* * *
There are many reasons why a person might suddenly develop a fever.
But Hesia had no idea why he was burning up.
He hadn’t eaten anything strange, nor had he touched anything suspicious.
He had been perfectly fine all this time, so it wasn’t as if he had suddenly been struck down by heat exhaustion.
Ian couldn’t take his eyes off Hesia, who had his face flushed red beneath his turban.
He looked just like a kitten on the verge of causing trouble—too unpredictable to take one’s eyes off.
Every time Hesia wobbled, Ian flinched.
After the fifth time, he finally raised a hand to his temple and sighed.
“Young Master, can’t we just go back? We already stayed the full week as promised. I’ll refund the extension fee, so let’s just return.”
“No.”
“Haa…”
Even Ian’s muttered exasperation didn’t deter Hesia.
He kept walking forward, stubbornly pressing on.
Ian glared at the back of his head, filled with nothing but pure determination.
Hesia had been a mostly mild client, aside from the occasional sharp remark.
But now, as their departure date neared, he was impulsively extending their stay—and even now, with a fever, he was refusing to go back.
What the hell is going on in that little head of his?
Ian wanted to crack it open and find out.
He lifted his hand from his forehead to shield his eyes from the sun.
The heat today was harsher than usual, its rays stinging against his exposed skin.
A sigh slipped through his lips.
At least he was listening somewhat.
The moment Ian sighed, he saw the slightest flinch in Hesia’s shoulders.
Really… he only picks up on the weirdest things.
Shaking his head, Ian picked up his pace and reached out his hand.
“You’re burning up.”
“I’m fine. It’s just the heat. I’m not sick. Let’s just walk a little more, okay? Come on.”
Hesia instinctively denied it.
He knew he had unconsciously leaned his head into Ian’s palm, but Ian didn’t point it out.
Instead, he let out a wry chuckle.
Purring like this… yeah, he really is just like a spoiled little kitten.
Ian swallowed back the words ‘You’re not fine at all’ and let his hand drop from Hesia’s forehead.
“If you really start struggling, we’re turning back. Got it?”
“……”
“Not answering, huh? Why are you so damn stubborn?”
Even with the exasperated mutter, Hesia only glanced at Ian and kept his lips tightly sealed.
Ian exhaled, a mix of a sigh and a laugh, before pressing his fingertip against the corners of Hesia’s fever-flushed eyes.
“You think I’ll just go along with your stubbornness?”
“…Can’t you? It’s not like it’s a problem for you. The longer I extend, the more money you make. What’s the issue?”
“Taking care of sick people isn’t part of my job description. If you’re sick, you should see a doctor. What kind of idiot tries to tough it out in the middle of a desert?”
“That idiot’s standing right in front of you.”
“Ah.”
Ian let out a low sigh, unable to hold back a breath of laughter.
Fever or not, that sharp tongue of his was working just fine.
Watching him chatter away almost made him think he wasn’t actually sick.
But then, when he looked into those fever-clouded eyes, the thought vanished instantly.
Flushed cheeks, unsteady breathing, unfocused gaze—there was no faking this.
Clicking his tongue, Ian shook his head.
“Fine. Do whatever you want, Young Master. I’ll do as I please too.”
At the ominous words, Hesia flinched but kept moving forward.
Even as he led the way, he kept flicking his ears toward Ian, checking if he was following.
Ian sighed inwardly and trailed after him in silence.
✽ ✽ ✽
An hour later, Hesia’s body finally reached its limit.
Ian, who had been walking a little ahead, let out a long sigh as he turned his gaze.
Before him stretched an endless desert—beautiful, but not worth trudging through while burning with fever.
If he likes the desert so much, he can come back when he’s better.
Is it because he’s young?
I can’t keep up with his reasoning.
Ian closed his eyes for a moment as the wind kicked up a swirl of sand.
When it passed, he dusted himself off and turned around—only to see Hesia standing still, unmoving.
The young man had raised a hand to shield his face from the sand, exhaustion written all over his features.
Ian sighed.
‘So, this is really his limit.’
But then, Hesia turned his gaze toward him, his eyes dazed yet strangely intent—almost like a child bewitched by a witch.
No, it was more like he had something to ask.
Meeting that fervent gaze, Ian tilted his head slightly before straightening up and speaking.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Do you have a favor to ask?”
His voice, slightly muffled by the cloth, carried gently through the wind to Hesia.
He blinked at the warm tone, then shook his head.
“…No.”
Not that.
He muttered softly before taking slow, deliberate steps forward.
Ian, standing a little ways away, simply watched as Hesia approached him step by step.
As the young man drew closer, Ian reached up and pulled down his turban.
The pale fabric fell away, revealing a face tinged pink from the sun but still strikingly beautiful.
“Then what’s with that look? Are you feeling worse? Maybe the desert really was too much for you…”
Ian studied Hesia closely and let out a small, helpless sigh.
“…You look even worse.”
He muttered it to himself, but even so, Hesia had no strength left to protest.
He only blinked, his breaths coming in soft, shallow puffs.
Ian’s eyes widened slightly.
“You must really be out of it. Normally, you’d be making a fuss, insisting you’re fine.”
“…I didn’t make a fuss.”
“Sure, sure. Let’s say you didn’t.”
A wave of irritation surged up, mingled with a strange sense of longing, at the way Ian spoke—like an adult handing a stubborn child a piece of candy.
Hesia, who had been dazed from the heat, frowned, and Ian chuckled.
“You don’t seem to be in too bad of a state yet. That’s a relief.”
“I told you, I can still walk around for a few more days. There’s no need to rush back—it’s really unnecessary worry.”
“Mm, no. That’s not it.”
The unnecessarily firm response made Hesia’s face scrunch up in frustration.
Even with the turban covering most of his features, the annoyance was unmistakable.
Ian, having grown used to such expressions, didn’t seem the least bit flustered. He just smiled.
“Either way, I don’t think we should go any farther.”
“I told you, I’m fine…”
“Young master, this time, we should just go back. If you want, I’ll even refund the commission fee and bring you back to the desert another time. But if my client collapses out here, I’ll be the one dealing with all the consequences.”
“I won’t be a burden. I’ll make sure of it. Isn’t that enough?”
“You’re being stubborn. And being too stubborn isn’t cute at all.”
Though Ian spoke playfully, Hesia knew that pushing any further wouldn’t get him anywhere.
He didn’t want Ian to grow tired of him—he just wanted to be around him longer.
Reluctantly, he nodded, unable to fully hide his disappointment.
Seeing the compliance, Ian’s eyes softened in amusement, and he whispered sweetly, as if praising a well-behaved child.
“You’re being so obedient and good.”
“…Am I good?”
“Very, very good.”
“Then… you’ll really take me back to the desert another time? Actually, it doesn’t have to be the desert. Will you go anywhere with me?”
Hesia asked cautiously, and Ian easily agreed.
He might have been cold at times, but he never broke his promises.
Watching Hesia’s face relax in relief, Ian let out a small laugh and reached out his hand.
“So don’t be stubborn anymore. Let’s go back, young master.”
“You’re coming with me?”
“Of course, I am. You’re in no condition to go back alone.”
Hearing the firm yet unmistakably concerned voice, Hesia smiled in satisfaction beneath his turban.
Truthfully, he was in pain.
He had spent years forcing himself to endure it, becoming numb out of necessity.
But that never meant he wasn’t hurting. If anything, it made him despise pain even more.
Yet, because he wanted to stay with Ian, he had foolishly suppressed every ache and discomfort.
Thinking that it was just a little pain, Hesia reached out and took Ian’s hand.
“…So, how are we going back?”
The moment he acknowledged his pain, a delayed wave of it hit him, making him frown slightly.
Ian, who had been watching, let out a quiet sigh, as if something about the situation unsettled him.
“Like this.”
And as soon as those words left Ian’s lips, a strange sensation washed over Hesia—like his body was dissolving.
Instinctively, he squeezed his eyes shut.
When he opened them again, the desert was gone.
He was lying on something soft, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling.
Realizing that he was now on a bed, Hesia glanced around in bewilderment.
His confusion was evident, and Ian, who had been standing a short distance away, smiled lightly.
“Congratulations on making it back safely from the desert, young master.”
* * *
