* * *
I’d been fine until now, but suddenly I felt ravenous after hearing her words.
“Right now, I could…”
“I just want to sleep. I’m tired.”
Linda looked like she was ready to dash off to the kitchen, but Klen’s voice stopped her.
A moment later, his warmth pressed against my back.
His arm came around to wrap me in an embrace.
He rested his head on my shoulder and leaned his weight on me—it was surprisingly heavy.
Linda’s eyes sharpened.
“Klen, how can you lean on Lord Adrian like that?”
“Lean on me instead. I’ll help you to bed.”
“What if the delicate young lord collapses from exhaustion?!”
“…”
Before I could say anything, a barrage of scolding fell on Klen.
Vis quickly moved behind me, gently pried Klen off, and helped him toward the bed.
Klen let his shoulders droop, feigning weakness, but suddenly stopped and glanced back.
“Come to think of it… how are Father and Brother doing?”
“Ah… the castle was split between those who wanted to launch a search and those who thought we should wait. The debate dragged on without resolution. Eventually, Lord Fabian secretly organized a search party—but when it was discovered, it caused quite the uproar.”
“I see…”
Of all the people here, Fabian had taken the most action to find Klen.
Even if they didn’t reach a conclusion, the faction advocating for inaction had likely been the majority.
I wondered what Willoy had done.
If even Fabian had stirred up that much trouble, maybe Willoy had stayed out of it this time.
“It’s late, so let’s wait until tomorrow to let people know I’ve returned.”
“What? Oh… yes, understood.”
“You must be exhausted. Please rest well.”
Knowing Klen’s stubborn personality all too well, the attendants quietly tidied up the bedding and left the room after a brief goodbye.
Their eyes lingered longingly, but no matter how much they wanted to stay, once the master of the room declared he was going to sleep, the lines between nobility and servant were firmly upheld.
So I’m not eating dinner tonight, huh.
It’d be weird if they suddenly brought in a feast saying I’d recovered completely.
After being sick and unconscious for a week, they’d probably just bring me some thin soup.
Maybe that’s for the best. If I tried to eat like this, I’d just end up hungrier.
I slumped into a chair, worn out. Klen, on the other hand, was already lying in bed, all settled.
‘…Ah! I almost forgot—I got something from the forest.’
Just then, he remembered the fruit he had tucked into his pocket earlier.
Surely that would be better than soup.
He quickly reached into his pocket and rummaged through it.
Usually, he could easily grab whatever he wanted from there, but today, the fruit was being stubborn.
Was it that precious or something?
He frowned and stirred through it more aggressively.
“Adrian, aren’t you going to sleep?”
“You can go ahead.”
“I don’t think I can sleep alone.”
Startled by the muttered words, Adrian turned around.
Klen had already pulled back the blanket where Adrian would lie and was patting the empty space beside him.
Why can’t he sleep alone? He’s not a child.
But before he could snap back coldly, a memory stopped him.
That feeling of lying alone on a wide, cold bed, the chill of the sheets creeping into his skin…
The sensation returned to his fingertips, making them tremble slightly.
He Klenched his hand into a fist.
And right then, he finally found the fruit he’d been searching for.
Surely eating fruit in bed was fine. He was just about to move when—
Knock knock—
A soft, cautious knock echoed through the room.
‘Who could that be?’
There weren’t many who would come at a time like this.
But those people had already left.
He couldn’t go open the door himself, and Klen certainly couldn’t either.
As the two of them stared at the door, it quietly creaked open—without so much as a request for entry.
“Good. You’re still awake.”
Linda stepped in quickly and shut the door behind her.
In her hands was a small basket.
She placed it on the table and began taking out a plate.
“Oh.”
Adrian couldn’t help but let out a sound of admiration.
On the plate were two generously filled sandwiches—long, split rolls stuffed with vegetables, fruits, and ham.
Just the sight of them was satisfying.
“This should be alright to eat. Please have some before bed. Especially you, Lord Adrian—you need to recover your strength.”
“Thank you.”
“Then, I’ll take my leave.”
With a sweet smile, she left the room again.
As expected, the one who cares about us most in this castle… is the servant.
Adrian turned toward the bed.
This time, he rested his hand on the empty chair nearby and gave it a light pat.
“You know, I could eat all this by myself.”
Despite saying that, Klen eventually sat down next to him.
“You were in that forest longer than I was. Aren’t you hungry?”
“I didn’t really feel how long I was there… so no, I don’t feel that hungry.”
“Hm. I guess that makes sense.”
It did. Adrian didn’t exactly feel like he’d gone a week without food, either.
He picked up one of the sandwiches and slid the plate toward Klen.
Even lifting it slightly made the filling wobble precariously, like it might spill out at any moment.
It had clearly been packed with love and care.
Thanks to the neatly wrapped paper, though, it still held its shape.
He took a big bite.
A blend of flavors—sweet, savory, and rich—filled his mouth.
It was delicious.
‘Can I ask her to make this again sometime?’
He hurried to take another bite—but paused when he felt a gaze on him.
“Is it good?”
His mouth was too full to answer properly, so he simply nodded as he chewed.
Klen reached for a napkin on the table and gently wiped the corners of Adrian’s mouth, a quiet smile on his lips.
Outside, evening had long fallen.
The room, dim and shadowy, was lit only by the faint light filtering in from beyond the windows.
Eating sandwiches like this in secret—it felt oddly fun.
After swallowing, Adrian spoke again.
“There’s dessert too, once we’re done.”
So you better eat your share.
Perhaps understanding the message behind those words, Klen finally picked up the sandwich on his plate.
This time, Adrian watched him.
Despite how much the sandwich wobbled, Klen didn’t spill a single bit.
He bit in neatly, chewed, and swallowed—his expression unchanged even as he ate something so tasty.
Adrian waited until he’d swallowed completely before asking,
“Is it good?”
“It’s delicious.”
Just the faint lift of his lips made Adrian feel proud, as if he had made the sandwich himself.
The two of them enjoyed their late meal to the fullest.
Once both sandwiches were gone and their hands wiped clean, Adrian finally pulled the fruit from his pocket.
“This is dessert.”
“From the forest?”
“Yeah.”
It was a gift to them, after all.
No need to report it to anyone.
Adrian casually took one for himself and handed the other to Klen.
“I’ll try it first.”
Klen stopped him from biting into it, then took a bite himself.
A crisp sound rang out, and juice gathered on his lips.
‘Th-that looks good…’
Was this what it meant for something to sound delicious?
With every crunch, Adrian’s mouth watered.
But even as he watched him like that, Klen didn’t budge.
Only after chewing, swallowing, and waiting a moment longer did he finally move his hand away from Adrian.
“No poison, it seems.”
“It was a gift, you know.”
So he’d been worried about poison.
* * *
