CHAPTER 12

“Lily!”

“Yuel!”

The two of them, meeting in the village square, threw their arms around each other the instant they laid eyes on one another.

It had only happened last night, yet the brief time apart felt like days had passed.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Atreata released the hand that had been wrapped around Yuel’s shoulder and gently cupped her face with both palms.

A faint bruise was visible across Yuel’s pale cheek.

“I’m fine. But I heard you nearly got into serious trouble. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine too.”

Atreata stepped back a little from Yuel and fiddled with the knot of the handkerchief tied around her neck.

Truthfully, even as she reassured herself that everything was alright, terror crept over her with every step she took.

Being chased by someone, having her throat squeezed to the point of nearly losing her life—such an experience had left terror embedded in every single cell of her body.

Each time that fear reared its head, Atreata would reach for the handkerchief tied around her neck, the one embroidered with a silver dragon.

When fear slithered up her body and raised its head, the soft texture of the handkerchief made it just a little easier to breathe.

The fear would fade, and all that remained in her mind was the steadfast figure of the silver dragon.

“First, we need to do something about this bruise. It’s an ointment from the Grand Duke’s estate—they say it’s really good!”

Sitting on the edge of the small fountain in the middle of the square, Atreata held out a silver tin of ointment.

Yuel hesitated for a moment as she looked at Atreata, then took a step closer.

“…But Lily.”

“Hmm?”

Atreata asked while rummaging through her basket for the dessert she had brought from the Grand Duke’s estate.

“Kai… how did he fall asleep?”

Atreata’s face stiffened as she suddenly lifted her head to look at Yuel.

I knew my lullaby was special, but I never thought it could put someone wide awake to sleep in an instant.

“When we were leaving the cave… Kai was definitely asleep. How… did you do it?”

Yuel was asking with a determination Atreata had never seen before.

She needed to come up with some kind of explanation.

Atreata was left speechless by that unfamiliar expression.

She had made Yuel plug her ears with fabric scraps when she was putting Kai to sleep, partly out of fear that Yuel might fall asleep too, but in truth, it was because she didn’t want Yuel to hear her singing at all.

Atreata recalled the events of that night in the cave.

‘Yuel, plug your ears with these fabric scraps and pretend to be asleep.’

‘…What are you planning to do?’

‘I have a plan, so don’t worry. In a little while, when I shake you… that’s when we leave together. Got it?’

Even with Atreata’s clumsy explanation, Yuel had simply nodded.

Thinking back on it, Yuel had always trusted Atreata—both then, and when they had entered the village.

But.

I still can’t tell her about my power…….

The only reason she had confessed this power to the Grand Duke was because her life had been on the line.

There was nothing good that could come from this power being known.

What if someone threatened her into using it for evil purposes, or what if she was used as a test subject for black magic?

And even if that happened, there was no guarantee that the people around her would be safe.

“Uh… well, you see…………………..

But Atreata’s mind, panicked as it was, simply stopped thinking altogether.

No one had ever asked her so directly before.

Yuel carefully sat down beside Atreata and asked again.

“Your lullaby… it can put people to really sleep, can’t it?”

If she said that lullabies were originally meant to put people to sleep, would Yuel believe her?

More than that, had Yuel always had such a resolute face?

Even as her imagination ran wild, Atreata couldn’t help but feel it.

That Yuel already knew the truth.

Between the sound of water flowing from the fountain, Atreata’s deep sigh mixed in.

I can’t hide this from her any longer.

“Yeah. My lullaby can put people to sleep.”

“Is that… something you can do?”

“I don’t know either. It’s been that way since I was little.”

Yuel slowly nodded.

“Since I was little, whenever people heard my lullaby, they would fall into an unusually deep sleep and have good dreams.”

If you asked people about their very first memory, they usually recalled something like being praised by their parents as a child, or a happy moment.

But Atreata’s very first memory was of herself singing a lullaby.

During her childhood at the orphanage, she had always been responsible for the children’s days and nights, somehow knowing the lyrics by heart.

As she grew older, she felt that some kind of power was contained within the lullaby.

And that power was greater than she had imagined.

The orphanage director would caution Atreata every time she saw her.

“Lily, the world outside isn’t full of kind people like you. Be careful not to let anyone know about the power you possess!”

Atreata lowered her head and closed her eyes tightly.

Oh, how I miss the director It’s been eight years since I left the orphanage, and now two people know about my power.

As Atreata was mentally writing a letter to the orphanage director in her heart, Yuel, who had been slowly nodding, gently took Atreata’s hand.

Before she knew it, Yuel’s warmth was spreading over her cold hand.

“You’re the first person I’ve ever told my secret to. So you have to keep it safe. Okay?”

She had never spoken so openly to anyone before, and somehow, it felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest.

What she had told the Grand Duke had been under duress… so this was truly her first time.

When Atreata smiled brightly at Yuel, Yuel’s eyes began to well up with tears, as if moved to the core.

“You’re the first person to trust me this much, Lily. Don’t worry from now on—just trust me!”

Atreata lightly stroked Yuel’s back as she embraced her once more.

It really does… feel like a burden has been lifted.

She wondered what the director would say if she saw this situation, but she decided to set aside questions that could never be answered.

Atreata simply patted Yuel’s back.

‘There will be work in His Grace the Grand Duke’s study tonight.’

Returning to the Grand Duke’s estate and organizing the study, Atreata was addressed by Michel with an expressionless face.

Thinking of the night’s work, the red eyes she had encountered in the corridor naturally came to mind.

“Did it seem like I couldn’t fall asleep unless I sang my lullaby……?”

She had only been appointed as a secretary a few days ago, yet she had disappeared for about two days, and last night, she hadn’t sung her lullaby.

Could that be why his red eyes had looked so haggard?

“Should I go first?”

The appointed time was still far off.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Atreata soon made up her mind and left her room, heading toward Edwin’s study.

It wasn’t far, and since she had been there once before, she found it quickly.

She wanted to grab someone and ask if the room was empty, but perhaps because it was late at night, she saw neither passersby nor knights guarding the door.

Atreata let out a small breath and cautiously opened the door.

Inside, the sound of firewood crackling could be heard.

Slowly entering and turning to the right, she saw Edwin lying on the couch.

Looking at Edwin, with his beautiful appearance yet dangerous aura, it felt less like looking at a person and more like gazing upon a lifeless sculpture.

Then, Edwin slowly opened his eyes and looked at Atreata.

“As I thought, it was you.”

At those cryptic words, Atreata’s heart fluttered.

Edwin Raphaeleon possessed the ability to read others’ presence with acute sensitivity.

It was a natural ability born from surviving in the midst of demonic beasts.

Combined with his tendency to avoid women, merely sensing the presence of women nearby filled him with extreme displeasure.

But when Atreata approached, he felt something he had never experienced before.

The sensation of breath that had been stifled becoming easier to draw, the sensation of a head that had been throbbing with pain becoming clearer.

Well then, what on earth are you?

Edwin looked at Atreata with languidly half-opened red eyes.

And meeting that gaze, Atreata could only stand dumbly by the door.

It had always been this way.

Every time those eyes looked at her, she couldn’t think of anything at all.

Moments passed as if she were spellbound somewhere, as if she had forgotten to even breathe.

It’s not like I’ve never seen red eyes before. Why is it that I can do nothing whenever I look into those eyes?

Between them, only the crackling sound of the fireplace filled the air.

Edwin’s long eyelashes hid and revealed his red irises several times.

Then, he soon gestured with his chin toward a chair beside him.

His slow movements unfolded as if he were dancing.

“Sit.”

A single short word was heard.

Only then did her movements become free, as if someone had shouted “Ding!”

Her sluggish heartbeat gradually found its rhythm.

Atreata slowly moved and sat in the prepared chair, steadying her breath.

Then, the head of the reclining Edwin lifted to follow Atreata.

A hotter gaze than before was felt from the right side.

Atreata’s eyes, not knowing what to do, kept fleeing to the opposite side.

Why is he looking at me like that, is there something on my face?

Without realizing it, Atreata brought her hand to the knot of her handkerchief and fiddled with the end.

Soon, Edwin’s lips moved.

“How long does that mark last?”

“Pardon?”

Surely he wasn’t talking about the bruise on her neck?

Atreata asked back, a little surprised.

Edwin continued to look at Atreata with his languid gaze.

“…If it’s the bruise on my neck, they say it should be fine in about a week.”

Atreata was still fiddling with the end of her handkerchief.

Upon hearing the answer, Edwin’s head returned to its original position.

“White suits you well.”

At the low voice, the hand that had been fiddling with the handkerchief stopped.

Ah, right.

The handkerchief!

“Ah………………! I completely forgot to return it. I’ll wash it tomorrow and……………….”

“It’s fine.”

Atreata struggled to understand the meaning of Edwin’s words.

In the meantime, Edwin closed his eyes again.

I don’t understand. He said it’s fine, so I suppose it’s fine………………

Atreata shook her head slightly to cast the thought away.

She had lived her whole life as a commoner—how was she supposed to understand the speech of nobles?

“Then I’ll begin.”

After taking a few short breaths, Atreata gently placed her hand above Edwin’s head.

Edwin felt a hand carrying a cool aura touch him through his hair.