(TL Notes: Changed Arthur to Arthur, since it's easier.)
"Hello."
The boy before him greeted Rei with impeccable politeness.
His gentle, delicate voice made Rei momentarily doubt his own eyes.
However, rather than dwelling on the discord between the voice, appearance, and gender, Rei was more concerned about something else.
Not far from them, buried beneath the earth, lay the corpse of another knight.
His previous assassinations had gone too smoothly, leading him to lower his guard just a little.
Now, he couldn't be sure whether this boy had seen something he shouldn't have.
Then—
He might as well kill him too.
A cold glint flashed through Rei's gaze.
His hands were already stained with enough blood. One more wouldn't make a difference.
"Hello? Can you hear me?"
The boy waved his hand, trying to get Rei's attention.
"I can."
Rei put on a false, friendly smile.
At some point, he had realized he had mastered this strange art of deception—
He could conjure up a warm and welcoming smile at any moment, all while preparing to kill the person before him.
Rei could feel that his mindset had undergone a significant change.
"And you are…?"
Seeing Rei finally respond, the boy let out a relieved sigh before introducing himself.
"Hello, my name is Arthur."
"As for now—"
Arthur glanced at the wooden cart beside him.
"I just want to enter the city and sell these freshly picked apples."
"So, may I ask for permission to enter?"
[Arthur words made you realize that it's already autumn, the season of the apple harvest.]
[You quietly lamented how quickly time had passed.]
[At the same time, you became aware of another fact—]
[Arthur seemed to have mistaken you for a city gate guard.]
[Since you couldn't determine whether he had seen you burying the body, you decided to ensure he was unarmed before lowering your guard.]
[You demanded to search him.]
"A… a body search?"
For some reason, upon hearing Rei's request, Arthur looked troubled.
This made Rei suspicious.
"What's the problem? You object to it?"
"Anyone entering the capital must undergo an inspection."
"Unless—"
Rei's gaze turned sharp.
"You have something to hide. In that case, I might need to call over more guards."
Rei's words were effective.
The moment he said that, Arthur quickly shook his head in denial.
"No, nothing like that!"
"Please… please proceed."
Saying this, Arthur spread his arms wide, forming a cross-like posture, showing he was ready for the search.
Just then, a few guards happened to walk by.
Not wanting to attract unnecessary attention, Rei was left with no choice but to carry out the search.
Luckily—
This was something he was very familiar with.
Being a knight, Rei had undergone countless inspections and knew exactly how it was done.
He crouched down, beginning the search from Arthur' legs.
Unexpectedly—
Though he called himself a "boy," Arthur' legs were slender and firm, vaguely reminiscent of the first time Rei had touched Morgan's.
However, Rei had no interest in any body that wasn't Morgan's.
He cast a doubtful glance at Arthur, only to see the youth avoiding his gaze, as if nervous.
Moving his hands upward, Rei reached the area around the waist and hips.
Once again, he felt something unnervingly out of place—
Why would a "boy" possess such a well-defined, smooth curve beneath his clothes, resembling that of a woman?
"Say your name again."
"Arthur."
Rei committed the obviously male-sounding name to memory and continued his search.
Soon, his hands reached the waist.
The sensation of a perfectly sculpted curve replaced the firmness of the hips.
By feeling along both sides, Rei could already picture the physique concealed beneath the clothes.
—A tapering figure, broad at the top and bottom, narrow at the center.
Rei's suspicions deepened.
His hand inched upward toward the chest.
If his assumptions were correct—
Then there would be undeniable proof of femininity here.
And if that were the case, killing Arthur would be effortless.
A crossdressing disguise would be all the justification he needed.
However—
What Rei's hand touched was a barren wasteland.
If he had to describe the sensation, perhaps comparing it to the endless plains where warhorses galloped would be most fitting.
No matter how he searched, only emptiness remained.
This was unmistakably a male trait.
Rei realized he had misjudged.
"Uhm… is that enough?"
Arthur' face had turned bright red from Rei's thorough inspection, making even the apples in his cart seem pale in comparison.
"My apologies."
Rei immediately withdrew his hands and apologized.
"It's fine." Arthur forced out a smile.
"You were just being cautious, after all."
"So, may I enter the city now?"
"..."
Rei was still uncertain whether the boy had seen anything he shouldn't have.
Had the other guards not been nearby, he would have drawn his sword without hesitation.
[You carefully considered your next move.]
[And soon, you reached a decision.]
[If you couldn't kill him here, then you would simply do it elsewhere.]
[You offered to help Arthur bring his cart into the city.]
[The youth was surprised but genuinely moved by your kindness.]
[And so, you took the wooden cart full of apples from his hands and walked alongside him into the capital.]
[To the passing guards, this only further cemented your reputation as a noble and helpful knight.]
[But only you knew—those apples would soon be buried beneath the earth, along with Arthur.]
"You… really are a good person."
Arthur clasped his hands together and looked up at Rei.
"By the way, could you tell me your name? I'd like to know the name of someone as kind as you."
"..."
"Rei."
"Rei." Arthur nodded as if memorizing the name. "Judging by their reactions, you must be a knight, right?"
"Yes."
"Then, in that case—!" Arthur' voice rose slightly.
"Guh—"
A bit embarrassed, Arthur placed a hand on his stomach.
"Sorry, I haven't eaten anything since this morning."
"Then let me treat you to a meal."
"Eh?" Arthur blinked, those deep green eyes resembling a vast forest. "Is that really okay?"
"Yes."
Rei nodded and smiled.
"After all, there won't be another chance in the future."