02. Dragon
Knock knock.
I heard a knock on the door early in the morning. I sat up and checked on the children. Their sleep-drenched eyes were still tightly closed. I carefully got out of bed.
"Who are you?"
As I whispered softly, a man's voice was heard from beyond the door.
“This is Noelier.”
It was a voice that was pleasant to hear, even a second time. I cautiously opened the door.
Dressed in his uniform, he stood at the door. His half-swept-back hair and white skin highlighted his good looks. His face was still chillingly handsome.
"It's been a while. I apologize for visiting so early in the morning."
Noelier greeted me politely. I shook my head at the thrilling look on his face, even after seeing it again.
"It's okay."
I stepped aside to indicate that it was okay to come in.
Noelier entered the house, bowing his head as if to apologize. It felt as if the small house was suddenly filled to capacity.
"It looks like the children are still asleep."
"Maybe it's because she played with Zion to her heart's content, but once she falls asleep, she sleeps soundly, completely unaware of the world."
He settled down beside the bed and gently stroked Rachel's hair. It was a very tender touch.
It was the exact opposite of the face he had shown when attacking me. I could tell what he thought of Rachel just by looking into his eyes.
"Did Rachel not cause any trouble?"
"Of course. She is so kind and cute."
Saying that, I took a seat next to him. He glanced at me as I sat down, then continued speaking.
"This is the first time I've seen my younger sibling follow another person so closely."
"Really? She was so charming and lovely."
"... Charming?"
Noelier shrugged his eyebrows in surprise. His lips, which had been twitching as if to add something more, suddenly closed.
"...Ruby?"
It was because Rachel had just woken up. Rachel, blinking her eyes as if still groggy from sleep, looked back and forth between Noelier and me.
"You two..."
Rachel slowly trailed off. Judging by the slow blinking of her eyes, it seemed she hadn't yet run away from sleep.
I leaned closer to hear better. Noelier did the same.
"Also..."
"Huh?"
“It suits you well...”
Rachel stopped speaking there and fell back asleep. Her soft breathing mingled with the sound of the burning firewood.
I glanced away. My blue eyes and Noelier's red eyes met. Our faces were pressed together too close.
The atmosphere became awkward in an instant. I hurriedly sat a little distance away from him.
"It looks like Rachel is still dreaming."
I forced a smile and spoke. I felt like I would go crazy from the awkwardness if I didn't do this.
Contrary to my efforts, Noelier did not answer. He simply stared at me with a strange expression, as if lost in thought. His red eyes sparkled like jewels.
He opened his mouth cautiously.
"...Is this the first time we've met?"
"Yes?"
"Therefore..."
Noelier trailed off. It was an unexpected question. He seemed nervous for some reason. I tilted my head.
"It’s because it’s not unfamiliar to me."
"...?"
I looked at him with a bewildered expression.
That sounds like a line I've heard somewhere before.
'Haven't we met somewhere before? You don't know? No, I'm sure I've seen you," isn't that what you call a pickup line, used to flirt?'
However, there was no reason for Noelier to say such a thing to me. Especially not such an old-fashioned line.
I shook my head lightly.
"Well, I've lived in the North my whole life. Unless Noelier has been here, I don't think we've ever crossed paths."
"...Okay."
Noelier nodded slightly.
It was that moment.
A small click of the tongue was heard.
"...?"
Noelier and I shifted our gaze to the source of the sound.
"What kind of line is that from..."
Rachel was muttering with a dazed look on her face, as if she had just woken up.
"Seriously, who does he take after..."
"Ruby?"
At my call, Rachel's hand, which had been rubbing her eyes, stopped abruptly.
Her sleep-filled eyes slowly regained their original color. Rachel, who had been frozen in place for a moment, looked at me and smiled.
"...Good morning, older sister."
Then she reached out her hand toward me. I picked Rachel up in my arms as if I were used to it. She clung to me just like a baby koala.
Rachel, who was rubbing her face against my chest as if she hadn't shaken off the drowsiness, whined softly.
"Brother, wait, that person is here again."
"Yeah, because today is the day I'm coming."
"What did the two of you talk about?"
Rachel whispered softly in a voice only I could hear. I lightly shook my head.
"I didn't say much."
"...Okay."
Rachel said that while glaring at Noelier. She seemed to really dislike him.
Even so, he's your older brother, so what do you expect to do if you're shy?
I deliberately turned my body toward Noelier so that Rachel and Noelier could face each other.
"..."
"..."
The siblings met each other's gaze. Rachel looked at Noelier with an expression completely opposite to when she looked at me.
"Hmmm...."
Rachel, narrowing her eyes as if deep in thought, suddenly opened her arms, as if asking to be hugged.
"...!"
I was moved by this tremendous change. In this way, a child's whims bring small joys.
I signaled to Noelier to hurry up and hug her younger sibling.
"..."
However, Noelier did not move an inch. His face showed a mixture of bewilderment and surprise.
Thanks to that, I was the one who was flustered. To think he wouldn't budge even though his younger sibling said she would hug him of her own accord.
Even though the timid Rachel had gone so far as to say she would hug his brother on her own... I, on the contrary, watched Rachel's reaction like a guilty person.
"Come on, hug me."
"..."
“Even if I say it’s okay?”
However, my worries were more useless than the dust swirling around the room.
Rachel beckoned me closer. It was as if the grumpy cat was doing a favor to its owner, saying, "Here you go."
Noelier and I stared at her like dazed fools.
“Ugh.”
Let us freeze in place. Rachel slipped out of my embrace as if she were feeling stifled.
Then, Rachel, who had settled between Noelier's legs, looked up at him and shrugged her shoulders.
"..."
His red eyes were shaking violently, as if he couldn't believe it.
Noelier, whose fingers twitched as if hesitating, carefully hugged Rachel.
The moment I saw Noelier's overwhelmed face, I had to hold back the urge to applaud.
A brother and sister who miraculously reunited despite having lost their memories and potentially never seeing each other again—where else could there be a reunion as meaningful as this?
I nodded with a look of deep emotion on my face as well.
Well. Now that everything is resolved, Rachel will be returning soon, too. I said goodbye to the dead flag that had been stuck in me.
"Ugh, it's hot..."
Just then, Rachel, who had squirmed and broken free from Noelier's embrace, approached me.
Rachel clung to me with a tearful expression.
"It's so hot. You're the best."
"..."
Rachel, you're a dragon.
Where is there a dragon that gets hot...
It seemed Rachel had become too accustomed to the cold of the North and my ice magic.
What should I do? As I racked my brain, a good idea struck me.
"Wait for a sec."
I took Rachel away from my bosom and seated her between Noelier and me.
"Ha."
When I reached out my hand to Rachel, she looked down at my hand blankly and tilted her head.
I silently took one of Rachel's hands, then pulled her other hand and placed it on Noelier.
"How about this? Doesn't it look a bit better like this?"
One hand to my side, who uses ice magic, and the other hand to Noelier, who uses fire magic.
"If we do this, wouldn't our temperatures mix and be okay? I looked at Rachel with a face full of anticipation."
“Uhm.”
However, Rachel narrowed her eyebrows as if something displeased her.
“Not this.”
Rachel said that and led Noelier by the hand.
His large hand was placed over my remaining hand. I shivered at the warmth, which was incomparable to Rachel's. It was the same for Noelier.
“I like this.”
"I wonder what makes you so proud," Rachel said, smiling brightly.
Thanks to that, we ended up sitting in a circle, holding each other's hands.
I let out a small laugh and tightened my grip on his hand. It was to play along a little more with Rachel.
At that, he flinched. His red eyes were shaking violently.
'Surely he doesn't dislike it?'
I slightly loosened my grip on the hand I was holding.
"Sorry."
“No, no...
Shaking his head like a child denying a mistake, he spoke with a serious face.
"It's the first time it's been this refreshing... so I'm getting nervous without even realizing it."
“So are you okay?”
Noelier nodded without answering. Although he kept his mouth tightly shut... he didn't look like he was refusing.
It'll be alright. I tightened my grip on their hands again.
Rachel looked at us with a proud expression.
"Do you like being like this?"
“Yes! I love it!”
“Thank goodness.”
I'm the cold bath; Noelier is the hot bath.
We had to keep holding hands like that, matching Rachel's game.
"...What are you doing?"
Until Zion, who woke up late, asked a question.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment