Lowell found himself pushed all the way to the edge of the crowd, utterly at a loss. With this fragile body, he has neither the strength to push back through the wall of people nor the confidence to find Felix again.
Now what...
The most logical move was probably to wait by the carriage—but would Felix think of that?
Let's just stay here for now. He wouldn't actually shut down the whole festival just to find me....right? It's the last night. There's no way they could control this many people.
Because the play had run so long, it was already dark. Lanterns enchanted with light magic flickered to life throughout the plaza. The crowd, desperate to burn away the last of the celebration, seemed half-mad with energy. Some were drunk, and many who weren't were acting like they were.
Can he even find me in all this?
Resigned, Lowell say down on the ground. Maybe once the crowd thinned, Felix would be easier to spot—he was half a head taller than most people, after all.
But that line of thought was swiftly rendered irrelevant.
A dark wave of black magic, deeper than the surrounding night, spilled across the plaza floor and surged directly towards Lowell. In any other situation, it might've been terrifying—but instead, he felt relieved.
"Lowell!"
Using his magic to locate him, Felix rushed over in a heartbeat. He grabbed both of Lowell's arms with his large hands—then quickly loosened his grip, startled by his own strength. Something that felt like nothing to him could easily hurt Lowell.
Forgetful of the attention drawn by his magic, they simply stood there for a moment, staring at each other. Lowell was surprised Felix had found him so quickly—but more than that, he was stunned at how reassured he felt by that fact.
Am I....more emotionally dependent on him than I thought?
He wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one. Felix was just as conflicted. The ache from earlier still lingered, but the relief of finding Lowell eclipse it. Neither knew what to say. Their mouths stayed shit, weighted down by jumped thoughts and tangled feelings.
They stood still, sharing the same emotion but thinking entirely different things.
Bang, pa-pow.
Suddenly, the silence between them was shattered by the booming crack of fireworks. Instinctively, Lowell tilted his head back and stared up at the sky, mouth slightly agape. The magical firework display was as dazzling and Grand as anything he remembered from modern times.
"It's beautiful."
The awkwardness vanished, and the words came naturally. A blue streak shot high into the night sky, rising and rising until it exploded in a wide circle. Showers of glowing light fell like meteors, blanketing the heavens. Lowell stared, spellbound.
In that crowd, only Felix had his gaze fixed elsewhere. He watched, transfixed, not the fireworks in the sky, but the reflection of them in Lowell's eyes.
"....Yeah. Beautiful."
He whispered the words so quietly, they were drown out by the thunder of the next firework.
By the time the display ended, it was later than they planned to return. The gates of both the Imperial Capital and the Count's estate would already be shut. It was still possible to enter by identifying themselves, but the procedures at night were tedious—most people avoided them.
Naturally, they decided to stay at an Inn.
"So you think there'll be rooms?"
Even on the last night, this was the biggest festival in the Empire. Inns were usually packed with revelers who wanted to squeeze out every last moment.
"There's a place that only houses nobles. It's rare for them to run out of rooms."
Felix led Lowell down a quiet alley to a grand, elegant Inn. Just from the doorway, it was clear this was a place meant for nobility.
"Welcome."
The Innkeeper didn't even ask for Felix's name—he didn't have to. He clearly recognize the Grand Duke on sight.
"Welcome, Your Grace. How should we prepare your rooms?"
"Two rooms, please."
The Innkeeper bowed apologetically.
"I'm afraid we only have one single left at the moment. However, there is one suite with two bedrooms, if that would be acceptable."
Felix gave a short nod, completely un-bothered.
"Here is your key. We can bring breakfast to your room in the morning, or you may dine in the hall."
"We'll come down."
Normally, Felix would've skipped breakfast or had something simple in his room—but with Lowell, he intended to eat properly.
"If there's anything else you need, please don't hesitate to ask."
With polite words, the Innkeeper bowed again. Lowell followed Felix as they were shown to the suite. Though it was an Inn, it felt closer in size to a full house—clearly designed for the very wealthy.
"Go wash up and get some sleep."
The bathroom had magical water orbs created by water mages—perfect for bathing. Felix waited until Lowell had washed and gone into his room before heading in himself.
"Haa...."
Lowell sano into the bed, which was just as soft and luxurious as anything at the Count's manor. He hadn't done much that day by his own standards, but his whole body ached. As soon as his eyes closed, fatigue overtook him, and sleep followed.