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1.
Sebek's feet were hot on the cobblestone as he ran, his palm pressed firmly against his lips as he suppressed his giggles. He had never won a single game of hide and seek with Malleus-sama, but it was always fun! And Silver always got found before he did, which meant Sebek was much better at this game than he was. And Silver knew it! He'd tell Sebek all about how well he did with a smile. Oh, Silver, no need to smile, Sebek knows you're jealous.
It just so happened that Sebek was barefoot. They were supposed to only play inside, but then it turned into a game of chase (he was outrunning Malleus! Granted he had a very big head start, but that was because he knew it was only a matter of time before he was sought), and before he knew it, he was sprinting out of the door, shoes forgotten.
A stone that was protruding more than most finally caught Sebek's foot, and he yelped as he tipped forward. Oh no! He didn't want to go home all scarred and bruised, mother would never let him visit again for at least a week! Just as he opened his mouth to scream, a gentle wind caught him just inches off the ground. He tittered sweetly when the air tickled his waist and stood him upright, and before he knew it, Malleus was kneeling down in front of him.
"Sebek!" He exclaimed, lips curled down in concern.
Sebek mimicked Malleus' frown, eyes wide and guilty. "'aka-sama, are you angry?"
Malleus sighed and shook his head. "Waka-sama," he corrected. "I'm not angry, but please be sensible next time, Sebek. You are a smart boy, so you must be aware of the dangers of being so careless outdoors. I would be remiss to let my guard get injured on my watch."
"I'm sorry," Sebek whined, letting his head hang down as he hugged himself, stubby fingers curling into his arms. "No more fun?" He was a smart boy, but with Malleus-sama, it was hard to articulate himself properly—at least not in the way that always got him praise from his family.
A gentle hand rested on Sebek's head, making him look up and stare into Malleus' eyes. "Of course not, my little retainer. But may I ask that you cooperate with me this time so that we can have fun safely?"
"Okay! I will co-wo-po-rate!" Sebek struggled with a grin. "Grandfather always says to be obedient to 'aka-sama. Because I will be a loyal guard!"
Despite the boy's unwavering energy, Malleus was far from tired. How could he tire of this? A warm smile graced his lips as he let his hand drop from Sebek's head to his cheek. "That's right, you are my loyal guard. And loyal guards have clean feet. It's time we return to Lilia's cottage."
"Yes, 'aka-sama!"
2.
To be fair, Sebek had been hungry.
Lilia left for errands, Malleus didn't visit today, and there was just no way he would let Silver help him! So, he took it upon himself to climb the wooden counters to grab the cookies that mother made for him to bring—Lilia stored them on a shelf high up and said it would be for after lunch. His lunch. Sebek would rather go hungry than eat Lilia-sama's cooking, but he doesn't have to go hungry. Luckily, their kitchen was small enough for Sebek to see where the cookies were, and he was tall enough now to execute his ingenious plan!
If only he could get this dumb jar. He was already on the very tip of his toes, his arm stretched out just enough for his fingers to barely brush against the glass. Sebek gasped at the touch, excitedly tipping his body forward and losing his balance. A yelp escaped from his mouth as he grabbed the edge of the shelf before slipping completely and sliding off the counter—though not before hitting his chin against it.
His head recoiled as he finally fell backwards, back hitting the table. Sebek tried very hard to keep himself from crying, but a single hiccup turned into tears, and tears turned into sobs, and sobs turned into wails of 'it hurts, it hurts!'.
It wasn't long before Silver, whose clothes were sticky and dirty from training outside, rushed into the kitchen and spotted Sebek slumped in the cramped space between their table and the counters. Almost immediately, he knelt down next to Sebek, eyes wide with worry.
"What happened?!" Silver panicked with more emotion than Sebek had seen from him in the past three years they had known each other—to which the younger boy only responded with another cry. It wasn't just because he was in pain (which was still a primary reason), he was humiliated. How could Sebek let Silver see him like this? He didn't want Silver to think he was a big baby! He had just stopped thinking that Sebek was a nuisance!
But Silver was just a child too, and he was trying to be brave for Sebek. "S-stay right here!"
When Silver returned, he held an orange bottle and cotton swabs in one hand and a band-aid in the other, and he scrambled to Sebek's side. Bad Silver, Sebek was defenseless, his chin hurt too much to talk, and he was taking it as an opportunity to play doctor!
Sebek observed as Silver doused one end of the cotton swab with reddish-yellow liquid from the bottle and tried to apply it to the scrapes on his chin. He shook his head and pointed to the bottle with one eyebrow raised. He often had his external wounds treated with magic and was unfamiliar with most medicine.
"This is an antiseptic, it helps stop infection. Father leaves a first-aid kit in the bathroom just in case I ever get injured and he isn't here... when he comes home, we can just ask him to heal you," Silver explained speedily.
At Silver's words, Sebek hesitantly relaxed and let him apply the antiseptic. He expected it to sting, but it didn't. He expected Silver to be abrasive, but he was actually being very gentle. Looking at him now, Sebek could tell that Silver was stressed. Wrinkles formed in between his eyebrows, and the corner of his lower lip was tucked into his mouth a bit, as if he was biting on it. Was he scared to hurt Sebek?
When the band-aid was finally applied, Silver breathed a sigh of relief. "Sebek, can you stand?"
Sebek nodded, and he let Silver guide him slowly to the living room. He found himself laying down on the sofa, with Silver standing over him in concern.
"…Silver." Sebek whispered.
Silver met his eyes, but Sebek quickly looked elsewhere. "T-THANK YOU. You were nice and… and I feel better now. Expect me to return the favor someday! I will not lose to you."
The tension in Silver's face finally relaxed, and he sat down cross-legged on the floor as he smiled at Sebek. "Okay. You're welcome, Sebek. You were very brave."
"D-don't patronize me!" Sebek huffed, shutting his eyes.
3.
Lilia's kitchen was full of ingredients for making sweet pastries! Sebek knew that because his sister would often bake tasty cakes and the softest loaves of bread ever for him, and he would help sometimes: cracking eggs, mixing eggs, throwing away eggshells, separating egg whites and egg yolks… he was an eggspert, his father would say.
Waddling over to Malleus' side, Sebek climbed the high chair next to the table and pulled his legs up to let his feet rest on the seat. He tilted his head at the manifold of ingredients. They seemed fancy and different from the ones his sister often bought at stores, and his sister bought very fancy baking supplies from shops. "What is all this for?"
Malleus magicked a recipe book into Sebek's hands and grinned. "Silver and I are baking for Lilia. It was Father's Day yesterday, and I unfortunately had to attend a small banquet, so I wanted to make up for my absence."
"I would have done it myself," Silver chimed, bringing a carton of eggs over to the table. Lucky, he was tall enough to just stand and reach the table on his own! One day, Sebek would surpass him in height. "But Malleus had the materials, and father doesn't let me go to the shops on my own."
Sebek shifted in his seat, playing with the ring of measuring cups in front of him. "May… may I help? Lilia-sama isn't my father, b-but I would like to show my appreciation for him as well."
Both Malleus and Silver looked at him the way his older siblings would whenever he'd proudly recite excerpts from his favorite books, and it brought a pink flush to his cheeks. "I-I'm exceptional at cracking eggs!"
"You can help, Sebek," Malleus said, levitating a ceramic bowl and a few eggs his way.
"Did Lilia-sama buy new dishes?" Sebek asked, eyeing the bowl.
Handing a long spoon to Sebek, Malleus smiled. "Those are from the castle."
A squeal of surprise came from Sebek as he looked the array of ingredients and kitchen supplies again—a contrast to the rustic wooden table it was scattered over. No wonder they looked so out of place! "Waka-sama, is this really alright…?" He whispered.
Gently, to avoid startling Sebek even more, Malleus rested his palm on his shoulder. "I wouldn't have brought them if it wasn't."
"Why don't you start by mixing five eggs into that bowl, Sebek?" Silver asked, pointing to the dish in front of Sebek. "We'll be making a cake. When you're done, let us know, and you can do something else if we aren't finished yet."
After a small staring contest with the bowl, Sebek nodded and tended to his task. Malleus and Silver kept themselves busy with their own stations too, failing to keep an eye on their youngest. But it was okay! Sebek cracked four eggs into the bowl perfectly, and he only had one more before he needed to start mixing.
"Oh," Sebek huffed when one of the shells fell to the ground. That was no good, he couldn't litter in Lilia-sama's home. He bent down while trying not to get up from his chair, extending his arm to the floor. His free hand went up to hold onto the edge of the table to keep his balance, but it ended up abruptly gripping the rim of the bowl and tipping it over, making the eggs spill all over him.
The wet, slimy feeling made Sebek shriek, and he immediately let go of the bowl only for it to fall to the ground. "No!" Tears filled his eyes as he jumped down with it.
At the loud clatter and Sebek's distress, Malleus and Silver stopped what they were doing to rush over to the crying boy. "Sebek, are you hurt?" Malleus fussed.
"I'm sorry, Waka-sama…! I-I'm so sorry…! Please punish me as you deem fit!" Sebek bawled in between hiccups and sniffles.
Something tugged at Malleus and Silver's heartstrings the louder Sebek cried, but Malleus only bent down and cupped Sebek's face with both hands. "I am not angry, Sebek. I am so glad you did not hurt yourself."
"B-but your bowl…!"
"I assure you I can afford an exact duplicate."
"I made the kitchen all dirty…"
A wave of Malleus' hand quickly undid the mess Sebek made, leaving only the wet marks of the egg whites. "It's already clean, see?"
Tearful eyes met Silver's this time. "Y-your floor might grow mold, it's wood."
Silver only shook his head. "Malleus already cleaned it up. And if our cottage was going to grow mold, it would have already done so a long time ago. You just had an accident, Sebek, it's okay."
Sebek sniffed and leaned into Malleus' touch, bringing his hands up to wipe at his eyes.
"Would you like to abandon working in separate stations, Sebek, and just do every step together? Would that make you feel better?" Malleus asked, to which Sebek nodded.
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The finished product was less than perfect, in more ways than one. They managed to burn the outside, but the middle was still soft and viscous. The brown chocolate frosting was piled on the bread poorly, and in Silver's words, "looked like smeared streaks of poop". Sebek thoroughly admonished him about speaking so horrendously in front of food.
.. Food.
It's a fortunate thing that Lilia had a unique palate and an even more unique gut. "This tastes wonderful!" He beamed as he chewed on the chocolate cake. "I am lucky to have such talented chefs by my side after a long day."
"We're glad you like it, father," Silver muttered, minding the sleeping Sebek on Malleus' lap.
4.
"Sebek, Silver, do you boys want any snacks? We have red velvet cupcakes left over," Sebek's sister peeked her head around Sebek's door, a toothy grin appearing on her face at the sight of her baby brother lending Silver a few books from his collection.
Sebek's hands flew behind his back, making Silver stumble forward at the weight of the books abruptly dropped into his arms. "I recall big brother saying he already ate all the cupcakes."
Opening the door wider, the woman huffed in amusement as she stepped fully into view. "Yeah, mom told him to say that 'cause she knew you'd sneak a cupcake before dinner."
The way Sebek's lower lip jutted out as he puffed his chest didn't go unnoticed by the two people in the room, and he mumbled something about his family always conspiring against him before moving to exit the room. He stopped just a few inches from his sister and turned to Silver. "Father will make both of us brush our teeth in less than an hour. You are lucky to have a chance of tasting my sister's baked goods, but I would only have more for myself if you refuse! Hmph!"
Silver watched as Sebek marched out of the room with long strides and looked up at Big Sister Zigvolt, who noticed his shock and laughed. "If you need a translation, he means 'come eat snacks with me, I promise you'll like it!'"
The corners of Silver's eyes wrinkled as a rare smile (at least to Sebek's sister) lit up his face. "That's an unnecessarily complicated way to invite someone to eat together."
"It gets easier to understand him eventually," she quipped. "You'll be patient, won't you?"
And Silver's face was back to its usual seriousness. "Of course." He stood up to follow Sebek out of the room and into the kitchen. It was hard to miss the way Sebek relaxed and suppressed a grin when he saw the boy appear in front of the table where he was sitting, but Silver chose to keep quiet in that regard.
"Are there any left?" Silver asked, making his way to the head of the table and plopping down on one of the cushioned chairs.
Sebek nodded, pushing the plate that housed the last cupcake with just enough force for it to stop short of the edge where Silver sat.
Staring at the red cake with white frosting, Silver let himself get lost in thought. Sebek was a glutton, and he would have had no trouble devouring the two cupcakes in the short time that Silver was still in the room. But here the cupcake was, left uneaten—as opposed to the one in Sebek's hand, which still only had a couple of bites. Did he really wait for Silver to come and eat with him?
"What are you grinning about?!" Sebek yelled, snapping Silver out of his reverie.
Was he grinning? It only became apparent to Silver when he felt soreness settle in his cheeks, raising a hand to rub at one side. He shrugged and grabbed the cake, taking a small bite. Sebek was right, it tasted like a renowned baker made it. "I wasn't grinning."
"You were."
"This cupcake is good, Sebek."
"Don't change the subject!"
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Silver glared at Sebek when he felt a pillow drop on his face, but Sebek only smirked as he looked down at the older boy on the floor and pulled his head back to rest on his own pillow.
Sebek's bed was nestled into a corner—the headboard pressed up on his tall bookcase, and the right side rail was tucked against the wall and under the window. He had begged his brother to switch rooms; this one had a large square window (placed a few perfect inches above the bed) that faced the sun, so it was the warmest. Of course, the Zigvolts rarely had the heart to refuse their youngest, so the room belonged to Sebek in less than a day.
However, they did not account for his regular sleep-over buddy, so Silver always slept on Sebek's floor using a spare mattress.
Tonight was colder than most nights, as it was the middle of winter. During winters, Sebek would often sleep with a mountain of blankets wrapped snugly around him, but with Silver's presence, said blankets were stuffed into a cabinet.
If Sebek's room wasn't illuminated by the obnoxious yellow light of an oil lamp on one of the bookcase compartments, then maybe his shivering would've been undetected.
"Sebek, don't you have more blankets?" Silver asked in a whisper.
"Why, would you like one?!" Sebek questioned with enthusiasm, his head poking over the bed to look at Silver, who shook his head.
"No, for you."
An indignant sputter left Sebek's lips as he sneered. "How dare you mock me! Do not assume that my skin is weaker than yours! I c-can sleep with only one layer, just like you can!"
"I wasn't—"
"NO!" Sebek screeched, burying himself back into the blanket.
Silver sighed and turned his head to stare at the ceiling. He wanted to insist, but he didn't want Sebek to wake the rest of his family with all the yelling. But he could practically hear the younger boy's teeth chattering—and it wasn't because he was angry. Accepting his defeat, Silver stood up and tapped Sebek's shoulder (he assumed).
The blanket uncurled from on top of Sebek, spitting out a 'what?'.
"I'm cold, Sebek. Can we sleep together?" Silver's own blanket folded over his arm and dangled on the floor.
An appreciative glint flickered in Sebek's eyes, but he forced himself to ignore Silver's true intentions as he responded, "I suppose it can't be helped. Very well, I will share with you my warmth!"
In Silver's arms, Sebek had one of the best sleeps of his life.
5.
Sebek was a curious child. Malleus, all too used to languidly floating through life—training to be a king, sitting through endless dull lessons, and listening to his grandmother's long lectures—enjoyed his visits to Lilia's cottage for this reason. It had been nice, too, when it was just him, Lilia, and Silver; intimate and quiet as he learned new skills and trivia (primarily related to human babies). But Sebek, who was always bristling with exuberance, entertained him much more.
Malleus felt that Sebek's pale green hair was brighter than the sun's own yellow, and it matched the infinite energy the boy seemed to possess. It was unbelievable that he was almost finishing elementary school, he was just a babe, really; Malleus wouldn't say that he ever had an affinity for young children, but the fondness he felt for Sebek screamed otherwise.
"Waka-sama," Sebek pronounced perfectly, and Malleus did miss his speech impediment, just a little.
A soft 'yes?' left Malleus instinctively as he snacked on a chilled watermelon slice that Lilia had set aside for him. Sebek was sitting on a tall chair across from him, tapping his fingers on the wooden table.
"How many executions has the royal family ordered?"
Suddenly thrown into a fit of coughs, Malleus was confounded as he stared wide-eyed at the boy in front of him. The possibility that he heard the question wrong was slim, very slim, but he wanted to believe that he did. "What?"
Sebek beamed proudly, as if he hadn't just said something so startling. "I am exploring more literature. I read one of my sister's novels, and in the last chapter, a powerful king ordered an execution! As your future guard, I would like to know more about politics!"
"I'm not so sure gauging… the frequency of executions is a proper start," Malleus said as he attempted to compose himself. "And you are still quite young, no?"
"It is never too early to embark on a journey for knowledge!" Sebek countered, and whatever unease Malleus had felt was fully gone now. It was difficult to satisfy Sebek's perpetual curiosity, especially when Lilia and Silver were out, and the direction of the conversation relied mostly on Malleus.
"I do admire that." Malleus chuckled, taking another bite of his watermelon. "But may I know your motivation behind this?"
A flush of light pink dusted Sebek's cheeks as he tried to respond confidently, "I… it is to be the best possible retainer for my liege, of course!"
After finishing his food, Malleus set down the rind, stood up, walked around the table, and knelt down in front of Sebek. He flashed a warm smile at the boy, rubbing the side of Sebek's scalp gingerly. "There is plenty of time for you to grow into a fine knight. For now, can you remain my sweet little Sebek?"
Something that could only be called a chirp escaped Sebek's mouth, the pink on his cheeks spreading across his entire face to his ears. His mouth hung open for a few seconds—Malleus could tell he already had a response ready, it just had trouble making its way past the boy's lips. Finally, he stuttered, "Y-y-yes, Waka-sama!"
Good, Malleus thought.
It was all right for him to be selfish before Sebek was all grown up, wasn't it?
+ 1
Sebek was an excellent student—a top-performer in his year, and he would have been the first if not for the less-practical subjects.
He was also responsible; Riddle Rosehearts, one of his seniors, was someone he shared a club with. He often assigned tasks like bathing the horses, combing their manes, and cleaning the stables to Sebek and Silver. The Heartslabyul Housewarden—who was known for being strict and a perfectionist—trusted Sebek with such chores.
So, Sebek wasn't a child anymore. It was evident in the way others treated him, less like the youngest boy in Briar Valley, and more like a student in a prestigious school. It was natural that more was expected from him now. Even the treatment he received from Malleus and Silver changed when he started his first year; only Lilia stayed the same, but that was because he saw practically everyone as children.
It wasn't that Sebek expected nothing to change. Of course, not being an eight year old anymore meant that Malleus would stop interacting with him so freely and warmly. There were standards to be upheld between a young lord and his retainer, which Sebek officially was now. He was almost of age (in human years, at least), and it would be ridiculous to share as many hugs with Malleus as he did before. Sebek was far too old now to have his every whim indulged by his liege—who had been so kind to do so in the past.
Silver grew alongside him as well. One would expect them to be closer, but in the year that Sebek wasn't enrolled in Night Raven College—the year they were apart—the familiarity between them seemed to waver. Not to say that they were complete strangers; it was just that the time they spent together was time spent as children. Little boys who played for hours (no matter how strange the games they played were), and held hands in foreign forests, and hugged each other tightly when nights were too scary. Rather than playmates, they were two guards training to serve their king.
These notions weren't anything that plagued Sebek's thoughts often. At least, not until now.
Ortho was rambling about Idia again; he was the only one who could keep up with Sebek when it came to admiring their brothers a person dear to him. But Ortho's pieces were often much more intimate and familial than Sebek's, who would often extol Malleus' virtues and capabilities proudly. No, Ortho would tell stories about his and Idia's fun adventures. Adventure was a vastly different word in the two boys' vocabularies: Sebek never had any virtual adventures, but Ortho described them in enough detail, and he supposed they were as exhilarating as all his outdoor trips with Silver.
The countless times Ortho bragged about Idia eventually triggered another heated discussion between the six friends. Between Riddle, Leona, Vil, Idia, and Malleus—who was the best housewarden?
Ace and Deuce mentioned the multitude of tutoring sessions they received from Riddle. Sometimes, when they'd do a really good job on an assignment, or when they'd make their housewarden happy (like that time Ace found the missing hedgehogs), he would give them the softest rubs on the head, although they were short-lived.
Jack made a show of calling Leona lazy and irritable, but he was quick to jump to praise his housewarden as well. Once, when a group of older students initiated a brawl against Jack, they skipped straight to being unfair and used magic—even though Jack was a new first year. Leona defended Jack himself then, and personally taught the wolf beastman a lesson (even if it was a little indirect).
Epel, likewise, didn't want to lose their little battle. Although the man used to complain quite a lot about Vil and his tyranny, he had immensely different stories to tell now. What stuck out the most was the time Vil had apparently kissed Epel on the cheek! Epel wasn't the best at recalling events, but he talked about growing to respect Vil after the events in the VDC transpired.
On the other hand, Sebek had less personal stories to tell. His tales revolved around Malleus himself, and he refused to utter a single word regarding his childhood with the dragon fae. They weren't only his stories to tell, and he couldn't, in good conscience, taint his master's reputation. Just like Sebek himself, the Malleus from a few years ago was different from the Malleus now. Whatever affection Sebek deluded himself into thinking Malleus had for him would stay with his oblivious younger self.
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Sebek partially overcame his indisposition towards the cold through age and a healthy diet, but that unfortunately did not make him resistant to the sickness that befell him whenever it would snow. Times like these reversed his fondness for his class schedule—P.E. before recess. Professor Vargas insisted on at least a little light exercise. 'We don't have to be out on the field! Let's go to the gymnasium and run some laps!'
For the first time, Sebek sympathized with the groans that resounded from his classmates. He was grateful for the hardworking fairies who regulated the temperature in the school, but that just wasn't enough against a natural weather phenomenon. Of course, Sebek wasn't opposed to training that could help him build better resistance, but he still would have preferred not to change out of his school uniform (which was already cold enough despite the layers) and into his P.E. uniform.
Still, he trudged through P.E. class, and assumed the worst was over by lunch. Unfortunately, Ace spilled iced coffee (why would anyone drink an iced beverage in this weather?!) all over his pants, and even dared to laugh about it. A quick drying spell fixed his soiled clothes, but the frost already bit and seeped into his skin.
After barely managing to stay awake in his classes and narrowly avoiding getting scolded by the professors for moving so sluggishly, Sebek found his almost limp body sprawled over his bed. It would have been nice to fall asleep immediately, but he forced himself to crawl under his duvet first before letting his eyelids flutter close.
The warmth didn't last any longer than a few minutes when he felt a cold hand pressed to his forehead. He had the urge to whine, but he wasn't a child. Instead, Sebek opted to lazily open his eyes. To his surprise, Lilia was hovering over him—how hadn't he noticed the weight that dipped into his mattress? And Malleus sat on the chair by his desk too!
"Lilia-sama—" Sebek started, but his mentor shook his head with a smile.
"I thought you would have known how to keep out of falling sick in the cold by now," Lilia teased, but he still didn't let Sebek respond. "I was going to prepare soup for you, but Silver insisted on making it instead. It seems that your fever hasn't dropped despite your nap. What a valiant battle you're fighting!"
"You should give Silver your thanks, Sebek," Malleus added.
Nap? Sebek blinked, pushing back slightly to let his head rest on the headboard instead. His eyes fell tiredly on Malleus' form. "W-Waka-sama—"
"Ooh, you spoiled thing, already calling for Malleus." Lilia chuckled. He turned his head when the door to Sebek's dorm room creaked open, Silver walking in with a tray of steaming soup and a glass of water. Sebek sat up when Silver approached his bed and placed the tray on Sebek's desk.
"Are you feeling any better?"
Sebek would usually respond with something along the lines of 'I don't need your concern, human!', but he didn't have the energy to bicker with Silver the way he usually did; Silver was really good at forming blunt responses that seemed to spur Sebek on and trigger an endless barrage of back and forth jabs. He liked that they could argue so well with each other. He liked that Silver could keep up.
"Thank you." Sebek didn't realize that he let that slip until the trio collectively looked at him with mild surprise. To be fair, he was already in so much discomfort, and he was trying to think about why all three of them were here in his room. Sebek forcefully cleared his throat (bad idea, it was scratchy) and stammered, "F-for preparing this soup! But that much is to be expected! You helped Lilia-sama, after all!"
Silver, having relaxed at Sebek's familiar, warm hostility, let the corner of his lip curl up out of affection. "You're welcome," he said, taking a seat on the edge of Sebek's bed opposite to Lilia.
It was quite cramped. The four of them weren't together much outside of the lounge and the cafeteria, but even Malleus' appearance was rare then.
"Waka-sama, was there anything you needed?" Sebek asked hoarsely.
Malleus frowned. "Of course not, you're ill. Your constitution is weak enough, what kind of prince would I be if I put a strain on you, my subject, and worsened it?"
Sebek wanted to ask, 'Then why are you here? Why are you all here?', but he remembered the words that Ace said to him once.
"You gloat all the time about how clever you are, but you sure do love acting like you're oblivious. It's a little annoying listening to you act like your relationships with Housewarden Malleus and those two other guys is nothing, when we can all see them endlessly coddling you literally all the time. It's bad enough that I gotta see them let you off the hook constantly while I keep getting collared, but you pretend as if that's not a thing, and it pisses me off!"
It was really true that Sebek didn't think that was the case, but he knew, at least, that he was more than just Sebek Zigvolt the guard or Sebek Zigvolt the fellow guard to them. It was quite hard to miss. With Lilia only calling him adorable whenever he'd make mistakes, Malleus showering him with praise any chance he got, Silver always being lenient with him despite their squabbles—and far more examples than he could remember in his current state—he understood the absurdity of his own opinions.
So, just this once, he would allow this closeness. He would allow their stay in his room no matter how embarrassed he felt. He would allow Lilia to dote on him and reminisce on his childhood. He would allow Silver to keep watch over his condition without opposing. He would allow Malleus to kiss his forehead good night, just like when he was little.
Only for tonight, Sebek Zigvolt would let his family care for him.