The Elf, Again

Ahl and the other attendants thought that after finishing his meal, Ryujin would head back to bed, but he couldn't have that, could he? 

He's not sick in the first place, and he's been unconscious for who knows how long. He didn't need more rest.

Not to mention, being on the balcony allowed him to observe more about this new world he's in. 

The attendants flitted around like nervous hummingbirds, their eyes darting toward him but never meeting his gaze. 

Good. The less eye contact, the fewer accidental mind readings.

It's part of his plan to remain conscious for the rest of the day.

Ryujin ignored them and simply enjoyed the gentle afternoon wind under the sun. No matter what they did or what they said, he did not react.

Finally giving up, the attendants bowed before leaving Ryujin on the balcony. However, he could hear them talking—no, arguing until they exited the bedchamber.

When the doors closed behind them, Ryujin sighed in relief.

He was all by himself! 

At last!

There shouldn't be more visitors coming, right? He hoped the guards outside would take their job more seriously.

Ryujin peered at the vast maze garden below the balcony and judged the distance to the ground. 

If he were to jump, would he break a leg?

At fifteen meters, he would. Definitely.

Maybe there was no need for such desperate measures.

Since I'm the Prime Minister, I should be able to just waltz out of the room through the door. 

Will the guards outside stop me?

They wouldn't, unless he was being detained like a prisoner.

Ryujin was pretty much ignorant of palace rules, but since a duke is a noble title that was only a level below the imperial family, then no one should be capable of stopping him from doing whatever.

But before that, he must prepare himself. 

He re-entered the bedchamber and tried to search for anything that belonged to him, like his bag containing army rations, or maybe his phone.

There was nothing.

In fact, not just as Lee Ryujin. There seemed to be no personal item belonging to Rio de Carvalho either.

This chamber should be a guest room, not where Rio de Carvalho actually resides.

Ryujin sat on the bed, trying to put puzzle pieces together.

Maybe the real Rio de Carvalho was truly attacked by sinister forces, and some authority figure in the palace—the emperor, a prince or the elf envoy, perhaps—sent troops to save him. However, the one they found was an unconscious Ryujin, and it was him they escorted back to the imperial palace to be healed.

A case of mistaken identity.

It's strange. That does not explain why my hair turned silver, and why it is this long.

Not to mention, what are the chances I have a twin in this world too? Is my face really that common? Or is this a mirror dimension of Earth? I think I've seen a TV show where each person has a version of himself in different worlds.

If so, Rio de Carvalho must be the Lee Ryujin of this world.

Did my soul travel here to occupy his body? Then doesn't that mean that the real Rio is inside my body instead?

That's the guess with the highest possibility.

A failed assassination and an Empress Dowager hostile towards him, those were the dangers Ryujin had unwittingly received by becoming this world's Rio de Carvalho.

Can I leave the imperial palace? I don't feel safe in this place.

Well, I don't feel safe in this world.

Ryujin made up his mind. He'd pretend to take a mindless stroll outside to investigate how to leave the palace. He would also use that chance to see if the other members of his squad were here as well.

Maybe they're in a situation as bizarre as his, taking over another identity and pretending to be another person.

Or maybe, the knights found them alongside Ryujin when they 'saved' their Prime Minister.

It would be bad if the imperial troops found and imprisoned them, misunderstanding that my squad members were my attackers.

However, plans are made to be broken.

There were no knocks. The doors simply opened, and the temperature in the room dropped five degrees. 

Whoever was visiting, they didn't come with good intentions.

From the cologne wafting towards him, Ryujin didn't have to look up to know who had just walked in.

The beautiful man, the elf envoy, was back.

Tall and graceful, the elf made his way toward Ryujin with the kind of confidence that made Ryujin's stomach do flips—not the good kind. 

His golden hair gleamed under the sunlight, and his dark eyes had that sharp, knowing glint that made Ryujin feel like a fraud. Which, to be fair, he was.

The elf spoke in a flat tone, and a hush fell over the attendants outside. From beyond the open door, Ryujin found them kneeling along with the guards.

That wasn't a good sign. 

Was the elf angry at them? He sounded like he's scolding, no, reprimanding them.

Was it because the attendants left him on his own? That was his own stubbornness. It wasn't their fault.

Afterwards, the guards slowly stood up to close the double doors.

Silence filled the chamber.

He won't scold me too, right?

When the elf faced Ryujin, there was obvious relief in his thoughts.

[You look better, as handsome as ever.]

Okay. I wasn't expecting that.

Ryujin forced his face into the most neutral expression possible. The trick was to act like a very expensive houseplant. 

No thoughts. No emotions. Just vibes.

The elf studied him in silence before taking another step closer. 

Ryujin swore he could hear his own heartbeat pounding against his ribs. He carefully avoided the elf's gaze, not willing to risk hearing whatever was going on inside that man's head. 

He had a feeling it wouldn't be anything good.

Sorry, man, but I'm straight!

The elf asked a question, voice smooth like silk but with an edge sharp enough to cut. Ryujin tentatively met his gaze only after a minute of silence.

The elf's thoughts sounded sad.

[You still won't speak?]

Of course, Ryujin did not respond.

The elf sat down on the edge of the bed, close enough that Ryujin could smell the faint mix of cedar and something almost intoxicatingly sweet. 

His cologne—

Focus, idiot.

The elf tilted his head, his lips curling slightly. His fingers were tapping against his knee, as he spoke another question Ryujin didn't understand.

[Have you truly lost your voice? You don't seem able to understand words either.]

A soft chuckle broke the tense silence. 

[Ah… A quiet you is rather charming.]

Charming? That set off alarm bells. 

Was this guy amused? 

Oh no. Oh no, no, no. 

Suspicious was one thing, but suspicious and entertained was a nightmare combination.

"How interesting" was an extremely overused line in romance novels and movies, to the point even a man like Ryujin knew of it.

Then, in a move that almost made Ryujin flinch, the elf reached out and traced a single finger lightly along his wrist. A touch so fleeting it might have been imagined.

Ryujin did not jump. He did not react. He was ice-cold. A statue. A true professional in the art of pretending to be someone else. 

But internally? 

Internally, he was losing his mind.

Is this elf seducing me?!

[You always were such a fascinating liar], the elf thought. His voice was quieter now, as if they were sharing a secret. However, his thoughts send chills up Ryujin's spine. [But if you think you can fool me, Rio… then you have truly forgotten who I am.]

Ryujin kept his face blank. 

Nope. 

Not dealing with that. 

Whatever weird history Rio de Carvalho had with this elf, he wanted absolutely no part of it. He needed to survive this encounter, not get roped into some drama-filled past he had no knowledge of.

The elf withdrew his hand, standing smoothly. 

"I will return," he said, his words echoing his real thoughts. His tone was somewhere between a promise and a threat, "and we shall see how long this silence lasts."

With that, he exited, leaving Ryujin staring at the door, his fingers curled into the sheets.

Well. That could have gone worse.

But it also could have gone a hell of a lot better.