Chapter 32
Of course, it was utterly ridiculous.
Marriage — that was something he had never once imagined for himself.
His entire life had been dictated and manipulated by his mother, the queen. He’d never even allowed himself the thought of keeping someone by his side.
And now they wanted him to find someone to spend his whole life with — and that someone was Sigmund, of all people?
Absurd. Completely absurd.
‘But I’m not Arnulf anymore, am I?’
The thought suddenly struck him.
Yes, if this were the old him, there would have been no need to even think twice about it.
But right now, he wasn’t Arnulf — he was inside Joseph’s body.
‘Still, marriage with Sigmund?’
It was something he couldn’t even begin to imagine.
To Arnulf, Sigmund had always been a trusted subordinate, a comrade-in-arms who’d shared countless battlefields.
Sigmund, for his part, quietly observed the constant changes flickering through Arnulf’s eyes. His face barely changed, but his eyes were never still — surely, beneath that calm mask, countless thoughts were flashing by.
Still, Sigmund was confident. He knew he would get a positive answer — maybe not immediately, but eventually.
“…As expected, it will be difficult. Could I perhaps ask for something else?”
Arnulf spoke apologetically, and Sigmund nodded without resistance.
Yes, he supposed it was too soon to expect that much.
“Then let’s start by dating.”
“…What?”
“You and I spent the night together, didn’t we?”
Sigmund looked straight at Arnulf, his eyes carrying an unspoken meaning.
“N-no, that’s—”
“Well, if that’s how you feel, there’s nothing I can say. It’s not like I have any power in this.”
His voice weakened, his eyes lowering to the ground, heavy with sorrow.
The look alone was enough to stir guilt — and in the end, Arnulf caved.
“No, that’s not what I meant. Not at all. I would never—”
Whether it had been one night or several, whatever the circumstances — the fact remained that they’d shared a bed.
For a man like Arnulf, who had a strong sense of duty, pretending nothing happened was simply impossible.
Sigmund’s eyes, which had been cast down, flashed knowingly for a moment — but Arnulf didn’t notice.
“So, you’ll grant me my request then?”
Arnulf sighed softly, his tone still dark and weary.
“Why out of all possible requests… would you ask something like that…”
He couldn’t even finish his sentence.
Sigmund slowly lifted his head, and their eyes met.
The gloom that had covered his face was gone. Instead, his eyes — filled with a strange mix of tension and anticipation — locked on Arnulf’s.
Arnulf found himself staring unconsciously at Sigmund’s lips as they began to part.
“Because I’ve held feelings for you for a very long time.”
The words hit him like a blow.
What did he just hear? Who felt what for whom?
People say when you’re too shocked, you can’t even speak — and that was exactly what happened to Arnulf.
He shook his head quickly, trying to regain his senses.
“You… had feelings for me?”
The moment the words left his mouth, he felt queasy.
How had things gotten to this point?
Could one night together really have changed Sigmund that much?
No — if that were the case, the phrase “for a long time” didn’t make sense.
Besides…
“I thought it was a one-sided thing. From me — from Joseph.”
Joseph, who appeared wherever Sigmund was. Joseph, who never hid his feelings for him.
And Sigmund — who had always brushed him off. Arnulf knew that well, having been by his side all along.
So this new revelation made no sense.
“You don’t believe me, do you?”
“Of course not.”
As expected.
‘But still, don’t say things like that… You’ll give someone a heart attack.’
Arnulf found himself pressing a hand to his chest — his heart was pounding so hard it almost hurt.
“Even so, it’s true that I want to be with you.”
His heart thudded again.
Dating Sigmund?
The idea of marriage had been absurd — but this was no less unbelievable.
Yes, Sigmund had been an inseparable part of his life ever since they met at the academy.
But only as a comrade. A friend. Never anything more.
“What if it’s… conditional?”
Sigmund, seeing Arnulf’s clear discomfort, stepped back slightly.
“Conditional?”
“Yes.”
“I could be leaving for the duchy as early as this month.”
Sigmund seemed to consider this for a moment before replying,
“That’s fine. You’re not actually leaving this month, are you? All I need is for you to announce at next month’s ball that we’re in a relationship.”
“…Excuse me?”
Announce what?
Arnulf blinked at him, unsure if he’d heard correctly.
Sigmund smiled faintly.
“I’ll explain the reason at the ball.”
“No, wait — Sigmund, that’s not—”
At least give me a reason for all this nonsense!
“My feelings for you aren’t a lie.”
“…What?”
Sigmund smiled again, a soft, sweet smile that almost carried a scent to it.
“Though, perhaps not for as long as I said.”
Arnulf could only laugh helplessly.
Yes, Sigmund had been acting differently toward him lately — maybe even fond.
But this?
‘This must be because of that night.’
Sigmund was a man of duty. Perhaps this was his way of taking responsibility for what had happened — however unexpected it had been.
‘Still… this is going too far.’
Or maybe he was doing it for Joseph’s sake — fulfilling the feelings that Joseph had held for years.
Either way, Arnulf was only confused.
Then he remembered what Sigmund had said earlier — about announcing their relationship at the ball.
“If you need time to think, I’ll wait.”
Sigmund seemed to interpret his silence as hesitation. Arnulf’s gaze fixed on him again.
“Your family is pressuring you to marry, aren’t they?”
Sigmund looked startled, then nodded slowly.
‘I knew it.’
It made sense now. Without that, none of this would.
“In that case, all the more reason to say no. Marriage isn’t something to use as an excuse to escape. I’m sorry, Sigmund, but I can’t help you with this.”
Arnulf’s voice was firm — final.
Agreeing would have solved Sigmund’s immediate problem, but in the long run, it would only harm his reputation. Better to refuse outright.
“I see. You’re right. I understand.”
Sigmund looked down, his expression tinged with disappointment, but he nodded.
Even he must have realized how forced it all was.
Arnulf was relieved — though, seeing the shadow on Sigmund’s face, he couldn’t help but feel a little bad.
If they kept standing there, he might end up saying something foolish.
“I’ll go wash up.”
He could finally move again — his body felt stronger than when he’d first woken up.
He trusted his stamina.
Ever since inhabiting Joseph’s body, he’d trained diligently — he even woke up feeling refreshed these days.
Arnulf tightly gripped the blanket wrapped around him and set his feet on the floor.
“Ah…!”
But as soon as he tried to stand, his legs gave out. His vision wavered.
Luckily, he didn’t collapse — Sigmund had moved swiftly to catch him.
“Are you all right?”
Arnulf blinked rapidly. A faint, familiar scent filled his nose — and right before him was a solid, broad chest.
Which meant… Sigmund was holding him.
“…”
Never in his life — not even on the battlefield — had Arnulf shown weakness before anyone.
To be seen like this, to need help, even if it was Sigmund… it was humiliating.
“Are you hurt somewhere?”
The gentle voice pulled back slightly, giving him room to breathe. Only then did Arnulf regain his senses.
“No. I’m fine.”
If you ignored the dizziness, the awkwardness, and the strange inability to meet Sigmund’s eyes.
“Please, let me go.”
At the very least, he needed to get out of this ridiculous position — practically leaning into the man’s arms.
But Sigmund didn’t move.
“You almost fell just now. Let me help you to the bath.”
“There’s no need!”
What kind of nonsense was that!
Arnulf quickly protested, but Sigmund only tightened his hold — his arm slipping lower, wrapping firmly around Arnulf’s waist.
“Ah—!”
Now pressed even closer, Arnulf froze, startled.
“Lean on me. If you force yourself and fall again, you’ll get hurt.”
Arnulf tried to push him away, but Sigmund’s arm didn’t budge — strong and steady.
All he managed to do was make his own face burn hotter. His free hand clutched the blanket tightly, leaving him unable to do anything else.
Sigmund’s eyes drifted toward the tip of Arnulf’s ear, flushed bright red. His lips curved slightly.
