“If you keep fidgeting like that, they will notice you,” Liut drawled.

Thoughts jumbled and fear taking over, Jace found the nonchalant way Liut made the remark to be the last straw. Jace never even fucking wanted to be a part of the plot! He just wanted to fuck around and live his second chance in life peacefully! Maybe he’s not even fucking here, he’s somewhere in a hospital hooked up to tubes.

Maybe he already died.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Jace seethed, sending Liut a glare.

Liut put his ale down and stretched out his hand over the table. Gently, he tipped Jace’s chin up so their eyes met. So Liut had the luxury to be understanding and compassionate, but not Jace? He wished he had enough reasons to snatch his chin away. But he didn’t. Liut was his only chance out of here. If Drosel noticed him, pointed his finger at him, it would be over. The cushy offer expired; now Jace would not be treated as a prize, but as a prisoner.

Gulping down the unfairness that followed him through all the lifetimes, Jace stared back at Liut and tried to calm down.

“Don’t glare at me so. I promised I won’t leave you here,” Liut coaxed him, carefully holding his chin so Jace wouldn’t move away.

“So you’ll fight them off for me?” Jace asked, trying to keep his voice in check.

“If needed,” Liut agreed simply. “But we don’t need to go that far.”

Jace narrowed his eyes at him.

“What do you have in mind?”

Liut traced his fingers up Jace’s jaw and then lightly tugged on the hood of his cloak.

“The luerk’s fur is woven into it. As long as the guards’ eyes don’t land directly on you, you’re nothing but another shadow blending into the background.”

How could Jace forget about it? It was mentioned so many times in the original novel—Liut’s cloak that allowed him to stay unnoticed despite his size and eye-catching looks. It wasn’t an invisibility cloak, sure, but its magic allowed it to obscure one’s presence in crowded spaces or anywhere dense with various objects. From libraries littered with shelves of books to thick forests, as long as one didn’t actively attract attention, the cloak would do its job.

But that cloak was black, the one Liut wore right now. Jace’s was dark blue. Did Liut have two of those?

Liut tapped his finger between Jace’s eyebrows. “And don’t frown, just ask.” He took away his hand.

“Where did you get me a cloak like that?”

Smiling, Liut easily replied, “I stole it from a mercenary. The one that groped your ass yesterday.”

That was how Jace’s original nameless body met Liut in the beginning of the smut chapter. The simplicity of the answer made Jace chuckle.

“I didn’t take you for a petty person,” he noted.

Liut grinned. “I had a sleeping wife to sneak away.”

Slightly more reasonable now, Jace also noticed that the grandeur of the crowd’s declaration quickly trickled down to ordering more drinks to celebrate their shared plans. No one actually intended to leave the cozy tavern to search for ‘that fucking Remnant’ right this instant.

Since it was like that, Jace decided he might as well test the depth of Liut’s commitment.

“Why did you sneak me away?” Jace asked. “It’s amusing in bed, but I am not your actual wife, we barely know each other.”

Something flashed through Liut’s gaze. “Did you not wish me to?” he asked.

Taking a sip of his ale, Jace hummed and contemplated.

“It’s not about what I wish,” he eventually reasoned. “You are the one who doesn’t make sense,” Jace pointed out.

Liut studied his face, long probing look that made Jace feel… self-conscious. Was he not digging his own grave by asking? Did he really need to know? If Liut, for whatever reason, decided to protect him, it was fine for as long as it lasted. Preferably, as long as needed to leave Lodgerod and get to another highly populated town.

“Would you believe me if I said I don’t make sense to myself either?” Liut answered after a hefty pause. Jace raised his eyebrows. “I simply… felt like it in the moment.”

“Felt like it…” Jace echoed, incredulous.

How soothing. His life rested on Liut’s whim. Now he truly felt like cannon fodder in the hands of the protagonist. He’d rather return to being a nameless side piece, but that was no longer an option.

Shrugging, Liut took a swig of his drink. “It’s been a long time since I had something of my own.”

Oh.

So those possessive streaks Jace noticed were not merely in his imagination. Was it better or worse? Jace couldn’t tell.

“Well, lucky me!” Jace snorted. “Keep feeling like it, I’m a wanted man now. You have to watch over your things or they might get stolen.”

Liut’s expression darkened. He didn’t reply.

“We need to go now,” he said instead, nodding to the guards, who were so drunk they spilled their drinks with every swing.

Eager to finally leave this place, Jace quickly agreed. Without much commotion, they walked out, no one sparing them a glance—too busy sharing the reward they were yet to gain.

Liut’s horse was in a stable behind the tavern, a dilapidated, hastily built heap of wood with a hole-ridden roof and creaking from the tiniest gust of wind. They got there wordlessly. Jace hated this uncomfortable silence.

Feeling it eating away at his chest, he gave up first.

“How will we get past the gate?” he asked, watching Liut fix the saddle.

No evident reaction. Liut unclasped a small leather pouch from his belt and threw it to Jace. Not a word.

The pouch jingled as Jace caught it, heavy in his palms. Inside, metal coins glistened under the reddened light of dawn.

“Bribe?”

With his back to Jace and busy preparing the horse, Liut gave a short nod. “Take five silvers, should be enough.”

Diligently, Jace fished out the needed amount. The coins were slightly uneven, with a five-pointed crown on one side and a few symbols resembling runes on the other. He tied up the pouch and came up to Liut to give it back.

“Are you going to feed me and clothe me with that money?” Jace joked. He couldn’t survive through this uneasiness otherwise. “I’m dirt-poor, you know. No dowry for you.”

Liut glanced from behind his shoulder, eyes at the open palm offering him the pouch back. He slowly turned around and took it, weighing it in his hand. With a curious hum, he put it back behind his belt and met Jace’s gaze.

Jace raised his eyebrows. Silently, Liut came up closer, put his hands on Jace’s waist and hoisted him up. World twirling, Jace yelped and, in the next moment, he was seated in the saddle.

He would protest at being manhandled at every corner, but he decided against it. He truly didn’t know how to get on a horse himself and was keen on keeping this a secret from Liut for as long as possible. Who in the fantasy world didn’t know how to mount a horse? Pathetic.

Jace also enjoyed the brief moments where their sitting arrangements allowed him to look down on Liut. He was still pissed at becoming a shortling compared to Liut’s height.

From down below, craning his neck up so their gazes met, Liut sent him a one-sided smile.

“What kind of a husband can’t provide for his wife?” he joked in return. The clutches holding Jace’s chest relaxed. “Will you cook for me and wash my trousers?”

Now that Liut was back to his normal self, Jace threw away all caution and openly grimaced.

“Absolutely not.” He cut off the idea in the bud.

Liut snorted. He mounted the horse, settling behind Jace, and hugged him. Habitually, Liut placed his chin on Jace’s shoulder.

“That’s disappointing,” he said mournfully, “I was looking forward to it.”

Jace shook his shoulder and heard Liut’s teeth clack from the sudden movement. Served him right.

“Ouch,” Liut complained. He hugged Jace tighter and nuzzled the side of his neck. “So be it,” he murmured into the skin and lightly kissed the spot under Jace’s ear, the sensitive one. “I shall reap my rewards from this arrangement through other means,” he whispered hotly into the ear.

Well, that was something Jace could get behind. Smiling, he cupped Liut’s cheek with his palm and turned his face, their noses brushing.

“Deal,” Jace whispered, closing the distance and capturing Liut’s lips in a kiss full of promise.