"Uh..."
I just blinked instead of answering.
This is Rachel's room... why is Noelier here...?
I looked around. I couldn't see any children anywhere.
Am I still dreaming?
I blinked a few more times. Beyond the large window where sunlight had been pouring in, I saw a blue darkness. It seemed as though night had fallen before I knew it.
I can't believe I fell asleep for this long...
I rubbed the corners of my eyes with the back of my hand.
'Where did Zion go without saying a word to me...'
I yawned softly, thinking that.
Huh?
And, unable to even close my gaping mouth, I stopped abruptly.
Zion.
Yes, Zion!
'There is no Zion!'
I jumped up from my seat like a spring.
I didn't know what kind of trouble the already curious child would cause in the South, and here at that, in the leader's castle.
“The kids are together."
Noticing my flustered state, Noelier spoke reassuringly.
"Don't worry. We have decided to use only the minimum number of servants for the time being. The people currently in the castle are all the ones Eve met today."
At those words, I froze in an awkward position.
"Then..."
"It means you don't have to worry about meeting other dragons."
I let out a sigh of relief. It felt like I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Is this a thoughtful gesture for me? I was moved once again by Noelier's kindness.
"If you have any other concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know."
"Yes... Thank you."
I smiled awkwardly and nodded.
"By the way, Eve."
Just then, Noelier called out to me. I turned my head and looked at him.
"It seems you are still half-asleep."
Noelier was smiling gently.
"Was it such a good dream that you didn't want to escape it?"
"Uh..."
"Because you kept smiling while you were sleeping."
Noelier's mouth drew a soft smile.
It is the exact same smile, no different from usual.
The atmosphere seemed to have changed strangely.
Is it because it's night? I nodded, trying hard to clear my head.
"Yes. It was a good dream."
“What kind of dream was it?”
"Uh..."
I racked my brain at the sudden question. I couldn't honestly say that I had had such a dream.
"Ah. It was a dream where Dad appeared. It was a dream where Dad was playing with me using ice flowers. Dad's magic isn't very strong, so he was even melting the falling snow. Haha. But I don't know why I had this dream."
“...Is the ice melting?”
Noelier asked back in a puzzled manner.
'Did I say something strange?'
When he tilted his head, I added nonchalantly.
"Yes. My dad said that. He said that sometimes it feels like the magic just vanishes. He said it has been like that often since he was little. He said the magic would disappear and then suddenly appear, and it was very unpredictable."
"..."
Noelier said nothing. As if deep in thought, he simply nodded quietly.
"..."
With those words, silence fell between us. I felt anxious.
'Surely you aren't trying to retrace my identity! I don't think I said anything strange!'
I desperately blurted out anything to stop him from thinking otherwise.
"The bed was so good that I lost my mind and slept soundly."
I deliberately patted the bed with exaggerated hand gestures.
"Wow. Not a single twitch. It must be quiet here no matter what you do..."
I stopped talking there and shut my mouth tight.
To think you’d be quiet no matter what I do! What are you doing in bed! No matter how much I think about it...
'There’s nothing but that kind of thing.'
Noelier remained silent. Judging by the fact that he did not blush or avoid my gaze, it seemed he did not understand what I was saying.
Phew. That's a relief. I breathed a sigh of relief.
I felt like I would only suffer a lot of humiliation if I stayed here.
'Let us return to where Zion is.'
I shuffled to my feet.
“Where are you going?”
Then Noelier asked with a puzzled look.
"I'm going back to my room. I can't stay in Rachel's room forever."
"Rachel's room?"
Noelier tilted his head.
"This is my room."
"I see. This is Noel's... huh?"
Noel's room? Not Rachel's room?
But Hopper definitely guided us this way...?
Sensing my confusion, Noelier spoke with an apologetic look.
"Because they consider Eve my companion. It is perhaps only natural that they guided you here."
“Yes... of course.”
Nodding in agreement, I belatedly realized one fact.
That I had been sleeping soundly in the middle of the bed, unaware of the world, until it got dark like this.
It ended up looking like the master had been chased away.
Feeling apologetic, I quickly stood up from my seat.
"I'm sorry. I thought it was Rachel's room..."
He shook his head at my bewilderment.
"It doesn't matter, since this is Eve's room anyway."
"...My room?"
"Yes."
Noelier nodded without hesitation. I even felt strange for being flustered.
"But..."
I trailed off worriedly.
Of course, we are acting like a married couple, but sleeping together is a bit...
'Noelier will be in danger.'
I looked at Noelier with worried eyes.
His face, settling with fatigue, looked unusually lethargic. It was the exact opposite of when he blushed and acted shy.
No, wait. What am I thinking of someone who turns red just from a touch? Someone who is already so stressed out.
I shook my head and chased away the irrelevant thoughts.
"I appreciate your concern, but this is just too much..."
"But..."
Noelier slowly trailed off. As I waited to see what he was about to say, I saw his expression visibly stiffen.
“Noel?”
"...Yes. Eve"
He wiped that expression away immediately at my call, but I saw it clearly. The pain etched on his face.
“Are you going to open it?”
"..."
At my question, Noelier clamped his mouth shut like a child caught doing something wrong.
I let out a deep sigh.
Judging by his personality, it was clear that he wanted to hold hands but couldn't bring himself to say it, so he was agonizing over it.
I stopped trying to get up and slumped back onto the bed.
Then, bang bang, I tapped the seat in front of me.
"Come this way."
"But..."
“Quickly.”
When I urged him one more time, Noelier came over and sat down next to me without a word.
However, there was still a distance between us, too far to hold hands or stroke each other's heads.
As he silently furrowed his brow, Noelier spoke while glancing nervously.
"...May I come a little closer?"
"Of course."
He hesitated, then came closer to me.
We ended up sitting side by side facing each other on the bed.
Perhaps because the distance was short, I hadn't noticed it from afar, but his face clearly showed signs of fatigue.
As I reached out my hand toward him, Noelier quietly folded his hand like a well-trained puppy.
A wave of intense heat seeped into my body as if it had been waiting.
Perhaps because I came to the warm south, it felt particularly bad today, so I shivered for a moment.
I felt a sense of satisfaction seeing Noelier's face relax.
I became a human ice pack, but I felt good knowing that I was of help to Noelier.
Noelier gazed at me intently and smiled languidly. In his slowly blinking eyes, I could read the fatigue that had not yet been erased.
“Are you tired?”
At my question, Noelier quietly shook his head.
"It's fine. This is nothing."
I opened my arms as if I were doing him a favor.
His expression didn't suggest he was fine.
'Hmm. It seems this isn't enough. In that case...'
I spread my arms as if to show kindness.
"Then, shall we give each other a hug?"
"...Yes?"
Noelier's eyes widened.
I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.
"If even hands don't work, wouldn't the next step be a hug?"
"..."
Noelier kept his mouth shut, looking quite flustered.
As expected, it was just the reaction I had imagined. I shouldn't be doing this, but it's fun to watch, so I keep teasing him.
Heh heh, a sly smile naturally formed on my face.
Let's not play too rough with pranks. Just as I was thinking that, I heard the sound of the bed creaking.
"Uh...?"
When I came to my senses, something warm had touched my shoulder. Even the black hair was tickling my cheek.
Noelier, his ears flushed red, rested his forehead on my shoulder.
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