* * *
As they walked toward the lake, Lowell found himself admiring Robin, even though he knew it was somewhat rude to think that way.
It wasn’t easy to stay this untroubled by life’s difficulties.
“Oh, there it is! It looks so different in the sunlight compared to nighttime.”
Lowell followed Robin’s gesture and took in the sight.
The lake was mostly frozen except for the very center, and its surface was remarkably clear, reflecting the dense coniferous trees that surrounded it.
The snow piled around only added to the picturesque scenery.
It truly was a breathtaking sight.
“I knew there was a lake, but I’ve never come this close before. It’s stunning.”
Lowell gaped in awe, and Robin grinned, looking pleased that he had brought him here.
“I’m glad we can admire it together.”
The conversation naturally lulled as they strolled quietly along the shore.
That peaceful moment, however, was shattered when a large bird suddenly swooped down at them, attacking.
“Watch out! Step back!”
The knights, who had been holding their breath, quickly eliminated the remaining birds to prevent them from approaching any closer.
But by then, Lowell, who had been standing near the lake, was already tilting dangerously.
‘He’s going to fall in!’
Lowell instinctively squeezed his eyes shut.
However, the pain he had braced himself for never came.
Instead, he felt a firm grip pulling him sideways, keeping him from toppling over.
‘Huh?’
Thinking a knight had caught him, Lowell opened his eyes.
To his surprise, Tia and Charis had already rushed to his side, supporting him, while Phil reached out toward the lake.
The owner of the hand that had crossed paths with Phil’s was none other than Robin.
Robin, realizing that Lowell was about to fall into the water, had pushed him away with force and thrown himself toward the lake instead.
Time seemed to slow.
The moment stretched out endlessly, until the sharp sound of thin ice breaking shattered the illusion.
Before anyone could react, Robin had already plunged into the freezing water in Lowell’s place.
Though they were at the edge of the lake where the water was relatively shallow, the temperature was nothing to take lightly.
“Robin!”
A red-eyed knight, who had been standing at some distance, prepared to jump into the lake but stopped short when Robin, now sitting in the water, shook his head.
“It’s not that deep—I’m only up to my knees. There’s no need to worry.”
He tried to act nonchalant, but his hands, trembling violently from the cold, betrayed him.
Even Nix natives, accustomed to harsh winters, would shudder at this temperature.
For Robin, who had lived his entire life in the warm lands of Phoebos, the shock must have been unbearable.
Ignoring Robin’s protests, the knight waded into the water and pulled him into his arms, lifting him out.
“I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
Lowell, who had just managed to break free from the knights supporting him, ran over to Robin, who was now shivering uncontrollably.
Though his knight had already draped his own coat over him, it was clearly not enough.
‘Damn it, why couldn’t I just keep my balance?’
But no matter how guilty he felt, that wouldn’t help the situation now.
What mattered most was warming Robin up as quickly as possible.
Lowell immediately gave orders.
“Standing around like this won’t help—let’s get inside! Phil, run ahead and have them prepare a warm bath.”
Phil hesitated, unsure if he should leave, but Tia shot him a look urging him to hurry.
Without another word, he dashed toward the castle.
Lowell, meanwhile, quickly tried to remove his own coat to offer it to Robin.
But Robin, still huddled in the knight’s embrace, weakly waved him off.
“What the knight gave me is enough. Besides, isn’t this a relief?”
Even as his voice trembled from the cold, it carried a bright, genuine cheerfulness—completely unforced.
“A relief? How is this a relief?”
The knight snapped, his voice sharp with reprimand.
But Robin, unfazed, stood firm in his reasoning.
“If the pregnant one had fallen in, what would we have done? At least I’m strong, so I’ll be fine.”
“The knights would have caught him! That would have been much safer.”
“My body just reacted—I thought I could get to him faster.”
Lowell felt a sharp pang in his chest at Robin’s words, spoken with nothing but pure, unshaken kindness.
“Enough standing around—head back to the castle first. If you run, your face will get cold, so take this.”
Lowell unwrapped his scarf and handed it to the knight, who promptly wrapped it around Robin’s face before taking off toward the castle at an astonishing speed.
In the blink of an eye, they were gone from sight.
Tia and Charis exchanged glances.
“We should go too. Once the bath is done, we should prepare some warm tea and medicinal herbs to prevent illness.”
Lowell, trying to focus on practical matters, found his mind swirling with thoughts.
Robin, who shone so brightly without any hidden motives, refused to leave his mind.
‘Reading about this in a book didn’t make it feel real. Experiencing it firsthand leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.’
People who were truly, flawlessly good had a way of making ordinary people examine themselves.
Lowell had felt the same way once before—when he caught a maid who had fallen from a ladder, only to later reflect on his reaction.
“Young Master?”
Charis called out, noticing that Lowell, despite telling everyone to move, was standing still in a daze.
Realizing he had been lost in thought, Lowell quickly straightened up and strode forward with renewed determination.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
By the time they reached the castle, the place was already buzzing with activity.
Felix, who had been sparring with the knights, had rushed out upon hearing the commotion.
“Lowell, what happened? You’re not hurt, are you?”
Since training was the only time of day he was apart from Lowell, Felix had gone pale, fearing something serious had happened.
“I’m fine.”
Felix scanned him from head to toe, only relaxing after confirming with the knights that he was truly unharmed.
“What happened?”
“Robin pushed me out of the way and fell into the lake instead. I sent him to the bathhouse first and was about to prepare warm tea and medicine. It’d be best to have herbs ready in case of frostbite as well.”
“Him?”
Felix’s gaze turned sharp, as if silently demanding what the knights had been doing.
Of course, the knights had prioritized Lowell’s safety, leaving no room to worry about Robin.
Despite this, Tia and Charis simply bowed their heads in apology rather than defending themselves.
“Ah, the knights did try to help, but Robin happened to be the closest. It was my fault for standing too close to the lake in the first place.”
Fearing unnecessary blame would fall on them, Lowell quickly offered an explanation.
“The lake? Why were you— No, as long as you’re unharmed.”
Felix had been about to reprimand him but swallowed his words upon seeing Lowell’s already exhausted expression.
“You look shaken. You should rest. You’ve gone pale.”
Felix cupped Lowell’s face in both hands.
The air between them shifted.
The atmosphere was thick enough that those nearby instinctively averted their gazes.
The household staff, long accustomed to such displays, didn’t even flinch and simply returned to their duties.
“I’ll just bring him the medicine. This happened because of me—I’d feel bad if I didn’t.”
“Fine. Once you’re done, I’ll take you back to the tower myself.”
Felix’s presence had an oddly calming effect.
* * *
