In response to my question, Hadel’s smooth forehead wrinkled. He reproached me, saying, “You should speak properly. Didn’t you cling to me because it was cold?”

“Me?”

I remembered sleeping with Hadel’s thigh as a pillow….

As if I really couldn’t recall, I blinked my eyes. Hadel reached out and pinched my nose.

“You slept like a log, not even knowing what’s happening around you.”

“I don’t remember.”

Furrowing his brows, Hadel briefly scolded me and then turned his head, closing his eyes again.

“I don’t know. Let me sleep; I’m tired.”
Still, he doesn’t remove his arm pillow supporting my head. Thanks to that, I lay with my head on Hadel’s arm, thoroughly admiring his face.

“He’s quite handsome. Is his mother a beauty?”

With a sturdy nose, a comfortable forehead, and facial features overall large and well-defined, his face had a three-dimensional quality.

Gazing intently at Hadel’s face, I slightly pursed my lips. It was because of the birds that had scared me, and they were on my mind again.

“The bird prince looks nothing like them.”

Even in the family portrait of Hadel that I had once discovered by chance, the birds didn’t resemble anyone. People with black hair, like Hadel, were smiling gently.

But the birds lived in the palace, loved and cherished, while Hadel lived a lonely life in the north. It felt strangely incongruous.

“They would be my descendants, but I don’t seem to resemble myself at all.”

Where did the pink hair disappear to?

“Pink-haired Hadel would also look good.”

At first, I thought of the birds, but at some point, I found myself changing Hadel’s hair color. At that moment, Hadel opened his eyes and said,

“…Move over.”

“Huh? I said I’m sleeping. Why get up?”

“Do you think I can sleep with you staring like that?”

“Ignore it and sleep.”

“….”

With my cheerful reply, Hadel glanced at me. Realizing that I was acting like a dormouse without any tact, I quickly sat up.

“Alright, I’m getting up.”

Only then did Hadel fold his arms and sit up. He turned his head away as if not wanting to look at me directly, pointing to the corner where my shirt was.

“The shirt is over there.”

“Thanks.”

Come to think of it, I fell asleep without even changing my clothes. Hadel had neatly rolled up the blanket, making it challenging to unravel.

“Ugh!”

After a series of struggles, I managed to put my arms into the shirt. This time, however, my hair got caught in the buttons. I called out to Hadel in distress.

“Hadel, my hair is stuck. Untangle it.”

“What?”

When Hadel turned to me, his face twisted in exasperation. Instead of buttoning up the shirt, he only managed to do about half before noticing the tangled mess of hair.

Placing his face in his palm, he sighed.

“…Please be more careful.”

Scratching my cheek, I chuckled.

“I’ve lived as a dormouse for a long time, so my hair isn’t used to this. Like I said, I’m fundamentally a dormouse, not a human.”

“That’s what you said.”

While exhaling a deep sigh, Hadel gestured for me to come over. As I approached, his long fingers delicately began to untangle my hair.

‘Hadel is quite meticulous.’

Usually, when someone has big hands and feet, their movements tend to be large as well, but Hadel always moved quietly and gracefully. Perhaps it was his inherently calm nature.
As Hadel focused, a natural silence settled between us. Feeling the awkwardness, I started rambling about various things.

“At first, living barefoot felt uncomfortable for me too. But as I kept living like that, now wearing clothes feels more uncomfortable. I thought it’s better to just take them off than awkwardly putting them on.”

“…….,”

It wasn’t much of a story, but Hadel’s face twisted in surprise. I tilted my head.

“Hadel? What’s wrong?”

Hadel sighed deeply, as if the ground was about to collapse.

“I completely empathize with your opinion.”

“What opinion?”

“I agree that it’s better to completely undress than awkwardly put something on.”

“Is that so?”

“…It must be comfortable inside.”

Why does he keep picking a fight since earlier?

My tangled hair was finally completely untangled. Perhaps thinking it would be better if he did it himself, Hadel continued buttoning without removing his hand.

‘He’s meticulous. From the neckline to the end of the shirt.’

Due to the difference in our body sizes, the shirt naturally covered up to just above my knees. It felt like wearing a light one-piece nightgown.

‘Oh, but I can’t go out like this.’

If I go out, everyone will probably go crazy, thinking a completely unfamiliar person has appeared.