-tsun Traitor

I stood at the doorway of the parlor room, hearing the medley of voices overlap each other muffled through the door. The servant knocked and opened it, announcing that the Young Master had come. My mother's eyes lit up as she heard those words, and she hurriedly ushered Eliad to bring the silver letter tray over. She clapped her hands and let out a brilliant ear-to-ear beam.

"Remis, go sit down." Mother patted the end of the sofa and motioned for me to come, her eyes wild with ecstasy. I reluctantly made my way over, with the coaxed and quiet Cyrus following close behind me.

"A message from the crown prince, Lucius del Vires, to Remis Alchean Xenith, it reads." My mother assumed a bragging expression. My face froze as she read the first sentence.

That prince? The capture target, prince? A wave of perplexity washed over me. I felt that I had a fairly straightforward and simple relationship with the crown prince. I didn't do anything particularly significant to him. Why was he sending me a formal letter like this?

Thinking back, I felt a small sense of pride swell in my chest. That prince, who my sister said was supposedly hard to tame, was shown to be a little tsundere blonde boy who had a big sweet tooth to me. I remembered, during Mother's forced meetings, I would bring the bribes of green tea muffins and small Japanese cheesecakes to the table. I would set the trays down and the tsundere would take it with slightly flushed cheeks and a pout. He would huff, then say, "I'm forced to eat it, I have no choice," before promptly turning around to conceal him shoving a whole muffin in his mouth. His cheeks would puff out and jiggle as he chewed, and his legs would kick up under the table in delight. When Mother would forget to set a meeting that week, he would knock on my door in the evenings, sulking indignantly and demanding for more sweets.

My brows creased and I curled into a small ball, funneling farther into the soft silk couch. Forget it, no matter how bad the punishment the letter says, it can't be that bad, I'll just deal with it when the time comes. My thoughts started to turn snide. Heh, I'm never giving that tsun-tsun sweets again. He'll starve! Never to experience them again! I pounded my first quietly on the couch armrest, grinding my teeth maliciously.

My mother's voice interrupted the plotting of my insidious scheme. She began to read the note aloud.

You are hereby ordered to the royal palace for the drafting of aides for the new King. A royal escort carriage will arrive in one week; July 17th, Imperial Year 1302. Alsar Academy has been alerted of student absences, and you thus will be exempt from all class programming for the two weeks in which you will be lodging in the Capitol Royal Palace. Persons which the invite is not addressed to may not attend this civil selection.

The note continued on to specify more policies and other precautionary measures. My mother's grin grew wider as she continued skimming over the formal invite. She moved her hand, pulling the rest of the invite out, and as she did, a slip of folded paper peeked out from behind the small thick invite. The folded note fluttered to the floor.

Dear Young Lord Xenith,

I hope this letter finds you well. As I come of age, I am in need of an aid. I believe your displays of intellectual strength and magic make you fit for the position. The relationship between Vires and Xenith will surely grow stronger over the course of time. I look forward to seeing you in the selection.

My eyes glazed over as Mother read the note with smug astonishment. I grabbed the back of my scalp, pulling chunks of hair furiously. If I was going to the palace—which I was, I would miss two weeks of school. By that time, only three more weeks of school would be left. The precious weeks of invisibility in a place where I was exempt from my mother's forceful socializing, or my father's overbearing hugs, or Eliad's awkward interactions, would be gone. Not to mention, if I was really appointed as the crown prince Lucius' aid, I would probably have to spend the rest of the three school weeks in the palace learning royal etiquette anyway...

My brows furrowed. This school year, there were only two capture targets in school, Cyrus and that goddamn traitor Lucius. The little puppy Zier helped null their deathly presences anyway. Not to mention, Oberon, the Head Mage, hasn't even arrived at the school yet as a magic counselor. I remembered the one time I had seen him, right before the debut. What an annoying pest, poking my cheek and touching me so unnecessarily. Next year, all of those parasitic troublemaker capture targets, including that childish Head Mage, would flood into the school halls, and then what? What would happen to my indolent, non-disturbed life? There was no way I was going to waste my time in the palace, learning to be that traitor's aid! I clenched my fist and looked forward with a determined gaze.

I will never forfeit the last of my peaceful school days!

I will fail the selection!

----

The escort carriage rocked and swayed with the ruts of the unpaved dirt road. The Xenith manor was isolated, surrounded by forest. The trip to it was a long one. The sound of birds chirping outside was particularly grating today.

I had been riding in the stuffy, ornate carriage for two days. Except for the routine breaks for the knights trotting around the carriage, I have never been let out of the confines of the tiny room. I lifted my hand in front of my face and felt a warmth engulf the tips of my fingers. My blood in my arm seemed to boil, but I soon quenched it, thinking if I really did light a fireball inside, it would probably burn down the carriage with a boom.

I sighed and set down the book I had finished reading. The area under my eyes was marked by prominent dark circles. I placed the finished book onto the teetering stack of seventeen thick, heavy tomes lying on the cushioned sofa bed.

I grunted and stood up. My foot hovered over the delicate metal box lying on the floor. A small ice-blue amulet sealed the opening of the box. It permeated the air inside it, making the box cooled to prevent the treats inside from spoiling.

"Bake whatever you bake, then give it to the crown prince once you get to the palace. Don't forget!" Mother's voice echoed in my head.

I scowled. Hmph, why should I give the sweets to that traitor when I'm the one who baked it? Haha, when I get to the palace, I'll eat all the sweets right in front of that spoiled tsun-tsun! I let out a triumphant, snide smirk and walked to the window. I drew the small curtain and opened the sheet of glass.

A knight cantered on a silvery-white horse outside. The corner of his eye caught the motion in the carriage. "Young Lord? Do you require assistance?" He inquired respectfully.

I shook my head ordinarily and shifted my attention to the front of the carriage. As the carriage approached, my gaze was drawn to the towering walls made of smooth, grey stone. A feeling of awe washed over me, causing my eyes to soften with wonder. We're here! My eyes glistened and a small, uncontrollable smile spread. Hehe, I'll make sure to give that spoiled tsun-tsun a piece of my mind once I get there!

We passed through immigration and soon drove through the crowded stone roads of the inner kingdom. In the center of it all was a towering mansion, with its towers scraping the sky and its white and gold marble stone glistening beautifully in the sun. My heart palpitated. I guess it was somewhat worth the trip.

We rolled through the streets and arrived at the gates of the palace. Its majestically adorned metal gates opened with the wave of the knight leading the carriage. A big-headed smugness crawled into my heart and I chuckled precociously. Heh, of course. Now, lead me to that princely traitor, peasants!