Late at night, Khalif couldn’t fall asleep. It wasn’t just a one-time occurrence today. Yesterday and the day before, he had stayed up almost all night with bloodshot eyes.

Due to accumulated fatigue, his skin had become rough, the area under his eyes had darkened, and his eyes were so bloodshot that it was hard to find the whites.

Nevertheless, as if suffering from a disease that prevented him from sleeping, whenever night fell, he stared more keenly, as if longing for something.

Felix, who couldn’t stand it any longer, said something to Khalif.

“Are you determined to die? Did you decide to die like this when the situation got complicated?”

Felix sneered harshly. However, there was as much genuine concern in his voice as there was contempt. For several days now, Khalif had been standing alone by the window in the late night after everyone had fallen asleep.

Despite trying to console, getting angry, and trying various things, he repeated the same action for several days. And tonight was no different.

“Hey, are you even listening to me?”

“…I can’t sleep.”

“If you keep staring out the window all night, it’s obvious you can’t sleep. Stop it and lie down.”

Felix, with a nervously aggressive touch, ruffled Khalif’s hair and looked at him with a frowning gaze. Even if Khalif couldn’t feel the gaze, he didn’t give a short glance.

His face turned toward the outside through the window felt stubborn. Felix sighed deeply with irritation.

So, such a meaningless time passed considerably. When Felix, who couldn’t endure the fatigue any longer, flopped his body onto the long sofa, Khalif’s voice whispered.

“Is she asleep?”

“What are you talking about again?”

“Ibelia.”

Felix’s forehead, which had just straightened out, wrinkled deeply without hesitation. It was unclear why he was so infatuated, desperately asking about a woman he couldn’t even remember.

At this point, he really wanted to turn off his mind to everything and be at ease. After all, he had been freed from the seal and become a free man, so it didn’t matter how human affairs unfolded.

Unlike the citizens of Tritan, there were no people who believed in gods or temples to serve the gods in the Valcher Empire. So Felix had no reason to show mercy.

But it didn’t work out that way. Khalif was too pitiful. There was no human who excited his interest as much, but at the same time, there was no human who stirred his sympathy as much.

Damn it, Khalif met all the conditions that he shouldn’t be concerned about.

“…I’ll really go mad.”

Felix muttered roughly as he roughly washed his face. Then, as much as Khalif, he gathered his remaining strength and focused his mind.

Anyway, if he had a short nap for just one day, he would recover quickly. However, the only one who could restore the human in front of him was Ibelia.

“Ha.”
Felix, who had gathered his mental strength and focused on one place, sighed unconsciously. It wasn’t as distinctly felt as on good days, but Ibelia’s energy permeated his body.

She hadn’t fallen asleep. She seemed to be in great confusion, shaking violently, maybe as much as Khalif.

It seemed like she had learned something. She had decided to meet her father; perhaps she had heard something she didn’t know.

Felix swallowed his muttered words and released his energy. Then, once again, he looked at Khalif.

He still stared beyond the window with eyes soaked in longing.

Even though there was no way to reveal his inner thoughts, at this moment, without trying to pierce through his mind, his feelings were conveyed.

He missed her terribly. He was restless, wanting to rush to her right now.

He had a very stubborn side, usually not changing his mind once he made a decision. However, at the moment, there was no trace of such a feeling emanating from him.

Ironically, if someone were to shake him, he would gladly change his mind. And if he pretended to be that someone, tonight might be a little different for him.

Whether it was rushing towards a complete end or heading towards an unexpected conclusion.

So, Felix decided to willingly push him forward.

“She’s sound asleep.”

“…What?”

“Ibelia. She’s sleeping soundly.”

Khalif’s eyes immediately turned toward Felix. It was a gaze he hadn’t received in a very long time. It was ironic that he had to rely on Ibelia to meet eyes. Felix felt quite disappointed, but he didn’t hesitate to speak to push Khalif.

“You haven’t been able to sleep for several days, but it seems she can sleep comfortably.”

He criticized Ibelia with a shameless face. It was true that he had recently been disappointed in her, but to say something like this, he had no choice to avoid Khalif’s suspicion.

Khalif closed his slightly opened mouth. It was a sign that he was about to change his mind. Closing his mouth meant he was trying to make an effort to correct himself.

Before his heart became firm again, everything had to collapse completely.

“Even if you go to her for a short while, she sleeps so deeply that she won’t even notice.”

“…….”