* * *
As Lowell stood up, Felix’s eyes tracked him quickly.
Just because Edwin was around didn’t mean Felix had let down his guard.
‘If anything, he’s gotten worse.’
Despite his previous threats, Felix hadn’t locked Lowell away in a tower.
Instead, he simply never let him out of his sight from the moment he woke until he fell asleep.
Lowell had even heard he’d delegated all training to Tia.
“Taking the day off from sparring again?”
“Yes. Everyone’s worked hard. They deserve a break.”
Those same knights were now rolling in the sand of the training yard, overflowing with energy.
Reading the suspicion in Lowell’s eyes, Felix looked away and added, almost like an excuse:
“Besides, I have to take care of Edwin.”
As if no one else could possibly care for him.
“There’s a nanny waiting in the next room.”
Felix shut his mouth and patted Edwin’s back.
Lowell, trying not to laugh at how cute that was, lowered his voice and spoke with mock seriousness:
“Are you trying to lock me inside your gaze forever?”
“If I could’ve done that, I would’ve, long ago.”
A bright laugh echoed through the room.
Felix’s unsteady heartbeat gradually found calm in the sound.
“Lowell, I’m not joking. Be grateful there’s no magic in this world that can shrink humans.”
“Why? So you can carry me around in your pocket?”
“No, I was thinking of commissioning a special case. But now that you mention it, your pocket would be safer.”
Watching Felix make such ridiculous comments so seriously, Lowell pulled a book from the shelf.
“Why would I ever go somewhere that you’d need magic like that? I just got up to grab a book. So don’t worry.”
“Got it.”
Even as he said that, Felix’s eyes followed Lowell obsessively until he sat down on the sofa with the book.
With an exaggerated motion, Lowell waved the book—an epic—through the air before taking his seat.
Only then did Felix’s hand return to his paperwork.
“Hide what you love from the eyes of the gods, for they are jealous and cannot leave beauty untouched.”
It was a blasphemous opening line for a book from an empire that worshipped many gods.
The story followed mortals dragged into war by divine power struggles.
‘It was just a fight between rulers, and they slapped on some fancy justification.’
With that cynical thought, Lowell blinked his tired eyes.
Maybe watching Edwin sleep had made him sleepy too.
Felix, who had been buried in the mountain of work that piled up while he was away, suddenly remembered something.
“Robin has disappeared.”
Despite the rather shocking news, the drowsiness that lured Lowell into Felix’s arms didn’t let up.
“This is serious. But still, Robin’s not the type to disappear without a reason.”
His voice, damp with sleep, completely lacked any sense of urgency.
“It was the day after he heard the crown prince’s confession.”
Lowell’s eyelids, which had been fluttering open and shut, finally closed completely.
After a few more failed attempts to stay awake, he gave up and lay down on the sofa.
“That must’ve been a big shock for him.”
“Yeah. The capital’s barely stabilized, and already everything’s in chaos again.”
Felix’s low and heavy voice carried a subtle trace of amusement.
‘Why does it feel like Felix is enjoying this?’
It was strange enough that Felix even brought up a topic he usually wouldn’t care about.
“Why… do you seem happy…?”
Though the question came out blurred with sleep, Felix seemed to understand it perfectly.
“He was so rational about other people’s problems, but now that it’s his own, he’s panicking. It’s quite satisfying to watch.”
When no answer came, Felix glanced over at Lowell.
Seeing him sprawled out and fully settled on the sofa, Felix put down his pen and approached with Edwin still in his arms.
“Just sleep comfortably.”
He gently covered Lowell with the blanket he had set aside and softly ran his fingers through his hair.
Lowell woke from a light nap to the sound of a child’s laughter.
Naturally turning his head, he saw Felix fast asleep in the sunlight.
‘He’s barely slept at night lately.’
Lowell clicked his tongue, recalling all the times he’d woken up to Felix staring at him or fiddling with his fingers.
And without the slightest hint of embarrassment, Felix would rush to kiss him the moment their eyes met.
‘Honestly, the real miracle is how long he held back. He wasn’t worried about me collapsing from sleep deprivation for no reason.’
Watching the picture-perfect scene before him, Lowell gently lifted Edwin, wanting Felix to sleep just a little more peacefully.
Normally, Felix would’ve immediately sensed any movement and woken up, but today he didn’t budge.
“Ung… mmm.”
Edwin liked being in Felix’s arms too, but he especially loved when Lowell held him.
Lowell assumed it was just because he didn’t get held by him as often.
But Felix firmly believed it was because the child preferred Lowell—and strangely, he didn’t seem to mind.
‘Didn’t someone say kids can tell good people from bad already?’
Shaking his head at Felix’s delusions, which seemed to have doubled, Lowell held Edwin closer.
Thinking it was playtime, Edwin reached for Lowell’s dangling hair.
“It’s about time to eat, huh? You’ve been so patient.”
Lowell smiled tenderly at the child’s busy lips.
Realizing only now that he was hungry, Edwin started to pout, ready to cry any second.
Even so, it would only amount to a few tears, but Lowell didn’t want to wake Felix, who was finally sleeping deeply for once, so he quietly stepped out of the study.
“Let’s go get some milk.”
“I’ll accompany you.”
Tony, who had skipped training to stay on guard, looked nervously at Lowell’s arm.
Edwin was a bit heavy to carry for long, but not so much that it warranted all this fuss.
“It’s just next door. Sir Tony, are you sure you’re okay?”
Adjusting his hold on the baby, Lowell asked lightly.
Tony frowned with concern but still opened the door to the baby’s room.
“Yes, it was nothing.”
“You can talk to me casually, like before.”
When Lowell teased him, Tony hung his head with a deep frown.
“Please forget the past.”
The nannies, seeing Edwin enter, couldn’t hide their joy and sprang to their feet.
Partly because the baby was simply adorable, but mostly because Felix rarely let go of him—making daytime visits almost impossible.
“Welcome!”
“He seems hungry.”
“Oh my, it’s about that time.”
One of the nannies expertly took Edwin and immediately began dazzling him with playful distractions.
The child, who had just been frowning because he didn’t want to part from Lowell, was instantly won over and burst into a smile.
“Does he sleep well at night?”
“Oh yes, and he laughs so easily too.”
Lowell sat down and watched as the child drank his milk.
True to his healthy appetite, Edwin emptied the bottle quickly.
‘I could watch him forever.’
Losing track of time while watching him, Lowell finally stood up, thinking it was about time to head back to the study.
That’s when it happened.
Bang!
A loud boom echoed through the castle, loud enough to shake the walls.
Edwin startled and burst into tears, and Lowell froze in place.
Memories of the last battle, which he thought he’d buried, resurfaced in his mind.
“Lowell! Where are you? Lowell Clarke!”
But the desperate voice that followed brought him back to reality.
Felix’s panicked shouting loosened the tension in Lowell’s body.
“Summon the knights!”
The fear-laced command rang through the hallway.
Sensing how serious it could become if they delayed, Tony rushed to open the door to the room where Lowell was.
“Lowell!”
Felix entered without hesitation.
The sword in his hand was trembling uncontrollably, and the top of his shirt was soaked with cold sweat.
“Felix, are you okay?”
“Where the hell did you go!”
Felix ran up to Lowell and grabbed his forearm with a firm grip.
“Ah…”
Normally, Felix would’ve backed off immediately just from a grimace, but now, clearly overwhelmed, he only gripped harder.
“It was just time for Edwin to eat. I’m fine, really. Please, calm down, Felix.”
Lowell tried to meet Felix’s unsteady gaze.
Feeling Lowell’s warmth helped Felix snap back to reality.
He fumbled, trying to sheath his sword, but his hands were still trembling, causing him to miss several times.
The panic he felt, thinking Lowell had disappeared, had clearly shaken him to the core.
“I told you to let me know before going anywhere, Lowell.”
The words sounded like scolding, but the way he clung and his pleading tone made it feel more like a desperate request.
The servants in the room quickly lowered their heads, pretending not to see their master’s moment of vulnerability.
“I’m sorry. You were finally sleeping so soundly… I didn’t want to wake you.”
“I thought you were gone again…”
Felix’s hand, still holding Lowell, trembled slightly.
In that small shake was all the fear and pain he’d felt in just that short time.
“Where would I even go?”
Lowell softly patted his back as he spoke.
The man, who was more than twice Lowell’s size, suddenly felt small and fragile, and an overwhelming tenderness washed over him.
‘Even if it was for Felix’s sake… I was too cruel.’
* * *
