* * *
“Perfect timing.”
With one hand in his pocket, Ferdinand approached, casually waving.
Chaeyi returned the wave with a faint smile, momentarily struck by the realization that Ferdinand, despite his laid-back demeanor, truly was a noble.
His usual slovenly appearance often made one forget, but dressed like this, his aristocratic air was undeniable.
“You look good in white. What’s the occasion?”
“I have to show my face to the guests. No way out of it.”
Ferdinand scratched the back of his neck, his expression one of pure annoyance.
Yet, as Chaeyi’s gaze lingered on him, Ferdinand became visibly flustered, his eyes darting around to avoid direct contact. He quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, the banquet officially starts in the evening. You’ve got some time. Want to rest at the estate until then or take a look around?”
Resting his chin on his hand, Chaeyi pondered for a moment before glancing at the group.
Clemant and Selion were already offloading their mountain of purchases to the attendants.
They had announced their intention to settle into the estate first, as they needed to sort out their belongings.
The knights accompanying Delion from Lancaster seemed inclined to head to the estate as well, likely eager to rest after their long journey.
Following their lead, Chaeyi decided to take a break at the estate for now—there would be plenty of time for exploration later.
“Leo, let’s rest for a bit too.”
“Okay.”
“Follow me. I’ll take you to a quiet annex.”
Ferdinand gestured toward the back of the estate and led the way.
The group arrived at a separate building set some distance away from the main house.
It seemed to be Ferdinand’s personal residence.
“I’d prefer to let only Chaeyi in, but…”
“Dream on.”
“What? You picking a fight? I’ll make you sleep in the lobby.”
“Try me.”
Ferdinand, glaring at Leonard with annoyance, squinted his eyes in frustration at Leonard’s unyielding response.
Unbothered by their bickering, Chaeyi entered the annex with Enoch, leaving the two to their spat.
The lobby was spotless, with a few guards stationed discreetly.
“Fer, which way should we go?”
Chaeyi looked back, unsure where to head next.
Ferdinand, still glaring at Leonard, reluctantly broke off the staring contest and turned around, his expression reluctant.
“Guest rooms are on the second floor.”
He led them up the stairs, followed by the rest of the group.
The second-floor hallway was eerily quiet, save for the sound of their footsteps.
Most nobles used rooms in the main estate, and Ferdinand seemed to have kept this annex off-limits to others.
“This is it.”
“Wow.”
The room Ferdinand guided them to was spacious and luxurious.
The bed was large and inviting, and the room was impeccably clean.
“Nice.”
While Enoch unpacked the belongings brought from the carriage, Chaeyi collapsed onto the bed with a satisfied groan.
His body, sore from days of travel in the carriage, seemed to melt into the soft mattress.
Watching from the doorframe, Ferdinand smirked before gesturing over his shoulder.
“This room and the one next door are all yours. Rest up and meet me at the Great Hall later.”
Despite his reputation, Ferdinand seemed surprisingly diligent when it came to hosting guests—a far cry from the scoundrel people made him out to be.
“See you later, then.”
Chaeyi smiled, letting him go without hesitation.
With Enoch stepping out to use the next room, Chaeyi was left alone with Leonard.
Lying on the bed, Chaeyi watched Leonard loosen his cravat before sitting beside him.
He reached out to caress Leonard’s waist.
“Leo, are you okay? I didn’t realize this was your first time here. If I’d known, I might’ve thought twice about coming.”
Chaeyi knew well that Leonard had remarkable stamina, but it still weighed on his mind that Leonard had mentioned feeling a bit tired about the long journey before deciding to attend the banquet.
Understanding Chaeyi’s kindhearted concern, Leonard softly smiled, his eyes gently narrowing, and brushed a finger tenderly across Chaeyi’s cheek.
“I’m fine. But I’m more worried about you.”
Hearing that made Chaeyi smile.
It struck him that they both cared for and thought of each other in the same way.
His heart felt warm.
He wondered when this relationship would ever feel ordinary, but by now, Chaeyi no longer saw Leonard as just someone he cherished like a child.
He now viewed him clearly as a romantic partner.
While momentarily captivated by Leonard’s gem-like, beautiful eyes, Chaeyi spoke again.
“Why have you never attended a banquet before?”
“I didn’t see any particular reason for me to attend. My other siblings always went in my place.”
“Oh, I see. Now that you mention it, none of them came this time.”
At this banquet, only Delion and Leonard had attended from the Lancaster family.
Bennett must have stayed back as the head butler to manage things as the proxy for their head of household… but why didn’t the other siblings come?
Was the journey here just too exhausting?
Did they decide that it was convenient enough for Leonard to go in their place?
As Chaeyi’s thoughts wandered, Leonard reached out and played with Chaeyi’s bangs, gently brushing against his forehead.
The soft touch of Leonard’s fingers lightly grazing his forehead felt pleasant.
Chaeyi closed his eyes, savoring the sensation, until Leonard’s sweet voice drifted over his face.
“Chaeyi.”
“Hmm?”
“What did you talk about with Young Master Conner last time?”
The blissful moment was short-lived.
Chaeyi’s eyes snapped open at the pointed question.
Leonard was gazing intently at him, his expression unreadable.
‘So, he’s still thinking about that incident.’
Should Chaeyi call him meticulous or sensitive?
Leonard never let even the smallest matters slide.
And his intuition was incredibly sharp.
Even though Chaeyi found these traits of Leonard endearing, there was no way he could freely talk about what had happened back then.
He didn’t want to create unnecessary conflict by bringing up something he could handle on his own.
In the end, Chaeyi averted his gaze, his eyes darting around as he deflected the topic.
“Nothing in particular.”
“Hmm.”
“Really. There’s nothing you need to worry about.”
With that reassurance, Leonard couldn’t press the matter further.
Chaeyi wasn’t the type to tell an outright lie.
While the lingering sense of unease didn’t completely vanish, Leonard chose to trust Chaeyi.
Soon, Leonard leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Chaeyi’s forehead as a silent acknowledgment.
The two rested briefly before heading to the banquet’s Great Hall with Enoch, who was in the adjacent room.
By the time they arrived, the sky had grown pitch dark, but the hall’s interior was ablaze with light from the chandeliers, so bright it was almost overwhelming.
“There are so many people.”
“Wow, really.”
Chaeyi, Leonard, and Enoch began walking along the outskirts of the hall.
The grand, lively melody of the music filled the space, and laughter from nobles chatting while enjoying the food at the nearby tables occasionally reached their ears.
This banquet seemed much larger in scale than the one hosted at the Lancaster estate.
Not that it implied the Lancaster family was any less powerful or prestigious than the Ludvis family.
The Lancaster banquet had been a formal introduction of Leonard as the heir, whereas this banquet celebrated the safe protection of the World Tree’s roots, a matter of great importance to all territories under the empire.
It made sense for this event to be more elaborate and draw a larger crowd.
“Chaeyi, there’s an empty table over there. Shall we sit?”
“Ah, sure. Enoch, come this way.”
“Yes!”
Leonard and Chaeyi sat down at the empty table, with Enoch taking a seat across from them.
Chaeyi poured some honey mead from the table into an empty glass and casually looked around.
Maybe it was the atmosphere, but he felt slightly exhilarated.
“Chaeyi, have a scone!”
“Thanks.”
Enoch placed a warm scone on Chaeyi’s plate, and Leonard handed him a small jar of jam.
Chaeyi spread the jam over the scone with enthusiasm, took a big bite, and subtly glanced around.
He was checking if Venax was anywhere nearby.
As he waited, the music that had been delighting his ears suddenly ceased.
A middle-aged man and woman appeared on the platform at the front of the hall.
Though Chaeyi had never seen them in person before, it was immediately clear that they were the heads of the Ludvis family—the emperor and empress of the Astarius Empire.
* * *
