* * *
Even after that, nightmares still visited Lowell from time to time.
They weren’t as long or overwhelming as before, but fragmented memories surfaced, stretching themselves into dreams.
What made it bearable was that Felix was always by his side.
Each time Felix pulled him out of a nightmare, its grip on him weakened.
“You slept well tonight.”
In less than a week, the monster that had lurked by Lowell’s bedside had vanished under Felix’s watchful presence.
“That’s only because you wake me up every time.”
“Are you still not going to tell me what you’re dreaming about?”
“It’s hard to explain.”
Whenever Felix asked about his dreams, Lowell would give vague, half-hearted answers.
He had no confidence in explaining them properly, so he found it easier to stay silent.
“As long as you’re okay now, that’s all that matters.”
Though Felix seemed unsatisfied, he didn’t push further, as always.
Lowell, sensing the tension, deliberately brightened his tone.
“We’re expecting a guest today, aren’t we?”
“There won’t be any flashy greetings like last time. Just staying quiet will do. I heard he only assigned two knights to keep watch.”
“He must trust Sir Felix a lot.”
Felix rested his chin on his hand, looking thoughtful.
“That’s what I find odd. I’ve built a certain level of trust, but not to the extent where he’d entrust me with his partner’s safety. Maybe he doesn’t actually care as much as I thought.”
Lowell internally scoffed.
‘As if.’
The Crown Prince’s obsession with Robin was anything but ordinary.
‘The palace situation is complicated right now. The Emperor, the nobles pretending to support the imperial faction, all of them are a headache, and now there are even people actively targeting Robin. Weighing all that, he probably judged that Nix was the safest option.’
In the original story, Robin stayed at the estate of the Crown Prince’s closest friend during this period.
However, when that friend left to subjugate monsters, Robin ended up being kidnapped.
Even if this was an unintended butterfly effect that had nothing to do with him, Lowell was certain that the Crown Prince’s decision to send Robin to Nix was the right call.
‘At the very least, he won’t get kidnapped here.’
Felix, meanwhile, was staring at Lowell, who had once again fallen deep into thought, mouth slightly open as he gazed into empty space.
He barely resisted the sudden urge to slip his tongue past those parted lips.
His throat tingled as if he’d caught a cold.
“I’ve given it some thought, and I think it’d be best if I pretended to be your attendant.”
“…What?”
Lowell, who had been lost in contemplation over the Crown Prince, jerked upright in surprise.
“He was originally a servant, and it would be easier to pass it off as simply increasing your guard.”
“But isn’t he technically an outsider? Wouldn’t people find it suspicious?”
“We can come up with a reasonable excuse. As long as no rumors spread while he’s here, it’ll be fine.”
And so, Lowell found himself in the peculiar situation of having the main character of the novel as his personal attendant.
“Hello, I’m Robin Davon. Please, just call me Robin.”
Lowell had already been impressed when he first met other key characters, but seeing the protagonist himself up close was something else.
Robin was tall, strikingly handsome, and his golden hair shone brilliantly—just as the novel had described.
It was no wonder everyone assumed he was an Alpha or at least a Beta.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Lowell Clarke. Feel free to call me Lowell.”
“It’s an honor to serve you.”
“I mean, it’s just for show. I heard you were injured recently—don’t worry too much about it.”
“No, since I’m doing this, I want to do it properly. This is my first time serving someone who’s expecting, so I might make mistakes. Please let me know if anything bothers you!”
Robin spoke brightly and cheerfully.
He really did seem like the embodiment of all the best qualities of a Phoebos citizen.
‘If I had to compare, he’s like a Californian?’
He had a knack for brightening the atmosphere around him.
Lowell, genuinely smiling, extended his hand for a handshake, which Robin took with a firm and friendly grip.
“I hope you can stay here quietly without causing any trouble.”
Felix was the one to ruin the friendly mood.
Watching them chat cozily in the study had apparently been too much for him to bear.
“Of course. I’ll make sure not to trouble His Highness in any way. The same goes for Sir Lowell.”
As someone with years of experience as a servant, Robin was quick to read the room and subtly put some distance between himself and Lowell.
“No need for that. Just relax and make yourself at home.”
Lowell belatedly took a moment to glance at the knights standing behind Robin.
They hadn’t said a word since entering the study and hadn’t taken their eyes off Robin for even a second.
“I’ll be in your care as well,” he said politely.
One knight simply bowed deeply without a word, while the other gave him an enigmatic smile.
“We are merely shadows following Sir Robin. There’s no need to concern yourself with us.”
The knight with red eyes seemed courteous at first glance, but the deeper meaning of his words was anything but.
‘So he’s drawing a clear line, focusing solely on protecting Robin? Red-eyed knights aren’t common here… but I can’t seem to remember who he is.’
Lowell combed through his memories of the novel, but no particular character came to mind.
‘I don’t remember every single character, after all. He’s either a minor figure I forgot or someone whose appearance wasn’t described in detail.’
He studied the knight just enough not to be rude before moving on.
“Well, my daily life isn’t exactly exciting, so I’m worried Robin might get bored.”
“No way! There’s no chance of that!”
And indeed, Robin never gave him the chance to be bored.
“Sir Lowell, how about visiting the lake at the edge of the castle today? I went at dawn, and it was breathtaking. The weather’s warm, so it’d be nice to go while the sun is up.”
Barely after breakfast had ended, Robin was already proposing an outdoor excursion.
Lowell, who had been planning to lounge around in the study all day, nearly choked on his apple tea.
He barely avoided disaster and wiped his mouth.
“The lake?”
“Yes! I’m sure the baby will enjoy the beautiful scenery too.”
With him putting it that way, there was no room to refuse.
It wasn’t like Lowell disliked taking walks, and the lake wasn’t too far away.
‘He probably calculated that too before making the suggestion. He’s very thoughtful.’
Lowell pushed thoughts of the book he’d been reading from his mind and got up.
“Alright. But how do you already know so much about the castle when you only arrived yesterday?”
“Oh! I spent all of yesterday and today exploring. It has a totally different charm compared to Phoebos. It’s so big I haven’t seen all of it yet, but I plan to before I leave.”
Lowell had given him time to rest and recover from travel fatigue, but instead of resting, Robin had spent the entire day touring the Grand Duke’s castle.
Apparently, he was so physically fit that he even visited places Lowell wouldn’t have dared to.
“Nix is beautiful, isn’t it? I was surprised when I first arrived.”
“I know, right? I feel like I’ve seen enough snow to last a lifetime.”
Robin continued chatting as he helped Lowell bundle up in warm clothes.
His assistance was just enough to be helpful without being overbearing—more like a friend than a servant.
‘He’s been through hardships too, yet he remains so open and unbothered. That’s impressive.’
* * *
