Drinking alcohol causes a hangover. It’s a phenomenon caused by alcohol shrinking the brain, and it takes time for the shrunken brain to expand again.

Yes, I know that in theory.

‘I didn’t expect to experience it myself though.’

When I woke up, my head was throbbing as if it had been put in a compressor.

After groaning in pain, I eventually settled for vegetable juice, which is said to be good for hangovers, for breakfast.

‘I never thought there’d come a day when I’d voluntarily drink vegetable juice.’

The vegetable juice tasted awful. It was so bad that I couldn’t even describe what it tasted like.

If this wasn’t the only thing good for hangovers, I would never have drunk it.

‘But it doesn’t seem to be effective in curing the hangover anyway!’

I could still feel the nauseating, unpleasant taste of vegetable water lingering on my tongue.

I spat repeatedly as I got into the carriage. And then I personally experienced the dictionary definition of sitting on pins and needles.

‘What? Why is the atmosphere even more subdued?’

Initially, I had been riding the carriage alone, but from today, Grisha was to join me. This was because Grisha, like me, couldn’t ride a horse.

However, that very Grisha was sitting in the carriage with a humorless expression.

It was clear he had some very serious concerns, but in the midst of that, he would still smile slightly when our eyes met, trying to be considerate of me.

‘This is really uncomfortable.’

Just don’t smile. Just tell me you’re planning to be depressed for a while and not to talk to you.

‘Did it turn out like this because I clumsily brought up Cedar?’

Thinking that way made me feel responsible. I tightly gripped the hem of my clothes and carefully opened my mouth.

“Um, Grisha.”

“Yes.”

“Di-did you sleep well?”

“Of course.”

“……”

And our conversation broke off. I pressed my forehead.

‘All this time, our conversations flowed smoothly thanks to Grisha responding well.’

I newly realized one of Grisha’s hardships. From now on, I should also work hard to come up with topics of conversation.

‘What should I talk about today? Should I bring up how we’ll observe the magical beasts together? Or about asking Hail to sell the charm potion?’

Seeing that he read the letter I left at the mansion, he might have already met with Hail.

As I was struggling to figure out what to talk about, a soft “pfft” laughter sounded from above my head.

I opened my eyes wide and looked up.

“…Grisha?”

Grisha’s eyes were gently curved. His hand seemed to touch my cheek, then he brushed back the hair that had fallen forward as I lowered my head, and said,

“Nelly looks so cute when she’s pondering.”

“Cu……”

At the appearance of an adjective I never expected to hear from Grisha, I froze like ice. What? Who’s what?

‘I’m cute!’

Goodness. I’ve said it to Grisha many times, but I never thought Grisha would say it.

Grisha’s smile, which had been beaming at me, slowly faded.

His facial expression seemed to darken, and suddenly Grisha bowed his head.

“I’m sorry about yesterday, Nelly. I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable again today because of my emotions. You were just trying to give me advice out of consideration…”

“Ah, no! It’s okay to feel uncomfortable. I was worried that I might have spoken carelessly without knowing about your family situation.”

“There’s nothing in this world that Nelly can’t say to me. So it’s my fault.”

“Uh……”

‘What does that mean?’

Grisha’s excessively generous attitude bothered me, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask.

I felt like if I did, I might get an answer I couldn’t handle.

After smiling gently, Grisha pointed to the window with his index finger.

“Do you see that large castle over there?”

“Yes.”

A faintly visible pointed spire could be seen rising above the dense forest.

“That’s the castle of Marquis Bauer, who’s responsible for the safety of this area. All four knight orders participating in the subjugation are supposed to gather there.”

“I see. You know a lot about it, Grisha?”

“Because I received a detailed explanation from Sir Jack.”

It seemed Grisha had received a more detailed explanation about the operation and set out than I had, who was officially participating in this subjugation.

‘I guess I was too uninterested.’

But I doubt I would have understood well even if Cedar had explained it. Even the name Marquis Bauer sounded unfamiliar to me.

While I was listening to Grisha about the other three knight orders that would gather at Marquis Bauer’s castle, Cedar happened to pass by outside the window. In delight, I raised my hand.

“Cedar!”

Although I hadn’t opened the window, Cedar’s sensitive ears would surely have heard my voice. Even if he hadn’t heard, he would have seen me raising my hand.

‘Huh?’

But even though our eyes met, Cedar not only didn’t approach me, but he pulled the reins and overtook the carriage.

Dumbfounded, I froze with my lips rounded.

‘Why is he avoiding eye contact?’

Cedar had often nagged or shouted at me, but this was the first time he so blatantly avoided my eyes, and it was disconcerting.

‘Did something really happen yesterday?’

Did I make some mistake while drunk? I groaned, clutching my hair as I couldn’t remember.

Grisha, who had been watching this scene unfold, raised an eyebrow.

“…It seems you’ve become quite close with elder brother?”

“Well, we are living in the same house after all?”

We are close. I nodded my head firmly.

At my confident answer, the smile disappeared from Grisha’s face and was replaced by an indescribable expression.

“Um, Nelly.”

“Yes?”

I answered nonchalantly, but in truth, my heart was pounding anxiously.

‘Is their relationship so bad that he can’t even stand to see me being friendly with Cedar?’

Since he’s also the enemy of his parents, I couldn’t really blame Grisha even if he hated him that much.

But imposing that relationship on me was another matter.

‘Then what should I do?’

I pondered for a moment, and was surprised that it had become a matter of concern.

Grisha, whom I had spent over a decade with at the academy, and Cedar, whom I had lived with briefly, held similar weight within me.

‘When did we really become this close?’

As I was feeling perplexed, Grisha’s hand approached me. I reflexively squeezed my eyes shut.

The hand that seemed to be coming close to my face gently pushed away my hand that had been pulling at my hair.

Then he calmly tidied up my disheveled hair.

Only I, who had closed my eyes in tension, ended up feeling embarrassed. As I scratched my cheek with my finger, Grisha caught that hand too.

“Your face is turning red.”

“Ah.”

This attentive care for every little thing was just like the Grisha I knew.

‘Am I being overly conscious?’

I was beginning to feel strange for constantly sensing a sense of discomfort from him.

Meeting my confused gaze, Grisha spoke in his characteristically gentle tone:

“I’ll say it again, I wish Nelly would leave that house soon. Lady Briar is a scary person. I don’t know what she might do to Nelly.”

It was a statement that completely deflated my worry about what to do if he said he didn’t like me getting close to Cedar. I let out a hollow laugh.

‘For now, I shouldn’t mention the story about the assassin.’

So he was worried about Lady Briar. I waved my hand and replied in a casual tone.

“Ah, you mean Lady Briar. I got it. I’ll definitely remember your advice. But don’t worry too much, Grisha. Cedar promised he would protect me no matter what.”

There’s no need to worry when the strongest swordsman in this country is protecting me.

At these words I added to reassure him, Grisha’s blue eyes darkened like a deep sea.

“I……”

Grisha, who had started slowly, added with a contorted face.

“I just don’t like you being with elder brother.”

“…I see.”

At his words of disliking Cedar, my tongue lost its strength again.

Even to my own ears, my response sounded lifeless. I pondered intensely inside.

‘I really don’t know how to respond! Should I find a book about conversation skills in the library and read it?’

I guess family matters like this shouldn’t be carelessly brought up by someone as emotionally dull as me.

As I was fidgeting with my fingers alone, Grisha asked with a sad smile.

“Nelly, may I hug you?”

“Sure.”

Hugs were a daily occurrence for us at the academy too. I nodded without much thought.

However, when the large hand actually grabbed my arm, I felt that something was wrong.

“Huh?”

Grisha hugged me tightly with both arms, like an eagle snatching its prey.

It wasn’t the light hug I had in mind. His large frame felt like a prison.

Frozen in surprise, I heard Grisha’s voice settle near my ear.

“I’m so glad I could meet you again. It gives me goosebumps to think that I could have lost you at the academy without knowing anything.”

“Y-yeah.”

If I hadn’t known how to use time-reversal magic, we really might never have met again.

‘…Grisha was anxious too.’

Grisha was sincerely worried about me, and I felt strange for constantly sensing coldness from him.

I took a deep breath. And with a more relaxed mind, I hugged Grisha back.

“Thank you, Grisha. I’m glad I could meet you again too.”

As my hands wrapped around Grisha’s back, suddenly the arms hugging me tightened even more.

His breath tickled my ear. Finding myself with my face completely buried in his shoulder, I blinked my eyes.

‘No, isn’t this too close right now?’

Embarrassed, I turned my eyes away, and my gaze met directly with gray eyes watching us from outside the window.

‘Cedar?’

Once again, Cedar quickly turned his head away, avoiding eye contact.