* * *

“Forget it,” he muttered.

Dressed at last, Lowell cautiously re-entered the room.

Felix, who had been sitting in a chair, flinched and abruptly stood.

“I’ll wash up too,” he said hurriedly.

Hoping to fall asleep before Felix returned, Lowell lay on the bed and shut his eyes tight.

But the more he willed himself to sleep, the more elusive it became.

By the time Felix emerged from the bathroom, Lowell was still wide awake.

He tried to feign sleep, but their eyes met directly.

And then…

‘What’s with that outfit?’

Felix’s body was laid bare, more so than usual, thanks to the thinner fabric of his sleepwear.

Not only were the contours of his muscles visible through the material, but the distinct outline in his pants made it impossible to know where to rest one’s eyes without discomfort.

‘He really does have an amazing body.’

Even Lowell, who had been flustered and nervous just moments ago, found himself admiring Felix with an expression of pure awe, almost entranced.

“What are you staring at like that?”

Noticing the gaze, Felix pulled on another robe, his ears tinged red.

Lowell, caught in the act of shamelessly ogling him, waved his hands in denial, trying to explain.

“I was just wondering if I could get muscles like that if I started working out.”

That wasn’t the entire truth, but he chose to answer with the most neutral reason he could muster.

Felix raised a skeptical eyebrow and let his gaze trail over Lowell’s frame.

“It’s unlikely with your build, but if you’re serious about exercising, I could help.”

Lowell hesitated, thinking of the grueling training regimen the knights endured.

Could his frail body keep up?

Still, he nodded.

“It’s reassuring to have Halo’s greatest swordsman offer his help. Um, could I… touch your arm, just a little?”

Sitting on the bed, Felix wordlessly extended his arm.

Lowell cautiously touched the thick, solid muscle, marveling at the sheer difference between muscles built through real combat and those developed through ordinary exercise.

Fascinated, he began kneading different areas, amazed at how the muscles seemed to flex with even the slightest pressure.

He swore it wasn’t anything lewd, but Felix’s ears turned a deeper shade of red as Lowell continued.

“Stop groping me.”

Felix’s strained voice snapped Lowell back to reality.

Realizing he was practically feeling up another man on a bed, Lowell jerked his hands away as if burned, his face flushing bright red.

Scooting back to put some distance between them, he looked at Felix, who seemed larger and more commanding than usual.

‘He was like this earlier, too.’

It reminded Lowell of the moment when Felix spoke of his duty to protect the territory.

He seemed bigger, more masculine, more intimidating.

Even the rough lines of his hands now struck Lowell as something new and captivating.

‘There’s a seven-year age gap between us. He’s just a kid compared to me.’

But even that mantra was no longer convincing.

Felix, standing before him now, was anything but childlike.

“I-I’m tired. I should get to sleep.”

Desperate to escape the strange shift in his emotions, Lowell quickly lay down, pulling the covers over himself.

“Alright. Rest well.”

Felix didn’t look tired at all—in fact, he seemed like he could run a marathon.

But he lay beside Lowell, absently rubbing the arm Lowell had touched.

The room was quiet except for the soft sound of their breathing, which tickled at the edge of Lowell’s awareness.

Though the bed was spacious, Felix’s large frame made it feel smaller, their fingers or toes occasionally brushing against each other.

Each time it happened, they both flinched as though shocked by electricity.

After several such moments, Felix suddenly reached out and pulled Lowell closer.

“Ah!”

Lowell’s tense body trembled at the sudden move.

Felix, startled by the reaction, quickly released him.

“I thought you might fall off the bed.”

“Th-thank you.”

Lowell hated how clumsy and awkward his reply sounded.

There was no way he could sleep now.

Every nerve in his body was focused on not touching Felix, his body stiff as a board.

“Are you asleep?”

The moon climbed higher, and both men knew the other wasn’t asleep.

Yet Lowell didn’t respond. He feared where the conversation might lead.

“Sleep well.”

Felix’s usually brusque voice carried a surprising gentleness.

A subtle scent of smoky apple filled the air—a calming pheromone meant to ensure peace.

Lowell’s rigid body began to relax, his breathing slowly evening out.

Exhaustion finally caught up to him, and he drifted off.

Moonlight spilled through the window, illuminating Lowell’s sleeping face.

Felix’s gaze followed the light, lingering on him.

Despite seeing this sight every day, his heart still pounded.

At first, he thought it might be some kind of illness, but now he knew the truth: whenever Lowell was near, he couldn’t help but feel this way.

‘How do people live with this constant pounding in their chest?’

Pulling his blanket over Lowell, Felix gently brushed a hand over his face.

‘Why does he choose to stay by my side?’

Even as his heart swelled with affection, Felix couldn’t shake the nagging doubt.

What if Lowell betrayed him someday?

The thought plagued him nightly.

‘I don’t think I could kill him, even if I had to.’

Love had taken root in Felix’s heart, accompanied by an aching vulnerability.

With great effort, he finally closed his eyes.

---

Bang! Bang!

“Your Highness!”

The fragile peace of sleep shattered as a loud knocking startled them awake.

Felix sat up, his eyes narrowing at the sight of a drowsy Lowell.

It was just before dawn.

“What is it?”

Felix covered Lowell with the blanket to shield him from prying eyes before opening the door.

A knight knelt, his face apologetic.

“I deeply regret disturbing your rest, but there’s an emergency.”

Anticipating this, Felix stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

Yet Lowell, having overheard the word “emergency,” was already awake and sitting up.

‘What’s going on?’

Leaning against the bed’s headboard, Lowell waited anxiously for Felix to return.

When Felix finally came back, he began changing into his battle gear, his movements swift and precise.

“What happened?” Lowell asked cautiously, sensing the gravity of the situation.

“A monster in the eastern forest is stirring. Luckily, we’re nearby, so I received the report immediately.”

Lowell’s face went pale.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t hide his worry.

“You’re going to fight it, aren’t you?”

It was a rhetorical question.

Felix was a powerful mage and warrior with a duty to protect the land.

“Yes. It won’t take long. The village will be safe. I’ll assign knights to guard you—don’t leave this room.”

Even though Lowell understood, he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to hold Felix back.

His logical mind knew Felix had to go, but his heart refused to accept it.

‘He’ll come back.’

The memory of his parents leaving with similar words flashed in his mind, their faces overlapping with Felix’s.

They had never returned.

* * *