* * *
Lowell knew that the prince, unless he was a fool, must have secured a safe route to meet Felix.
But reason and emotion didn’t always align.
Deep down, he couldn’t help but worry—what if Felix had fallen into a trap?
What if something went wrong?
“Misfortune always arrives suddenly.”
That was the lesson left behind by the farewell he had endured in his past life as Eunoh.
A fleeting image of his parents’ funeral crossed his mind, but he shook his head to push it away.
“Damn trauma.”
Whenever someone he loved ventured even slightly into danger, his anxiety surged.
“Did something happen?”
As Lowell kept his lips pressed together, bitter about his own state, Felix stepped closer to the communication orb, frowning.
Then, as if recalling something, he pressed his fingers against his forehead, smoothing out the wrinkles.
It was clear he was remembering Lowell’s words.
At that moment, the hazy gloom that had been lingering over Lowell vanished like mist in the morning sun.
“Focus on the present.”
He took another look at Felix’s appearance.
“No, it’s nothing. By the way, is that transformation magic?”
“It’s called Polymorph.”
“Polymorph?”
“It’s a type of transformation magic. It consumes a lot of mana, so I don’t use it often, but I had no choice today since I had to pass through the city.”
Lowell looked puzzled at the brief explanation, so Felix patiently continued.
Everyone present, except Lowell, knew that Felix wouldn’t have explained this so kindly to anyone else.
“It’s incredibly convincing.”
“That’s the nature of the spell.”
Despite performing a highly complex magic with ease, Felix spoke as if it were nothing.
“Did you manage to eat well?”
“Yeah.”
The short answer could have ended the conversation, but Lowell was skilled at drawing out longer responses.
“It must’ve been hard to eat properly while traveling. You’re probably still feeling unsettled.”
“Thanks to the ring you lent me, I’ve been fine so far.”
Whether Felix was just saying that or truly meant it, Lowell didn’t know.
But hearing those words was enough for him.
When Lowell beamed at him, Felix found himself momentarily entranced by his smile.
The two acted as if no one else existed, while the knights standing nearby struggled to pretend they hadn’t heard anything.
“That’s a relief. Are you traveling again tomorrow?”
“I need to find someone here first. After making contact, I’ll decide whether to move on to the next town or wait a bit longer.”
“Are you tired?”
“Something like this wouldn’t tire me out. You, on the other hand…”
“Still, you’ve been traveling for a long time. Nothing happened on the way?”
Felix hesitated for a moment, as if making a firm decision, before speaking.
“On the way into town, after splitting up with the knights, I saw a cat.”
The abrupt topic change made Lowell perk up.
‘Could the cat be connected to something important? Did it deliver a message or something?’
“It looked like you.”
At those words, Lowell, who had been resting his chin on his hand, nearly lost his balance.
“Are you okay?”
“Huh? Oh… Yes, of course.”
He hadn’t expected to be compared to a cat.
Lowell ran a hand over the back of his neck, feeling a bit flustered.
He had suggested they exchange casual conversation before parting, but he hadn’t anticipated such an affectionate, almost lover-like remark.
Hitting him with it so suddenly, without any time to prepare—it felt unfair.
Oblivious to Lowell’s reaction, Felix continued.
“It was a yellow cat, shining under the sunlight. It had its tail raised high and yawned, showing sharp little fangs—just like you.”
“No one’s ever told me that before.”
“No one?”
Felix sounded incredulous. Lowell almost told him, ‘That’s just you seeing me through rose-colored glasses,’ but instead, he simply said, “No.”
“People have no eye for these things.”
Lowell let out a soft chuckle.
“I went to the greenhouse today. By the time you arrive, it should be all set up. I can’t wait to show you.”
“Yeah.”
They continued exchanging lighthearted conversation until a knock came from behind Felix.
Judging by the voice, it seemed a knight had something to report.
“I guess we should stop here for today.”
“Yeah. We’ll talk again tomorrow.”
Felix started to stand up but then paused, leaning in slightly.
Lowell, who had intended to end the conversation, remained seated.
“You don’t have to worry about anything. I’ve prepared for every possibility—nothing dangerous will happen. So don’t make that face.”
As Felix leaned in, Lowell caught a glimpse of a thin cord around his neck. It was the necklace Lowell had given him.
“I’ll trust you.”
Miraculously, the anxiety that had plagued Lowell all day sank beneath the surface.
After that first day, Lowell gradually felt more at ease.
During the day, he wandered around the grand duchy or spent time in the study organizing matters that required his attention.
At night, he waited for Felix’s messages, but not to the point of being unable to focus on anything else.
He trusted that Felix would appear at the promised time, just as he had assured him of his safety.
Things took a turn when Felix had been gone for six days.
“It looks like I’ll be delayed longer than expected.”
“How long?”
“It might take ten days.”
“There’s no problem, is there?”
“We’re fine. But one of their key people was injured while fighting a monster.”
From that brief statement, Lowell immediately understood—this meant the prince’s fated partner, the original protagonist of this novel, had been wounded.
‘Felix changed the schedule, so I thought they’d avoid injury…’
A sigh escaped his lips.
If his guess was right, the delay wouldn’t just be ten days—it could stretch even longer.
“I hope it’s not a serious wound.”
“Yeah.”
After the call ended, Lowell sat by the window, gazing at the oversized moon in this world.
It shone so brightly that it drowned out the surrounding stars.
Hugging his knees, he traced his fingers over the obsidian pendant around his neck.
It was going to be a long night.
Just as Lowell had feared, the next day, Felix said he’d be delayed another two days.
Then, the day after that, it became three more days.
The delay continued until, at last, fifteen full days had passed.
Finally, Felix exhaled and spoke.
“I’ll be there tomorrow.”
His brown eyes were clouded with exhaustion.
From the tenth day onward, fatigue had clung to him like a shadow, growing heavier rather than fading.
It was undoubtedly the side effect of their one-sided bond.
Knowing he was the cause of that burden, Lowell reached out, brushing his fingers over the communication orb even though he knew it couldn’t transfer warmth.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
Felix answered with a face that was anything but fine.
He wasn’t lying—his pain tolerance was simply too high.
He had learned not to show weakness in the battlefield, and old habits died hard.
“Come back soon.”
That was all Lowell could say.
His body was weak, and there was no way he could travel far to meet him—not when Felix might be a target.
“You don’t have to worry.”
At those words, Lowell realized he must have looked like he was about to cry.
He quickly schooled his expression.
If they kept talking, he’d end up making Felix worry instead.
“Then I’ll head to bed early. Be safe on your way back.”
So, he decided to end the call quickly.
If Felix got even a little more rest, he could return that much sooner.
“See you tomorrow.”
* * *
