* * *
Felix, more alarmed than Lowell himself, reached out quickly.
Although it was just a slight loss of balance, Felix’s wide eyes suggested he thought something far worse had happened.
“You need to watch your step!”
His voice was tinged with agitation, but Lowell knew it wasn’t out of anger.
“Stumbling over a mere tree root—how delicate.”
It was true Lowell’s current body was weak, but he held back from retorting that most people would stumble over something like this.
Felix looked genuinely shaken.
“It was hard to see with the snow and darkness. I’ll be more careful.”
“You should carry a staff.”
Felix’s sharp gaze landed on the offending root, as though he were considering pulling it up to craft a walking stick on the spot.
“Or would you prefer to be carried right now?”
Lowell, who had been quiet, extended his hand instead.
“Wouldn’t holding hands be enough?”
His ears turned slightly red as he spoke.
Had he not been aware of his feelings, he might have suggested it more boldly.
Now, he felt as though he were deliberately trying to test Felix’s resolve.
“Hands…?”
Felix cleared his throat again, as if embarrassed by the suggestion, despite having done far more intimate things before.
“Yes. Better that than you falling.”
Felix’s large hand covered Lowell’s pale one.
Under the soft moonlight, the two strolled together for a long time in quiet intimacy.
The gentle night breeze added to the serene atmosphere.
The next morning, Lowell woke later than usual.
‘Did I overdo it with the walk yesterday?’
Thanks to Felix bundling him up with enchanted clothes for warmth, Lowell hadn’t caught a cold, but his fragile body was clearly fatigued.
‘I think Felix woke me earlier, saying it was time for breakfast.’
Lowell tried to recall the hazy memory.
Felix had been almost frantic, waking him as though missing even one meal was catastrophic.
Half-asleep, Lowell had waved him off, mumbling, “Just let me sleep a little more.”
Felix had sighed but left, reminding him to eat something.
“You must at least have the soup,” Felix had instructed.
And so, Lowell found himself eating soup alone in bed, briefly regretting not getting up to join Felix.
“Has the Duke gone out?”
“Yes. His Grace is performing a purification ritual at the site where the monsters appeared. He’ll return within four days, so there’s no need to worry.”
Still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Lowell nodded while finishing his soup.
‘A ritual shouldn’t be too dangerous.’
Though many tasks awaited them in the future, peace prevailed for now.
‘If only Zephyros would stay out of trouble. It seems like all I’d need to do is say one word to clarify I’m not here against my will.’
Of course, things didn’t always go as planned.
Out of habit, Lowell found himself heading to the study, even though he knew Felix wasn’t there.
“Ah, Lord Lowell, we meet again.”
Unfortunately, Zephyros was there, under the watchful eyes of two knights, browsing the bookshelves.
‘Why are you here?’
Lowell was satisfied with merely thinking the question instead of voicing it.
“I heard there are books here that can only be found in Halo, so I came to take a look. I was told I could enter if accompanied by knights.”
Lowell watched Zephyros fumble through an overly detailed explanation like a guilty thief.
His silver hair sparkled in the sunlight, making Lowell squint slightly as he responded curtly.
“I see.”
Zephyros gave a small bow, returning the book he’d been holding.
“Now that you’re here, I’ll take my leave.”
“Alright. My apologies for interrupting.”
“No need to apologize. I’ll be going now.”
With surprising compliance, Zephyros left the study.
Once the knights stationed themselves outside, Lowell retrieved the book Zephyros had been looking at.
‘Nothing unusual.’
Feeling unsatisfied, Lowell returned the book—only to notice something odd.
A thin poetry book, which had been left on the table yesterday, was now neatly placed back on the shelf.
Curious, Lowell flipped through it, finding a slip of paper tucked between the pages.
‘More talented with magic than swordsmanship, huh?’
Impressed by Zephyros’s subtle trick of leaving a note unnoticed, Lowell decided to read it in private.
“Could I have a moment alone to read? I’ll call if anything comes up.”
“Of course. We’ll be right outside. His Grace has enchanted the windows to remain sealed, so they won’t open.”
Lowell noted the subtle warning with amusement.
‘So Felix enchanted the windows after I snuck out once? He really does worry too much.’
Once the knights left, Lowell opened the note with a resigned expression.
He already had a good idea of what it would say.
‘Something about me being here against my will and offering to help, no doubt.’
His guess was mostly correct—but the contents were even more audacious than he’d anticipated.
[His Majesty the Emperor also guaranteed that if Young Lord Lowell were truly under duress, he would be willing to offer assistance.
If you disguise yourself and accompany me to the capital, then…]
Lowell stopped reading, overwhelmed by dizziness.
His desire to read further vanished instantly.
Gathering himself, he forced his eyes to scan the next few lines, but it only got worse.
When he read the part questioning whether Felix was truly the father of the child, Lowell was certain of one thing—this letter reeked of the Emperor’s handiwork.
‘The Emperor must’ve stirred the pot. If not him directly, then one of his inner circle.’
It was strange, even from the start, that a prince from another country would express doubts about his and Felix’s relationship based merely on rumors.
There had to be someone pulling strings from behind.
The sheer audacity left him speechless.
‘Judging by the tone, it sounds like they’re offering to provide protection if I go to the capital—perhaps with a promise of a position or money. If I abandon Felix, they’ll exploit that. If I don’t, they’ll gauge my intentions.’
Lowell sighed deeply, recalling the naive Zephyros who must have tucked the letter into place without a clue about the power play at hand.
For all his pampering, one would think the prince would have basic political sense, but he was the epitome of a physical powerhouse.
‘All he knows is how to swing a sword.’
Staring at the letter endlessly, Lowell debated whether to destroy it or show it to Felix directly for a discussion.
Though his instincts screamed to shred it to pieces or burn it into oblivion, he restrained himself, knowing it would be wise to keep evidence.
‘I’ll hold onto it until Felix arrives.’
Having made his decision, Lowell was searching for a place to store the letter when he heard a loud commotion downstairs.
The noise was so loud it reached the library upstairs, suggesting that something serious had happened.
Hastily, Lowell slipped the letter back into its hiding spot and stood up.
“Young Lord, are you going downstairs?”
Charis, stationed at the library door, looked uneasy as Lowell emerged.
“It seems there’s been some trouble among the servants.”
Tia, perhaps hoping Lowell wouldn’t involve himself, delicately hinted that it might be best to avoid going downstairs.
“Still, I need to see what’s going on.”
The two didn’t try to stop him further.
They were under strict orders from Felix to let Lowell do as he pleased, no matter the circumstances.
As Lowell descended the stairs, he encountered a few servants who bowed nervously, casting sidelong glances at him.
‘There’s definitely something going on.’
Some servants, upon spotting him, scurried downstairs, seemingly in a hurry to deliver news of his arrival.
* * *
