It was several more days after Lionel had recovered before Jaylin finally got out of bed. The illness had taken a toll in a short time, and his already thin frame looked even more frail.
“Jaylin, are you feeling better now?”
“Y-yes, I’m o-okay. What about y-you, young master?”
“I’ve been fine for a while now.”
Lionel pushed his plate of snacks toward Jaylin.
“You eat this too.”
“B-but that’s y-your portion.”
“I get full just watching you eat.”
Lionel rested his chin on one hand, tilting his head slightly and smiling softly at Jaylin.
It was a sweet smile, crafted solely for Jaylin.
Jaylin’s eyes trembled at the sight of Lionel’s smile. He quickly lowered his head and pulled the plate of snacks toward him.
“Th-thank you. I-I’ll eat this, and th-then I think I sh-should get going.”
“Where to?”
“W-where I b-belong.”
“You mean the orphanage?”
“Y-yes.”
“Hmm… Jaylin. How about staying here instead?”
“I-I can’t.”
“Why not? We could invite that Rune teacher you like, have lessons here, and play together. I’m sure Father would be happy to sponsor you.”
“I d-don’t want to.”
It was a firm refusal.
Lionel felt a cold pang in his chest from having his offer to spend more time together so instantly rejected.
“Why?”
“There’s no such thing as kindness without a reason.”
“But you’re my friend. Friends do this much for each other.”
“It’s t-too much… even for a f-friend…”
“You saved my life. Think of it as repayment. Still no?”
Jaylin bit his lip and shook his head. Despite his gentle appearance, he was surprisingly stubborn.
“Haa… alright. Then at least accept this.”
Without letting Jaylin see, Lionel picked a book from a nearby stack and placed it on the table.
“Th-this is…!”
Jaylin’s eyes sparkled like stars when he saw the book Lionel handed him.
It was a newly purchased Intermediate Rune Language textbook.
“Sorry I lost your book. You must’ve been upset.”
“I-it’s okay. I-I know you didn’t do it on p-purpose.”
“It’s the revised edition of Intermediate Rune Language.”
“Th-thank you.”
“And here’s yours back too.”
Lionel placed the book he had borrowed from Jaylin on top of the new one.
“H-huh? This is…?”
“It’s your book. I forgot I’d shelved it with mine.”
Lionel added an excuse Jaylin hadn’t even asked for.
The truth was, he’d never lost the book. But Lionel didn’t have the courage to admit the truth. He was afraid of how Jaylin would look at him if he found out he’d lied.
In a hurry, Lionel piled the rest of the books he had prepared onto the table. These were the books he had carefully selected for Jaylin.
Advanced Rune Language, Introduction to Magical Formulas, Efficient Rune Composition, Magical Device Design for Magic Scholars, and more—each a specialized book on magical formulae.
“And this too.”
Lionel finally handed Jaylin a small box.
“W-what’s this?”
“A gift I prepared. Open it.”
Lionel’s heart pounded. He couldn’t wait to see the joy on Jaylin’s face when he opened the present he had chosen himself.
Inside the box was a yellow ribbon made of cotton fabric.
Jaylin froze. His wide eyes blinked rapidly, uncertain whether he should accept it or not.
Lionel spoke up first.
“Jaylin, thank you for saving me that day. This is my way of repaying you. Give it here—I’ll tie it for you.”
Lionel picked up the ribbon and moved behind Jaylin’s chair.
The yellow cotton ribbon seemed like a simple item, but Lionel had agonized over it.
He wanted to give Jaylin something that was both fitting and necessary. Unlike the fountain pen he had thrust upon Jaylin without much thought, this gift was chosen with Jaylin truly in mind.
A few days earlier, not long after Lionel had regained consciousness, Duke Eduardo had handed Lionel a fountain pen.
It had a green gem embedded in it—something Lionel immediately recognized.
It was the same pen he had given to Jaylin.
“Why do you have this, Father?”
“I heard it surfaced in a black-market trade. An appraiser recognized the Eduardo family crest engraved on the nib and brought it back. Thinking it was stolen by a servant, we traced it and found it came from the director of the orphanage your playmate belongs to.”
“No way…!”
“The orphanage director claimed your friend stole it. Is that true?”
“No! Jaylin didn’t steal it. I gave it to him!”
“I see. Then the director must have lied.”
“Please give it back. I need to return it to Jaylin.”
“Lionel, I’d rather you didn’t give that pen back to him.”
“Why? It’s just returning what already belongs to him.”
“I understand why you want to, but it’s too extravagant a gift for that child.”
Lionel didn’t understand. It was just an object—how could it be too much?
The pen suited Jaylin perfectly. That should be enough, shouldn’t it?
“This time, I was lucky to find out and recover it. And I will see to it that the orphanage director is punished. But what about next time?”
“Ah…”
“Can you be sure that the new director or other children at the orphanage won’t steal from him again?”
“But still…!”
“To you, it might just be a pen lying around the house. But to them, it’s a highly desirable item. Jaylin is still too young and weak to protect something like that. If someone wants it, he’ll have to give it up again.”
“……”
“One day, when he’s grown and strong enough not to lose it, then give it to him. For now, choose something modest and practical. He’ll appreciate it much more.”
That’s how the yellow ribbon came to be—the result of Lionel’s fierce deliberation.
He had once seen Jaylin’s hair falling into his eyes while he was reading.
The ribbon was useful and not burdensome—a perfect gift.
Lionel gently brushed aside Jaylin’s wheat-colored hair. It looked stiff but felt surprisingly soft in his hands.
He gathered the hair and tied it with the yellow ribbon.
Yellow wasn’t the best match for Jaylin’s hair. A vivid blue or fresh green suited him far better.
But still, Lionel chose yellow—because it was the closest color cotton fabric could offer to his own eye color.
He did feel a little regretful. He had wanted to give Jaylin a gold satin ribbon that exactly matched his eyes.
Still, the thought that the ribbon now adorning Jaylin’s hair resembled his own eyes filled him with satisfaction.
“Jaylin.”
“Y-yes, young master?”
“It’s done. Look at me.”
Jaylin turned and looked up at Lionel.
“It suits you. You have to wear it every day.”
Blushing deeply, Jaylin nodded.
“And there’s something I’ve been wondering…”
Lionel fiddled with the end of the ribbon in Jaylin’s hair as he continued.
“The doctor told me. That the orphanage director mistreated you. Why didn’t you use your powers? You’re strong enough to stop him.”
“Well… The director is a bad person, but it wasn’t u-unbearable. A-and m-magic shouldn’t be used to hurt people. It was made to help people. I d-don’t want to use my power to hurt anyone.”
Jaylin smiled bashfully. It was a clear, innocent smile.
“I study Rune magic so h-hard because I want to save people.”
“Ah…”
Jaylin’s eyes, like young leaves. Until now, Lionel had thought of them as fragile like newborn sprouts.
Delicate, easily broken by the gentlest spring breeze. A weak seedling that couldn’t grow or bear fruit without someone’s help.
But he had been wrong.
Despite his small stature, timid nature, and stuttering speech—none of it meant his spirit was weak.
Jaylin’s eyes—clear and steadfast—looked up at Lionel.
Lionel stood still, staring down at him.
He wanted those eyes. Wanted them to belong to him.
And maybe, just maybe, he realized… he was starting to find her—him—lovely.
