Chapter 85

Blaine had enjoyed waiting in front of Theo’s house, but spending time alone in the empty house left him feeling gloomy. The hours apart felt like he was being slowly erased from Theo’s thoughts.

Restless, Blaine pulled up the display to check the time, but it seemed to pass impossibly slowly. Eventually, he rose from the sofa and began pacing the room. He opened the window and stared blankly in the direction of Theo’s house, briefly considering just going over there. Noquia had suggested it, and neither Father nor Holanghee had objected. Staying home wouldn’t get him any sleep anyway. Yet, he also wanted to obey Theo—after all, Theo would be happy if he behaved.

Caught in this push and pull of emotions, Blaine’s thoughts were interrupted by the “ding” of incoming mail. Curious, he went to check the mailbox and found two more letters arriving in quick succession. The senders were Holanghee, Father, and Noquia, each titled something like “Secret from Theo,” “Don’t tell Theo,” or “Read without Theo knowing.”

The instructions to view the letters secretly made Blaine glance at Theo’s house once more, then shut the window and turn back to open the letters. Inside, there were no messages—only a few photographs.

Blaine’s eyes widened as he realized what they depicted: pictures of him and Theo asleep together in the guild dormitory. From resting his head on Theo’s lap to lying face-to-face with their hands intertwined, every image captured the intimacy of those moments.

Unable to blink, Blaine stared at the photos, joy radiating across his face. He quickly sent a grateful reply to the three who had sent the pictures, then opened the window again to gaze at Theo’s house.

Dragging a chair close to the window, Blaine alternated between looking at the photos and the house, resting his head on the sill. His cheeks glowed with happiness. Tonight, the photos alone were enough. He resolved to be an even better, well-behaved child.

At early dawn, Blaine made his way to Theo’s house, heart racing in anticipation. He worried his excitement might burst if he saw Theo, but even that thought filled him with joy.

After a while, he heard movement inside, and the door opened—not revealing Theo, but Aslan.

“Oh, hey.”

“?”

Aslan greeted Blaine cheerfully, but Blaine’s face hardened, disappointment washing over him. Why was Aslan coming out of Theo’s house at this hour? His eyes, wide with confusion, followed Aslan—and then Theo appeared from behind him.

“You’re here?”

Theo smiled at Blaine as usual and stepped forward, gently pushing Aslan aside to descend the steps. Aslan followed shortly after. Blaine, frozen, stammered:

“Why are you two…?”

“Oh, we came early to give the ship materials we got at dawn,” Theo said, slightly excited.

Aslan, hands on his hips, tilted his head back confidently. “See that? My prowess! Worship your hyung. Worship your hyung.”

“Ugh,” Theo muttered, exhaling in annoyance.

Aslan narrowed his eyes at Theo, then hurried over to Blaine to complain.

“Man, this kid’s a total tyrant! I worked hard to get these materials at dawn, and he just snatched them without even paying! I’m so unfairly treated. He’s the perfect example of a bad adult. Kids shouldn’t learn from this!”

Blaine glanced at Theo, flinching at the scolding. Theo immediately clamped a hand over Aslan’s mouth, grit teeth and said:

“What are you saying to a kid?”

“Mmph! Mmph grrr…!”

Blaine’s fists were clenched so tightly that they trembled, his lips pressed together, eyes reddening. The tight grip betrayed both sorrow and mischief bubbling inside him.

“You never let me get anything for free…!”

The frustration and sulkiness bubbled up, but he stayed quiet under the intense scrutiny of the group.

After the morning tussle, Aslan, exhausted from the scolding, suggested they finally go eat breakfast. Theo nodded silently, his energy drained from the skirmish, and took Blaine along, unaware of the storm brewing in Blaine’s heart.

They headed to the town of Sanaret, this time using Aslan’s personal carriage instead of the usual regular stagecoach—more comfortable, faster, and obviously a better choice.

At the shop, familiar faces greeted them. In a corner by the window, Father, Holanghee, and Noquia were already seated together. They waved at the newcomers and naturally made room for them.

Aslan, having ordered and fetched the food for Theo and Blaine, plopped into the seat and teased the trio:

“You three really stick together, huh?”

Their eyes simultaneously darted to Aslan, then to Theo—judging both of them as a pair.

“You haven’t been around much lately,” Father remarked.

Aslan raised a dramatic eyebrow. “You never play with me anymore.”

The trio’s gaze shifted to Blaine, the reason Theo had been distant. But Blaine sat silently, staring blankly at his plate, radiating a subdued, almost gloomy energy. Curious, Holanghee gently called him:

“Blaine?”

Slowly, Blaine lifted his head, eyes meeting Holanghee’s. His usual polite response was absent.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Seeing Blaine’s quiet demeanor, Theo leaned in, concerned.

“I couldn’t sleep well last night, I guess…” Blaine muttered, avoiding eye contact.

“Why couldn’t you sleep? Are you really okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine…”

“Then would you like to rest at the guild dorm today?”

“No, it’s okay…”

“…Alright then.”

Though Blaine normally stayed close to Theo, today there was a strange distance between them—self-imposed by Blaine. Theo wanted to ask why, but with so many people around, he decided to wait until they were alone. He patted Blaine’s back twice for reassurance and continued the conversation with the others.

The topic shifted to the ship materials Aslan had brought.

“He practically mugged me. Everything I got, he just took,” Aslan complained, pouting.

Noquia poked him with a spoon. “And you just let him? Aren’t you a sucker?”

“I’m a good friend, not a sucker!” Aslan defended, exaggeratedly clutching his fists near his mouth.

The group frowned at the performance.

“Why not show some of that ‘goodness’ to us?” Noquia teased.

“Call me a ‘good friend who picks his victims’ then,” Aslan quipped.

“You should be proud of being conned. You, crazy fool,” Noquia laughed, shaking her head.

Aslan chuckled and turned to Theo. “Honestly, if I tally up what I’ve lost to him, I could build a tower.”

“Consider it charity work for the needy,” Theo said flatly, splitting his bread and handing half to Blaine.

Blaine didn’t touch his own portion but eagerly accepted what Theo gave him, nibbling it like a baby bird.

Aslan, slightly jealous that he couldn’t snatch Theo’s share, shoved a piece of toast into his mouth, grumbling, “This charity is too tyrannical. Who robs the needy like this?”

Theo glared and snatched the toast back into his own mouth. Their playful tug-of-war escalated, sparks flying. Noquia noticed her dessert, a Yorkshire pudding, being eyed and quickly handed it to Blaine before she could protest.

“Hey…!”

Noquia could only gape at Blaine holding the pudding. Resigned, she ordered another one for herself.

Theo placed a spoon in Blaine’s hand. Blaine hesitated, then took a bite, and tears suddenly began streaming down his face.

“?!”

Everyone froze, stunned by the unexpected display. Between sobs, Blaine mumbled through his full mouth, voice shaky and broken:

“I… I can be a good friend too…”

“…What?”

Theo, unsure if he’d heard right, leaned in. Blaine finally pulled out the spoon, tears falling like raindrops, and whispered, barely holding his breath:

“Why don’t you let me… help my friends…?”