Chapter Text
His mom is going to kill him.
Okay, okay, maybe not. She isn’t that merciful, not when Khalid might’ve just fucked up relations with Fodlan forever. She practically beat the words into his head that good relations with all three nations of Fodlan are important-- that the current political state is as delicate as the king’s prized porcelain collection (He didn’t break it, the cat did!). And okay, Khalid gets that, and he should’ve remembered that the word ‘boundaries’ exists, but….
Gods, what was he thinking?
How did it start? Well, good ol’ Khalid here came to the Officer’s Academy as something like an exchange student, but with a bit more perks. Due to his Riegan blood, he landed himself the position as the Golden Deer’s house leader (much to Count Gloucester’s dismay, hah), which is a pretty sweet deal for a foreigner. As house leader and Almyran diplomat, it’s only natural for him to start paving the road called ‘friendship’ with the Empire and the Kingdom, specifically, the other house leaders. Sounds simple enough, right?
Edelgard von Hresvelg, the ninth child of the imperial family, is a strict, no-nonsense kind of girl. In a way, her stubbornness is akin to Khalid’s mother but more refined and less punchy. The Almyran prince decided to go the safer, professional route with her, as she seemed to be the type who is put off by friendly behavior from a stranger. Things were going smoothly, more or less.
On the other hand was the Kingdom's crown prince, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, and boy was he a treat. Khalid didn’t expect this guy to be so troublesome.
See, Khalid heard a lot of good things about the foreign prince. He’s handsome, hard-working, kind, strong— you name it. It’s a little suspicious about how perfect he sounded, but Khalid figured that he probably just had some embarrassing weakness like being scared of rats or something. If he was truly a terrible person, it’s hard to not have at least one bad rumor. No matter where you are, as long as you have power, you’re bound to have at least one enemy who is willing to pounce at the slightest opportunity to crack your image.
However, during their first one-on-one meeting, Dimitri broke his teacup. It was part of an Almyran-style tea set, one of the few gifts Khalid ever got from his mother.
Dimitri profusely apologized. The Crest of Blaiddyd is known for its uncontrollable strength and frankly, Khalid should’ve known better in retrospect. Still, with the most strained smile he ever had to put on, the Almyran prince made his anger quite clear with his sweet, poisonous words. Dimitri’s bewildered face showed that he got the message and Khalid thought the prince would be more mindful from then on.
But that didn’t happen. Their relationship already started off on the wrong foot, and then it got worse. There was a time in the library where Khalid was minding his own business, reading up on Fodlan’s books for the sake of knowledge. Dimitri sneaked up behind him (why is he there?!) and, gods, the thinly veiled arrogance when he asked if Khalid ‘needed any help’! As if basic research and fluency of the Fodlan language were outside of his capabilities! Khalid made use of his words once again to tell the prince not-so-subtly that he isn’t an idiot.
The already tense thread between them snapped when a lance smashed against the training ground wall, a hair’s width away from Khalid’s face. An accident, my ass , thought Khalid. He saw how Dimitri’s red-haired companion covered his mouth when he snickered. Khalid didn’t bother to spare any words and walked out before Dimitri could reach him. And yet, trying to avoid him from then on was no use. Dimitri always managed to sniff him out and it’s weird given how Khalid barely spots him right around the corner every time. Is he stalking him? Trying to psyche him out?
(Hilda says it’s all probably a coincidence since house leaders are bound to cross roads from time to time, but Khalid can’t believe it’s just that.)
From broken possessions to barely dodging an ‘accidental’ death, every interaction with the Faerghan prince was stressful and it happened enough times to convince Khalid it was purposeful harassment. Surely, that princely mask of his is just that, a mask, and no number of repeated apologies would make it better. Not even his pretty face will help... not that Khalid thinks that the prince is pretty, mind you!
But Khalid can control himself. He knows that not everyone will be welcoming him with open arms from the start, so instead of throwing a fist back out in the open, he decided to be more… discreet.
You see, back at the royal palace in Almyra, information was always Khalid’s greatest weapon in a family where strength traditionally trumps all. To get valuable information, he has to snoop.
So he went snooping inside Dimitri’s room. It’s not like he has enough sympathy for the man to respect his privacy. A man like him is bound to be keeping a dark secret or two, yes? While the Blue Lions were out for a mission, Khalid seized the opportunity. If he finds something good, perhaps he’ll finally chase off his harasser once and for all.
Dimitri didn’t keep a diary, only a training journal, but he did have letters that he never discarded. Interesting thing is, some of these letters were locked up. Something sensitive enough to hide but too precious to burn must’ve been contained within. Picking the simple lock was child’s play for Khalid. He skimmed through the hidden letters and lo and behold, something juicy appeared: King Lambert’s second wife, Lady Patricia, is the same person as Lady Anselma, former consort of King Ionius. This makes Prince Dimitri and Princess Edelgard step-siblings-- one hell of a scandal if Khalid ever saw one. Anselma may not have been the main wife of the Imperial harem, but it’s a well-known rumor that her relationship with Ionius was one purely out of passion before they had a falling out. If word ever reaches to the ever-gossiping nobles that the woman ditched the Adrestian emperor in favor of the king of Faerghus, well… that’s just a recipe of chaos that no one wants to deal with. (The absolute drama inherent in all love triangles!)
This makes good blackmail material and the Almyran prince was satisfied with his work. After cleaning up, all he has to do now is wait for the right time to use this trump card.
At least, that was the plan until Princess Edelgard confronted him.
She had enough sense to drag him to a place where no one can hear, but she did not hold back on her choice words about Khalid’s trespassing. When Khalid fired back with what he discovered, he instantly regretted it when he realized the friendship he was carefully crafting was just smashed to pieces. He should’ve lied about his motives-- she only saw him exiting Dimitri’s room, not what he did in there. He could’ve said that he accidentally entered the wrong room because they were neighbors.
But, no, Khalid had to slip up at the most crucial moment! Even if Edelgard won’t rat him out to the public at the risk of her mother’s secret being exposed, she’ll definitely let Dimitri know what happened, and who knows what Dimitri would do after that!
So, great job, Prince Khalid. Diplomacy is fucked.
...
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
He doesn’t like Prince Dimitri one bit, but even if the man is a two-faced dastard, even he should know that this could lead to something terrible should things go poorly. Not only would it be troublesome for him, but also to his father, who is a loud advocate for better international bonds, whether it be Almyra or Duscur. Khalid has little idea of how Dimitri feels towards his father or his policies, but he has no choice but to bet that at the very least, Dimitri would want to avoid the worst possible diplomatic outcome-- a conflict that spills blood.
The best chance at smoothing this over is to apologize to Dimitri and beg for mercy before Edelgard gets to him. So Khalid steeled the roots of his pride and rushed to the gates when the Blue Lions finally returned.
But it looks like he didn’t need to.
“...Khalid?”
Dimitri sure has his way of giving him heart attacks, huh? Right outside of his room was the prince he was looking for, all in his irritatingly handsome glory. He knew that they were coming back today, but isn’t it a bit early?
“Your Highness! I was about to go look for you.” The corner of Dimitri’s left eye twitched. Ah, right. Khalid made it a habit to address Dimitri formally as ‘Your Highness’ instead of his first name because he seemed to hate it. Fuck.
The Faerghan prince didn’t bring it up though. “Is that so? Is there something that you need?”
“Uh, yeah. Can I talk to you real quick? Privately, I mean.”
Surprisingly, the prince raised no objection. After he stepped inside, Dimitri locked the door behind him without command.
“Look, um, Dimitri, I’m sorry.”
Dimitri blinked twice. “For what?”
“I crossed a lot of lines, for both you and Edelgard. We didn’t get along, so I figured— I went into your room when you were gone. I, uh, found out about how the queen of Faerghus is actually Edelgard’s birth mom.”
“Oh.” Contrary to Khalid’s expectations, the blonde prince barely showed a hint of emotion-- a stark contrast to his supposed step-sister. “Is that all?”
“...’Is that all’? Edelgard found out and lost her shit— isn't it bad for you that I found out? Look, Dimitri, I promise I’ll keep quiet and that I won’t do this again, okay? I don’t want-- I don’t want our parents to be bothered for something dumb that I did.” And Khalid means that with much sincerity, but despite that, Dimitri smiled plainly as if the man before him was screaming over extra homework.
“I see. Then it’s all fine if this stays between us, correct? If it’s you, I’m not worried.”
“...You’re not?”
“I am not.”
“I broke into your room when you were gone.”
“And you apologized as soon as I came back. Khalid, I'm not upset, truly. Far worse people would not have done what you have.”
“Still…” Khalid sighs. This feels way too easy. Maybe he should let go of this while Dimitri is still in a good mood, but…. “After all that has happened, I just… expected differently from you. You didn’t leave the impression of being particularly forgiving of me, so….”
“Hmm.” The Faerghan prince closed his eyes in thought for a brief moment before he responded with a firm expression. “There is nothing you need to apologize for. I was the careless one and you just came to the natural conclusion. But since we’re here, I should make it clear: I do not hate you. Never for your actions. Never for your background.” Dimitri’s eyes look directly into Khalid’s-- an earnest bright blue like the color that paints Faerghus and their royals. Khalid had to look away from its sheer brightness.
“Ah.” For some reason, the walls around Khalid’s heart melted a bit when Dimitri said those words, unlike his previous apologies. Is it because he isn’t a stuttering, clumsy mess? Is it because Khalid did something wrong not long ago? It’s hard to believe that those eyes-- that straightforward gaze into Khalid’s own, were anything but sincere. Why did he think otherwise again? But then--
“The truth is, it’s quite the opposite. When I see you, I can’t help but be lost.”
“...Huh?”
“Lost in your eyes, you figure-- everything. Controlling my strength is difficult when I find myself entranced by you. It is as if I’m under a spell by the most beautiful siren.” He says that embarrassingly poetic compliment so confidently, but his face still flushed into a rosy pink.
He has to be pulling on his leg. (That’s how the saying goes, right?)
“...” Khalid wants to laugh, not because he found the Faerghan’s words to be humorous, but because he wanted to pretend as if it was. He has no right to look so deceptively cute. A pathetic, nervous chuckle was all he could manage. “So like a curse? I promise you, I’ve never heard of such magic in Almyra nor am I capable of it, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Pretending to be ignorant was a form of Khalid’s denial-- a chance for Dimitri to backtrack on his words for unfortunate phrasing, no matter how unlikely.
But Dimitri didn’t take the flimsy bait-- in fact, he just gave a brief, soft laugh and reached out.
“Even if you cursed me, I’d still love you, Khalid.” Dimitri’s smile was gentle as he said that-- his hand lightly holding Khalid’s face.
Ahah. What.
...Oh gods, he can smell Dimitri’s sweat from here. When did he get so close?
It took a few ( very ) long moments before the Almyran prince snapped out of it and swatted the hand away from his face. “Look, Your Princeliness, I’m aware of my reputation for being the king of humor, but I’m not here to play jokes.”
“I’m not joking, Khalid.”
He isn’t and Khalid can see that, but that doesn’t mean Khalid can swallow his doubts and accept them like it’s nothing. Dimitri picks up on it.
“I understand your reservations, and it isn’t unwarranted given our past history, so there is something else I must confess.”
Oh no, even more.
“The truth is, I’m not Dimitri.”
Khalid chokes on his spit.
“Er, I mean, I’m not exactly the same as the one you knew. You see, when I awoke yesterday, I received memories of a different Dimitri who’s from the future--”
Khalid wheezes as he struggles to breathe.
“--a different future where you and I are together.”
Oh gods, he’s still wheezing.
“The memories I have of you are-- ah, there was simply no way I could not fall for you even with the memories of my current life. To see you in your beautiful whole self in all of your charm and wit was… I need that once more.”
Khalid tries to calm his heart-- slowly steadying his breathing.
“You are my beloved, after all.”
Khalid finally catches his breath, but not without tears in his eyes before he asks, “...Are you okay?” The irony is not lost on him and he doesn’t want to think about it.
“Very much so!” Dimitri gave the biggest smile Khalid has ever seen on him and it mocks his confusion. Where does he even begin with this? A different Dimitri? A memory of a different life? A future where they’re together ? Just--
“You have to be mocking me.”
Dimitri nods in understanding. “I will do whatever is within my capabilities to convince you if it is what you wish.”
“Yeah, no,” Khalid blurts out. Immediately, Dimitri makes the cutest-- I mean, saddest puppy eyes and Khalid… why does he feel bad? (He looks like a kicked puppy! I can even see the tears welling up!) He really shouldn’t entertain such a ludicrous story and yet….
“Okay. Okay, just-- answer me this: why?”
“Why?”
“Why do you love me? Even if what you say is true by some miracle, that Khalid and I aren’t the same person. Wouldn’t you just be projecting?”
Khalid immediately jumps to rationalizing his question in his mind. If he simply asked what happened in that other future, Dimitri could make up any plausible-sounding nonsense that he wants-- proving absolutely nothing, right? But feelings! Feelings can’t be replicated that easily, right? He read a few romance novels (for research purposes!), saw how Mom and Baba like and may have contemplated what his ideal partner would be like (and it’s far from Dimitri, he swears!). Of course, he knows he could never be with Dimitri in a thousand years! But he’s asking because-- because…. Well. Miracles can happen, even if you can’t bet on them. It’s not like Khalid of all people is hopeful for a chance with Dimitri, right? Right?
All of those thoughts were cut when the Faerghan prince opened his mouth.
“Because you were born as Khalid all the same.”
“...What?”
“Even if you and he are from different timelines, you’re still Khalid, my one and only. Perhaps you don’t have any memory of saving me in the past when I was in the deepest pit of despair, or even went through the same experiences as he did, but I do know one thing ....”
Warm arms encircled the young Golden Deer’s body before he could step back. Dimitri’s soft breath tickles his ears.
“My beloved guiding light, my Khalid, is a blessed existence. A person who is capable of the greatest kindness, wielder of the strongest of wills, and the cleverest of minds-- I have yet to go a single day where I’m not thankful that you were born. That’s why I love you. There is no need for me to be conflicted over which version of universal good for me to love.”
A light kiss on the neck.
“The fact that you were born is why I worship you.”
And that’s when Prince Khalid II of Almyra decided to put his superior speed to use for once and dashed out of his room to a place far, far away.
Khalid Mirza Azadi II is the fifth prince and tenth child of the Almyran royal family-- the very youngest, in fact. By all traditional standards, he is rock bottom in almost everything when compared to his siblings. His siblings are older and stronger. Their mothers are more powerful and well-connected. They are more loved by the people, spoiled with more opportunities to feign goodwill when little Khalid gets snide remarks for existing.
Despite that, his father, Khalid I, decided to name the unfortunate prince after himself, and that certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed.
To name Tiana’s sole child after himself-- it’s clear who the king favors as his successor despite not knowing a single thing about how he will even turn out when he grows up. Many chalked it up to Tiana’s deceitful Fodlish ways, a demoness’s seduction. Because of her, the tiny half-blood is a clear threat to the throne against all odds, they thought. Harassment was inevitable and much to Khalid’s fortune, it died down by the time when Almyra declared to open their borders.
Mother and Baba were strong and little Khalid knew that luck was on their side to achieve what they had. The self-made wall between Almyra and Fodlan was a sturdy one for multiple reasons, but a crack formed when scandal after scandal happened to Khalid’s most aggressive competitors to the throne. From incompetence to corruption to civilian massacres, black stains formed around the princes and princesses who once got away with the attempted poisonings of Almyra’s youngest prince. Khalid isn’t the type to take chances, of course. He had a hand in exposing each and every one of them, albeit with much help, but even so, the fact that there was ever an opening at all was a lucky break in his book. While all of this was happening, Khalid filled in the gaps with his own presence when no one else stepped up, doing things that the disgraced royals should’ve done despite his young age. His rock bottom reputation steadily went higher. Tiana and Khalid were eventually able to speak out for Fodlan.
Even so, things aren’t over. Although the council eventually acquiesced to the idea of diplomacy with Fodlan after the royal scandals and Khalid’s achievements, Khalid still had competitors despite their quietness and a treaty is still in the works. Loud, boisterous laughter at his misfortune and supposed cowardice became sheathed, hidden complaints whispered behind his back. Fodlan, although for different reasons, was no different, much to Khalid’s dismay.
After all the curses he received in his life for being born, Khalid got used to it.
But Dimitri, just now, he….
The fact that you were born is why I worship you.
Gods, his face is still on fire.
Khalid ran away as far as his legs could take him and he’s not sure if his heart is pounding so hard because of the exercise or because of Dimitri’s sweet words ringing in his mind.
It has to be a twisted prank, right? They were certainly at odds not long ago-- he has to be doing this on purpose to get a rise out of his nemesis and yet…!
Khalid wishes he didn’t feel so comfortably warm inside.
No! Snap out of it, Khalid! What about the ridiculous things he said before about past lives and time-traveling nonsense! Maybe it’s not so much that Dimitri is lying as he is just simply insane. Of course, that has to be it! And since it’s not any of his business, he can just go on as normal and avoid the Kingdom’s crown prince as per usual.
And so, Khalid did. He went to class, ate lunch with his classmates, hung out with Hilda-- you know, like a normal day. A perfectly normal day. A day where Dimitri definitely didn’t profess his love to him. Yeah.
And then--
“You. What did you do to him?”
One grumpy Felix Hugo Fraldarius corners him on his way back to his room.
“...You’re going to have to clarify on that front, Felix.”
Felix, Dimitri’s right hand and childhood friend-- Khalid has heard about him for his notorious bad, prickly attitude and obsession for training. He’s also equally infamous for his badly hidden softness for his friends and cats, calling his liege by a cute nickname, ‘Dima’, and the like. Of course, none of that softness was there as he stared daggers into Khalid’s poor fleshy body.
“I saw Dimitri leave your room this morning and he’s been acting strange ever since. He’s been staring into space all class and refused to join me to the training grounds.”
...Yeah, there’s no way Khalid is going to tell him.
“Uh, maybe he’s just tired? His Highness is human, after all. He’s bound to have days where he wants to relax for once.”
“Or maybe,” said Felix, all accusatory and whatever. “You did something to him for him to act that way.”
“Like what?”
“Like anything!”
There was no reasoning with this guy. So, okay, maybe Dimitri is acting all absentminded because the love of his life(?) ran out on him without a word and he’s in a bit of a shock, but that doesn’t mean that Khalid spilling what happened there is going to solve anything! If he talks about how he sneaked into Dimitri’s room, he’s going to be punched in the face. If he talks about Dimitri’s mad ramblings, he’s going to take it as an insult and punch him in the face! There’s no winning with this guy….
“...And besides,” Felix continued. “When Dimitri is tired during the day, he slaps himself and forces himself to train even more to work it out. Then, either I or Ingrid would have to drag him back to his bed when he passes out.”
“That sounds strangely self-destructive.”
“We know ,” Felix sighs. ‘We’ probably refers to Dimitri’s entire inner circle of friends, but they weren’t able to stop him from doing that? Maybe Dimitri is even more obsessed with training than Felix, which sounds ridiculous. Khalid can’t help but wonder why the Faerghan prince would want to force himself through such pain? Masochism? Or….
“It’s hypocritical, given how he tells us to take breaks, but that’s just how he is. I’ve known Dimitri since we were kids, alright? I know how he acts more than anyone else and I’m more than certain that he’s almost never like this.”
“Almost?”
“Almost. Something similar happened once before….” Felix lunged to grip Khalid’s shirt! “And that was when a girl forced a kiss on him.”
Khalid felt like he was punched in the gut from Felix’s words alone.
“Was that what you did? Your scheme of the day? Dima can be a filthy romantic at times and of course, of course, someone like you would want to rile him up for kicks!”
“Hey--”
“Or maybe you used some unknown Almyran spell to seduce him--”
“For the last time, there’s no such thing!” This is the second time, he swears to--
“Khalid and… Felix?”
And there he was. The man of the hour, standing around all clueless-like when he doesn’t deserve to be.
“Dima…” Felix slowly lets go of Khalid, finally.
“I was looking for you, Khalid. What... just happened?” The very not-cute prince tilts his head in a very not-cute way.
“Oh cool, uh... Your Princeliness! Tell your retainer that I very much did not seduce you this morning.”
Like a puppy, Dimitri did just that. “He did not seduce me, Felix.”
“What the fuck.” Felix pinches his nose. “You know what, whatever. I’m leaving. But this isn’t over!” Felix trampled off to who knows where (probably back to the training grounds to vent) and Dimitri, who Khalid is now noticing to be carrying a cloth-covered basket, turned to him and smiled.
“Khalid, can I have a moment with you? In private, I mean.”
“Uh….”
“Good,” said Dimitri, completely ignoring the fact that Khalid failed to answer as he grabbed his wrist. “I hope you still have room in your stomach. I made something for you.”
The familiar scent wafting into Khalid’s nose convinces him to follow Dimitri without struggle.
Dimitri didn’t have anything sensitive to say immediately despite requesting privacy. When the two went back to Khalid’s room, he just offered what was in his basket: fresh bread buns that must’ve come out of the oven less than an hour ago. (So this is why he didn’t go with Felix, huh.) Khalid didn’t think he was hungry given that he ate today, but his stomach grumbled the moment he was exposed to those fluffy pieces of decadence so he had no excuse to reject it. And well….
The bread is delicious.
It only took one bite for Khalid to recognize the flavor of his favorite sweet bread, coating his tongue as if it came straight from the streets of Almyra. Well, it wasn’t exactly the same per se (it was a bit sourer than what he remembered?), but tasting this piece of home is...
“I know that one is supposed to use dates, but I couldn’t find any in the market. I hope that the noa fruit didn’t make a poor substitute.”
“...Why?”
“Hmm?”
“Why did you make this for me?” It’s not exactly the same as the one he had in Almyra, but the familiar flavors of turmeric and cumin… maybe he was a bit more homesick than he thought he was. It was easy to remember things like his siblings’ harassment well enough-- it was part of the reason why he wanted to go out to Fodlan, but small shards of familiarity like this are….
To think that the crown prince of Faerghus would know how to make this.
Without skipping a beat, Dimitri answers, “Because I love you, of course.”
It’s not impossible for Dimitri to get his hands on an Almyran recipe, but isn’t it a bit too much of a coincidence that the food in question is a childhood favorite of his?
“Were you serious back then? That you’re from the future?”
“That I received memories from the future, my love,” Dimitri smiles. “There, you were the one who taught me how to make this, actually.” Dimitri’s cheeks grow rosy as he softly giggles. “It was difficult to master-- I still haven’t actually, but at the time I wanted to do something special for you….”
“How did it happen? I mean, as the crown prince, don’t you have a nation to rule in the future? Or were the other you and future me only lovers behind the scenes?”
“I was your concubine, actually.”
“What? Then Faerghus--”
“--was no more. Fodlan united after a great war, so it wasn’t an issue for me to be by your side.” Dimitri huddled closer to Khalid, but this time, the Almyran didn’t move away when Dimitri’s head nuzzled into the crook of his neck. “This world is very different from that one-- much more peaceful, thank the goddess. You need not worry too much about the details, okay?”
“A war?” he asks, but his only response was Dimitri stroking his hair.
There’s something about that statement that made Khalid uneasy. Yes, it’s obvious that there are details that Dimitri is clearly skipping over, and one could think that, well, perhaps war was a sore spot for obvious reasons.
However, Khalid can’t ignore the feeling that there’s more to this. First off, if Fodlan united, who was ruling it— the Church? They do have a decent amount of influence for each corner of Fodlan, but there are also Empire nobles who fantasize about the ‘good old days’ from when Adrestia ruled all of Fodlan. Maybe they did something there? Secondly, if the other Dimitri and his other self were in love, why is he a concubine, and not his main husband? There’s a difference between the two in Almyra and there shouldn’t be anything stopping King Khalid II from taking male spouses. If you say things like “don’t worry about the details”, it’ll only make me more curious, Your Princeliness.
Despite that, Khalid kept his mouth shut. Just earlier, he was in deep shit for snooping in places he shouldn’t. Who knows, maybe this Dimitri will satiate his curiosity later anyways. Maybe it won’t even matter to him like how most parallel worlds don’t
And, well, he doesn’t want to move from this position. Dimitri’s body is quite warm and cozy.
“Haven’t I told you? A little sincerity goes a long way, does it not?”
The Claude of this world, Khalid, fell fast asleep in his arms not long ago, so Dimitri tucked him to bed and made his way back to his own room. Emerging from the corner of Dimitri’s eyes was an apparition, a transparent shadow of the young prince’s body. His expression barely concealed his anger.
The ‘Dimitri’ of this world has lost control of his own body to this stranger.
“It would have been preferable if our positions were switched— if you had simply guided me instead of hijacking what isn’t yours.”
“Unfortunately, I was not the one who decided this. If it was the will of the goddess or some other god that I am to be reborn, then it cannot be helped, can it?” Dimitri isn’t lying about that. The last thing he remembered before coming to this world was him drinking a special poison, one that would give him a painless death. He expected some kind of afterlife-- to greet his fallen lover in paradise or fall into the eternal flames, but to think that his second life would begin like this! As ‘Dimitri’ aired his grievances, Dimitri was beyond elated.
In this happier world, things will be different!
“Is interfering with my love life the goddess’s will?”
“It’s for your own good. Whether it be as Claude or Khalid… he’s the only one worthy of my unconditional trust, my love, my devotion-- I can only hope that you’ll see what a wonderful person he is one day.” His time as King Khalid’s most beloved was like a sunset-- beautiful and yet much too short. Dimitri opened up the window and smiled as he felt the breeze on his skin. No matter how undeserved it is, he won’t let this time go to waste.
‘Dimitri’ felt his gut twist. As the body-- his body, looked out to the crimson sky, fear runs up his veins. The ghost inhabiting his body had a longing smile, but his pupils were hollow-- soulless. He’s a madman in love, he thought.
‘Dimitri’... didn’t know that he was capable of making such an expression.
“I can only imagine what your Khalid was like for you to speak that way about him.”
What shape did Khalid’s love take? He’s not sure if he wants to know.