A night of silence descended upon them.
Lance drifted into slumber, and Duke Arthur didn't disturb his rest. When he awoke, the morning sun had already pierced the cave's entrance.
Duke Arthur stood silhouetted against the light, obscuring a significant portion of it. Lance, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, asked, "Why did you not wake me up for the shift?"
Duke Arthur turned his gaze away from the sloppily dressed Lance, "Someone's nearby."
Lance stifled a yawn, "The Royal Reinforcements?"
"It appears so." Duke Arthur then approached the spot where Lance had rested, erasing any traces left behind.
He issued instructions, "I'll go out first. You stay here and await their arrival. If questioned, simply state you don't know my whereabouts. We were separated in the darkness of the night."
Lance rose from where he had been sitting, adjusting his attire, mumbling, "I must again return to my duties and serve His Majesty."
Duke Arthur, standing nearby, heard this, a faint frown forming on his lips.
Suddenly, he reached out and roughly caught Lance's arm, preventing him from moving.
Lance turned to face him, his eyes meeting Duke Arthur's, and there was a questioning look in his eyes.
He did not wait for Lance to react after he spoke before overwhelming the other. Lowering his head, Duke Arthur held the back of Lance's head and deeply kissed him.
Lance's eyes widened as he thought, this development is a bit wrong!
007: ["Well, well, isn't this an unexpected twist? Being all naughty with Duke Arthur! You get what you deserve!" ^_^]
Lance: ["This is indeed unexpected."] Lance tried to speak, but only his whimpers could be heard.
Just when Lance thought he was going to faint out of breath, Duke Arthur finally let go of him. Lance lightly gasped for breath.
When Duke Arthur saw Lance open his mouth to try to say something, he spoke in a low voice, "I know you have feelings for me. Consider this an initial gift for our cooperation."
Lance was left utterly speechless. He hadn't expected Duke Arthur to see his good feelings like this.
Meanwhile, 007 chimed in with a teasing tone, ["Host, you were totally doing the 'I see you only in my eyes' act!"]
As Duke Arthur rose to leave the cave, Lance could only watch in silence, his lips still tingling from the unexpected kiss.
Lance took a moment to adjust his attire and composure, observing Duke Arthur's departure. A creepy smile crept onto his lips scaring 007, ["He kissed me but a single percentage didn't increase."]
007: ["..."] Damn. The Duke was even worse than the King!
Soon after, the cave echoed with the sounds of approaching footsteps. Lance casually stood, kneading his shoulders and lower back, which had grown stiff from a night's rest on the cold ground.
He concealed the small blade taken from a dead Blood Rain member as he greeted the approaching Royal Reinforcement.
When Lance again raised his head to face them, his expression had transformed. He clung to the cave's wall, his face weak and helpless.
Examining the Royal Reinforcements before him, he asked, "Are you sent by His Majesty?"
The commander of the Royal Reinforcements, who had nearly abandoned hope, now rejoiced.
Upon seeing Lance, he felt relief, "I was slow to rescue you, My Lord. I beg your forgiveness."
"There is no need for forgiveness, Sir. Your efforts of finding me here is enough," Lance replied, his previous panic replaced by a gentle and composed demeanor.
Neither haughty nor obsequious, his tone was reassuring.
The commander sneaked a quick glance at Lance and silently admired the difference in upbringing between him and the other consorts.
Lance displayed remarkable composure in such dire circumstances, setting a fine example.
With a respectful nod, the commander inquired, "I did not encounter Duke Arthur along the way. May I inquire about His Grace's current whereabouts?"
Lance weakly shook his head. "I woke up alone in this cave as night fell. I don't know where Duke Arthur went or if he was attacked by beasts..."
The commander contemplated for a moment and decided to send a squad to escort Lance, while the remaining Reinforcements would continue searching for Duke Arthur.
-----
Duke Arthur, hiding behind few rocks, experienced a moment of regret. A pang of jealousy had led him to act impulsively and kiss Consort Lancelot without his consent.
His brother always got what he wanted, and perhaps this time, he would reclaim everything he had lost.
He wouldn't allow another person who had placed their trust in him for freedom to slip away.
They were set to confront the challenges ahead, so why not face them together with someone so pretty like Lancelot?
-----
Upon returning to the Royal Castle, Alfredo had been in tears and busy attending to him.
He briefly comforted Alfredo before reclining on a couch, enjoying his pastries. Suddenly, 007's announcement chimed in:
[Duke Arthur's favorability +30%, his current favorability is 50%.]
[Duke Arthur's favorability +30%, his current favorability at 80%.]
007 was excited: ["Your favorability is already at 80, host! Keep it up!"] It seemed their efforts were paying off.
Lance absentmindedly pinched his cheeks and asked 007: [Is there a problem with your favorability calculation?]
007 responded defensively: ["I was thoroughly tested before leaving the organization. Trust my quality!"]
Lance nodded and reassured 007: ["Alright, I trust your quality. But this sudden spike in favorability is strange. I hardly interacted with Duke Arthur from last night until this morning, and our conversations were about cooperation and that...kiss. How did this happen?"]
While Lance pondered this, Alfredo entered and reported, "His Majesty has sent the Doctor Dyson and a lot of medicines."
Lance, preoccupied, replied, "Store the medcines well and tell the Doctor Dyson I'm in good health. I've rested and am not in the mood for another check-up."
He thought about how he had offered Duke Arthur nothing more than metaphorical encouragement the previous evening, assuring him of success.
Could that simple kiss be the reason for this favorable turn?
Alfredo glanced curiously at Lance, sighing before he left the room.
------
A loud noise rang out. The beautiful crafted floor tiles cracked, casting patterns across the floor.
The once-beautiful design on the floor was now destroyed, hiding its original beauty.
The butler's of First Consort Jace's Castle lowered their heads unable to express their anger.
The First Consort was known for his kindness, rarely scolding his servants. It was unusual for him to show such anger.
First Consort Jace, seated by the large open window, glared at the remaining servants as if he might throw them another glassware at any moment.
One of the butlers, who was close to him, offered comfort in a hushed voice, "My Lord, King Alexander is concerned for your well-being. After all, he stayed with you every night after returning from that gruesome event."
First Consort Jace, however, dismissed this with disdain. "You don't understand him," he retorted.
"He only cares for those he favors and can't even remember those he doesn't. Lancelot spent the whole night in a poisoness forest; who knows what kind of disease he brought with him? Yet, the King brought him into the castle without a word."
"If the King didn't hold Lancelot in high regard, he wouldn't have returned alive!"
The servants exchanged anxious glances but didn't dare to say more. First Consort Jace remained seated, lost in thought.