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Elaine fiddled with the object in her hand.
In front of her lay a wide-open box and a letter filled with dense handwriting.
Something she’d commissioned long ago had finally arrived.
‘Mr. Nathan.’
‘We need to make another deal.’
It was Nathan who sent this.
The wizard she’d dealt with when investigating the magic circle. After hearing Nathan’s findings in Killiard, Elaine had made him another offer.
‘What kind of deal?’
‘I’d like you to make me a magic tool like this. Can you do it?’
And today, after the meeting between Ash and the nobles, when she’d returned to her room late at night, she found the requested item had arrived.
‘Hmm, such a magic tool… is very difficult and complicated since it requires twisting existing forms of magic. Even the most accomplished wizards would have a hard time making this.’
‘Then is it too difficult for you as well, Nathan?’
‘I’m not your average wizard, I’m a genius. It may take some time, but I’ll make it.’
The image of him shrugging his shoulders triumphantly came to mind. Certainly, it didn’t seem like an easy task to Elaine, who didn’t know much about magic, but Nathan might be an even greater wizard than she thought.
The letter that came with it was filled with questions about things he’d heard of Killiard and asking about her well-being.
Elaine put down the letter once she’d finished reading it and got up from the chair. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw a darkened window.
‘Is he asleep already?’
She needed to give this to Ash. Elaine grabbed the tool and opened the door, however…
“Ash?”
Ash was standing in front of her room, dressed in a light robe. She could see his hand hovering in midair, about to knock on the door.
“You weren’t sleeping yet.”
He spoke quietly. His well-shaped lips drawing a small arc.
“Uh-huh.”
She smiled softly back. Since they were the only ones in the hallway, there was no need to use titles. Elaine opened her door a little wider and motioned for him to enter.
Ash paused for a moment. In the brightly lit room, her pale face was staring up at him. He stared wordlessly at her defenseless face.
Then, slowly stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
“What were you doing?”
Ash stroked her white cheek with the back of his hand. It was a natural touch, gentle and affectionate.
“Yeah, I was on my way to see you, I have something for you.”
“Me?”
Nodding, Elaine held out the object she was carrying toward him. It was round and flat, smaller than the palm of her hand, densely packed with shimmering magic circles.
“I requested this from Nathan…”
Elaine explained the function of the magic tool to him.
In fact, it was meant to be given to Ash from the beginning. When she first realized that the royal family could be behind this, she felt that since the enemy was the royal family, she had to be extra vigilant about his safety.
“Now that you’re going to war, you’ll need to carry it with you at all times.”
Elaine said it as a reminder, and Ash nodded slowly and smiled a little.
“Yes, I will definitely do that.”
Elaine asked as Ash accepted the magic tool.
“Tomorrow, we’re marching through the monster’s nest, right?”
“Now that there are no monsters there, we’ll be able to march quickly through the rolling terrain without having to go out of our way.”
“How long do you think it will take?”
“Ten days at the earliest, fifteen at the latest.”
Elaine nodded in understanding. She then blinked as a question suddenly occurred to her.
“Oh, but… What brought you to my room?”
Was there something to tell or give her, like she’d been about to do?
At the question, Ash tilted his head. He tucked a stray strand of silver hair behind her ear.
“Do I need a reason?”
Purple eyes captured hers. There was affection sparkling in those eyes, and Elaine realized…
…He was right. There was no need for a reason.
Wanting to see her was reason enough. Even if she’d seen his face all day, she also wanted to see him again and hear his voice.
“No… Stay a little longer.”
Elaine gave his sleeve a weak squeeze. Once they start marching tomorrow, they wouldn’t have many chances to be alone together like this.
She wanted to stay like this a little longer, and…
She wondered if he could hear the pounding of her pulse.
Their gazes locked, and he kissed her cheek.
His lips landed on the corner of her eye, then on the bridge of her nose, and then, slowly, captured her lips.
“Huh…”
Elaine’s eyelids fluttered shut. He cupped the back of her head and wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her close.
The kiss was bitterly sweet.
As she’d recently discovered, Ash was a good kisser. Her head felt like it was blank whenever she locked lips with him.
His body heat radiated from where they touched. It was contagious, and she felt the heat rising inside her.
Suddenly, her back was against the wall. A tingling, dizzying sensation made her knees go weak. A strong arm held her steady as she lost strength. Elaine wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him.
He pulled his lips away from hers for a moment and looked down into her sweet, bright face.
“Lane.”
His voice was a whisper, low enough to tickle. His wet lips lifted in a smile, like he’d bitten into a sweet fruit or like a well-fed beast. The purple eyes that met hers had a dangerous, lustful glint in them.
He rubbed his thumb slowly across her lips.
Was this what it was like to covet someone, to want to chew them up and swallow them whole, no matter the cost?
Soon he was kissing her again. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss. Her eyelashes fluttered.
“Ah…”
The sound of her voice, her flushed face, all of it was arousing, and he let out a low sigh in his throat. He wished this moment would never end. The satisfaction of having gotten what he wanted, the hunger for more. Such things stirred within him.
But… Ash decided to stop at this point, it’d be too dangerous not to.
Slowly, he pulled his lips away from hers and pressed his lips to her forehead, suppressing those dangerous emotions.
“It’s late, I think you should get some sleep.”
He stroked her cheek, whispering softly.
“We have to march starting tomorrow, so get some rest.”
“Yeah…”
Elaine nodded slightly, feeling a pang of regret. She didn’t feel tired very often, but it wouldn’t be the same for Ash, she thought, oblivious to the fact that he was forcing himself to be patient.
He kissed her lightly on the lips and took a step back.
Suddenly, there was a flutter outside the window, followed by a knock on the glass.
“Elaine, are you in there?”
A soft, familiar voice.
“It’s me.”
* * *
While gathering allies after their trip to Noire Island, Elaine had met with Espel from time to time.
Before she heard the full story from Talos Asgar, Espel had separately investigated the people involved in the battle to subdue the evil dragon. The more evidence and witnesses, the better. As a result, she learned that none of the wizards, knights, soldiers, or priests who were part of the team were still alive today.
Instead, Elaine and Ash were able to obtain evidence by finding Talos Asgar.
‘To Ash… Are you not planning on revealing your identity yet?’
Espel told her now that Ash had learned of his mother’s innocence, it would be okay to reveal her identity to him.
Of course, Elaine, still afraid, couldn’t agree. She urged him to meet with Ash instead, but he shook his head.
‘It’s okay with me if you don’t reveal it.’
Perhaps he’d been waiting for her. But there was no need to hide anything anymore.
Now, she was able to introduce Espel to him as well.
“This is my first time greeting you like this, Ash.”
He smiled softly and looked at Ash.
“I’m Espel.”
An unfamiliar-looking man with gray hair and red eyes. Ash studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly.
“I’ve heard of you from Elaine. Nice to meet you.”
A part of his mother and Elaine’s family. She and Ash had talked a lot since he’d learned who Elaine was. His was a name she’d always used fondly.
They sat across from each other in Elaine’s room. There were only two chairs, so Ash and Espel each sat in one and Elaine sat on the bed.
She breathed a small sigh of relief internally.
‘That could’ve been bad…’
It’s a good thing the curtains were drawn on the window, or he would’ve seen Ash kissing her.
She wasn’t ready to reveal her relationship with Ash to Espel. Honestly, she had no idea how he’d even react, but she didn’t think there would be a positive response, so she asked Ash to keep it a secret from Espel for now.
Ash looked at her still slightly red lips and then at Espel again, as Espel spoke.
“I heard about Killiard. Chelsea set the nest on fire. Really… I’m glad you’re safe.”
Espel had left Killiard a few days before the forest fire. He’d promised to return by the day of the public announcement of the king’s evil deeds, but it seems he was delayed. He’d immediately rushed back when he heard the news that Ash’s allies were declared traitors.
“…I’m always absent when it matters.”
He lowered his eyes with a dark face, full of shame.
“No, Espel. None of us saw this coming.”
Elaine shook her head. Then Espel laughed, a little bitterly.
“I heard a rumor that a witch guarded Killiard and right away I knew it was you. For some reason, I got the feeling that Ash might’ve found out about your identity.”
So, even though he’d sensed Ash’s presence in her room, he knocked on the window. Espel looked at Ash, motionlessly.
