After that, the stroll through the ducal estate continued for the two people and one plushie. They visited the library-sized study, the grand dining hall they’d already seen once, the sparring grounds where Justyn used to cross swords with the Crown Prince during his stays… and many more places.
Some of them Ries had already been introduced to, others were new. The next place they were heading to fell into the former category—but this time, it was a little different.
He recalled overhearing the servants chatting in small groups. They’d said the ever-unpredictable weather of the ducal territory had noticeably calmed down. Apparently, they were right.
In the past, they’d only been able to plant hardy flowers that could survive the erratic weather, but that was no longer necessary. Justyn had mentioned that the gardens were being revamped and were nearly finished, so quite a few things must’ve changed.
“……”
But Ries’s mind was somewhere else entirely. His silvery-gray eyes, unfocused, drifted through empty air as his thoughts wandered.
“Ries.”
“……”
“Ries?”
“…Huh?”
It wasn’t until Justyn called out to him multiple times that he finally came to. Startled, Ries whipped his head around. Behind the mask, Justyn’s eyes were filled with concern.
“Are you feeling unwell? I’m sorry—maybe it really is too cold out. I should’ve brought something for you to wear. I can go back and—”
“No, no! It’s not that! I’m fine, really!”
At this rate, Justyn might actually run back to get him something to wear, so Ries shook his head vigorously to emphasize that he was perfectly okay. Even so, Justyn didn’t look convinced.
“Then… is something else bothering you?”
It seemed he was still dwelling on Ries’s earlier reaction.
Feeling awkward, Ries fidgeted with his lips for a while before finally speaking up.
“It’s just… something’s been on my mind. When we passed the training grounds earlier…”
They’d passed through quite a few places after leaving the manor. One of them had been the sparring grounds where the knights trained. Ries had only watched from afar, but the sounds were still ringing in his ears— The clashing of blades, the knights’ sharp shouts, the pounding of boots against the dirt… Chaotic on the surface, yet surprisingly harmonious if one paid attention.
Still, among them, one person had stood apart from it all.
A red-haired woman gasping for breath. Melissa, whom he hadn’t seen in a while due to various circumstances. He’d heard she was undergoing rehab and working hard to improve her skills again.
She must’ve just finished an intense session—she looked utterly drained. At a glance, she didn’t seem any different from the other knights. But something in her expression had stuck with him.
“I only caught a glimpse, but Melissa didn’t look so good.”
“You mean the knight who used to guard you?”
Ries nodded, and Justyn’s expression turned thoughtful. Before they knew it, his pace had slowed considerably—
Ah.
The realization hit Ries then. Justyn hadn’t slowed down—he had started walking more slowly first, and Justyn had simply adjusted for him. The embarrassment hit even harder now that they were standing in front of the garden.
Justyn had been right. The garden, once filled with only a limited selection of hardy, repetitive flowers, had become noticeably more vibrant. Many of the blooms were still closed, but give it a little more time, and it would be in full, glorious bloom.
If they came back then, it would be even more beautiful and fragrant. That must’ve been what Justyn really wanted to show him.
And I was just standing there, completely lost in my own thoughts.
His conscience prickled. Quietly, Ries reached out and tugged at Justyn’s sleeve.
“It was just something that crossed my mind, nothing serious. I’ve been too wrapped up in myself, haven’t I? I kept ignoring you too… I’m sorry.”
“No.”
But Justyn’s answer came with surprising firmness. Their eyes met—still and clear, like the surface of a lake.
“Whatever you’re thinking about, that’s your right.”
“Uh…”
“I wanted you to take human form not just so we could be at the same eye level or feel the same warmth… but because I wanted you to have more freedom.”
It was strange. He’d only felt a bit of guilt, but suddenly a deeper thirst, an unbearable yearning, welled up inside him. He shifted his gaze restlessly and swallowed hard, but the sensation wouldn’t go away.
“I know I’ve probably been meddling and getting in the way because of my own selfishness… But I meant it. Every word.”
The hand Ries had used to tug Justyn’s sleeve was now being held.
So cool…
Justyn’s hand was slightly cool as it rested against his skin. When had he taken off his gloves? Ries didn’t know. But his hands were bare now—just like Ries’s.
He glanced down at Justyn’s clean, unblemished hand… Then at his face, with that awkward, nervous look in his eyes… Then finally, at the flower buds swaying gently behind them.
All three hit him at once, and his head began to spin. He squeezed his eyes shut. His lips trembled wildly as he barely managed to string together a sentence.
“I-I-I’m fine! I already have more than enough, okay?! Do whatever you want, Justyn!”
“……”
— …
Saying that in this setting was basically cheating. The words spilled out in a frenzy, but they left both Justyn and Sefiut speechless.
Silence fell. Only then did Ries realize something was going very wrong. An unnaturally long pause. The plushie frozen with its mouth wide open. Justyn’s ears glowing red.
He quickly opened his mouth to fix it—
“No, I mean—because Justyn is my master!”
If anything, that just poured fuel on the awkwardness. The silence only grew heavier and more unbearable.
Looking back now, his words basically sounded like, “I’m giving you total control over me!”
Embarrassment hit him like a tidal wave.
Of course, Justyn understood that Ries had blurted it out in a fluster. A failed combination of words, nothing more… But that didn’t mean his heart could resist reacting.
Neither of them moved. No one said a word. No explanation, no clarification.
Seconds passed like hours until finally— Sefiut, who had been swimming slowly across the ground, couldn’t take it anymore and muttered under his breath.
— Ten… no, a hundred sweet potatoes… You two are this close to choking me to death with this suffocating air.
The tone was sharp and scolding, but the one-liner was enough to shatter the tension.
Ries flinched and yanked his hand back. Thankfully, Justyn let go without resistance. Though he did stare down at his palm—the one that still held the lingering warmth, so similar to how Ries had felt as a cat.
Even that small movement left a deep impression on Ries’s mind. He took a deep breath, then exhaled. Repeated it again.
What’s wrong with me lately?
He was acting like a different person, getting swept up in every little thing Justyn said or did. Even when he tried to recall his faint memories of being human, nothing came to mind that could explain this.
He bit his lip hard. Maybe… should he just ask Justyn directly?
“……”
He glanced at Justyn— But gave up.
Even if Justyn had gone through something similar, He didn’t look like someone who had any clearer answers right now.
Then maybe Sefiut?
He was always making those weird, frustrated comments like he was going to die of secondhand embarrassment. Maybe he did know something.
But Ries couldn’t throw out a half-formed question here and now. Besides, his stiff, speechless master standing next to him was more of a concern.
I’ll ask later.
When this awkward moment passes and Justyn’s not right in front of him— That’s when he’ll bring it up.
Once that decision was made, he found himself confronted by another problem. Or rather, one he’d been pretending not to see.
…How the hell do I fix this?
This bizarre tension that made his fingertips tingle just from standing still— The offhanded remark he’d made out of habit from his cat days—How was he supposed to smooth this over?
The thought looped back to square one. If only something would show up to change the subject. Even a ghost would do.
Just as his desperate eyes darted around— They locked onto something straight ahead.
A marble fountain just past the thicket… And beside it, the form of a woman.
The hem of a translucent dress fluttered faintly in the breeze.
It seemed… the heavens had granted Ries’s wish.
