* * *
“I’m sorry, but this time, as the ceremony requires divine power, only His Grace and the Young Master can enter. We’ll try to finish as quickly as possible.”
Though disappointed, Ronen reluctantly nodded. The Grand Duke approached Ed.
“Ed, are you all right?”
“Huh?”
“Let me check your forehead for a moment.”
Ed closed his eyes briefly as the Grand Duke’s large hand came near.
The Grand Duke’s expression was serious as he touched Ed’s forehead.
“You don’t have a fever. Do you feel unwell anywhere?”
“…No, I’m fine.”
But the Grand Duke wasn’t reassured by Ed’s answer.
Ever since entering the sanctuary, Ed had seemed noticeably slower and fatigued.
Worried that Ed might have caught a cold, he felt relieved to find no fever.
‘I should’ve left him with Tens.’
Since there wasn’t a suitable place to rest outside, he’d brought Ed inside, only to make him feel lonely.
The Grand Duke lightly clicked his tongue in his mind.
“The High Priest said the blessing will take 30 to 40 minutes. I’ll ask a priest to guide you to Irtel. Stay with him, Ed.”
Usually, he wouldn’t worry much about his other subordinates, but leaving Ed alone bothered him.
Ed gave a soft smile and replied.
“Yes, don’t worry about me, Your Grace. Please be careful with Young Master Ronen and return safely. I’ll wait outside with Sir Irtel.”
“Good. The sanctuary is complex, so be sure to follow the priest and don’t get distracted. Understood?”
Ed looked up at the Grand Duke, who seemed like he was trying to extract a promise from a child, and answered firmly.
“Yes, I understand.”
“All right, then. I’ll be back soon.”
“Yes, please go safely.”
Despite his words, the Grand Duke hesitated to leave, only turning away after the priest called him several times.
Ed watched as the High Priest led them inside, exchanging glances with the Grand Duke, who kept looking back.
‘Do I really look that sick?’
Just then, a young priest approached Ed.
“Please, follow me.”
“Oh, yes.”
Ed watched the heavy, mahogany doors close, then opened the pocket watch hanging around his neck.
‘It’ll take 30 to 40 minutes, so it should be done before 5 PM.’
He idly fidgeted with the compass on the watch and followed the priest outside, squinting at the bright sunlight.
Shielding his eyes with his hand, Ed walked across the sanctuary grounds.
When he noticed the tower he had seen earlier, he stopped.
“Excuse me, Priest, may I look at the tower for a moment?”
“Of course.”
Ed approached the central tower, built from a striking white stone, and looked up at its peak, feeling captivated by something unexplainable.
Noticing Ed’s interest, the young priest smiled and began explaining.
“The central tower of the sanctuary stands on the site where, long ago, priests gathered to fend off and purify a monster invasion. The divine power they used seeped into the ground, and a tower was built over it. Now, everyone prays here for the peace of the empire.”
Ed nodded, listening to the priest’s enthusiastic explanation.
“Thank you. I hadn’t realized this place held so much meaning.”
Just then, a voice called out from behind.
“Who’s there?”
“Oh! Vice High Priest.”
The young priest beside Ed bowed, and the Vice High Priest gave a slight nod, gesturing toward Ed.
“He’s a servant of Grand Duke Linden.”
“Ah, I see.”
The Vice High Priest, drawing out his words, dismissed the young priest and eyed Ed up and down, before speaking abruptly.
“I heard something interesting happened at the palace. Were you there as well?”
Ed lowered his gaze, facing the Vice High Priest.
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.”
The Vice High Priest scrutinized Ed once more, then smirked.
“Is that so? It’s hard to get reliable information with all the gossip floating around. I thought you might know something.”
Muttering to himself while stroking his chin, the Vice High Priest then smiled and made eye contact with Ed.
“If you do come across an interesting story, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with me. Life here is quite dull, and I could use some entertainment.”
Ed bowed slightly in response.
“I really don’t know anything.”
“Ed!”
Ronen’s voice echoed across the sanctuary.
Ed turned to see Ronen running toward him.
Worried that Ronen might trip, Ed kept his eyes on him.
Ronen dashed up and, despite his run, didn’t seem out of breath as he grabbed Ed’s hand and shouted excitedly.
“Ed, you were right! I really am the younger brother of Asnel—Linden Ronen!”
Ronen beamed as if he’d just embraced all the joy in the world.
Ed found himself smiling too.
“Congratulations, Young Master Ronen!”
“Your Grace, Young Master. May the blessings of the gods be with you both.”
“And may the blessings be with you as well, High Priest.”
“Farewell, High Priest.”
“Yes, take care.”
After exchanging farewells with the High Priest, the Grand Duke and Ronen boarded the carriage, followed by Jaynon and Ed.
“Then, we’re off.”
Tens’s voice rang out cheerfully, perhaps energized by the thought of finally returning to the North.
Ed glanced out the carriage window, meeting the High Priest’s kind gaze.
Ed bowed deeply, and the High Priest nodded, bidding them farewell as the carriage began to move.
A refreshing breeze blew in, rustling Ed’s clothing.
He watched the Grand Duke’s and Ronen’s black hair sway together in the wind before turning away.
“Asnel, how long until we reach the North?”
“If we keep up the pace, we’ll arrive within five days.”
“I can’t wait to see how magnificent the northern stronghold is!”
Listening to Ronen’s bright voice, Ed recalled the descriptions of the North he’d read about in the original story.
The fortress was enormous, visible even through northern blizzards, and designed with formidable walls and gates to fend off monster invasions.
Though it seemed austere, the interior showcased the unique beauty of the North, rivaling even the grandest of other castles…
Ed pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his heart stir.
As the thought of finally seeing the Northern castle, something he’d only ever read about in novels, crossed his mind, a thrill of anticipation made his heart race.
The vibration of the carriage, which had been shaking his seat, gradually lessened as they passed through the forest, revealing the expansive green fields outside the window.
How far had they traveled when—
Tap, tap, tap.
Fine raindrops began to dampen the ground, quickly escalating into a downpour that pelted the carriage with loud splashes.
“Ed, it’s raining!”
“Lord Ronen, please be careful. It’s dangerous to reach your hand outside the carriage.”
Ed cautioned Ronen, who was trying to catch the heavy raindrops with his hand.
Just then, the carriage’s speed slowed until it came to a full stop.
Tens, who had noticed a problem with the supply wagon trailing them, had halted the carriage.
“Your Grace, it appears the wheel of the supply wagon is stuck in the mud, delaying us a bit,” Irtel reported as he approached the carriage.
The Grand Duke stepped outside to assess the situation, seeing that the heavily laden wagon wheels had sunk into the soggy ground.
“With the rain coming down hard, it might be best to rest a while. Irtel, find out if there’s somewhere nearby where we can take shelter.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
As Irtel rode off, the Grand Duke donned a raincoat and picked up a lantern.
He looked at Ronen, who watched with worry, and gave him a gentle smile.
“Ed, take care of Ronen for me, please.”
“Yes, understood.”
While Ronen craned his neck out the carriage window, following the Grand Duke with his gaze, Ed lit a lamp that Jaynon handed him.
“I’ll step outside for a bit too, Lord Ronen.”
As Jaynon exited to join the Grand Duke, Ronen fidgeted in his seat, eager to go outside.
Ed, noticing his impatience, handed Ronen a child-sized raincoat.
“If waiting here gets too boring, shall we go out later? The rain’s too strong right now, but let’s wait until it eases up a bit.”
* * *
Thanks!
Cuties, bit Im worried about Ed symptoms.
Something about that high priest is suspicious
Thanks
Ed being out of it is concerning me~
I love Ronen and Ed together they are like a pair of young brothers, it’s so cute !!
Mpreg tag has been bothering me, and every time something like this happens…
Cute
shadey