“I heard she was the one who found the Ellesia family ring. Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“Veilks must’ve taken it badly.”
Alex’s smile widened.
“Look into her more thoroughly.”
“Yes. Although...”
“Hmm? Is there something else?”
“Your coughing stopped.”
“...Ah.”
“You weren’t feeling well since this morning, but you seem much better now.”
“...You’re right.”
Alex’s eyes widened. The coughing that had plagued him since morning, strangely enough, had disappeared.
“......”
His gaze drifted toward the shop where Ceres was, something unreadable settling over his expression.
“Was it because of that tea?”
A chuckle slipped from him before he turned and walked away. The man beside him vanished just as silently.
Thud!
“Ugh...”
“Sh*t—what the hell?!”
Not long after, someone crashed into Alex while he walked down the street. The middle-aged man, who was reeking of alcohol, immediately grabbed him by the collar.
“Watch where you’re going!”
“You’re right. People should be more careful.”
“What? You b*stard!”
Irritated by Alex’s faint smile, the man threw a punch.
But just before the fist could brush his face, Alex staggered and collapsed onto the ground, as though he’d actually taken the hit.
“Keep your eyes open when you walk!”
“...I’ll remember that.”
“Tch.”
The man stumbled away, seemingly convinced he had knocked Alex down. Watching him leave, a familiar eerie smile curling at Alex’s lips.
“Of course people should watch where they’re going.”
After brushing the dust from his trousers, he rose to his feet and looked toward the man already disappeared into the distance.
“If you want to live long.”
***
“A monster?”
“Yes. The prevailing opinion is that it was likely the work of a monster.”
“In the capital?”
“Yes.”
“Did a Black Forest appear?”
“No.”
Del, the aide delivering the report, looked equally perplexed by the situation.
“That’s the strange part. No Black Forest appeared, yet a body bearing signs of a monster attack was discovered.”
A corpse had been found in an alley earlier that morning. No matter how they looked at it, the injuries resembled those left behind by a monster. The problem was that no Black Forest had appeared anywhere near the area the day before.
“The deceased’s identity still hasn’t been confirmed.”
“A monster...”
Such incidents weren’t unheard of in the Persia Grand Duchy. Even without a Black Forest appearing, monsters from the Ice Tree Forest occasionally wandered into nearby villages and caused trouble.
But a monster appearing in the middle of the capital? And only one person falling victim without anyone noticing?
“To be honest, I’m not even sure something like this is possible in the capital. Could it really have been a monster?”
“Who knows. How’s the investigation going?”
“There hasn’t been much progress. They still haven’t figured out what kind of monster it was.”
Del cautiously slid a document forward.
“That may be why the Imperial Palace requested our assistance. If Your Excellency could examine the body, then...”
“What about Ceres?”
“...Pardon? Miss Ceres?”
Cut off mid-sentence, Del lowered the papers in his hands.
“I haven’t seen her since lunch. Shall I look for her?”
“No.”
“Yes. Then regarding this matter...”
Rustle.
“...Your Excellency? Where are you going?”
“To find her.”
“Huh...?”
Find who?
Del could only stare in a daze as Kainel left the office without another word.
***
“Grace...”
“Arti?”
Eight-year-old Artia, still shorter than Grace, stepped into the room with a pillow clutched to his chest.
Once again, after staying out late playing, he had chosen to sleep at the Ellesia estate instead of returning to the Magic Tower.
“Why aren’t you asleep?”
“I can’t sleep.”
A small sigh escaped young Grace.
“That’s why I told you not to read ghost stories.”
“Kai read it too!”
The reason Artia couldn’t sleep was obvious. Grace chuckled.
“Come here.”
“Okay!”
When Grace lifted the blanket and patted the empty space beside her, Artia hurried over with a bright smile.
“Hm?”
At that moment, another small figure lingered hesitantly by the doorway.
“Kai?”
...I should’ve taken that book away when the two of them were reading it.
“Come here.”
“I didn’t come because I was scared.”
“Alright. Just come here.”
“......”
Grace walked over to Kainel and took his hand herself.
“Come on. Both of you, go to sleep.”
The two children settled on either side of her.
Unlike Artia, who fell asleep almost immediately despite insisting he couldn’t sleep earlier, Kainel continued to fidget beneath the blankets.
“Go to sleep.”
Pat, pat.
It was only after the gentle hand stroking his back that Kainel began to relax.
“......”
Ceres was asleep beneath a towering ginkgo tree that had stood for over 600 years, its golden leaves beautiful enough to draw admiration at a glance.
Was she having a pleasant dream? A faint smile rested on her lips.
Watching her, Kainel let out a quiet sigh, his brows furrowing slightly.
“Aren’t you cold?”
Winter had yet to arrive, but the wind carried a noticeable chill. As Kainel stepped closer, he removed his outer coat and draped it over Ceres.
Whoosh!
“—!”
Kainel’s eyes widened in surprise.
Just as he was about to step back, Ceres suddenly grabbed his hand. Caught off balance, he stumbled forward, only for her to pull him into her arms.
“Sle...ep... Let’s sle...ep...”
Pat, pat.
Her voice was still heavy with sleep. It seemed she had sensed someone nearby in her drowsy state and instinctively pulled him closer.
“......”
Kainel quietly watched her. Her eyes stayed closed as she wandered somewhere deep within her dreams.
Pat, pat.
The tension in his body gradually melted away.
Pat, pat.
His eyes slowly drifted shut.
Pat...
As though he were sinking into a memory from long ago.
***
“How much longer do we have to stay like this?”
“Please... could you stay like that a little longer?”
No, I’m asking for how long exactly.
Having woken from an unintended nap, Ceres briefly wondered if she was still dreaming.
Why am I hugging this guy?
The person she had unconsciously wrapped around like a pillow in her sleep was none other than Kainel.
More importantly, why is he here?
Ceres stared blankly for a moment, trying to make sense of the situation. She attempted to sit up, but someone stopped her in a hurry.
“Please wait a little longer.”
It was Del, Kainel’s aide.
She had no idea how long Del had been standing there, or why he looked so emotional. But he kept gesturing frantically for her not to move.
That was how things had remained for the past thirty minutes after she woke up.
“It’s been a long time.”
“...?”
A long time? Since when?
As Del looked at Kainel sleeping peacefully, countless emotions crossed his face.
Surprise, confusion, relief.
How long has it been since I last saw him sleep this comfortably?
Only moments ago, Del had doubted his own eyes upon finding Kainel asleep beside Ceres.
What exactly am I looking at right now? Is His Excellency actually asleep? Beside someone else? And this deeply?
Thinking back, had he ever seen Kainel sleep so soundly since becoming his aide?
Forget deep sleep. It had been a long time since he’d seen him take even a brief rest. Every day, the pile of sleep-inducing herbs grew larger. And with it, so did Del’s sighs.
But... what am I supposed to make of this?
Del hurriedly covered his mouth with both hands. He was afraid an involuntary gasp might slip out and wake him.
But even with Ceres and Del speaking nearby, Kainel showed no sign of stirring, as though he intended to make up for all the sleep he had lost.
Good grief...
Letting out a sigh, Ceres lowered her gaze toward Kainel. How long had it been since she’d seen him sleeping this close?
He always looked so harmless when he slept.
Wasn’t that why Artia used to joke that someone should feed him sleeping medicine and keep him asleep forever?
The old memory drew a faint smile to her lips.
At that moment, Kainel’s eyes slowly opened. Their gazes met at a distance close enough to hear each other breathe.
Yet neither looked embarrassed, nor did the silence feel awkward.
“......”
“......”
They simply looked at one another.
“Are you going to stay like this?”
“...No.”
In the end, Ceres was the first to break the silence.
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