Not Yours (BL)

Walter walked through the bustling market, observing the nobles and knights strolling along the cobbled paths. He stood out in his expensive suit, drawing the attention of several knights.

"I should dress like a noble," he thought, noticing their curious glances.

Spotting a clothing stall, he stepped inside. The shopkeeper immediately greeted him.

"Welcome, sir! How may I assist you?"

Before Walter could respond, a familiar voice called out.

"Hey, Walter! What are you doing here?"

Aclaric, who had been investigating the shop manager, turned to approach him.

Walter hesitated, then frowned. "Hmph, I just—"

Before he could finish, his expression darkened with irritation.

Aclaric smirked. "You know, your mother called me. She said that if you don't return home soon, she'll burn me alive."

With that, Aclaric grabbed Walter's arm.

Walter struggled. "Hey, Aclaric, let me go!"

Aclaric ignored his protests. "I'll meet you tomorrow," he quickly told the shopkeeper before dragging Walter away.

Walter narrowed his eyes and asked, "Do you know who the traitor is?"

Aclaric froze, his expression turning to shock. "What are you talking about? How do you know that?"

Walter smirked devilishly. "Do you really think you can catch him?"

Aclaric clenched his fists. "You should shut up now. Do you really want to die? Or are you just pretending like you have a death wish?"

Suddenly, Aclaric struck Walter, knocking him unconscious.

When Walter opened his eyes, he found himself in a dark, dungeon-like basement. The damp air smelled of stone and dust. Two torches flickered dimly on the walls, casting eerie shadows.

Across the room, a man sat tied to a chair, his mouth taped shut. He squirmed desperately, his muffled screams breaking the silence.

Aclaric walked up to the man and ripped the tape off his mouth.

"Ahhh!" the man cried in pain. "Wait! I'll tell you everything! Please, just don't hurt me!" Tears streamed down his face.

Aclaric ignored his pleas and turned to Walter. "Do you know this person?"

Walter shook his head. "No, I don't."

Aclaric grabbed the captive's hair, yanking his head back. "Hey! Do you know him?"

The man whimpered. "N-No! I swear, I've never seen him before!"

Aclaric released him, letting his head slump forward. Then, he turned back to Walter.

"You will stay here for two days, no matter what. If you want to stay alive, don't try anything stupid."

Walter, still sitting cross-legged, smirked devilishly. "Fine. I'll stay. But tell me… what do you people really want?"

Aclaric smirked. "William will tell you when the time is right."

With that, he turned and left the basement, leaving Walter alone in the dim light.

"Lady Seraphina, why are you so angry?" the butler asked, concern evident in his voice.

She stormed into the Charles mansion, her face dark with fury. "Walter is gone! That kid never grows up!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the grand halls.

"Madam, please calm down. I will order the knights to find him," the butler assured her.

Just then, Charles entered the room. "What happened?" he asked. "The young lord is missing?"

"Missing?" Charles scoffed. "He's probably lounging around with women, as always."

Seraphina's eyes welled up with frustration. "I checked all the clubs he usually visits. They all said he hasn't been there for two weeks."

Exhausted, she made her way to the bedroom, sitting on the bed with a pounding headache.

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Night – 7 PM

At William's mansion, he was sitting in his office, wearing glasses and working. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Jonathan entered with a serious expression.

"Lord William, the young lord is missing."

William immediately stood up. "What? Walter is missing?"

Without wasting time, he said, "Prepare the carriage. I'll find him myself."

He called Bertram. "Come with me." The two of them got into the carriage and left to search for Walter.

On the way, they saw some knights walking on the road. William turned to Bertram. "Tell the knights to search for him everywhere."

Bertram got out of the carriage and gave the order to the knights. Meanwhile, William went to the market, looking around carefully. Many knights were also searching for Walter.

Up on the rooftop of a house, Walter sat quietly, wearing a black knight's suit. He smirked as he watched the search below and whispered, "Wow, they're really looking for me this hard?"

William continued searching, unaware that Walter was watching. Then, in a small alley, William saw someone lying on the ground.

"Walter!"

He ran over and saw Walter in the same suit he had last worn. Walter had hurt his foot and looked weak. He was pretending to be unconscious. William quickly knelt down and held him.

"Walter! Are you okay?"