They, too, spent each day filled with worry, just like Julie.
Among them, Marie, the kitchen cook, was the most worried.
Even though she tried to compose herself while making a dish Eve might like, sighs kept escaping her lips.
“Lady Eve!”
Marie ran to her side. Swish. Her voluminous hair fluttered in the wind.
"Marie!"
Eve also ran to her side out of joy. As a result, she became even more distant from Noelier.
"Eve, I was really worried. Where have you been?"
"Eve, have you returned?"
"We will do better, so please don't leave...!"
People flocked to her side without rest.
"..."
Noelier looked at them with eyes full of annoyance.
It was he who found Eve after fighting through all sorts of incidents. There were countless things to do. He didn't have time to leisurely exchange greetings.
But seeing Eve smiling like that, he thought it might be okay to wait just a little longer.
"My sister is too affectionate."
Just then, a familiar voice was heard from beside me.
Noelier lowered his head and looked at his younger sibling.
Rachel was looking at them with a crooked posture. Despite having spoken curtly, she had a small smile on her lips.
"...So I like it.”
"I am?"
Zion suddenly interrupted Rachel's muttering.
“Ouch!”
Rachel, startled, fell away from Zion.
"W-what is this, all of a sudden!"
"I'm very affectionate, Rachel."
“I know that!”
"Really? You knew?"
A wide smile bloomed on Zion's face. Rachel, trembling at the sight, moved as far away from Zion as possible.
“Then do you like me too?”
"What are you talking about?"
"You said you liked my sister because she's so affectionate. Then what about me? You don't like me?"
Rachel could only gape at Zion's blunt words and could not say a word.
"Ugh..."
Rachel, who had been keeping her mouth shut tight, ran off somewhere.
"Rachel! Let's go together!"
It was just as Zion was quickly following Rachel.
"Oh my! Young master!"
Dragons with tears welling up in their eyes ran to Zion's side.
“Ohate!”
As Zion shouted happily, Ohate lifted him up in his arms.
"Where on earth did you go! Do you know how worried I was?"
"Haha, sorry."
Zion smiled brightly. The sobbing dragons had no choice but to smile along.
"..."
Meanwhile, when Zion no longer followed, Rachel stopped in her tracks and quietly watched them.
Thump, thump. She stroked her wildly beating chest. Her flushed face showed no signs of subsiding.
'Why am I like this, really?'
It was when she was feeling flustered by the unfamiliar sensation.
Woof!
A familiar bark was heard from somewhere.
A wolf was running fiercely toward Zion.
“Ed!”
Zion smiled broadly and struggled as if asking to be let go.
Zion, having slipped out of Ohate's embrace, hugged Ed.
"Ed! How have you been?"
Edgar whined and kept looking for Zion's cheek. It was as if he were scolding him, asking where he had been.
"I really wanted to see you too, Ed. Uh, no, not there. Hahaha."
The sound of giggling never stopped.
Edgar, who had been whining to Zion for quite a while, now turned his head toward Eve.
Eve, unaware of anything, was having a friendly conversation with the beastmen.
Edgar stomped his foot to rush toward Eve.
“Ugh!”
Then suddenly, Eve's body was lifted up.
In an instant, the target disappeared.
Confused, Ed looked around.
Ed wasn't the only one flustered. Eve turned her head toward the person holding her.
"Noel...?"
"Ma'am."
He was looking at Eve with a gentle smile.
"You need to go inside and rest now."
"But..."
“You’ll say hello later.”
"I have so much to say," Noelier whispered into Eve's ear.
A low voice settled in her ears. She felt as though her face were turning bright red.
Eve, who had been just gaping, recalled her original purpose.
'That's right, imprinting!'
There was no time for this!
Eve nodded with a serious face, as if nothing had happened.
"Yes. Go inside right away."
Permission was granted. Noelier smiled with satisfaction and brushed past the beastmen.
The beastmen stared blankly at their retreating figures.
To think that a man and a woman would have a conversation after returning from a grueling journey. It was obvious without even seeing it.
"Huh? Where are you going, sister?"
Zion, unaware of anything, tried to follow behind the two while holding Ed in his arms.
“Oh. No!”
The beastmen blocked him with their whole bodies.
“Why not?”
"Uh, there is something like that. You must not go."
“Hmm?”
However, the curious Zion would not back down easily.
When Zion made a tearful face, Rachel approached him as if she had no choice.
"Zion, what did I say?"
"Yes?"
"Article 15 of the Promise."
Zion quickly answered Rachel's words.
"You should quietly slip away when adults are talking alone."
"Yes."
Rachel nodded with a satisfied look on her face.
"So come here. The adults say they have something to talk about amongst themselves."
"But I'm curious what they're talking about."
"I'm curious too, but I'm holding it in. A true adult knows how to be patient."
"I see! As expected, Rachel is cool!"
Zion hugged Ed tightly and his eyes lit up.
Rachel, forcing down the corners of her mouth that were slowly rising, pointed with a serious face at the garden full of blooming flowers.
"Let's make flower crowns."
"Flower Crown?"
"Yeah, I mean the flower crown you'll wear at the wedding. We should make it together."
"Good!"
Zion nodded vigorously and ran into the garden with Ed.
"Shall we make it together, too...?"
"Let's do that. We have nothing else to do."
The dragons and other beastmen also followed behind the two rats.
***
The castle was deathly silent. Only the sound of Noelier's footsteps echoed through the castle.
Eve, who was being held blankly, thought.
'Come to think of it, why am I still being held?'
It was not as if her legs were injured, nor were they driven to such an extreme situation that they had to show off their affectionate behavior as a couple.
“Hey, Noel..."
Eve called out to him cautiously. Noelier brought her closer as if asking why.
She almost flinched again, but managed to hold back. Eve looked at him and shouted boldly.
"I can walk by myself."
Then Noelier answered with a gentle smile.
"Okay."
Then he walked forward again.
"...?"
Is that the end?
She meant to ask him to let her down, but it seemed he had misunderstood.
She was about to ask to be let down again, but they had already arrived at the bedroom. So there was no need to go out of the way to ask to be let down again.
Noelier carefully laid Eve down on the bed. As the soft touch reached her, it felt as if fatigue was suddenly washing over her.
She wanted to fall asleep like this and wander in her dreams for the rest of her life.
'But no.'
There was work to be done. Eve shook off the encroaching sleep and grabbed Noelier, who was trying to get up.
“Noel.”
“Yes, Eve.”
“I have something to tell you.”
Then Noelier sat quietly next to Eve.
"I've been thinking about this for a while."
"..."
"I kept denying it in the East as well, but no matter how much I think about it, it seems right..."
As she cautiously continued speaking, something hot touched her finger.
'Huh?'
As she lowered her head, Noelier was fiddling with Eve's hand.
"... What are you doing?"
“Do you not like it?”
“... It’s not like that.”
Noelier smiled brightly and stroked Eve's hand again.
He clasped her hands together as if gauging the size, and gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.
“It’s too small.”
He spoke in a muttered tone, unable to take his eyes off Eve's hand.
"..."
Only when Eve stopped speaking did Noelier raise his head.
"Ah. Eve, please continue."
He spoke with a clear smile, his hands completely clasped together.
Her heart fluttered. No matter how lewd she was, to someone who liked her this much just for holding hands... She didn't dare to suggest doing something bigger.
However, the only sure way to verify it was through imprinting.
'Let's do it.'
That way, she can also prevent Noelier's rampage, which could happen at any time.
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