Chapter Text 正文内容
The night grows late. It's close to midnight of the same night and Rin remains in the king's chambers.
夜色渐深，已近午夜时分，Rin仍留在国王的寝室中。
The king, who's on his back, shifts his head over to look at the one beside him. All he can see is a pair of eyes staring back at him from between messy tufts of hair and a blanket wrapped about his head. Everything except Rin's eyes are concealed.
国王仰卧着，将头转向身旁的人。他只见一双眼睛从凌乱的发丛和裹在头上的毯子间回望着他，除了Rin的眼睛，其余皆被遮掩。
The king has to stifle back the urge to giggle at the, quite frankly, comical sight. "What are you doing in there?" he asks amusedly.
国王强忍住笑出声的冲动，这景象着实滑稽。“你在那儿做什么呢？”他笑着问道。
Rin's eyes narrow a little but he's persistently quiet. It would seem Isagi would not recieve an answer to his question.
Rin的眼睛微微眯起，但依旧保持沉默。看来Isagi的问题是得不到答案了。
"I... Don't know if we should have done that. Now I'm gonna make myself look like an asshole for saying this, but... I really don't know how you expect me to rationally keep you around here? Do you understand?"
"我...不知道我们是否应该那样做。现在我说这话可能会显得像个傻瓜，但是...我真的不知道你期望我如何理性地让你留在这里？你明白吗？"
Rin, in his bundle of blankets, suddenly starts shuffling in closer. When he's quite close, the rest of his face pokes out so he can talk.
裹在毯子里的Rin突然开始挪动，靠近了一些。当他足够近时，脸的其他部分露了出来，以便说话。
"I'm not leaving," he says simply, with such a sureness that it's, once again, a little comical.
"我不会离开的。"他简单地说道，语气中的坚定让人再次觉得有些滑稽。
"You seem pretty sure of that. Yet, you know you'll never be a knight again. You'll definitely never hold a weapon again. Do you even have any other skills you can offer me?"
"你似乎对此很有把握。然而，你也知道你再也无法成为骑士了。你肯定再也拿不起武器了。你还有什么其他技能能提供给我吗？"
Rin's eyes shyly flicker down and away, and Isagi squints at this in suspicion.
Rin的目光羞涩地闪躲开，而Isagi则怀疑地眯起了眼睛。
"Well?" the king jabs. “那么？”国王催促道。
"Mm... Well... There is something else."
“嗯... 好吧... 还有别的事。”
"Then speak up? What is it?"
“那就说出来吧？是什么？”
Rin seems to be hesitating and he's still avoiding eye-contact. Isagi then realizes what it is. He's embarassed.
Rin 似乎有些犹豫，依然避免眼神接触。Isagi 随即意识到原因。他感到尴尬。
"If you laugh at me I'll definitely kill you, do you hear me?" Rin says plainly.
“你要是敢笑我，我绝对会杀了你，听到了吗？”Rin 平淡地说道。
"Alright then. I won't laugh."
“好吧。我不会笑的。”
"Well, it's..." one of Rin's hands pokes out from the covers and tugs at a lock of hair awkwardly. "... Gardening."
“嗯，这是……”Rin的一只手从被子里伸出来，尴尬地拽了拽一缕头发。“……园艺。”
"Gard—Eh?" “园——诶？”
"I told you not to laugh."
“我说了别笑。”
"I—I'm not..." though it was the truth, Isagi's definitely resisting the urge to do so.
“我——我不是……”尽管这是事实，Isagi显然在极力克制这种冲动。
"I don't have a gardener anymore... But if you think I'm gonna hire you into a position such as that, you'd best believe you're proving your worth to me, Rin."
“我已经没有园丁了……但如果你以为我会让你担任那样的职位，你最好证明自己对我有这个价值，Rin。”
Rin's eyes make his way back up to meet with the king's, then, and he seems to be out of his embarrassment.
Rin的目光重新迎上国王的视线，此时，他似乎已摆脱了尴尬。
"One month," Rin says. "一个月。" Rin 说道。
Ah, the king thinks, Striking another deal, are we?
啊，国王心想，又在谈条件了，是吗？
Much as Isagi had offered the deal to the freighteningly vengeful Rin almost 795 days prior, so was it now being offered to him in return. He couldn't deny, it was a cheeky move on Rin's part.
正如 Isagi 近 795 天前向那位可怕的复仇者 Rin 提出交易一样，如今这笔交易也反过来摆在了他面前。他不得不承认，这是 Rin 的一招大胆之举。
"One month," Isagi agrees, "That's all you get. You will not touch a weapon, or so much a kitchen knife or pitchfork. Do you hear me?"
"一个月，" Isagi 同意道，"这是你唯一能得到的。你不得触碰任何武器，哪怕是厨房刀具或干草叉。听明白了吗？"
Rin simply nods slowly in agreement.
Rin 只是缓缓点头表示同意。
It would seem they'd struck a deal.
看来他们达成了协议。
Day 825 (Day 31)
第 825 天（第 31 天）
King Isagi is out on the castle grounds with his temporary gardener, and his two helpers, to examine the past months' worth of work he'd put in to prove his worth. From where they stand they can see all of it.
国王Isagi与他的临时园丁及两名助手一同在城堡场地上巡视，检视过去几个月来他为了证明自己价值所付出的努力。从他们所站之处，一切尽收眼底。
Shinra and Natsumi are running over to meet them. The younger boy lags behind his older brother with his two arms tucked behind him. When they arrive at the king's side, they both take a moment to catch their breath before giving him a quick bow.
Shinra 和 Natsumi 正跑来与他们会合。年幼的男孩落后于哥哥，双手背在身后。到达国王身边时，两人先稍作喘息，随即迅速鞠躬致意。
"Today's the day you decide if you're gonna keep big bro around, isn't it?" Natsumi asks with a sparkle in his eyes. Shinra is looking sheepishly at the king, both his arms still concealed.
"今天就是你决定是否留着大哥的日子，对吧？" 夏希眼中闪烁着光芒问道。闪罗有些尴尬地看着国王，双臂依旧藏匿着。
"Indeed it is." "确实如此。"
The younger boy takes a small pace forward. "P-pick a hand..." he says quietly.
年轻的男孩微微向前迈了一小步。"选...选一只手..." 他轻声说道。
"Hmm?" the king looks from left to right at both arms and thinks he knows what's going on. "Left," he says decisively.
“嗯？”国王左右打量着双臂，心中已猜到几分。“左边，”他果断地说道。
From behind, the boy's hand is removed from obscurity. What's presented to the king is a green rose.
从后方，男孩的手从隐匿中抽出。呈现在国王面前的，是一朵绿玫瑰。
"A green rose. Where did you get that? We don't have them growing here, do we?"
“一朵绿玫瑰。你从哪儿得来的？我们这儿可不长这种花，对吧？”
"N-no... Bought it from in town..."
“不...是在镇上买的...”
"Well... That's quite lovely." Isagi slides his gauntlets off and tucks them under his arm. He then reaches out and takes the flower from the boy, pulling it closer to his nose to admire the scent. The fragrance brings a touch of a smile to the corners of his lips.
“嗯...真是漂亮。”Isagi脱下手套，夹在腋下。随后他伸出手，从男孩那里接过花朵，凑近鼻尖欣赏其香气。芬芳令他嘴角微微上扬。
"And is there a reason for green, specifically? We do have red roses here, don't we?"
“特别选绿色，有什么原因吗？我们这里也有红玫瑰，不是吗？”
The boy looks away and kicks one foot at the dirt shyly. "No... Reason."
男孩羞涩地移开视线，一脚轻轻踢着地上的尘土。"没……没什么原因。"
"Well alright then. Thank you, Shinra."
"好吧，那就谢谢你了，神乐。"
Rin motions impatiently at the boys with one hand. "Draw the king's bath for him. I won't keep him long."
Rin不耐烦地用一只手示意男孩们。"给他放好洗澡水。我不会留他太久的。"
"Right!" both the boys say unanimously, with similar spirit. They give eachother a look before sprinting off into the castle.
"好！"两个男孩异口同声地说道，带着相似的兴奋。他们互相对视一眼，随即向城堡内疾奔而去。
The king, with his green rose in hand, now turns to address Rin beside him, smirking a little. "This is your doing, isn't it? The symbolism behind the green rose... Hope, abundance, renewal... Also, the boy only held one flower. There was nothing in his right hand, so you must've know I'd choose the left. Quite clever, aren't you?"
国王手持绿玫瑰，此刻转向身旁的Rin，嘴角微微上扬。"这是你的杰作，对吧？绿玫瑰背后的象征意义...希望、丰饶、新生...还有，那孩子只拿了一朵花。他的右手空无一物，所以你肯定知道我会选左手。相当聪明，不是吗？"
"Hm..." Rin cocks his head to the side, "I don't know a damn thing about all that," he says with an suspiciously unsuspecting tone, then steps in closer. One arm is placed across the king's shoulders and he pulls him in closer. "Ready to listen now, your grace?"
"哼..."Rin歪着头，"我对那些一无所知，"他用一种令人怀疑的毫无戒备的语气说道，然后靠近一步。一只手臂搭在国王的肩上，将他拉得更近。"准备好倾听了吗，陛下？"
"My ears are yours," Isagi replies. Rin points and his eyes are first drawn to the south, near the edge of the forest, first.
"我的耳朵听你吩咐，"Isagi答道。Rin指向南方，目光首先被森林边缘附近吸引。
"Over there. We've planted twenty cherry blossom saplings. A bit on the pricey side, but you'll see them from your bedroom window up there, once they've started to produce blossoms," Rin motions to the window, then moves his attention onward, "Apple trees there, to the southeast. Not as many as the cherry blossoms but these ones produce white blossoms. Equally as pleasant to look at and a little less expensive. Also, a different fruit."
"在那边。我们种了二十棵樱花树苗。虽然价格稍高，但一旦它们开花，你从楼上的卧室窗户就能看到，"Rin示意着窗户，随后继续说，"东南方向是苹果树。数量不及樱花树，但这些树开白花，同样赏心悦目，价格也略低一些。而且，果实不同。"
Rin's arm then pulls the king's attention a little further over. "The east is already well planted, so nothing there. Nothing until..." Isagi follows the line Rin's finger draws, "Here. Around north-northeast, spanning up to the west-northwest. More maple trees to add to your twenty-four you've planted already. And here, to the west, spanning south—"
Rin的手臂接着将国王的注意力引向更远处。"东边已经种得很满了，所以那边没有。直到……"Isagi顺着Rin手指的方向看去，"这里。大致在北东北到西北北的范围内。再种上一些枫树，加上你已经种下的二十四棵。而西边，向南延伸——"
"I'm not getting rid of you, Rin."
“我不会赶你走的，Rin。”
The interruption throws Rin off. He glances to the side to regard the king, who's already looking tenderly at him.
这突如其来的打断让Rin有些措手不及。他侧目望向国王，只见对方正温柔地凝视着他。
"Well, you said—" “可是，你刚才说——”
"You've already more than proven your worth, in more ways than one. You've done all this work on the castle grounds planting trees. I've also seen, you've planted flowers along the edge of the castle walls. I know not which type of seeds rest in that soil yet, but it will be a wonderful sight to behold when the flowers bloom. And other things, too. Fresh cut flowers in vases decorating different rooms indoors. In my room. You replace them every day without fail. It brightens my day to come back to a new floral arrangements each evening. You've truly shown your dedication to me, to your new cause... All this, I... I'm blown away. You haven't so much as threatened to kill me, attempted to take up a weapon, nor have I had a single moment where I've felt a lapse of judgement on your part. You truly are a changed man, aren't you, Rin?"
“你已经以多种方式充分证明了你的价值。你在城堡周围种了这么多树，我还注意到，你在城堡墙边也种了花。虽然我不知道那些土壤里埋着什么种子，但花开时必定是一番美景。还有其他事情，比如用新鲜剪下的花装饰室内不同房间的花瓶，包括我的房间。你每天都准时更换，让我每晚回来都能看到新的花艺布置，这让我的一天都明亮起来。你真的向我展示了你对新事业的忠诚...这一切，我...我感到非常震撼。你不仅没有威胁过要杀我，甚至没有试图拿起武器，我也没有一刻觉得你有判断上的失误。你真的变了，不是吗，Rin？”
"Well..." Rin rubs at the back of his neck awkwardly.
“呃...”Rin尴尬地挠了挠后颈。
"I would be happy if you'd stay here in my service, Rin. Keep doing exactly what you're doing. In the winter we'll have you do snow and ice removal and other such things." The king then tucks his green rose into the collar of his shirt with a smile. "Now, I'll be off to take my evening bath, if this is all from you."
"如果你愿意留在这里为我效力，Rin，我会很高兴。继续做你现在做的事。到了冬天，我们会让你负责除雪和冰以及其他类似的工作。" 国王微笑着将他的绿玫瑰插进衬衫领口。"现在，我要去洗晚澡了，如果这就是你全部要说的话。"
Rin nods quietly. The king walks off into the castle and though he wasn't invited, Rin follows him close behind. When the king reaches his bedroom door, he notices the pursuer.
Rin 默默点头。国王走进城堡，尽管没有被邀请，Rin 紧随其后。当国王走到卧室门前时，他注意到了跟踪者。
"What is it?" The king moves to unlock his door, gaze focused on Rin.
"什么事？" 国王伸手去开锁，目光集中在 Rin 身上。
"Nothing." “没什么。”
Isagi's eyebrows raise. "Come to keep me company?"
Isagi 的眉毛一挑。“来陪我吗？”
"Perhaps the king should pay attention."
“或许国王该多加留意。”
Isagi notes that the door is strangely already unlocked. Maybe I left it open... he thinks. When the doorknob turns in his hand, he steps back to make way for the two giggling children running from inside.
Isagi 注意到门竟然已经奇怪地被解锁了。也许是我忘记锁了……他心想。当门把手在他手中转动时，他后退一步，为从里面跑出来的两个咯咯笑的孩子让路。
"What are you up to?" Isagi regards Rin, who's leaning against the wall beside him.
“你们在搞什么鬼？” Isagi 看向靠在旁边墙上的 Rin。
"Well, go in and see for yourself, idiot-king."
“进去看看不就知道了，傻瓜国王。”
When he steps inside, Isagi is immediately overwhelmed by what he sees. It's red. Red everywhere. He flinches and draws back instinctively, maybe a part of him still fears the color and what it had meant in the past when he'd found it in his room... But it isn't the metallic odor of blood that assaults his sense of smell as he stands in the doorway.
当他踏入室内，Isagi立刻被眼前的景象所震撼。到处都是红色。他本能地退缩了一下，或许内心深处仍对这颜色及其过往在他房间里所代表的意义感到恐惧...但当他站在门口时，扑鼻而来的并非血腥的金属味。
Each and every blot of color and shade of red he sees starts to take shape into individual pieces. When he paces forward and bends down to examine what it is, his fingers close on a soft bunch and he pulls up to examine it.
他看到的每一抹色彩和深浅不一的红色开始逐渐成形为独立的碎片。他缓步上前，弯腰细看，手指触碰到一团柔软，随即提起细查。
"Rose petals...?" “玫瑰花瓣...？”
"The smell is nice, isn't it?" Isagi hears from behind him. "It's your lucky day. I pruned the rose bushes on the castle grounds today and figured the flowers shouldn't go to wa—mmmmph?!" Soft lips muffle the end of Rin's explanation.
“这香气真好闻，不是吗？”Isagi 听到身后传来声音。“你今天运气不错。我刚修剪了城堡里的玫瑰丛，想着这些花儿不该浪费——嗯？”Rin 的解释被柔软的唇瓣打断。
When the king parts their faces, he smiles with warmth and radiance that's accentuated by the candlelight and touch of red from the petals.
国王分开两人的脸庞，烛光与花瓣的微红映衬下，他的笑容温暖而灿烂。
"This is wonderful," the king whispers. He steps backward into the room, turns, and removes his gauntlets to scoop up another handful of petals. When he stands again, he throws the cluster into the air and smiles excitedly up at the fluttering of red falling in a curtain around him.
“这真是美妙，”国王低语道。他后退一步进入房间，转身脱下护手，捧起另一把花瓣。再次站定时，他将花瓣抛向空中，兴奋地望着四周飘落的红色幕帘。
He kicks his grieves off briskly and shrugs the rest of his armor off, too, until he's stripped down to his linens. It's there that he grabs more petals and starts to spin. Around and around he turns, throwing crimson to the air in every direction around him.
他迅速踢开悲伤，也卸下了其余的盔甲，直到只剩下亚麻内衣。在那里，他抓起更多花瓣开始旋转。他一圈又一圈地转着，向四周的空气中抛洒着鲜红。
Dressed in white linens and sporting a similarly warm smile to the one Rin had fallen in love with originally, king Isagi looks every bit the part of the saint he had once played, even if he were no longer such a perfectly pure individual.
身着白色亚麻衣，带着与Rin最初爱上时同样温暖的微笑，国王Isagi看起来完全符合他曾经扮演的圣人形象，即便他已不再是那个完美无瑕的人。
As he spun round and round on his bare feet, smiling and laughing at the simple pleasure of the flower petals, Rin quietly watches on. Isagi's smile, his hair in playful tousles, the touch of pink hinting at his cheeks, the sight of his collarbone peeking out from the top, the lithe appearance of his waist and midriff peeking from below... Rin couldn't help but marvel at how incredibly beautiful, how wonderfully perfect, the king looks as he is now.
当他赤脚一圈又一圈地旋转，对着花瓣的简单乐趣微笑和欢笑时，Rin静静地注视着。Isagi的笑容，他顽皮凌乱的头发，脸颊上隐约的粉红，从上方窥见的锁骨，从下方隐约可见的纤细腰身和腹部...Rin不禁惊叹于国王此刻是多么的美丽，多么的完美无缺。
"Enjoying yourself, idiot-king?" Rin says.
"玩得开心吗，傻瓜国王？" Rin 说道。
When the king hears Rin, he stops and stumbles a little from side-to-side at the loss of equilibrium. With a smirk, he bolts with startling speed and leaps right into Rin's arms, with full faith that he'll be caught.
国王一听到 Rin 的声音，便停下脚步，因失去平衡而左右摇晃了一下。他带着一丝得意的笑容，以惊人的速度冲了过去，纵身一跃，完全信任地扑进了 Rin 的怀抱。
He wraps his arms and legs around Rin, who, startled, catches and cradles him against his own body.
他手脚并用紧紧抱住 Rin，后者被这突如其来的举动吓了一跳，却本能地接住了他，将他拥入自己的怀中。
"You're a keeper, after all," Isagi whispers into Rin's ear.
"你终究是个值得珍惜的人，" Isagi 在 Rin 的耳边低语。
Such relief Rin feels to hear this. If this were even just the very first step he'd just taken to regaining the king's full trust again, he would gladly accept it in an instant. This was truly his very last chance at redemption.
听到这话，Rin 感到无比宽慰。即便这只是他重新赢得国王完全信任的第一步，他也会欣然接受。这真的是他最后的救赎机会了。
Isagi shifts his head out from the base of Rin's neck. He claws locks of forest green hair and with a viciously intense motion forward he sweeps in and kisses the one cradling him, his lips already warm from the spinning exercise, and he shoves his tongue in to meet with Rin's.
Isagi 从 Rin 的颈窝中抬起头，抓住一缕墨绿色的发丝，猛地向前一扑，吻上了拥抱着他的人，他的唇因之前的旋转而温热，舌头探入与 Rin 的相会。
"Your grace...?" "您的恩典...？"
Rin turns, with Isagi still clung tight against him, and the pair face Taro who's standing in the doorway.
Rin 转过身来，Isagi 依然紧紧依偎在他怀里，两人面对着站在门口的太郎。
"What do you want now, Taro? I'm busy."
"太郎，你这会儿又想要什么？我正忙着呢。"
"Your grace... I..." Taro stumbles over his words, clearly shocked by what he sees.
"您的恩典... 我..." 太郎结巴着，显然被眼前的一幕震惊了。
"Kissing practice, Taro. For the future queen."
"亲吻练习，太郎。为了未来的女王。"
"For the queen," Rin adds his agreement.
"为了女王。" Rin 附和道。
"Perhaps I'll come back la—"
“或许我会回来啦——”
Rin kicks the door in the advisor's face and it closes on him with a slam.
Rin 一脚踢在顾问脸上，门砰然关闭。
"Nice one," the king says, grinning. They plunge back into another kiss as Rin walks them over to the bed. With a backward fling, they're back in the mattress they'd shared a month prior once more, Rin clutched beneath Isagi, tight between the other man's thighs.
“干得漂亮，”国王笑着说。他们再次陷入热吻，Rin 带着他们走向床边。一个后仰，他们又回到了一个月前共享过的床垫上，Rin 被紧夹在Isagi 的双腿之间。
"Y'know..." Isagi tugs at Rin's shirt playfully, "You smell like dirt, but it's kinda sexy."
“你知道吗...” Isagi 调皮地拽了拽 Rin 的衬衫，“你闻起来像泥土，但有点性感。”
Rin sneers at this. "Thanks?" he mumbles.
Rin 对此嗤之以鼻。“谢谢？”他咕哝道。
"You never did know how to flirt, that much I remember..." the king leans into Rin's ear, "Hey, Rin... You're actually quite the prude aren't you?"
“你从来就不懂怎么调情，这一点我记得很清楚...”国王凑近 Rin 的耳朵，“嘿，Rin... 你其实挺保守的，不是吗？”
"The king should learn when to hold his tongue," Rin snarls, shoving Isagi back from his ear.
"国王应该学会何时闭嘴，" Rin 咆哮着，将 Isagi 从耳边推开。
"No shut up this time? Seems you've learned a bit of tact, haven't you, Rin?"
"这次不闭嘴了？看来你学到了点策略，不是吗，Rin？"
"Shut up," Rin adds with a touch of venom.
"闭嘴，" Rin 带着一丝毒意补充道。
"Such an attitude," Isagi chides with a click of his tongue, "I always liked that attitude of yours."
"这种态度，" Isagi 咂舌责备道，"我总是喜欢你这种态度。"
"Is that so?" Rin asks, right before the king scoops his face up in his hands, kissing him again.
"是吗？" Rin 问道，就在国王双手捧起他的脸，再次亲吻他之前。
Isagi's lips hold such resounding power, yet also such a profound delicacy to them. He carries himself in such a manner that's truly befitting of a king, and Rin loves every bit of this dearly. Even if the two of them were different people now, their lips were still the same when they adjoined.
Isagi 的唇蕴含着如此震撼的力量，却又带着深邃的细腻。他的举止确实配得上一位国王，而 Rin 深爱着这一切。即便两人如今已不同往昔，当他们的唇相接时，那份感觉依旧未变。
Rin feels something touching his neck. When he investigates, he sees one of those concealed blades the king seemed to carry around with him everywhere, pressed against his skin. The king's grin is devious.
Rin 感到有什么东西触碰到了他的脖子。当他仔细查看时，发现是国王似乎随身携带的那种隐藏刀刃，正紧贴着他的皮肤。国王的笑容狡黠。
"Your grace has grown into a twisted man," Rin whispers, watching the metal at his neck carefully, "Is he a sadist?"
"阁下已变得扭曲不堪，" Rin 低声说道，小心翼翼地注视着颈边的金属，"他是个施虐狂吗？"
This urges a chuckle from the king. "Only if you're a masochist," he retorts. "Anyways, I'm only joking this time."
这番话引得国王轻笑出声。"只有当你是受虐狂时，" 他反唇相讥，"无论如何，这次我只是开个玩笑。"
With one hand, Rin swiftly slaps the blade from the king's grasp, sending it to the floor beside the bed. Isagi's right wrist, along with his left one, is then gripped and used to pull him in. He grunts at the kiss Rin bestows him, this time there's more to it than their previous kiss. More heat to work with, more flame on their tongues, and the saliva that mixes between their mouths tastes every bit as pleasing as the rose petals smell.
Rin单手迅捷地将国王手中的刀刃拍落，使其跌落在床边的地板上。随后，他紧握住Isagi的右手腕，连同左手一并用力，将他拉近。Rin这次赐予的吻让Isagi发出闷哼，与之前的吻相比，这次蕴含了更多情感。更炽热的激情，舌尖上的火焰更旺，两人口中交融的唾液尝起来如同玫瑰花瓣般令人陶醉。
Isagi releases the kiss and leans back, smiling as he feels Rin's hands wrap around each side of his hips. With a deep exhale he pushes forward, running his hands up underneath Rin's shirt, feeling each bump of every scar the former knight had collected along his path of vengeance.
Isagi松开吻，后仰着微笑，感受到Rin的双手环绕在他腰间两侧。他深吸一口气，向前推进，双手探入Rin的衬衫下，抚摸着前骑士在复仇之路上留下的每一处伤痕。
He continues to snake in forward, up, and their lips meet again, this time ever so softly, the touch gentler than the brush of wind over placid water.
他继续向前蜿蜒，向上，两人的唇再次相触，这一次无比轻柔，触感比平静水面上的微风还要温柔。
"Maybe I should count every one of these scars," Isagi whispers with his fingers skating along the surface of Rin's chest, "Maybe... I should name them all, too."
"或许我该数清这些伤痕的每一道，"Isagi轻声说道，手指在Rin的胸膛上轻轻滑过，"或许...我还该给它们一一命名。"
"The king wastes his time on such idiotic things," Rin whispers back, weaving his fingers into Isagi's.
"国王竟在这种愚蠢的事情上浪费时间，"Rin低语回应，手指与Isagi的交缠在一起。
"Perhaps it's a waste of time, perhaps not..." the king brushes the thumb of his free hand along the line of Rin's lower lip affectionately, "Either way... I feel grateful now that we're fortunate enough to be able to waste time in such a way together."
"也许是浪费时间，也许不是..." 国王用空着的那只手的拇指温柔地抚过Rin的下唇，"无论如何...我现在感到庆幸，我们能有幸以这种方式共度时光。"
He draws a line from the base of Rin's chin, his neck, down to the middle of his chest, and with a smile, he spreads his fingers out there. "If I cut you open here, I wonder how many scars I'd find on the inside of you, too?"
他从Rin的下巴底部开始，沿着脖子一路画到胸口中央，然后微笑着张开手指放在那里。“如果我在这里把你切开，不知道会在你内心发现多少伤痕呢？”
"So the king is a sadist, after all."
“看来国王终究是个施虐狂。”
"Well, I didn't mean it literal... What I mean is not physical scars. But those scars that aren't actually scars, rather, the impressions on your heart that were left by the experiences of your past. Do you understand my meaning?"
“呃，我不是那个意思……我说的不是身体上的伤痕。而是那些并非真正伤痕的，由过往经历在你心中留下的印记。你明白我的意思吗？”
Rin averts his eyes awkwardly. He does understand the meaning. "The king simply wishes to know me better?" he mumbles.
Rin尴尬地移开视线。他确实明白其中的含义。“国王只是想更好地了解我吗？”他咕哝道。
"Well, Rin, you aren't just a pretty face after all. Are you up for it?" he squeezes in closer and reduces the volume of his voice, "Let me see you for everything you are. There's nothing to hide. Tell me all of it. Tell me what's driven you this far, tell me what drives you on, even now. Lay it all out for me to hear, and in return, I'll tell you everything, too."
“好吧，Rin，你毕竟不只是个花瓶。你愿意吗？”他凑得更近，压低了声音，“让我看到你的全部。没有什么可隐藏的。告诉我一切。告诉我是什么驱使你走到这一步，告诉我现在又是什么在推动你。把一切都摆出来让我听，作为回报，我也会告诉你一切。”
"Well..." Rin replies hesitantly.
“嗯……”Rin犹豫地回答。
"C'mon. Try me." “来吧，试试我。”
Rin pauses, he seems to be thinking. Then, he shrugs coolly, glancing sheepishly down at the knot of their fingers and hands between them.
Rin 停顿了一下，他似乎在思考。随后，他酷酷地耸了耸肩，羞涩地低头看向两人手指和手之间的结。
"If you cut me open, what do you think you'll find?"
“如果你把我剖开，你认为会发现什么？”
"Hm..." the king hums, "I haven't a single clue, other than your love for your brother."
“嗯……”国王哼道，“除了你对弟弟的爱，我一无所知。”
Of course, Rin expects to hear this. His driving force for staying alive for such a terribly long time had been vengeance. Revenge for his brother who was ripped from his arms by the tyrant king. There would always be a Sae-shaped hole left in his heart, that much was certain.
当然，Rin料到了这一点。他之所以能如此漫长而痛苦地活下来，全凭复仇的执念。为了那个被暴君国王从他怀中夺走的弟弟复仇。他的心中永远会留下一个Sae形状的空洞，这是毋庸置疑的。
However, amidst the hurricane of emotions that had stormed and raged on inside of him, there was undoubtedly something else there, too.
然而，在他内心狂风暴雨般的情感风暴中，无疑还隐藏着其他东西。
"You're not wrong there," Rin says. With a yank he pulls a surprised Isagi in tight against him. "And what else?" he whispers.
"你说得没错，"Rin说道。他猛地一拉，将惊讶的Isagi紧紧拥入怀中。"还有什么？"他低语道。
"Well..." the king's voice trails off, muffled in against Rin's neck.
"嗯..." 国王的声音渐渐低沉，在Rin的颈间变得模糊。
King Isagi was not a stupid man, nor was he blind or oblivious to what Rin was alluding to.
国王Isagi并非愚蠢之人，他既不盲目，也非对Rin所暗示的事情一无所知。
"I guess there's... Me." 我想，那里有...我。
"You," the king hears. “你，”国王听到了。
At the centre of Rin's midnight-shrouded heart, which had been torn apart by vengeance, bloodlust, which was always refusing to acknowledge the human side of it... At its very core, there was an Isagi-shaped place nestled comfortably in there, waiting to be filled with a different substance, one that wasn't simply darkness or void space or blood. A space which longed to be occupied by the true human side of it, the one which sat atop the throne, ruling the kingdom.
在Rin那被午夜笼罩的心脏深处，曾因复仇和嗜血而四分五裂，始终不愿承认其人性的一面...在其核心，有一个Isagi形状的空间，舒适地蜷缩其中，等待着被一种不同的物质填满，那不是单纯的黑暗、虚空或鲜血。一个渴望被真正的人性占据的空间，那个坐在王座上，统治着王国的一面。
"Crazy bastard," Isagi replies, though the insult is spoken tenderly, "I'm glad you decided not to kill me, after all."
"疯子混蛋，" Isagi 温柔地回应道，"我很高兴你最终决定不杀我。"
Madness and obsession had been eclipsed by pure love, Rin knew this was something that had to happen for him. If he didn't accept what was waiting for him following his exile from the castle—Reformation, renewal, healing—He would be doomed to walk the rest of his days alone, without the one he knew, with every certainty, was the one he was meant to be with.
疯狂与痴迷已被纯粹的爱所取代，Rin 明白这对他来说是必须经历的。如果他不接受流放后等待他的——改造、重生、治愈——他注定要孤独地度过余生，无法与那个他确信是自己命中注定的人在一起。
"Yoichi," Rin replies with startling softness, "We should both be grateful I never decided to take your life..." his voice trails off.
"Yoichi，" Rin 以惊人的柔和语气回答，"我们都应该庆幸我从未决定夺走你的生命……" 他的声音渐渐低沉。
"Indeed," the king agrees, "More than all that, though... Do you see it, Rin?"
“确实，”国王赞同道，“但不仅如此... 你看到了吗，Rin？”
"... See what?" “... 看到什么？”
"Haven't you heard what the old wives' tales say? People like us..." Isagi untwines the fingers of his right hand from Rin's left, and with his pointer finger and thumb, he tugs on Rin's pinky finger, "We're tethered together by a red string on our pinkies. Do you see it too?"
“你没听过那些老妇人的传说吗？像我们这样的人...” Isagi 松开了他右手与 Rin 左手的交缠，用食指和拇指轻轻拉扯 Rin 的小指，“我们的小指上系着一根红线。你也看到了吗？”
"I see nothing," Rin says dryly, eyeing up their hands next to eachother, "The idiot-king really must be losing his mind."
“我什么也没看见，”Rin干巴巴地说道，目光在彼此的手上打量，“那个白痴国王肯定真是疯了。”
"Maybe I have... Only 'cause of you, though." Isagi says as he kisses and the base of Rin's neck tenderly.
“也许我是疯了……不过只因为你。”Isagi说着，温柔地吻上了Rin颈后的肌肤。
"So Rin... You... You've really had a startling change of heart..."
“那么Rin……你……你真的心意大变……”
Rin angles his face to glare quizzically at Isagi, who's mouth lifts into a bit of a smirk when their eyes meet.
Rin 侧过脸，用一种质疑的目光瞪向Isagi，后者在他们目光交汇时嘴角微微上扬，露出一丝讥讽的笑意。
"Perhaps I need you to further prove your devotion to me, y'know, help me to believe you really don't still wish to take my life," the king jibes, rather playfully, "Not just with flowers. What else can I have you do for me?"
"或许我需要你进一步证明你对我的忠诚，你知道的，帮我确信你真的不再想取我性命，"国王揶揄道，语气中带着几分戏谑，"不仅仅是送花。你还能为我做些什么呢？"
Rin's eyes narrow and his glare strengthens, his usual frigid intensity sending a wave of goosebumps up the king's arms and neck. Just as he's about to continue with the mildly flirtatious probing, Isagi feels his shoulders gripped and he's flipped back into the mattress beside Rin with an oof!
Rin 的眼神变得更为锐利，他的瞪视愈发强烈，那股平日里的冰冷气场让国王手臂和脖颈上不由自主地冒起鸡皮疙瘩。正当他准备继续这略带挑逗的试探时，Isagi 感到肩膀被抓住，随即被猛地掀翻，伴随着一声“哎哟！”跌回Rin 身旁的床垫上。
"Perhaps if the king wishes for me to prove my devotion, he'll shut his damn mouth for a few minutes," Isagi listens intently, gaze travelling down to see Rin's hand untying the drawstring on his pants.
"或许如果国王想让我证明我的忠诚，他该闭上那该死的嘴几分钟，" Isagi 专注地听着，目光下移，看到 Rin 的手正在解开他裤子上的抽绳。
"I-I didn't mean... I only meant, like... Make me dinner, or—"
"我-我不是那个意思... 我只是想说，比如... 给我做顿饭，或者—"
"Is the king refusing what's being offered right now? If so, he truly is an idiot."
"国王是在拒绝此刻所提供的吗？如果是这样，他真是个傻瓜。"
"Well..." azure blue eyes watch as his linen pants are yanked off completely, thrown to the floor, and he can't help but grin. "N-no... I'm not."
"嗯..." 湛蓝的眼眸注视着他的亚麻长裤被彻底拽下，扔到地板上，他忍不住咧嘴一笑。"不...我没有。"
"Didn't think so," is the last thing Rin says. He takes the signal and buries his face down between the king's bare legs, hands gripping at the base of the soft thighs on either side of his head.
"我就知道。" Rin 最后说道。他接收到信号，将脸埋进国王赤裸的双腿之间，双手紧握在头部两侧柔软的大腿根部。
"Dinner—mmmh—after?" "晚餐——嗯——之后？"
Isagi's head sinks into the pillow beneath it and he bites his lower lip, stifling back a moan that still manages to quietly escape his throat. A hand tangles into hair, feeling for the push and pull of Rin's head. Nails claw into Rin's scalp as the king falls into the intoxication of pleasure.
Isagi的头沉入枕头，他咬住下唇，强忍着不发出呻吟，却仍有一丝低吟悄然逸出喉咙。一只手缠入发丝，感受着Rin头部的推拉。指甲抓挠着Rin的头皮，国王沉醉于快感之中。
His gaze lulls further back and up and he stares at the ceiling above him, each breath catching and falling from his lungs in an ever-changing manner with increasing fervidity. Sensitive ears hear wind howling across the castle grounds outside, signaling the coming of a storm.
他的目光愈发迷离，仰望着天花板，每一次呼吸都急促而多变，愈发炽烈。敏感的耳朵捕捉到城堡外呼啸的风声，预示着风暴的来临。
"Rin," the king gasps, "Fuck yeah, keep... Going."
“Rin，”国王喘息着，“操，对，继续...”
When the first roll of a thunderclap racks the storm-stained skies outside, so too inside is a different type of climax reached. With his toes curled in and sheets clamped between his fingers, Isagi cries out Rin's name. He pants desperately, arms twitching, with a smile plastered across his lips. "Now thats devotion," he mumbles breathlessly, mouth cracking into a wider smile as he fully relaxes into the pillowy surface of the bed.
当第一声雷鸣震撼着外面暴风雨洗礼的天空时，屋内也达到了另一种高潮。Isagi脚趾蜷缩，手指紧抓床单，呼喊着Rin的名字。他急促地喘息，手臂微微颤抖，嘴角挂着微笑。“这才是真正的投入。”他气喘吁吁地喃喃自语，随着完全放松进柔软的床铺，笑容更加灿烂。
He's left there alone for a few minutes while Rin uses the ensuite bathroom. When Rin returns to the king's bed, he pauses to look down at a new sight.
Rin独自在床上躺了几分钟，期间他去了浴室。当Rin回到大床边时，他停下脚步，低头看着眼前的新景象。
It would appear Isagi has fallen asleep.
看来Isagi已经睡着了。
And what about bath time and dinner? Rin thinks bemusedly, though it's only a fleeting thought and nothing more. There would always be breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bath time tomorrow. And the next day. And the next.
至于洗澡和晚餐呢？Rin 有些好笑地想着，但这只是一闪而过的念头，并无其他。明天总会有早餐、午餐、晚餐和洗澡时间。还有后天，大后天。
He scoots into bed next to Isagi, quietly regarding him as he does so. The king's only half covered by a blanket, laying on his side, gripping a pillow in his arms so tight, if it were a living thing it may have been suffocated alive. Rin shuffles in a little closer on his back, staring up at the ceiling that's flashing with blue light from the raging storm outside. Eyes wander over to the window and he sees veins of electricity licking across the expansive darkness of the night sky, highlighting the rippling pewter of thunderheads near and far.
他轻轻滑进床铺，躺在Isagi旁边，静静地注视着他。国王只盖了一半的被子，侧躺着，紧紧抱着一个枕头，如果那是活物，恐怕早已被闷死。Rin 稍稍挪近了一些，仰躺着，凝视着天花板上因外面狂风暴雨而闪烁的蓝光。目光移向窗户，他看到电光在广阔的夜空中蜿蜒，照亮了远处近处的雷云，波光粼粼，宛如铅色的水波。
With the scent of rose petals filling his sense of smell, Rin quietly turns his attention back to the sleeping king Isagi beside him.
玫瑰花瓣的香气弥漫在鼻尖，Rin 悄然将注意力转回身旁熟睡的国王Isagi。
He now knows, with every certainty, this is where he was meant to be.
他现在确信无疑，这里就是他命中注定的地方。
There would never be vengeance, there would be no more killing, and bloodshed would cease to serve its purpose in his life. He would never hold a sword again, yet, Rin no longer finds he cares about these things because he knows he's found what he was wholly certain he was meant to find. And it had saved him. Even when he was nigh consumed by the savagery he'd doomed himself to, there was this last bit of salvation he'd found in the shape of king Isagi's love.
复仇将不复存在，杀戮与流血将不再是他生命中的目的。他不会再握剑，然而，Rin不再介意这些，因为他知道自己找到了那份他完全确信自己注定要找到的东西。它拯救了他。即便在他几乎被自己所陷入的野蛮吞噬时，他在国王Isagi的爱中找到了最后的救赎。
He had nothing else to lose and there was nowhere else for him to go. He was an orphan with only his will to live driving him forward, and that will had foraged his way to the one thing he needed so deeply, without even realizing what that was.
他已一无所有，无处可去。他是一个孤儿，唯有生存意志推动着他前行，那份意志引领他找到了那件他深切需要却未曾意识到的东西。
Love. Pure and honest love is what had ended up saving him.
爱。纯粹而真挚的爱最终拯救了他。
He was still alive, his heart still pumping blood through his veins because of this love, and with every fibre of his being he'd let this love consume him and act as fuel, driving him forward until his final breath would draw from his lungs, however long that may be.
他依然活着，心脏因这份爱而继续将血液泵送至全身，他用尽每一丝力量，让这份爱吞噬自己，成为动力，推动他前行，直至生命的最后一息从肺中呼出，无论那将是多么漫长的时光。
This was his final purpose. If he had nothing else in the world, he knew he at least had this left to live for.
这是他最终的使命。即使世间再无他物，他知道至少还有这份爱值得他活下去。
Love him. Love him. Love him.
爱他。爱他。爱他。
Love Isagi Yoichi. 爱Isagi Yoichi。
Not as a monster, a knight, a demon or an incarnation of vengeance. Simply as a human being. Love him with that beating heart of yours. The one he knows is still there, crying out to love and be loved in return, despite how long he'd ignored its presence. The one that had finally been filled with the thing it'd been missing his entire life.
不是作为怪物、骑士、恶魔或复仇的化身。仅仅作为一个普通人。用你那颗跳动的心去爱他。那颗他知道依然存在的心，尽管他曾长时间忽视它的存在，它仍在呼唤着爱与被爱，终于被填满了生命中一直缺失的东西。
If it were the smell and red color of rose petals instead of blood that served its purpose, so be it. If that's how he was meant to love the king then he would do so. If he couldn't do this one thing, if he couldn't love Isagi properly, the way he deserved to be loved, then he couldn't call himself a man. He couldn't even call himself a person, and there would be nothing else left for him to do in the world. He may as well just let himself die.
若是玫瑰花瓣的香气与鲜红取代了血液的作用，那也无妨。如果他注定要以这种方式爱着国王，那么他便会如此去做。如果他连这一件事都做不到，如果他无法恰如其分地爱Isagi，无法给予他应得的爱，那么他便不配称为一个男人。他甚至不配称为一个人，这世上再无他事可做。他不如就此让自己消逝。
Thunder crashes outside again and the following flash of lightning briefly highlights the features of the sleeping Isagi. There's a thin line of saliva trailing from the corner of his delicately parted lips, pooling on the pillow beneath his head, and despite himself Rin feels the corner of his own mouth twitch a little as he stares at the, quite frankly, adorable sight.
雷声再次轰鸣，随之而来的闪电短暂地照亮了熟睡的Isagi的面容。一丝唾液从他精致分开的唇角滑落，汇聚在枕头上，而Rin不由自主地感到嘴角微微抽动，凝视着这幅，坦白说，颇为可爱的景象。
A hand reaches out and gently rubs the spots of drool from the king's face. The unconscious Isagi seems to notice and snatches Rin's hand before it has any time to pull away, holding it firm in place beneath his cheek.
一只手伸出，轻柔地拭去国王脸上的口水痕迹。无意识的Isagi似乎有所察觉，迅速抓住Rin的手，未等其抽离，便紧紧将其按在脸颊下。
There was such a softness, such a tenderness to this, that, despite the fact that it was done in Isagi's sleep, Rin finds himself smiling, only the tiniest bit, as he feels the warmth of the king's cheek against his palm.
这一举动中蕴含着如此的温柔与柔情，尽管是在Isagi熟睡时发生的，Rin仍不禁微微一笑，感受着国王脸颊贴在自己掌心的温暖。
Idiot-king... he thinks, I see it, too. That stupid string.
傻瓜国王……他想，我也看到了。那根愚蠢的线。
He reaches down, pulls Isagi's other hand up ever so slowly, and, with his hand atop the king's, he folds them together.
他缓缓俯身，轻轻拉起Isagi的另一只手，将自己的手覆在国王的手上，将它们紧紧相握。
There it is. That red string of fate. Of course I know what that is, idiot. His hand balls into a fist over Isagi's fingers, merging Isagi's hand into his own. Honestly. What other thing could bring one such as myself here, to your side, not down into the dungeon or to the gallows? You damned fool.
就在那儿。那根红线，命运的红线。我当然知道那是什么，傻瓜。他的手在Isagi的手指上握成拳，将Isagi的手融入自己的手中。说真的。还有什么能像我这样，来到你身边，而不是下到地牢或走向绞刑架？你这个该死的傻瓜。
The storm outside has slowed, and with the ensuing stillness, so too does Rin find himself at a similar stage of peace with his eyelids fluttering shut.
外面的风暴已经放缓，随着随之而来的静谧，Rin也发现自己与眼睑轻颤闭合的宁静状态相似。
This is where he's meant to be, right there, and with every last sorry breath that would rise and fall from his lungs, he'd stay there. No matter what he had to do, no matter how many rose petals he had to scatter, baths he had to draw, or saplings he had to plant, there would never be another place for him so perfect in the entire expanse of king Isagi's kingdom.
这就是他注定要待的地方，就在那里，随着每一次从肺中升起又落下的可怜呼吸，他都会留在那里。无论他必须做什么，无论他必须撒下多少玫瑰花瓣，画多少次浴缸，或种多少棵树苗，在整个国王Isagi的王国中，再也没有比这更完美的地方了。