[Arthur's form of address quickly made you realize the identity of the man before you.]
[This was the older brother named Kay, whom Arthur had mentioned in past conversations.]
[Judging by his tone, he didn't seem to like your presence around Arthur very much.]
[But you knew this wasn't the time to create conflict with him.]
Rei withdrew his hand, offering Arthur a small smile before patting his shoulder.
"Arthur, go ahead. Your brother is calling for you."
"But, Sir Rei, you've only just arrived here." Arthur looked troubled. "Isn't this a little…?"
"It's fine."
Rei glanced at Kay in the distance and responded magnanimously.
"There's still plenty of time. We can talk later."
"Mmm… alright then."
With things said this way, Arthur knew there was no point in insisting.
"Alright, I'll see you later, Sir Rei."
"Yes."
[Of course, you weren't going to be that obedient.]
[After Arthur and Kay had been gone for some time, you found an excuse to slip away from the knights' resting area.]
[You quietly followed after them, determined to find out what they were discussing.]
[Eventually, you all arrived at the forest outside the village.]
[Hiding behind a large tree, you silently eavesdropped on their conversation.]
"Arthur, who the hell is that bastard?"
Kay stood with his arms crossed, glaring at Arthur with clear irritation.
"Why does he get to casually pat your head?"
Faced with Kay's interrogation, Arthur's usual gentle demeanor shifted.
"Brother, that is Sir Rei. Please do not refer to him in such crude terms."
"That's too much!"
Hearing Arthur's firm tone, Rei realized that Arthur wasn't always as mild-mannered as he seemed.
"Rei?"
Kay's frown deepened.
"Is he the same man who bought all your apples in Camelot last time?"
"Yes, that's him."
"Arthur! Father explicitly said that wasn't the right way to do things!" Kay pressed on. "He wanted you to meet more people through this journey, to gain experience!"
"But, Brother, I did meet more people."
Arthur remained composed.
"Sir Rei took me around Camelot, showing me things I'd never seen before."
"If you think about it that way, I still fulfilled everything Father asked of me, didn't I?"
So that's how it was.
Hiding behind the tree, Rei gained a deeper understanding of why Arthur had ventured alone to Camelot to sell apples.
It was an excellent form of education.
"That…"
Kay was momentarily at a loss for words, struggling to refute him. It took him a while before he finally spoke again.
"But that still doesn't explain why he's patting your head! Just because he bought a few apples, does that give him the right?"
"What are you, part of the apple sale too?"
"..."
Arthur turned his face away, seeming to deliberate on whether or not to say something.
Finally, Kay spoke again.
"Brother, I think there's something I need to make clear to you."
Arthur: "What is it?"
Kay's expression remained displeased.
"Don't tell me patting your head is part of your apple-selling strategy."
"Of course not!"
Arthur immediately denied it.
"What I mean is—Sir Rei is my savior."
[Kay was visibly shocked.]
[Clearly, Arthur had never mentioned this before—probably because nearly falling from the city walls in a moment of excitement wasn't exactly something to be proud of.]
[Kay asked multiple times for confirmation.]
[Arthur assured him he wasn't lying.]
"..."
Though Rei had indeed saved Arthur from falling off the city wall, he didn't quite see himself as a savior.
He had saved him—
But before that, he had also seriously considered killing him.
Strictly speaking, this was merely an attempted murder that didn't succeed.
So Rei didn't feel he deserved the title of "savior"—if anything, he was just an assassin with poor streaks of executions.
"That—"
Kay's expression grew even more complicated.
"Even so, Arthur, that kind of behavior just doesn't seem appropriate. If Father found out, he'd surely scold you!"
"Then, Brother,"
Arthur lifted his head, meeting Kay's gaze directly.
"What do you think I should have done? Should I have shoved Sir Rei's hand away? Should I have told him, 'Your hand has no place on my head'?"
"Brother, if I did that, wouldn't Father reprimand me even more for being rude?"
"…When you put it that way, I suppose that's true."
Now aware of an unexpected truth, Kay's tone softened slightly.
"But Arthur, the way you looked just now was… really off."
"I mean, I get it. At your age, it's natural to have certain thoughts here and there."
"But that doesn't mean it's appropriate to act like that, does it?"
[You picked up on the word 'thoughts' in Kay's remark.]
[You realized that Arthur might be harboring a secret you were unaware of.]
"Brother, what exactly are you implying?"
Arthur sounded irritated.
"What do you mean by that? Are you saying I'm the one acting inappropriately?"
"Arthur, don't get worked up." Kay showed no fear of Arthur's irritation. "You know better than anyone what this is about."
"You should understand what Father intends for your upbringing!"
"He's teaching you swordsmanship and etiquette to shape you into a knight!"
"You must know that if—"
Kay glanced at Arthur, hesitating mid-sentence.
Arthur fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Brother... I understand what you mean, and I know you care about me."
"But within my capabilities, in matters I can control, shouldn't I have the right to make my own choices?"
"You—!" Kay grew frustrated. "Arthur! That way of thinking is wrong!"
"Right or wrong, I will only know once I walk the path myself."
Arthur turned away.
"I have my own way of solving problems."
"See you later, Brother."
"I need to return to Sir Rei."
[Hearing Arthur's words, you realize you must hurry back first.]
[But before that, you take note of Kay's lingering concern for his younger brother.]
[You know he'll undoubtedly be secretly watching you and Arthur later.]
[However, something else occupies your thoughts.]
[Arthur seems to be hiding a much greater secret.]
[You realize that, in every sense, you may need to get closer to Arthur once more.]