TFLCM - Chapter 57

I looked at Noelier with dazed eyes.

However, Noelier took the towel from my hand with a look that seemed to ask if there was a problem.

Then, he gently wiped my hair, which was still wet.

"Uh. I'll do this one."

"I will do it. Eve, please have your meal first."

"Aren't you eating, too?"

"I'm fine. I'm not very hungry."

Even so, this is a bit much. I invited Noel to have a meal with me several times. But Noel said, "You'll catch a cold," and focused on my wet hair.

I felt strange. It wasn't the first or second time I had experienced this person's kindness, yet my heart fluttered anew.

It was the meat I had wanted to eat so much. And not just any meat, but a fantastic feast of various cuts prepared in different ways.

However, I absolutely could not eat. I eventually put down my fork. At that, his hand also stopped.

"Ma'am?"

Questions asking what was wrong poured down from above.

"Did I hurt you by any chance?"

"No."

I quietly shook my head.

Pain? What pain. The touch of the hand stroking my hair was incredibly careful. Even touching glass would be worse than this.

'That's why I feel even stranger.'

I fanned my flushed face and drank the water placed beside me.

"..."

"..."

Just then, I made eye contact with Julie, who was gaping with her mouth wide open. Oh no! It was only then that I realized how careless I had been.

The countless pieces of meat were placed before me.

'Anyone can tell I look like a wolf!'

I quickly stood up from my seat. Julie and Noelier looked at me with bewildered eyes.

"Meat! I hate meat the most!"

"... Yes?"

Noelier narrowed his eyebrows as if asking what I meant.

"But surely, Madam..."

"Oh my! I'm a vegetarian! I love fresh sprouts and fresh vegetables!"

At those words, Noelier, who had been looking back and forth between me and the meat, nodded with an enigmatic smile.

"...It was my oversight. I forgot that Madam dislikes meat."

"Ah. Please be careful in the future."

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Noelier nodded with a serious expression. Only then could I feel a little relieved.

How about this? Do I still look like a wolf?

I turned toward Julie with a triumphant look on my face.

By now, you would have dropped your suspicions. That is what I thought, but...

Julie was nodding with a confident expression.

"..."

Seeing that, my appetite completely vanished.

"...I'm not hungry."

I shook my head. To deny my identity immediately, I had to pretend to be a vegetarian.

Perhaps concerned that my expression had darkened, Noelier nodded without saying much.

"...Understood. Then let's withdraw everything for now."

As he gestured toward Julie, the other servants quickly cleared the table and left the room.

I was able to breathe a sigh of relief only after hearing the sound of the door closing.

Judging by how that rabbit walked out so obediently, it didn't look like it would say anything in particular.

'...It’ll be okay, right?'

Just as my mind was in the midst of chaos, Noelier asked in a voice full of worry.

"Eve, is there anything bothering you?"

I moved my stiff neck and turned around.

"Oh, no, it's just that I don't have an appetite..."

I smiled awkwardly and trailed off.

'You're eating too little...' 

Noelier muttered, then nodded as if to say he understood.

And then I focused on drying my hair again.

...Hmm, this is a bit embarrassing, after all.

I held out my hand to ask for a towel.

However, Noelier shook his head. It meant that he would do it himself.

Why are you acting like this? He might get even angrier if he finds out that I exploited him until the very end.

Even though my body would burn up in one second, I could extend it to ten seconds to punish him.

I didn't want that. If I was going to burn to death anyway, I wanted to die quickly. I reached out my hand as if I were impatient.

"Eve."

Then Noelier brought his face close to me.

"You told me just a moment ago. I protect Eve, and Eve cools my heat."

"Uh..."

“Like a married couple.”

Noelier said with a gentle smile.

It seems like our faces are a bit close... I nodded, clutching my innocent clothes tightly.

"Th-that's right."

Then he smiled and brought the towel toward me.

"So please let me dry your hair. As a married couple, this kind of behavior is only natural."

Is-is that so...?

Actually, I don't know.

I have never had a relationship resembling a lover, neither in my past life nor here.

Even in the books I read to soothe it, I could not find anything like this couple's behavior.

'Because everyone was busy doing such and such things...'

If I had known this would happen, I should have read a variety of things.

Just as I was feeling embarrassed about my shallow reading ability, Noelier shrugged his eyebrows and urged me on.

I had no choice but to hesitate and turn forward.

I’ve gone this far, so it should be fine. Even if they try to find fault with this later, if I shout, "No, I’m saying I’ll go out of my way to stop them!" they won't be able to say much.

Noelier stroked my head again with a gentle touch.

"..."

I felt strange for some reason. It felt as if the heat emanating from his hand was climbing up my hair. My face flushed for no reason.

"How was the bathroom? Were there any inconveniences?"

Noelier's low voice echoed behind me. At the pleasant sound, I nodded and replied.

“Yes, it was great.”

"I'm glad to hear you liked it. How was the prepared perfume?"

"That was good too. It was my first time using it, but I think I understood why people use it."

"I will prepare other perfumes soon. There might be some you like even better."

Noelier examined it meticulously. What was good. What was disliked.

Actually, there wasn't a single thing I disliked. Because this place was practically heaven.

'I wish I were that wolf instead.'

Noelier's kindness is probably visible because he is the kind of person who can cool things down.

'If I reveal that I am a wolf...?'

Then, we will no longer be able to see this affectionate scene.

She might suddenly crumple this beautiful face and kill me.

'No. Don't think like that!'

I steeled myself. I hadn't come to die, but to prevent Noelier's death.

Noelier's Fire and My Ice.

And the legendary wolf that stole the heart.

'If you look for the relationship between these three, you'll find at least a small clue.'

Then, even if I am hated, I won't kill.

'So, we have to find a way.'

What should I do first to find a clue? It was just as I was calculating step-by-step in my head.

Bang!

A loud noise shattered my thoughts. Startled, Noelier and I shifted our gaze toward the source of the sound.

“Sister!”

Zion ran toward me with a bright smile.

Behind Zion, several huge men came running.

"Hey, young master! Don't run too fast. It would be a big problem if you fell... Oh! My dear! Good morning! Good morning!"

"Good morning!"

"Have you had your meal?"

The dragons, holding armfuls of dolls and toys, bowed deeply in greeting.

Among them was one who gathered their short hair to make pigtails.

I still couldn't grasp the situation, so I stared at them blankly like an idiot.

"The young master was so bored, so I was playing with him."

The quick-witted dragon shook the toy in his hand and said.

'Are you talking about Zion?'

I lowered my head with a bewildered look on my face. Zion buried his head in my arms, grinning broadly, and spoke.

"Those older guys are really funny; they're the best."

"...You weren’t scared?”

"No! Not at all. Everyone is so nice."

Zion smiled like sunshine as he looked at the dragons.

"Ugh...!"

As if deeply moved, one of the dragons holding the rattle clutched its heart.

...Zion seemed to have adapted perfectly, rendering my worries pointless.

"I told you not to run..."

"Ruby!"

Just then, Rachel entered the room, breathing heavily. At that, Zion, who had been in my arms, scurried over to Rachel.

"I'm not good at running because it's hard for me."

Rachel, who spoke in broken sentences as if out of breath, wiped the sweat from her forehead and approached me.

Then, spreading his arms wide, he looked up at me.

"Ah."

So she means she wants to be held. I quickly lifted Rachel into my arms. As if satisfied with the coldness emanating from my body, Rachel rubbed her cheek against my shoulder.

"Did you sleep well, older sister?"

"Yeah. I slept well. How about you?"

"Me too."

Rachel rubbed her face against me like a cat meeting its owner.

"I thought I would have a nightmare since my sister wasn't here, but I had a good dream."

"Oh my. I see."

My lovely little mouse. I gently patted her bottom. Rachel smiled sweetly, her cheeks flushing pink.

"Sister! I, I slept alone yesterday!"

Then Zion, who was standing next to me, raised his hand high like a child waiting for their turn to speak.

"I didn't even go to see Ruby and slept soundly all by myself!"

So I'm an adult!

Zion said that, his eyes shining. It was a look on his face as if he were hoping for praise.

To think our timid Zion slept alone...!

My little mouse is better than me.

I held Rachel in place with one arm and extended the other. Zion quickly snuggled into my arms. My legs ached a bit from sitting both children on my lap at once, but it was bearable.

I hugged the children tightly with both hands.

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