It was the first time since their relationship had stabilized that Felix had been so overtly secretive, which made it all the more jarring.
Felix occasionally tried to hide his feelings when he was embarrassed, but that was usually something Lowell could see right through.
‘No… I’m sure he’s not doing anything bad or trying to deceive me, but I can’t help being curious.’
His heart began to race so loudly he wanted to cover his ears.
Felix had trusted him like a mature adult, yet here Lowell was, feeling small and petty for doubting him.
He hesitated for a long time, his hand hovering over the drawer, before finally reaching out.
‘I’ll just glance at the first part. If it’s not about me, I’ll close it.’
But he didn’t even need to finish the first line to realize it was very much about him.
[Digory Thayer Tian]
The name of the man who had made Lowell uncomfortable all day was written right there.
The self-loathing he felt for not trusting Felix evaporated the moment he read the heading.
“What in the…”
Lowell let out a sharp gasp and flinched, reflexively looking toward the bed.
Fortunately, Edwin was a deep sleeper; the boy remained tucked away, breathing softly, completely oblivious to his father’s voice.
‘Thank goodness Edwin sleeps like a log until sunrise.’
Lowell pressed his lips together and turned back to the papers.
The first page was a brief summary of Digory’s background.
Since it held little interest for Lowell, he skimmed through it.
[A significant research eccentric, primarily focusing on Light Magic. He served as a professor at the Academy until last year but was summoned back to the capital to prepare for succession. It is reported there was considerable friction during this process.]
Keeping that tidbit in mind, he flipped to the next page, which detailed the relationship between Digory and Lowell.
[The Tian family maintained a close friendship with the Clark family until Digory was 10. A friendship with Lowell Clark was established then, and there were talks of an engagement; however, the families drifted apart as the Tian family distanced themselves from the Noble Faction.
Personal ties do not appear to have been deep, though there are reports that Digory approached Lowell Clark several times while the latter briefly attended the Academy. However, these were one-sided encounters on Digory’s part, with little actual interaction. After Lowell Clark was judged to have no magical talent and failed to advance, they naturally grew distant. It is presumed they have not met officially or privately since.]
It was an incredibly clean history.
In fact, it was so unremarkable that Lowell found it strange Digory had been acting so persistent.
‘There’s absolutely nothing here to cause trouble. Surely even Felix would be relieved by this?’
Lowell lowered the papers and covered his mouth to stifle a giggle.
He found it endearing that Felix had acted desperately unfazed in front of him, only to go behind his back and conduct a full background check.
Lowell still didn’t quite get why Felix felt the need to play it cool, but he certainly wasn’t upset about it.
‘I should probably be annoyed or worried, but for some reason, I’m just happy. I shouldn’t be like this.’
He fought back a silly grin.
The murky feeling that had been circulating through his body vanished into the air along with the smile that leaked through his fingers.
He felt a bit pathetic for being comforted by the fact that Felix was jealous, but he excused himself silently.
‘Wait, where did Felix go? If he saw this, he should be relieved. He should be back in bed instead of wandering around.’
Despite finishing the report, Felix’s whereabouts remained a mystery—if anything, it was even more puzzling now.
‘Did something else happen unrelated to this?’
“May I step out for a moment? I’ll just look around nearby.”
It was late, but his curiosity was piqued enough that sleep seemed impossible.
Security was tight, and given the friendly terms with the Crown Prince, the chances of something happening within the Imperial Palace were low.
“I will accompany you.”
Tia stepped to Lowell’s side and signaled the two guards.
It was a silent command to watch over Edwin.
“If Edwin wakes up, just give him some water.”
Lowell added the instruction just in case, though he doubted the boy would stir, and opened the door.
At this hour, a dim, heavy silence had settled over the hallway.
“If you go any further, you might miss him on his way back.”
Tia stopped Lowell as he wandered aimlessly.
Since he hadn’t had a destination in mind, Lowell obeyed.
At that moment, a familiar voice drifted through the air.
‘I hear someone else, too.’
Lowell pressed a finger to his lips, signaling Tia to be silent, and crept toward the sound.
Because the palace was so quiet, the voices were clear even from a distance.
“Lurking around someone’s room in the middle of the night… I assume that means you’re prepared to be killed, no?”
At the sound of Felix’s frigid voice, Lowell instinctively ducked behind a pillar.
Peeking out, he saw Digory—the man who had caused such a headache today—standing opposite Felix.
‘How did it come to this? “Lurking”… it sounds like Felix sensed him and went out to confront him. But why on earth is that guy hanging around our room at this hour?’
Lowell was wide awake now, holding his breath.
‘Normally, Felix would have sensed my presence instantly.’
Currently, Felix was so focused on suppressing his rage and concentrating on the conversation that his senses were slightly dulled.
Thanks to that, Lowell could eavesdrop. He pricked up his ears.
“I am sorry if my actions have caused a misunderstanding. However, I was merely taking a night stroll and had no idea this was where Grand Duke Felix was staying.”
“And you expect me to believe that?”
Lowell nodded twice in fervent agreement.
Even if one or 2 times could be called a coincidence, the man had acted like a stalker all day; believing that excuse was impossible.
Unless Digory thought Felix was a fool, he couldn’t have expected the lie to work.
“If you do not believe me, there is nothing more I can do.”
“You are very different from your father. He would never dream of making an enemy of me.”
“I have no intention of making an enemy of the Grand Duke either.”
Felix’s sword was already out of its sheath, humming with a menacing mana.
Yet, Digory showed no fear.
Looking at his slight frame, he didn’t seem like much of a fighter, but instead of trembling, his eyes shone with that same greedy light Lowell had seen earlier.
Hidden behind the pillar, Lowell felt the goosebumps return.
Felix let out a long sigh, gritted his teeth, and spoke in a low, eerie voice.
“Fine. It’s not that I don’t understand how you feel.”
It was such an out-of-left-field comment that the tension momentarily broke.
‘…Huh?’
Lowell listened even harder, wondering what on earth Felix was talking about.
“Pardon?”
Digory seemed just as confused.
“I am told that, though brief, there were talks of marriage between you and Lowell. Meeting someone like Lowell is nothing short of a miracle, so I can understand why you’d cling to that fleeting happiness, unable to forget it. If I were you, I too would have spent my life with that memory buried in my heart, unable to let go.”
Lowell’s neck turned a deep crimson as Felix’s words hit him.
He had to desperately ignore the way Tia’s lips twitched beside him.
Lowell loved that Felix thought so highly of him, but he silently prayed he would only say such things when they were alone.
“Excuse me?”
Digory asked again, as if he hadn’t heard correctly.
Or rather, it seemed more like he’d heard the words but his brain couldn’t quite process the logic.
Regardless, Felix kept going.
