Lying in bed, Rafayel began to think about what to do next. Just as he had considered before, refusing Thomas's kisses forever wasn't really an option. At some point, he would have to confront the issue.
But the fear of hearing the truth directly from Thomas's mouth made it impossible to decide when.
While Rafayel was still lost in thought, he heard a gentle knock came at the door.
"Young Master Rafayel, Young Master Master Orinus is here to see you. May I let him in?"
"Huh!? Orinus…? What should I do? My cheek's still swollen… But he came all this way—I can't just send him away…"
Reluctantly, Rafayel called out, "Come in."
The door opened slowly, and Orinus peeked inside.
"Raffy, has your fever gone down?"
He approached the bedside as he spoke.
"Yeah, the fever's gone. My cheek's still swollen, though…"
Rafayel tried to respond with a smile, but the moment he smiled even slightly, his cheek tensed up and he let out an involuntary cry, "Ouch…!"
