* * *

The moment Kaindel touched the slightly parted lips of Isa with his index finger—

“Kaindel.”

“…”

“Kaindel.”

Out of nowhere, Sehir appeared behind him, calling out softly.

Judging by his appearance, he must have returned from standing guard.

Kaindel glanced sideways at Sehir but kept his gaze fixed on Isa as he spoke.

“Shh, quiet. He’s sleeping.”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t notice.”

Only then did Sehir notice Isa, hidden by Kaindel, and bit his lower lip.

He looked over to check if Isa had been disturbed.

“When did he fall asleep? He was awake earlier.”

“Just a moment ago.”

“How’s he feeling? Did he say he’s okay?”

“Yeah, he didn’t mention anything unusual.”

Relieved that Isa was sound asleep, Sehir lowered his voice even more before continuing.

“By the way, I have a question for you.”

“Ask later.”

“No, it has to be now, when no one else can hear.”

“Fine, then. I’m listening. Go ahead.”

“Kaindel, do you…?”

“Do I what?”

“…like him?”

Like who?

Kaindel mulled over the ambiguous question.

If Sehir had come to ask such a thing at this hour, it must have been something weighing heavily on his mind.

Brushing it off just because he didn’t hear clearly seemed careless.

“I didn’t catch that. Say it again.”

At this, Sehir, who had been staring at the sleeping Isa, ruffled his hair in frustration.

He hadn’t realized Isa was there because Kaindel’s back had blocked the view.

What bad timing.

It would be awkward if Isa woke up while they were talking—especially since the question concerned him.

Sighing in mild frustration, Sehir adjusted his posture and observed Kaindel holding Isa.

Seeing Kaindel being so careful not to disturb someone’s sleep felt unusual.

His uncharacteristic demeanor made Sehir hesitate before finally blurting out his question.

“Do you like him?”

“Who?”

“Isa.”

It was a suspicion tinged with certainty.

Even just looking back on today, it was obvious that Kaindel’s behavior toward Isa was out of the ordinary.

Giving Isa a ride on a horse he’d never shared with anyone before and altering their plans just because Isa looked unwell—it wasn’t like the Kaindel Sehir had known for the past ten years.

Kaindel may have dismissed Isa as merely “necessary” back in the Luther Village, but his feelings could have changed since then.

Even as a bystander, Sehir could sense the subtle tension between the two.

Whether or not they were romantically involved, they were undeniably closer than before.

Truthfully, Sehir didn’t care much about what kind of relationship Kaindel and Isa had.

Kaindel was someone who, even if caught up in romance, always managed to take care of his responsibilities.

Considering Kaindel’s past and the circumstances surrounding him, having feelings for a man didn’t seem all that strange.

If anything, Sehir figured it might do Kaindel some good to soften up a bit.

Still, despite knowing it was better not to meddle, he couldn’t help but ask because of Isa.

“Do you like Isa?”

“Who knows. Maybe I do.”

This afternoon, Isa’s expression as he overheard a conversation between Kaindel and Owen kept haunting Sehir’s mind.

Isa had clung to a fleeting hope, only for it to be dashed by a single word from Kaindel.

That look on his face lingered with Sehir, compelling him to ask, even though he knew it wasn’t his place.

Kaindel furrowed his brows, as though annoyed by Sehir’s persistent curiosity.

“Feels like I’ve answered this before.”

“I still don’t get it. Your behavior right now—anyone would think…”

“Think what?”

“That you like Isa.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

Kaindel raised an eyebrow at Sehir’s confident assertion before letting out a laugh.

Though he muffled the sound to avoid waking Isa, his shoulders still shook with amusement.

As if he’d just heard an entertaining joke.

“Haha, Sehir, choose your words more carefully. It’s not me who likes him.”

“What?”

“It’s Isa who likes me.”

Between himself and Isa, if one were to favor the other, there was no doubt in Kaindel’s mind that it was Isa.

Even if Kaindel did take some interest in Isa, it wouldn’t manifest as clear affection.

Thinking about Isa’s longing gaze whenever he looked at him, Kaindel smirked.

Even now, holding Isa in his arms, Kaindel didn’t feel the same tender emotions Isa likely did for him—or the kind he himself once felt for the “Fairy.”

To him, it was simply intriguing and amusing.

Kaindel added with a crooked grin, “And even if I did like him, what does that have to do with you? Unless you’ve developed some personal feelings for him?”

Shifting the focus back onto Sehir, Kaindel’s tone turned guarded.

His claim of indifference toward Isa seemed contradictory, leaving Sehir frustrated.

If Kaindel truly felt nothing for Isa, his reaction made little sense.

“It’s not that… I just feel sorry for him. Isa’s affected by everything you do, even if you act like it’s no big deal. Maybe you should be a little more mindful…”

“Sehir, that’s not for you to worry about. I’ll handle it.”

Kaindel cut off Sehir’s words, his tone firm.

He understood why Sehir had brought this up but didn’t feel the need to continue the conversation.

Sehir must have noticed it too—how Isa had clung to some naive hope while eavesdropping on Kaindel and Owen earlier.

Thinking of Isa’s timid attempt to spy, Kaindel chuckled softly, to himself this time.

He absentmindedly toyed with Isa’s silvery hair, twisting and untwisting a strand around his fingers.

Even as he sat there, his fingers couldn’t seem to let go of Isa, who remained sound asleep despite their whispered conversation.

Kaindel disliked getting hurt, even though he enjoyed moving his body.

Of course, he had a constitution that allowed him to heal quickly, but he still preferred not to get injured at all.

Thus, every time he faced a monster, he would thoroughly analyze it beforehand and push only to the necessary extent—just enough to avoid injury.

The rest would be handled by his companions.

So this situation was a first for him.

“Goblins have sharp ears.”

Kaindel gritted his teeth against the pain radiating from his palm.

Goblin attacks were a common occurrence since low-level monster packs could appear anywhere.

However, blocking a goblin’s attack barehanded without any preparation was never part of the plan.

“That’s why you need to be extra cautious when you can’t see properly.”

“…”

“If you cause a ruckus, you’re basically begging the goblins to kill you. You should know better than that by now.”

Blood streamed relentlessly down his arm.

He’d been cut by blades many times before, but being struck by an axe was a first.

It felt as if thousands of thorns were stabbing into his flesh.

Damn it.

Kaindel clenched his mouth shut, barely stopping a string of curses from spilling out.

Judging by his completely unresponsive fingers, it seemed he was severely injured.

Why had he moved without thinking?

Regret after injury was always too little, too late, but he couldn’t help but question his actions.

Kaindel met the gaze of Isa, who was staring up at him with wide eyes.

Normally, Kaindel would have let Isa dodge such an attack on his own and used that moment to take down the goblin.

That would have been the more efficient strategy.

But when he saw Isa frozen in place, still seated, as the axe came flying toward him, his body had reacted before his mind.

…He thought he wouldn’t care whether Isa lived or died, but maybe he didn’t want him to die after all.

Why?

Only now did he begin to understand why Sehir had asked that peculiar question.

Searching for an answer to the changes he felt within himself, Kaindel continued to study Isa.

Isa’s expression twisted when he finally noticed the wound on Kaindel’s palm.

His trembling eyes filled with unshed tears, his pale face betraying his distress.

“Kaindel, you’re bleeding. Why didn’t you dodge? You could’ve just avoided it. It hurts, doesn’t it? And we don’t even have medicine. What are we supposed to do if you keep bleeding like this?”

* * *