Kalos stopped abruptly at the words that struck right to the heart.

A chilly autumn wind blew between the two men standing face to face about two feet apart.

At a glance they looked the same, but two pairs of purple eyes with different warmth met.

Amid the silence so quiet that the chirping of insects could be heard, Kalos was the first to speak.

“…How do you know that fact?”

Abel answered with a smile.

“You’re not the only one with eyes and ears to see the world.”

As soon as Abel finished speaking, the surrounding air became noticeably colder.

Abel had used his ability to lower the temperature of the water vapor.

Come to think of it, Abel could freely manipulate water.

Just as Kalos could see and hear the world through shadows, Abel could see and hear through water.

“…”

Kalos, finally realizing this fact, covered his eyes with his palm and let out a deep sigh.

“Why are you sighing so heavily? The ground will cave in.”

“…”

Already troubled, Kalos glared at Abel for his glib remark.

The gaze was so fierce that if looks could kill, it would have stabbed several times.

“Ahem.”

Sensing a murderous intent that made him feel he might actually get hit if he kept messing around, Abel cleared his throat and returned to the original topic of conversation.

“Anyway, if you’re worried I’ll fight with the pigeons, don’t be. There won’t be any hitting or fighting with those pigeon bastards this time.”

It was as unbelievable as a cat passing by a fish shop without a second glance.

Given that Abel had beaten up priests to a pulp more than once or twice, it was even harder to believe his words.

As Kalos stared at him with obvious disbelief, Abel slumped his shoulders as if greatly disappointed.

“You’re too much. How can you not trust your friend’s words?”

“Weren’t we friends? Then why don’t you believe me, Dale?”

“…”

For a moment, as Abel’s appearance overlapped with his own image of begging Dale, Kalos squeezed his eyes shut.

Knowing how painful and distressing it was to have someone you considered a friend not believe your words, he couldn’t just brush it off lightly.

Abel, who had quietly approached Kalos, grabbed his arm and said pleadingly:

“It’s been a while since I’ve come to the human world, so I want to look around more. Hm? I won’t fight with the pigeons this time and will stay quiet, so please allow it.”

As a lord of the underground, Abel didn’t actually need Kalos’s permission to stay in the human world.

Yet he was asking for permission like this, so Kalos couldn’t ignore it.

Kalos let out a raw sigh welling up from deep in his chest and asked:

“…Will you really stay quiet?”

At the question that was as good as permission, a bright smile blossomed on Abel’s face.

“Of course! As long as they don’t provoke me first, I absolutely won’t fight.”

“That will never happen.”

Unless they had a death wish, the priests would never provoke those in Esper Castle.

“So keep your promise not to fight with the pigeons.”

“Yes! I’ll definitely keep my promise!”

You answer well.

Kalos glanced at Abel with disapproving eyes and turned his head away.

“By the way, Kalos.”

I hope I won’t regret allowing Abel to stay longer at Esper Castle.

“Did you bump into something? Your lip seems a bit swollen.”

“…”

Not even a second after thinking that, Kalos deeply regretted it and coldly shook off Abel’s hand that was still holding his arm.

*

Late at night, with the moon waning.

“…”

At a time when she would normally be asleep, Irene kept tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

It was because her mind was troubled by the kiss with Kalos in the bathroom.

Her head kept replaying that scene like a broken magic video player.

Even after drinking water several times and brushing her teeth, the sensation of those cold, dry lips touching hers wouldn’t go away.

Irene suddenly touched her lips.

She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but they seemed slightly swollen.

‘…That can’t be.’

If that were the case, Jessie would have noticed and asked about it.

So stop these useless fantasies and go to sleep already.

Though she told herself that, her consciousness remained clear and her eyes wide open.

If she closed her eyes and tried to force herself to sleep, that moment became even more vivid, so she couldn’t do that either.

Meanwhile, her chest felt tight and her throat parched as if she had indigestion, because she couldn’t quite guess Kalos’s intentions in kissing her.

If she only knew that, she might be able to sleep peacefully.

… Or would it make it even harder to fall asleep?

Because if Kalos did it without any feelings, just caught up in the moment, it would probably hurt her heart.

Then what kind of feelings do I want that man to have had when he kissed me?

“…”

As another question hazily arose, her chest felt even tighter.

It was similar to the feeling of severe indigestion.

“Haa.”

Feeling like she might suffocate if she kept lying down, Irene got up with a deep sigh.

She tried to drink some water, but the water bottle was empty.

“Oh no. I drank it all.”

It was because she had been drinking water repeatedly due to the thirst stemming from her troubled and confused mind.

Yet the thirst wouldn’t subside, and only grew stronger.

I want to drink water… What should I do?

Irene checked the time.

It was currently 3:20 AM.

Although Jessie had told her to call anytime if she needed anything regardless of the time, she felt bad calling at such a late hour.

It didn’t seem right to call just because she wanted to drink water, when she wasn’t sick or in any urgent situation.

“I’ll have to go get it myself.”

Thinking that was the right thing to do, Irene put on a shawl and left the bedroom.

She was holding an empty water bottle in her hand.

Given the late hour, the corridor was dark, but thanks to the moonlight coming through the large windows, she could make out what was ahead.

Still, it’s a bit eerie.

Her golden eyes darted about nervously, scanning the corridor where not a single sign of life could be felt.

As she slowly passed through the corridor and was descending the central staircase, Irene suddenly realized something and stopped.

Come to think of it, where is the kitchen…?

Irene, who had never been to the kitchen of Esper Castle, had no way of knowing.

She figured it would probably be near the dining hall, but from what she remembered, there were over ten doors near the dining hall.

Checking all of them would not only be troublesome, but she was also worried they might be the bedrooms used by the servants.

It would be inconsiderate to accidentally wake them by opening doors.

Should I just go back…?

Irene looked up at the central staircase.

It seemed a bit of a waste to go back to her bedroom after coming all this way.

Her throat was parched too.

But it would be better to go back than to wander around and risk waking people who were sleeping soundly.

Having come to that conclusion, Irene was about to retrace her steps when she paused.

She heard footsteps from the bottom of the stairs.

The footsteps were so faint that someone without extremely developed or sensitive hearing wouldn’t have noticed, but strangely, Irene could hear them clearly.

Who could it be at this late hour?

A servant on night duty?

Or perhaps a knight in charge of guarding the castle.

Whoever it was, she was certain they wouldn’t harm her, but still, it was a bit tense to encounter an unknown person in the darkness.

But if she ran away, the other person might find it strange, so Irene waited for a moment.

If they ask why I’m here at this late hour, I’ll say I wanted to go to the kitchen and ask where it is.

With that thought in mind.

The approaching footsteps that had been getting closer suddenly stopped.

In the darkness where moonlight softly diffused, a pair of purple eyes were clearly visible.

“Ah…”

She thought it would be a servant or knight, but it was Kalos.

Irene’s shoulders tensed up for a different reason.

Her hands also tightened around the water bottle she was holding.

Kalos, who had closed the remaining distance in one stride with his long legs, asked curiously:

“It’s late, why are you here instead of sleeping?”

“…”

She had thought of what to say when she encountered someone, but the moment she saw Kalos’s face, she forgot everything.

More precisely, because the memory of kissing him came flooding back.

Because the sensations from that time vividly revived.

Because of that, her gaze kept drifting to his lips.

With each movement of those lips, she wondered if he might kiss her again.

So, so…

“Your face is red.”

“!”

Irene froze, clutching the water bottle tightly, as Kalos’s large hand touched her forehead.

Kalos, unconcerned, carefully checked Irene’s body temperature.

“You seem to have a fever.”

Since it was his first time checking a human’s temperature, he wasn’t sure how hot it needed to be to be considered a fever.

But judging by the redness from her face to her earlobes and even her nape, she was definitely unwell.

“I’ll call a doctor, so go back to your room.”

Irene, who had suddenly become a patient, cried out urgently.

“I-I’m not sick!”

Kalos, who had started descending the stairs, turned only his head to look at Irene.

Feeling she wouldn’t be able to speak if she looked at Kalos’s face, Irene continued with her head bowed low.

“I’m not sick, I’m just hot… No, I mean, my throat was a bit dry, so I was going to drink some water, but the water bottle was empty, so I came out to get some water. But I don’t know where the kitchen is…”

It was quite poor as far as excuses go, but it was the best Irene could do in her position.

Kalos, who had been silently listening to her explanation, let out a short sigh and then closed the distance between them again.

He then easily took the water bottle that Irene was holding tightly.

Huh, huh?

Irene raised her head in surprise, made eye contact with Kalos, and quickly lowered her gaze.

A low, calm voice flowed down from above her head.

“If you wanted water, you could have called Jessie.”

Irene, still touching her reddened nape, mumbled in response.

“It was too late… I didn’t think it was right to wake someone who was sleeping soundly.”

It wouldn’t have mattered if you woke her.

Well, she doesn’t know Jessie’s true identity.

Kalos, fully understanding Irene’s position, turned around.

“I’ll take you to the kitchen.”

Irene looked up at him again, startled.

“I-It’s okay! I can go alone, just tell me where it is!”

“I’m not okay with that.”

Kalos turned back.

“I’ll take you to the kitchen, so follow me.”

And as if not wanting to hear any more objections, he strode down the stairs.

Irene’s expression darkened as she watched his retreating figure.

My goodness. I didn’t know there could be such uncomfortable kindness.

Feeling her chest tighten for a different reason, Irene followed behind Kalos.