* * *

“What reason would the Grand Duke have to use such magic?”

Lowell asked pointedly, glancing between Felix and the innkeeper.

The innkeeper chuckled nervously under Lowell’s intense gaze, likely assuming he was a fervent admirer of Felix’s heroic deeds.

“Y-Yes, exactly. It’s just idle talk, really. No one truly believes it.”

Realizing his earlier comment had stirred trouble, the innkeeper quickly tried to downplay the rumors.

But Lowell, still riled up, couldn’t let it go.

“Couldn’t it be that the Grand Duke’s betrothed fell for him at first sight?”

Felix, who had been quietly sniffing Lowell’s pheromones, froze.

His dark eyes fixated on Lowell, as if silently asking, ‘Really? Is that true?’ Realizing what he had just implied, Lowell’s face flushed a deep red.

“Of course, that could very well be the case. I remember seeing His Highness at a military parade years ago, and his presence was truly beyond words,” the innkeeper smoothly redirected the conversation, now praising Felix.

“Yes. I only mentioned it because I didn’t want the owner of such a large and impressive establishment to be caught up in any rumors.”

Lowell, acknowledging that he had gotten too excited, sat down and lowered his head.

Just moments ago, he had been pleased to think that Felix was loved in the territory.

But before that joy could settle, he heard unpleasant rumors, and the disappointment naturally grew.

“Of course. It’s all thanks to the priest that we live so comfortably.”

Felix didn’t pay attention to what the owner said and kept his gaze fixed on Lowell.

Since he wasn’t offended in the first place, hearing the owner’s flattery only slightly eased his mood—something that only Lowell noticed.

“Now, here’s your food. Are you really sure you don’t want any alcohol?”

“Yes. But are there no other rumors?”

The food arrived, but Lowell, deep in thought, barely touched his plate, and Felix didn’t touch his at all.

The owner’s words that followed were just as empty and provocative as the rumors they had heard earlier.

After signaling for the two knights to stay behind, Felix stepped outside and immediately turned to Lowell.

“Is it true?”

The urgency in his demeanor made it clear just how long he’d been holding back the question.

But Lowell, who had been lost in other thoughts, looked puzzled at the question that lacked both a subject and an object.

“Pardon? Could you clarify what exactly you’re asking?”

“I’m asking if it’s true. That you fell for me at first sight.”

It was obvious Felix had been consumed by that thought alone.

‘How am I supposed to explain this?’

Lowell, who had thought it a fleeting, somewhat embarrassing matter, now found himself in an awkward position.

While saying yes might be flattering, it would also be a lie.

“I only said that to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings. You’re undeniably handsome and charming enough that someone ‘could’ fall for you at first sight. I meant it as a hypothetical possibility.”

Lowell, whose face had turned red all the way to his neck, wondered if he’d gone too far in deflecting.

But Felix, as if infected by Lowell’s warmth, fiddled with his now-reddened ears, pretending to be indifferent.

“So what you’re saying is, that’s how I appeared to you?”

What Lowell failed to account for was that someone in the throes of first love often interprets words however they like.

Even if Lowell had listed ten flaws and only one positive trait, Felix would have magnified that single good point a hundredfold.

“Well, yes. That’s… accurate.”

Though it felt somewhat distorted, it wasn’t entirely untrue, so Lowell nodded.

Felix’s steps grew noticeably lighter, and the knights observing them from the shadows shook their heads in disbelief.

Though they kept their thoughts to themselves, some couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t Felix but Lowell who had used some kind of enchantment spell.

“Night falls quickly in Nix. Let’s head to the inn while we look around the alleys.”

Regardless of what others thought or said, Felix strode forward confidently.

Though he suggested exploring the alleys, he didn’t venture too far into dangerous areas, especially with Lowell present.

As the sun set, the townsfolk either retreated into their homes or lit lamps to continue their work.

The scene was utterly peaceful.

“Nix is beautiful. So serene.”

“Is it?”

“It’s all thanks to you, isn’t it?”

Though Lowell posed it as a joke, his praise was genuine.

“I’m not sure. I only did what was necessary. There’s no one more pathetic than a king who can’t protect his land.”

Felix’s steady tone revealed his sincerity.

Despite his relentless efforts to maintain peace, he regarded it as merely fulfilling his duty.

That noble attitude momentarily captivated Lowell.

Someone he’d always seen as endearing suddenly seemed like a towering figure he couldn’t hope to catch up to.

Having focused only on Felix’s vulnerable side, Lowell had overlooked his strength.

Even knowing that humans are multifaceted, it was easy to miss.

Perhaps it was a mistake born of knowing Felix’s future too well.

“You’re right.”

The two walked in silence for a while.

Their footprints crisscrossed the snow, overlapping and tangling before finding their rhythm.

Felix, unaccustomed to walking with someone, would speed ahead and stop repeatedly, while Lowell, trying to keep up, often stepped where Felix had already tread.

As this cycle repeated, Felix’s steps naturally slowed, and the once-chaotic footprints straightened into a shared path.

Though clumsy, their shared destination ensured neither was alone.

“Let’s head to the inn.”

Noticing Lowell’s reddened nose, Felix spoke up. Neither objected.

---

The inn wasn’t as luxurious as the one in the capital, but it was decent—comfortable enough for moderately wealthy merchants.

Everything was going smoothly.

“Ah, it seems the two of you are marked down to share a room,” the innkeeper noted.

Had Lowell and Felix not been assigned the same room, things might have continued smoothly.

Being an inn, no matter how spacious the room was, there were no separated areas.

In other words, they couldn’t sleep in separate quarters as they had before.

“Could we possibly get another room…?” Lowell began, but Felix cut him off.

“We’ll take the room as is.”

When Lowell shot him a startled look, Felix nonchalantly added, “You’ll end up coming to my room anyway, won’t you?”

It wasn’t exactly untrue.

Not a single night had passed without Lowell sleepwalking into Felix’s room.

‘Still, isn’t it different to start out in the same room rather than waking up to find yourself there?’

But Felix didn’t budge on his decision.

In truth, Felix had chosen to share a room out of concern.

In a place outside the castle, Lowell might hurt himself while wandering in his sleep.

Given that they already slept together every night, he reasoned there wasn’t much difference.

What Felix overlooked, however, was the significant gap between unintentionally sharing a bed and doing so from the outset.

In short, it meant enduring an unbearably awkward period before falling asleep.

“I’ll go wash up first,” Lowell offered.

“Alright.”

The exchange, resembling something out of a first intimate encounter, sent shivers down Lowell’s spine.

Felix, too, had seemed tense since entering the room, his expression stiff.

From the way his hands and feet moved in unison, it was clear he was nervous.

‘Why did you insist on sharing a room?’

Despite being the one who sought Felix out every night, Lowell grumbled internally.

Though he told himself there was no reason to feel self-conscious—there was no intention of undressing, after all—he scrubbed himself thoroughly.

The irony wasn’t lost on him, and yet he continued.

By the time Lowell emerged, wearing the silk pajamas provided by the inn, they felt uncomfortably suggestive, even though he’d thought nothing of them the day before.

‘Get a grip. It’s just sharing a bed. Why are you acting like a naive kid?’

Lowell wasn’t one to get flustered in such situations and often took the lead in reassuring others.

So why did the thought of lying beside Felix make him feel so bashful?

* * *