“Lu…ke?”
Iberis called out to Lucas with a tight voice. His head was still dizzy from the remnants of the dream. His heart was pounding as if he had just sprinted.
“Why…”
“It seemed like you were having a nightmare.”
“Ah.”
At Lucas’s words, Iberis’s dry lips parted with a short sigh. He squeezed his eyes shut as if trying to block out the old memories flashing through his mind. A tear that had been precariously balancing on the corner of his eye rolled down his cheek.
“Yeah, you’re right… I had a bit of a bad dream.”
Iberis readily agreed and tried to cover his tear-soaked eyes with his arm. No matter what, he couldn’t let Lucas see him crying after waking up.
But Lucas was faster. As soon as he felt the hot tears on his fingertips, he moved his hand. His thick thumb gently wiped the corner of Iberis’s eye, which felt unusually warm.
“It must have been a truly terrible dream.”
Lucas murmured softly as he wiped Iberis’s damp eyes. Instead of asking about the content of the dream, he got up.
“Would you like some water?”
“Huh? Mm…”
Iberis responded weakly as he slowly sat up. He felt a strong desire for Lucas to stay close, regretting the warmth moving away from him. He almost impulsively reached out to stop Lucas from leaving.
Barely managing to withdraw his hand before grabbing Lucas, Iberis grasped and released the blanket, overwhelmed by strange feelings. Meanwhile, Lucas returned with a cup, moving as naturally as if he were in his own home.
“Drink slowly.”
“Thanks…”
Iberis took the cup Lucas offered, biting his lip as he felt his hand trembling. His body was still shaking slightly from the aftermath of the nightmare. His back was also clammy from how much he had sweated in his sleep.
“Are you not going to drink?”
“Just a moment…”
“Shall I help you?”
“Huh? No, um…”
The perceptive Lucas took the cup from Iberis’s hands before he could say anything. He then brought the cup to Iberis’s lips.
In the end, Iberis drank the water with Lucas’s help. He was too shaky to insist on doing it alone, and his throat was parched.
“Haa…”
A languid sigh escaped as the lukewarm water moistened his dry mouth. His head felt clearer than before. Iberis watched Lucas set the cup down on the bedside table and moved his lips.
“Did I wake you? Sorry…”
“It’s fine. More importantly, do you think you can go back to sleep?”
Lucas sat on the bed and examined Iberis’s face. He was worried, seeing how pale Iberis looked except for his slightly reddened eyes.
How many nights like this has he spent?
Lucas’s golden eyes darkened as he recalled Iberis whimpering and shedding tears pitifully before he woke him. Though this was the first time he had seen it, Lucas could easily guess from Iberis’s attitude that this was a frequent occurrence.
“What time is it now…?”
“3:20 AM. It’s still a while before morning, so you should try to get some more sleep. We have to attend the memorial service later.”
“Right…”
Iberis lowered his eyes gloomily, remembering the day’s schedule. He was afraid of seeing the same scene if he fell asleep again. At that moment, a hand as warm as spring sunshine covered the back of Iberis’s hand.
“Your hands are very cold. Are you not cold? Should I turn up the room temperature?”
Lucas asked as he unhesitatingly massaged Iberis’s ice-cold hands.
Flinch.
Iberis unconsciously withdrew his hand as he felt Lucas’s mana, as cozy as sunlight, flowing into his body. For a moment, Lucas and the deceased Ryan overlapped in his vision.
“Major?”
Lucas raised an eyebrow at Iberis’s rejection of his touch. Even though he knew it wasn’t intentional, he couldn’t help feeling a bit hurt.
“Ah, no, this is…”
Lucas let out a small sigh at Iberis’s flustered reaction after rejecting him. Then he climbed onto the bed.
“Luke?”
Iberis’s eyes widened as he found himself trapped in Lucas’s embrace before he could react. He could feel warm and comforting mana enveloping his entire body.
“Close your eyes. I’ll help you sleep.”
Lucas tightened his arms around Iberis to prevent him from escaping and lay down. Then he gently patted Iberis’s back.
“…I’m wide awake now.”
Iberis mumbled with a slightly choked voice, momentarily overcome by Lucas’s gruff yet tender touch. Until now, on nights when he had nightmares, he had to endure guilt and loneliness alone until dawn.
But today was different. Iberis swallowed the lump in his throat as he felt the warmth enveloping his entire body, as if protecting him. For the first time in a long while, he didn’t feel lonely.
“Should I sing you a lullaby?”
After speaking, Lucas began singing a deep military song. Iberis’s silver-gray eyes widened and wavered like waves at the unexpected lullaby.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”
Lucas narrowed his eyes and asked grumpily, not missing Iberis’s reaction.
“No, it’s not that I don’t like it… It’s just, I’ve never seen anyone sing a military song as a lullaby before…”
“I don’t know many songs. But it’s quite effective. The song itself is so boring, it makes you sleepy.”
Lucas replied nonchalantly without a hint of embarrassment and continued singing steadfastly. Meanwhile, his hand gently stroked Iberis’s lean back.
Lucas’s words were true. As the warm body heat transmitted through their touching bodies and the military song sung pleasantly in a low voice wrapped around his ears, Iberis’s eyelids gradually grew heavy.
Iberis, who had been slowly opening and closing his eyes, eventually fell asleep, breathing evenly. His body, no longer trembling, completely relaxed.
“…Sweet dreams.”
After confirming that Iberis was fully asleep, Lucas stopped singing and kissed his round forehead. Wishing for his loved one’s peace, he pulled Iberis closer into his embrace.
Perhaps Lucas’s wish worked. The small lips that had been breathing softly curved into a gentle smile. Iberis snuggled into Lucas’s embrace, seeking warmth. Contrary to his worries, there were no more nightmares.
* * *
– Thanks to the information you provided last time, the investigation has gained momentum. The head of the investigation bureau expressed his gratitude.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
– We’ve finished coordinating with the investigation bureau. Even if we hand over the villains, the N-0 unit will be able to continue participating in the investigation.
“Thank you.”
Lucas was relieved to hear that the military investigation bureau had accepted a joint investigation with the N-0 unit.
– No need for thanks, I didn’t do much. Ahem. It’s all thanks to you and Cadet Denver doing well.
Winfried cleared his throat awkwardly. If Lucas hadn’t obtained information about the broker and money launderer directly connected to the Mars Guild from Roman, the investigation would still be struggling. She had negotiated with the military investigation bureau using Roman’s statement that Lucas had passed on.
“It would be good if we could catch former Major General Logan this time.”
– I hope so too, but… I’m worried because that bastard is erasing his traces ahead of us. Such a cunning fellow.
“We can’t do anything about what’s already gone. Our job is to secure what we’ve obtained from Roman’s statement faster than them. That’s how we can trap former Major General Logan.”
– You’re right.
Winfried’s voice became serious. Even if they couldn’t reveal that Livio had instigated Iberis’s assassination, they had to at least make public the fact that the Mars Guild was connected to this terror attack. For now, that was the only way to argue that the Mars Guild was not suitable as a partner for the defense force.
– This incident has brought renewed attention to the past bad blood between Major Hyun and former Major General Logan. There’s also a strong voice criticizing the leadership for treating the whistleblower as a traitor. We can’t miss this opportunity.
“It’ll be difficult to arrest him, right?”
– Unless decisive evidence is found, it’s likely to end as mere suspicion. Someone will probably be arrested, but it won’t be him.
“Tch.”
Lucas clicked his tongue with a displeased expression. He already had many grievances against Livio, but they had intensified after last night’s events.
– The best outcome in the current situation is to oust the Mars Guild from its position as a cooperative guild. Even if not, if suspicions are officially raised, he’ll have to be careful about his actions for a while. If we can achieve that much, it’s half a success.
“That’s not enough to satisfy me. That bastard tried to kill the Major.”
– Calm down.
Winfried tried to soothe Lucas as his voice rose. Then she made a curious sound.
– Hmm, I’ve been thinking… You seem to have grown quite fond of Major Hyun. Seeing you get angry as if it’s your own business, when you’ve always been so rational.
“…Because he’s my Esper now.”
Lucas paused for a moment before answering calmly. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Winfried, but it was too early to confess that he liked Iberis.
– Your Esper, haha. Hearing you say that, it seems you really like Major Hyun.
“Yes, so please use your influence, Major General.”
– Alright, I’ll give the head of the investigation bureau another call.
“I appreciate it.”
After ending the call with Winfried, Lucas let out a heavy sigh. He looked around as he put his phone in his jacket pocket. His golden eyes were filled with a complex light as he spotted Iberis standing alone under a large tree in the corner of the cemetery, watching the victims’ families.
