The domain had changed. Dramatically so.
White smoke rose from every chimney, and the light seeping through the window cracks was warm. No longer did the domain’s people shiver through the night, clinging to each other for warmth. It was all thanks to the Ondol Elian had supplied. Once the floors grew hot, color returned to people’s faces, and laughter never stopped.
“My Lord! Thank you!”
“Thanks to you, I kicked off my blanket last night!”
Praise poured in wherever he went. The children would trail after Elian the moment they spotted him, calling out “Wizard Lord!”, and the elders would grab his hands with tears streaming down their faces. It was, by every measure, an era of peace and plenty.
And yet, the very Lord who had brought about that era — Elian — was quietly burning up inside.
…Not even a glimpse of him.
Elian stole a glance up at the VIP room window on the second floor of the Lord’s manor. The curtains were firmly shut. It had already been two days since that scorching hot spring date… the almost-kiss incident. That night, Calix had retreated to his room as if fleeing, and hadn’t shown his face since.
Is he embarrassed? Or… is he sulking because I didn’t open my mouth?
Elian chewed his lip. If Calix had gotten angry or come at him directly, he could at least react — but this radio silence was maddening.
“My Lord! Materials coming through here! Please move!”
A worker’s shout snapped Elian back to his senses. This was no time to be lost in his feelings. The laborers who’d finished the Ondol construction had been deployed straight to the next project — the building of the Valeria Public Bathhouse.
“Right. Let’s just work. Work and earn money.”
Elian tucked away his bitterness and rolled the blueprints up in his hand. What did it matter if His Highness the Grand Duke refused to see him? He had concrete and bricks.
* * *
The hot spring development site was nothing short of a battlefield. Digging the earth, laying pipes, raising walls — work was in full swing. Of everything on-site, Elian was putting the most effort into a private space at the edge of the most scenic cliff.
“Those tiles! Why are they this color? I said bring the premium ones!”
Elian’s sharp reprimand rang out.
“My Lord, this is already quite expensive marble…”
“No. This space is for His Highness. It has to be the finest white marble — not a single flaw. And the bathtub will be wood, not stone.”
Elian opened the System Shop. He had plenty of points, but even so, these items were extravagantly priced.
[Purchase: Premium Hinoki (Cypress) Bathtub]
― Made from 300-year-old cypress timber
― Antibacterial, fatigue recovery, Mana stabilization effects
― Price: 2,000 BP
Two thousand points. Enough gold to repair ten ordinary homes. But Elian pressed the purchase button without a moment’s hesitation.
He’ll like this.
That expression from the hot spring last time — the exhaustion melting away. His half-lidded eyes gone languid in the water, and that comfortable smile. He wanted to see that face again. If Calix could sink into this tub, breathe in the fragrant cedar scent, and smile — no amount of points would feel wasted.
“…My Lord.”
Hans, the steward who had been tallying the ledger beside him, clicked his tongue.
“We’re over budget. A single bathtub for His Highness’s private bathroom costs more than all the tiling for the public bath combined.”
“Ahem. It’s an investment. An investment. His Highness’s condition has to be good for our domain to be at peace.”
“I’m not so sure. In my view, it looks less like an investment and more like…”
Hans swallowed the rest of his words and smiled meaningfully. He’d wanted to say personal interest — but seeing his Lord’s face flush red, it seemed there was no need to spell it out.
“A-anyway! I’m putting in a showerhead with a massage function too. One with adjustable water pressure!”
Elian raised his voice for no real reason and threw himself into directing the site. Running his hand along the carefully sanded cypress tub, Elian let himself imagine. Filling this tub with warm water, sitting side by side with Calix, peeling tangerines.
If we could… share a kiss again…
The moment his thoughts drifted that far, his face burned. There was no question about it now. He was waiting for that man.
* * *
By afternoon, snow had begun to fall. Elian was covered in dust and dirt, checking the pipe connections, when a commotion broke out at the site entrance.
“His Highness the Grand Duke is arriving!”
Elian looked up. In the distance, Calix was approaching under escort from knights on black horses. Draped in a thick fur cloak over his black uniform, he was impossibly, almost unreally beautiful against the backdrop of falling snow.
He came!
Elian’s heart pounded. Two whole days. The joy of seeing him came first. Elian nearly threw down the wrench in his hand and ran out to meet him.
“Your Highness! I’m over here…!”
Elian was waving and moving toward him — and then his steps stopped cold. Calix, having dismounted, let his gaze slide right past Elian.
“…Huh?”
It wasn’t that he hadn’t seen him. Their eyes had clearly met. But Calix turned his head away with indifferent ease, as if looking at a stranger. And then he spoke only to Kyle, the Knight Commander who had come out to greet him.
“Construction progress.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Proceeding on schedule. The hot spring vein is stable as well.”
“Security? Any signs of outsiders approaching?”
“Thoroughly controlled.”
Only stiff, formal reports passed between them. Elian stood there blankly, watching. Was this really the same man who had held him in wet arms in the mountains just two days ago? Where was that gentle man who had stripped off his own coat out of worry for Elian’s cold — and in his place, had a cold ice sculpture taken up residence again?
What…
Elian mustered his courage and stepped closer.
“Your Highness! You’re here! I’m right over…!”
But Calix never looked his way. Before Kyle even finished his report, Calix turned sharply, his cloak sweeping behind him.
“That’s enough. Let’s go back.”
“What? You’re leaving already? The VIP suite is nearly finished — won’t you at least take a look before you go?”
Elian called out urgently, but Calix was already mounting his horse. With the cold clatter of hooves, he left the site without leaving so much as a shadow behind.
Left standing there alone, Elian’s raised hand found nowhere to go. The tips of his fingers were cold. It wasn’t the weather.
“…Did I do something wrong?”
Being treated like he was invisible. That treatment carved into his chest far more painfully than anger ever could. Could it be because he’d pulled away from the kiss that day? Or — now that the pipes were laid and the Ondol was installed — was there simply nothing left to come for?
A thousand thoughts tangled through his head. His heart felt like it had dropped straight to the floor.
* * *
Night had deepened. The office of the Lord’s manor was dim, lit by a single candle. Elian sat at his desk, but not a single word of work was registering.
The System Window still showed a comfortable amount of points and gold. The domain had grown prosperous, and the people were happy. Everything was running more perfectly than planned. So why did it feel so hollow.
“I’m hungry.”
Elian muttered. He’d eaten dinner, but it felt like his insides were completely empty. This hunger wasn’t the kind that food could fill.
It’s because my Mana hasn’t been recharged. Right, I’ve been pushing too hard lately.
Elian made excuses to himself. This emptiness wasn’t because he missed Calix — it was simply Mana depletion. Which meant it was fine to go find him.
Elian shot up from his seat. But he couldn’t just show up empty-handed. He needed an excuse.
“Dinner. Right — I’ll say I brought something good to eat, so let’s eat together.”
Elian went down to the kitchen and prepared a cart himself. A premium tenderloin steak and red wine from the System Shop. And a whole basket of the tangerines Calix had liked.
Surely this will soften him a little?
Elian put on a forced smile and pushed the cart toward the second-floor VIP room. The sound of the wheels rolling felt unusually loud.
Knock, knock.
“Your Highness, it’s Elian.”
No answer. Elian swallowed and carefully turned the handle. It wasn’t locked.
“I’m coming in.”
The room was dark. Calix was standing at the window, staring out at the northern sky. In his hand was a crumpled letter.
“…Aren’t you hungry?”
Elian deliberately kept his voice bright as he pushed the cart inside.
“I grilled some meat. I’ve opened a bottle of wine too — let’s have a glass together. Oh, and the VIP suite bathtub was delivered today, and the cypress scent is absolutely something. Later, we should definitely—”
“Elian.”
Calix cut him off and turned slowly. His expression was stiff, set hard. That same cold face he’d worn at the site earlier in the day.
“I have to go back.”
Elian’s hand stopped.
“…Pardon? Go back where?”
“The Drac Grand Duchy. My castle.”
Elian stared at him blankly. Go back? Just like that?
“Why… why are you leaving so suddenly? The construction isn’t finished, and winter isn’t over yet.”
“His Majesty the Emperor is apparently coming.”
Calix furrowed his brow and tossed the letter onto the table. Elian’s gaze went to it. The words written in elegant script looked at first glance like a brotherly exchange of pleasantries — but the content was chilling.
My dear younger brother. I hear there is a flame that has melted your frozen heart? I simply cannot bear the curiosity of seeing that face for myself. I shall come to see it in person.
Calix ground his teeth. Mikhail. That man took pleasure in finding his weaknesses and breaking them. If he came all the way to this domain and laid eyes on Elian — whether he tried to seduce him, threaten him, or destroy him just to torment Calix — there was no telling what he might do.
“I need to go and intercept him. I can’t let His Majesty come all the way to this domain.”
But he couldn’t tell Elian the truth — that the Emperor was coming with his sights set on him. He didn’t want to frighten him. So Calix cut it short.
“I’ll be leaving at dawn tomorrow.”
Calix said it plainly. In his mind, he was only going and coming back — he didn’t think of it as serious. He even continued as if listing things to leave behind for Elian.
“I’ll leave half the knights here. There may be monster stragglers to watch for.”
“…”
“And I’ve put enough gold in the treasury. There’ll be no shortage for finishing the construction.”
The moment Elian heard those words, the color drained from his face. Leaving knights behind. Leaving money. This was a textbook parting. Compensation for the time they’d spent together — or perhaps hush money.
Ah… so that’s what this was, in the end.
Elian’s chest went cold. The Ondol construction was done. The hot spring had been found. And above all, Calix’s condition had greatly improved. He no longer needed Elian as his human heat pack. So he was using the Emperor as an excuse to settle things cleanly and leave.
“…Am I no longer of use to you?”
