Reconciliation and Resolve

Left alone once again, Agniele caressed Ensi’s limp hand and murmured to himself.

“Empty my head…….”

If only it were as easy as it sounded. Normally, when his mind was complicated, he preferred to move his body to erase his thoughts. But right now, he didn’t want to leave Ensi’s side.

In the first place, if he had any intention of leaving, he would have returned to the Lacius estate. While he had abandoned everything to stay by Ensi’s side, several messages had arrived from his family. Since the Crown Prince’s appointment ceremony was drawing near, the communications were mostly focused on matters related to it. It meant there was work he needed to handle as the successor.

Yet, unable to bring himself to step away, Agniele ignored his duties for the first time. As if pressing him, or perhaps demanding that he make his intentions clear, the messages that had arrived two or more times after his refusal suddenly ceased at some point.

While massaging the cold hand to bring back some warmth, Agniele realized his mind had become complicated in a different sense and shook his head.

He intentionally tried to focus on the action that had become a habit over the past three days. For some reason, it had become a routine ever since he realized that massaging Ensi’s fingertips or feet helped restore warmth.

Focusing silently, Agniele suddenly felt his eyelids grow as heavy as if weights were hanging from them.

Lately, his only form of rest had been closing his eyes for brief moments, so it was only natural for his body to grow sluggish. Even when he wanted to fall into a deep sleep, anxiety constantly disrupted him.

This time too, Agniele was about to rub his eyes to force away the drowsiness, but he changed his mind upon seeing Ensi’s fingers instinctively grasp his hand in search of warmth.

He had just received advice to look after his body and to simply empty his head. Deciding it would be difficult to shake off his complicated thoughts while fully awake, he carefully shifted his body and lay down beside Ensi.

Because the bed was immensely large, there was plenty of room even with two adult men lying down. Tilting sideways, Agniele pulled Ensi into his arms. Keeping his ears open so he could notice any change immediately, he closed his eyes.

Perhaps because his arms were filled with the familiar body, it felt as though the anxiety gnawing at his nerves had receded just a little.

When Ensi opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the empty air filled with hazy smoke. It was quite a bewildering sight, but the ceiling visible faintly beyond it let him know it was a familiar space, so he didn’t feel anxious.

Even the act of blinking felt burdensome. Only after slowly closing and opening his eyes repeatedly did his vision return to normal.

His entire body felt as limp as water-logged cotton, but his chest and pit of his stomach felt uniquely heavy. Lowering his gaze to discern the cause, he saw someone’s arm thrown across his chest. Since the sleeve was rolled up, the fully exposed skin tone was familiar. Come to think of it, he could also feel a familiar touch against his forearm.

Only after a considerable amount of time had passed did Ensi fully grasp the situation. Turning his head toward where the owner of the arm would be, he saw Agniele’s face with both eyes tightly shut.

‘A mess.’

Though he was in no position to talk about others, Ensi, who didn’t know what his own appearance looked like, examined the person lying next to him with a disapproving gaze.

The skin that used to be well-maintained and lustrous was now visibly rough. His lips were chapped, and to make matters worse, dark circles had settled deeply beneath his eyes.

Only quiet, soft breathing could be heard from the soundly sleeping man. It seemed he had finally fallen asleep after being unable to do so for days.

Thanks to that, Ensi remained quiet, but he soon frowned at a throbbing headache. Was the medicine wearing off? He tried to endure it, but it seemed impossible. Giving up on holding it back, Ensi parted his lips.

“Is no one there?”

The small voice that leaked out like a whisper was terribly cracked. Even though Agniele hadn’t forgotten to feed him water, the air was too dry, and it had been a while since he last spoke, so it couldn’t be helped.

Of course, to those with exceptional hearing, that alone was sufficient.

“Master—!”

“Shh.”

May, who had entered the cave with careful yet swift movements, was about to let out a joyful shout upon facing her finally awakened master, but Ensi stopped her. Reflexively clamping her lips shut, May rolled her eyes.

“Where did Anje go?”

“He got disheartened and is cooped up in the training ground. Shall I fetch him?”

May replied while thoroughly scanning Ensi from the corner of her eye. Of course, remembering the initial warning, her voice was as tiny as a crawling ant.

“Later. More importantly, how many days have passed?”

“Three days.”

He had been asleep longer than expected. This time, he didn’t even have memories of waking up intermittently. At this rate, rather than saying he fell asleep, describing it as having temporarily fallen into a coma might be more accurate.

Unconsciously caressing the forearm resting on his chest, Ensi snuggled closer into Agniele’s embrace. As if reacting to the approaching warmth, the sleeping man’s arm tightened.

“Has this person been here the entire time?”

“Yes. He even attended to your needs personally.”

“……Eh?”

Surprised by the unexpected words, Ensi’s eyes grew as wide as lanterns. Parting his lips in bewilderment, his first worry was whether he had shown an unsightly appearance.

However, that was merely a passing emotion. A deeper sense of joy and satisfaction tightly filled his chest. The corners of his scarred lips curved into a soft arc.

“By the way, Master.”

Ensi, who had been enjoying the hot body heat unlike his own, turned his head at the cautious call. He saw an expression filled with worry and anxiety, yet mixed with a resolve that couldn’t easily be brushed aside. At that, Ensi tried to raise his upper body, but failed, blocked by the thick arm.

“The surrogate mother, what do you plan to do about that matter…….”

“Ah. Right.”

At the words reminding him of the issue that had been left unresolved, Ensi narrowed his eyes.

“We believe there is no need for you to go that far, Master. As we mentioned last time, there is no reason for you to deliberately court such humiliation—.”

“I understand.”

“……Pardon?”

“Tell Rose there is no need to find anyone.”

Perhaps because he had just regained consciousness after blacking out, Ensi only now recalled the Agniele of that moment, shouting at him. He remembered the agitation Agniele displayed from the considerable shock, which he couldn’t hide, and his darkened complexion.

Though he had recklessly moved ahead out of urgency, it was certainly not a matter to decide alone. No matter how much he wanted to be prepared…… this time, it was his mistake.

Just as Agniele said, the method was wrong. It was certain that his vision had become excessively narrow due to anxiety. To think he had tried to find a surrogate mother, of all things. Ensi ruthlessly clicked his tongue at the judgment he had made just a few days ago.

Since it was plain that he had made a mistake, Ensi had no intention of being stubborn any longer and came to a clean conclusion, causing May’s complexion to brighten rapidly.

Nodding quickly lest Ensi change his mind, she stood up abruptly, wanting to deliver the news to Rose this very instant. Then, realizing belatedly that Ensi hadn’t mentioned why he had called for them, she stopped.

“Then, what is the task you would have me do?”

“I’d like you to call Nicephorus. My head hurts.”

“Ah, yes!”

Shifting from his straight posture to look back at where May had been, Ensi pressed his body tightly against Agniele’s chest.

Watching May run outside at top speed at the mention of him being in pain, Ensi smiled. As silence descended once more, he tilted his head back, resting the back of his head against Agniele’s shoulder.

“You’re awake, aren’t you?”

He didn’t know exactly when Agniele had woken up. He had only noticed it because the weight of the arm pressing on his chest had lightened while he was talking to May. Still, Agniele must have heard him give the order that they didn’t need to find a surrogate mother.

“……Yes.”

Only after maintaining silence for a long while even at Ensi’s certain question did an answer drift out. Agniele, speaking in a locked voice, put strength into the arm that had slipped down to Ensi’s waist at some point. Ensi responded to the touch pulling him close and cast his gaze downward.

“I am sorry.”

“—For what?”

Partly because it was their first time arguing, and partly because it was right after he had unintentionally fainted, a somewhat awkward air lingered. Because of that, Ensi only twitched his fingers, but Agniele opened the subject first.

“For getting angry.”

Objectively speaking, hadn’t he been the one more in the wrong? Ensi’s conscience prickled at Agniele’s sullen voice. Especially when considering the fact that Agniele had tried his best to show the most polite reaction possible despite finding out that Ensi had arbitrarily decided on such a major issue as a surrogate mother.

“I am the one who should be sorry.”

Thinking it over after his head had cooled down, the wrongs he had committed against Agniele were not just one or two. Murmuring a small but certain apology, Ensi buried his lips against the forearm supporting his head. He even rubbed his cheek lightly as if acting coquettishly.

“No, Ensi. You did nothing wrong. It happened because I was careless toward you, so I will do better from now on.”

Despite spending time together, he hadn’t even noticed that the other was anxious. No matter how intoxicated he had been by all the first-time experiences, it was a blunder.

Listening to Agniele’s heavy self-reproach, Ensi pursed his lips. While it wasn’t that he wanted to be sick, it seemed Agniele had spent a rather difficult time while he was unconscious. Overlapping his hand over the one wrapping around his stomach, Ensi whispered in a soft voice.

“You are stealing my lines, Iel.”

“Ensi.”

“You did nothing wrong either.”

“That can’t be—.”

“Still, I like your resolve to pay more attention to me than before. You mustn’t look anywhere else from now on. Understood?”

Ensi cut off Agniele’s words and intentionally spoke in a playful tone, as if trying to clear the heavy atmosphere. Reading the transparent consideration, Agniele buried his face in the crown of Ensi’s head.

He noticed that the warmth felt through their overlapping hands had become similar to how it was before Ensi collapsed.

Thank goodness. It wasn’t time to be completely relieved yet, but the single fact that his body temperature was beginning to regain its original warmth brought peace of mind. The heavy boulder that had settled weightily near Agniele’s sternum was shaved away.

“Yes. No matter what happens, I will stick right by your side.”

In truth, he had no intention of returning to the Lacius estate for the time being. Although it was an arbitrary plan that hadn’t even received the permission of Ensi, the owner of the mansion, he decided to be shameless this time.

While he was worried about Ensi’s physical condition, more than that, he simply didn’t like the thought of leaving Ensi alone.