Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are So Hot! [BL]-Chapter 214: Comfort and Companionship

It must have been a truly grueling day.

"Alright, let’s get you something to eat," Damien said while gently helping him up. He then took his hand and he led him to the table.

It felt a bit like taking care of a child, he thought.

As usual, they sat next to each other, but today Theo clung tightly to him. From his demeanor since coming back, it was clear his day had been rough.

Considering the circumstances—he’d gone in with practically no work on his report—it wasn’t surprising he had faced some serious reprimands.

Damien decided to spoil him a little tonight.

...

When Theo even asked to be fed a bite, Damien thought he was pushing his luck a bit. Still, seeing how hard he had worked, he indulged him.

It was a little embarrassing, especially with Zima watching them with a warm smile.

"I mean, don’t you think it’s a little bit much to scold someone that much?" Theo vented, his complaints flowing non-stop from dinner through dessert. "That old cardinal was just using me to relieve his stress, I’m sure of it!"

The "old cardinal," as Theo called him, was apparently his boss in the Church’s theological division—a high-ranking figure.

He’d spent the entire day being scolded by him and made to help with menial tasks.

"That sounds rough," Damien sympathized. "Here, say ahh..."

He took one of the baked treats served with tea and popped it into Theo’s mouth.

"...Hmm, this is delicious," Theo said, his mood lifting slightly. "Natasha’s never made anything like this before. Is it a new recipe?"

"Zima made it," Damien said with a smile. "It’s good, right?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The treat was a cookie-like pastry from Zima’s homeland.

Zima, who was skilled at virtually every household task, blushed slightly at the praise.

"Well, well, Zima, you’ve outdone yourself. Hah, Damien, give me another one!"

"Alright, say ahh," Damien said as he tossed a baked treat into Theo’s open mouth.

It felt a bit like feeding a pet, he thought with a wry smile.

Might as well have one himself, he decided, popping a piece into his mouth.

Delicious.

He followed it with a sip of tea.

Also delicious.

"Sebas’s tea is as amazing as ever," Damien said.

Sebas had a particular passion for tea. Whenever he was around, no one else was allowed to take charge of making it.

Today’s tea, brewed with one of Sebas’s recommended blends, was no exception to his usual high standard. Sebas claimed he adjusted his tea selections based on factors like the day’s weather and the drinker’s condition.

Theo took a sip of his tea and let out a deep sigh.

"Phew... I’ve vented enough for now. I feel a little better," he admitted.

"That’s good to hear," Damien said with a nod. "Well, with how thoroughly you got scolded, I assume you managed to finish the report?"

"Yes, the report is done, at least," Theo replied.

That was a relief.

If he had been reprimanded heavily only to have his report rejected and sent back for revisions, it would have been a nightmare.

"But," Theo added hesitantly, his tone apologetic, "I’ll need your help with something, Damien."

"My help?" Damien tilted his head in curiosity.

"Well... if it’s something I can do, I’ll help with whatever you need," he said reassuringly.

What could it be, he wondered?

...

The evening after Theo had submitted his report to the Church was quiet.

After giving Damien a brief explanation of the "help" he needed, Theo returned to his room. He’d had an exhausting day and decided to turn in early.

With Theo gone and everyone else occupied, Damien found himself without company. Leonide and the others were all busy with their respective duties. While Damien knew they’d happily come if he called, he also understood that evenings were usually bustling with activity for everyone.

Zima was still in the common room but busy cleaning up from dinner, and Damien didn’t want to disturb him. Elyon had already retreated to the forest he called home, and summoning him back seemed unnecessary.

"I wonder what Elyon’s life in the forest is like?" Damien mused to himself. "I’d love to see it one day."

As for Ithnan, he was on door duty tonight. The other guards often went to bed early, worn out from their physical training. Damien doubted they’d be asleep yet, but he’d recently heard they were using their free time to practice the local language. Interrupting that seemed inconsiderate.

For the first time in a while, Damien found himself with some unexpected free time.

"Well, I guess I’ll just pass the time in my room," he muttered, rising from his seat.

Just as he stood up, there was a knock at the door, and Ithnan stepped in.

"Master Damien, Leonide has arrived. Shall I let him in?"

"Leonide? Yeah, sure, let him in," Damien said with a nod.

It was a bit earlier than expected. Usually, Leonide would still be engaged in standby duties, learning something new, or studying while waiting for orders in his room.

Was something wrong?

As soon as Ithnan opened the door, Leonide entered and immediately threw himself at Damien, wrapping his arms around him.

"Oof—Leonide?"

It was rare for Leonide to act like this while still technically on duty, but Damien instinctively embraced him.

"Arba’a told me you were bored," Leonide explained, grinning up at him. "So I finished up early and came to keep you company."

Ah, so that was it.

Still, where had Arba’a picked up that bit of information?

"I see. You’ve been spending a lot of time with Arba’a lately, haven’t you?" Damien asked.

"Yeah!" Leonide beamed. "We’ve got a lot of common interests, so we always have something to talk about."

Common interests... Damien decided not to think too hard about what those might be.

But hearing Leonide call Arba’a a "friend" warmed his heart.

It made him happy to know his lovers were getting along so well.

"That’s good to hear. So, what should we do? Maybe some tea for now..."