* * *
What Elyrion handed over was something like a high-grade tonic—it could eliminate lifelong chronic conditions if absorbed properly.
Only mages could make it, and the price was astronomical.
If the mana was of high purity, it was nearly impossible to obtain, even with money.
Eren had expected just enough help to survive, not… this.
Why give it to him?
Elyrion pushed it toward him insistently, making Eren gape silently.
When he didn’t accept it, Melody quickly took it and popped it into his mouth before he could protest.
“Mph—?!”
Caught off guard, Eren gulped it down instinctively.
He blinked wide-eyed—he could feel a surge of energy rush through his body.
It might’ve been just his imagination, but even the throbbing pain in his ankle seemed to ease slightly.
“…Thank you, Your Highness.”
“You’re no fun. You were acting like I was a criminal just a while ago.”
Elyrion’s voice sounded oddly gentle as a hand dropped onto Eren’s head, ruffling his hair as if petting a puppy.
Melody quickly intervened.
“Honestly! Why have you been acting so rudely, Brother?!”
“Rude? I saved him—this much is nothing.”
“Still, he’s a Count—you shouldn’t treat him like—”
“Count? I thought you meant me. And he looks younger than I am, and he’s a Count?”
What kind of nonsense was that?
Eren wanted to shout ‘You’re a prince!’ but barely held it back.
So that was why he’d been acting like this all along—because he thought Eren was younger than him.
‘…In what world?’
Sure, he had a pretty face, but it wasn’t like he looked under sixteen or something.
Eren forced an awkward smile.
“…I’m Eren Nefendis, Your Highness. I’m… twenty this year.”
“….”
“….”
An awkward silence fell.
“What a lie. There’s no way this is an adult.”
Elyrion scoffed in disbelief, clearly convinced Eren was lying to his face.
If you’re going to lie, at least make it somewhat believable.
Eren barely even came up to his shoulder.
“Stand up for a second.”
Offended, Eren didn’t move right away.
But the prince’s insistent stare left him sighing in resignation.
Elyrion glanced between Eren and Melody, eyes narrowing.
“He’s even smaller than you. And look at those limbs—no wonder his ankle broke clean through.”
Eren wanted to argue but couldn’t deny any of it.
Annoyingly enough, Elyrion wasn’t wrong.
As Eren’s face fell, Melody stepped in.
“That’s enough, Brother. You’re being rude to the Count.”
But Elyrion didn’t back down, scoffing again.
Eren, who had been silent until now, finally spoke sharply—his expression steely, a rare look not shown to anyone outside the main love interests of the original story.
“If you really don’t believe me, ask Lord Ashard.”
“What’s Uncle got to do with this?”
Apparently, Elyrion had been holed up in the Mage Tower too long to hear the rumors.
Eren’s expression grew colder—he hadn’t needed to get angry at anyone except those three before now.
Just then, the door flew open.
“Ask me what, exactly?”
“Lord Ashard…!”
Eren immediately limped over to him.
Though the potion Elyrion gave him had helped, stepping on the ground sent a sharp wave of pain up his leg.
Still, Eren made it to Ashard and quickly hid behind him, clutching his robes and glaring at Elyrion like a cat that only acts fierce when protected by its owner.
“…What happened to your ankle?”
Ashard noticed instantly that something was off.
He could tell from Eren’s limp alone that this wasn’t a minor injury.
“Explain, Melody.”
“I-It’s not Her Highness’s fault!”
Just as Ashard’s anger was about to turn on Melody, Eren rushed to cut in.
He’d only just managed to calm her guilt down—he couldn’t let her be blamed again.
“I just slipped. It’s really not that bad.”
Even before Ashard could ask, Eren tried to downplay it.
He couldn’t bear to imagine what would happen if Ashard found out Helid was behind this.
One thing was certain: Ashard would go after him.
Even though Eren knew Ashard was strong, Helid wouldn’t just sit back and take the punishment.
‘I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me…’
Eren knew Helid’s strength better than anyone.
If the two of them truly clashed, there was no guarantee Ashard would escape unscathed.
‘What is going on between those two…?’
Elyrion watched the exchange in disbelief.
Eren, lying through his teeth to keep Ashard from worrying.
Ashard, visibly furious at the state of Eren’s ankle.
Elyrion, who never paid attention to the world’s gossip, stared at them both like a caveman discovering civilization.
The violet eyes, always shining with confidence, trembled without hesitation.
Sensing that standing was difficult, Ashard swiftly scooped Eren up in his arms.
Eren naturally wrapped his arms around Ashard’s neck, and the quake in Ashard’s eyes only grew more intense.
“I’ll take him back to the mansion and return.”
“I really just fell on my own, Lord Ashard.”
“I’m not blaming Melody. I just have something else to attend to—don’t worry.”
At the gentle voice that seemed to soothe anger in an instant, Elyrion’s mouth fell open.
Ashard’s gaze toward Eren was filled with affection.
The soft smile on his lips didn’t seem the least bit like an act.
Even after Eren and Ashard had left, Elyrion remained frozen, unsure how to react.
What on earth had he just witnessed?
He bit his tongue to check if he was seeing things—but nothing changed.
It was several times more shocking than learning Eren had reached adulthood.
“What the hell… what the hell is going on?”
“It’s already common knowledge across the Empire that the Count and Uncle are lovers, Brother.”
“I didn’t know! I didn’t!”
“Well, that’s because you never leave the Mage Tower.”
“…”
“And more importantly, don’t be rude to the Count. If you ever speak disrespectfully to my teacher again, even if you are my brother, I won’t let it go.”
At her words, Elyrion slowly nodded.
It was instinctive, knowing full well that this was a warning—and that if he crossed the line, he wouldn’t be able to handle the fallout.
Left alone in the room, Elyrion couldn’t understand.
Why were Ashard and Melody protecting that man so fiercely?
Eren Nefendis—he’d heard that name before.
A genius commander of the Epentel Empire.
In haste, Elyrion rushed off.
His destination: the quarters of his mother, Empress Luan.
He had rescued Eren thinking he was in danger and even given him a rare mana condenser—but regardless, Eren was from Epentel.
A former commander of the enemy nation. Treating him with such care made no sense.
“Mother!”
Bursting confidently into the Empress’s chambers, Elyrion was thrown out in less than five minutes.
“Your uncle finally found someone he likes—so what of it?! Just mind your own business! You’ve holed yourself up in the Mage Tower, ignoring your heir training, and now you suddenly care? Frankly, Eren Nefendis worries me less than you do. Since you’re already out, go to class—hey, I’m not done talking! Where are you going?!”
Fleeing the Empress’s barrage of nagging that had nothing to do with Eren, Elyrion stormed out.
Even a visit to the Emperor yielded the same result.
“…Am I really the only one who thinks this is insane?”
He muttered to himself, but no one answered.
* * *
