* * *

Seo Woohyun blinked as he stood in the middle of a garden in full bloom.

He immediately recognized where he was.

“This is Lord Erdian’s home.”

How could he ever forget the words Erdian had so casually uttered with a nonchalant expression after dragging him into this world and laying him down?

“Lord Erdian?”

When Seo Woohyun called out to the person standing before him, the beautiful figure flinched slightly.

After a brief hesitation, Erdian gave a faint smile.

“Do you remember where this is?”

“Of course. This is your house, Lord Erdian. I even remember asking if this was where you lived when I first woke up here.”

“Yes, you remember very well.”

The Erdian in the dream finally smiled warmly. The constraints of causality were still firmly in place, but Erdian, who had been anxiously watching Seo Woohyun from afar, managed to find a sly loophole, allowing this contact.

There was so much Erdian had wanted to say if they met in a dream: reminders not to skip meals even if he had no appetite, encouragement to step outside for a walk at least every couple of days, and a plea to fully enjoy the things he’d been too constrained to try before.

‘But now that I’m here, just looking at him makes my mind go blank.’

Though he had been watching from afar, being face-to-face like this overwhelmed him.

All he could think to say was how much he’d missed Seo Woohyun.

Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to voice it aloud.

He feared coming off as pathetic—a rejected man clinging stubbornly.

“For a god, you sure are weak when it comes to looks. If you’re worried, give it some time and try coaxing him gently again,” he remembered the voice of causality teasing.

Why did those useless words keep nagging at him now?

If they were going to dispense such advice, they could have at least been specific about how much time he should wait.

Nervously, Erdian sighed inwardly.

‘If that brat of causality realizes I’ve spoken to him through his dream, there’ll be chaos.’

The future was clear: causality would screech, and he’d calmly ignore it.

But he didn’t regret his choice.

The restrictions meant he couldn’t descend or even answer the whispered prayers Seo Woohyun sent him.

On top of that, watching Seo Woohyun sulk in his room after sending Malrang back to his family was unbearable.

“Are you still very busy?” Seo Woohyun hesitantly asked, breaking the silence.

He wasn’t even sure if this encounter was real or just an illusion conjured by his dream.

Since coming to this world, he had never met Erdian in a dream—only heard his voice or seen him descend in person.

This kind of meeting was a first, leaving him confused.

“Yes, I’m still busy.”

Erdian chose to attribute his silence to work rather than the restrictions of causality.

Seo Woohyun nodded slowly.

“I thought as much when my prayers went unanswered.”

“There were many circumstances. Lately, you’ve been skipping meals often. Is something wrong?”

“Nothing in particular… I just haven’t had much of an appetite.”

Erdian tilted his head slightly at the evasive reply.

The way his glossy hair fell, scattering light, naturally drew Seo Woohyun’s gaze.

‘He always seems fascinated by my hair whenever he sees it.’

It was satisfying. All the effort he’d put into maintaining it felt worthwhile.

If Seo Woohyun liked his long hair, Erdian was more than willing to keep it this length, even if it was inconvenient.

It was a small price to pay for an extra moment of attention from him.

“Is it because of Malrang? Should I bring him back to the palace? He might like it, too.”

Erdian didn’t entirely believe Seo Woohyun’s excuse about his appetite but chose not to push too hard.

He knew Seo Woohyun had a habit of deflecting and skirting around issues—something Seo likely considered an essential social skill, though to Erdian, it was an unwelcome quirk.

“No, Malrang still has a lot to learn. If he stays with me, all we do is play hide-and-seek. I’m sure you had your reasons for taking him back, so please don’t worry about it.”

“If you don’t want him to return, then he won’t.”

“…Thank you.”

Hearing Erdian’s signature soft tone brought an unexpected sense of calm to Seo Woohyun.

It was a familiar, comforting feeling he hadn’t realized he missed.

His lips curled into a natural, unguarded smile—one he hadn’t worn in ages.

Caught off guard, Erdian spoke gently.

“Since you’re here, why not take a look around? I did some redecorating after an unwelcome guest passed through.”

“An unwelcome guest?”

An intruder in a god’s home?

The idea piqued Seo Woohyun’s curiosity, but he chose not to press further.

Spending a bit more time with Erdian felt more important than his questions.

Even if it was laughable, considering he’d rejected him once.

“Yes, the scoundrel ruined my garden and the flowers I’ve nurtured. Unforgivable.”

“You mean all these flowers… you grew them yourself?”

“Who else would have? They smell wonderful. Would you like to try?”

Erdian plucked a yellow flower and held it out.

To his relief, Seo Woohyun didn’t reject it or look disgusted but instead leaned in quietly to take in its fragrance.

‘This is dangerous.’

Seo Woohyun’s face was too close.

His heart raced erratically, and his breath grew shallow.

So close, in fact, that Seo Woohyun seemed to notice and glanced up with his striking brown eyes.

Erdian’s lips parted.

“How is it?”

The brief wait for Seo Woohyun’s response felt unnervingly long, as if mocking his thousand years of patience since losing Ciel.

“It smells nice.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Erdian’s gaze stayed fixed on Seo Woohyun, specifically his lips.

For a moment, Seo Woohyun worried their lips might touch and shifted back slightly, offering a quiet observation.

“The scent felt familiar. It’s the same as the fragrance from your body, Lord Erdian.”

“…It is.”

Erdian’s radiant smile caught Seo Woohyun off guard, causing him to swallow nervously.

His unwavering stare was impossible to decipher—closer to obsession than tenderness.

Yet, it didn’t frighten him; instead, it offered strange reassurance.

It meant Erdian’s affection hadn’t waned.

“El always stares at you like that, Hyung. He never looks at me that way. You’re the only one he looks at with those eyes.”

Malrang’s words resurfaced.

Back then, he had dismissed them as stemming from Erdian’s longing for Ciel.

But now, he realized it had been his own insecurities clouding his judgment.

‘I don’t even know how I feel about Lord Erdian anymore.’

Confused as ever, one thing remained clear: he wanted Erdian’s warmth to last.

“Lord Erdian.”

“Woohyun.”

By coincidence, they called each other’s names almost simultaneously.

Though it wasn’t uncommon when timing aligned, an inexplicable tickling sensation lingered on the tips of their fingers.

“You go first.”

With a bright smile as he yielded the turn, Erdian’s expression seemed almost radiant, and Seo Woohyun murmured as if entranced.

“It’s been a while since we’ve talked face-to-face like this, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“So…”

As Seo Woohyun hesitated and trailed off, Erdian softly echoed his words, subtly urging him to continue.

“So?”

“…I enjoyed it.”

Seo Woohyun whispered so quietly it was almost inaudible, his lips barely moving, before casting a sidelong glance at Erdian.

Erdian’s expression was changing by the second—his widened eyes filled with joy, his cheeks gradually flushing red, and his smooth lips opening and closing as if trying but failing to form a response.

‘Wow, Lord Erdian looks flustered….’

The expression on his face erased all the intense turmoil and inner conflict Seo Woohyun had wrestled with alone until now.

Erdian, who had been blinking blankly as if he’d short-circuited, eventually asked, his tone brimming with anticipation:

“…You enjoyed it?”

Instead of replying, Seo Woohyun nodded, and Erdian’s face broke into a dazzling smile as he gently brushed his fingers against Seo Woohyun’s cheek for the first time in a long while.

“I’m glad we could meet like this too.”

His voice, still warm and kind, gradually began to fade away.

Seo Woohyun woke up, sitting up alone in his bed.

He touched his face, which was still faintly smiling, and let out a heavy sigh.

“Ugh, a wet dream… at my age?”

He glanced down and grimaced at the dampness that hadn’t visited him in so long.

* * *