After that exhausting meeting, Eugene immediately lay down on his bed.
His back ached from performing both the birth and marriage ceremonies in one day.
Thinking about the marriage made his teeth clench. He still couldn't believe that in this lifetime, he would have to marry a man. Thankfully, he managed to negotiate with the emperor to choose just one man for himself. If the emperor hadn't agreed, it was hard to imagine five men living in his room at the same time.
But what was done was done. At least he was born a prince and not a commoner. Being a commoner sounded like a nightmare—working from before sunrise until after sunset with pay barely enough to eat.
At least as a prince, life was comfortable. With just a single word, the servants would take care of everything for him.
Eugene exhaled harshly and glanced at the young man sitting on the sofa in his room, head lowered.
"Aren't you going to sleep? Come here," Eugene ordered. After all, they were both men. What was there to be shy about? Though, seeing the thin and malnourished body of the man before him made Eugene wince.
"I'm fine, Your Highness," Ergio replied politely.
Seeing Ergio insist, Eugene just shrugged indifferently. At least he had offered the luxurious bed. If the other party didn't want it, that wasn't his problem.
Eugene stretched as he lay on the bed, relishing its softness. Slowly, his eyes drifted shut.
When the sun began to rise, Eugene woke from his slumber. As usual, there were no servants to wake him, as the original owner of this body was known to be temperamental. Any mistakes made by servants could result in death, and the original owner despised being disturbed during sleep.
The only servant who had gained the trust of this body was Golgi. Other servants would only come if summoned.
Eugene sighed in relief. At least he didn't have to be cautious around anyone because of the personality of this body—except for Golgi.
Opening his eyes, Eugene noticed Ergio still sleeping on the sofa.
Although the sofa was soft, Ergio's tall frame didn't fit entirely, leaving his legs hanging awkwardly.
Perhaps sensing the intense gaze, Ergio blinked awake. Upon seeing Eugene, he immediately sat up.
"Good morning, Your Highness," Ergio greeted softly, his deep morning voice still hoarse.
"Mm, good morning," Eugene replied, rising to head to the spacious bathroom.
After soaking for a while, he finally emerged wearing a thin robe. To his surprise, Ergio was still sitting in the same position.
"Doesn't he feel stiff sitting like that?" Eugene thought, baffled. He then opened his wardrobe, choosing the simplest outfit available. Even so, he still had no idea how to put it on.
His eyes darted toward Ergio. "Ergio, help me get dressed."
Ergio's eyes widened at the request but chose to think positively. Of course, the prince wouldn't know how to dress himself—he had servants for that.
However, Ergio hadn't seen any servants in this room so far. Wasn't this prince highly favored by the emperor? Why was no one serving him?
"Ergio?"
"Ah, yes, Your Highness. Shall I call the servants for you?" Ergio offered carefully, trying not to offend.
Eugene shook his head. "Do you not know how to dress someone either?" he asked, unwilling to disturb Golgi, who was currently on leave.
"I do," Ergio quickly replied, his hands trembling as he grabbed the garments. Especially when his fingers brushed against the prince's soft skin, he had to suppress a gulp.
"After all, I'm his consort now. Physical contact should be natural," he thought, trying to calm himself.
But as his eyes landed on the smooth and delicate back before him, he couldn't help but swallow hard. Shaking his head quickly, he continued dressing the prince with his eyes shut tightly.
Eugene looked pleased at the results. Having another servant like Ergio was proving to be quite useful.
"Go take a bath and meet me in the study afterward," Eugene said before leaving the room, where a line of servants awaited him.
Meanwhile, Ergio stood frozen for a moment, staring at his master's retreating figure. His master was nothing like the rumors that painted him as a devil. Instead, he seemed almost angelic in his gentleness.
But rumors were just rumors, unworthy of trust.
It seemed he had made the right choice in serving the fifth prince.
After getting dressed, Ergio followed the other servants to the prince's study.
Entering the room, he found Eugene immersed in a pile of documents.
"Ergio, come here," Eugene called upon noticing him.
Obeying without hesitation, Ergio sat across the prince at the large desk.
Eugene couldn't help but smile at Ergio's obedience. The large man reminded him of the kitten he had once owned.
However, Eugene quickly shifted to a serious expression. "Ergio, do you understand what's written in these documents?" he asked, sliding a stack of papers across the table.
"May I read them, Your Highness?" Ergio asked hesitantly, disbelief lacing his voice.
Eugene nodded. "Of course."
With permission granted, Ergio eagerly opened the documents and began reading them thoroughly. In truth, reading and writing were his greatest joys.
However, his lowly birth meant he wasn't allowed to read, except in secret when his mother taught him. When the Duchess found out, he was punished and banned from touching books again.
The only text he was permitted to read after that was the Bible. But even so, he was grateful.
Despite this limitation, Ergio's sharp mind allowed him to quickly grasp the issues outlined in the documents.
Eugene, who had been observing Ergio, found it strange. Instead of being annoyed, Ergio seemed genuinely happy to receive such a daunting task.
Eugene couldn't fathom how Ergio's brain worked, but he wasn't complaining. Having someone this intelligent to review the growing pile of documents was a blessing.
If Ergio could continue assisting him, perhaps Eugene wouldn't mind having another intelligent consort. Then he could relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery.