Sion woke before sunrise, just as he always did.
For a few seconds, everything felt normal. The quiet air, the faint chill of early morning, the familiar habit of rising before the rest of the world. His body moved on its own, already thinking about the smallholding, the chores waiting outside, the rhythm he had built for himself.
He sat up.
There was a soft metallic sound.
Sion frowned and looked down.
A chain.
It was wrapped securely around his ankle, fastened to the leg of the bed with a heavy iron lock. He stared at it for a moment, as if confirming it was real.
Then his expression stilled.
He did not panic.
Instead, he slowly shifted his leg, testing the length. The chain allowed him to move, but only a few steps. Enough to reach the nearby table. Enough to walk a little. Not enough to leave the room.
"...I see," he murmured.
Kidnapping.
The word came easily. Clean. Logical.
Sion stood up fully and took in his surroundings.
The room was unfamiliar.
It was far too refined to be mistaken for his home. The bed was larger, the fabric softer, the furniture carved with careful detail. Even the air felt different, carrying a faint scent that did not belong to the countryside.
Who would do this?
He was no longer a prince. There was no political gain in taking him now. No obvious ransom.
A grudge, perhaps?
He searched his memory. Faces, names, past encounters. Nothing stood out. No one recent enough. No one bold enough.
His thoughts shifted.
Eiran.
Where was he?
That absence felt louder the more he thought about it.
Sion's eyes narrowed slightly as he considered the possibilities.
Then he heard it.
Footsteps.
Coming closer.
His gaze snapped toward the door. The sound was steady, unhurried. Whoever it was did not seem concerned.
Sion moved immediately.
He grabbed the nearest object, a lamp from the table, and positioned himself beside the door. His grip was firm, his posture precise. He waited.
The door opened and a figure stepped in.
Sion raised the lamp—
Then stopped.
"…Eiran?"
The word slipped out before he could stop it.
The man standing there held a tray of food, looking calm, almost casual.
Sion lowered the lamp slowly.
He studied him carefully, his mind already shifting.
Something was off.
He set the lamp down and walked back to the bed, sitting on the edge as if nothing had happened.
"What is going on?" he asked.
Eiran did not answer.
He simply walked forward and placed the tray on the table.
"You must be hungry, young master," he said. "Here is your breakfast."
"I asked you something," Sion said again, his voice colder now.
Still no answer.
"…Rain."
The name hung in the air.
Eiran stopped.
For a moment, he did not move.
Then he slowly turned back.
"How… did you know?" he asked.
Sion leaned back slightly, watching him with quiet certainty.
"I've known for half a year," he said. "You mimic him well. But not perfectly. There are small differences."
Rain's lips slowly curved.
Then he laughed.
It was not a normal laugh. It came out sharp and uneven, almost too loud for the quiet room.
"As expected of Your Highness," he said, his eyes bright with something unstable.
Sion did not react.
"How did you know about me?" Rain asked, stepping closer.
"I knew of your existence even before that," Sion replied. "When I was still in the palace. I saw you once," he said."You were summoned by the Queen Consort."
"You didn't see me," Sion added. "But I saw you."
Rain's expression lit up even more.
"And when you started switching places with Eiran," Sion continued, "it wasn't difficult to notice."
Rain tilted his head slightly, studying him.
"Then why didn't you say anything?" he asked. "Why didn't you expose me?"
Sion's answer came without hesitation.
"At first, I was wary," he said. "But you never showed any intent to harm me."
Rain's smile widened and clasped his hands together, almost delighted.
"That's right. That's right," he muttered.
Sion's patience thinned.
"So explain," he said, lifting his chained foot slightly. "What is this?"
Rain straightened.
"This?" he said, smiling. "This is my mansion."
He stepped closer again, suddenly taking Sion's hand and pressing it against his own face. His grip was tight, almost trembling.
"There's no one else here," he whispered. "Just us. No one knows this place. No one can interrupt us."
Sion pulled his hand back slowly.
"I see," he said.
There was a pause.
Then Sion asked, "Were you the one who killed those five men?"
Rain froze for a second.
Then he sighed.
"Well… they didn't give me much of a choice," he said.
His tone was light, but something darker lingered beneath it.
"Especially that delivery man," he continued. "He failed to convince you, so he started planning something else. Something dangerous."
Rain smiled.
"So I killed him."
Sion's expression did not change.
"And then I thought," Rain went on, pacing slightly, his movements restless, "what if there are others? Others who might come near you. Others who might cause trouble."
He stopped and looked at Sion again.
"So I searched."A small laugh escaped him."And I found four more."
Sion's fingers tightened slightly.
"So I killed them too," Rain said simply.
The room felt heavier.
"They all had the same problem," Rain added. "They could see you. They could speak about you."
His voice softened into something almost gentle.
"So I removed their eyes… and their tongues."
Sion felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"As a warning," Rain said. "Not to look at you. Not to talk about you."
Then, without warning, Rain dropped to his knees.
Right in front of him.
Before Sion could react, Rain leaned forward and pressed his face against Sion's leg.
"I did well, didn't I?" he asked, his voice filled with eager anticipation. "I protected you."
Sion went still.
For a brief moment, something flashed in his mind.
Of someone.His mother.A soft smile hiding cruelty.Gentleness masking control.
"…You did well," he said, placing a hand on Rain's head.
He patted him gently.
Rain seemed to relax at the touch, almost pleased.
But Sion's gaze had already gone distant.
Rain stood up again, smiling brightly.
"I won't disturb your breakfast," he said.
He walked toward the door, then paused and looked back.
"Oh," he added, his eyes glinting strangely, "don't think about escaping."
His smile widened."You can't."
Then he left, locking the door behind him.
Sion stood up immediately.He went to the window first.It would not open.He tried again, harder this time. Nothing.The door was locked. Solid.
He looked around the room, searching for anything useful. There was nothing sharp, nothing heavy enough to break the chain.
He looked down at the shackle.Strong.Carefully made.
Sion exhaled slowly.
"...So that's how it is," he muttered.
At the same time, Darius was already on his way to Sion's house.
He had not been able to shake the unease from earlier. The dagger, the hesitation, the way things did not quite fit together.
He needed to see Eiran himself.
As he approached the area, he spotted someone familiar.
Cassian with Arch.
"Sir Darius," Cassian greeted. " We were just at Sion's place."
Darius frowned slightly. "And?"
"No one was there," Arch said. "I thought you might know where they went."
Darius's expression changed.
"No one?"
Cassian tilted his head slightly. "Is something wrong?"
Darius did not answer immediately.
But something cold settled in his chest.
A quiet certainty.
"Yes," he said at last.