“…To think you’d sleep like this.”

A gentle touch stroking her hair and a soft voice enveloping her.

Caught in a pleasant sensation, Bianca smiled faintly, suddenly feeling something was odd.

What is this?

Too vivid to be a dream, yet it couldn’t be reality.

Because the refreshing scent lingering in her nostrils belonged to Gillian, who had left to deal with matters.

Could it be a hallucination?

It was a first, but it wasn’t bad.

‘I wish I could see it too.’

Gently opening her eyes, Bianca felt a tingle of joy upon encountering golden eyes looking down on her.

“Oh, did I wake you?”

Was it because his image had lingered in her mind since their parting?

Greeting her, Gillian was not in his usual casual shirt but in full armor.

A helmet pushed back to reveal only his face, a long trailing cape, and through the gaps, his sturdy armor was visible.

Armored Gillian looked divine.

Even now, with his bluishtinted complexion and the sharp lines of his jaw.

His noble and beautiful presence seemed isolated from the rest of the world.

Recalling the moment she faced the wyvern alone, Bianca felt breathless.

Overflowing with nobility, yet lonely because of it, he seemed to her, in that instant, similar to her own unsettled self.

Her emotions surged.

“I missed you.”

She was sincere.

The man’s face hardened momentarily upon hearing her raw thoughts, which she’d assumed would remain uncommunicated.

It felt like facing the feared ‘future,’ but that was momentary.

Bianca was delighted to see him well and allowed her most tender voice to escape.

“I really missed you so much.”

“Did you miss me?”

“Of course.”

“Do you mean me?”

His voice, growling like a beast, seemed almost submerged, grounded.

Contrary to his probing tone, Gillian was smiling.

Encouraged by his evident joy, Bianca mustered the courage to spill the words she’d been keeping in her heart.

“I miss you. So… come back soon.”

For a moment, Gillian wore an expression she couldn’t interpret.

It seemed both pleased and flustered, a strange face.

Soon, he closed his dazzling golden eyes and nodded.

“You’re dreaming now, aren’t you?”

Talking about a dream within a dream.

It seemed to be the end.

Bianca returned Gillian’s smile.

She wanted to be remembered smiling, not crying.

“Shall we meet when I wake up, then?”

As expected, Gillian bid her farewell.

“Are you leaving already?”

“Yes.”

Though she wished to hold him back, he was firm.

“Sleep.”

“Just a bit more.”

“Sleep. We’ll meet when you wake.”

As he softly stroked her cheek, her vision began to warp.

“… will soon … again …”

All her senses were drifting away.

She couldn’t make out his fragmented words, nor could she sense the refreshing scent anymore.

Never thought I’d ever want to cling to a hallucination!

Bianca tried to hold onto her fading senses, exerting strength throughout her body, but it was in vain.

The hand she’d extended to catch him gently landed on the soft quilt.

Thump.

Her frail, reaching hand fell onto the bed.

She had almost impulsively taken his offered hand.

If she caught him now…

Gillian slowly clenched his hand, blue veins surfacing.

His knuckles turned white from the strain.

Gillian, watching that, twisted his lips into a bitter smile.

Just looking was this hard, holding might break it.

Gillian lowered his eyes, gazing at the soundly asleep Bianca.

‘Aren’t you tired? Wondering when you will return, I send news. Please come back safely, without injury.’

So this was it.
Upon receiving news from the estate, Gillian realized what had been making him so anxious.

He had known instinctively.

Bianca would be waiting for him.

Though he had already hurried, the moment he received the small note, Gillian regretted not hurrying more.

He delegated the remaining tasks and rode his horse without taking a single break.

Although he shortened the usual time by nearly half, his chest felt as if it were burning throughout the ride.

He couldn’t bear the anxiety of making her wait.

As soon as he arrived at the estate, he quietly sneaked into Bianca’s bedroom.

Seeing her sleeping form under the pile of rolledup blankets, his breath finally came easy.

“Bianca.”

It was late at night; he had intended to just see her face and leave.

But his disobedient hand reached out to touch Bianca.

Her form, curled up like a snail as she slept, was pitiable yet familiar.

She looked so lonely that he couldn’t resist reaching out.

It had certainly started out of pity.

But his hand, tingling with a dangerous allure, could not stop caressing Bianca, and he ended up waking her.

Oops, he thought.

What was he going to do now?

But the moment their eyes met…

“I’ve missed you.”

How could she say that with a face about to cry?

“Ah…”

That was cheating.

Gillian, who had been roughly rubbing his face, abruptly stood up and left the room.

He could bear it no longer.

It was his limit.

“Have you arrived?”

As the office door opened late at night, Kreta, who was flipping through documents, greeted him without showing any surprise.