Jade snorted, not even understanding the intent of the question.

“That’s what you’d expect from such a weak man. His body thickness probably isn’t even half of yours. He’d catch a cold more easily than me!”

When they went monster hunting together, he kept complaining that the food didn’t suit his taste, yet he kept rushing in to interfere with others’ choices!

Axel stared at the growling Jade and chuckled.

It seemed like a drawn smile, but Jade failed to notice as she was busy explaining how annoying water attribute mages were—Rigel being a prime example.

“Yeah, that’s annoying. Don’t even go near him. If he talks, just ignore everything.”

“Of course. It’s irritating to see someone who lives less than half as fiercely as me get everything so easily. You know?”

“I don’t, but anyway, don’t get too friendly. Those water attribute mages are really not great.”

“So you understand now! Yes, fire attribute mages are honest and kind!”

Jade rejoiced naively.

How could men who approach others by picking on them like children even as adults be normal? And to be weak on top of that, it’s the worst.

Axel, having completely forgotten his earlier annoyance when handing over the lazulite, internally mocked the water attribute mage he hadn’t even met. What a fool.

“But you know what?”

“What now.”

Jade took a sip of alcohol and spread her hands wide.

“It’s not exactly a rule, but they say fire attribute mages have higher body temperatures than water attribute mages.”

“Is it because the nature of the magic they hold is different?”

Jade’s eyes widened at the words that accurately pierced the core.

“You… Are you a mage?”

So, she was indeed drunk even though she wasn’t slurring her words at all.

Axel looked at her with a pathetic gaze.

“Are you kidding me?”

“Ah, no. It just sounded very convincing just now. Anyway, that’s what they speculate. Even if it’s all the same when spread out in nature, it changes the moment it flows through a mage’s body. Isn’t that fascinating?”

Jade was wearing gloves gifted by Nina. As she was about to take them off and show her bare hands, Axel shook his head.

“Your hands will get cold. Put your gloves back on quickly.”

“No, feel this.”

Saying that, Jade suddenly reached out and grabbed Axel’s hand. He barely stopped himself from pulling away in surprise.

So the point of contact was very warm. It was clearly an irrational thought, but somehow he felt like he was being burned wherever they touched.

“Why are you so cold? See, I told you I’d give you a blanket.”

“…I naturally have a low body temperature.”

Axel stared blankly at the yellow, dead grass near the fence.

Jade was still holding his hand, fiddling with it. Her soft fingertips explored his callused palm and fingers.

It tickled. He fidgeted his legs nervously, but Jade didn’t notice at all.

“Really? Then if you had become a mage, you might have been a water attribute mage.”

“You’ve got the order of events backwards.”

After cursing so much about how annoying water attribute mages were, why on earth would she predict he would have been a water attribute mage?

“So what? Then you would have been the only water attribute mage I liked.”

When he turned his gaze, Jade was holding his hand and swinging it as she pleased. She just looked so innocent that he suddenly felt thirsty for no reason.

“Of course, even now you’re the first knight I chose to be my pair. Ah, this feels even better. Don’t you think?”

Jade smiled brightly. Axel just remained silent.

After that, the topic changed again in an instant.

Jade rambled about what happened when she went monster hunting in the past. Strangely, no matter which knight she formed a temporary pair with, it never felt quite right.

“When I do it with you, I can save so much more magic power. Isn’t that fascinating? If I have time later, I could make this a research topic. There are quite a few cases of forming temporary pairs, after all.”

She seemed to be enjoying herself even without his response.

After drinking just two more glasses, Jade was completely gone. Seeing her nodding off, Axel cleaned up the things they had spread out in the front yard and carried Jade on his back into the house.

He put firewood in the fireplace to let warm air circulate throughout the house. Only then did he lay Jade down on the sofa.

When he took off her hat, her light-colored hair spilled over her clean forehead.

As she wrinkled her nose bridge as if it itched, he gently brushed the hair away. When he took off her shoes, she tucked them into the blanket as if feeling the cold.

Is she awake?

“Hey.”

She mumbled something in response, but it seemed she didn’t have the energy to properly come to her senses. Axel chuckled and finally took off the gloves he had put back on her earlier.

Then her small, white hands were revealed. Compared to his, the difference was as vast as the sky and earth.

It was truly strange, but lately he had become stupid sometimes. Very occasionally. But whenever things got weird, it seemed this mage was always by his side.

He hesitated, then tried holding her finger once.

Muttering to himself that it should be okay for him to act on his whims for a moment since she had grabbed his hand as she pleased.

His fingers had distinct joints and were thick, but at the same time they were long enough to easily grasp anything.

There were several scars that made parts of his skin patchy, but he wasn’t ashamed of them since he had been holding a sword since birth. Rather, they were proud medals. His entire palm was as hard as brick from being accustomed to the sword.

But her fingers were white to the point of being pale and soft.

There were calluses where the pen rested, but even so, they were soft and flexible. As she had said, her body temperature was also very high.

As he absentmindedly compared them, he suddenly thought he must be drunk.

He didn’t know why he was messing with the hand of someone who was sleeping soundly. What if she woke up?

But he didn’t really feel like letting go either. This too must be because he was drunk.

As he looked at it quietly, he thought it was such a docile hand. Somehow that felt unfamiliar, so he turned his gaze away.

A round forehead, eyebrows as soft as if drawn with a very fine brush. Purple eyes that were always twinkling with curiosity, though hidden under her eyelids now. Lips that didn’t hide emotions, either pouting or spreading wide.

Yes, this was familiar. A feeling as colorful as a summer forest.

Her cheeks, which had become gaunt while she had a fever, were again forming a slight curve, and her complexion was full of life, perhaps due to the alcohol.

Still small and thin, but compared to their first meeting, she seemed much healthier.

“Looks like you’re a forest type after all, Jade Broen.”

As he whispered that, the corners of Jade’s mouth curved softly. As if agreeing.

Axel smiled faintly, satisfied with that movement.

And then he felt puzzled.

Why do I find this satisfying?

The effects of alcohol slowly circulated through his body. He continued to think with his dulled mind. Why. For what reason. Why am I pleased by your agreement?

At that moment, Jade yawned and opened her eyes.

There was no time to avoid it. Their gazes met perfectly. Axel suddenly realized he was too close to Jade.

Before he could retreat in surprise, she reached out with her other hand. Her slender fingers wobbled across the air, brushed back his lengthened bangs, and gently moved away. Then, dropped.

Axel was certain he could remember this brief moment divided into hundreds of pieces.

“Of all the eyes I’ve seen, yours are the most… beautiful.”

Don’t hide them. I can see stars even indoors, you know…

That was her last words. Jade drifted back into dreams.

Axel, who had been frozen still, finally managed to get up and tended to her sleeping arrangements.

Even after that, he couldn’t bring himself to leave, lingering around the area until the dawn light began to creep over the windowsill, only then disappearing into his own room.

Jade woke up, rubbing her puffy eyes. The house was quiet.

She sat blankly, trying to recall her memories.

What remained clear was her indignant ranting about how sensitive and dirty the personalities of water attribute mages were, with a very modest amount of alcohol. It seems she was pleased to have finally gained Axel’s agreement.

Absurdly, when she tried to recall anything else, there were so many holes that there wasn’t much she could fill in.

As she pondered, Jade suddenly jumped up from the sofa at a faint trace of passing memory. The blanket fell like autumn leaves.

Why did I knead his hand?

She couldn’t remember the circumstances, but the image of tracing the contours of his hand and marveling at the calluses remained. The face of Axel beyond that didn’t come to mind.

It was truly fortunate. He must have been looking at her as if she was crazy.

“Cr, cr, cr, crazy.”

The worst part was that she didn’t just touch, but kneaded. Like a lecherous perverted mage targeting a handsome knight.

“No!”

I just touched without any intention…! It was because a mage’s hands and a knight’s hands are so different, it was fascinating! Probably!

Jade flailed about, shouting excuses inwardly that Axel wouldn’t even hear. After a while, she let her arms and legs go limp.

It would be better to pretend she didn’t remember anything from yesterday. Yes, that would be good! Actually, there’s not much left anyway, right?

After closing her eyes for a few minutes, she was able to sort out her thoughts to some extent. It was fortunate that she was well-practiced in this.

Staggering to her feet, she looked out at the front yard through the shutters and saw it was already neatly tidied up. The day was nice, and the snow seemed to have melted a bit, revealing parts that weren’t visible yesterday.

Jade roughly folded the blanket and put a pot of water on the fireplace. She planned to mix in some warm water to wash off her ridiculous appearance.

At that moment, Axel’s door swung open. Jade cleared her throat and greeted him without turning around.

“Did you sleep well?”

“No. You slept well, not even hearing the roosters crow.”

Turning around with an embarrassed face, she saw he was already fully prepared to go out, unlike a typical winter morning.

Black leather straps crossed his chest and lower back over his black clothes, perfectly revealing his impressive body lines, but it didn’t look awkward. It blended naturally with his large body and long limbs, adding a unique feel.

However, it wasn’t a look that suited the peaceful forest morning.