A person with an evil heart could never possess such beautiful and kind eyes.

 

Yet somehow, she had caught the eye of the god Dionysus.

 

You are being deceived.

 

You are being toyed with by a god.

 

For a moment, an unknown rage and impulse surged within him. 

 

However, the reason Thekion could become the heir to Thebes was not only because he was the eldest son, but also because he possessed the strongest patience and prudence among the three princes. 

 

He pushed aside those irrational emotions that could threaten the safety of himself and his family. 

 

He could not put his family’s well-being on the scales for the sake of an outsider he had only met twice.

 

“Prince!”

 

From afar, he heard his servant calling for him. He could simply stand up and act as if he had never seen her. 

 

But an impulse he could not suppress rose up. 

 

Thekion hesitated as he watched the old woman’s back as she tried to leave first, then opened his mouth.

 

“What is your name?”

 

“Scylla.”

 

Her unexpectedly obedient answer made him smile.

 

She was not a beautiful woman, just an ugly old hag, and all he had learned was her name, yet his heart felt strangely at ease. 

 

Was it because of the small kindness born from the guilt of not being able to tell her the truth?

 

🫧

 

A turtle with a unique pattern resembling fragmented pentagonal tiles was basking in the sunlight on a windowsill. 

 

Langsion’s eyebrows twitched as he looked at the exhausted Scylla, whom he had put to bed after she returned from Mount Helicon at sunset.

 

He suddenly grabbed the drowsy, limp turtle and flipped it over. 

 

The startled turtle flailed its limbs wildly. 

 

Due to a turtle’s physiology, once flipped onto its back, it was difficult for it to right itself again. 

 

If its internal organs were pressed for too long, it would die. 

 

Despite committing this cruel act, Langsion maintained a calm expression as he flipped through the sheets of parchment the tailor had left behind.

 

They were filled with drawings of various clothing designs, clothes he intended to have Scylla try on.

 

The turtle opened and closed its mouth, but Langsion showed no intention of flipping the poor creature back over. 

 

The turtle struggled pitifully, its strength gradually fading as if it might die.

 

“Why are you being so mean for no reason?”

 

At that moment, a human voice suddenly popped out from the turtle’s mouth, which had been completely silent until then. 

 

Langsion flipped another sheet of parchment and glanced toward the windowsill. 

 

The turtle, which had stopped flailing, opened and closed its mouth again.

 

“I said, why are you being so mean?”

 

“It’s not meanness. You won’t die from this anyway.”

 

“It’s a matter of feelings, a matter of feelings.”

 

“Then please consider my feelings too. How awful do you think it felt to be held by you for an entire day?”

 

“You, who don’t even know the value of time, are getting angry over being held for just one day?”

 

The turtle’s black eyes narrowed in mockery.

 

“Looks like the human world is quite entertaining for you.”

 

“Isn’t it the same for you, Hermes? You’re the only one who would go so far as to borrow such a small body just to amuse yourself.”

 

The turtle opened its mouth, revealing tiny teeth. 

 

It looked as if it were cackling.

 

“Come to the summit of Mount Helicon tonight. Apollo wants to see you.”

 

“…”

 

“I told him about you, and he seemed quite worried. That guy pretends otherwise, but he really likes you. After giving those ridiculous love lessons or whatever on Olympus, it seems he was quite impressed by you. Well, when he falls in love, he becomes the biggest fool there is. Still, it’s better than acting like Father. It’s embarrassing to even call him my brother.”

 

Hermes was a chatterbox. 

 

Although they were technically brothers, Langsion felt no particular emotion. 

 

It was the same with Apollo. 

 

Zeus’s seed was scattered across the entire world; if he felt something for every single one, even 365 days wouldn’t be enough.

 

“Anyway, it’s tonight.”

 

Langsion flipped the chattering turtle back onto its feet. 

 

The turtle, no, Hermes, opened its mouth wide as if smiling brightly, and Langsion spoke clearly and firmly.

 

“I refuse.”

 

“Why?”

 

Hermes opened his mouth wide with a “Wak!” sound, as if shouting.

 

Of course he refused. It was bothersome, but more importantly, Scylla was here now. Leaving her alone among humans made him uneasy.

 

“Hermes, I already spent half a day on you. I don’t have any more time to spare for you. Unfortunately.”

 

“Your face doesn’t look unfortunate at all. It’s not me calling you, it’s Apollo. That’s why I said to come out at night, when my brother isn’t working.”

 

Langsion gave a faint smile.

 

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s you or Apollo or anyone else.”

 

“…”

 

“I simply don’t want to spend the time.”

 

“Apollo often feels sorry for you. He says you look lonely. But that loneliness is definitely something you brought upon yourself. And your madness is surely because of your foul temper.”

 

“And you are insensitive. It seems you’ve already forgotten about Ino, who went mad and died because of Hera. You picked me up beside her waterlogged corpse and carried me to Mount Nysa. Every time Hera tried to find me, you brought clouds to cover her eyes. And when the Titans tore my body to pieces and only my heart remained, you were the one who called Zeus. You know the entire trajectory of my life, yet you still say such things.”

 

They exchanged blows, but it was Hermes who took the damage. 

 

With a calm face, he stared into Langsion’s black eyes as if digging into them, then slowly shook his round head from side to side.

 

“I’m too scared to say anything now. If this conversation triggers your madness, it’ll somehow end up being my fault again. I can’t let myself look that pitiful.”

 

“My ears hurt, Hermes.”

 

“…”

 

“When are you leaving?”

 

“On the night when the moon rises, at the summit of Mount Helicon…”

 

“I’m not going.”

 

“No. Don’t refuse, Dionysus.”

 

A sigh was attached to the end of his words. 

 

Hermes, having dropped the playfulness from his voice, stared at Langsion through the turtle’s eyes and said quietly,

 

“If you don’t want us to appear in front of that human you’re playing with.”

 

Langsion’s eyes narrowed. His sleepy, languid gaze turned slightly angry as he looked down at Hermes’s small body.

 

“I’d appreciate it if you disappeared, Hermes.”

 

“…”

 

“Unless you want to become turtle soup.”

 

🫧

 

After Hermes left in a huff, Langsion returned to the bed where Scylla was sleeping. 

 

As he sat beside her, Scylla blinked and looked up at him. Since the sun had not yet set, her heavily wrinkled eyelids drooped downward. 

 

Looking at her drowsy eyes, Langsion clicked his tongue.

 

“I didn’t mean to wake you. Go back to sleep.”

 

“No, it’s fine…”

 

Scylla rubbed her eyes with her hands. Her fingers were as rough as tree bark with peeling layers. 

 

Langsion took her hand and gently wiped the corners of her eyes with his other hand.

 

“Do you think I’m a child?”

 

At Scylla’s grumbling, which could not hide her embarrassment, Langsion whispered softly,

 

“It’s because you’re not a child. I promised to become Teacher’s handkerchief, didn’t I?”

 

Recalling the situation when those words were spoken, Scylla’s face turned red.

 

“You made that same face back then too.”

 

“I really wish you would just shut your mouth…”

 

“How was Mount Helicon?”

 

Langsion asked with a gentle smile.

 

“I saw the collection box. You caught quite a lot of Samaiyan ground wasps.”

 

“I was lucky. I found two hives. Well, I can’t really say I found the second one myself.”

 

“I should have gone with you.”

 

Scylla’s expression brightened as she spoke, and Langsion felt a pang of regret. 

 

If Hermes had not shown up so suddenly, he would never have let Scylla go alone. He was deeply disappointed that he had missed seeing the joyful look on her face when she discovered the Samaiyan ground wasp hives.

 

“It’s fine. This is your hometown that you’ve returned to after a long time, so of course you have many things to do.”

 

Scylla thought he was busy with royal palace affairs. Langsion nodded and handed her a cup of water as she looked around. 

 

Thirsty, she accepted it without protest and drank.

 

“Was everything okay?”

 

Ah, if only this were nectar instead of water. 

 

Day by day, the wrinkles on Scylla’s body seemed to increase, and it bothered Langsion. With each new wrinkle, she drew closer to death.

 

“I met your eldest brother.”

 

“…Huh?”

 

Suddenly, Scylla let out a short laugh. 

 

It was closer to a hollow laugh, but Langsion’s eyes narrowed.

 

“He was completely different from you.”

 

“In what way?”

 

He asked calmly, but he could feel the sharpness in his own voice, like thorns on a leaf.

 

“He looks like he’s never gotten a single drop of water on his hands.”

 

“…”

 

“You at least seem to have gone through some hardship. Of course, compared to people like us, you’re still basically a young master, but your brother is far worse than you.”

 

“Teacher.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“You can’t like other people more than me.”

 

Scylla stared at him with an incredulous expression.

 

“What did you even hear from my words? I said he acted like a spoiled young master.”

 

Langsion hadn’t actually said it because he thought she would really do that. 

 

Thekion, the eldest prince of Thebes, was strict and stubborn. He was also a narrow-minded person who didn’t easily believe anything unless he saw it with his own eyes. 

 

On top of that, he was boring.