Fairy Trap

, so what’s the reason for suddenly withdrawing his sword like this?

Leaving the training ground behind him, Sethian headed for his room.
To be exact, it was because what he was chasing was headed in that direction.

Sethian quickly approached the certain point in the invisible air and slowed his steps as if catching up with something.

“Didn’t you say you’d stay awake during the day?”

He asked as if there was someone in a place where no one was.
There was no one seen, so it would only be natural that no answer would be heard, but the natural voice of someone was flowing into Sethian’s head.

-Oh…, Um….
I was going to do that but….

He hesitated and then mumbles with a sigh.

-Really, how do you know….

A faint presence that was floating in the air floated around him as if testing if he could find it, and Sethian kept his eyes on the presence and never missed the mark.

“I can somehow perceive a sign of your presence.”

Is it because his five senses have developed due to the long-term threat of assassination? Though of course, his interest in Joo Yi-Gyeol could also have played a role.

-Do I have a presence?

Instead of answering, Sethian silently looked at Yi-Gyeol who was in the soul state.

The first time he noticed Yi-Gyeol’s presence in the bath was through the airflow of the water vapor, as if something stood out slightly that made him pay attention.
When he looked at that specific part and focused his attention on it, he felt a strange and faint presence that was different from the other spaces around him.
Since then, he had fully remembered the sensations at that time, so he was able to recognize the difference even without water vapor.

It was certainly a strange phenomenon for Yi-Gyeol, but Sethian could already hear his voice from a long time ago.
There are cases such as his older brother, Zair, whom they had met before, so he thought it could also be the case that he now was able to feel the presence like Zair does.

-At this rate, won’t you be able to touch souls like that person did at that time?

They were words uttered without much meaning, but Sethian’s mood changed for a brief moment.
It was an unsatisfied ripple as if a rough stone had been thrown into a calm lake.

-Oh, you’re going to your room, right?

It was only for a brief moment, but Yi-Gyeol recognized Sethian’s emotions, and quickly changed the subject and flew to the room.
While on the way, he chatted about trivial things, but Sethian followed him and quietly accepted everything he had to say.

The road to the bedroom was as complicated as a maze, but Yi-Gyeol proceeded without hesitation as he had already come to the bedroom several times as a soul.
It’s like he’s guiding the way.

Having reached the front of the bedroom, Yi-Gyeol passed through Kirsty and one of the attendants, who stood guarding the room and entered the door first.
The two of them who were waiting paid respect to the approaching Sethian.

“You’re back, Your Highness.”

“I’ll go to the bathhouse, so get ready.”

“Yes.”

While the servant rushed to get ready for the bath, Sethian entered the bedroom.
Around that time, a faint sign stayed in front of Yi-Gyeol, who was sleeping soundly on the bed.
The presence gradually got sucked into Yi-Gyeol’s body and seeped in as if being absorbed completely.
Immediately after, Yi-Gyeol’s eyes, who had been asleep without even moving once, twitched a few times and soon lifted his eyelids.

Yi-Gyeol’s eyes blinked slowly a couple of times, then pleasantly curved as they contained Sethian within them.

“You’ve worked hard.”

They were only a few words, but Sethian didn’t hate it.
On the contrary, he felt good as if he was being tickled inside by a small feather-like thing.

Sethian approached the bed and habitually patted Yi-Gyeol’s disheveled hair.

“You can sleep some more.”

“No, you’re here, so I’ll stay up.”

Sethian gently pressed Yi-Gyeol to lay down again, who had already raised his upper body.

“I have to go to the bath anyway, so lie down for the time being.
I’ll prepare you a meal when I get back.”

Saying that, Sethian was about to let go of his hand when he caught the disappointment reflected on Yi-Gyeol’s face at first glance.
He wondered why and quickly found the answer.

Yi-Gyeol was not able to take care of his body properly yet, and could only manage to wash his face or hair with the water that the servants brought to his bedroom.
His body was only wiped with a towel soaked in warm water, so he must’ve been wanting to soak in the bath.

However, Sethian couldn’t send him to the bathroom as he wanted.
He couldn’t trust any of his servants.
Most of the time when taking care of Yi-Gyeol in the bedroom, it was done personally by Sethian himself or by the help of his close aides, Lenox and Kirsty, but in the bathroom, an attendant is needed to take care of Yi-Gyeol’s inconvenienced body.
Even when he was in the bedroom, he didn’t want to show his body enough to hide under the blanket if someone came in, but it was clear that if Sethian told him that he had to be helped by a servant, Yi-Gyeol would force himself to endure it.

Above all, Sethian didn’t want others to see Yi-Gyeol’s naked body.
It may be because Yi-Gyeol hates exposing himself, but when he thinks that someone else saw Yi-Gyeol’s body, Sethian strangely feels displeased.

Sethian’s hand stroked Yi-Gyeol’s sunken cheek.

“Would you like to go to the bath with me?”

“Can I go?”

As soon as Sethian asked, Yi-Gyeol asked back with a twinkle in his eyes.
When Sethian looked down at those eyes, the brief unpleasantness from a while ago disappeared without a trace.