Since Lowell still needed time to recover, heading into the village right away was out of the question. The two of them agreed to return to the manor for now and rest, then go down to the village together on the final day of the festival.
Even after hearing that Lowell had been injured, the Count of House Clarke didn't respond—let alone take action. The Count had preemptively silenced the servants, assuming it was the Emperor's will. Even Tanya didn't ask if he was alright; she merely glanced at his shoulder to check the wound. Lowell couldn't help but think, the original owner of this body must have been terribly lonely.
Surrounded by people who weren't truly on his side, Lowell found himself looking forward to the outing with Felix all the more.
Time passed slowly. Lowell spent most of those stretched-out days sleeping. Tanya, assuring him that it was only natural because of the pregnancy, brought meals to his room, but he didn't have much appetite. Even so, he forced himself to take a few bites, for the sake of the baby—and himself.
Eventually, the long wait came to an end. The promised day arrived.
Felix showed up in the same carriage as before, dressed in attire that, while not dramatically different from usual, looked as if he had put in more effort. Without the intimidating air he carried, he could've easily been mistaken for a young man preparing for his first date.
Lowell, having predicted this exact scenario, handed Felix a change of clothes.
So he really was planning to strut around in that flashy carriage and shout 'I'm a noble!' with that outfit. He must've never set foot in a village outside his own estate.
Felix looked at the clothes with a blank expression, as if asking what is this, but Lowell spoke firmly.
"Your Grace, please change into this outfit inside the carriage."
"What?"
The carriage was wide enough to change clothes comfortably, and it's windows prevented any outside view. Still, the sudden request clearly caught Felix off guard.
"If we're going into the village, we should try enjoying it like ordinary people."
"Yes. If you dress like that, everyone will immediately know a noble's come down, and it'll just draw attention. It'll be hard to move around freely. I want to blend in with the crowd and enjoy the festival in secret."
Felix raised an eyebrow but didn't argue—he wasn't the type to be stubborn about things he didn't understand well. He obediently entered the carriage and changed. Though the commoner's clothes were a bit short on him—especially the pants, which stopped awkwardly around his calves—he somehow still looked elegant, thanks to his good looks and well-built frame.
Even dressed like that, it's pointless. He still looks like a noble trying to pretend to be common.
Lowell finally handed him a robe. But Felix didn't take it—he simply stared down at it in silence before speaking.
"You should wear the robe instead."
"Me?"
"Yes. You have...a rather conspicuous face. Unnecessarily."
It was rare for Felix to trail off his words. Lowell knew the body he was in was beautiful, but he didn't think it rivaled Felix's. He almost laughed.
Is this what they call rose-colored glasses?
Rather than point that out, Lowell turned to Tanya—who was fidgeting anxiously at a distance—and asked her to bring another robe. Felix seemed satisfied only after Lowell was fully cloaked. He even instinctively pulled the hood low over Lowell's golden hair to cover it more thoroughly. Meanwhile, he draped his own robe loosely over his shoulder with little care.
"We'll park the carriage a little outside the village."
Since walking all the way from the manor wasn't practical, Lowell agreed. The carriage might be ostentatious, but it's ride was smooth—no complaints there.