Morning came quietly.
The fire in the hearth had burned through the night, leaving the living room warm and steady with a faint scent of wood smoke.
On the bed placed near the hearth, Sion slowly stirred.
His eyelids fluttered open.
The first thing he noticed was how heavy his body felt. Every limb seemed sluggish, as if he had slept for days and his muscles had forgotten how to move properly. His head felt dull, and there was a strange weakness spreading through his chest and arms.
"…Mm."
A faint sound escaped his throat.
Sion blinked slowly, trying to focus.
The ceiling above him looked unfamiliar.
He frowned slightly.
Why… was he here?
His gaze moved around the room.
The living room.
The hearth.
The windows.
Confusion crept into his expression.
Why was he sleeping in the living room?
His last clear memory surfaced gradually—standing near the entrance of the smallholding with Eiran as they sent Darius off. The morning had been cool. He remembered joking about losing a free laborer.
After that…
His memories blurred.
There were faint fragments floating in his mind, but they felt strangely unreal.
A warmth.
Something large and solid beside him.
Something soft but firm at the same time, surrounding him like a protective wall of warmth.
A broad chest that radiated heat like a furnace.
Soft breathing near his ear.
Sion frowned deeper.
"…A dream?"
He couldn't tell.
Just then, footsteps approached.
Eiran entered from the kitchen carrying a bowl of warm broth and a cup of water.
He froze when he saw Sion sitting up.
"Young Master!"
The shout came out so suddenly that Sion blinked in surprise.
Eiran rushed forward, his eyes already glistening with relief.
"You're awake!"
He nearly dropped the tray in his excitement.
"Young master, how are you feeling? Are you still cold? Do you feel dizzy? Is anything hurting?"
The questions came out one after another.
Sion blinked slowly at him.
"I'm fine," he said softly, though his voice sounded slightly hoarse. "Just a little sluggish. Maybe because I've been lying down too long."
Eiran looked at him carefully, searching his face for any sign of discomfort.
"Here," he said quickly, pushing the bowl of warm broth into Sion's hands. "Drink this first."
Sion obediently took a sip.
The warmth slid down his throat, spreading gently through his chest.
"…What happened?" Sion asked after a moment.
Eiran exhaled slowly.
Then he began explaining everything.
At that same time, outside in the smallholding,
Two men were arguing.
Darius was kneeling beside the vegetable beds, carefully loosening the soil around a row of leafy greens just as Eiran had taught him.
Meanwhile, Cassian stood nearby with his arms crossed.
"No, no," Cassian said. "You're doing that wrong."
Darius ignored him.
A few seconds later—
"No, no. You're definitely doing that wrong."
Darius's hand paused.
Cassian leaned closer, arms crossed with a smug grin.
"You're supposed to loosen the soil from this side. Otherwise the roots won't breathe properly."
Darius inhaled and stood slowly.
"If you're going to criticize my work," he said flatly, "then perhaps you should focus on your own tasks."
Cassian lifted his chin proudly.
"I already finished mine."
Darius looked at him.
"…Finished?"
"Yes."
Suspicion flickered in Darius's eyes.
Even Eiran and Sion usually spent a good amount of time doing those tasks.
So he walked over to check.
The apple trees…
Half of them were pruned properly.
The other half looked like they had survived a minor battle.
Then he looked at the chicken coop.
The floor had been swept.
But the feeding trays were still half empty.
Darius sighed.
"Guild Master," Darius said slowly.
"Yes?"
"This is wrong."
"What part?"
"You cut three healthy branches."
"They looked suspicious."
"They were not suspicious."
"They were leaning."
"That is how branches grow."
And so the bickering resumed.
Until—
"Young Master!"
Eiran's voice rang loudly from the house.
Both men froze.
They looked at each other.
And immediately ran.
Fear gripped their chests as they rushed toward the house.
But when they burst through the door—
They saw Sion sitting upright near the hearth, holding a bowl of porridge.
Relief flooded the room.
Cassian immediately rushed forward.
"Sion!"
He looked seconds away from tackling him into a hug while crying dramatically.
But Eiran stepped in front of him instantly like a wall.
"Stop."
"I just want to hug him!"
"No."
Cassian pouted dramatically.
Behind them, Darius approached more calmly.
He met Sion's gaze.
For a moment, the knight simply looked relieved.
"I'm glad you're awake",he said quietly.
Sion looked toward him.
Surprise flickered across his face.
"Sir Darius?"
His brows lifted slightly.
"I thought you already left."
Darius paused.
"…How could I ever leave after seeing you in that condition."
Sion didn't say anything more.
But something thoughtful passed through his eyes.
Later that day, Sion rested near the hearth.
The heavy blankets were gone now, replaced with lighter clothing since his body temperature had stabilized. He sat comfortably in a chair, sipping the bitter tea the physician had recommended.
The taste was unpleasant.
And strangely dull.
As if his tongue couldn't fully recognize it.
*The hollow sense,* he remembered Eiran mentioning.
Cassian approached and sat across from him.
"You're really okay now?" he asked.
Sion smiled gently.
"I really am fine."
"And thank you, Cassian. You helped a lot while I was recovering."
Cassian waved it off casually.
"It's nothing."
After a moment, he looked at Sion again.
"…Did you see the gift I gave you before?"
Sion raised a brow.
"The neck collar?"
Cassian nodded eagerly.
"Then why aren't you wearing it?"
Sion gave him a sideways glance.
"I did see it."
He took another sip of tea.
"Although I'm not entirely sure what you were thinking giving me something covered in alpha pheromones."
Cassian froze.
"…It what?"
"Your pheromones."
His ears turned red instantly.
"That wasn't my intention!" he said quickly. "I must've accidentally released pheromones when I handled it!"
Sion watched him quietly.
Cassian looked genuinely flustered.
After a moment, Sion smiled faintly.
"…I believe you."
Cassian visibly relaxed.
Then his expression brightened again.
"You know," he said casually, "you wouldn't have to deal with these problems if you just bonded with me."
Sion raised an eyebrow.
Cassian continued enthusiastically.
"You wouldn't have to worry about unpredictable heats or pheromones anymore. And I can give you anything you want."
He gestured around.
"A bigger house. A larger piece of land. I can add lambs and cows too."
Sion listened silently.
"I noticed there are empty plots in your fields," Cassian continued. "And unused space in the orchard. I can fill those."
He leaned forward with a grin.
"So what do you think?"
Suddenly,
Someone grabbed Cassian's ear.
"Ow!"
A tall man wearing glasses stood behind him.
"Guild Master," the man said calmly.
It was Archibald Nesis—Arch for short—the ever-patient right-hand man of Cassian.
"I apologize for his behavior," Arch said politely to Sion.
Sion chuckled softly.
"It's fine."
Arch released Cassian's ear.
Cassian rubbed it while pouting.
Sion turned to him again.
"Guild Master."
Cassian looked up.
Sion's expression remained gentle.
"Thank you," Sion said sincerely. "For your generosity. And for worrying about me."
Cassian brightened.
But Sion continued.
"But you see…"
His eyes curved slightly with quiet amusement.
"It's far more fulfilling when something is difficult to achieve."
Cassian blinked.
"The harder something is to obtain," Sion said gently, "the sweeter it becomes when you finally earn it."
Both Cassian and Arch fell silent.
They hadn't expected that answer.
"So I'm afraid," Sion finished calmly, "I must decline your offer once again."
At that moment, Sion glanced toward the doorway.
Darius was there quietly.
He was bending down to pick up a citrus fruit that had slipped from his hands.
Perhaps,
Because he had heard everything.