52.

“Again?”

I furrowed my brows at his question. I touched my cheeks just to be sure, but they were only cold and numb.

“I wasn’t crying.”

“But you have the same expression as when we first met.”

Norma paused for a moment and whispered in a small voice. His voice, mixed with a sigh, sounded quite sorrowful.

From his perspective, our first meeting must have been when we faced off against Nyx in Tantalus. The first thing he saw upon waking was a seaweed-haired woman clutching her head and sobbing.

Recalling that time, I frowned deeply.

‘Well, whatever. I’m fine.’

Despite my heavily furrowed face, I habitually tried to say I was fine. But my lips wouldn’t move.

“……”

In truth, I wasn’t fine.

Damn it. The unexpected appearance of Norma had temporarily made me forget my depression, but now it was rushing back in. If I stayed like this, I might actually cry as he had suggested.

I didn’t want to show my precarious state to an outsider. However, my muddled brain couldn’t quickly come up with a rational plan. The only thought dominating my mind was the urge to flee the situation.

Knowing it was far too late to pretend I hadn’t seen him, I chose to act as if I hadn’t noticed him and retreated into my bedroom. This might have been one of the few times in my life as the head of McFoy that I chose to avoid.

Impulsively, I tried to move, but my body didn’t respond as I intended, perhaps due to the cold. I intended to turn around and walk away, but my legs gave out like those of a newborn foal.

Luckily, my hand was gripping the railing, so I avoided the disgrace of falling backward.

At least, I managed to end up merely staggering. That is, until Norma vaulted over the railing and grabbed me by the waist before I could regain my balance.

Sure, I had often stumbled and swayed in front of Norma, but this seemed overly protective. It appeared he thought I would collapse entirely.

Thanks to Norma’s swift intervention, we found ourselves in an awkward position. My upper body bent backward, supported by his arm, and our eyes locked, resembling a couple in a dramatic dance pose right after a passionate duet, lost in the moment.

At such close quarters, I finally saw his face clearly. The one who grabbed my waist looked more surprised than I was, his eyes wide. Anyone seeing this might think I had suddenly clung to him. Our eyes, meeting under the moonlight, trembled wildly.

This was undoubtedly his fault.

My brow furrowed more deeply as I grasped the situation. Norma’s lips parted in shock, as if to match mine.

“…I didn’t realize you were real.”

Norma spouted nonsense. It seemed he truly thought I was an apparition when he spoke.

“Please forgive me for grabbing you without permission.”

He muttered absentmindedly, like someone seeking absolution in a temple.

“And also, for stepping into your space without permission….”

He couldn’t continue. He seemed genuinely broken.

Despite standing in the pale moonlight, Norma’s face was turning a deep red. It seemed like steam was rising from his head.

I couldn’t bring myself to mock or reprimand him. I was just as overwhelmed.

“I also think… that, uh… unmarried men and women being on a bedroom balcony together at night is…”

Norma’s face, which I thought couldn’t get any redder, turned an even deeper shade at the word ‘bedroom.’

I couldn’t take my eyes off him, feeling as if I were tormenting him.

“…inappropriate.”

“…”

“But.”

There was one issue preventing me from immediately shooing him out of my bedroom. I closed my eyes tightly and continued.

“My legs have no strength.”

I swear I had no ulterior motive. Truly, my legs had given out because of his sudden grab. My lower body wouldn’t respond, and the frustration made me tear up.

Once again, this was all his fault.

I didn’t feel like calling the servants after showing such weakness. Given that I had already revealed my vulnerability, it seemed better to rely on him for a bit.

“Could you help me?”

Requesting a favor felt unfamiliar when commands were my norm. A look of awkwardness crossed his usually kind face.

Perhaps my request was too much for someone from the ‘Diazi,’ who were known for their strictness about gender interactions. As the brief silence stretched and an odd tension filled the air, I swallowed nervously.

“May I assist you?”

Half-closing his eyes, Norma asked as if he were holding something back. He seemed to share my embarrassment, trying to act composed despite his still-flaming face.

“…Yes, please.”

“It is an honor to assist the head of the McFoy family.”

Norma then swiftly and carefully slipped an arm under my knees. In an instant, my center of gravity shifted backward, and before I knew it, I was being lifted into his arms. Feeling his solid body, I found myself unable to speak.

‘Damn, this position.’

This was the second time I’d been carried like a princess. The last time, I had passed out right away, but being conscious for this was mortifying.

‘I asked for support, not to be carried!’

I intended to tell him to put me down immediately and lifted my head to do so.

“……”

But I couldn’t bring myself to say it. His expression was so solemn. Seeing the slight tremble in his jaw, as if he were nervous, made me fall silent.

‘Why are you so embarrassed? You could have just not picked me up.’

But I didn’t say it out loud. I just moved my lips, then lowered my head, not wanting to speak more and risk catching his nervousness. I glared at my awkwardly clasped hands and gritted my teeth as he started walking.

Unfortunately, Norma faced his first challenge right away with the half-open balcony door. He hesitated, staring into the bedroom beyond the balcony door.

“……!”

I could feel his heart pounding rapidly against his arm, and I instinctively looked up at him.

Norma shut his eyes tightly and stepped through the door. I involuntarily closed my eyes too, feeling like we were doing something illicit together because of his reaction.

Once inside the bedroom, Norma faced his second challenge: not knowing where to set me down. His heart was still racing, which I could feel through the fabric of his clothes.

“Put me on the bed.”

Being carried by him was uncomfortable in many ways, so I didn’t hesitate to tell him.

Norma exhaled a sigh, almost like a breath of relief. He closed his eyes as if struggling with himself, and his arms tightened around me.

Reflexively, I glanced up at him again. I could see the veins popping out on his clenched jaw.

At that moment, our eyes met again. His face flushed a deep red once more, yet he didn’t look away, making him seem surprisingly tenacious.

The tension was contagious. In the end, I was the one who looked away. Turning my head quickly, I realized it was too late.

My heart started pounding in time with his, echoing loudly in my ears as both of our hearts beat furiously.

Finally, Norma set me down on the bed. His movements were overly cautious, making me feel awkward. I kept my gaze elsewhere, feigning distraction.

Norma quickly turned around then. Despite being embarrassed about entering the bedroom, he now scanned the room sharply.

“Why are you doing that?”

“Lady Aisa, was someone here just now?”

He asked with a stern face. Although Ophelia had been gone for a while, he seemed to sense her presence. It made me realize her visit was probably a secretive act.

“No.”

I lied calmly, and the innocent man, unable to doubt my words, looked even more serious.

Everything seemed fine in the world, looking at him like this. I sighed inwardly and shifted the topic.

“More importantly, why were you wandering around someone else’s garden at night? Suspiciously.”

“…I couldn’t sleep.”

It wasn’t because he was uncomfortable, as I had taken great care to ensure his comfort. Then, a plausible guess crossed my mind.

“…Are you afraid you might not wake up?”

That was a fear I had felt upon leaving Tantalus. Norma’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. He hesitated before speaking again.

“Embarrassingly, I do have such fears. But more than that….”

Norma trailed off. For a brief moment, his expression crumbled, making me unconsciously hold my breath.

“It’s not a pleasant story. You must be tired, so I shouldn’t burden you with it….”

He forced a smile, which somehow irritated me. Yes, I was exhausted. I was more tired and worn out than ever, ready to collapse. Today had been overwhelming, one of the worst days I could recall.

Having an unmarried noblewoman’s bedroom invaded by a strange man was improper. Despite my gratitude, I should send him away immediately after ensuring he would keep today’s events a secret.

Moreover, delving into someone else’s depths was dangerous. It could cross boundaries. Having already allowed him too much, I heard warning bells that I shouldn’t allow more.

I needed to send him away. Draw a line. I knew I should, but…

‘Damn it, what am I supposed to do when he looks at me like that and pretends he’s fine?’

I had no excuses. I had to admit that I was incredibly weak when it came to Norma Diazi. He bothered me. I couldn’t just leave him alone.

‘Even though I can’t handle my own problems properly, why am I so concerned about Norma?’

A sleepless, wandering figure like a ghost. The emptiness in his golden eyes when he occasionally stared into space.

I couldn’t stand it when those beautiful eyes looked empty. In the end, I acted impulsively again.

“If you’re okay with it, you can tell me.”

Norma’s golden eyes trembled slightly at my words. I could see his long eyelashes fluttering in response.

At the same time, I had a feeling. Listening to this would irreversibly entangle me with him.

I was about to say, ‘Wait a moment,’ but Norma moved faster. He slowly knelt on one knee and looked up at me with moist eyes.

It was too late to say, ‘On second thought, this isn’t right.’

At that moment, Antoinette, who had been missing, jumped onto the bed and curled up on my lap. Reflexively holding her, I turned to Norma as he began to speak.

“Lady Aisa, I….”

His voice was heavy with emotion. He hesitated for a moment before lowering his eyes and continuing with difficulty.

“I can’t sleep because when I close my eyes, I hear voices begging me to die.”