Even as Naskan had been chattering away just moments before, this time, he simply kept his lips sealed and didn’t respond. Chrys didn’t intend to ask further.

She just felt a bit embarrassed.

Even when they had kissed under the pretext of transferring magic as a test, she hadn’t felt her face heat up like this.

Naskan always had a way of making Chrys feel embarrassed. When he was zealously accumulating achievements, she despised herself for being unable to do anything. When Naskan rebelled against the Lord and acted on his own, she felt ashamed for finding relief in no longer being compared to him.

The unresolved emotions only grew, leading to accumulating anger. Thus, she thought Naskan would always remain an uncomfortably close friend.

And now, Naskan made Chrys feel embarrassed once again.

However, if it were in this direction… somehow, it didn’t seem too bad.

As Chrys’s tongue touched the wound, it healed bit by bit, with Naskan apparently using magic to heal with every contact. At this point, his cheekiness was devilkin-like clever. Pressing her lips to the scratch above his eyebrow, the once wounded Naskan now looked unblemished, tilting his chin up.

“See? All healed, isn’t it?”

“…Wow, that’s really amazing, wizard.”

Even as she played along with Naskan’s jest, a surge of anxiety welled up again.

“Dawn, what if I start panicking again after seeing such things?”

“Then, you can just heal me like this again.”

This time, Naskan tapped his lower lip playfully. Chrys burst into laughter, then playfully slapped Naskan’s broad back with her small palm.

“Hey, mister. Ask Sol Noctis for that kind of treatment.”

Fairies blessed with the Elder Tree’s boon had healing properties in their bodily fluids. Sol Noctis would be particularly effective.

As Naskan chuckled, Chrys finally let go of all her tension.

It truly hit her then.

Without the Lord by her side, Naskan was the most reliable ally she could lean on, both emotionally and physically.

The more she saw of Naskan like this, the more unreal those dreams felt. He was the only one who could ease all tensions and laugh in such a situation, with warm eyes that seemed to capture the sunlight.

‘Could that really be Dawn?’

In her dreams, Naskan held the high position of a Lord, a being who never had to bow his head anywhere.

With his hair disheveled down to his waist and wearing the mark of a Lord on his forehead, his very presence was intimidating. His eyes, cold as a serpent’s, held no warmth. Although he would lift the corners of his mouth when looking at Chrys, his glaring eyes only sent shivers down her spine.

How could such a Naskan change so much over time? Could the position of the Lord transform him in such a way?

The Naskan in her dreams offered no explanations to her. His actions were only to prevent Chrys from going anywhere and forcibly infuse her with magic. Reflecting on it, it seemed like Naskan too was suffering from those actions.

Divine power created causality that could possibly occur.

If those dreams related to divine power truly held some significance, then the most incompatibility appearance of Naskan might be the closest to what could actually happen. The thought of understanding the b*stardly Lord Naskan because of the friend Naskan right in front of her crossed her mind.

Could it be possible?

Even if such events were to happen, could she forgive him? What was going through the Naskan in her dreams?

—Give me just one chance.

—Please.

—Chryselua.

“Chrys.”

“Uh, huh? Yes?”

Chryselua, who was lost in thought, snapped back to reality.

The ideas that were almost within grasp scattered because of Naskan. Naskan called her casually but didn’t immediately speak. Unlike his usual persuasive self, this time, he hesitated significantly.

“I, I mean… you…”

“—Thought it was too late to find you.”

The sudden voice wasn’t Naskan’s.

Startled by the abrupt appearance of Sol Noctis, she quickly distanced herself from Naskan. Seeing the ill-tempered fairy’s face made her feel embarrassed, as if she had been caught doing something wrong.

Even Naskan, who would usually hurl insults at the sight of a fairy, turned his head away.

“Why so late? Have you contacted the Lord?”

That was right. They had failed when they tried and got sidetracked with other matters. As they had spent a considerable amount of time, the cool evening breeze began to carry the glow of stars in the sky.

Feeling her face heat up, while scratching the back of her head, Chrys thought of something to smoothly get away from this awkward situation.

“Ah, Sol Noctis. Here, catch.”

She tossed the magical device they had been using for communication to Sol Noctis.

“Use this to contact your siblings.”

Although his expression didn’t change, Sol Noctis’s face lit up. No matter how much he knew his siblings had left the spirit realm, he must have been worried for them. The fact he came to check if they had contacted the Lord suggested he was concerned about how this situation would conclude.

This should fully settle any debts.

“Let me cut to the chase. I can’t return to the divine realm, let alone Sedition. I’m planning to head to the Underworld as originally intended, any objections?”

Naskan nodded lightly.

To Chrys’s surprise, Sol Noctis, holding the magical device in both hands, blushed. Standing there like a girl who had just received a confession, he, too, vigorously nodded.

“Then make the call.”

Chrys quickly distanced herself from them.

From behind, before Sol Noctis activated the device, sounds of them bickering were heard.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I caught bits of your conversation. Naskandeolux. Should I spit on that face of yours? I’d be more than willing.”

“Get lost, you freak!”

Chrys didn’t look back, thinking to herself.

‘There was such a way to apply saliva.’

Unaware of such a genius method, she had performed a foolish and embarrassing act, yet she didn’t regret it.

❖

After ensuring Naskan and Sol Noctis were sufficiently far away, Chrys scanned her surroundings. Beyond the dark forest, nothing was visible. Even with her sensitivity to magic, no presence was detected.

Just in case, Chrys spoke into the void.

“I know you’re there. Come out.”

As expected. The night forest returned no answer.

“If you come out now, I’ll add one point.”

“…You caught me.”

Axen Arc materialized out of thin air next to her like smoke. Smiling as if amused by the situation, he tapped his cheek with a hand clad in white gloves.

“How did you know? I hid all my presence.”

“There’s no way you wouldn’t be secretly watching!”

Chrys nonchalantly kicked Axen Arc in the shin as he appeared so casually. This devilkin wasn’t the kind to heed warnings about not following when he said he’d step away for a bit.

“I have something I want to discuss.”

“Yes, Chrys. This Axen Arc is so thrilled my heart is full. Please, give me a moment to calm down.”

Axen Arc dramatically clutched at his heart and knelt on one knee to the ground. It seemed he was acting as if his wish had been granted.

Ignoring Axen Arc, who was excited as if he had received a proposal, Chrys cleared her throat lightly and went straight to the point.

“Axen Arc, what were you originally?”

“A researcher in Sedition.”

“Don’t play dumb when you know what I’m asking.”

Axen Arc didn’t continue the theatrics and stood up, dusting off his knees and straightening his back. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Those who stay in Sedition don’t have any special tasks. I was no different. I investigated the phenomena of rifts and reported the potential of them opening in the underworld, where devilkins reside.”

“So, can you go back to what you were doing?”

“It was a task nearing its completion. If I returned to the underworld, other duties were scheduled for me.”

“Other duties? What are those?”

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