* * *

During the Grand Duke’s speech, Ed found his gaze drawn to him, shimmering under the lights.

Their eyes met, and Ed quickly looked away, startled.

By the time the party ended, it was deep into the night.

“Ed.”

As Ed was leaving to take Ronen back to his room, the Grand Duke called him.

Entrusting Ronen to Jaynon, Ed hurried over.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“I noticed you were gone earlier. Were you outside?”

“Yes, I stepped out for some fresh air.”

“I see.”

The Grand Duke nodded slightly before continuing.

“You should rest now. Also, I’ve given everyone who participated in today’s banquet the day off tomorrow. Sleep in if you wish. You’ve done well today.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

After escorting the Grand Duke out, Ed helped tidy the empty banquet hall before finally retiring to his room.

Sitting at his desk, he opened his notebook.

“…My handwriting’s a mess.”

The notes he had hastily jotted down in the dim lighting were barely legible.

Despite the late hour, Ed picked up his pen.

“Better to organize it now while it’s still fresh in my mind.”

As he rewrote his notes on herbs, he recalled the priest’s proposal.

“Hmm, living costs in the south and capital are higher than here… And I don’t know how long the study will take. At least half a year, I’d say.”

Money wasn’t an issue—he had saved enough.

What worried him was being away from the north for too long.

‘With His Grace’s condition and Ronen still needing someone by his side…’

Torn between deepening his studies and staying to support the Grand Duke and Ronen, Ed scratched his cheek before finally heading to bed.

‘It’s not a decision I need to make immediately. I’ll think about it more.’

---

The next day, though it was his day off, Ed’s routine didn’t change much.

The High Priest and Grand Duke were out visiting the northern residents, while Ed stayed behind at the castle, watching over Ronen and Roa.

“Ah! Roa! Over here!”

Kyaaang!

“Haha, Ed, don’t just stand there—join in!”

Chasing after the energetic child and the little furball, Ed eventually collapsed, spent.

‘Keeping up with Ronen was already exhausting. Now with a fox too? Maybe I should just escape while I can.’

Lying face down on the table, he groaned. But when Roa leapt into his lap, Ed couldn’t help but smile.

‘But how could I leave this adorable creature behind?’

After playing for a while longer, Ronen finally took Roa back to his room for a bath, giving Ed a moment of respite.

Recovering quickly, he sprang up and began assisting the other servants.

Later, when the Grand Duke returned, Ed was there to greet him.

After dinner cleanup, he finally retired to his room.

As Ed prepared for bed, a knock came at his door.

“Hm? Jaynon?”

Opening it, he found Jaynon standing there.

“You’re not asleep yet, are you?”

“No, it’s fine. What’s up?”

Jaynon stifled a yawn.

“Tomorrow, we’ll see the High Priest off. I need your help with something. Can you come up to my room to discuss it?”

“Sure, just a moment.”

Grabbing his notebook and pen, Ed followed Jaynon. His room was as cluttered as ever, yet somehow orderly.

Clearing a spot, Jaynon gestured for Ed to sit and quickly went over the tasks.

“These are the things you’ll handle tomorrow. Just bear with it until then. After this event, we shouldn’t have anything big for a while.”

Carefully noting everything, Ed double-checked with Jaynon, who nodded.

“Exactly, Ed. That’s it.”

“Got it.”

Closing his notebook, Ed saw Jaynon lean back, blinking tiredly.

“Ed, how about a cold beer to wrap up the night?”

The northern region had fully transitioned into late autumn, but Jaynon, who had been moving tirelessly, seemed parched.

Watching him fan himself lightly, Ed decided to keep him company.

“I’ll fetch something from the kitchen,” Ed offered.

“No, stay here. I’ll bring some snacks too,” Jaynon replied, springing up and leaving the room.

Once Jaynon was gone, Ed glanced around, adding more firewood to the hearth.

Soon, Jaynon returned with refreshments.

“The chef was bragging about how well this batch of beer turned out,” Jaynon said, pouring a glass.

Ed nodded, and the two shared a casual conversation over the beer.

Time passed quickly, and noticing Jaynon stifle another yawn, Ed suggested, “Jaynon, you look tired. You should rest.”

“Yeah, I probably should. Strange how tired I am, considering I didn’t do much.”

“You didn’t do much? You walked around the northern fortress twice with His Highness just today,” Ed pointed out.

“Haha, true,” Jaynon chuckled.

As Ed began clearing their cups and plates, Jaynon offered, “I’ll take care of that.”

“No need. I’ll drop them off at the kitchen on my way,” Ed replied. “You go ahead and prepare for bed.”

“Thanks, Ed.”

Ed smiled faintly, carrying the tray out. Walking down the cool hallway, he let out a long yawn.

‘Am I catching Jaynon’s habit?’ he wondered, delivering the tray to the kitchen before heading to his room.

He collapsed onto the bed without a second thought.

‘I didn’t even drink any beer, yet I’m this sleepy,’ he mused, pulling the blanket up to his chin before drifting off.

The next morning, Ed realized his pocket felt unusually light as he dressed.

“…I must’ve left my notebook in Jaynon’s room,” he muttered.

Ed hurriedly donned his coat and headed to Jaynon’s room. I hope he hasn’t left already.

Recalling Jaynon’s boast about starting the day early, Ed checked his pocket watch and scratched his cheek.

Although Ed himself was up earlier than usual, the original novel portrayed Jaynon as a tireless perfectionist who always adhered to the Grand Duke’s schedule.

It was entirely possible he’d already left.

Peeking at Jaynon’s door, Ed was relieved to see light spilling through the gap.

He knocked, and Jaynon promptly opened the door.

“Ah, Ed.”

“Good morning, Jaynon. Glad you’re still here.”

Jaynon, looking more refreshed than the day before, seemed slightly flustered at Ed’s presence.

“I was just about to head out. What brings you here so early?”

“I think I left something in your room last night,” Ed explained, glancing past Jaynon.

Jaynon let out a soft “Ah,” retrieving the notebook from his desk.

“Is this what you’re looking for?”

“Yes, that’s it! I was worried I might have to search the corridor if it wasn’t here.”

“I kept it safe for you. Oh! I really need to go now. Don’t forget about what we talked about yesterday,” Jaynon said hurriedly, handing over the notebook.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got it covered,” Ed reassured him.

Just as Jaynon seemed ready to dash down the stairs, he hesitated, turning back.

“Oh, Ed,” he said.

Ed paused, watching Jaynon.

‘Does he have something else to say?’

Jaynon’s eyes lingered on the notebook in Ed’s hand before he finally spoke.

“Today, it’s just the High Priest and a few others leaving, right?”

“Yes, since the High Priest can’t be away from the temple for long, he’ll depart first. The others will follow once they’ve finished their tasks,” Ed confirmed.

“Got it,” Jaynon murmured, seemingly talking to himself.

He gave Ed’s shoulder a light tap.

“If you ever have any concerns or find life at the northern fortress tough, let me know.”

* * *