When he lost focus, he found himself looking at Ray more than once or twice without realizing it, so he had no choice but to stay tensely alert.
Even now, Naro had unconsciously looked at Ray and just avoided his eyes when their gazes met.
“Ray, I’m going to the restroom for a bit.”
“Let’s go together.”
“No. One of us has to stay and protect my lady.”
Mellian was currently continuing her conversation with Soret. Naro left saying he was asking Ray to do it and briefly left the banquet hall. Once he escaped the hectic and noisy place, the breath he’d been holding burst out.
After briefly getting some air and calming his heart that had become unexpectedly turbulent because of Ray, Naro entered the banquet hall again. The first thing that entered his eyes was the scene of Mellian and Ray standing side by side talking with Soret.
“Look over there. Don’t you think it’s quite a feast for the eyes?”
Just then, the voices of young ladies conversing nearby reached Naro’s ears.
“Lady Mellian is exceptionally beautiful, you know. That’s why everyone felt sorry for her. She could have been the flower of high society, but her body is weak. But certainly, since good-looking people are sticking together, it does make a picture.”
The two didn’t specify in detail who they were referring to, but Naro knew. That the picture mentioned in their conversation was about Mellian and Ray.
Well, even to Naro’s eyes, the two looked like a well-matched pair. If people saw a scene of beautiful and handsome people standing side by side, wouldn’t ten out of ten think that way? Of course, the actual parties involved, Ray and Mellian, were in a relationship where they growled at each other calling ridiculous nicknames, but still.
The smile had already disappeared from Naro’s lips. His eyes looking at the two gradually sank, and soon he turned his gaze elsewhere.
Naro blindly came out to the balcony connected to the banquet hall. Coming outside, wind imbued with the night’s characteristic coolness swept sharply across his skin. He’d acted impulsively with just the single thought of wanting some air, but it seemed he’d found quite a good place.
“Haa.”
A sigh—who knows how many times he’d let out—scattered on the rippling breeze. He’d held hope that once he came to the capital everything would work out well, but somehow it felt like everything had become difficult.
The problem related to the Dragon Tribe might have an answer and a finish line. If he found out in detail about the incident that occurred in the past, uncovered hidden truths if there were any, and if Ray’s memories returned, at least he wouldn’t have to live anxiously because of unknown problems.
But did this feeling he felt when looking at Ray have an answer? Was there a set path for where he should go?
Just as Naro’s face was about to become quite dejected, he heard the sound of the balcony door opening.
“Naro.”
The one who opened the door and entered was the very person who had just thoroughly messed up Naro’s head.
“What are you doing here? Don’t be alone.”
“Says you—what about my lady?”
“Stubborn one said it’s okay to rest a bit. Naro kept not coming back, so I wandered around looking for you, and I came here because I smelled Naro’s scent.”
Ray came and stood next to Naro, who was leaning against the railing.
“But anyway, do humans really enjoy this kind of thing? Such noisy and meaningless stuff?”
Ray sighed with a somewhat tired face. At his expression that seemed like he couldn’t understand at all, Naro swallowed his laughter.
“Earlier too, when I was wandering around looking for Naro, humans kept talking to me and it was annoying.”
“People… talked to you?”
“Yeah. They kept asking what my name was and trying to pry about me. Earlier, some human asked if I had a partner to dance with, so I just ignored them.”
Naro’s smile had already turned bitter. Most of the people who had talked to Ray probably approached to express interest.
“S-so? Did you talk a lot? Wasn’t it fun?”
Naro wondered why he was asking such questions himself, but he had no way to stop his lips moving on their own.
“I’m happiest when I’m with Naro.”
Naro, who had kept his gaze only on the pure white railing, slowly raised his head. At that moment, his eyes met directly with Ray, who was smiling with raised corners of his lips.
“Ah.”
His heart pounded once again. Like a small stone creating ripples on the water’s surface, his heart became thoroughly disturbed by that one small smile of Ray’s. This space that he’d thought was cool until just now felt hot.
Naro had no choice but to turn his head sharply. Even while thinking he wanted to keep looking at those beautiful green eyes that harmonized well with the night sky, if he did that, it felt like somehow something irreversible would happen.
“Naro.”
“Should we go back in now?”
“Naro.”
“My lady must be waiting.”
Naro, who had been pretending not to hear Ray’s calls, turned his body. However, before he could move a few steps, Ray grabbed his wrist.
“Why are you avoiding me?”
Naro’s Adam’s apple bobbed deeply.
“I-I haven’t avoided you.”
“Lying is bad. Even now you’re not making eye contact. When I approach, Naro avoids me.”
As if to prove those words, Naro still couldn’t look at Ray’s face even now. He should say he never did that, but as always, lies didn’t stick well in his mouth. He was somewhat aware that he’d obviously avoided Ray. Since Ray wasn’t a fool either, he knew there might come a time when Ray would confront him about it.
But now that such a moment had come, he didn’t know what to answer.
“Let’s talk about that later. When it’s just the two of us.”
“And then when that time comes again, Naro will make excuses and try to avoid it.”
When did his Imperial language skills improve like this again?
“Look at me. Don’t avoid me.”
“…”
At the strong tone close to a command, Naro flinched and trembled. But even so, he couldn’t easily raise his head.
“Haa, Naro.”
Ray called Naro’s name again in a gentle tone, as if reflecting on his tone just now. And he slowly reached out his hand, grabbed Naro’s cheek, and made him lift his head. Naro was led by that hand even knowing he shouldn’t.
“…Naro.”
He didn’t want to show Ray his face. Because he knew best what color his face was dyed right now.
Seeing both of Naro’s cheeks and earlobes mercilessly reddened, Ray paused. Even his eyes were reddish, and seeing his pupils rolling here and there as if anxious, something indescribable boiled up inside.
“L-let go.”
As Ray stood there dazed, Naro escaped from his hand and stepped back one step. And with a resolved face, he opened his mouth.
“…Ray, I’m saying this now, but I think we’re too close in distance.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Exactly what I said. So I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do this kind of behavior to me anymore.”
“What do you mean by this kind of behavior?”
Ray’s voice also gradually began to sharpen. Naro moved his lips once then paused. And as if trying to calm down using the blowing night wind, he took one big deep breath.
“You try to… naturally to-touch me all the time without any regard for time and place. I’d like it if you didn’t do that anymore.”
“Why? Is there a reason you must do that?”
“That’s…”
At Ray’s tone that said he didn’t understand, Naro was at a loss for words. How exactly should he explain this and where should he start? When even his own heart was still this confused in the first place.
Just as Naro was about to start speaking again, there was a clunk sound from the door connecting this place to the banquet hall, and the doorknob slowly began to turn.
“People really don’t come here often, right?”
“That’s what I’m saying. Just trust me.”
What entered the balcony was a pair of a man and woman.
“See. Even now, there’s no one here.”
The man shrugged as if to show off, pointing inside the balcony with his hand. Really, just as he said, there was no one inside the balcony.
Behind the man and woman who approached the railing giggling naturally, there was a small space where the outer wall and railing met. In that corner that wasn’t easily visible on a night like this, Naro and Ray were standing facing each other.
“Why are we avoiding them?”
Ray looked at the man and woman, then asked Naro as if he really didn’t know. Naro smiled awkwardly and answered, “Well.” If asked why they were avoiding them, he really had nothing to say. At the sign that someone was about to enter, he reflexively grabbed Ray and ran to this spot. He succeeded in perfectly hiding their bodies before the door completely opened and those people entered.
But after hiding, one fact he realized was that there was no need to go this far. It wasn’t like they were doing something that shouldn’t be seen by others, but he just got nervous on his own and dragged Ray to hide.
“Let’s just stay like this until those people leave.”
Naro whispered quietly. If they went out now, not only would they embarrass those who had entered excited to spend time alone together, but it would also become an admission that they’d been hiding suspiciously.
He was worried about Mellian, but the Soret he saw earlier seemed quite eager to become close with Mellian, so if she stayed with her, wouldn’t it be somewhat okay?
“Okay.”
Ray nodded. He didn’t quite understand why they were hiding, but he didn’t dislike it. No, rather, he liked it. Because he didn’t know how long it had been since he was stuck close to Naro like this.
