She received affection and protection. Even though she was only two years older, she raised her much younger brother in a much more mature and dignified manner.

“For someone like that, walking a little more and moving a little more is too natural.”

Asking if that was worth crying for, Hayden laughed and hugged her cheek, pressing his forehead against hers.

Lu closed her eyes because his face, which was getting closer, was too dazzling, or maybe her vision was blurry, so she couldn’t see well. Tears that had accumulated flowed down her cheeks and disappeared into his hands.

“I want to do more. I want to do everything I received. I want you to sit quietly and ask me to do this and that, get annoyed, get angry. If it’s uncomfortable, draw a line and run away. If you were going to do that, you shouldn’t have picked me up back then.”

So she shouldn’t have let him catch her in the end. Unfortunately, Hayden, from that day when he rescued her from being tortured, has held onto her. For a lifetime, no, even if they cross the boundary of death, he won’t let her go.

“I’m indebted to you. Use me. Let people be a bit shameless.”
What should I do? With every word, Lu’s voice, dripping with affection, the gentle touch that reached her, and the eyes that looked at her as if she were something adorable, made her cry incessantly. What should I do?

“If I were to repay the cost of the bread I ate back then, I still have a long way to go. I should have eaten more.”

She eventually smiled. While smiling, she wiped away the tears. In the past four years under a curse, she hadn’t cried this much, but these days, tears suddenly increased. If touched, tears flowed down her cheeks. Everything was strange, and at the same time, everything was good. It wasn’t bad. In fact, it felt refreshing.

“You’re at the age to chew on iron, so you should naturally eat a lot.”

“That’s right. That’s why I grew taller thanks to you.”

“It’s not that I grew much taller, but excessively tall…”

“Don’t change the subject, Lu.”

With a mix of crying eyes, she looked at him, caught in the trap she couldn’t escape from. The one who skillfully set up the trap smiled brightly.

Really, what should I do?

“Don’t cry. It’s not something to apologize for; it’s something natural. It’s not that difficult, and there’s no need for battles right now. We’re dealing with rebels. I can walk without any problems, everything’s fine.”

Perhaps it was because Lu, who had been starving for people’s kindness, easily opened her heart to the kindness she hadn’t received before. Yes, that could have been the case.

It might be her whole heart thrown into the brief kindness.

“And even if Calleta Emperor suddenly attacks, I’m not so incompetent that I can’t stop it.”

Hayden, who folded Lu’s fingers one by one, laughed slyly.

“How about it? Can you believe me now?”

A refreshing and cheerful laughter filled his handsome face. His broad shoulders completely blocked the wind, protecting her. In the garden of the eastern star palace, full of blooming flowers, Lu had no choice but to nod her head in acknowledgment.

“Really?”

Nodding her head to his bright face, he burst into laughter and hugged her tightly.

“Wow, it’s one of those days in life.”

Hayden rushed in. No, he just filled her, who was already full. Lu buried her face in his shoulder.

“I heard that you can trust me, Lu, and that I did well to survive.”

He was good. He was good for understanding even the emotions she wanted to hide. It was probably because she couldn’t cut off her feelings in the first place. What she had been dragging on so far was probably because of that.

She didn’t want to let go. He was too good, so good that even the rational words of her mother, to erase the thoughts she wanted to hide in her mind, were completely wiped away.

“Hayden.”

Looking into the eyes that kindly looked at her when called, Lu spoke.

“Thank you for finding me again.”

Saying this made her thankful for his smile.

Thankful for keeping her alive.