When he turned his eyes in a daze, he noticed an iron door half a level above, low enough that one would have to duck slightly to pass through. An old padlock hung from it. However, the shackle had been cut, and judging from the fresh surface of the cut—still free of rust—it seemed someone had tampered with it recently. The handle, too, was perfectly clean, without a trace of dust.

Creeeak.

After the scraping sound of old metal grinding together, sunlight stronger than expected streamed in.

He narrowed his eyes and stepped outside first. Before the scenery ahead could fully capture him, he turned back and raised a hand to cover the doorframe so Hugo’s head would not strike it. At the unexpected gesture, Hugo—already halfway through—smiled faintly.

“How gentlemanly.”

The corner of Leonardo’s mouth curved into an awkward arc, as if embarrassed.

As he lifted his gaze following the man straightening up, something round and massive hanging above caught his eye.

Beyond the metal roof covering it, thick beams stretched across the ceiling. It was an enormous bell.

“A clock tower?”

Murmuring the guess, he glanced around. Pillars supporting the four directions formed arches that encircled the bell like a flower bud. Beneath them, metal railings shaped like stems and leaves decorated the tower with a fresh, organic pattern.

The space was wider than he had expected. To look down over the view, one had to walk forward at least a dozen steps.

Striding toward the railing, he leaned out to check below. As expected, a massive clock face sat there. But looking more closely, it ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ had neither an hour hand nor a minute hand.

“So it’s a closed clock tower.”

A heavy fragrance drifted up from behind him. A large hand grasped his shoulder and gently pulled him back from the railing. The force was soft yet firm, and as his upper body shifted back, he felt another person’s warmth press against his back and hips.

The solid contact made him pause for a moment, though he hid it and quietly inhaled. When he turned his stiff neck halfway, a strong jawline appeared over his shoulder.

“Leo, look over there.”

Hugo leaned close, bracing both hands on the railing as if enclosing him within his arms.

Naturally leaning back against the other man’s chest, Leonardo followed the direction of his gaze. Beneath the thick afternoon sunlight, the vast cityscape spread out before them.

On one side, the market and shopping district clustered together, and at its center stood the Third Preliminary Arena where the match had taken place. Only now did he realize how far they had moved, since the once-grand stadium could be seen entirely from here. Beyond the crumbling remains of the old city wall, rows of newly built rooftops stretched one after another.

Among them, one tower was still under construction.

“It looks like they’re building a new clock tower in a densely populated area. Thanks to that, I found a rather nice place.”

If the tower was closed, no one would come here. It was clearly a carefully chosen location.

“It’s closed, but you can just come in like this? And besides, this is someone else’s territory. Is that acceptable just because you’re a duke?”

“Of course.”

Windows reflecting the harsh sunlight glittered gold, and flags swaying in the breeze displayed the pride of the territory. The tower they stood on was high enough that everything lay far below their feet.

Although this was not the Imperial City itself but one of the neighboring administrative districts, there was nowhere in this land that Leonardo disliked. If it belonged to Raina Rogia, then it was territory he had defended with his own hands.

As his golden eyes lingered on the view with a quiet sense of attachment, Hugo asked casually,

“You like looking down from high places, don’t you?”

Without moving his gaze, he replied,

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“You climbed onto the angel’s back earlier and looked around very carefully.”

His golden eyebrow lifted.

It sounded like Hugo meant the moment he had climbed onto the pillar before leaving the arena.

“What? Since when were you watching?”

“Hm... since the moment our eyes met.”

The remark was vague, but he understood it to mean from the moment Hugo had waved during the match.

Then he must have seen me crossing the desert too...

Just as curiosity began to grow, Hugo continued calmly.

“After receiving the ruling for your release and leaving my territory, you went straight to Celestia, didn’t you? I wondered where someone carrying freedom like the wind would go. A floating city... it’s an appropriate place to look down at the world.”

The sudden mention of his movements after their separation made Leonardo tense slightly.

From Celestia he had gone to Solia and met Nero. After greeting the graves of his father and Ian, he had jumped freely from five thousand feet in the air to shake off anyone following him. After that, he had moved to Libertas’s residence.

He had confirmed again and again that no one had been tailing him. But one could never be completely certain.

Because he remained silent in wary caution, Hugo did not pursue the subject further either.

After a long pause, it was Leonardo who finally broke the silence.

“...You even know things like that? You sound like my stalker.”

“Records of entry and exit through the portals connected to my territory are always reported. I simply learned it naturally while handling work. As for what you did afterward, I heard nothing. If it made you uncomfortable, I apologize.”

“No, it’s not bad or anything... Come to think of it, I did pass through the gate pretty easily thanks to that. Thanks.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Hugo lowered his eyes slightly and watched the embarrassed look on Leonardo’s face.

Then he leaned closer and whispered near his ear.

“But you never give a stalker any chance to follow you. If anything, the one who broke into someone’s house sounds more like the stalker.”

Apparently the remark about stalking had irritated him, because His Grace immediately returned the arrow.

At the unexpected debate, Leonardo only moved his lips slightly. Is he calling me the stalker now? The thought left him briefly dumbfounded.

Still... it wasn’t entirely wrong.

I really have been watching him all this time.

Shrugging, he rested his forearms on the railing and propped his chin on his hand, replying with deliberate mischief.

“Maybe. So be careful. Unless you want me finding out what you do in your bedroom.”

“In the bedroom? Something like this, perhaps?”

As if he had already understood the intention, Hugo’s left arm wrapped around his waist. Then his palm slid openly across his lower abdomen and side.

Caught off guard, Leonardo flinched. Reflexively bending forward, his tightened abdomen flattened.

Here? Seriously?

No matter how high the clock tower was, this was still an open space. There could be countless eyes somewhere below. Even if they could not clearly recognize faces, any strange behavior near the railing would be noticed immediately.

“Wait.”

For a moment he had imagined the beginning of masturbation, but then he grabbed Hugo’s wrist and burst out laughing quietly.

Contrary to his expectation, the large hand had moved upward instead, probing between his ribs. If it had simply touched him, that would have been one thing, but the fingertips rubbed lightly, and the faint excitement mixed with embarrassment blurred into ticklishness.

“Ah— that tickles.”

Moreover, the hand that was usually warm felt extremely cold even through his clothes.

Looking down at him squirming in his arms with a breathless laugh, Hugo’s lips relaxed as well.

Perhaps it was relief that the ribcage beneath his palm felt far thicker than when Leonardo had nearly died on the Peninsula.

Or perhaps it was because this normally wary man showed no sign of rejection despite the deliberately suggestive touch.

The breathable military T-shirt clung closely to his body, its thin fabric revealing every curve. The tense muscles of his back, the movement of his shoulder blades, the sleek line of his waist, and even the hardened points of his chest emphasized by the sudden temperature difference.

Under the pretense of a rare bit of mischief, Hugo examined the changes in Leonardo’s body like a physician checking a patient’s condition. He seemed to have been eating well and exercising properly.

Unlike before, when he looked as though he might shatter at any moment, he had returned with a body so firm and appealing that one wanted to confirm every detail with the senses.

The muscles sliding between his fingers and the smooth contour of his skin stirred strange thoughts.

If I had seen that body trembling under my hands somewhere this bright...

“The man selling fireworks doesn’t understand. Fireworks are most beautiful when seen in the light.”

Twisting his waist, Leonardo clasped his fingers over Hugo’s hand to stop the wandering touch across his chest.

“Just when exactly did you start watching?”

“I told you. Since the moment our eyes met.”

Leonardo laughed softly, his face still lingering with the aftereffect of the ticklishness. Hugo watched him and continued in a gentle tone.

“You’re finally smiling.”

“...I was smiling just now too.”

“When you were looking down at the street, you had the same expression you wore when you looked out from the western annex.”

“The western annex?”

Was he referring to the Council building?

Leonardo had only been there once. He had stepped outside after being promised a cigarette in exchange for cooperating during interrogation.

At twilight, he had looked down at the streets of the Imperial City for the first time in three years.

What kind of expression did I have back then?

“What expression was I making?”

Hugo did not answer immediately.

Then, staring at the golden eyes still slightly damp from laughter, he murmured,

“The kind that looked like you were about to cry.”

The corner of Leonardo’s mouth froze abruptly. His golden eyes shifted aside.

“When did I ever—”

Just as he turned his head away in embarrassment to deny it, lips brushed against his cheek.

It was different from when they lost themselves and rushed at each other.

Soft, warm curves grazed his skin as if pretending to be accidental.

He instinctively pulled his head back. Their eyes met at a distance close enough to feel each other’s breath.

There was not the slightest trace of embarrassment in Hugo’s gaze.