* * *
“…If you don’t mind, how about I come with you?”
“Really?”
The drooping head snapped up instantly.
Ashard couldn’t help but laugh at the sudden shift in mood and nodded.
From the beginning, he’d never intended to leave Eren behind.
He couldn’t stand to be away from him for even a second, so the idea of going alone had never been an option.
“When are we leaving?”
“…”
“…?”
At Eren’s question, Ashard suddenly stopped walking.
Eren, thinking they must have arrived at the mansion, looked up at him—only to realize exactly why Ashard hadn’t answered.
Right in front of the mansion stood the grand carriage of House Fridit.
Next to it were travel trunks, clearly theirs.
And in front of the carriage, the servants stood in two neat lines, as if seeing them off.
“…We’re not leaving right now, are we?”
It was a pointless question.
The answer was already clear.
‘If I’d known everything was already ready… we should’ve just walked over normally…’
Though all the servants had their heads lowered, it was obvious they weren’t just staring at the ground.
These people were experts at quietly observing situations without revealing a single tell, so chances were high they’d already seen him being carried on Ashard’s back.
‘…I’ll just pretend to be asleep.’
He’d come in as if injured, so walking in on his own feet now would be suspicious.
And to be fair, it wasn’t a complete lie—he could walk just fine now, almost fully healed, but he hadn’t yet gotten the physician’s final approval.
Ashard glanced at Eren, still slumped over his shoulder, and let out a low chuckle.
The boy had been chattering nonstop just a moment ago—no way he’d fallen asleep that fast.
Still, even though he could clearly tell Eren was faking it, Ashard played along without a word.
Soon they were in the carriage, and the door closed behind them with a quiet thunk.
Eren, peeking through half-lidded eyes, met Ashard’s golden gaze head-on and flinched.
The distance between them was barely different from when they kissed.
“What’s with the surprise? People will think I’m about to devour you.”
…You’ve already devoured me more than once.
Eren gave him a long, accusing glare at that shameless remark.
Ashard chuckled and gave his cheek a playful pinch, then gently tugged Eren’s head to rest against his chest.
“It’s a long trip. Try to get some rest.”
“…In this position?”
Eren was straddling Ashard’s lap, his upper body resting against his chest.
It was far from an ideal posture for a long carriage ride.
“If you sit like this for too long, your butt’s going to hurt.”
“…I think sitting on you won’t make much difference…”
This was one of the wealthiest and most powerful noble houses in the empire, second only to the imperial family.
The carriage interior was more luxurious than most people’s living rooms, and the cushions were top-tier.
He could’ve just lain down comfortably across from Ashard—but of course, the man insisted it was better for Eren to sleep in his arms.
In the end, Eren lost the argument and reluctantly leaned into him.
He wasn’t all that sleepy, but Ashard’s warm scent and the gentle patting, as if coaxing him to sleep, gradually made his eyelids heavy.
“Are you awake?”
The moment he blinked his eyes open, bright morning sunlight pouring in through the window, that was the first thing he heard.
As if she’d been waiting for him to stir, the maid placed a washbasin on the bedside table and bowed politely.
Eren quickly tried to smooth down his bird’s nest hair and cleared his throat awkwardly.
He had grown so used to the life at the capital mansion that being waited on like this felt oddly unfamiliar.
It made sense though—lately, he’d been waking up later and later, to the point where Ashard had taken it upon himself to care for him directly.
‘Now that I think about it…’
Ashard wasn’t in the room.
Normally, he was the first thing Eren saw when he woke up.
But now, there were only traces that he had once been lying beside him.
“His Grace left early this morning for a site inspection,” the maid offered, even before Eren had the chance to ask.
So there really was something going on.
Urgent enough that he’d skipped breakfast too.
After washing up with the water the maid provided, Eren went downstairs for a meal.
Though not quite as massive as the mansion in the capital, this place was far from a humble villa.
It was more like a second estate—larger than most noble houses.
As soon as he sat down, servants began flooding in with trays full of food.
Soup, salad, steak… the large table was soon packed with a spread fit for a banquet.
‘…Okay, how long is this going to go on?’
Even after the enormous table was full, the food kept coming.
Stunned by the excessive feast, Eren opened and closed his mouth, unsure what to say.
“…Is someone else joining me?”
“That’s the Count’s breakfast, sir.”
The drowsiness that had been lazily hanging on vanished in an instant.
The amount of food prepared was enough to satisfy at least ten people.
What was even scarier… was that dessert hadn’t even been served yet.
“His Excellency ordered that plenty of food be prepared for the Count’s nourishment.”
Staring at the endless spread of food, Eren shook his head.
‘Nourishment…’
What a joke.
At this rate, he could die from overeating before he got any healthier.
He should’ve known something was off when they kept insisting he needed to eat more to build up his strength lately.
Unable to ignore their good intentions, Eren slowly began to eat his breakfast.
Of course, with the sheer amount, it was impossible to finish it all, but he could confidently say he had eaten more than ever before in his life.
After finishing the meal, Eren wandered around the villa to look around and let out a deep sigh.
It was peaceful, sure—but he hadn’t expected this little to do.
“I want to go outside… but then someone will definitely follow me, right?”
If word got to Ashard that he’d snuck out after shaking off the knights, there’d be a barrage of nagging.
Not that he could really shake off the knights from the empire’s finest order anyway.
‘Is there no way I can slip out alone without being noticed?’
As he was pondering, something caught his eye: the servants’ quarters in the back.
Just like at the main estate, it seemed the guards didn’t follow him inside the villa either.
After making sure no one was around, Eren quietly slipped inside.
“There it is!”
Eren’s sharp gaze scanned the room like a hawk and landed on neatly folded servant uniforms.
He picked up one of the male servant’s outfits—but could only sigh.
Maybe physical build was one of the hiring criteria, because all the clothes were way too big.
Even worn roughly, anyone would see it wasn’t his and it would drag on the ground ridiculously.
“……”
Without a word, Eren picked up a different outfit from the side—a small maid’s uniform, shaped like a one-piece dress.
His blue eyes wavered as he hesitated.
But only for a moment.
Soon, a determined expression crossed his face.
He quickly changed in a corner, and stood in front of a mirror to check his reflection.
Apparently, his title as the most beautiful man in Epentel hadn’t been in vain—he even looked good in a maid’s dress.
That was the real problem, though.
The size fit him perfectly, as if it had been tailored for his frame.
Alongside the outfit was a hooded cape, likely something maids wore when going out.
While no one in the territory knew who he was, it seemed like a necessary precaution for slipping out of the villa.
Draped in the cloak, Eren smiled in satisfaction.
“Perfect!”
Thanks to his flawless disguise, getting out of the villa was surprisingly easy—nothing like the tightly guarded main estate.
Much like the capital, Fridit territory was in the midst of a festival.
Crowds bustled about, and cheerful laughter echoed from all directions.
Having barely ever toured the city even after coming to Trovien, Eren’s face lit up with pure joy.
“Hey miss! Try one of these!”
Someone beside him suddenly offered him a skewer.
Turning to look, a friendly-looking man, likely a vendor, was smiling at him.
“Um… I don’t have any money…”
“Aren’t you one of the Fridit maids? Then you don’t need to pay.”
Eren blinked in confusion, not understanding.
The man pointed to a part of his cloak.
There, pinned with a golden gleam, was the Fridit family crest.
Eren’s eyes widened like it was the first time he’d noticed it, which caused the man to look at him suspiciously.
“I-I just started working! This is my first time outside!”
He blurted out a hasty excuse.
The suspicion disappeared, and the man nodded like he understood.
“I see. As long as you show that badge, you don’t need to pay for anything.”
“Really?”
Eren asked again as he took the skewer.
A woman from the nearby stall answered instead.
“Of course. Food, goods—whatever it is.”
At some point, a bracelet woven with red thread had been tied around his wrist.
The knot style was quite unique, and as he looked at it curiously, the woman leaned in a bit closer.
“What do you think? There are even prettier ones in the shop—want to take a look?”
* * *
