* * *
Lowell nodded, a heavy sense of guilt weighing on him.
As he did, a strand of his hair brushed against Edwin’s face.
Edwin blinked his eyes open, smacked his lips, and, realizing it was Lowell holding him, tapped his cheek with tiny hands.
The gentle baby seemed fascinated by the person who had given birth to him and always wanted to touch Lowell’s face.
When he did, he blushed like it made him happy.
He was doing that now, too. Seeing that, the slight melancholy in Lowell’s face melted into a soft smile.
“Master Edwin says we don’t need to worry, either.”
Tia liked that about Lowell—that he never blamed the knights for putting him in danger, but instead worried about them.
He was a little too kind sometimes, but with Felix by his side flashing his metaphorical fangs, there was no need to worry.
“It’s us who should be sorry for putting you at risk. Tony also feels terrible—he wanted to repay the grace you showed him, but he thinks he failed.”
“Please tell them there’s no need for that.”
“Yes. But… I doubt they’ll be able to let go of their guilt so easily.”
Lowell sensed that this conversation would go nowhere.
The knights were too loyal for their thinking to change.
“Are you really going to keep calling me Your Highness? We haven’t even had the wedding yet.”
He figured it would be more comfortable to talk about something that had been bugging him.
“Officially, you are already married. While you were asleep, His Highness the Crown Prince signed the papers and had it announced in the capital.”
That was news to Lowell—Felix hadn’t mentioned that.
As Lowell blinked in surprise, Tia continued explaining naturally.
“A child born out of wedlock is considered illegitimate. Marriage would resolve that, of course, but the legal procedures can get complicated.”
Lowell nodded, finally understanding why Felix had rushed everything.
“You can put the baby down now.”
Tia’s tone was sharp and uncompromising.
As Lowell laid Edwin gently into the cradle, he couldn’t help but think that Tia was becoming a second Felix.
Edwin whimpered a little as Lowell stepped back, but true to his sweet nature, he drank the milk the nurse gave him and fell back asleep.
“Master Edwin really is a gentle soul.”
Perhaps it was because Tia had gotten used to black hair thanks to Felix, or maybe it was simply because Edwin was so pure—but she made no effort to hide her affection.
‘It’s not just Tia. Even the nurses have asked if they can come with us to Nix.’
Lowell had worried people might fear Edwin’s black hair, but thankfully, that hadn’t happened.
‘It’s not jet black like in my dream either…’
In his dream, the black panther had been pitch black.
But maybe because Edwin had absorbed Lowell’s magic, his hair shimmered slightly brown in the light.
Felix had considered that a relief—but Lowell felt just a little disappointed by it.
“I’m back, Lowell.”
Felix had returned, but hadn’t quite managed to mask the seriousness on his face.
Though he composed himself belatedly as he embraced Lowell, it was obvious that something troubling had happened outside.
And there was no way Lowell—so sensitive to even the slightest change in Felix—would miss that.
“Is something bothering you?”
Lowell leaned into Felix’s broad chest, resting a hand there as he asked.
Felix gave a soft chuckle, already guessing why Lowell was acting differently than usual—normally, he would’ve just hugged him without a word.
“So you’re using seduction openly now, huh?”
“What kind of seduction is this?”
Lowell didn’t deny it too hard, especially since he had been aiming for just that.
Instead, he let a playful smirk rise on his lips.
“But really, are you not going to tell me?”
“Didn’t you just say it wasn’t seduction?”
“Fine, let’s call it seduction, then.”
Felix gently traced the red mark blooming along Lowell’s collarbone.
Lowell tilted his head slightly, as if inviting him to see it more clearly.
Just as Felix began to lower his head, he stopped at the sound of Edwin fussing in his sleep with a soft murmur.
Felix’s hot breath still tingled against Lowell’s neck.
It slowly rose, brushing lightly over his lips before pulling back again.
The hand holding Lowell’s arm radiated heat.
“It might not be something you need to worry about.”
Felix said, glancing over to make sure Edwin was still asleep.
The child’s gentle breathing made it clear he had only shifted in his sleep.
“We discussed today what to do about the Clarke family.”
Lowell thought of the despicable man who hadn’t hesitated to kill his own child to the bitter end.
As a human being, of course he felt revulsion and hatred—but perhaps due to the peace he had since found, those feelings weren’t as violent as they might have once been.
“Shouldn’t you just follow the usual procedures?”
Felix’s forearm tensed as veins rose sharply beneath the skin.
He clenched his teeth and muttered like a curse:
“That won’t be enough. I want to tear him apart until there’s not even a corpse left.”
The anger he had tried to suppress surged back up.
Lowell gently brushed his hand over Felix’s twisted expression.
“If that’s what you truly want, then do it. But there’s something you should know.”
Rising on tiptoe, Lowell placed a soft kiss on Felix’s chin.
He would have kissed his lips, but Felix, who would normally lower himself to meet him, remained still.
“I’m fine now. And I’ll continue to be. So there’s no need to stain yourself with filthy blood just to deal with someone who was going to die anyway. You never liked seeing blood.”
Lowell glanced over at Edwin.
“Still, if that’s what will ease your heart, then do as you wish.”
He didn’t try to force his thoughts on Felix.
Lowell may have let go of any desire for revenge, but Felix’s heart was his own to carry.
Felix’s pained expression began to melt.
The iceberg of guilt that had clung to him slowly dissolved.
“Yeah. I’ll do as I wish.”
Lowell decided not to dwell on what would become of Count Clark. The man would suffer punishment equal to, or even beyond, what Felix planned. Regardless, Lowell would be happy. That, to him, was the best revenge.
He was done with the stench of blood.
“Let’s go home now. I wonder how much the kittens have grown.”
Lowell missed the quiet, warm snow-covered mountains.
The remaining nobles involved in the plot were publicly executed by beheading.
The sole exception was Count Clark.
He was attacked in prison by an unidentified assailant and murdered in a way too gruesome to describe.
Because of the lack of evidence, the family itself escaped punishment, but it was clear they were no longer welcome in the political sphere.
At least, that was the official story.
Behind closed doors, everyone said the Count had only survived as long as he did thanks to Grand Duke Felix.
‘It’s obvious who did it.’
Lowell rubbed his tired eyes and closed the document.
He no longer cared to hear news from the capital.
‘The crown prince can handle the rest on his own.’
He glanced sideways at Felix, who was busy signing papers.
In his opposite arm, Edwin—who had just drunk his milk—slept soundly.
The child was unusually large for his age, but cradled in Felix’s arms, he looked tiny.
‘Even though we hired a bunch of caretakers, he still insists on carrying him around.’
Felix treated Edwin as if he wanted to carry him in his mouth like a mother cat.
Whenever Edwin opened his eyes, Felix would gaze endlessly into those blue irises, then turn his gaze back to Lowell.
It was such a tender sight that Lowell often found himself just watching the two of them.
“Where are you going?”
* * *
