The tightly closed eyelids quietly opened, revealing pumpkin-colored irises. Born and raised in a country where the sun rises late, he knew that morning had come even without the need for light.
The rain seemed to have stopped, and compared to the previous night, the surroundings were quiet. Although on rainy nights, as usual, he would occasionally wake up to the sound of thunder, this time he managed to sleep without being disturbed too much.
Gezell, attempting to sit up, felt a light pressure on his chest. Turning his head while still lying down, he noticed that the man who had been sleeping on the adjacent bed a while ago was now nestled closer. With his head resting on the remaining part of Gezell’s pillow and his arm draped over Gezell’s chest, Rensley, like a creature seeking warmth, had curled up slightly.
Gezell gently explored the inside of the blanket with his hands. The bed was still warm, but it was only a standard for the northern region, and someone from the south would likely find it chilly.
Pulling the blanket higher to cover Rensley’s shoulders, Gezell carefully lowered the arm resting on his body and attempted to get up. However, the guest from the south, in a playful manner, pressed his body even closer when Gezell tried to rise.
‘Awkward.’
Gezell waited, unable to move this way or that. Rensley’s tossing and turning seemed severe, and Gezell didn’t know if he would change his position again after waiting for a while.
Only visible when facing up were the ceiling of the bed and, when tilting slightly, the face of the bed’s companion. Due to not properly closing the curtains of the pillar, the diminished candlelight continued to gently seep into the inside of the bed even now.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Gezell silently observed the face of the man lying next to him. Even in the dimly lit bedroom, his smooth skin and bright blond hair gave a peculiar vitality. Beneath the thin strands of hair, a neat forehead was visible, and the deep crimson glow of the candlelight from outside lingered on the sturdy nose and jawline.
While Gezell’s gaze was fixed, Rensley’s lips, which had been closed, were now slightly parted. Mumbling in a slurred manner, he started to murmur in his sleep, eventually beginning to nuzzle Gezell’s chest with his lips. The man’s voice, which had initially been unclear, became clearer.
“Ugh, Marilyn….”
Although he had no intention of waking him up, Gezell’s hands and mouth moved before his head. Finally, Gezell raised his body, sliding Rensley’s arm off.
“Maelrosen, Your Highness.”
“Uhh, who’s that….”
“Maelrosen, Your Highness, please wake up now.”
Leaning his head closer to the ear and speaking more softly, Rensley’s eyes fluttered, half-opening. He slowly blinked, burying his head in the blanket, and as if suddenly regaining consciousness, he abruptly sat up.
Gezell, who had been lying almost overlapping in Gezell’s place, gasped and hastily retreated when he realized what had happened. With swift movements, like a partridge hiding from a hunting dog, Gezell involuntarily reached out his arms.
“Please stop. If you go any further, you will fall.”
“Your Grace, have you awakened? I unintentionally ended up in your place due to my bad sleeping habits…”
“It’s okay, don’t lie down.”
Rensley nodded hesitantly, then got up from the bed. The thought that there was no need to wake him up so urgently occurred belatedly, but it was too late. Gezell, in a similar manner, had no choice but to leave the bed.
Putting on his cloak and attire that he had taken off, Gezell approached the window and opened the door. The dawn sky was brighter than expected, appearing blue.
“The rain has stopped. It’s time to start another day.”
“Your Grace, I’m truly grateful for last night.”
“As a lord, it was just a natural duty. Spending all day inside seems challenging for Your Highness, so I will think of a solution as well.”
“No, I was the one at fault. I acted recklessly as if on a journey, but I won’t make such rash decisions again. Please don’t worry.”
Although Rensley’s dejected expression seemed sincere, Gezell didn’t respond with understanding. He arranged his attire and prepared to leave the room. Then, he spoke to Rensley, who had been standing hesitantly, trying to figure out when to greet him.
“The fire has weakened a lot. I’ll have the maids change the candles to new ones.”
“Oh, if it’s candles, I have plenty of them here. I can do it myself.”
As Rensley briskly walked to a wooden drawer on one side, Gezell removed a small navy blue jewel hanging from the edge of his cloak. Reciting a simple spell and tossing it into the air, the jewel disappeared into the void instead of falling to the ground.
Gezell, who was busy inserting the new candle into the candlestick, briefly bid farewell to Rensley.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
“Oh, Your Grace! Have a, have a good day.”
Gezell replied with a nod of acknowledgment, opened the door, and left. Rensley, unable to find anything else to say apart from a clumsy farewell, watched Gezell’s black cloak disappear behind the closing door in a daze.
‘A good day… Is Your Grace my friend or something?’
Self-deprecating for the foolishly spontaneous greeting, Rensley shook his head. While leaning against his chest and looking at the lightning, he felt a closeness that had seemed tangible, but already, last night felt like a distant dream.
Thank you for the chapter!