* * *
Seo Woohyun returned to the carriage where Malrang was fast asleep and shot a glance at Erdian.
He was poking the tiny blue hatchling’s nose with a playful smile on his face, completely lacking the usual air of authority.
“El.”
“Hm?”
“Why did you agree to let the prince travel with us? You didn’t seem too keen on the idea….”
His tone and attitude had clearly shown he wanted nothing to do with the prince, yet here they were, with Habios now part of their group.
After casually suggesting it might be safer for the prince to join them, Erdian had swiftly dragged Seo Woohyun into the carriage without another word.
“Well, the kid revealed his identity. If something happens to him and we don’t take him along, wouldn’t you feel uneasy? Looks like those assassins won’t stop anytime soon.”
“Well, yes…”
Seo Woohyun trailed off, realizing that Erdian had allowed the prince to join their party out of consideration for his own peace of mind.
The thought filled him with a warmth that almost made him sneeze from the overwhelming affection.
“Are you done with your work?”
“Yep. Took some time off.”
“…Gods can take vacations?”
Seo Woohyun’s voice dropped even lower, almost a whisper now.
Erdian, ever perceptive, shrugged.
“If I want one, I take one. It’s no big deal.”
His nonchalant reply left Seo Woohyun scratching his cheek.
Despite being a deity overseeing multiple domains, Erdian always seemed to be lounging about.
The thought that the world still functioned just fine despite this laziness was oddly reassuring.
“Are you staying for good now?”
“Yep. Why? Do you want me gone?”
Erdian wiped his fingers on a handkerchief after poking Malrang’s nose and asked with a raised eyebrow.
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
Though he hadn’t sorted out his feelings yet, Seo Woohyun felt secure with Erdian around.
At least he had the comfort of knowing that if his life was ever in danger, Erdian and Raullet would be there to protect him.
As Seo Woohyun sat on the sofa, Erdian sat right next to him, even though there was barely enough space, thanks to Malrang sleeping at the edge.
Seo Woohyun awkwardly shrank into his seat, unsure why Erdian had chosen to sit so close.
“So, about that prince.”
“Oh, Prince Habios?”
“What do you think?”
The question came out of nowhere, and it was so vague that Seo Woohyun didn’t know what Erdian was referring to.
“What do you mean?”
“His face.”
Was he really asking for a critique of the prince’s looks?
Seo Woohyun hesitated.
Evaluating the appearance of a royal seemed inappropriate, especially for someone who had just survived an assassination attempt.
“Well, he’s royalty, so I don’t think it’s right to—”
Before he could finish, Erdian’s eyebrows twitched.
“You had no problem saying my face was unforgettable, but the prince is off-limits?”
“Ah.”
Seo Woohyun fell silent.
Gods outrank royalty, after all.
Though it had been a slip of the tongue, he had, in fact, commented on a god’s appearance.
There wasn’t much he could say in defense.
“That prince—he’s pretty enough to be your type, isn’t he?”
“Wh-what? What are you talking about? He’s only eighteen! You can’t just…!”
Flustered, Seo Woohyun’s voice wavered as he stumbled over his words.
The prince’s sudden appearance had been so intense, especially given the seriousness of the situation.
When Raullet had abruptly run off and returned with the prince, revealing his royal identity, Seo Woohyun’s only thought was to stay out of the empire’s political entanglements.
He hadn’t even had the time or desire to properly look at the other man’s face, but Erdian was seriously misunderstanding the situation.
Without understanding a thing, Erdian muttered in his usual nonchalant tone.
“In the Empire, eighteen is considered an adult.”
Even someone as clueless as Seo Woohyun could tell Erdian’s attitude reeked of jealousy.
What else could explain his remarks about the prince who had appeared the moment Erdian stepped away?
‘What if I do like the prince? It’s not like he’s offering to play matchmaker after kissing me yesterday…’
Thinking about what had happened the day before, Seo Woohyun’s heart started racing again, much to his dismay.
He had never considered himself weak to good looks, but the man standing in front of him seemed to tick all the boxes for his type, almost like fate had placed him there.
Worried that his pounding heart might be heard, Seo Woohyun fidgeted with his clothing, rubbing the fabric as he muttered under his breath.
“Even if he’s an adult, there’s still more than a ten-year age gap between us. That’s basically a crime.”
He expected some kind of rebuttal or agreement, but Erdian was silent.
He just stared up at Seo Woohyun, looking shocked.
“Erdian?”
“A crime…?”
“Where I’m from, if there’s a ten-year age difference between two people in a relationship, people call the older one a creep.”
“…A creep?”
“Yeah, a creep.”
Seo Woohyun repeated the word to drive his point home, wanting to make it clear that he had no romantic feelings for the prince.
He hadn’t even considered the prince’s preferences, for that matter.
Yet for some reason, Erdian’s expression grew even more serious.
“Then what do you think about a creep who has reasons they can’t talk about, but still falls for someone over ten years younger?”
Erdian asked, his voice sounding almost desperate.
Seo Woohyun couldn’t understand the intent behind his sudden question.
‘What kind of backstory could someone have to fall for someone more than ten years younger? Wait… this can’t be about Erdian and me, can it?’
After all, yesterday they had shared a passionate kiss under the guise of transferring holy power.
He vividly remembered the feel of Erdian’s muscular thighs, a clear sign that Erdian had been aroused.
“Well? What do you think?”
Erdian shook Seo Woohyun’s wrist, urging him for an answer.
Seo Woohyun had a feeling that Erdian wouldn’t let go until he responded.
He couldn’t just sit there holding hands, so he decided to hedge his answer.
“Well, depending on the circumstances….”
While a relationship between someone barely of age and someone in their thirties would definitely be frowned upon, a romance between people in their sixties or seventies felt different.
The age gap wouldn’t change, but the context did.
“So, could you show some leniency?”
“If it’s a situation that calls for leniency, I guess….”
Even in Seo Woohyun’s world, relationships with large age gaps weren’t illegal.
It was more a matter of social norms and common sense.
As Seo Woohyun thought it over, the reason behind Erdian’s question became clear.
‘Wait… does he want to date me?’
It was the kind of thought that would make him want to hide under his blankets in embarrassment.
But after spending a week traveling with Erdian, and especially after the intense kiss they shared yesterday, Seo Woohyun couldn’t help but start to believe it.
‘Is now the right time?’
It seemed like the perfect moment to gauge Erdian’s feelings.
After all, Erdian had essentially admitted to being jealous of the prince, and he’d even asked if Seo Woohyun could show leniency to a “creep” in a ten-year age gap relationship.
Seo Woohyun couldn’t just let this pass.
“I honestly didn’t think much of that prince. I was more worried about why someone would risk their life for power, and then you started talking about looks, which really felt like jealousy… Am I wrong?”
Since he had come this far, Seo Woohyun hoped Erdian would give him a straightforward answer.
That way, it would be easier for him to sort out his own feelings.
“…”
“…”
But Erdian stayed silent.
The only sound in the awkwardly quiet carriage was the soft breathing of Malang, fast asleep.
‘Ah, what the hell. Did I misread everything again?’
No matter what the silence meant, Seo Woohyun was starting to feel uncomfortable.
He could no longer stand the tension and was about to get up from his seat when—
“You’re right.”
A soft voice escaped Erdian’s lips.
His jaw clenched for a moment as though he was holding back something unsaid, or perhaps choosing his words carefully.
Slowly, he lifted his gaze, locking eyes with Seo Woohyun as he muttered,
“I’m jealous because I thought you’d fall for that pretty young prince while I wasn’t around.”
* * *
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I don’t know but i think they are really good for each other 😊🤧💕
Ahhhhh 🤭🤭🤭