Lewis had never seen a place this big meant just for training.
The training ground was huge and much bigger than Lewis expected. It stretched far ahead, wide and open, with plenty of space between everything. Training posts, weapon racks, and practice dummies were set up all over the field, but nothing felt crowded.
There was so much land that it was clear space wasn't an issue here.
Just looking at it made Lewis realize how wealthy Draen really was. A place like this existed just for training knights and it was bigger than anything Lewis had seen back in his old life.
This wasn't just a training ground.
This was proof of how much wealth and power a duke like Draen held.
Rows of knights stood in formation that their numbers alone enough to make Lewis dizzy.
They wore dark robes over their armor, and each marked with a dragon insignia that clearly separated them from ordinary knights.
These weren't guards. They were elite.
At the very front stood five knights who didn't need to raise their voices or move to be noticed. They stood easily and confidently, like men who had fought countless battles and survived all of them.
Just from the way others subtly aligned themselves toward them, Lewis could tell that these five led the Vanguard Order.
'This place is… way bigger than my entire school back in Korea,' Lewis thought. 'Even the basketball court looks like a joke compared to this.'
Feeling overwhelmed, he stayed close behind Draen, half-hidden by his broad frame while quietly scanning the endless field and the sea of people.
Suddenly, Draen stepped forward.
"Everyone." His voice carried without effort as the entire training ground seemed to still.
He then turned, resting his hands on Lewis's shoulders, and guided him forward until Lewis stood beside him, fully visible to hundreds of eyes. Lewis stiffened, suddenly very aware of how exposed he felt.
"This is Lewis," Draen said calmly. "My bride."
A shift went through the knights.
"Starting today, you will treat him with the same respect you give me. Any insult toward him will not be tolerated. His orders are my orders."
Lewis's heart thudded hard in his chest.
"Anyone who disobeys him will be punished accordingly," Draen finished. "Is that clear?"
"As you command, Your Grace!" the knights answered in unison.
The sound echoed across the massive ground.
Lewis let out a small, awkward smile, unsure where to look with Draen's arm slipped around his waist, firm and possessive while grounding him.
"You can order them to do anything," Draen murmured to him. "Anything you want. This place, these people exist to serve and protect you from now on."
Lewis gave a short, nervous laugh. "T-that's… that's really too much."
Draen leaned down and kissed his forehead without hesitation that several knights at the front were already smiling, clearly entertained by the rare sight of their powerful duke being this openly gentle.
Pulling back, Draen cupped Lewis's face and spoke seriously.
"No. It's not too much," he said. "I promised you everything. And I keep my promises."
'When did he promised though?' Lewis thought while confused but still wear his confused face.
Draen thumb brushed lightly against Lewis's cheek.
"From today on, no one touches you without my permission. No one hurts you and this entire place exists to make sure of that."
Hearing how sincere that sound, Lewis felt his face burn. 'Doeshe really mean it…?
"Uhm, Your Grace, may I ask a question?"
A red-haired knight, probably in his twenties raised his hand with an easy smile making Draen turned toward him with one hand already holding Lewis's, standing far too close and clearly not caring about the hundreds of eyes watching.
"Go on," Draen said. "Speak."
"Now that Your Grace has found your bride," the knight continued, "may I ask who among us will be assigned as His Grace's personal guard?"
Draen tilted his head slightly while thinking.
Lewis, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. 'A personal guard? That felt like too much. There were already plenty of people in the dukedom who can keep watch over me. Do I really need someone glued to my side, too?'
"Hmm," Draen hummed. "Now that you mention it… I haven't decided yet."
He then turned to look at Lewis, clearly about to ask his opinion but Lewis suddenly froze.
"Ugh… ow, hngh…"
A sharp pain twisted in his stomach making his knees buckled before he could react. Fortunately, Draen caught him instantly with expression shifting to pure concern as he steadied Lewis in his arms.
Around them, the knights stiffened with worry flashing across their faces. If something happened to the duke's bride, they all knew what that meant.
Longer drills and harsher training.
A truly hellish schedule.
"Oh," Draen murmured softly, understanding dawning on his face. "Is it time already?"
Without effort, he lifted Lewis into his arms and gently pressed his face against Lewis's cheek.
"It's alright," he whispered. "I'll take care of it. Just hold on a little longer, my bride."
With that, Draen turned and carried Lewis back inside while leaving the stunned and slightly terrified Vanguard Order behind.
Then, a week slipped by before Lewis really noticed the time passing.
Life inside the Silvaris Dukedom was quiet in a way that soothed him.
The days were slow and gentle, and the palace gave him a sense of comfort he had never known back in Korea. For the first time, his mind wasn't constantly racing or bracing for the next problem.
In Korea, his days had been exhausting.
Endless paperwork, unpaid overtime, and a superior who never missed a chance to look down on him. He had learned to endure it all while smiling when he wanted to snap, lowering his head just to keep his position since quitting wasn't an option.
Bills waited every month, and finding another job was always a gamble he couldn't afford.
Here, everything felt different.
At the duke's palace, Lewis wasn't surviving but resting.
He didn't wake up with dread in his chest, and he didn't count the hours until sleep.
Instead, he caught himself wandering around while trying to find small things to do simply because he had the energy to do so.
There was always food waiting for him, more than he could ever finish. The bed he slept in was warm and soft, the kind that wrapped around him and made him feel safe.
And then there was Draen.
Ever since Lewis arrived, Draen had slept beside him. At first, it felt strange and too unfamiliar but over time, it became comforting.
When the pain in his stomach flared or dizziness set in, Draen would quietly give him his blood, easing the discomfort without complaint. Aside from that, Draen never pushed him.
Draen only gave him a soft kiss before sleep, an arm around him in the dark and a steady warmth through the night.
Nothing more.
And somehow, that gentle restraint made Lewis feel cared for in a way he wasn't used to.
Draen was a man and Lewis was very aware of that. And yet, he never felt uncomfortable or disgusted by the way Draen treated him, by the closeness or the affection.
It didn't feel wrong to him.
Back in Korea, Lewis had never even thought about being gay. Not because he was against it, but because his life never gave him the space to think about things like that at all. Every day had been about getting through the next task, shift and the next bill.
Survival came first and that's how it's always been.
There was no time for dating, no room to wonder what kind of person he might like and no chance to ask himself what he wanted from life. Those thoughts felt like luxuries meant for other people.
People who weren't constantly tired or afraid of falling behind.
For once, he was just… existing. And that alone felt new.
Lewis was reading a book in the library, both to pass the time and to learn more about the kingdom he had transmigrated to. Suddenly, he had the nagging feeling that he had forgotten something. After thinking for a moment, he realized he had completely forgotten about the original Lewis's uncle.
Closing the book, he immediately headed for the library door to leave.
There, he found the red-haired guy and the bulky one standing guard.
"My Lord, do you perhaps need something?"
Looking at them, Lewis feels so awkward, but then musters his courage to ask anyway.
"Uh, do you… know where His Grace is?"
Hearing his reluctant question, the two elite knights glanced at each other, not knowing what to say because, unfortunately, their lord was currently in the midst of butchering one of the traitors in his dukedom who was basically caught sending a message to the palace without his consent.