* * *

Ed looked down at his hands.

‘So the price the High Priest mentioned probably has nothing to do with me! If it did, there’s no way I wouldn’t have felt anything when I held the Grand Duke’s hand, right?’

With this comforting thought, Ed glanced sideways at the Grand Duke.

‘…Just seeing a random pebble on the ground used to remind me of him. But now, seeing him in person like this—’

A faint ache spread through Ed’s chest.

He took a small, steady breath and sipped the warm tea the Grand Duke had handed him.

Its warmth seemed to seep into his core.

‘But why is His Highness out here instead of sleeping? I thought the night watch was usually handled by the knights.’

Ed watched the Grand Duke, whose gaze was fixed on the campfire, his expression a little deeper than usual.

‘Could it be that he’s troubled about something and decided to take the night watch himself instead of the knights? If that’s the case, it’d be nice if he confided in me… Though if it were Sir Irtel or Jaynon here instead of me, maybe he’d open up, even if just a little.’

Lost in thought, Ed eventually shook his head lightly, realizing something he could do.

“Your Highness, would you like me to check your sleeping arrangements later?”

When Ed offered to follow him after his watch and ensure his comfort, the Grand Duke tilted his head slightly.

“Ed.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Aren’t you tired from waking up in the middle of the night?”

“I don’t feel too tired since I managed to get some rest.”

“Even so, Ed, I’d like you to take better care of yourself.”

“Take care of myself?”

Ed opened his mouth to say he was already eating and resting well enough at the northern fortress, but before he could, the Grand Duke’s hand reached out and gently touched his head.

“Yes. Please do.”

“…”

As the Grand Duke lightly ruffled his hair, his touch lingered for just a moment before withdrawing.

Ed found himself wishing the warmth had stayed a little longer.

---

The next morning, Ed woke with a start.

The tent’s interior was dark, like a room with its curtains drawn, but he could hear the bustle of knights outside.

“Should this be taken to the infirmary?”

“No, take it to the outpost the High Priest mentioned earlier.”

“Load the crates on the ground onto the cart, too. They’re relief supplies, so we should move them all at once.”

“Got it. But these are heavy.”

“His Highness added extra blankets and provisions, so it’s no wonder. Let’s be careful moving them.”

“Right. You’d better stop chatting and get moving yourself.”

Hearing the lively chatter outside, Ed opened the tent door and was momentarily blinded by the sunlight.

Squinting, he scanned the bright scene outside and thought:

‘It seems they used a magic device to block noise from entering the tent.’

It was likely because of his complaint the previous night about waking from a dream.

The Grand Duke must have arranged it, allowing Ed to sleep deeply without disturbance.

‘Still, I slept so soundly that I feel disoriented.’

“Get some rest, Ed. Try not to wake up midway this time.”

The Grand Duke’s words from last night came to mind, almost as if they were a spell.

As Ed stepped out of the tent, he recalled how the Grand Duke had tidied his disheveled hair before turning away.

“May Your Highness also have a restful night.”

“And you as well, Ed.”

Remembering the moment, Ed was brought back to reality by a voice calling to him.

“Oh? Ed, you’re awake?”

“Good morning, Ed!”

Knights who had been moving supplies greeted him casually as he emerged from the tent.

“Ah, hello,” Ed replied, bowing slightly.

Feeling guilty for sleeping in while others worked, he quickly approached a cart to see if he could help, peeking around.

“Most of it’s sorted out, so you don’t need to worry, Ed.”

“Have the relief supplies been distributed already?”

“Almost. This cart is the last one to be delivered.”

“Yeah, so there’s no need for you to be stretching your neck looking for work to do.”

Ed flushed with embarrassment, realizing how late he had woken up.

The knights chuckled at his awkwardness.

“You stayed up for the night watch with His Highness, so it’s not like you slept in that long, Ed.”

“Oh, by the way, Lord Ronen was looking for you earlier.”

“Lord Ronen?”

“Yeah, he came to your tent but left when he saw you were asleep.”

“Did he say it was urgent?”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“Thank you for letting me know.”

Ed bowed politely and hurried off to find Ronen.

As he looked around, he headed toward the tent where Ronen had stayed the previous night.

“Ah! Ed!”

Soon, Ronen spotted him and ran over. Ed quickly approached him.

“Lord Ronen, I heard you were looking for me.”

“Yes.”

Nodding slightly, Ronen held out a small red berry.

Ed tilted his head, curious.

“What’s this?”

“When I woke up this morning, I found this berry and a small fish in front of my tent.”

“Yes?”

“At first, I thought, ‘What is this?’ Then I heard a rustling sound near the bushes beside the tent.”

“A sound?”

“Yeah. I went to check and saw the little fox we saved yesterday!”

“Ah, I see.”

“The fox must have brought it as thanks. It lingered near me for a while, so I thought it might stick around, but I remembered the High Priest’s words and shooed it away. That’s when it finally hopped off.”

“Yes, that makes sense.”

“But the fox ran toward your tent instead of the forest, so I followed it, wondering if it left something for you too.”

Ed smiled faintly at Ronen’s story, imagining the fox’s actions.

“I see. You didn’t wake me because I was asleep?”

“Well, yes, but it was also because my brother—His Highness—said you were probably tired and shouldn’t be disturbed.”

“Your brother… You mean His Highness the Grand Duke?”

“Yes. He was checking the infirmary when the fox appeared. He seemed a bit on edge, probably worried it might enter your tent.”

“…”

“So I explained the situation, and he let the fox go, but he still kept watch to make sure it didn’t cause any trouble.”

As Ed listened, he thought, ‘His Highness must be exhausted from staying up late. Did I keep him from resting properly?’

Worried, Ed asked, “Do you know where His Highness is now?”

Ronen pointed toward the infirmary.

“He’s probably there with the High Priest.”

“The High Priest?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll go see the Grand Duke for a moment, young master.”

As Ed began heading toward the infirmary at Ronen’s reply, Ronen quickly followed after him.

“I’m coming too! Ed.”

Ed glanced down at the fruit dangling in Ronen’s hand, then pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket.

He gently wrapped the fruit in the cloth and handed it back to Ronen, who grinned brightly and tucked it into his pocket.

“Thanks, Ed.”

Ed softly smiled as Ronen reached for his hand, and he clasped it in return.

‘His hands have definitely grown bigger.’

Once small enough to fit entirely in Ed’s hand, Ronen’s hands were now plumper and sturdier, fitting just right.

‘Now that I think about it, it’s been quite some time since I came into this world.’

* * *