“Here, little master. Look at this.”
Hector twirled a round orb of light between his thick fingers, moving it back and forth in front of Ashid’s eyes.
“Lately, you’ve had trouble controlling your mana, haven’t you? Fever, muscle pain—it must have been rough.”
Ashid, who had been sulking in front of the rough-looking stranger after breakfast, blinked in surprise.
“How do you know that?”
His round eyes widened in astonishment, making him look utterly adorable—like a child seeing a seer for the first time. Had their young master ever made such an expression before? Holding back a chuckle at Ashid’s childlike reaction, Hector responded with amusement.
“I may be your physician, but I also happen to be a rather skilled wizard.”
“Wow, he really doesn’t look the part.” Ashid swallowed the thought before it could slip out. Since he had left home, he had to be extra cautious. Any mistake he made could affect Milena’s reputation.
“Can wizards see mana?”
“Hmm, not all of them. Only those with exceptionally keen eyes.”
“I see.”
So, was that how Lexion had noticed his condition? As Ashid tilted his head in curiosity, Hector’s gaze darkened.
The mana in the child’s heart belonged to someone else. That mana’s true owner was fading, which was why Ashid’s own power was surging wildly. For such a fragile body, it must have been excruciating.
Hector reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring—an unpolished, wooden band.
“Here. It’s only a temporary fix, but try wearing this.”
In Hector’s large hands, the ring looked like a child’s toy. Ashid eyed it with skepticism.
“If you wear this, your mana will stabilize for the time being.”
Feeling the instability of his power firsthand, Ashid took the ring at Hector’s words. The ring, which had looked so tiny in Hector’s hand, seemed huge in the boy’s own.
“It’s too big for me.”
“Just put it on. It’s enchanted.”
Playing along, Ashid slipped the ring onto his finger. The moment he did, the oversized ring shrank to fit perfectly. Spreading his small hand wide, he examined it in wonder before looking up at Hector with shining eyes.
“With this, will I be able to use magic without any issues? I want to use mana without it hurting my body.”
Catching on to what the boy truly desired, Hector scratched his rough, stubbled chin.
“Stabilizing mana and using it are two different things.”
Had this child never been trained? Hector already knew about Ashid’s lineage from Gerard. As the grand duke’s son, he should have already undergone proper education. And yet, he was completely clueless. Seeing the evident disappointment on Ashid’s face, Hector spoke again.
“You need training. Once you’re used to it, you’ll be able to handle your power with skill.”
Hearing such a textbook answer, Ashid pouted before reluctantly agreeing.
“Then… um…”
Just as he was about to ask if training alone would make him as powerful as a grand duke, the creaking of stairs echoed from the first floor of the inn. Someone was coming down.
Ashid’s face instantly brightened.
“Aunt Milena!”
As the boy rushed to greet Milena, her warm smile faded when she noticed the unfamiliar presence in the room.
“Good morning, little madam.”
Little madam?
Last night, he had called her “young lady.” The sudden change in title left Milena feeling somewhat uneasy. Contrary to his rugged appearance, the free-spirited physician greeted her with impeccable politeness.
“Yes… good morning.”
He didn’t seem like an ordinary physician. Judging by his noble mannerisms, his status must have been quite high. She couldn’t afford to be careless. The middle-aged man, a wizard and a count, smirked.
She had learned about Hector’s position from Gerard the previous night. Even the former duchess hadn’t dared to treat him lightly. On top of that, Hector was a talent sought after by the imperial family.
And now, such a man was gazing at Milena with open curiosity—an unsettling level of interest.
“Ah! Madam, you’re awake?”
A cheerful voice interrupted her thoughts. Turning her head, she saw Gerard rushing toward them, still wearing an apron.
“You must be hungry. Give me a moment, and I’ll bring your breakfast right out.”
This inn was managed by Lexion’s guild. Normally, guild staff would have been present, but since they had been deployed to mislead the duke’s search party, the place was nearly empty. As a result, Gerard had taken over the cooking.
“You’re cooking yourself?”
“Of course!”
Hector and Ashid had already finished the breakfast Gerard had prepared.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh, nothing—”
“Ah, I get it. You think a man who cooks is attractive, don’t you?”
“Well—”
“See, I’m a man of many talents. My skills are top-notch. Even our lord only eats the food I prepare when we’re traveling.”
Milena considered responding but decided against it. This man really did talk a lot.
She simply nodded, already expecting more chatter.
“Come, sit. His cooking may be good, but his mouth never stops running.”
Hector pulled out a chair at a round wooden table for her.
“By the way, where is our young master? I’d expected him to be here.”
Milena answered nonchalantly, unaware of the storm her words would stir.
“He’s still asleep. He looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to wake him, so I came down alone.”
“…”
“…”
Silence. A heavy, chilling silence.
Not only the two grown men but even the young boy in the room twisted their expressions into something bizarre.
“So… the lord spent the night with you?” Hector muttered.
“The young master is still sleeping?” Gerard asked at the same time.
Each man was shocked for entirely different reasons.
Milena, oblivious to their reaction, simply nodded.
“What’s with them?” she wondered, baffled by their response.
But their horror was justified.
Lexion avoided sharing a bed with women. Unless it was for an assignment or a negotiation, he refused to be in the same bedroom as one. He even disliked physical contact.
And yet, he had spent the night with Milena?
Not to mention, he was so sensitive that he couldn’t even sleep properly unless he was in his townhouse in the capital!
“Ha. If this keeps up, what will we do if she ends up pregnant?”
“What do you mean, ‘what do we do’? We’d celebrate. That’d be the heir.”
“I mean, I get that, but still…”
Gerard glanced at Milena nervously. He knew their arrangement had a one-year limit, but he genuinely liked her.
It hadn’t taken long to come to that conclusion. A good person didn’t need much time to reveal their true nature. As someone who dealt with all kinds of people in his line of work, Gerard had an accurate eye for character.
And as far as he was concerned, there was no better match for his lord than Milena.
Still, his personal opinion didn’t matter. Her feelings were another story. So, for once, he hesitated.
“Don’t worry, madam! We won’t say a word. If you just wanted our lord’s body and plan to leave, we totally understand.”
It sounded as though he was saying, If you want to use him and run after a year, I won’t judge.
Watching the ridiculous turn the conversation had taken, Milena let out a dry chuckle.
“I don’t know what you all are thinking, but Lexion and I…”
Before she could explain, her skirt was tugged—hard.
The atmosphere had turned strange. Even the young boy, who had been quietly listening, had an ominous expression.
“Aunt.”
“Hmm?”
“Did you sleep with Uncle?”
Ashid’s pink eyes glistened with betrayal.
“I asked to sleep with you so many times! I hate you!”
And just like that, he bolted.
But before he could storm off, he crashed into a solid figure.
“Whoa, there. Watch where you’re going, kid.”
Ashid scowled and looked up.
And standing before him—was the very cause of all this trouble.
Lexion.
With his robe barely draped over his bandaged torso, he exuded a dangerously languid aura.
The air around him felt powerful.
Ashid swallowed hard.
“…Pervert.”
In the end, that was all he could say.
