* * *
“By the way, will the child be attending the banquet tomorrow?”
Edwin was currently resting with his nannies.
The first leg of the journey had been quite exhausting; Edwin had fallen asleep before they even arrived, so Lowell had asked for him to be settled in first.
“Yes. That is the plan.”
“I see.”
The conversation ended there.
After their farewells, they headed toward their assigned room.
Felix simply watched as Lowell organized his outdoor attire and did not step further into the room.
Sensing something was off, Lowell looked at him.
Felix, who had been tapping the hilt of the sword returned to him after leaving the audience chamber, finally spoke.
“Could you stay with Edwin for a short while?”
Lowell’s eyes widened as he realized Felix was planning to go out.
It was rare for Felix to leave Lowell’s side voluntarily.
“Where are you going?”
“Since we’re in Phoebus, there’s something I need to take care of. I’ll be back soon.”
Lowell thought it strange that Felix hadn’t mentioned this in advance, but he didn’t suspect a lie.
There were indeed people who had been waiting for the Grand Duke to arrive in the capital.
‘It’s been a long time since he’s been here, so he likely has plenty of business. He might have been too distracted to mention it before we left.’
Since Lowell didn’t even harbor the suspicion that Felix would do something dishonorable in secret, he conveniently filled in the blanks himself.
“Take care.”
Lowell, now in lighter clothes, gave Felix a light kiss on the cheek.
Felix leaned down, the line of his mouth softening into a gentle curve.
Happiness was visible on his face.
The tension that had clung to him since the moment they set foot in the Imperial City vanished like salt in water.
“Try not to leave the Imperial Palace unless it’s for something special. I’ll be back tonight, but if you’re tired, don’t wait up and go to sleep.”
Felix spoke tenderly, stroking Lowell’s cheek with his large hand, and Lowell leaned into the touch, his eyes crinkling.
The warmth of the hand caused the tension in Lowell’s own body to dissipate.
At that lovely movement, Felix’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily.
“Don’t tempt me when I have to leave.”
“How is this temptation?”
Lowell laughed, a soft, airy sound.
Felix’s hand, still cradling his face, was much hotter than when it first touched him.
“This wasn’t temptation?”
Felix, feeling like he was the only one being seduced, moved closer to Lowell.
When they were close enough to feel each other’s breath, Lowell raised his arms and wrapped them around Felix’s waist.
In this unfamiliar space, only the familiar presence of each other was vivid.
Lowell’s hand swept along Felix’s side and down his thigh.
As he lightly brushed past, Felix’s member was now visibly taut and swollen.
Lowell’s chest heaved with a quiet chuckle.
At that laugh, Felix’s heart wavered, a ticklish sensation blooming in his chest.
Bringing his hands back to Felix’s waist, Lowell stood on tiptoe and shallowly sucked on Felix’s lips.
His tongue flicked briefly through the gap before retreating.
Just as their breaths were about to mingle, Lowell stepped back.
Felix reflexively followed, pressing himself against Lowell.
“This is what temptation looks like,” Lowell whispered in a voice that felt flushed.
Immediately colored by the mood, Felix tugged at his tie as if he had forgotten he was preparing to go out.
“I see.”
That the being who provided the greatest comfort could simultaneously provide the greatest stimulation—Felix found that paradox terrifyingly wonderful.
He wanted to turn into liquid and pour himself entirely into Lowell.
If he could belong inside him, never being apart for a single moment, he would ask for nothing more.
‘Perhaps we should have been born as one from the start.’
He was thirsty for Lowell even though he already possessed him.
Knowing it was impossible to quench this thirst that was no different from a chronic illness, he simply kissed Lowell.
As the kiss threatened to deepen, Lowell tapped Felix’s chest.
Felix didn’t ignore the faint sign of resistance.
Stepping back, he looked down at Lowell with eyes that asked why.
“You said you had to go out.”
The problem was that Lowell hadn’t expected a small prank to turn this heated.
Lowell also hated to see him go, but it made no sense in his mind to be late for important business because of a tryst.
“Weren’t you grabbing onto me to keep me from leaving?”
Felix’s thoughts seemed different; he appeared focused only on taking things further.
Just as Lowell was debating whether to let himself be swept away, a knock echoed through the room.
“Your Highness, the preparations for your departure are complete.”
Felix glared at the door with resentful eyes.
Lowell, who had been clinging to him in an awkward stance, finally pulled away with a hollow smile.
“Damn it.”
Felix clenched his jaw so hard that the veins stood out in his neck.
Lowell stroked his own neck, which was red with embarrassment.
He chided himself inwardly, knowing it wasn’t the first time a joke had started a fire.
“I will be out shortly, so wait there.”
He heard the knights answer “Yes” after a beat, their footsteps receding from the door.
“I’m sorry.”
Lowell’s gaze briefly flickered to Felix’s still-tight trousers before looking away.
Unlike Lowell, who felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him at the sound of the knock, Felix didn’t seem to be calming down easily.
“Don’t apologize for things like this.”
Felix drank the water prepared on the table and closed his eyes.
‘From now on, I should pick the right time and place for provocations.’
Lowell sat in a chair, watching him silently, reaching a conclusion that Felix would surely have argued against if he had heard it.
‘I wonder if he’s thinking of something sad to calm down.’
While wondering what was on his mind, Lowell waited.
Before long, Felix’s face returned to normal as he bid Lowell farewell.
“I’m off.”
Seeing as there was no parting kiss, unlike usual, it seemed he hadn’t quite regained his composure yet.
Lowell composed his own expression in secret as the knights came in to take over the rotation.
“Papa!”
As Lowell entered the adjacent room after changing, Edwin—who had just woken up—came running with all his might on his small, plump limbs.
Seeing paper and charcoal scattered across the table, Lowell could easily tell the child had been drawing.
“Look who’s wide awake now.”
It was nearly Edwin’s usual bedtime, but after napping off and on during the journey, the boy’s eyes were bright and clear.
“Hehe.”
Quick-witted as ever, Edwin seemed to realize Lowell’s scolding didn’t carry much weight and simply giggled.
Outside the window, the garden was illuminated by light-magic tools hung to welcome the guests.
‘It would be better to let him run around in the grass for a bit. I need to drain at least some of his energy if I want him to sleep tonight.’
Making a quick decision, Lowell wiped Edwin’s charcoal-smudged hands with a handkerchief.
“Shall we go for a short walk?”
“I love walks! But… it’s night, can we walk at night?”
“It’s still warm and bright out, so it’s okay.”
Edwin, who rarely went for strolls after sunset, let his eyes sparkle.
However, this walk, started with a light heart, did not go as planned.
“We meet again.”
* * *
