Chapter 14
‘I keep finding more things to do.’
Ordinarily, Abel was not the sort of person to speculate about what others were plotting, much less prepare for or prevent it.
Whatever was going to happen would happen anyway. Rather than going through the trouble of trying to stop it in advance, he preferred to deal with things as they come.
But this concerned Felix, not him.
Abel had no particular need to protect himself. Political attacks and public gossip could not harm him, and except in the extraordinary circumstance of the Father’s trial, the position he held could never be taken away.
Felix, however, was different.
Felix was extremely delicate and sensitive, and he was deeply affected by what other people said.
The Felix Abel had known firsthand had been like that, and so was the present-day Felix whom he had begun observing once more.
As he continued taking Felix everywhere with him, Abel noticed that although Felix still smiled like a painting, he was gradually growing more and more exhausted.
Felix found both the admiring gazes and the sympathetic ones burdensome and unwelcome.
It seemed that he disliked people’s attention itself, whether positive or negative.
Perhaps Gregory’s words had not been entirely wrong.
‘It would be best for Felix as well if he lived quietly within the temple, if possible.’
Whether it was simply his nature or something his environment had made him into, Felix sought a quiet, uneventful life.
Which meant that Abel’s confession and everything that had followed because of it had become an enormous source of stress for Felix.
That was probably why the shadows beneath Felix’s eyes were growing darker by the day.
Though his increasingly haggard appearance only seemed to fuel people’s imaginations even more.
“I only want to be in love.”
Why were there so many things he had to worry about?
It was troublesome, but for Felix’s sake, Abel was willing to endure even this inconvenience.
‘But Felix only ever smiles at me without any real feeling behind it.’
He would much rather Felix be angry than smile like that.
Abel looked languidly down at the priest, who had bowed his head even further at Abel’s murmured words, then spoke on impulse.
“I think I’ll take Felix with me to this upcoming event.”
“Pardon?”
Seeing the priest look up in surprise, Abel smiled faintly.
“Make the arrangements.”
The priest, who had gone rigid at Abel’s smile, hurriedly replied,
“Yes, my lord.”
“You may leave now. Send Felix in on your way out.”
Abel had to be seen with Felix in order for the rumors to spread further. But up until now, Abel had refrained from summoning Felix to his chambers except when they were moving from place to place because Felix seemed to dislike it. However, seeing as he was going to such lengths for Felix’s sake, Abel found himself wanting to be a little spiteful toward the man who remained nothing but indifferent.
Resting his chin on his hand, Abel waited for Felix to arrive.
A short while later, the door slowly opened, and Felix appeared. Abel waved at him in greeting.
“Felix.”
Felix looked at the gently waving hand for a moment before greeting him with a smile as beautiful as a flower in full bloom.
“Lord Abel, you called for me?”
Did Felix know? Did he know what people had been saying about the wound on his lip, now almost completely healed?
‘Probably not.’
If he had known, he would have grabbed the first person passing by and asked them to heal it long ago.
‘That, too, is proof that no one dares speak ill in front of Felix.’
Smiling in satisfaction, Abel nodded.
“Yes. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Felix might have kept up that artificial smile all this time, but surely he would not be able to keep smiling after hearing this. Looking forward to Felix’s reaction, Abel asked,
“Do you know about the prayer assembly that begins tomorrow?”
Once every year.
The ten-day prayer assembly, held to offer thanks to the Father who watched over and cared for them, was the largest event of the year. It was also an excellent opportunity to display the Order’s prestige, so the entire temple had been bustling for quite some time already.
There was no way Felix could be unaware of such a major event.
“Yes. I understand that many guests will be visiting the temple.”
It would not be merely ordinary guests attending. Members of the Imperial Family and the nobility of the Empire would be there as well. There would, of course, be many visitors from other kingdoms, but those were the people who mattered to Felix, so there was no need to mention the others.
“Good. Then that makes things easier.”
Abel’s eyes brightened as he looked at Felix’s faintly smiling face.
“You’ll be busy starting tomorrow, so make your preparations.”
“Pardon?”
Felix sounded as though he had misheard him, so Abel repeated himself.
“You will be accompanying me, so prepare yourself.”
“…I wasn’t informed that I would be participating.”
Of course he hadn’t been. Originally, Abel had had no intention of taking Felix with him to the event.
But he was feeling spiteful.
‘I’ve never had a particularly good personality.’
Still, Abel was not entirely the worst sort of person.
‘I should send Felix back before the Imperial Family or the nobles arrive.’
After Felix had fallen silent that day, Abel had reread all the information concerning him. Which meant that he had also looked into every scandal from Felix’s past.
He was acting this childishly because he was sulking and wanted to see Felix angry, but he had no intention of taking it all the way.
“Well, I’m informing you now, aren’t I?”
At those words, delivered with a cheerful smile, cracks began to appear in Felix’s own smile.
Feeling the hostility pouring through those cracks, Abel smiled in satisfaction.
Yes, this is it. This was the Felix Abel loved.
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