OPDPS 65

A grown man flustered like that?

If it were one of his subordinates acting like that, he’d just find it pathetic.

He had thought Aeryl had a pretty face before. But he’d regarded it like saying an apple was red, or snow was white—just a simple, objective observation, never something he paid attention to.

But finding him cute was different. Cute wasn’t based on objective standards—it was an intensely subjective impression.

Until now, the Grand Duke had only ever found a few things cute: baby goats, newborn puppies, Sorel when he was a baby…

‘…Why am I thinking like this about Aeryl?’

Something was definitely off. It really felt like something inside him had broken.

***

Harsh sunlight fell across his face. His eyelids couldn’t block it anymore, so Aeryl had no choice but to open his eyes.

‘It’s morning…’

He sat up, his body heavy and stiff—proof of the exhausting labor from the night before.

“Yaaawn…”

He let out a massive yawn and stretched.

Last night, after finishing the Grand Duke’s examination, Aeryl had gone straight back to the infirmary. He’d only meant to finish preparing the medicine Lady Merel had requested, but by the time he was done, it was dawn.

‘Did I sleep… three hours?’

Since the medicine was supposed to be delivered by morning, it was time to get up.

“Eek!”

Startled by a sudden shriek, Aeryl blinked open his drowsy eyes. Connie was standing at the doorway connecting the room. She covered her mouth with her hand as if surprised by her own scream, but her eyes were locked onto his face.

‘Did something go wrong with my glasses?’

Aeryl quickly adjusted them. They were perfectly fine, covering his eyes as they should.

“Good morning, Connie.”

“Heavens, what is that mess?”

So that’s why she screamed?

“Your hair’s all sticking out, your skin’s dry, and your eyes are sunken… I went through all that trouble to make you look nice, and this is what you do?!”

Connie pressed her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes like she might faint.

“Ah, it’s not that bad.”

“No! Living like this with that face is a crime.”

“…I’ll go wash up.”

He surrendered, overwhelmed by her intensity.

“That won’t be enough! Please, manage your hair, ditch those tacky glasses, and for heaven’s sake, skincare…!”

Once again, Connie reminded him of the palace maids. A memory resurfaced—an old nightmare where they’d spent an entire day grooming him from head to toe. Aeryl gave an involuntary shiver.

Time to run.

“I’ll be back!”

He fled to his room in a hurry. He hadn’t realized Connie could be so terrifying… But thinking of her shocked expression made him laugh. She suddenly felt much more familiar and approachable.

After washing up and changing, Aeryl returned to the infirmary.

“I’m heading to the East Wing!”

He grabbed the prepared medicine and made a run for it. If he lingered, she’d start ‘managing’ him again.

‘My face really draws too much attention.’

He was well aware that his looks stood out. Last time, he’d naively let Connie dress him up, but he’d realized now that it wasn’t a good idea.

‘If I want to come and go without being noticed, I need to stay like this.’

Getting the medicine delivered wasn’t easy. The corridor connecting to the East Wing from the central building had a gatekeeper. Even though the man had seen Aeryl passing through multiple times, he blocked the way.

“No one may enter the East Wing without permission.”

“I’m here at Lady Merel’s request. She asked me to deliver this medicine by morning. You saw me yesterday.”

“You may not enter.”

The gatekeeper just repeated himself. After a tiresome argument, Aeryl finally managed to get through.

‘Now where am I supposed to go?’

Just getting in was a battle, and now a new problem arose. He had no idea where to deliver the medicine. No maids were in sight. He’d assumed someone would be waiting for him to receive it.

‘Should I head to the reception room?’

He tried to recall the way and headed there. He’d only been twice before—and those times, he’d been following someone else in a rush. Finding the way on his own was not easy.

In short, he got lost.

Sigh…

He trudged down identical-looking hallways and eventually stopped. He had no idea where he was. Maybe someone would walk by. Or maybe he should just open one of the doors and look inside.

As he was weighing his options, one of the doors down the hall opened at the perfect moment. Aeryl felt a spark of hope. Looks like I’m saved again! He rushed toward the open door.

And then—he locked eyes with someone he hadn’t expected at all: the Grand Duke’s younger brother.

“My lord!”

Sorel flinched at the sight of Aeryl and looked like he was about to bolt again. Why does this kid run away every time he sees me?

“Wait! Just a second! Please help me!”

Aeryl called out desperately. The boy—already halfway down the hall—froze and cautiously turned back to look at him.

“…What is it?”

The boy hesitated before asking in a small voice.

“I got lost.”

“…Here?”

The boy gave him a look that clearly said how pathetic. Well, maybe it’s your house, but it’s unfamiliar territory for me! Aeryl wanted to argue, but he was the one in need, so he forced a sheepish laugh.

“Where are you trying to go?”

“The reception room.”

“You’re totally in the wrong direction. Follow me.”

The boy walked ahead, and Aeryl followed at a small distance. Naturally, his eyes fell on the boy’s back—and something about his movements felt off.

‘His walk is a little unnatural. Is there something wrong with his foot?’

At a glance, it looked normal. But the longer Aeryl watched, the more he noticed that subtle limp—an uneven gait often seen in people with an injury.

‘Looks like a twisted ankle or something…’

It seemed like he could tell if he looked up close. While Aeryl kept his eyes on the boy’s ankle, the boy stopped walking.

“Ah, is this it? Yeah, it’s the place from yesterday.”

“…But there’s no one here.”

“Really? What a bother… I guess we’ll just have to wait. Thanks, my lord.”

“…”

Is he embarrassed? His face was blunt, but his ears were red. Kids will always be kids.

‘Hmm, considering he’s supposed to be hostile toward the Grand Duke, I’m being careful… But ignoring an injured child, especially one so young, just isn’t right.’

Aeryl, having made up his mind, cautiously asked.

“My lord, does it hurt when you walk?”

“Not really.”

“Come on, that’s not true. From the way you’re frowning, it looks like it really hurts.”

“I told you it doesn’t!”

“I’ll take care of it for you. You’ll be fine in no time. You won’t even feel the pain.”

Aeryl smiled and gently reassured the boy. At the same time, he didn’t forget to release his pheromones. For kids, this was the best approach.

“…It’ll really be better right away?”

“Yeah. Of course.”

“You won’t tell anyone. Got it?”

“Got it, got it.”

So, it wasn’t that he was scared of the healing magic—it was just that he didn’t want anyone to know he was injured? Aeryl led the boy into the reception room and sat him down on the sofa. Quickly, before the boy could change his mind, he removed his shoes and socks and examined his ankle.

“Didn’t it hurt? It must have been hard to walk.”

The swelling in the boy’s ankle was clearly visible. The condition was worse than he’d expected. How had he managed to walk around pretending to be fine in this state?

“It doesn’t hurt at all, ugh!”

Not hurt, huh? Aeryl was startled by how the boy flinched at the slightest touch.

“Looks like you’ve sprained your ankle. You probably made it worse by walking and running on it.”

What’s commonly called a sprained ankle happens when the ligaments are injured. Had no one around the boy noticed? It was easy to spot, even with just a quick glance.

“If I use healing magic, your ankle should be fine.”

As Aeryl explained, he placed his hand on the boy’s ankle. He focused on the cause while performing the healing spell, and, just in case, continued to release pheromones. The boy, being from a noble family, wasn’t too surprised by the healing magic itself.

“I’ll check one more time.”

He touched the boy’s ankle again. The swelling had gone down, and the pain had disappeared.

“All done. It’s fine now, but sprained ankles can become a habit, so it’s better to treat it properly. I’d recommend checking it again tomorrow.”

As he lifted his head, his eyes met the boy’s. The boy’s piercing blue gaze reminded Aeryl of the Grand Duke.

“My lord, you resemble His Majesty.”

Aeryl said it without thinking. In an instant, the boy’s face turned bright red, and he shoved Aeryl’s shoulders with both hands. Aeryl, who had been kneeling, fell backward.

“I-I don’t!”

The boy shouted in protest, then let out a few sharp breaths before quickly running out of the room.

‘Oh, did I say something he didn’t like?’

Lady Merel had said the Grand Duke wasn’t liked, so maybe the same sentiment extended to Lord Sorel as well.

Now that I think about it, what does the Grand Duke think of him?