Chapter 61 …
After quite a while, Aila finally poked her head out from under the blanket.
“Puhat—” The face that emerged from the covers was flushed with heat, and streaked with tears.
Why did Roland have to suffer like this?
It was infuriating and unfair.
Aila briskly wiped her face with her arm, climbed down from the bed, and asked,
“Why is Shayrun kneeling?”
“Khuhhh… hhk….”
Muttering incoherent sounds, Shayrun thumped the floor repeatedly.
When Aila turned with a look of what’s wrong with him?, Kalos also seemed slightly flustered.
“Kalos?”
“Well… I wondered if I should be kneeling too….”
Aila burst into a short laugh.
“What are you talking about?”
At her characteristically spirited laugh, the tension drained right out of Kalos.
Aila turned back to Shayrun and grabbed his shoulders.
“Were you startled too, Shayrun? Sorry, I should’ve explained properly.”
“Ghhk… sniff… Divine…!”
Shayrun shook his head wildly as tears streamed down his face.
He suddenly seized her hand.
“As expected— as expected! Favored child of the spirits! Light of Solarun! I… I am deeply honored, waaah!”
“Whoa, what is this.”
Aila unconsciously made a sound of exasperation, and Kalos let out a snort of laughter.
Still, he seemed to understand that retainer’s feelings perfectly.
Just looking at the light from that crescent moon made one feel as though their heart were being cleansed.
At the same time, it made you want to cry from longing.
It was frightening enough to make you want to run away—yet also made you want to step closer.
‘That must be what divinity feels like.’
Aila firmly pulled her hand free from Shayrun and said to Kalos,
“Roland will probably have a fever for two or three days, but he’ll recover quickly. And… could you show me Roland’s close aides?”
Aila slipped the Shooting Star off her right wrist, clenched it in her hand, and smiled.
“I’d like to see the person who tormented my friend like that.”
Fish Ornament
Roland blinked and stared into the air.
‘A crescent moon….’
A very small crescent moon floated above his head, giving off a soft glow.
He stared at it blankly, then turned his head to the side.
By his bedside sat Aila, legs crossed, reading a book.
Today as well, she was perfectly dressed in male attire.
‘Laced boots….’
His gaze dropped to her feet and then rose again. Aila snapped her book shut and looked at Roland.
Their eyes met.
She stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly jumped to her feet.
“If you’re awake, say something! No—wait, that’s not it. Are you okay? Want some water?”
As Aila asked in a fluster, Roland said,
“…How about you either get mad or act gentle—just pick one?”
Aila frowned, then relaxed in relief when she saw his face.
“Since you’re talking normally, you must be fine. I have no intention of getting mad at someone who was sick. Here.”
She poured water from the pitcher and handed it to him. Roland sat up, took it, and drank it down in one go.
A long breath escaped him naturally.
“How’s your body?” she asked.
“Good.”
“Then that’s fine.”
When Aila stretched out her hand, the light disappeared.
She plopped back into the chair, rested her elbow on her knee, and propped her face on her palm.
“I’m so tired I could die.”
Startled, Roland leaned toward her—then froze when he noticed his clothes had been changed. He gasped and clutched the front of his shirt.
“My clothes—Aila, don’t tell me…?”
“Hey. Even if I’m cross-dressing, I’m not out of my mind enough to change a guy’s clothes. Why would I wait on you like that? Kalos changed you, so be grateful. He did everything a servant would.”
“Your tone is rough.”
“I’ve barely slept for two days. Because of someone.”
At Aila’s mutter, Roland’s cheeks turned slightly red.
“Because of me?”
“Obviously.”
Aila ran a hand through her hair and straightened up.
Then she asked seriously,
“You’re really okay now? You look fine to me.”
“‘To you’?”
“There’s just… a feeling.”
As Aila grumbled, Roland somehow felt reassured.
There had never been anyone who treated him this casually.
And Aila was Solarun.
Even so, she treated him comfortably—that must mean he was harmless to her.
Without even realizing he was getting excited, Roland said,
“Then tell me what happened over the last two days. While I change.”
With that, Roland smiled softly.
Seeing his expression, Aila felt strangely unsettled.
“Why are you in such a good mood?”
“Am I? I didn’t notice.”
Roland got out of bed.
For someone who had been suffering for days, his movements were light.
Aila wondered if she should pull the servant bell even now—then stopped.
It would be strange for a guest to ring it when the master hadn’t.
Crossing her arms and leaning back in the chair, she looked toward the partition Roland had gone behind and said,
“Actually, over the past two days, I was planning to investigate Roland’s aides one by one and give them a proper scare.”
“That’s overstepping.”
When his pajamas fluttered up onto the top of the partition, Aila replied sulkily,
“Kalos said the exact same thing.”
“You seem pretty close with Kalos.”
From behind the partition came the sound of water being poured.
Listening to the splashing, Aila hesitated.
‘Should I stay here? Maybe I should leave.’
Still, she answered,
“We got closer over the last two days. You should thank Kalos too. He worked really hard.”
“And? The culprit?”
At Roland’s question, Aila pursed her lips.
“Guess.”
After a moment, Roland’s voice followed.
“It’s overstepping, and Aila has no reason to go through my aides one by one—and no power to properly punish them either.”
Then even the pajama pants were draped over the partition.
Aila felt awkward, wondering if it was rude to keep looking, but for some reason it felt like she’d lose if she looked away.
‘It feels like admitting this isn’t just friendship or something. But for me, it’s purely friendship.’
“The answer is failure. Aila, you’re impulsive and terrible at making plans.”
For some reason, his tone sounded almost sing-song cheerful, and Aila was dumbfounded.
“I saved your life and you’re bad-mouthing me?”
“Haha.”
His laughter was bright.
For some reason, Aila felt ticklish inside.
‘Was Roland always this lacking in manners? No… something’s… hmm, something’s different.’
“Roland.”
“Yeah?”
“Have you actually been holding back your manners until now? Is this the real, final version of you?”
“Hm—”
Roland emerged from behind the partition, neatly dressed, smiling elegantly.
“Isn’t the same true for you, Aila? Your way of speaking right now is quite shocking.”
“Th-that’s not really….”
For some reason embarrassed, Aila covered her cheeks with both hands.
“I get like this sometimes. According to Sada, my ‘concept’ gets excessive….”
“Concept?”
“…It’s a thing.”
Too embarrassed to talk about her past self, Aila brushed it off.
Roland raised one eyebrow slightly and then leisurely approached her.
His golden hair was wet, the color darker, droplets still clinging to it.
Maybe he didn’t know how to dry it properly. He was the crown prince, after all.
Aila quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, while staying here I kept watch in case the curse’s aftereffects followed. There were some faint traces left. Thanks to that, Kalos had quite a hard time hiding the fact that I was here.”
While she spoke, he walked closer and braced a hand on the armrest of her chair.
Now the distance between them was very close.
His wisteria-purple eyes shone with a suffocating softness.
“Aila.”
“Uh—yeah.”
Feeling strangely awkward, Aila pressed herself flat against the backrest as he smiled and said,
“Thank you.”
Aila looked into his eyes.
Very close. So close…
“If there’s anything I can do for you—”
Before Roland could finish, Aila suddenly grabbed his arm.
“Then lend me some money!”
