The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]-Chapter 466: Why?

There was a moment of silence after Killian’s parting words—one that stretched uncomfortably between the two of them.

Ollie, who was still being held like a front-facing bundle of existential dread, didn’t quite know where to look. His flushed face was buried halfway in Kyle’s chest, unsure whether he should scream, hide, or pass out. Preferably all three.

Kyle, for his part, didn’t move.

For once, the ever-unflappable Kyle Nox was actually...flustered.

Passable. Sometimes. Kyle internally winced. His brother was definitely getting spiked tea the next time they saw each other, if he could help it.

But more than the usual brotherly retaliation, what made Kyle’s throat tighten was how real this was starting to feel.

It wasn’t as if he had planned for this. In fact, with Ollie, it was almost impossible to prepare anything. However, he hadn’t really counted on this matter developing into this. Because now here was a person, blushing and squirming in his arms, acting like the idea of 4,314 potential marriage candidates was something...threatening.

Was it hope in Ollie’s voice earlier? Or jealousy?

Kyle didn’t know. Heck, he wasn’t even sure if he was just imagining all of it.

But what he did know was that he didn’t want to mess this up, and to ensure that, he’d need to get over this hurdle.

"...So," Kyle finally said, clearing his throat. "About that list."

Ollie looked up at him, stiff as a rod.

"I have it here if you still want to see it." Kyle reached for his terminal and projected the file.

And as if slowly thawing, the bundle looked up to see the famed list.

The moment the projection appeared, Ollie’s face turned from pink to pale.

Killian hadn’t been exaggerating.

There were seriously 4,314 names on that list.

Organized. Labeled. Categorized.

Sorted by compatibility metrics, spiritual and physical aptitude, political viability, family prestige, and, apparently, notable personal achievements.

Ollie’s hand practically shook as he scrolled.

The recent spike wasn’t a joke. When sorted by date, nearly half the names had been added just within the last month.

What made it worse was that his brain—a survivor of his good brother’s training method—started memorizing the names involuntarily.

He couldn’t stop it.

One name.

Two.

Ten.

Twenty.

And Kyle could only watch as Ollie’s brows slowly furrowed, his lips pursed, his trembling fingers stilling only to twitch again.

He wasn’t sure how to feel about this.

On one hand—a reaction! It was something! Especially since Ollie had been hiding from him for a while now.

But on the other hand?

He didn’t feel good about this at all. He had no plans on leaning on fear, insecurity, or jealousy.

He was trying to win his favor; he wanted to earn his good graces. Wanted to deserve him. He wasn’t out here trying to play coy.

So when Ollie suddenly gasped aloud, Kyle reacted like he’d just seen someone fall off a cliff.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, already shifting slightly to hold Ollie more securely.

Ollie couldn’t answer right away. Instead, he felt compelled to skim, blinking rapidly and twitching every now and then.

Finally, his fingers stopped mid-scroll.

Because after several instances, he was sure. These weren’t just strangers.

These were familiar names.

Names he saw on the news. Names from official events. And even names from childhood.

He almost choked when he saw the daughter of one of their old neighbors listed as an early submission.

"It’s full of familiar people," he whispered, dazed. "This list is full of people I know."

The kicker? This list was all female. Do they have a separate one for males? And how come all of a sudden, there were that many people with S and A grade ratings? It’s definitely more than a class!

Where did all these gifted people even come from?!

And more importantly, why had he never heard of this until now?!

Ollie felt faint.

No—he felt like he was going to implode.

The further he scrolled, the more his heart sank. All these people...they weren’t just random names on a list. They were top-tier talents, paragons of nobility, spiritual prodigies, strategic assets. It was like reading through a roster of the Empire’s future elites—and they were all, at some point, considered candidates for Kyle.

All of a sudden, the little star who had never really thought about stacking notable achievements and counting how many musical instruments he could play was experiencing a different kind of moment.

Because while there were all those people, there he was.

Ollie.

A mechanic who, when he was young, thought his greatest achievement was learning how to fix a faulty stabilizer with duct tape and optimism.

He bit his lip, hard, willing the ache in his chest to subside.

These people had accolades. He had calluses.

They had lineage and prestige.

Not that he didn’t have that, but after that? Most of what he had was due to his brother’s help. And while he’d recently thought he’d made some contributions, now suddenly, none of it felt like it was enough.

Was he really in the same league? He wondered, feeling the weight of comparison settle on his shoulders like a boulder.

He didn’t even realize he was breathing too fast until Kyle, who had stayed unnaturally quiet beside him, shifted slightly to adjust their position—his hands steady, reassuring, but not demanding.

Ollie blinked, finally tearing his gaze from the list.

There were a dozen things he wanted to ask.

How many people from that list had Kyle actually met?

Did he ever consider any of them?

Were they as good as they appeared on this list?

Was anyone as high-maintenance as he was?

But what came out—small, almost childlike—was none of those.

"...Why me?"

The words slipped from his lips in a breathless whisper, barely audible over the wind around them.

Kyle, whose hand was about to pat Ollie, stilled.

His eyes softened as he digested the question.

There was a moment of silence, stretching again—but this time not from awkwardness, but the sheer gravity of Ollie’s question.

Kyle looked at him, really looked, and saw it: how the question had come not from doubt in him, but doubt in himself. Something he never wanted his little star to experience.

He let out a small breath.

"You want to know why?" Kyle murmured.

Ollie nodded slowly.

Kyle didn’t answer right away.

Instead, his gaze drifted upward, as if flipping through memories in his head. There wasn’t one reason.

There were many.

He remembered how Ollie always stood up for what he believed in—even if it meant standing alone.

How he’d usually downplay how clever he really was, yet could jury-rig a repair in seconds flat.

How fiercely loyal he was—not just to Luca, but to all of them.

Then there’s him collecting snacks like a hoarder, but would give away the last one if someone looked sad enough.

Or did he like how the mop couldn’t hide a single emotion to save his life, and how, in a world full of masks, that honesty was like a breath of fresh air?

Or was it from him witnessing how those soft hands that once knew only comfort would become rough each night from learning? From trying.

But maybe he liked him just because existing was enough to completely wreck Kyle’s equilibrium. A storm wrapped in starshine.

Kyle’s lips curved slightly as his gaze dropped back to Ollie.

He didn’t know when it started.

When this chaos became comfort.

When this mechanic with nervous energy and far too much snack inventory had suddenly become the one face he searched for.

The one he wanted to see at the end of the day.

His peace.

Kyle leaned in slightly and said, in a voice that was a mix of amusement, surrender, and the quiet weight of something real:

"Because after everything, I realized that you’re now my peace."

"..."

Peace?

Ollie blinked, wide-eyed. "So...I’m calming?"

Kyle let out a short laugh. "If only!"

He gave a small shake of his head, voice tinged with fond exasperation. "You’re practically a walking disaster. But when I’m with you, the rest of the world just fades out."

Ollie was rendered speechless. Again.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to cry in relief or strangle the man before him.

Then that unholy mouth added with a smirk, "Also, you’re very cute."

That did it.

That’s it! I’m really going to strangle him! Ollie cried, flailing against the man who still had him cradled tightly.

But the red on his ears said it all.

Kyle chuckled and held him tighter.

And for a fleeting moment, the tinted highlighter thought that maybe a free trial wouldn’t be too bad.

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