The Fever of a Festival

“Florence has lost its mind.”

Luke muttered seriously, his complexion dark from lack of sleep and his eyes bloodshot.

Ensi, who had been reading a military strategy book for his exams, patted the shoulder of the complaining boy.

“Just endure it a little longer and it will settle down soon.”

“I hope so, but the atmosphere doesn’t feel like it will. They are determined to cure the Utia disease within a year no matter what, and I cannot understand why they are being so obsessive.”

As Luke lamented while wiping his tired face, the tips of Ensi’s fingers trembled slightly as he tried to turn a page.

‘Does Luke not know?’

“Did Lily not tell you?”

“Is there actually a hidden story behind this?”

‘She really didn’t tell him.’

Understanding why Luke had come to him to vent, Ensi closed the half-read strategy book.

Given Luke’s personality, if he had known the truth, he would be in a lab researching the disease instead of coming here.

“It is not that grand of a story…….”

Ensi cut out the unnecessary details and gave Luke the core of the situation.

Luke listened intently in silence, but by the end of the explanation, he gripped the bedsheet so hard it tore.

“Oh dear.”

As Ensi expressed a brief moment of regret for the tragically fated blanket, Luke stood up abruptly.

“This is no time to be sitting around.”

“Do not push yourself too hard. There is no actual need to solve it within a year.”

“No, this is a matter of pride. How dare they use a disease as an excuse?”

Even if the two of them were to part ways, Luke refused to let it look like it was because of Ensi’s “flaw.”

The Duke had interfered with someone who was doing perfectly fine without such a man, and now he intended to discard him like a defective product after a year.

It was an arrogant and annoying method, typical of an aristocrat obsessed with authority.

Luke gnashed his teeth at Duke Lassias, seemingly forgetting that he was a nobleman himself.

“If possible, I would like to crush that man’s pride.”

“You know you cannot do that, right?”

“I know. I have no intention of foolishly creating a diplomatic incident. I will be going now. I must move quickly to develop a cure.”

Muttering that he couldn’t help being angry, Luke headed for the lab with a stride full of rage, a stark contrast to the weak steps he arrived with.

“He seems much angrier than I expected.”

Ensi watched Luke’s receding back with a faint smile before turning to the spirits rolling around on the bed.

“Are you all busy lately? Helping with what Donovan asked for?”

The spirit tilted its head at Ensi’s question.

Since it hadn’t left the greenhouse following its promise to him, it seemed unaware of the commotion outside.

“Well, it is fine if you do not know.”

It wasn’t just Donovan; it seemed even Titania and the already busy Cyril were moving breathlessly.

Meanwhile, Ensi, the person at the center of the issue, was lying on a bed in the greenhouse flipping through strategy books.

“It is a festival for once, but it seems everyone is going to have a dull time.”

Sliding back down onto the bed, Ensi poked his index finger toward the spirit.

The spirit grabbed his finger and shook its body playfully.

When he lightly waved his hand in response, the spirit burst into silent laughter and flew up to occupy the top of his head.

“Something feels empty.”

Unable to move freely because of the spirit on his crown, Ensi propped his chin on a pillow and sighed lightly.

Perhaps it was because things had been so hectic lately, but the silence felt awkward.

No, the silence itself might not be the problem; it was likely because the number of people around him had recently increased and then suddenly decreased.

“……Should I go outside?”

Ensi muttered vacantly, half-dazed.

He had nothing specific to do, but he felt a sudden urge to step out without a reason.

“If you are going out, may I join you?”

Startled by the immediate answer to his impulsive remark, Ensi jerked upright.

Unprepared for the sudden movement, the spirit tumbled off his head and bumped into the headboard.

“Agniele? How are you here?”

“I am sorry for visiting without notice. I had no other way to contact you…….”

Agniele trailed off, searching Ensi’s face.

His words made Ensi realize once again how incredibly thin the thread connecting them was.

It had always been that way; their only link was being students in the same faculty.

A new thread seemed to have formed when Agniele confessed, but in the end, nothing had truly changed.

“Ensius?”

[I am hurt!]

At the same time Agniele called his name in wonder, the spirit’s cry echoed in Ensi’s mind.

Ensi felt a brief headache from the voice that sounded like a throwing-a-tantrum child, but he didn’t show it.

“Ah…… right. My mistake. You aren’t actually hurt, are you?”

There was no way a spirit could be hurt by bumping into a wooden board.

However, knowing it would make even more noise if ignored, Ensi gave Agniele a short glance and comforted the spirit.

The spirit, which had been huffing at Ensi for ignoring it in favor of another, climbed back up his body with a satisfied air.

“What do you plan to do once you go outside?”

Ensi supported the spirit with his hand to keep it from falling and looked toward where Agniele stood.

His gaze was slightly lowered, focusing on Agniele’s feet rather than his face.

“It is the festival period, so there will be people everywhere.”

“That is a given, I suppose……?”

Ensi tilted his head as Agniele mentioned the obvious with a hint of hesitation.

“I found a place where there shouldn’t be many people. If you are okay with it, would you like to go together?”

Ensi didn’t know why Agniele was emphasizing a secluded spot, but he thought it wasn’t a bad idea and nodded slowly.

The spirit, realizing Ensi was leaving, suddenly thrust its face in front of him.

[Are you going?]

“I will be back, so play in the greenhouse. If you see Donovan, be careful, as you might end up having to work too.”

The spirit looked confused at the word ‘work’ for a moment but soon hopped off Ensi’s body.

As he stood up, Ensi felt his hair was a bit tangled where his fingers brushed through it.

“I should get ready. Will you wait a moment?”

“As long as you need. I will be right here.”

Agniele answered without hesitation but subtly avoided Ensi’s eyes.

It was an action that was both obvious and yet carefully masked.

Ensi had to go to the cottage to prepare, so he walked past Agniele.

The spirit, flying beside him, suddenly whispered in a low tone.

[He is very hot.]

“What is?”

[Mmm, that human. He was burning up, you know?]

With a mischievous giggle, the spirit flew high up.

The spirit left behind cryptic words and disappeared, but Ensi didn’t pay it much mind.

The spirit had seemed to like Agniele since their first meeting anyway.

It wasn’t strange for Agniele to be radiating heat; perhaps it was only natural.

Ensi knew all too well that trying to interpret every single whim of a spirit only led to a headache.

Entering the small cottage, Ensi quickly changed clothes and brushed his hair, thinking of the person waiting.

He hadn’t had time to choose carefully, so he just grabbed what was available.

It wasn’t his favorite outfit, but it seemed decent enough, so he swallowed his dissatisfaction.

As he was about to head back out, his eyes caught a jewelry box shining on top of a dresser.

Today, for some reason, the box caught the light and sparkled brilliantly.

He usually avoided accessories because they were cumbersome, so he wondered why his eyes were drawn to it now.

Ensi tried to cut off the natural flow of thought and quickly found a perfect excuse.

The festival—a very convenient and plausible excuse.

Telling himself he was just matching the festive atmosphere, he picked out a small silver ring set with a vivid ruby and headed back to where Agniele was waiting.

‘Maybe this festival won’t be so boring after all,’ he thought.

Left alone, Agniele had his face buried in his hands.

His ears, which he couldn’t hide, were flushed a deep red.

The spirit, which had been secretly watching him while sitting on an ivy leaf, couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

[Ahaha—!]

“—What was that?”

Hearing a strange laughter directly in his mind for the first time, Agniele jerked his head up, momentarily forgetting the emotions that had been troubling him.

[That’s right, I’ve heard of this before. You are in love, aren’t you?]

Since the voice wasn’t coming through his ears, it was hard to pinpoint the location.

Just as Agniele’s brow began to furrow, the spirit fluttered down from the leaf and stood before him.

[Hello, hello!]

“You…… didn’t you go with Ensius?”

[They say a human in love becomes hot. I heard some don’t, but who cares? The ‘you’ I met is burning quite brightly.]

As if fascinated by this new type of human, the spirit circled Agniele restlessly.

Agniele found the suddenly friendly spirit burdensome, but he endured it solely because it was connected to Ensius.

[Do you know something?]

“What?”

Did it sense Agniele’s inner thoughts?

The spirit, which had been marveling at how interesting he was, settled on the crown of Agniele’s head.

[The human I made a promise with is usually very cold, you see. But ever since he saw you today, he suddenly became lukewarm?]

The spirit’s whisper was soft and playful, like sharing a secret.

Just then, Ensius appeared from between the walls.

The moment Ensius looked up and met Agniele’s eyes as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Agniele’s face—which had just begun to cool—turned bright red once again.