Chapter 185: “You’re my family now”
The summer in Tusihe had been the best season. The barren land had been covered in green, and the breeze was gentle and fresh.
Horses had walked across the vast, green fields, with the distant blue sky and slowly drifting white clouds in the background.
A lone tree on a distant hillside had swayed in the wind; everything had looked as beautiful as a scene from an old movie.
Yu Mo had dismounted, his boots pressing into the wild grass. Peruth had done the same, and they had talked as their horses grazed nearby, occasionally affectionately nudging each other’s necks.
“The summer in Tusihe isn’t as hot as in the royal city, and the scenery here is unexpectedly nice.”
Peruth had worn a simple yet elegant shirt and trousers that day, with his long hair tied back with a dark green ribbon, looking like a young knight or a casual nobleman.
“I had visited here before and saw a beautiful lake. I thought that if I had the chance, I’d invite you to come and see it.”
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you tired?”
Yu Mo had pulled his gaze back from the distant hillside and looked at Peruth beside him.
He had rarely shown such a hint of weariness. “Yes, I’m a bit tired; there had been too much to do in Borotosh.”
Since arriving in Borotosh, he had been busy with countless tasks in building a city and also keeping an eye on the situation in the royal city.
For a long time, except for the one time Peruth had visited, he hadn’t rested.
He hadn’t felt particularly exhausted before—there were always energy potions if necessary.
Seeing Peruth again and being led here, he had suddenly felt somewhat tired.
“Fatigued” might have been a better way to describe it. With such nice weather and Peruth speaking beside him, he had suddenly felt like he should take a moment to rest and relax.
This kind of “laziness,” where he didn’t feel like doing much of anything, was rare for him. But it wasn’t unpleasant; instead, there was a strange, peaceful comfort to it.
Peruth hadn’t expected him to admit he was tired and, startled, looked at him with concern. “If I’d known you were this exhausted, I shouldn’t have brought you out today.”
But he was only going to be in Tusihe for three days, and today was already the second day. If they didn’t come today, there might not be another chance.
“If you’re truly tired, maybe we should head back to rest now, hmm?”
He didn’t catch the undertone in Yu Mo’s words, nor did he realize the subtle feeling of “tiredness” Yu Mo had meant. Yu Mo didn’t explain, simply extending his hand toward him. “Give me your hand.”
Taking Peruth’s hand, Yu Mo walked slowly forward. “Since I’m tired, you should hold my hand and lead me.”
Peruth finally started to understand, squeezing his hand a bit tighter as he smiled. “How about I carry you instead?”
“No need,” Yu Mo refused firmly.
“There’s no one around; no one will see,” Peruth teased, rubbing his fingers.
Between riding and basking in the sun, it was easy to work up a sweat, and Peruth was starting to feel warm. Yu Mo’s hand, however, was cool to the touch, making it pleasant to hold.
“No one will see.” Yu Mo repeated, then reached out to turn Peruth’s face toward a direction.
Feeling the cool touch of Yu Mo’s fingers on his cheek, Peruth followed his gaze to the distance.
A figure stood on the hillside, enthusiastically waving and calling out to them, though the voice only faintly reached them.
Peruth smiled, remarking, “Are all these northern nobles out of their minds, or do they need eye treatment?”
His tone was gentle, but his words were sharply mocking.
Luckily, no one else had heard it, and Yu Mo pretended not to.
It was quite the coincidence that the figure on the hillside calling and waving to them was none other than Lord Booth, who had invited Yu Mo to his estate’s banquet the previous day.
After Yu Mo had declined, Lord Booth hadn’t given up. Instead, he’d immediately introduced several of his eligible daughters to Yu Mo.
Yu Mo wasn’t interested but had casually made a joke of it with Peruth.
As a result, His Excellency the Cardinal had spent the evening with a forced smile and, early this morning, had dressed youthfully and invited Yu Mo out for a stroll.
Yu Mo looked over at Peruth and noticed that his face had once again taken on that same forced smile.
However, others didn’t seem to notice anything odd in the cardinal’s expression, and Lord Booth, shouting their names, certainly hadn’t.
“Marquis Cecil! And His Excellency Cardinal Peruth! What a coincidence to meet you here!”
Lord Booth laughed heartily, his face flushed, and warmly invited the two to join them in enjoying the outdoor spread he had prepared.
Down the hillside, near a large tree, his servants had laid out blankets with a variety of foods and fruits.
But the main attraction wasn’t the food; it was Lady Booth and the group of young ladies surrounding her.
“These are my five daughters. I brought them out today especially for a little outing!” Lord Booth’s face beamed with pride as he looked at his lovely daughters.
The five young women, each beautiful and with distinct personalities, looked curiously at the two strangers.
The eldest, under her father’s signal, offered the two men a dessert with a gentle smile.
“This was made by my Bessie herself,” Lord Booth said. “She’s my most devoted daughter; I hate to see her leave, but at her age, I know I must find her a suitable match…”
Lord Booth’s words were no longer even subtle hints.
Peruth had initially maintained a polite, warm smile, but when he turned his head, he noticed that Eloren was staring at the young ladies, seemingly lost in thought.
Although it only lasted a moment before he looked away, his expression softened slightly, and, surprisingly, he hadn’t immediately rejected Lord Booth’s proposal.
At that, Peruth could no longer keep smiling.
The joke from yesterday, where he had feigned annoyance to play along with Eloren’s teasing, had been in good fun. But now, his mood had genuinely soured.
“Excuse me for a moment,” Peruth said, standing and heading toward the lakeside.
The young ladies, feeling shy after being left alone with Yu Mo, scattered and began whispering to each other beneath a nearby tree.
Lord Booth chuckled and turned to Yu Mo. “Marquis Cecil, what do you think of what I said earlier?”
“Can’t Lord Booth tell?” Yu Mo replied, glancing at the cardinal’s figure by the lake.
Lord Booth laughed knowingly. “Oh, I noticed His Excellency the Cardinal’s reaction. It couldn’t have been more obvious! But what of it?”
“We northerners don’t think much of that. Men can be together for leisure, but, one way or another, a man still needs a wife.”
Yu Mo had assumed that they hadn’t noticed anything unusual between him and Peruth, but he hadn’t anticipated this particular northern custom.
“Lord Booth, it might be best if you found more suitable husbands for your daughters. I’m not a good match.”
Lord Booth sighed. “If only it were that easy. Two more border towns have fallen to the plague recently; people say it’s only a matter of time before it reaches here. Everyone used to flock to the royal city, but now…”
“Even though the cardinal is here, most are hesitant. They’re hoping to wait another few years or perhaps find a proper lady in the royal city. But my daughters are of age now…”
Yu Mo listened calmly and finally said, “Don’t worry. With Cardinal Peruth here, this place will always be safe.”
Lord Booth was surprised. “Marquis Cecil, you trust the cardinal so much… it seems the rumors must be false.”
“I do trust him—in every way.”
Having been turned down once again, Lord Booth had to reluctantly abandon his plans.
Yu Mo noticed that Peruth was still standing alone by the lake. He was about to get up and go over when one of the young ladies quietly approached him.
“Marquis Cecil, are you going to marry my sister?” she asked.
“No.”
The girl looked surprised, then hesitated, glancing over at Peruth by the lake with a faint blush. “So… are you and His Excellency the Cardinal good friends?”
Yu Mo immediately saw through her question. “He’s my lover.”
The girl stared at him in shock for a moment.
In their aristocratic circles, relationships between men were always kept discreet. No matter how close they were, it was always presented as “friendship” in public.
She was so taken aback that she forgot to respond and quickly ran back to her sisters.
Yu Mo watched the five sisters gather together, chattering away, while the eldest playfully swatted her younger sister on the head. A rare nostalgic smile appeared in his eyes.
His own family had often had moments like this, usually with the youngest, Yu Le, being the one chastised since he had always loved causing trouble.
He turned back, intending to go to the lake to find Peruth, only to see him already walking back with a smile on his face.
The cardinal had spent a moment by the lake, seriously pondering what spell he might need to solve the problem if Eloren truly took a liking to one of the girls.
A forbidden spell? The Great Sacrifice Ritual?
He had turned, only to spot Yu Mo talking with one of the young ladies, smiling as he glanced at the girls. His mood worsened immediately, and he walked back with a guarded stride.
Since Yu Mo had clearly shown no interest, the young ladies no longer looked his way. Instead, they gravitated toward Peruth, asking him respectful questions about the royal city and the temple with an air of admiration.
After bidding farewell to Lord Booth and his family, Yu Mo and Peruth walked along the lakeside, heading into a nearby forest.
The trees here were ancient and tall, their gnarled roots and patches of moss covering the cool, quiet ground.
“You seemed to have a good impression of Lord Booth’s daughters, Eloren,” Peruth teased. “I rarely see you smiling so warmly at anyone.”
“It just reminded me of something from the past.”
Being with Peruth had softened him; he couldn’t help but think of his troublesome younger brothers.
“Who did you think of, Eloren? I’ve never seen you look at me with that kind of expression.”
Yu Mo finally picked up on Peruth’s forced smile.
“You’re jealous.”
“Do you think I shouldn’t be?”
“But they clearly seemed more interested in His Excellency than in me,” Yu Mo pointed out.
It was understandable. Compared to his reserved and aloof demeanor, Peruth’s appearance and approachable personality were far more appealing.
“And what of it? It’s not like you’d be jealous over something like that,” Peruth sighed.
Since their time in the royal city, it had always been this way. Yu Mo never grew angry or showed concern when noble ladies flocked around Peruth or when he laughed and chatted with them.
Yet Peruth cared deeply. Whenever he noticed Yu Mo treating someone with even the slightest special attention, it bothered him immensely.
And Yu Mo’s rare, reserved smile—it drove Peruth nearly mad to see him show it to anyone else.
No one knew the jealousy and bitterness he harbored toward Eloren’s cherished younger sister, Charli, or even toward that student who always seemed to be at Eloren’s side…
“How do you know I wouldn’t?” Yu Mo suddenly replied.
Realizing what he meant, Peruth froze, his eyes gradually lighting up as he stepped closer. “Really?”
Yu Mo leaned back against the gnarled tree roots as Peruth’s face drew close, and in a low voice, he murmured, “Would you really care?”
“I would.”
“…I’m so glad.” Peruth rested his head on Yu Mo’s shoulder, his nose brushing against Yu Mo’s neck.
They stood together in an embrace, leaning on one another for a while. A curious squirrel scrambled up the tree trunk, pausing as if to glance at them before scurrying away.
“So earlier,” Peruth finally asked, not forgetting his question, “what were you thinking of?”
“My family,” Yu Mo replied. It was something he had never considered sharing with anyone. But with Peruth’s bright, expectant gaze on him, it suddenly didn’t feel necessary to keep it hidden.
“I once had an older brother and three younger brothers.”
Peruth knew that Eloren of the Cecil family didn’t have any brothers, only a foster sister, Charli. But he didn’t question it aloud.
“Seeing Lord Booth’s five daughters reminded me of them.”
“Do you miss them?” Peruth asked, gently touching his gaze. “Is there any way for you to see them?”
“I can’t.” Yu Mo’s voice was calm.
Seeing the regret in his eyes, Peruth leaned forward and kissed his forehead. “If you ever want, I could find a way to help.”
Yu Mo shook his head. “There’s no need. They’ll have their own lives, and so will I.”
He paused and then said, “You’re my family now.”
