* * *
The difference in strength was striking—compared to Lowell’s grip, Felix’s hands worked through the knots in his muscles with ease, making his whole body sigh in relief.
“How’s your body holding up?”
“It just feels like I worked out. Nothing to worry about.”
Felix moved his hands down, kneading from Lowell’s arm down to his fingertips.
Unlike the heated desire from the night before, his touch was now methodical, almost clinical, as if he were meticulously assessing every inch of Lowell’s condition.
“Your muscles are a little stiff. Your waist was bothering you, too. Did we overdo it yesterday?”
Felix frowned slightly as he continued working through Lowell’s tension.
Despite his large hands, his touch was surprisingly gentle—so much so that it felt delicate rather than rough.
As the last traces of tension melted away, Lowell let out a yawn and waved a hand dismissively.
“It’s not that. My waist has been uncomfortable for a while now.”
“…What?”
Felix’s hands halted abruptly.
A chilling silence filled the room as his voice turned ominously low.
Lowell, still relaxed from the massage, suddenly snapped to attention.
He hadn’t meant to let that slip—he had deliberately kept quiet because he didn’t want to worry Felix.
But in his drowsy state, he had made a mistake.
“Since when?” Felix’s voice was sharp.
“And why didn’t you tell me? Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Or were you hoping I’d just ignore it?”
The questions came one after another, leaving no room for an escape.
Looking at Felix’s face, darkened with a mixture of worry and frustration, Lowell let out an internal sigh.
‘He lost his mother after childbirth and has always been sensitive about health issues… Of course he’d react like this. This was my mistake. If I wasn’t going to hide it properly, I should have told him from the start.’
He understood how Felix felt.
If their roles were reversed and Felix had hidden his condition, Lowell would have been upset, too.
Resigned, Lowell finally admitted, “It’s been bothering me since last week. But I didn’t want to worry you. I knew that if I mentioned even the slightest discomfort, you’d be overly concerned.”
Felix’s expression darkened further.
“So you planned to keep it from me forever? What if you were seriously ill? Would I have only found out when it was too late?”
Though his words were sharp, his tone carried an undeniable sadness.
Felix’s hand, now carefully rubbing along Lowell’s waist, was incredibly cautious.
Lowell blinked.
“…I was wrong.”
He met Felix’s shaken gaze head-on.
“If I wait until it gets worse to tell you, it’ll only make you worry more. I should have said something from the start, right?”
His honesty was refreshing, almost as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
“From now on, I’ll tell you everything, no matter how small. But in return, you have to promise me something too.”
Felix raised an eyebrow.
“Promise you what?”
“If you’re feeling unwell or uncertain about something, you have to tell me. No more hiding things like you did yesterday.”
“…If I promise, will you really be honest with me when you’re in pain?”
“I never lie to you.”
Bathed in the soft morning light, Lowell smiled warmly.
Felix, momentarily entranced, realized that the frustration that had been gripping his chest had completely melted away.
“…Alright. I trust you.”
It was the first time Felix had ever openly said those words.
Lowell’s eyes widened.
For a moment, his mouth opened and closed wordlessly before he finally let out a bright laugh.
No words could properly express the rush of emotion he felt at that moment.
Felix, watching him quietly, spoke again.
“You should have the priest check your waist.”
“Okay.”
“If you’re fine, eat something light.”
Without warning, Felix effortlessly lifted Lowell and carried him to the dining table.
‘He already dislikes seeing my feet touch the floor. There’s no way he’ll let me go for a walk until the priest gives the all-clear.’
Lowell thought it was only fair, considering he had been caught keeping secrets.
With a small sigh, he accepted the spoon Felix handed him.
“It’s cream stew. Is that alright?”
“Yes. I like it.”
Lowell didn’t have any particular food aversions, so he ate heartily, savoring the rich stew filled with carrots, potatoes, and beef.
But as he ate, he noticed something strange—Felix, who usually couldn’t stand strong food smells, seemed unbothered today.
More surprisingly, he even took a few bites of the meal himself, despite his usual aversion to food that lacked honey or fruit.
“Are you feeling better?”
Lowell asked cautiously.
Felix gave a vague nod.
“I just felt like I could eat a little today.”
Lowell wondered whether it was a psychological shift or if it had something to do with the overwhelming pheromones from the night before.
Either way, he decided to discreetly ask the priest later—no matter how many books he read, there were still things about this world he didn’t fully understand.
“That’s good to hear.”
Felix didn’t eat much more, but he lingered at the table, waiting for Lowell to finish.
Then, as if he had been holding it in the whole time, Felix finally asked, “Do you want to leave the tower?”
Lowell immediately understood that Felix had been struggling with this question for a while, probably from the moment he woke up.
‘So he debated how to bring it up and decided to just be direct about it.’
Though he couldn’t be certain, it was likely that Felix was trying to mirror him—speaking honestly because he wanted to be treated the same way.
Lowell set down his spoon and spoke calmly.
“I don’t hate the tower. It’s cozy, I have everything I need, and I like being with you. The only reason I wanted to leave was because it felt like you didn’t trust me.”
He took a sip of water before continuing.
“But as you know, I have duties at the main estate. Staying here all day just isn’t my style.”
Felix nodded as if he had already expected that response.
“Then how about this—I’ll stay at the estate during the day and return to the tower at night?”
“That’s fine.”
Felix had learned that it was easy to control someone through distrust, but true strength came from trust.
He chose to follow the latter.
“However, when I’m not with you, your guards will stay within two meters at all times. I’ll also increase their numbers. This isn’t because I don’t trust you—it’s necessary.”
“I understand.”
Lowell sighed.
He had hoped to avoid this, but he knew he had no choice.
“It’s because of the imperial family, isn’t it?”
“Yes. This time, they targeted you, but their real goal was to drag me back to the palace.”
Lowell lowered his head, his appetite suddenly gone.
Even though he had eaten well, the food now sat heavy in his stomach.
“They don’t just stop at dragging someone in—they fabricate crimes to bring them down. By forcing demonization, they turn them into a complete criminal and then use them as material for forbidden magic.”
Lowell had two reasons for staying silent despite knowing all this.
One, many of the factors that could lead to Felix’s demonization had already been removed.
Two, if he remained passive, the crown prince—the original protagonist—would eventually take care of the emperor.
“I should have considered that their response would change as the situation shifted.”
* * *
