I let out a big sigh like a goldfish out of water. A cold sensation, as if I had plunged my body into an ice lump, flowed from my fingertips to my heart.

‘I hate it! I hate the cold!’

Since I was born with the fire attribute, I knew the word “cold” only existed in words for me. I just nodded at the idea that some people in this world freeze to death. However, the actual experience of cold was much more violent and painful. It felt like needles were piercing through every blood vessel. Someone tightly held me with cold hands while I writhed in agony.

I turned my head. There was no vitality in the pale, chilled face. I knew who he was as soon as I saw that face.

‘Espen.’

It was Espen, the one with that face who caused a mana explosion, pouring out ice regardless of friend or foe. He was freezing to death, even freezing himself.

With that face, he desperately called my name. It was quite unexpected for me. After all, I thought Espen hated me.

Did he ever say such a thing? Is this not a completely illusion created by my dream?

While I was tilting my head, I realized that I couldn’t even remember what Espen had said. It was something that had happened a long time ago within me.

‘I don’t resent you. So, you don’t have to come like this.’

Thinking so, I tried to dispel the illusion of Espen.

When I was about to disperse the illusion, Espen’s gaze, which seemed to be absent-minded, suddenly turned towards me. His sharp blue eyes pierced through me like a well-honed blade.

The pale blue lips without vitality spoke to me.

“Gasp!”

Surprised by those words, I woke up from my sleep. The first thing I did when I opened my eyes was to breathe heavily and quickly. I inhaled oxygen as if I were a person whose throat was parched.

‘Where am I?’

I felt like I would be swallowed by ice again any moment. However, unlike in the dream, my chest wasn’t stiff, and there was no pain piercing through my body. Realizing that I wasn’t struggling to breathe, my hazy vision gradually became clear.

There was a familiar ceiling in front of me. A dark room where sunlight didn’t penetrate well, a towering bookshelf that seemed to touch the ceiling, and densely packed books.

‘Here is Hadel’s study….’

Knowing the place, I felt even more comfortable. And what definitively made me feel comfortable was the warm warmth enveloping my body.

‘Hadel’s mana.’

As I turned my head, Hadel’s face came into view. Before falling asleep, I was lying on Hadel’s lap, but now I was in Hadel’s arms, and Hadel was sleeping with his eyes closed.

‘Warm.’
Due to Hadel’s mana, I extended my arms, pulled Hadel’s waist close, and pressed against his chest. I was surprised to find that I could wrap my arms around his waist. Opening my eyes widely, I remarked, “Huh? Even though it’s morning, I didn’t transform back into a dormouse.” Usually, after becoming human, I would revert to a dormouse when waking up, but today, I remained in my human form. “Did I absorb so much mana yesterday? It doesn’t seem likely.” Regardless, lying down with Hadel in his human form after sleeping with him in his dormouse form felt somewhat strange. I attempted to get up from the bed.

“Oops.”

As I tried to rise, Hadel’s hand, as if to wrap around my waist, pulled me into his arms. Inadvertently finding myself once again embraced by him, I blinked my eyes. A muffled voice echoed in my ears.

“Are you awake?”

“Hadel.”

Perhaps because it was right after waking up, Hadel’s voice was lower than usual. Holding onto the blanket with both hands prevented him from poking my ears, but otherwise, he might have tickled my ears if not. Hadel’s voice made my earlobes tingle.

‘Sexy.’

Unconsciously thinking that, I shook my head as if trying to dismiss such thoughts. What am I thinking? The other person is Hadel. I shouldn’t entertain such inappropriate thoughts about him!

I stayed nestled in Hadel’s embrace for a while, closing my eyes and then gradually opening them. Eventually, I felt a warm sensation emanating from Hadel’s mana, enveloping my body. It felt as if I were supported on a warm stone.

‘If I hug him facing each other, it might be even warmer.’

The desire to embrace Hadel tightly crept up on me.

I sneakily observed Hadel’s reaction. Since he had his eyes closed, I couldn’t discern his feelings.

‘…Wouldn’t he mind? After all, he was the one who hugged me first.’

It’s not that I had ill intentions. When you have lukewarm and warm water bottles, it’s natural to be drawn to the warm one, right?

When I slightly turned my body to hug Hadel’s back, ready to snuggle closer, he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at me. Upon seeing my reflection in his red pupils, I recalled the kiss Hadel initiated in his study, making me blush.

Feeling my cheeks heat up, I quickly turned my head in the opposite direction and complained, “Did you, did you sleep here too? Why not in your room?”