“Take a complete break from the knight order’s duties as well. Only play with Leon in moderation. Just eat and relax. You have no idea how terrified I was this time.”
I had even incurred unexpected expenditures, meaning I would have to budget tightly this month.
I was fully determined not to give in no matter how much he begged, but Lucas went quiet.
When I turned my head to look at him, he finally gave his reply.
“…Understood. It can’t be helped, since I was the one in the wrong.”
“I didn’t know you were capable of admitting fault.”
I was thoroughly impressed by his willing acknowledgment of his mistake, but then Lucas added, “I am only enduring it this time because it was my fault.”
“Right, right. Hurry up and go to sleep.”
I was just glad to see him acting mature for once.
Since we were on the topic of sleeping, I changed into my pajamas to turn in for the night.
To get him to sleep faster, I pulled the blanket all the way up to his chest, tucking him in.
Just as I lay down and closed my eyes, Lucas suddenly rolled over and wrapped his arms around me.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m trying to sleep.”
“Like this?”
“Yes. This is comfortable for me.”
Really?
I was the only one lying down comfortably, while Lucas looked like he was lying on his side awkwardly just to hold me.
When I gave him a suspicious glare, he blew a sudden puff of air into my ear.
I flinched violently.
“W-what was that for?!”
“Since you weren’t sleeping, I decided to play a little prank.”
“I—I’m going to sleep. I’ll sleep, alright?”
I squeezed my eyes tightly shut.
I heard Lucas chuckle softly right beside my ear.
The sensation sent a ticklish wave through me, making me curl inward.
I didn’t know anymore.
Whenever he played around like this, my heart felt like it was softening.
“Shall I sing you a lullaby?”
I was truly going to sleep.
I wasn’t even going to answer him.
As I remained completely still with my eyes clamped shut, he suddenly began to hum.
It was an unfamiliar melody.
Could this song be a lullaby from the kingdom where he was born and raised?
The unfamiliar tune was slow and gentle.
It harmonized beautifully with Lucas’s voice.
Listening to the gorgeous melody—one so sweet it felt almost like an illusion—I slowly drifted off into a deep sleep.
The next day, when I opened my eyes, Lucas was still sound asleep, holding me in his arms.
His face looked so peaceful that I watched him quietly for a moment.
It felt as if yesterday’s commotion had never happened.
Knock, knock.
I heard a knock. “Count, are you awake?”
Even hearing the attendant’s voice, Lucas didn’t wake up.
Even if he tries to pretend he’s fine, his body must be struggling.
He should have woken up, but he didn’t even stir.
I didn’t want to wake him up right now.
I worried that he might wake up if I moved, but the attendant knocked again.
This time, it was louder.
Eventually, Lucas opened his eyes.
“Sleep more. I’ll go out.”
“…Master?”
I thought he had gotten used to calling me “Count,” but it seemed he had used the title he often used in his sleep.
I laughed briefly and slipped out of his arms.
Lucas tried to get up as well, so I stopped him, saying, “Don’t get up. Didn’t you call the priest yesterday? Your body must still be unwell, so rest in my room a bit more.”
“But…”
“It’s fine. I’ll tell the attendant.”
Once I get to work, I’m going to deal with those attendants first.
This time, I’m not letting them off the hook.
Because they didn’t tell me that Lucas was kneeling, someone almost died.
“And make sure you don’t skip your meals.”
He kept trying to open his eyes, so I covered them with one hand.
Lucas parted his lips to speak, then gave up and fell back into a deep sleep.
Once his breathing became steady, I took my hand away, stepped out, and was served in another room.
While eating breakfast with Leon, I told him that Lucas was sick and wouldn’t be able to play with us for a while.
Leon asked if he could visit him, and I gave him permission.
I was going to have an attendant pass a message to Tyros, but fearing another problem might arise, I decided to go deliver the message myself.
After finishing my meal, I walked leisurely to the training ground as if taking a stroll.
Several knights recognized me and greeted me.
“Where is Tyros?”
“He is training inside.”
Diligent guy. As I went deeper inside, I saw Tyros immersed in training all by himself.
He wasn’t wearing a top, repeatedly performing the same moves with his sword.
“Tyros.”
He caught my voice from afar and approached me.
His page handed Tyros a towel and took his sword.
Seeing him being attended to so naturally, I suddenly thought of Lucas.
Lucas must have been like that too when he was a Duke.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Do I look cool?”
Tyros unnecessarily pushed out his chest to emphasize his muscles.
He had a body built through hard work with his sword, but compared to someone else, it was a bit lean.
“You need to work harder.”
“Did you come here just to nag me?”
“That’s not it. Lucas won’t be able to help with training for a while. I’m planning on letting him rest for a week. I came here to tell you that.”
Tyros looked puzzled.
“Why did you come in person to say that? You could have just sent an attendant… oh. Uh, I see.”
He muttered to himself, and then Tyros looked at me with a playful expression.
“To come all the way here just to say that… are you going to be so obvious about it?”
“Obvious about what?”
“About you and Lucas. It’s very obvious that you two are in that kind of relationship.”
What kind of “that” relationship?
A relationship where we deceive and trick each other?
When I didn’t catch on, Tyros seemed to lose interest and spat out, “If you’re just seeing each other, why do you react like that?”
“Who is seeing each other? Me and Lucas?”
“Yeah. You like him, don’t you?”
My eyes widened on their own.
The idea that Lucas and I were in that kind of relationship was absurd.
What in the world did he see to misunderstand like that?
“Are your eyes just for decoration?”
“If you don’t like him, why do you treat him so well?”
There were many reasons for that, which I couldn’t explain.
Tyros teased me with his eyes as if to say, “I told you so.”
“Think whatever you want.”
He’ll eventually realize it’s not true.
I decided to just let it be, so that when the time comes, he’ll feel embarrassed for his misconception.
Tyros said, “About that priest you mentioned.”
“Did you find something out?”
“There’s a knight who goes to the temple to pray often, so I called him and asked. He said that the priest who came yesterday hasn’t been here long. It’s been about a year.”
This is a remote place, so new priests don’t often come here.
An elderly priest went out of his way to move to a temple here?
