It was a look that clearly meant, Be quiet. Jepeto took care not to make a sound and carefully examined the sweet jelly on the table Peruan had indicated with his eyes.

“Ren. Can you be alone for a moment? I think it would be best to show this sweet jelly to the physician.”

Ren stubbornly pressed his lips shut. Residual tremors still ran through his body, and his breathing was shallow.

Of course they had to take that medicine over so he could take something to stabilize him. But couldn’t they just call the physician in? Ren thought it without meaning to, then realized Peruan was trying to handle things quietly for his sake. Because no one was supposed to know he was sick.

‘Wait.......’

As the pain settled, he remembered something he had forgotten.

‘How did I get here? What was I doing last?’

“Ren. Don’t think complicated thoughts. Am I not beside you? Difficult matters can wait until later.”

But words like that could not calm Ren. Ren was the kind of child who thought more the moment he was told not to. A child who had grown up watching others’ moods and keeping quiet, then turned rough and vicious to protect himself. There was no way such a child would obediently listen to someone else.

‘......Luman?’

He remembered the cold wind seeping into his body, and Luman draping a cloak over him at the same time.

“Ren.”

And then he heard the voice of the person he had never wanted to find out.

Startled, Ren trembled hard and lifted his gaze. He met the dark brown eyes of a man shoving past the startled Jepeto by the door with his large body.

“......Temar.”

At that fading voice, Temar barely held on to reason.

“What happened?”

Hearing the strain in his voice, Ren’s whole body was drenched in sweat again. His body, which had seemed to be calming, began to shake, and his lips trembled as well. His two wavering eyes, his body shaking again as if he might seize—Peruan held Ren close and tried to soothe him, but it was useless.

“Ah, aaaaagh......!”

A scream tore from Ren’s mouth. His muscles felt as though they were twisting, and nausea surged up. At the sudden scream, Peruan’s body went rigid, and Jepeto, startled, hurriedly rushed in and examined the sweet jelly.

Temar’s aura began to surge at the unmistakable wrongness of it all.

“Aaaagh! Aaaaaah!!”

Only a few minutes earlier, Peruan had thought it would be better if Ren simply screamed.

But no.

Hearing that pain-filled scream was more agonizing than having his heart cut open.

Tears began to pour from Ren’s eyes again. Tears spilling in streams, his hand clutching his heart in agony—the hand that had been gripping Peruan—was reaching forward.

He had wanted to hide this from Temar. He had hoped Temar would never know this side of him. So even now, he should turn his head away. Then why was [N O V E L I G H T] he...... at this horrible moment, looking at Temar? 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Ren barely swallowed back the scream. Without even realizing it, he was struggling to reach his hand toward Temar.

He felt Peruan’s chest, hard and stiff, supporting his body. Even Peruan had been shocked by that animal-like howl.

Ren swallowed his sobs and screams inside himself. Hoping Temar would forget the sound he had just heard. He reached out toward Temar. It was an instinctive action. Like a child searching for his mother when he was sick.......

Ren, swallowed by pain, had no room to think of anything else. Only one feeling remained like a candle flame: he wanted Temar to hold his hand.

Temar, watching him, moved one foot. It was a heavy, slow step. Gritting his teeth, he took Ren into his eyes. It was a sight as shocking as lightning striking his head. Temar had never once imagined Ren like this. Even while seeing it, he could not believe it, and he did not want to believe it.

Temar slowly moved forward. Even his heart seemed to be beating slowly.

As he blinked slowly, Jepeto entered his field of vision. He looked frightened, as if startled by Temar.

Temar stopped walking.

Ah. This time, even Temar himself could tell. A savage aura was surging from his body as if about to explode. It was only barely contained, rippling just below the surface. If he exploded and lost reason, someone would die, and in the end, Ren’s treatment would become difficult.

“Te...... Temar.......”

It was a piteous voice. The dry voice wrung out from inside the pain held a sob. A voice faint as smoke, sounding as though it might vanish at any moment, was calling Temar. Peruan could not bring himself to intervene and only held Ren’s shoulders. Ren’s body seemed to have become a heart itself; through his shoulders, Peruan could feel that heart beating rapidly. Peruan signaled Jepeto with his eyes, but Jepeto remained frozen in the same position, examining the sweet jelly as if afraid of something.

Temar, who had been approaching slowly as if moving through water, did not move.

Ren’s tears falling drop by drop, the thin hand stretched toward him, the green eyes in that faded, clouded gaze holding only him—Temar saw it all clearly with his own two eyes.

And yet.

Temar turned away.

His broad back filled Ren’s vision.

And just like that, he left the room.

“.......”

Temar. Temar. Temar......! Temar!

Tears poured out uncontrollably. Ren hated the fact that he could not speak properly right now. Without even blinking, he stared at the place Temar had turned away through.

He could not believe it. Temar, Temar had again! Temar had left him behind again! Temar! Temar!

Finding strength from somewhere, Ren thrashed, shoved Peruan away, and tumbled off the bed.

“Ren!!”

Peruan, his face drained of color, grabbed him. But Ren did not obediently leave himself in his hands. Driven by sheer stubbornness, he shoved the table aside and crawled across the floor, trying to follow Temar out.

“Ren—! Aah!”

Coco, who had rushed into the room with Priest Kirky, screamed.

The sight of Ren crawling on the floor was wretched beyond words. The tears pouring like rain down a face that looked abandoned by the whole world made it easy to guess what the person who had just passed them had done.

Coco approached Ren with an angry face.

In the hallway, Seton and Hugh looked inside, then did not enter out of consideration for them.

“Ren! Please, come to your senses! You need to take care of your body first, why...... sob.”

I would never abandon you, Ren.

Coco’s words came out almost by instinct. And paradoxically, her words stabbed into Ren’s chest like a dagger.

Just now, Temar—Temar had “abandoned” him and left. All Ren had wanted was to hold a warm hand.

“Everyone. Ahem. Priest Kirky will examine Ren, so please calm down. Lady Coco, please stop crying and step back for a moment. Young Count. You as well!”

Kirky even had the composure to wink at Peruan. But worry showed even on Priest Kirky’s pale face. He moved the others back and lifted Ren into his arms. His arms trembled as if it was difficult for him, but his hold was unexpectedly steady. Looking at Ren, who was only shedding tears in devastation, he clicked his tongue.

After laying Ren on the bed, Kirky stroked his hair. His head, full of fever from resentment and anger, injustice and grief, the misery of being abandoned, and the pain of illness, seemed to be washed clean beneath that touch. For an instant, Ren’s expression eased.

Kirky carefully stroked Ren’s hair again and again. It was the touch of a mother soothing a sick child.

As the pain blurred, sadness deepened in Ren’s eyes. Temar’s back leaving him behind, that image of him, kept repeating endlessly.

“Ren. Some things are best simply let go.”

“.......”

When Kirky lowered his head, his long hair tickled Ren’s face. Wearing a benevolent expression Ren had never seen before, he patted Ren’s chest. Light gathered at his fingertips. As he recited an incomprehensible prayer, that light quietly flowed into Ren’s body.

“When the heart is troubled, suffering is bound to arise. I just offered a devout prayer for you, Ren!”

His voice was light and cheerful. As if he had not seen or heard that miserable scene from moments ago. His clear, clean face and eyes transparent as glass beads smiled down at Ren. Innocent, mischievous.

“Try imagining a round, shining circle. Then your heart will feel much better. You know, this Kirky does that whenever his heart feels uneasy. They say the worthy among the dead wear one and become angels!”

It was hard to tell whether he was trying to comfort Ren or simply chattering. The one certain thing was that Ren had stabilized.

“Hehe. You need not look so surprised. Everyone knows this Kirky’s divine power is incredible! Isn’t that right, Lady Coco?”

“You, even in a situation like this....... Fine! Good work. Is Ren...... all right?”

“What do you take me for? A simple poison like this, I can handle—kyaaak!”

“Poison?!”

Coco immediately grabbed Kirky by the collar. Ren was blinking slowly. At Coco’s fierce question asking whether he had eaten poison, Ren quietly shook his head.

“Cough, cough! That’s not what I mean! All food contains toxicity! Ren is simply so weak that those trifling things triggered a seizure. And I pushed them cleanly out with my divine power. Now you may eat whatever you want to your heart’s content, without worrying.”

This time, Kirky looked at Ren and winked.