Chapter 26
Today started differently than usual.
The humidity rose, making the air damp, and the faint scent of earth lingered in the air.
To make matters worse, every surface, including the desk, felt sticky.
The usually sunny Imperial weather had finally turned gloomy.
The summer monsoon had begun.
Boom!
Just then, as if the sky had read my mind, thunder rumbled.
The sound of the rain outside the window was anything but gentle—it was pounding fiercely.
Ah, it’s really coming down hard this time.
Even the roses that had just bloomed in the garden might be ruined.
That’s a shame.
“…It’s pouring nicely.”
Days like this call for making some pancakes and watching a movie.
Preferably a horror film—or better yet, a terribly sad one.
Smiling at the thought, I watched the rain fall outside.
Just then, Annie draped a shawl over my shoulders and said,
“You’ll catch a summer cold if you stay like this.”
“I’d rather not,” I replied, chuckling lightly as I pulled the shawl closer and looked back out the window.
But soon after, I felt something—or rather, someone—lingering close to me.
“…Annie?”
I turned to see Annie staring intently at me.
What’s with that melancholy gaze?
Feeling a bit creeped out, I flinched and asked,
“What’s wrong, Annie?”
“Ah,” she finally responded with a soft sigh.
“It’s just… I suddenly thought how beautiful you looked.”
“…What?”
“The sound of rain really suits this moment with you in it.”
What the—how cheesy.
Do all Imperial citizens naturally speak like this, or is it just me?
Without replying, I frowned, and Annie awkwardly smiled and offered,
“Shall I bring you some tea?”
Trying to change the subject now, huh?
I narrowed my eyes at her, but then smiled and settled onto the sofa.
Still, she wasn’t wrong.
Rosent’s appearance really was quite stunning. Even I recognized that often.
Plus, she’s the heir to House Agrinda.
That alone makes her… well, a complete package!
Of course, I’m the one suffering because of it…!
I prayed that I wouldn’t collapse from overwork at a young age.
As I gazed gloomily at the sky, it happened again—
CRACK!
A loud noise, followed by a blinding flash.
The thunder was so loud it made my ears ring.
Ugh! That must’ve struck nearby.
I clutched my still-dazed ears and shivered. Annie, standing beside me, said,
“The rain’s much heavier than last year. If it keeps up like this, the coastal areas will be in trouble.”
“Yeah. Trade and communication by sea will probably be stalled for a while.”
The Empire already suffers a lot from natural disasters.
I hope this doesn’t make things worse.
I sighed and frowned, filled with worry.
That’s when it came.
Knock, knock.
A soft, cute knock broke through my thoughts.
This little knock could only mean one person—
“Noah.”
Noah peeked his small head through the door and asked,
“Can I come in?”
“Of course. Come here.”
As soon as I gave him permission, Noah ran to me with tiny steps and jumped into my arms.
He let out a soft purr and rested his head on my shoulder.
I whispered to him,
“What’s wrong? Shouldn’t you be studying at this hour?”
I meant those beginner magic books that magician Kennith left behind recently.
The one titled “Mom, Dad! I Want to Be a Wizard!”—such an adorable name.
Tilting my head in curiosity, I asked again, and Noah answered gloomily,
“I left the window open last night… and my book got soaked.”
“Oh no.”
“But it’s okay because now I get to be with you!”
Ack.
That hit me right in the heart.
Noah smiled sweetly, clearly aiming to shake my already weak defenses.
“Sis! Sis! Let’s play together!”
Ha…
“Come on, let’s play!”
Sigh…
Instead of replying, I hugged Noah tightly, feeling dizzy from the cuteness. He giggled in response.
So cute.
I seriously don’t think I can live without Noah…
I hugged him tightly for a while, then gently pulled away and asked,
“Should I read you a book?”
“Hmm… no!”
Then what should we do?
Should we have some lemon tea? He loves that.
Or maybe look through a catalog together?
I offered several ideas, but Noah shook his head at each one.
Then, suddenly—
BOOM.
Thunder struck again.
It didn’t faze me too much.
But…
“…!”
Apparently, it was different for Noah.
He instinctively clamped his hands over his ears and tightly shut his eyes, trembling slightly.
Could he be afraid of thunder?
“Noah.”
I reached out to gently remove his hands from his ears, but he pressed them even harder and buried himself deeper into my arms.
I could feel his trembling against me.
‘Ah…’
So that’s why he came, even though he usually doesn’t at this time…
He must’ve been scared of the thunder and wanted to be with someone.
It makes sense… It’s not strange. In fact, something similar happened in the original story.
Locus would always freeze up at thunder and lightning caused by Eastern, and Lucas used that to his advantage.
That’s why every major battle involved thunder and lightning.
‘Ugh…’
How could I forget such a crucial detail?
I have no right to call myself a Locus fan if I forgot that…
“….”
Without a word, I gestured to Annie to take care of things and quickly carried Noah to the bedroom.
Only when his hand touched the soft bed sheets did Noah finally exhale.
Though he didn’t stop clinging to me.
What could’ve happened in the past to make him fear thunder so much?
Was there some trauma I didn’t know about?
Or does thunder stir up something else in him?
“S-sis…”
Noah’s face was full of fear as he spoke.
“You mustn’t… ever let go of me.”
‘Oh no…’
Rather than overthink, I needed to calm him first.
Taking a deep breath, I hugged him tighter and whispered,
“Our Noah came to find me because the thunder and lightning were scary, huh?”
Then I adjusted my hold and stood up.
“If I hold you like this… will it be a little less scary?”
“…Yeah.”
Noah whimpered, but answered.
Normally, I’d be squealing at how cute he was—but not right now.
Once Noah’s better and the rain stops, I’ll spoil him with affection.
I gently patted his back and whispered,
“Then I’ll hold you until you feel okay again.”
At that moment—
Boom.
Another loud thunderclap rumbled through the duke’s estate.
But this time, it was different.
“….”
Noah didn’t react.
He was breathing steadily, resting his head on my shoulder, still clutching my shirt tightly.
For the first time, peace had found Noah in the midst of a thunderstorm.
