The Rogue System [BL]

Eric was determined to prove that he could not be contained.

Well... he certainly tried.

He stood before the enormous compound wall, staring up at it with renewed determination. The wall was nearly as tall as a two-story building, but that didn’t discourage him in the slightest. If anything, it only made him more determined to conquer it.

He grabbed onto the rough stone surface and began climbing.

He made it a little way up.

Then his foot slipped.

Eric slid halfway back down before managing to catch himself.

He tried again.

And again.

And again.

Each attempt ended in roughly the same manner. His hands would find a decent grip, his feet would scramble for somewhere to stand, and just when he thought he was making progress, he would lose his footing and slide helplessly back down the wall.

His clothes certainly weren’t helping.

The elaborate layers the servants had dressed him in were beautiful, but they were absolutely terrible for climbing. The long fabric constantly tangled around his legs, making it difficult to move freely, and more than once, he nearly tripped over his own clothes. Every time he managed to climb a little higher, some loose piece of fabric would catch beneath his foot and send him sliding back down.

It was frustrating, to say the least.

But Eric was not someone who gave up easily.

With a determined grunt, he grabbed the wall again and began climbing. This time, he managed to get more than halfway up.

He grinned triumphantly.

See? I can do it!

Then a familiar voice drifted up from below.

"You’ve been at it for half a day. I thought you might have gotten better by now, but this is honestly a rather sad sight to see."

Eric froze.

Slowly, he looked down.

Ryan stood beneath the wall, his arms folded across his chest. His expression was as stoic as ever, but the amusement in his steel-gray eyes was impossible to miss.

Eric’s face immediately darkened.

"When did you get here?"

"Long enough to watch you fall six times."

"..."

Eric glared at him before gripping the wall tighter.

"I will climb this wall today, and no one can stop me."

Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"You can try all you want, but you can’t escape."

Those words immediately struck a nerve.

Eric’s expression darkened further. He released his grip and jumped down from the wall, his long robes fluttering around him as he landed. After brushing himself off, he turned toward Ryan with an indignant glare.

"I just want to go outside and enjoy the market! Can’t I do that?" he demanded. "Aren’t I your wife?"

"In name, yes."

Ryan’s answer came far too quickly.

"But you’re still an enemy prince being held captive in our territory. I can’t simply let you wander around wherever you please."

He said it so calmly, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Eric’s jaw tightened.

This guy...

The man who had seemed like a silent snail before their marriage had somehow become incredibly talkative afterward. Worse, he had become unbearably audacious.

And annoying.

Gods, he was annoying as hell!

Eric glared at him for several long seconds, practically burning holes into Ryan’s face.

Then, with an irritated growl, he turned on his heel and stormed away.

He didn’t want to look at that man’s face for even one more second.

Behind him, Ryan simply watched him leave, the faintest trace of amusement still lingering in his eyes.

The young prince’s servants hurried after him, but Ryan lifted a hand, gesturing for them to stop.

"Is there anything in particular that caught his interest outside?"

The leading maid bowed deeply before answering.

"Your Highness was tempted by the candied fruit being sold outside the gates," she said, glancing up at him with a faint, almost amused smile.

Ryan nodded.

"You can go now."

The maid bowed again and obediently stepped back. Ryan had noticed the way she had looked at him several times before, but he had chosen to ignore it. He had seen enough women give him similar looks over the years that he hardly paid attention to them anymore.

The maid hesitated for a moment, stealing another meek glance at him before finally turning away.

Ryan watched her leave without much thought.

He had seen countless women like her before. The maids serving in his residence were all young and unmarried, and if he had ever wanted one of them, any could have become his concubine or bed warmer without much difficulty.

Yet none of them had ever managed to hold his interest.

Not until the young prince.

Suddenly, Ryan’s thoughts came to a halt.

The young prince had caught his interest?

That was an amusing thought in itself.

The hostage prince had somehow managed to make him smile and feel strangely lighthearted so many times that Ryan had lost count. Just thinking about Eric’s ridiculous attempts to escape, his dramatic complaints, and the way he had stubbornly tried to climb the compound wall made the corners of Ryan’s lips twitch.

He immediately shook away the thought.

What useless things am I thinking about?

His gaze shifted toward his room, but when he reached the main gate, he unexpectedly slowed to a stop.

His eyes fell upon the street outside.

The colorful candied fruits were still being sold at the nearby stall, their glossy sugar coating catching the sunlight.

Ryan stared at them for a moment.

Without thinking too much about it, he stepped through the gate.

The guards immediately bowed.

Ryan ignored them and walked toward the stall.

A short while later, he returned carrying several sticks of candied fruit in one hand.

The young prince had wanted them so desperately that he had been willing to climb a wall for them.

Just the thought alone made Ryan laugh.

A quiet chuckle escaped him as he walked back into the compound, a stick of candied fruit dangling casually from his hand.

For some reason, the sight of Eric’s stubborn little face flashed through his mind again.

Ryan’s lips curved into another faint smile.

Perhaps giving him what he wanted wasn’t such a bad idea after all.