Cedric clutched his shin, pretending to be in great pain.

“Even my little brother! All the same!”

From behind her rapidly retreating figure, the voice of the Artina Knights echoed.

“Haa Our young lady is angry. She’s angry because of the masters.”

Evelia spun around and stomped her feet. Very threateningly. Small footprints were deeply imprinted on the clay floor.

“You dogs are all the same!”

“……!”

“……!”

Evelia did not look back and ran quickly to her room.

I hate them all! I regretted siding with the knights in the salon earlier. They don’t tell me such important things!

Evelia turned her necklace, which was too heavy to usually carry around.

Our house is full of traitors, so I had to flee to the secret base.

The weather was nice without considering my feelings. When you’re feeling down, even good weather is disgusting.

Evelia stamped her feet once or twice on the grass lawn. Ahem. Ahem.

“Sniff.”

I didn’t manage to clean up all the snot from crying earlier.

‘I should’ve wiped it on my brother’s sleeve.’

She looked around for a handkerchief or tissue, but it seemed she had used everything and hadn’t refilled. Without hesitation, Evelia picked up a leaf. The moment she was about to use it on her nose…

“You haven’t changed since you were little.”

Someone snatched the leaf from her hand. The cool scent of mint. It was a familiar scent. Evelia looked up and made eye contact.

“Rabbit.”

The moment their eyes met, the demon’s lips, which had been forming a thin line, hardened. His eyes held a look as cold as ice.

Isn’t that the sound of his little friend’s voice wavering and clear tears filling her eyes? As always in front of his only friend, his knees easily hit the ground.

“What’s the matter?”

His voice was low. Like a hunting dog baring its teeth at an attacker, it seemed like he was ready to find the cause and bite into it. A purple aura swirled around his hefty body.

Sniff.

As Evelia’s nose started to run again, the demon exhaled, scattering the dark swirling aura. It seemed his first priority was to comfort his little friend.

Agares took out a handkerchief and brought it to Evelia’s nose. He didn’t usually carry things like handkerchiefs, but his small friend was prone to spilling and smearing things, so he carried it. He didn’t expect to use it this way.

“There, blow.”

“Sniff.”

“That’s it. Blow again.”

“Sniff.”

She blows her nose well. Even this small act seemed to make the demon’s eyes smile with pride.

When the wind swept across her hair, Evelia frowned as if annoyed and roughly pushed her hair away from her face.

The demon, full of irritation at her touch, asked again. He desperately restrained his urgency to find out the cause and asked gently.

“Why is our little one so angry?”

Sometimes the soothing tone could stimulate the tear ducts. Evelia’s lips pouted again.

“Our brothers.”

“Your brothers?”

“They went to the war.”

“Uh, war.”

“They went.”

“Uh, they went to war?”

The demon’s sharp aura that had been sharpening fell in an instant.

…War. It was not a chaotic era, but it was not entirely peaceful.

It was not uncommon for highranking nobles to participate in the war, and it was a rite of passage that ‘the’ Artina family had to go through.

Moreover, Agares, who often visited the Artina Duke’s house thanks to the little friend, was well aware of Arkhan and Cedric. He had also seen them training their sword skills from afar. They were not men to die in any ordinary battlefield.

“But no one told me anything.”

Agares, who had been lost in thought for a moment, hurriedly chimed in.

“They didn’t tell you? Then that’s not right.”

“I didn’t know because they didn’t tell me.”

“They were bad to keep our little one in the dark.”

“Yeah. They were bad. Sniffle Waaah.”

Agares did not hastily comfort her. He didn’t even tell her to stop crying. He just quietly comforted her as if it was okay to cry as much as she wanted if she was upset. His consideration was warm.

Evelia, who was spilling tears and snot into the arms of her affectionate friend, calmed down at the gentle stroke of a hand on her head and slumped onto the rock.

Her oceanic eyes were still desperately cast downwards. Sobs intermittently escaped.

“I know my brothers are good with swords, but I’m still worried.”

“Indeed. It’s worrying.”

Seeing her small friend’s crying face was one of the most unpleasant things in the world. Seeing the swollen eyes of her small friend and her fidgeting fingers, the desire to comfort her flew away in an instant.

‘It’s not a thing that requires deep thought.’

The small friend wishes for the safety of her family, and the demon has enough power to fulfill that.

“Little one. You know I’m very strong.”

Evelia nodded her head with a puzzled expression.

“Since a demon should be humble, I didn’t boast, but it’s hard to find a stronger demon than me.”

“…?”

She knew that, but why is he suddenly like this? Evelia’s small head tilted in confusion. Agares, who was facing her, suddenly laughed.

“I’ll go with you.”

“…?”

“If your brothers are ever in danger, I’ll sort everything out.”

“But the rabbit is on the same side as the demons.”

She knew the rabbit was strong. Just by seeing how it saved her from the hands of the red demon who defeated Charon in the past, she couldn’t not know.

But even so, the rabbit was also a demon. Agares responded to the small friend who was hesitating. It was a refreshing answer without any hesitation.

“If I have to choose sides, the only side for me is yours.”

Everything else was not important.

“But the rabbit might also be in danger……”

“That’s truly a useless worry.”

“But if the rabbit gets hurt, I’ll be really sad……”

“There won’t be such a thing, so don’t worry.”

In front of Evelia who was sitting on the rock, the demon, while bending one knee and looking up, whispered.

“Let me protect together.”

As if to soothe, as if asking for permission, a careful voice.

“What’s precious to you is also precious to me.”

Warm golden eyes, pleading not to be pushed away. The child who was looking down slowly nodded her head. She soon revealed her firm determination.

“I’ll get stronger quickly. I’ll get stronger soon and protect everyone.”

‘…why don’t you know that your gentle breeze is soon my desperate wish, just by having me.’

The demon didn’t spit out the words that reached his throat.

If you want to become stronger in your own way, all I can do is help. I dare not have the right to make you stay or move forward.

Clearing the path for you to walk in the direction you want and blocking the path behind.

Because it was his way to protect his only and small friend, whom he had met after a long time.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Sure enough. The child smiled brightly at the words of her friend who neither restrained her from behind nor pushed her forward.