NOVEL NEXT Chapter 209: Progress
As Hadrian settled back into his life at the Rosewood house—and as he hit another bump in his research—he remembered the booklets that Maria had given him.
Glancing over them, Hadrian found four booklets and one novella. The plain novella immediately struck him as containing erotica. The style wasn’t congruent with the booklets. In that case, how was it related?
He opened the novella first.
Instead of it being a young nobleman sleeping with the only princess of some made-up kingdom, it was a young nobleman sleeping with the only prince of some made-up kingdom.
Cough cough.
So that was how two men slept together…
Hadrian put down the novella, ignored his physical reactions, and picked up the booklets.
Unlike the novella that had an obscure printing press logo, these booklets were produced by the Rosewood printing press. Hadrian, who greatly respected Ayden’s work, started to read the booklets, cover-to-cover, even though it wasn’t relevant to him.
Two descriptions stunned him.
Anonymous person: I am a woman, and from when I was young, I knew I liked boys. I had a crush on the most handsome boy in the neighbourhood, just like many other girls. However, once I grew older, I had a good female friend. I did everything with her and wanted to spend all my time with her. Suddenly, I realised that I could like women too. I could like both men and women…
Asexuality spectrum: For many people who are asexual, the asexual spectrum can be helpful. There will be asexual people who have never experienced sexual attraction to another person. There will some who would form attachments under very certain conditions, such as with close friends. Depending on the targets of attraction, if any, an asexual person can also be gay or bisexual…
Hadrian’s stomach fluttered. He read through the booklets completely, before returning to these segments.
Something about them struck a chord inside of him.
He felt tense. He felt like this could be him.
Hadrian thought back to his life experiences.
Growing up in the Terra fief, under the tutelage and training of his father, Hadrian had focused single-mindedly on learning to be a good marquis. He had to work twice as hard to achieve the same skill, to acquire the same knowledge compared to his younger siblings. He didn’t have time for romance, and nor did he care to seek it out.
He had never thought to compare his attraction to women to his attraction to men, or lack there-of.
But he didn’t want to be a bachelor his entire life. He wanted a life partner, just like how his parents were together.
Could he imagine a future where he married a woman, such as one of the candidates his father had prepared?
Could he imagine a future where he married a man?
He didn’t know.
This problem was even harder than his research. With his research, he could ask Ayden and prince Pollux for help. But with this, he couldn’t.
He read the booklets one more time, focusing especially on the stories left by anonymous persons. He compared their stories with his own life experience, but this didn’t clarify anything.
Hadrian put the booklets and novella away and went to play with Artemis.
“Artemis, do you know?” he asked her.
“Meow?” Artemis licked his finger.
“Oh, you’re just hungry…” Hadrian picked her up. “Let’s get you some food.”
A few days later, Ren Xiyang and Rian arrived at the Rosewood house for Prince Pollux’s healing session.
Wolfgang Titian and his cats were still there with Prince Pollux, Hadrian, and their cats in one of the living rooms.
“Ayden, Your Highness,” Wolfgang greeted. “Do you have time to play with the cats?”
“We’re busy, unfortunately,” Rian said, looking at Prince Pollux and Hadrian.
“Oh, it’s time already?” Wolfgang was surprised. “Ladies and Lords, please return to the basket for our return trip,” he said to his kittens and cats. “Ah, since you’re here, Ayden, would you like a cat? I gave Cassiopeia Schauss a cat a few days ago, on the condition that she bring Lady Roza Schauss-nee-Titian over to visit whenever she was in town.”
“No need, too busy,” Ren Xiyang said. He glanced at Rian. And I already have a big dog.
Rian blinked innocently. If he had a tail, it would be sticking straight up in the air, happy and proud.
“A shame, maybe in the future,” Wolfgang said. “If you ever want a cat, don’t hesitate to ask!” After saying goodbye to everyone, including Princess Sasha and Lady Artemis, he left with his basket of cats.
After Princess Sasha and Lady Artemis were handed over to Prince Pollux’s manservant for care, Ren Xiyang, Rian, Hadrian, and Prince Pollux headed into the treatment room.
Today, there was a new contraption in the room: the treadmill that Rian had made. There was a textured walking belt wrapped around a thick deck, long handrails on the side, and a frame over the treadmill with pulleys and ropes hanging down and connected to a harness.
“Prince Rian has kindly developed this,” Ren Xiyang introduced. “Eventually, we could use it to help you relearn to walk. But today, I want to see if you can stand, supported, while I heal you.”
Prince Pollux’s lips thinned. “Understood.”
“There are handrails that you can hold, and the harness itself will support you. Would you like Prince Rian to demonstrate?”
“No need,” Prince Pollux said. “How do I enter it?”
“We’ll strap you into the harness while you’re sitting down—this goes around your waist, and these go around your upper legs,” Rian said. “Then, when you’re ready, we’ll help support you to a standing position.
“Okay.” Prince Pollux decisively moved into position.
Ren Xiyang and Rian worked neatly together to strap Prince Pollux into the harness. Then, with Rian magically pulling the harness ropes up, Prince Pollux’s chair tilting forward, and Ren Xiyang assisting from the front, Pollux achieved a standing position.
He was standing!
Pollux’s stomach twisted. He gritted his teeth, gripping the handrails hard. He could see his feet touching the ground, but he couldn’t feel his feet yet. However, there was a pressure on his upper legs.
“Good, it looks like your muscles are activating,” Ayden said.
Rian raised the harness a little higher, and the pressure decreased. However, Pollux didn’t relax.
No, he wasn’t technically standing. He was hanging in a harness, in a facsimile of standing.
“How does it feel?” Ayden asked.
“Fine,” Pollux said tightly.
“Try to look ahead,” Ayden said. “After a minute, we’ll get you to sit down again.”
“I can stand for longer. The harness is supporting me, isn’t it?” Pollux asked.
Ayden glanced at Rian. “It is,” he admitted. “The moment you feel you need to rest, please alert me.”
“Understood.”
With that, Prince Rian left, while Ayden called Hadrian to stand next to Pollux, in preparation for healing.
Familiar magic entered Pollux’s legs.
In this standing position, Pollux couldn’t take something out to read while Ayden healed him.
But he didn’t want to sit down. He wanted to stay ‘standing’ for as long as possible.
Pollux could feel himself getting tired. His arms were getting tired, even his back was getting tired. He became focused on staying still and breathing in, out, in, out, while vaguely noticing how different the world felt from a higher vantage point.
“Your Highness…” came Hadrian’s worried voice.
Ayden’s magic pulled out. “Prince Pollux, let me help you back down.”
Pollux was very reluctant, but he really couldn’t hold on much longer.
“Don’t worry, after I finish healing you for today, I’ll show you and Hadrian how to work this, and you can practice standing every day.”
Pollux felt a breath of relief and anticipation. “Very well.”
Both Ayden and Hadrian assisted Pollux back into his floating chair, and they moved to the usual seated area in the room to finish off the day’s healing.
“Before I show you and Hadrian how to use the treadmill, I also want to update you on your healing plan,” Ayden said.
Pollux nodded.
“I consulted with Duke Schauss. Based on his words, and my increased experience and understanding of your nerves, I will speed up my healing process and increase the amount healed in each session.”
Pollux’s stomach flipped with anticipation. “Understood. When do you think you’ll be done?”
“In a month.”
Pollux’s heart almost leapt out of his chest. “So soon?”
“Yes. If I go faster, it might be painful in the intermediate stage, and it would definitely be more unfamiliar, but I think it’s worth it. After that, you’ll be exclusively on exercise therapy, including walking practice. Do you agree?”
“Yes.”
Ayden smiled faintly. “Alright, I’ll show you the treadmill now, including the ‘tread’ function that you’ll be able to use in the future…”
Pollux’s excitement, anticipation, and even anxiety, was hard to suppress after that healing session.
What if he still couldn’t walk even if his legs were healed? What if it had been too long?
Now that the end was closer, failure would be much more devastating.
Pollux couldn’t speak about this to anyone. No one would understand him.
Outside, the leaves in the trees were already golden, orange, red and brown, and out in the fiefs, the farmers were tired but joyful after the year’s harvest.
The group from the Lavender fief were experiencing their first Rosewood harvest festival.
The autumn in the Rosewood fief was mild, without that cold chill they would have expected at this time of the year. However, even if it was colder—and it would get colder in the winter—the houses they had been assigned were sturdy and had heating.
When they had arrived at the Rosewood fief last year, they had been assigned miscellaneous work at first. Upon the arrival of spring, they took up their old jobs, either working in the fields or caring for the livestock animals. By the autumn, they were still staying in their assigned houses, but they had been able to buy new clothing and save up some money.
Those who worked in the fields knew that the fields here were more abundant and lush. But after the harvest, when bags and bags of staple crops were bundled up, as huge silos were filled, they truly realised how amazing the yield was in the Rosewood fief. Oftentimes, it was double what they could have produced back home! Even the livestock were more robust.
Lamond, one of those from the Lavender fief, would be lying if he said he wasn’t home sick. However, travelling home was not easy and very expensive. He and his friends agreed that they would stay in the Rosewood fief for a few more years and save up more money first. And if they wanted to go home earlier, one of the local Rosewood residents had told them a tip—go to the Rosewood Group main office, apply for a job either in logistics, the agricultural initiative, or the food charity fund, and ask to be assigned to the Lavender fief.
The only downside was that they would need to learn to read and write, if not before applying, then on the job at latest.
Maybe they’ll try those free classes during the winter…or maybe they wouldn’t. That was a problem for future them: current them wanted to enjoy the lively harvest festival.
Look at the goods on sale! Look at the food available! Look at all the entertainers on the street squares! This really felt like a whole new world.
For this year’s harvest festival, Rian dropped his excuses and told his Imperial Mother that he would be heading over to the Rosewood fief with his fiancé to play.
“Why don’t you take your little brother with you?” his Imperial Mother asked.
“Imperial Mother, please,” Rian said. “I already told him that I’ll be going to the Rosewood fief to audit their taxes and census with Ayden. Unfortunately, Alexius decided he wanted to come regardless with his friends.”
Queen Mira: “...”
“I will also audit the taxes and census with Ayden, but it doesn’t take that long,” Rian added. “But there were other things I wanted to talk to you about…”
Rian spoke with his Imperial Mother about several of his work project matters, before directing Gary to pack up his things and heading to the Rosewood house.
Prince Pollux and Hadrian opted to stay at the Rosewood house and enjoy the mid-autumn in the Capital, which meant two fewer third-wheels on Rian’s trip with his beloved.
On the journey to the Rosewood fief, Rian successfully stopped Alexius from climbing onto the Rosewood carriage by asking if he wanted to help read some reports and summarise for him.
Once the carriage started moving, Ren Xiyang had a thoughtful expression. “What will you look like once you’re a fully grown adult? How about Alexius?”
Rian obligingly sent Ren Xiyang several mental images. He felt a touch of interest down the telepathic link.
Oh, Alexius really grows up. No wonder he’s the male lead. (No wonder you’re jealous), Ren Xiyang thought.
Rian: “…” He narrowed his eyes. Do you want to duel? Or do you want me to strip?
Ren Xiyang’s lips twitch. He didn’t need to send a thought to convey his response—that Rian was clearly being opportunistic with his excuses.
But Rian wasn’t fazed. For some matters, he understood that being shameless and acting cute would get him what he wanted, eventually.
Ren Xiyang: Looks like Alexius grows taller than you, and look at those shoulders.
Rian: That’s because I died in my first life!!! Otherwise, I would be taller and more well-built!
Ren Xiyang: Hmmm.
Rian: *gritted teeth* Let me modify our schedule, less nightly activities, more sleep, more exercise, and more milk…
bafflinghaze’s little checklist:
- Eyram asked about the people who were relocated to the Rosewood fief. Small snapshot of them, done!
Speaking of lists, I recently made a list about the BL I’ve been reading lately! https://bafflinghaze.tumblr.com/post/748275230216241152/bl-im-reading-lately if you want some more recs~
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