* * *
This mountain was taller, but the resemblance was striking enough that one could mistake it for the same place.
If it weren’t so dark, he would have recognized it immediately.
And with that realization, he understood why Felix had brought him here.
Swain Hill was where Lowell, for the first time, had faced Felix on his own terms—not because of circumstance, but by choice.
It was the same for Felix.
That was the day he had ridden at full speed through the rain, unable to ignore Lowell’s plight.
The place held significance for both of them.
“When I saw a painting of this place, I thought it would be nice to visit with you before leaving for Phoebos.”
Felix had planned something incredibly thoughtful, and Lowell couldn’t help but smile.
He had wanted to enjoy this trip, but deep down, anxiety about the upcoming mission gnawed at him.
It seemed Felix had sensed that, too.
“It feels like a lifetime ago.”
It hadn’t even been a year, yet it felt like something from the distant past.
The once-distrustful Felix now stood beside him, steady and unwavering.
“Does it? To me, it still feels like yesterday.”
Lowell, who had been sitting in the grass admiring the night view, lifted his head to look at Felix.
His face was stiff with tension.
For a long moment, he wet his lips as if trying to find the right words.
The usually sharp gaze that had scrutinized Lowell so often now flickered unsteadily.
“You seem nervous. Do you have something to say?”
Lowell couldn’t hold back his laughter as he asked.
He was sharp enough to know exactly what kind of thing a man might say in this kind of atmosphere.
Especially when that man—who normally stood with military precision—kept fidgeting with his pocket.
“I wanted to do this properly, once everything was perfectly prepared…”
Felix’s growing nervousness made perfect sense now.
The longer he stalled, the harder it became to say the words.
He had never hesitated over anything—except when it came to Lowell.
“Then I’ll go first.”
Still smiling mischievously, Lowell extended his hand toward Felix and spoke with unwavering confidence.
“Will you marry me, officially?”
Felix, who had been agonizing over how to say the words himself, was left completely speechless.
His mouth opened and closed in shock.
Lowell wiggled his fingers as if urging him to respond.
“…You knew?”
“I wouldn’t say I knew, but I definitely picked up on it.”
Felix remained silent for a moment, then furrowed his brows in frustration.
His face twisted into an expression of utter defeat—one that Lowell had never seen before.
‘Damn, I really shouldn’t be enjoying this so much.’
But Felix’s reactions were too cute, making it impossible to stop teasing him.
This time, though, his pout didn’t fade so easily.
“Still, why are you the one saying it first?”
“Does it really matter who proposes? The most important thing is that we both want to become an official married couple, isn’t it?”
Lowell’s smooth excuse almost made Felix falter for a moment, but he quickly regained his senses.
No matter how he looked at it, he felt like he was dancing in the palm of Lowell’s hand.
“Didn’t you even fail to say what you had prepared?”
The knights hiding behind Felix struggled to suppress their laughter.
When Lowell wasn’t around, Felix had mumbled his confession speech so many times that, except for one person, everyone in the Grand Duke’s castle had assumed the two would return from their trip engaged.
The knights who had been closest to him had memorized his lines, which changed daily.
So this moment was both pitiful and amusing.
“Save it for when you return to the capital.”
Lowell whispered as he looked at the sulking Felix.
If he heard the confession now, it would feel like he was truly sending Felix off to the battlefield.
‘To be honest, it’s already nerve-wracking sending him off with the promise of marriage.’
Lowell shook his head, recalling common clichés from myths.
No matter how much he had been transported into a book, he wanted to believe things wouldn’t play out that predictably.
“Are you sure you don’t want to hear it now?”
“Yes. My arm’s hurting—just hurry up and put the ring on me.”
Felix flinched, realizing even that had been noticed, but he soon gave up and pulled out the ring from his pocket.
The craftsmanship was far more refined, but the design was remarkably similar to the one Lowell had gifted him.
“When I return, I’ll do something you could never even imagine. So be prepared.”
As if driven by sheer stubbornness, Felix spoke words that didn’t quite match his personality.
The ring was set with a diamond that, in the dim light, almost looked black.
Lowell turned it in his hand, letting the darkness settle into it fully.
“Do you like it?”
Felix, who had all but resigned himself, muttered as if hoping that at least the ring would be to Lowell’s liking.
And of course, there was no reason for Lowell to dislike it.
He nodded happily, especially now that he could compare it to the ring hanging around Felix’s neck.
“Then let me put yours on as well, Felix.”
Felix, still wearing a stiff expression, wordlessly followed Lowell’s lead, lowering himself slightly and handing over his own ring.
“Just the fact that you prepared all this makes me happy.”
Lowell’s cheeks were slightly flushed as he spoke.
He laughed it off, but the sincerity in his voice was unmistakable.
Felix fought the urge to kiss him right away, instead waiting for the moment Lowell slid the ring onto his finger.
The ring, identical to Lowell’s except for its size, fit Felix’s hand perfectly.
A simple piece of jewelry, once imbued with meaning, became a bridge that connected them.
Even after exchanging rings, their hands remained entwined.
“We’ll have the wedding after the baby is born.”
Felix announced his plan as if he had been waiting for this moment.
Lowell, who couldn’t imagine planning a wedding while pregnant, almost nodded—before breaking into a sly smile.
“But that’s not what we should be doing right now, is it?”
“Then what else is there?”
Felix raised an eyebrow, deep in thought.
Naturally, after proposing, discussing the wedding should come next.
Just as that thought settled, Lowell grabbed Felix lightly by the collar and pulled him closer.
At first, Felix instinctively moved to swat him away, but the moment their eyes met, he withdrew his hands and allowed himself to be led by that delicate strength.
“There’s something we’re supposed to do on the day of a successful proposal.”
The sudden sultriness in Lowell’s voice sent a flush creeping up Felix’s ears.
He didn’t need explicit words to understand what was being implied.
“Are you sure?”
Lowell responded not with words but with a kiss.
Felix, who had seemed hesitant moments ago, abandoned all hesitation the instant their lips met.
He didn’t bother hiding his desire, delving deep into Lowell’s mouth without restraint.
Lowell, eyes shut tightly, didn’t push away the burning heat but instead teased Felix’s tongue with his own.
Felix’s arms tensed.
His conflicting desires—to cherish Lowell and to claim him entirely—clashed fiercely within him.
Overwhelmed, he pulled back, panting.
But to his surprise, he saw the same raw desire reflected in Lowell’s eyes.
Now that they had acknowledged each other’s longing, there was no reason to hold back.
Descending the mountain was much quicker than climbing it.
Not just because it was downhill, but because Felix, carrying Lowell in his arms, was in a hurry.
* * *
