* * *
Now that it was over, Lowell wasn’t as devastated as he thought he’d be.
In fact, he even felt relieved.
“I’m also sorry for getting angry earlier. I shouldn’t have raised my voice like that. It was rude of me.”
When Lowell belatedly apologized, Felix shook his head.
“There’s no need to say that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard that people tend to get more irritable when they’re hungry. You just need to be handled delicately.”
Lowell had to admit he had overestimated himself.
He thought he wouldn’t be easily swayed, even if his hormones were out of balance.
The little argument had taught not only Felix but also Lowell a valuable lesson.
‘So… it’s okay to fight.’
At first, Lowell had been frustrated with himself for letting his emotions take over.
But thanks to Felix, he learned that conflicts could be resolved as if they were no big deal.
Of course, it would be best if he could control himself better.
But even if he failed once or twice, he had someone by his side who wouldn’t turn his back on him.
That was reassuring.
‘That doesn’t mean I should keep acting recklessly, though.’
If he had been too strict with himself all this time, maybe it was okay to loosen the reins just a little.
“Felix.”
“Yeah?”
“This was our first fight, right?”
Felix wasn’t entirely convinced that this counted as a fight, but he nodded anyway.
The way he obediently responded reminded Lowell more of a big dog than the intimidating knight he usually was.
It was a good thing no one else was in the room to witness this.
“Do you know how people make up after a fight?”
Feigning experience, Lowell asked, even though this was also his first time reconciling with someone.
Felix, having no way of knowing that, simply looked at him curiously.
“Bow down a little.”
Without questioning it, Felix bent forward, though a puzzled expression soon followed.
Without another word, Lowell wrapped his arms around Felix’s neck and planted a soft kiss on his lips.
Felix stared blankly at him.
“It’s a reconciliation kiss.”
As Lowell smiled shyly, Felix’s eyes darkened, and he immediately responded with a rough, devouring kiss.
Lowell closed his eyes as Felix’s tongue eagerly explored his mouth.
“Making up isn’t so bad,” Felix murmured as he finally pulled away.
The tension and uneasiness that had plagued them all day were now completely forgotten.
“Of course, it’s best not to fight in the first place, though.”
Lowell chuckled and agreed. Everything seemed peaceful and perfect.
That is… until the next day when a letter arrived, bringing a crisis they hadn’t anticipated.
- Parting
Among the goods delivered by the merchant guild was a letter, just like last time—written in code.
There was no need to check the sender.
It was from the crown prince.
‘I heard he successfully annulled his engagement.
Judging by the timing, he’s probably telling me to send Robin back to Phoebos.’
Lowell casually glanced at Felix as he opened the envelope, not feeling particularly tense about it.
Parting would be unfortunate, but it wasn’t as if they would never see each other again.
However, Felix’s expression darkened as he read the letter, and seeing that, Lowell straightened up.
“Did something happen?”
“The ceremony might take place earlier than expected. It looks like I’ll be summoned to the capital sooner than we thought.”
Felix habitually checked for any nearby presences before speaking.
His face remained neutral, but the subtle heaviness in his voice betrayed his true feelings.
Lowell instantly understood what ‘ceremony’ he was referring to.
‘Why? This wasn’t supposed to happen in the original story.’
His mind spun.
The butterfly effect caused by his actions had reached further than he expected.
‘Does this mean the ending could change too?’
Tapping his fingers against the table, Lowell forced himself to shake off the worst-case scenarios forming in his head.
‘No point in panicking. I need to focus on what to do next. The noble faction wouldn’t be happy about the schedule change either—it’s too sudden. Which means there must be a reason they’re rushing things…’
Just as his thoughts were deepening, Felix suddenly reached out and held his hand.
The gentle squeeze cut through his spiral of worry.
“You don’t have to look so anxious. Nothing has been decided yet. All we know is that the capital is looking for an excuse to summon me soon.”
“So that means they haven’t found any solid proof that His Grace the Crown Prince and Lord Felix made contact, correct?”
“That’s right. Judging by their response, it seems like something has gone wrong on their end.”
Lowell rolled his eyes thoughtfully.
‘That means no crucial information has leaked. More likely, they think Felix’s changes have disrupted their original plans.’
It was the most reasonable assumption among the possible scenarios.
The more desperate the enemy became, the more time and flexibility they would have.
‘And the basis for their judgment… It’s most likely the information passed on by Zephyros, who’s been staying in the capital for quite a while. I don’t know exactly what he said, but he couldn’t have kept completely silent about us.’
Felix shook his head as he watched Lowell lost in thought, absently rubbing his chin.
“This time, I’ll be taking you with me. Of course, we can’t go all the way to the capital together, but I’ll bring you to a nearby estate where we can trust the people.”
Lowell’s eyes widened in surprise.
He had assumed Felix would leave him behind at the castle.
Felix noticed his confusion and added an explanation.
“Normally, staying in the castle would have been the safest option. But I heard that being separated from an Alpha in the late stages of pregnancy isn’t ideal. If your body were strong, it wouldn’t matter as much, but for those with weaker constitutions, being without pheromones for more than two weeks puts a strain on the body. It might seem scary, but this will be better for you. And we’ll be teleporting there, so it won’t be difficult.”
Lowell had read about that before.
“I’m not scared. In fact, I would’ve hated waiting alone in the castle even more.”
For once, his frail body was proving to be useful. Lowell let out a small, lopsided smile.
‘Then I should do whatever I can as quickly as possible.’
He was just about to start planning when Felix suddenly spoke.
“What do you think about going on a trip?”
“…A trip?”
The conversation had taken an unexpected turn.
But judging by Felix’s expression, this was what he had wanted to say all along.
“Yes. It’ll only get harder to travel the bigger you get. I wanted to prepare more, but I think it’d be best to go before things get too urgent.”
Lowell glanced down at his rounded belly, which now made it obvious that he was pregnant.
He recalled a conversation they’d had before—about wanting to travel together and wondering where to go.
Back then, it had been nothing more than a vague “someday.”
But now, they were actually discussing concrete plans.
“That sounds nice. Do you already have a place in mind?”
Lowell was sure Felix had brought up the trip to ease his worries.
And if that was the case, he wanted to go along with it.
“How about the place we talked about last time? It’s called Kania, and if we go now, the flowers will be in full bloom. Or we could go to Cray Island instead—it’s less crowded, so we could relax more.”
Lowell had a feeling Felix mistakenly thought he was someone who adored flowers.
But he decided to let him keep thinking that.
‘As long as it’s a place Felix picked, I’ll like it no matter what.’
The trip had only just been suggested, and yet his heart was already racing, as if they were leaving tomorrow.
“I’d love that. When should we go?”
“We’ll need some time to prepare, so in three days.”
* * *
