* * *

Knock knock.

“Yes, come in.”

At the Grand Duke’s permission, Ed quietly opened the door, peeking his head inside.

“It’s Ed, Your Grace. May I come in?”

Ed double-checked, worried that the permission was for one of the Grand Duke’s subordinates instead of him.

The Grand Duke, who was reading a book at the table, looked up at Ed and asked, “Ah, Ed. Come in. The night breeze is quite cool—why aren’t you wearing the cloak I bought you? Was it not to your liking?”

“Pardon?”

“It looked adorable on you.”

Ed recalled the image of the Grand Duke earlier, pulling and releasing the strings attached to the hood of the cloak.

“Oh, thank you so much for the gift, Your Grace.”

The Grand Duke smiled faintly and poured tea into a cup.

“You do like it, right?”

“Of course, Your Grace.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Then I look forward to seeing you wear it around the northern castle.”

Ed thought about the cloak neatly hanging on a coat rack and mused silently.

‘No matter how I think about it, it seems like it would suit Ronen better than me.’

The Grand Duke, observing Ed’s reaction, gestured for him to take a seat.

“Since it’s nearly bedtime, food might be too heavy, but would you like to have some tea? I was just brewing it.”

“Oh, in that case, I’d be honored.”

“No need to be so formal.”

Ed approached the table and sat down, carefully placing a trinket wrapped in a handkerchief onto it.

“Actually, I came to return this to you, Your Grace.”

The Grand Duke looked at the trinket, securely wrapped, and spoke softly.

“Thank you for taking such good care of the gift I gave you.”

As he handed Ed a steaming cup of tea, Ed couldn’t help but laugh sheepishly.

“To be honest, I was quite worried about you, Ed, after all the trouble you faced in the Imperial Palace.”

The Grand Duke continued, gazing at Ed, who held the warm cup.

“But seeing you still by Ronen’s side brings me peace of mind, Ed.”

Ed felt the concern behind the Grand Duke’s gaze.

“Considering everything you went through, no one would have blamed you if you decided to withdraw and live far away.”

“Oh, no, Your Grace.”

The Grand Duke looked at Ed for a moment, then stood up from his seat.

“Wait here for a moment, Ed.”

The Grand Duke placed a blue, gift-wrapped box on the table.

‘What could this be?’

Ed glanced at it and then lifted his gaze when the Grand Duke nudged it toward him.

“Don’t feel pressured. Just think of it as a small token of appreciation.”

“…Pardon?”

“You’ve been doing so much, and you’ve been taking good care of Ronen as well.”

“Oh, no, Your Grace. I was only doing my duty.”

The Grand Duke looked at Ed, reflecting.

That day, when he had held Ed’s hand, the aftermath of his magic had undoubtedly eased.

But whether Ed truly had the power to heal or not didn’t matter to the Grand Duke.

What mattered was Ed’s well-being and happiness.

The Grand Duke knew that Ed enjoyed jotting things down in his notebook.

During long carriage rides, Ed would silently gaze out the window, sketching the scenery into his notebook with a quiet smile.

These were little habits the Grand Duke had unknowingly observed and come to know well.

“Don’t be shy. Go ahead and open it. It won’t be too late to decide afterward.”

Ed, feeling the hint of playfulness in the Grand Duke’s tone, pulled the box closer and opened it.

“Oh, this is…”

Inside lay a sleek black fountain pen, its body polished to a brilliant shine and tipped with a golden nib.

“Will you accept it, Ed?”

---

In the carriage on the way to the Temple, Ed absently fiddled with the pocket watch hanging from his neck.

Even though he hadn’t been drinking, the previous night’s meeting with the Grand Duke had left him feeling more connected to the Duke’s sincerity than usual.

When his fingers brushed the pen tucked safely in his inner pocket, Ed scratched at the corner of his eye.

The echo of the Grand Duke’s gentle voice from the night before seemed to linger in his ears.

“I’ve always known that you write something down in your notebook whenever something significant happens, Ed. I hope from now on, you’ll only record good things with this pen.”

“And I look forward to your continued support, Ed.”

At that moment, a voice broke through his reverie.

“We’ve arrived at the Temple, Your Grace.”

Jaynon spoke, opening the carriage door, where priests in white robes adorned with golden sashes awaited them, led by the High Priest.

“It’s been a while, High Priest. How have you been?”

The High Priest bowed deeply as the Grand Duke stepped out of the carriage.

“I have been well, Your Grace. I trust you have also been in good health?”

“Thanks to your prayers, yes.”

As the Grand Duke replied with a nod, the High Priest turned his gaze.

“Young Master, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Harta, the High Priest of the Temple.”

“Please take good care of me, High Priest!”

“Was your journey a difficult one?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

Ronen hopped out of the carriage and exchanged light greetings with the High Priest.

“Your Grace, if it’s all right with you, shall we proceed to the Central Chapel without resting?”

Ed, who had been fiddling with his ear and lost in thought, snapped back to attention when Jaynon called from outside.

“Ed, aren’t you getting out?”

“Oh, yes, I’m coming.”

The Temple, nestled near a lush forest, stood with its tall spire harmonizing with the surrounding trees.

Ed stepped out and lifted his gaze to the tower’s pointed tip, where the sun seemed to rest, casting a breathtaking view.

Despite the glare, he found himself captivated.

“Ed, let’s go.”

Ronen gently shook Ed’s hand, bringing him back to reality. Ed lowered his gaze to see Ronen looking up at him, head tilted. Ronen squeezed Ed’s hand a bit tighter, swaying it lightly.

“Huh?”

“Oh… Yes, Young Master.”

Ronen tilted his head in curiosity at Ed’s delayed response and led him forward.

Walking beside Ronen, Ed couldn’t shake a feeling.

‘Why do I keep zoning out and feeling so unsettled since arriving at the Temple?’

He lightly patted his chest, trying to steady his racing heart, only to feel the firm shape of the pen in his pocket.

The reassuring weight soothed his nerves.

‘…Maybe the long journey is wearing me down.’

Regardless, he needed to stay alert. Who knew what could happen here?

The High Priest led the way, and priests followed, attending to Ronen.

Ed walked on, admiring the serene beauty of the Temple, with its immaculate white walls and harmonious sculptures.

Before he knew it, they had reached the chapel. Its elegant, mahogany doors were tightly shut.

Ding-ding.

The High Priest rang a bell hanging beside the doors, and the clear chime resonated through the hall.

As the priests offered a brief prayer, the High Priest turned to speak.

“Blessings to the Grand Duke and the Young Master.”

Ding-ding.

And once again, the ringing of the bell sent a wave-like echo spreading through the long corridor.

“Then, Your Grace and Young Master, please head inside.”

Ronen tried to follow the High Priest, holding Ed’s hand.

At that moment, one of the priests smiled gently and stopped Ronen.

“Today, only His Grace and the Young Master may enter the sanctuary.”

“Huh? Ed can’t go in?”

Ronen tilted his head in confusion, looking up at the priest beside him, and the High Priest leading the Grand Duke turned back.

“It seems you are quite close to the young master.”

“Yes, very much.”

* * *