After sensing Lewis' presence in the library, Draen immediately headed there without hesitation. His steps were far quicker than usual, enough that even the servants scattered throughout the halls noticed the difference almost instantly.
As he walked through the estate, every servant he passed lowered their head at once, bowing respectfully while greeting him in practiced voices yet Draen barely acknowledged any of them beyond the slightest nod. His attention remained fixed elsewhere, pulled entirely toward the faint presence waiting inside the library.
It had not even been that long since he last saw Lewis and yet the quiet absence had already begun to bother him more than it should have.
The corridors passed quickly beneath his feet.
After only a few minutes, Draen finally arrived in front of the large library doors where Leo and Edrik stood guard outside like usual. The moment they noticed him approaching, both men immediately straightened before bowing instinctively.
"How is he?" Draen asked without wasting a second. His voice remained calm, though the urgency beneath it was impossible to miss.
"His Grace is fine, Your Grace," Leo answered as he lifted his head again. "He first visited the museum earlier and only came here not long ago."
Beside him, Edrik silently nodded in agreement.
At least nothing happened.
The tension in Draen's chest eased slightly after hearing that.
"That's good," he murmured before his gaze shifted briefly toward the far end of the hallway. "Who were the servants that just left?"
On his way there, Draen had clearly sensed several people exiting the library moments before his arrival. Three servants, judging by their footsteps and presence.
Leo glanced toward Edrik for a brief second before answering carefully. "Those were the attendants we selected to accompany His Grace for the day. They stayed nearby in case he needed anything."
"He seemed to have fallen asleep inside, so we allowed them to return to their duties for now," Edrik added respectfully.
Draen's expression softened almost imperceptibly at the mention of Lewis sleeping.
"Asleep?" he repeated quietly, almost to himself.
The image alone was enough to calm the irritation that had lingered in him throughout the morning.
Lewis had likely wandered through the museum until he tired himself out before ending up in the library. Knowing him, he probably chose some hidden corner filled with books before unintentionally falling asleep there.
For some reason, the thought felt strangely endearing.
Draen stepped closer toward the door.
"Alright," he said with his voice lowering slightly. "Open it and let me in."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Leo immediately pushed one side of the heavy library doors open while Edrik stepped aside to clear the path.
The moment the doors parted, the familiar scent of old parchment and polished wood drifted outward. The library remained quiet, almost unnaturally so, with only the faint crackling of the fireplace echoing softly through the massive room.
Then, Draen entered without another word.
His sharp gaze swept across the library once before immediately finding the figure resting near the tall window at the far side of the room.
And just as expected,
Lewis had truly fallen asleep.
Draen stepped forward quietly, careful not to disturb the peaceful silence filling the library. His footsteps softened against the carpeted floor as he approached the table near the tall window.
Lewis was still asleep.
Curled slightly over the table with his head resting against his arm, he looked far more defenseless than usual. The afternoon light spilling through the window cast a pale glow across his face while the gentle wind slipping through the slightly opened glass stirred strands of his hair every few seconds, making them sway softly across his forehead.
For a moment, Draen simply stood there watching him.
The irritation that had been festering inside him earlier because of Socris slowly faded away with surprising ease. The anger, annoyance and even the lingering tension from the morning all seemed insignificant compared to the quiet scene in front of him.
Lewis alone was enough to calm him.
Draen eventually pulled a nearby chair out as quietly as possible before sitting beside him. The faint scraping sound barely disturbed the silence.
His gaze never left Lewis' sleeping face.
There was something strangely addictive about moments like this. Seeing Lewis unaware, unguarded and peacefully asleep beside him created a dangerous sense of possessiveness within Draen that he rarely bothered hiding anymore.
"Lewis…"
His voice came out gently.
"My bride…"
As he spoke, Draen gently placed his right hand against Lewis' back, slowly rubbing it in a comforting motion beneath the fabric of his clothes. The touch was careful despite the possessiveness hidden behind it, almost as though he feared waking him too abruptly.
But Lewis remained deeply asleep.
Draen's eyes softened slightly.
"My bride…" he whispered again, this time lower and intimate enough to disappear into the sound of the wind.
That was finally enough to stir him.
Lewis shifted faintly before his brows knitted together in sleepy confusion. A quiet breath escaped him as his eyelashes fluttered weakly, struggling against the lingering heaviness of sleep.
Then slowly, very slowly, his eyes opened.
Still half-asleep, Lewis stared blankly ahead for a moment before his gaze gradually focused on the man sitting beside him.
"…Your Grace?"
His voice was hoarse and soft from sleep, barely louder than a murmur.
"Are you that sleepy?" Draen asked softly after noticing the lingering haze in Lewis' eyes. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he reached out and brushed several loose strands of hair away from Lewis' face. "Look at you. Your eyes are swollen."
Lewis instinctively rubbed one eye weakly, still not fully awake.
Before he could even straighten properly, Draen pulled the chair closer to himself with one hand. The sudden movement caused Lewis to shift toward him until their bodies were nearly pressed together.
Then Draen's arm slid firmly around his waist and gently pulled him closer still, positioning Lewis so he could lean comfortably against his chest.
The warmth immediately surrounded him.
Lewis let out a quiet breath but did not resist. Perhaps because he had just woken up, or perhaps because Draen's presence had already become strangely familiar, he simply relaxed there against him.
"Are you done with the visitor, Your Grace?" Lewis asked.
"Yes," Draen answered without hesitation. "He was quite irritating, so I ordered him to leave quickly."
Lewis lifted his head slightly.
"Is that so?"
"Mhm." Draen lazily rested his chin against the top of Lewis' head for a brief moment before speaking again. "Were you bored after I left earlier?"
"No, not really."
Lewis shook his head lightly.
"Neri, Linda and Lisa accompanied me. They were very friendly."
The moment the servants' names left his mouth, Draen's expression subtly changed.
A small frown formed between his brows and Lewis noticed it immediately.
"Hm," Draen murmured quietly. "It's good that you're getting along with them… but don't become too close, alright?"
Lewis blinked before looking up at him.
"They're good people, Your Grace."
His voice softened unconsciously afterward.
"I never really had friends before."
The words came out far quieter than he intended.
And unfortunately, they were true.
Back when he was still Siyoon, genuine friendships had never truly existed in his life. The people around him were mostly coworkers who took advantage of his kindness whenever they could, superiors who treated him as someone convenient to blame or bully and neighbors who only approached him whenever they wanted favors or someone to drink with late at night.
No one had ever stayed because they genuinely cared about him.
And after waking up in Lewis' body, that reality had not changed much either.
The original Lewis had lived an equally miserable life.
Too busy surviving under the control of his awful uncle, constantly working himself to exhaustion while enduring mistreatment without complaint. There had never been room for friendships in a life like that.
Perhaps that was why simple kindness affected him more than it should.
Just being accompanied around the estate and spoken to warmly by the servants had already felt unfamiliar enough to leave an impression on him.
Draen quietly observed Lewis' expression after hearing those words.
The softness in his eyes slowly faded into something heavier.
Without another word, he tightened his arm slightly around Lewis' waist and pulled him closer against his chest.
"My bride," he murmured lowly, his voice gentler this time. "You do not need friends that badly."
His fingers brushed slowly through Lewis' hair.
"As long as you have me, that is enough."