Eric's pov~
He blushed?
He actually blushed?
Whatever happened to the stereotypical cold hearted male lead whose heart is thawed after a few hundred chapters?
Wasn't Kaelith Thorne supposed to be emotionally constipated for the whole comic? But here he was, blushing.
"We will be heading out soon. Do you want to hide in my tent until we're back? I will get your double ready."
Eric's ears perked up. "Double?"
What is happening? Did I enter a different comic? Or maybe I mistook it for another.
What the…?
My plan was simple, the moment I woke up in this world and realized what was happening, I decided to keep my head by keeping my distance. Evric was the one with feelings, not me so that was supposed to be simple. My crush on Kaelith ended a long while ago.
But now… now…
"Yes," Kaelith affirmed. "Your stand in? The one who handles your battlefield experience?"
I stared. "You're telling me… I have a stunt double?"
Kaelith blinked. "A what?"
"A… a very convincing backup me who does all the hard knight stuff while I stay far away from the things that could stab me?"
Kaelith raised a brow. He was looking more confused than ever. "Yes, that is what I just said."
"And he doesn't mind?"
Kaelith laughed, not a noble, controlled laughter. He actually burst out laughing and it startled me quite a bit. "Are you messing with me, Evric? You're being quite the comedian."
Evric, you beautiful scam, you even had an understudy. I love you.
Kaelith brushed his silver blond hair behind his ear like the cover model that he absolutely was. "Well, you can go to your quarters, or mine once we're gone. Just rest up."
This man was offering me a day off in the middle of a war.
"Do I… uh… usually hide out in your tent?" I asked carefully as I was trying to gauge how weirded out I was supposed to be by this whole situation.
There was a pause between us as we stared at each other, trying to figure out what was going on in the other's head.
"Are you sure you're okay today, Evric?" Kaelith spoke up, his tone was, um, concerned. "You seem off."
"You do know you're getting married to the crown princess, right?" I blurted out before I could even stop myself.
Kaelith's expression changed from concern to irritation.
Oh no. Oh no. I blew it, I made him mad and now he's going to yell at me.
"Could you please not bring her up?" Kaelith frowned. "I promised you, I'll find a way to get out of this marriage."
That didn't seem like what happened in the comic, though.
"Isn't that like… treason?" I asked.
"I'll find a way, I promise."
"Maybe I should give you some space," I chuckled awkwardly as I tried to take some steps back but was immediately stopped by Kaelith who grabbed my arm.
"You don't give me space. Not now, not ever," he said flatly and I gulped.
Kaelith wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in for a hug. "You're starting to scare me."
Well, I'm terrified too, so we're even.
"What's going on with you today?" he asked.
Well actually, I'm a closeted high school student from another world who got transmigrated into the body of your lover and I don't know how to sword. Also, I was in love with you for the longest time, but I have to stay away from you because if I don't, I will die.
"I think I just need to lie down," I replied.
"You did look pale." Kaelith chuckled as he finally broke the hug. "We will leave soon. Go to my tent and lie down. It will be over in a jiffy."
"Yours?" I squeaked.
"You hate your own. You always complain that the pillows aren't soft enough and that it doesn't smell of me…"
"Okay, okay," I interrupted. "Off you go."
Kaelith smiled and held his helmet in his hands. He kissed my left cheek gently and waved me goodbye but before he stepped out of the tent, he looked back.
"Do not touch the wine cabinet. Last time, you drank half a bottle and tried to fight a tree."
And then he left, and then I was left there stunned in silence.
I could hear noises for a few minutes and then they were replaced by war cries and the sound of marching, which died out over time.
Only when the place was completely quiet did I come out of the tent. And then I realized, I had no idea how my tent or my lord's tent looked like.
Or so I thought. As it turned out, all I needed to do was walk around a bit and find the biggest and flashiest tent of all.
I went in and explored, there were a lot of things that felt weird to me but what stood out to me the most was a wooden miniature of Evric, well, me.
And how did I know it was Evric? Because Evric's name was carved on the stand which balanced it.
Well, that wasn't creepy at all.
There was another miniature next to the Evric miniature, but this one had a weird pose. While Evric was standing upright, the other was bent, as if he was crawling.
I checked under the stand that balanced the miniature and sure enough, there was a carved name.
Kaelith Thorne.
"Oh," I said quietly as I realized what the miniatures were made for.
Well, we certainly know who the bottom is in the relationship.