Chapter 70

It was merely a fleeting hypothesis, yet it possessed a startling plausibility. A massive smuggling syndicate would certainly command the capital required to maintain a sprawling estate or indulge in extravagant jewelry, and the northern outskirts offered ample acreage for such a labyrinthine construction. Leon stood as the most accomplished prevaricator of Elwin’s acquaintance, and, only moments prior, he had exhibited a telltale hesitation when the Northern Constabulary was broached.

Could Leon truly be the progeny of a criminal enterprise? No, that seemed improbable. Yet, how did one account for his fluency in Latin? Elwin turned the matter over in his mind, but he could divine no logical reason why the ward of a smuggling operation would be tutored in the classics. Furthermore, regardless of Leon’s penchant for mischievous fabrications and whimsical pranks, Elwin perceived within him an inherent dignity—a poise far removed from any trace of servility or moral decay.

Of course, when I first encountered him, I merely dismissed him as a thuggish libertine. Yet, upon closer inspection, he possesses a certain… Mm. Admittedly, within the confines of the bedroom, his conduct remains starkly bereft of such gravity.

When the memory of Leon, deep in the throes of heat, suddenly intruded upon his thoughts, Elwin slapped both cheeks with his palms—tap, tap—to banish the wayward impulses. Despite the acuity of his intellect, no resolution emerged. Leon presented himself as an impenetrable maze, offering no discernable path through his layers.

Only a single fact remained absolute. Whether Elwin mused on the possibility of a criminal heritage or contemplated Leon’s shifting levels of dignity, he felt neither disappointment nor disdain. Whatever his origins, it is of no consequence. My own feelings outweigh the weight of Leon’s identity.

It appeared that Elwin’s affections had struck roots far deeper than he had dared to acknowledge. Once he solidified his resolve, a secondary, pressing concern surfaced. The specifics of Leon’s lineage or his former life were secondary. However, should he truly have ensnared himself in the gears of a criminal organization, Elwin was determined that he must cleanse his hands of it henceforth. On that singular point, Elwin would not yield. He aspired to exist beneath the firmament with a conscience entirely unburdened by shame.

I must address this, however obliquely. Yet, I have heard it said that those accustomed to the spoils of illicit gain find the transition to honest sustenance agonizingly difficult. And if he has grown accustomed to such opulence…

Lost in deliberation, Elwin unpacked his satchel. Having organized his effects with perfunctory care, he resolved that he must speak his piece, regardless of the potential fallout. He emerged into the corridor and rapped sharply upon the door adjacent to his own. When Leon answered, his visage appeared so poised and radiant that Elwin felt his nerves unravel.

“Um, Leon. I offer this strictly out of concern,” Elwin declared, thrusting out his chest with sudden, solemn gravity.

“Though I may appear otherwise, I am more than capable of providing for a man such as yourself.”

In honesty, he lacked certainty regarding that claim. While his father’s interest in the overseas mining concern had been legally secured in Elwin’s name, the future prosperity of said enterprise remained an open question. To issue such an audacious guarantee was wholly uncharacteristic of Elwin. He had long subscribed to the belief that facts should be held in their pristine state, and that embellishment was a hollow pursuit—yet that philosophy had been momentarily discarded.

Elwin was currently possessed by the conviction that, as a gentleman, he was bound to assume responsibility for that handsome man. Even if his display mirrored a peacock preening its feathers, he was compelled to force his hidden feelings into the light.

“I do not know your origins, Mr. Leon, nor the life you have endured until this day, but I am content with all of it. The future carries greater weight. From this moment onward, I would have you place your trust in me, so that we might walk the path of rectitude together. Because I…”

Ah.

The insertion of that conjunction had been a tactical error. The only resolution he could conjure for that sentence was, …because I love you. Should he utter such a phrase, would it not bear the unmistakable weight of a proposal? Worse, had his entire discourse up to this point functioned as a clumsy overture? Was the hallway of a decrepit inn truly the theater for a proposal? Had his demeanor been sufficiently courtly?

“Pff, hnh…”

Just as Elwin’s thoughts collapsed into a Gordian knot, Leon erupted into laughter. To Elwin, trapped in the doldrums of high seriousness, the reaction was utterly baffling.

Why does he laugh? Is this a rejection?

“Ah, ahem. I offer my apologies. Pfft. I simply cannot—I cannot contain it, pffhahaha.”

Elwin’s complexion flared to the hue of a ripened pomegranate. Leon seemed to harbor pity for him, stroking his shoulder with a gentle hand, yet laughter continued to escape him as if beyond his control. Only after a significant interval did he regain his composure, and the words that followed were these:

“Ah, Elwin. What you just uttered is the most endearing confession I have ever received. If only I could have committed those words to a phonograph.”

Elwin had spoken with absolute gravitas, yet had he been perceived as a jester? When Elwin’s gaze hardened, Leon hastily suppressed his mirth with a cough, adding as though feigning equal seriousness,

“And it was profoundly moving. I find great solace in knowing I have discovered someone to whom I might entrust the remainder of my existence.”

Leon clearly persisted in his teasing. Elwin continued to glare with a lingering sulk, while Leon maintained his grin. Just as the atmosphere between them began to thaw into something warmer, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed up the stairs toward the second floor.

At the commotion, both men started, springing apart instinctively. Leon busied himself with the door he had just unlatched, while Elwin feigned interest in the newspaper he held. The innkeeper crested the stairs, breathless and shouting.

At the revelation that followed, Elwin and Leon locked wide-eyed gazes.

—“Dwight has been apprehended!”