Upon receiving word from the members, Pin’s mother who rushed over was almost out of her mind from the moment she entered the branch.

“Pin! My son, our son! Pin! Where are you? Mom’s here, Pin!”

The child who had just calmed down after drinking warm chocolate started crying again as if burned when he saw his mother.

The child’s mother also mumbled unintelligible words and showered her son’s flushed face with kisses so many times it was almost suffocating.

Eustar watched the mother and child with somewhat overwhelming emotions. For reasons he couldn’t understand, the fact that he could safely rescue the child and return him to his family’s arms felt much more satisfying than usual.

“It’s moving.”

At his words, Laila turned her gaze. Unlike Eustar, she had a somewhat blank expression.

Just until moments ago when she was sitting next to Pin teaching him string figures, she had seemed like Pin’s elder sister or mother, but now her expression was indifferent as if looking at a complete stranger.

“I don’t really know.”

Eustar looked down at Laila.

“You’re not happy?”

Laila shook her head.

“No, that’s not it. I’m happy. Happy and relieved, but… Eustar, you just said it was moving. I’m saying I don’t really understand that.”

Eustar sensed that she felt awkward in this atmosphere. Even when Pin’s mother was thanking them with tears, Laila had stepped back as if she was a completely uninvolved person.

After Pin’s family left for home, Eustar and Laila headed to the branch’s lodgings ahead of the others. Eustar was worried that Laila suddenly seemed low on energy, but she consistently insisted she was fine.

When they reached the front of her room, Eustar asked as if for the last time.

“You’re not feeling unwell or anything… are you?”

Laila shook her head.

“It’s not that, Eustar. Really. You don’t have to worry.”

“How can I not worry?”

At his gentle and affectionate voice, Laila felt a bit guilty. Though she hadn’t told a single lie, for some reason she felt as if she was deceiving him.

Eustar, who had been staring down at the silent Laila, bent down slightly. His long hair fell, seeming to tickle Laila’s cheek, and then warm lips touched her forehead before pulling away.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Laila.”

The moment his scent and presence faded away, Laila unconsciously thought she wanted to cut off a piece of it and fall asleep holding it tightly in her hand.

Even while thinking it was absurd, she wanted to ask him for a piece of his clothing or a lock of his hair.

Without realizing it herself, it felt as if a large void had formed in a corner of her heart. She wanted to pull something in there. It felt like she wouldn’t be able to sleep unless she filled it.

“Actually.”

Eustar, who was about to turn away, stopped in his tracks and turned his head back at Laila’s voice.

Laila, who had been gazing at him intently, continued.

“About earlier. When that child, Pin, met his mother.”

Eustar nodded and approached her. A white hand with prominent blue veins gently stroked the ends of Laila’s short hair.

“Go on.”

After hesitating for a moment, Laila said.

“When I saw that child’s mother, for some reason I thought of my own mother.”

Eustar, who had been persistently staring into her eyes that rarely met his gaze, said in a calm voice.

“You mean you missed your mother?”

Laila, who had been blinking with a pensive expression, finally looked back at him.

“I’m not sure if it’s an emotion I can express as missing her. I didn’t want to see my mother. It’s been too long since she passed away in the first place. But, how should I put it… I suddenly thought it would be nice if I were that child. Strangely.”

“That could be called longing too.”

A faint smile appeared on Eustar’s lips. He seemed to be considering something as he moved his lips slightly, then reached out his arms and lightly embraced Laila.

Laila, with her cheek resting against his firm chest, was momentarily bewildered and stayed quietly in his embrace before saying.

“What are you doing, Eustar?”

“Should I say I’m struggling to comfort the lonely you?”

Laila’s eyes moved slowly. She gently pushed Eustar’s body away and looked up.

“Is this loneliness?”

“That’s what I think. Don’t you think so, Laila?”

“I don’t really know what loneliness is. I’ve been alone for a long time, but I’ve never thought I was lonely.”

Then Eustar said in an amused voice.

“I always feel lonely when I’m alone.”

Laila’s head tilted to the side. At times, she seemed to not understand common human emotions well, and now was one of those times.

But Eustar didn’t think it was Laila’s fault alone. As she had said, he knew that because she had been alone for such a long time, there were few opportunities for her to learn and know diverse emotions.

Eustar said.

“If you think you’ll be lonely, shall I sit beside you tonight, Laila? There should be a rocking chair somewhere in the branch.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“No, I’m serious.”

At that moment, Laila felt a strange sensation as if what she had been longing for just moments ago had come into her hands.

It was as if a piece of him, a small and delicate cut-out of the human called Eustar, was suddenly filling her body densely.

Laila, who had been looking at Eustar with an indifferent expression, said.

“I don’t like the idea of you watching me while I sleep.”

“Oh? Why not?”

“Because I might say strange things in my sleep. Sleeping together is fine, but I don’t like being watched. And… I’m okay now.”

Laila, lightly touching the tips of his fingers, said as she opened the door.

“Good night, Eustar.”

With the soft sound of the lock being pressed, the door closed. Eustar found himself unconsciously listening to Laila’s presence fading away beyond it, then suddenly covered his reddened face with his palm and laughed quietly.

Eustar, who had been staring blankly at Laila’s door, muttered as he turned away.

“She just sets a fire and leaves so nonchalantly.”

The royal palace, Benalis, the capital of the Kingdom of Sierou.

Around the time Kiron’s members were battling with magical beasts, Ord woke up gasping for breath as if he had been stabbed with a sword.

His eyes, wide open with dilated pupils, glistened as if water had been splashed on them, and his bony chest painfully swelled and deflated repeatedly as he gasped for air.

“…Baso.”

It was difficult to make a sound as if someone had crumpled paper and shoved it down his throat.

The moment he forced himself to make a sound, a dry cough burst out and he couldn’t stop it. Ord kept coughing while clutching his head that felt like it was about to shatter into pieces.

Despite the noise, there was no sign of Baso rushing over. It was strange, as Baso rarely left Ord’s side all day, even from night to dawn.

“Baso… Baso!”

As his voice, which had been completely blocked, finally burst out, there was a hurried sound of a door opening. However, it was not Baso who appeared, but another servant who had been guarding just outside the double doors.

“Your Majesty!”

The servant who cried out in panic quickly brought water. He handed over the glass, but Ord’s terrifyingly shaking hand dropped it.

Water spilled, and the sheets became damp. Ord, who had violently thrown away the glass rolling on the bed, exhaled a labored breath.

“Where is Baso!”

The servant’s face turned pale.

“I, I’m not sure. Your Majesty, the head servant has been away for about two hours…”

“Find him immediately, right now!”

With a choking sound, another cough burst from Ord’s throat. He felt like he was about to pass out, and the servant said, trembling with fear.

“Your Majesty, before that, first the royal physician…”

“Bring Baso!”

Ord’s eyes, which had suddenly lifted, seemed to glow red in the darkness. The servant involuntarily stepped back upon meeting those ominously glinting eyes. And he fled from the bedroom.

The moment the servant left, Ord felt a pain stabbing deep into his chest. It was a sharp and intense pain as if his heart was about to stop.

“…Not yet.”

Ord, clutching his chest, muttered. Every time he inhaled, there was a wheezing sound.

It felt as if there was a hole in his lungs, no matter how much he breathed, new air didn’t seem to fill them. Ord, gripping his chest as if about to tear it with his bony fingers, groaned.

“Not yet…”

His labored breathing suddenly stopped. His eyeballs rolled up, and his thin body collapsed helplessly onto the bed.

Eustar and Laila returned to the royal palace before the morning sun rose. Just as the two stepped away from Sershita’s portal, Galen rushed over urgently.

“Lord Eustar, you’ve arrived.”

“Did something happen, Galen?”

Galen rubbed his mouth with a troubled expression.

“His Majesty lost consciousness last night. Of all times, while head servant Baso was away…”

Eustar furrowed his brow and said.

“What about the royal physicians?”

“The servants called for them, but it was after His Majesty had already lost consciousness.”

“So he’s still in a coma?”

Galen affirmed his words with silence. Concern settled on Eustar’s face. It wasn’t the first time Ord had lost consciousness, but this time the situation was different from usual.

“Tomorrow is the birthday celebration.”

Eustar, who had muttered to himself in a worried voice, sighed.

Galen said.

“The royal physicians say it’s just that his strength has weakened…”

Eustar, who had been silent for a moment, nodded.

“I see. I’ll stop by later to find out more details.”

“Yes, Lord Eustar.”

Galen bowed and withdrew.

As they entered the corridor leading to the interior of the palace, Laila said.

“Eustar, I have somewhere I need to go for a moment.”

Eustar turned his head to look at her.

“Somewhere to go? Where?”

She was planning to go straight to the archives. But if she said that, Eustar might insist on coming along…

—Please keep this space a secret from the Crown Prince.

Recalling Baso’s words, Laila shrugged her shoulders. Eustar’s eyes narrowed.

“You want to keep it a secret, is that it?”