* * *
“…Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. And Your Grace?”
The Duke, gazing silently at Ed, who still seemed half-asleep, answered calmly.
“I did. Quite well.”
He reached out and gently brushed Ed’s hair aside.
At the soothing touch, Ed’s eyes fluttered shut briefly before he blinked and opened them again, murmuring, “Oh.”
“By the way, did everything go well last night?”
The previous evening, Ed had returned to his room after attending the ball with the Duke.
Pacing back and forth, he had worried about the Duke, hoping he would return safely and that the ball would conclude without incident.
Thankfully, the event ended without any trouble and received widespread praise until midnight, when Jaynon came to inform him of the ball’s peaceful conclusion.
Ed had let out a sigh of relief.
But his relief was short-lived.
As soon as one concern dissipated, another surfaced—because the Duke hadn’t returned yet.
Though Ed had assumed the Duke would finish his business quickly, it wasn’t until the early hours of the morning that the Duke quietly opened his door and stepped inside.
“…Did you find out who was hiding in the bushes?” Ed had asked anxiously.
After removing his coat, the Duke nodded and took Ed’s hand, guiding the anxious man to the bed.
As the Duke began gently massaging his tense hand, he explained,
“It was someone connected to an acquaintance of mine. Startled, they hid.”
“Ah, so it wasn’t anything serious.”
The Duke nodded again, and the tension on Ed’s face eased slightly.
“But…is it really okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, even if they weren’t hostile, they saw us together…”
“And?”
“I mean, it might raise questions…”
Though the Duke remained unbothered, Ed couldn’t help but recall the events of the ball.
‘It might have been fine if it was just us dancing. But we…kissed.’
Caught up in the atmosphere, Ed had momentarily forgotten they were in public.
He wanted to bury his face in his hands, but the Duke held onto them, preventing him.
Sensing Ed’s unease, the Duke smirked faintly.
“I made sure to explain it to them so it won’t cause any problems. Don’t worry.”
The Duke then added, “Ed, I need to step outside the castle for a bit.”
“Is it related to that acquaintance?”
The Duke nodded.
“It’s nothing troublesome, so don’t fret. It’s someone I haven’t seen in a long time. I’ll tell you more when I return.”
Once Ed nodded in understanding, the Duke tucked him into bed.
It was already late, and Ed had been both physically active and emotionally on edge all day.
Gently stroking Ed’s back, the Duke waited until his eyes closed before extinguishing the magical lamp.
Yet, as the Duke rose from the bed, Ed’s eyelids fluttered open.
Clicking his tongue softly, the Duke leaned down, and Ed smiled faintly.
“Be safe.”
“I won’t be long. Get some rest.”
“Yes.”
The Duke pressed a kiss to Ed’s forehead before leaving.
Watching the Duke’s retreating figure, Ed absentmindedly fingered the pendant around his neck.
Though he had said he’d rest, sleep didn’t come easily.
Only when the Duke returned and stood quietly by the bed did Ed let himself relax.
He reached out, clasping the Duke’s cold hand and drawing it under the blanket.
The Duke climbed into bed, wrapping himself tightly around Ed.
It wasn’t long before Ed drifted into a deep sleep.
When Ed woke late the next morning, the Duke was watching him quietly.
Sitting up with a rustle, Ed asked, “Did you meet the Dowager Empress?”
The Duke’s nod made Ed freeze.
“The Dowager Empress?”
As Ed tried to recall her precarious position in the original story, the Duke took his foot in hand, pressing against it lightly.
“…That tickles.”
“Your feet are cold.”
“No, they’re not.”
Despite Ed’s protests, the Duke teasingly rubbed his foot against Ed’s, warming them.
Ed instinctively drew back and asked,
“Was the person we saw on the terrace connected to her?”
The Duke sat up and took Ed’s left foot, kneading it gently.
“She came because the late Emperor had something he wanted to entrust to me.”
Remembering the Emperor’s strained relationship with the Dowager Empress and her half-sibling, the Princess, Ed tried to pull his foot away but couldn’t.
“…The Emperor doesn’t like his half-sibling much, does he?”
“Since he has no children of his own, he must be concerned. After all, she carries the dragon’s bloodline.”
The Duke’s voice grew cold as he mentioned the Emperor, but Ed, lost in thought, didn’t notice.
‘What could the Dowager Empress have brought to the Duke?’
Just then, Ed spotted a faint scar on the Duke’s neck.
“Your Grace, you’re injured.”
Sitting up abruptly, Ed gently traced the mark with his fingers.
The Duke covered the scar with his hand, then pulled something from his pocket.
“What is this?”
Ed stared at the curled-up creature—a lizard?
Or perhaps…a dragon?
The small, serpentine figure rested peacefully in the Duke’s palm, its tail in its mouth.
Scratching his head, Ed asked in disbelief,
“Did the Dowager Empress give this to you?”
The Duke chuckled softly at Ed’s dumbfounded expression.
At that moment, the lizard stirred, stretching and opening its tiny mouth.
“Hiss…”
It flicked its tongue several times, showing sharp teeth. Alarmed, Ed asked,
“Is this the thing that scratched your neck?”
As if understanding, the lizard snapped its mouth shut and coiled tightly again.
When Ed poked it with his finger, it darted up his hand, wrapping its tail around his wrist.
“Well, aren’t you bold.”
Ed clicked his tongue as he shook his hand, but the lizard clung tightly.
The Duke watched in amusement as Ed, despite himself, began to find the tiny creature endearing.
“You can keep it if you want,” the Duke said.
“It’s a piece of my claws that fell away, but it can be useful—though a bit unruly.”
The lizard leapt from Ed’s wrist to curl up on his stomach.
Chuckling, Ed lightly stroked its back with a finger.
“What kind of creature is this?”
“A small lizard from the caves. If you like it, you can raise it.”
Ed’s smile softened as he continued to gently pet the tiny companion.
The Grand Duke, who had been gazing at Ed, found himself unable to suppress his emotions as memories of the long years Ed had spent alone came flooding back.
Clenching his teeth, he tightened his arms around Ed, his jaw tensing with determination.
“Y-Your Grace?”
Ed’s puzzled voice broke the silence, and the Grand Duke patted his back gently, taking a moment to steady his breathing.
‘Ed, unlike me, you grew up without family, all alone in that desolate place. And yet, how can you possess such an upright and kind heart?’
A long while later, when the Grand Duke finally released him, the door creaked open hesitantly.
Ronen peeked into the room, their eyes meeting, and he grinned broadly.
“Brother! Ed!”
Ronen greeted them cheerfully as he stepped inside, only to stop abruptly when he noticed something unfamiliar on Ed’s lap.
He quickly approached, placing a hand on the mattress.
“What’s this?”
“Oh, this?”
While Ed explained, the Grand Duke, watching the two of them, spread his arms wide and pulled them both into a tight embrace, their heads touching.
“Ah! Brother—”
“Haha, Your Grace… Just a moment.”
They were his family, the ones he was determined to protect.
In the days that followed, peace reigned in the northern castle, until a letter arrived.
It was from the Emperor.
The letter came while the Grand Duke stood by the window, gazing outside.
* * *
Dear emperor, please begone