* * *
Having cautiously voiced my wish to sleep, I clamped my mouth shut immediately.
It was such an ordinary statement, but the timing and this particular position made it terribly embarrassing to say.
As expected, I felt my cheeks heating up.
Turning my head, I bit down on my lower lip again.
But I couldn’t let Baek Yigang spend another night awake in his office.
The reason wasn’t grand, but I had something I wanted to try on him.
Since I’d unexpectedly received his assistance, I’d found it much easier and smoother to draw out holy energy from Ian.
As a result, I had a bit of surplus beyond my initial target, and I intended to use it tonight to ensure Baek Yigang got some real sleep.
Until now, I’d been using magic to force a state of sleep on him, which wasn’t truly restful, but if tonight’s attempt succeeded, it would be more like natural sleep.
Baek Yigang never mentioned whether he actually felt rested from those forced slumbers, but my guess was that he probably didn’t.
If my plan worked, he’d finally get some proper rest.
Although it wouldn’t cure his accumulated fatigue all at once, even a slight improvement would be something to celebrate.
So, determined to finally get him to sleep tonight, I had been humorously humoring Baek Yigang since earlier.
Damn Baek Yigang… He doesn’t even know how much I’m doing for his sake, while he’s always busy teasing poor, innocent me.
“Yeah, it’s late. Let’s call it a night.”
Glancing at the clock nearing 2 a.m., Baek Yigang showed a moment of hesitation before nodding and declaring an end to his work.
“Get up, Cheong Dowoon. Let’s head to the bedroom.”
Then he casually patted my lower back—wait, did he just?
Philip, watching us depart, bid us a light farewell, saying he’d wrap things up himself.
Ah, finally, we’re out of there!
Baek Yigang and I headed straight for the bedroom.
It didn’t take long to reach it.
While Baek Yigang changed clothes, I tightly held the holy energy in my palm to prevent it from escaping.
In fact, it was my first time in possession of holy energy, not just storing it but using it on someone else like this.
Such a precious force required caution.
It wasn’t easy to acquire it, after all!
If I failed, every meeting I’d had with Ian would go to waste.
There’s nothing more meaningless than not being able to use the energy I worked so hard to acquire.
And anyway, how many more times could I grab his hand under the pretense of “foreseeing the future” before he got bored of it?
So….
“Why are you crouched over there?”
Startled by a sudden, gruff voice, I turned to see Baek Yigang looking at me with a more languid gaze than usual.
Crouched on the edge of the bed or not, calling me “crumpled up” was a bit much, wasn’t it?
But maybe, just maybe, if he truly got some rest, his awful temper would ease a little.
After all, people get cranky without proper sleep.
“Lie down.”
Without hesitation, Baek Yigang complied, stretching out on the bed.
Once he was settled, I cautiously moved closer.
Baek Yigang was watching me, his eyes half-open.
“What are you looking at?”
“You seem different tonight.”
This uncanny guy.
Honestly, he could probably even sense a ghost.
His awareness was ridiculous.
Thankfully, his blank expression suggested he hadn’t noticed the holy energy I was holding.
“Oh, really… I don’t know.”
“Cheong Dowoon, you should stay here tonight.”
“No thanks. Why would I? I only stayed before because you wouldn’t sleep, but that’s no longer the case. I’ll go to my room now.”
Resolute, I met his eyes and refused.
Baek Yigang didn’t seem pleased, but he didn’t push the issue.
Forcing a smile, I told him to close his eyes.
I steadied myself, slowed my breathing, and placed a hand on his forehead.
Starting from the top, I planned to use holy energy to fill in any gaps left by the dark magic, prioritizing the quality of his sleep.
There was only enough energy for tonight, so I had to make sure it worked.
Taking a deep breath, I let my hand drift to his cheek as Baek Yigang’s breathing gradually evened out.
The effect was kicking in surprisingly quickly.
Normally, it would take at least ten minutes for him to appear to be asleep.
As soon as I finished infusing the energy and withdrew my hand, Baek Yigang was indeed asleep.
Although it didn’t seem like a deep sleep, I couldn’t expect more since I’d only infused a small amount.
His white lashes fluttered softly with his gentle breaths.
Gazing at the soft movement, I snapped back to my senses and pulled the blanket up to his neck.
I stood up abruptly, as if chased by something.
On another day, I might have settled in beside him and fallen asleep, but tonight, I felt like I needed some fresh air.
Handling delicate powers like this required intense concentration.
Since Ian’s holy energy was so pure, it demanded a lot from me to match its intensity… or perhaps its impurity, given how varied my own powers are.
Some cold night air might help clear my mind.
“Are you not resting?”
Upon stepping out of the bedroom, Acel, waiting outside, quietly inquired.
“Oh, I’m just going for a quick walk. I needed some air.”
“Then I’ll accompany you.”
Asel followed right behind me without a moment’s hesitation.
This left Baek Yigang’s bedroom a bit too exposed, even if there’s a barrier in place… but wouldn’t that still be risky?
“It’s fine. When I’m not there, the shadows come down.”
Asel caught on quickly and accurately addressed my concern as he noticed my glance toward the rear.
“Oh, then….”
Well, if that’s the case, I guess it’s alright.
I stepped outside the palace and took in the night air, breathing slowly.
Before long, a garden managed by the Crown Prince’s palace stretched out before me.
Though it was deep into the night, so the colors were muted, the vibrant petals glowed warmly wherever the pale yellow moonlight fell.
“Ah, finally, I can breathe.”
My chest, twisted tight from holding in my breath to avoid disturbing the peaceful energy around me, finally felt freed.
And Asel, knowing well enough to stay back, made me feel more at ease.
It was as if I were really alone….
…Or not.
“What the…?”
I muttered to myself.
Realizing my own words, I started scanning the area with sharp eyes.
Somewhere nearby, I sensed an unusual presence.
It wasn’t Asel.
This was a completely unfamiliar sensation, something I’d never felt before.
Given how I’ve been dodging shadows lately, I guess I’ve become more sensitive than before.
Normally, I wouldn’t have noticed such a faint presence.
Boing!
Then, right at my feet, a small, white rabbit popped out from the dense patch of grass.
The rabbit’s light footsteps made a soft ‘boing, boing’ sound as it bounced away across the lawn.
“Oh, so it was this? …No, it wasn’t.”
It didn’t feel right to dismiss it as just a rabbit.
Though both were strange in a way, this felt different.
Before I could fully process how odd it was, a dark, elongated shape flitted by not too far away.
To an ordinary person, it was such a fleeting moment that they wouldn’t have even noticed anything pass by.
My thoughts froze for a second.
Did I… just see something?
Something like… a person?
Though entry to the Crown Prince’s palace is restricted, the front courtyard is an open space, so there are exceptions.
So, technically, it wouldn’t be strange for someone to be around, but for someone to dash across someone else’s courtyard in the dead of night… wouldn’t that be a bit too suspicious?
“Asel!”
“Yes, Lord Cheong Dowoon.”
Asel quickly came over at my call.
Had he seen it too?
He was pretty far behind, so I doubt it.
If he had, he would’ve already chased it down before I’d even noticed.
But it’s worth asking, just in case.
“You saw it, right?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, since you were behind me, of course you wouldn’t… Wait, what? You saw it?!”
“Yes.”
Each question was met with a concise and straightforward response.
Did he really see it?
Did I hear that right?
“Th-then why didn’t you chase it down?! It was obviously a suspicious thief!”
When I pointed indignantly in the direction where the figure had disappeared, Asel met my gaze calmly with his serene blue eyes.
“My duty is to guard you, Lord Cheong Dowoon….”
“Ugh, forget that… This Cheong Dowoon is going after the thief now! So follow me properly!”
I cut Asel off mid-sentence, clicked my tongue, and hurried forward.
That rigid sense of loyalty and inflexible attitude reminded me of someone else I’d seen far too often.
Ugh, top to bottom, it’s like he’s a clone of that damn Baek Yigang!
* * *
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