* * *
“This is the summary of the magic formula. It should be helpful to Your Highness.”
“…Why are you giving this to me?”
Melody had clearly expected him to teach her personally.
The unexpected handover left her visibly flustered.
Eren smiled gently in response—he couldn’t give her the answer she wanted.
“Both Your Highness and His Highness are remarkably gifted. This alone should be enough. Between your studies and the duties of an heir, I’m sure you’re already overwhelmed. Just read it when you can.”
“…You speak as if you’re leaving soon, Count.”
Eren waved his hands, smiling as if to deny it.
But it was obvious he was flustered—Melody had hit too close to the truth.
Still, he did his best not to show it.
“Well, I hope not. But please—stay by Uncle’s side as long as you can.”
“….”
“Before you arrived, I didn’t realize Uncle was capable of smiling like that. He never used to show emotion on his face.”
His steps felt as heavy as if they were soaked in water.
Unable to bring himself to leave, Eren stayed rooted in place, quietly listening to Melody’s words.
“The Count is the same, you know. Sometimes, I could sense a hint of unease in you. But whenever you’re beside your uncle, you smile like you own the world. And then, all those worries seem to vanish into thin air.”
“Did I… really look like that?”
“Yes. It was almost sickeningly sweet to watch. I nearly asked my father to consider an engagement candidate for me just to distract myself. You kept dumping all the ducal work on me while sticking to your uncle like glue. Honestly, it felt a little unfair.”
“Haha… Princess, you do exaggerate.”
“I mean it, Count. Though I suppose I was never really on your mind to begin with, since you were always with your uncle.”
At her playful jab, Eren couldn’t help but laugh.
But this time, it wasn’t the forced smile he usually wore to hide his emotions—it was a genuine laugh.
Melody, who had been watching him closely, quietly added:
“So please, Count. Stay by my uncle’s side. I’m not asking this as a princess, but as his niece.”
“…Yes, Princess.”
His throat tightened.
No, it wasn’t that something was physically choking him—it was her words that pressed heavily against his chest.
He couldn’t grant her that request, and pretending otherwise felt unbearably hollow.
Time passed like eternity while he remained there with Melody.
After leaving her room, pain ripped through his chest.
It felt as if someone were carving into his heart with a blade.
He barely managed to collapse into a seat, clutching at his chest.
‘Don’t cry. Don’t you dare cry.’
He didn’t even deserve to cry.
He was the one who had brought this misfortune upon them—how could he be so shameless as to shed tears?
Eren bit his lower lip with all his strength, trying to hold back the moisture pooling in his eyes.
But Melody’s voice lingered in his ears.
Even when he tried to block it out, it echoed relentlessly.
“If possible, stay with my uncle for as long as you can.”
His vision blurred.
The world that had once been so clear now looked as if watercolors were bleeding into it.
He couldn’t tell if the sensation at the corner of his lips was from tears or blood.
He slowly lifted a hand to his eyes—yet felt no chill from the wetness.
His consciousness felt like it was slipping.
If he had no right to cry, then sleep was a better escape.
The thought that Ashard might worry if he saw his tear-streaked face briefly flickered through his mind.
So, Eren gently closed his eyes.
Exhausted from spending the entire night watching Ashard sleep, Eren drifted off almost immediately.
He hadn’t slept a wink—wanting to spend even a second more just looking at him.
While Eren slumped asleep in one corner of the carriage, it arrived quietly in front of the Friditt estate.
“Ugh…”
So they’d already arrived.
The carriage had stopped rattling.
As he opened his eyes, a familiar scent enveloped him.
Then, a gentle voice—one he didn’t want to hear just yet—spoke above his head.
“You could’ve slept more. Why’d you wake up?”
Though the words were kind, to Eren they sounded more like a soft scolding: ‘Why wake up so late?’
“Well, with you staring so intently, how could I possibly keep sleeping?”
“I didn’t realize… I thought I was the only one losing sleep watching you.”
“…You knew?”
“Your eyes were so intense, I got butterflies. My heart was pounding so hard, I couldn’t sleep either.”
As if to prove it, Ashard took Eren’s hand and placed it over his chest.
Thump—thump—the heavy rhythm echoed against his palm, grounding and overwhelming.
‘Ah… just a little longer. I want to stay like this a bit longer.’
Even after Ashard let go, Eren didn’t move his hand away.
The steady, pulsing heartbeat felt like it was begging him to stay—refusing to let him go.
Two weeks from now, there would be a grand banquet celebrating the arrival of Carlyle, Julius, and Helid in the Trovien Empire.
If they were planning something, it would be after everyone had let their guard down.
So…
‘Just until then. After that… I’ll really leave.’
Eren lifted his head slightly to look at Ashard.
“Ashard, let’s go on a date.”
“Of course. Whenever you want.”
“Well, in that case—how about right now? Today just so happens to be festival day.”
“Why don’t you just admit you wanted to go to the festival?”
“That’d make me sound like a kid.”
Lighthearted banter between lovers—but even then, Eren’s resolve remained unchanged deep within.
As soon as Ashard gave his consent, Eren sprang from the bed without hesitation.
Ashard let out a faint sigh, regretfully realizing he should’ve left more room for teasing.
“…You said it’s a date.”
“Yep, a date.”
“And you’re really going to wear that?”
As always, Eren was draped in a long black robe that dragged along the floor.
He looked at Ashard as if to say, ‘What’s wrong with it?’
Not realizing what Ashard meant, Eren blinked in confusion as Ashard ran a hand over his face.
“You’d look good in anything, but… still, don’t you think that’s a bit much?”
“…What’s wrong with it?”
“Someone might try to kidnap you or something.”
“No one but you would ever dare.”
At Eren’s firm response, Ashard stepped forward and buttoned the robe himself, arms wrapping around him protectively.
“I did buy you one that fits, you know. Why do you always wear mine?”
“Well…”
Because it smells like you.
Eren swallowed back the words and turned his head away sharply. His ears and nape were already flushed red.
* * *
