He had no idea when he’d woken up. Just now? Or maybe when the singing started? No—perhaps it was right after the tears.
Frozen in place, unable to move forward or back, Ries simply stared blankly at Justyn’s face.
That’s when he finally moved.
“…?”
The sudden sense that their faces were getting even closer surged through him.
And then—lips pressed against lips. His sluggish mind tripped over itself trying to process the sensation: Soft. Warm. Supple.
“It’s nice that you’re watching over me and all, but you should get some sleep too.”
Still dazed, eyes blinking blankly, Ries could only gape as Justyn, now looking away, muttered quietly. His glance, slyly shifting aside, looked unmistakably flustered.
Then—he closed his eyes again.
Caught completely off guard, Ries ended up lying meekly beside him. Though he lay awake for hours, he did eventually drift off…
“……!”
By the time he woke up, he was in his human form.
He’d been so mentally out of it that he hadn’t even thought to change back before falling asleep. And judging by the vivid feeling of tangled limbs, they must’ve ended up clinging even closer during sleep.
Seeing Justyn still in bed—unable to get up because Ries was clinging so tightly—only added to the chaos.
A few days ago, he’d been flustered just at the idea of sleeping in the same bed in human form. Now? The irony was laughable.
Trying to trace the events that came after was pointless. Like a startled cat, he’d leapt up in place, hastily shifted forms, and then…
Well, now here they were.
“…….”
Ries quietly touched his lips.
It happened in the middle of the night, in a moment that barely lasted—but he could still feel it clearly.
Naturally so.
It was the first time, after all.
There was no way he could forget it.
He didn’t avoid Justyn afterward like he once would’ve—sputtering about how embarrassing it was, how awkward, how cringe. He’d grown used to it… More importantly, the two of them were close enough now that such things came naturally.
…Not that we really did anything, though.
Strictly speaking, there hadn’t been any time for “those kinds of things.”
A fleeting image of a woman’s ever-gentle smile passed through his mind.
Still absently rubbing his lips, Ries suddenly thought—
I want to do it again.
And then he jolted in shock.
Wait, what was he even thinking? More importantly, Melissa was still sitting across from him. He’d zoned out right in the middle of a conversation again.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Ries quickly opened his mouth.
“So… I heard you were injured. Are you feeling better now?”
“Oh, that? Yeah, I’m all better.”
Thankfully, she didn’t seem offended. She smiled brightly and flexed her arm in an exaggerated show of strength.
But… after having seen Diana more than once, Ries could tell. That smile was a little too practiced.
“You… don’t seem as fine as you’re saying.”
“……!”
Melissa flinched like she’d been struck. Ries instinctively tensed too.
…Maybe I overstepped?
His round eyes rolled nervously as he tried to gauge her reaction. Having spent a fair amount of time with her as her guard, he occasionally forgot to keep proper distance.
Even though they’d had a few one-on-one conversations since her return, those only ever happened when Justyn was away at meetings.
Strictly speaking, “Rienstine Elton” and “Melissa Yukalt” weren’t close enough to poke at each other’s sore spots.
So Ries had braced himself, expecting a curt response. But—
“Was it that obvious? You’re right. I’ve been feeling kind of out of it lately.”
—Melissa nodded with unexpected ease.
Her smile, now tinged with bitterness, sat faintly on her lips.
“Recently, the head of our House’s illness took a turn for the worse, and the whole house erupted with succession drama. I’m not interested in the position at all—never have been. It’s not just that I’m unqualified… I genuinely prefer living as a knight, swinging a sword like this.”
“……”
“But my brother… he clearly doesn’t think the same. He’s been bombarding me with letters like grenades, assigning people to watch me, making things difficult—and just recently, he even tried to push some pot-bellied old man on me as a marriage candidate!”
Her words grew sharper with each breath, and her huffing grew louder as her temper flared.
“The real problem isn’t now. It’ll be after that bastard—no, I don’t even want to call him my brother—becomes the head for real.”
“I-I see…”
“Yeah! Gambling, booze, women… I don’t think he’s touched a book in his life. It’s obvious that bastard’s gonna run the whole house into the ground!”
“Run it into the ground, huh…”
“And now the elders—those so-called wise old men—have lost their damn minds! They’re suddenly backing him, even though they used to completely ignore the guy. What, did they form a secret club to destroy the family together? Why are they all acting like they’ve gone collectively insane?”
Just from her tone and expression, it was clear how deep her fury ran.
Yet somewhere behind her sharp glare, there was still a faint trace of concern— Whether that was out of lingering affection for family or genuine fear for the future of the house, it was hard to say.
It was right after that when Melissa slapped a hand over her mouth, startled. Her brutally honest rant likely hadn’t been entirely intentional.
“S-sorry! I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Maybe I’ve been too out of it lately. My mouth’s been running on its own… ugh. That must’ve been uncomfortable to hear.”
“No, not at all. I didn’t mind.”
If anything, he’d been genuinely curious. He’d started listening more intently as she went on.
What a piece of work.
The kind of guy who checks off every box on the “don’t do this” list. Ries wholeheartedly agreed with Melissa’s judgment. If that bastard became the head of the House, it’d be a complete disaster.
And with that in mind, he had a pretty good idea of what was really bothering her.
She’s wondering if she should just sit back and watch this happen.
If she stayed silent, the house’s future looked bleak. But stepping into the succession war now meant giving up everything she’d worked so hard for. Neither choice was satisfying.
He could also understand why Justyn hadn’t interfered. It was a family issue, after all—the decision had to be Melissa’s. If he offered help and it backfired, things could turn ugly for both of them.
Still, Ries couldn’t help feeling uneasy inside. All the more so when Melissa, having managed to pull her expression together, gave him another faint smile.
Then, in a playfully cheeky tone, she added—
“Isn’t it weird, though? We haven’t even spent that much time talking face to face,
but whenever I’m with you, I feel oddly at ease.”
“Uh… well…”
“Like running into an old friend after years apart, someone you used to be close to but drifted from?”
“Th-that can’t be it. We just met recently, remember?”
“Obviously it’s a metaphor~ Why’re you so surprised by a little joke?”
…And just like that, the conversation took a sharp turn.
Cold sweat began trickling down his back.
She was sharp—almost annoyingly so. Quick-witted and keen, despite the way she acted. Come to think of it, she had a surprisingly wide network and was good at picking up rumors too. Clearly, her skills weren’t just for show.
Ries struggled to keep his expression neutral. Not that it helped—she still saw right through him.
“Oh my god, why are you sweating so much? Are you sick or something?”
That cheerful voice again. He could only shut his eyes tightly.
Justyn… when are you coming back? I need you…
He prayed for that meeting to end. Fast.
***
Thankfully, the worst-case scenario Ries had dreaded didn’t come to pass.
“Your Grace! You’re finally back!”
Justyn had returned sooner than expected. And Melissa, now fully immersed in her cat obsession, had completely forgotten their earlier conversation.
“By the way, have you seen His Grace’s cat? Ries—super cute, adorable, absolute preciousness! I haven’t seen him around much lately! …Gasp! Wait, did he get tired of me?!”
Her over-the-top fanfare for the cat had done wonders to reset the mood.
Well… except that Ries now had to do everything in his power to stop his face from turning beet red.
Ugh… hearing that crap up close is just…
When he was a cat, his fur at least helped hide it. In human form, if he got flustered, his cheeks just turned bright red for all to see. A tragically fatal flaw.
After Melissa bowed formally and left the room, leaving them alone again. Justyn turned to him with concern.
“Did something happen? You look…”
“…A lot happened.”
He could’ve just said outright that it had aged him ten years in five minutes, but as always, he held his tongue when it came to things like that. It was the kind of consideration that made you want to cry a little.
“Next time, can I come with you to the meeting?”
“…Hmm.”
Rather than spill everything he’d just heard, Ries reached out and grabbed his hand, asking instead with pleading eyes that shimmered with earnest hope.
But the answer didn’t come as quickly as he’d expected. Gone was the clingy attitude from before—Ries even pulled an exaggerated pout to make it obvious.
“…Why? You don’t want me tagging along?”
“No, it’s not that. I want you by my side all the time.”
“O-oh? That’s… good to hear.”
A denial so swift it bordered on overkill. His tone was always this sincere and straightforward, but still managed to hit like a tickle to the heart.
Even so, Ries hurried to regain composure. Any more teasing and Justyn would’ve apologized on the spot—probably for existing.
And then… he realized their hands were still clasped together.
“…?”
When… did they even start holding hands?
He was certain—even if a snake had slithered over a wall, it would’ve made some sound.
But apparently, that didn’t apply to swordsmanship geniuses acknowledged by the Crown Prince himself.
