After crying so much, his eyes were all sore. Rowy sat there dazedly, rubbing his eyes.
‘I can’t sleep….’
Normally by this time, even after crying, he would have been exhausted and fallen asleep, but tonight sleep simply wouldn’t come. The reason he couldn’t sleep was probably… because Van wasn’t beside him. How long had they even been together, yet he’d already grown accustomed to the warmth keeping watch beside him.
‘As if he’d actually leave just because I told him to go.’
Unreasonably blaming Van, Rowy wiped his eyes roughly and got up. He intended to go find Van himself. Click. Carefully opening the door, Rowy stepped into the quiet corridor. Then he walked almost at a run and knocked on Van’s door. Knock knock.
“Van, I’m coming in.”
There was no answer. But naturally, Rowy didn’t care and flung the door open.
“Van?”
However… inside the room, only a chilly air lingered.
* * *
‘Where did he go at this hour?’
His tears dried up at Van’s unexpected absence, and Rowy trudged back to his own room.
‘Don’t tell me when he said he was going to look around the castle, he meant he’d be looking around all night? Normally people do that sort of thing during the day….’
Rowy plopped down on the bed. Now he was completely wide awake.
‘Why would he look around the castle at night?’
This castle was a bit much for wandering around alone at night. Rowy bit his lip hard. Come to think of it, after bringing someone here like a kidnapping to this crumbling castle, it seemed he’d done nothing for them. At the very least, he should have given a tour of the castle or introduced the servants, but instead he’d dumped everything on the butler and just slept.
Whether he’d completely forgotten that Van had already become friendly with the servants here and shared welcoming noodles with them, Rowy greatly blamed himself for his inadequacy. Of course, if it had been anyone else, whether they got lost in the castle or stumbled and fell rolling down, it wouldn’t have been his concern, but…
‘But Van is…’
Van is… different from other people.
‘…I should have just asked him to sleep with me earlier.’
Recalling Van who would laugh sheepishly while sitting close beside him, holding his hand until he fell asleep, Rowy let out a deep sigh with a gloomy expression. Then he jumped up abruptly.
‘I should go look for him. And ask him to sleep with me again.’
With a determined expression, Rowy headed back to the corridor.
* * *
‘But where did he really go?’
Rowy walked slowly down the corridor, thinking about where Van might have gone. The dining room? Why would he go there at this hour? Or… or what else is there here?
“……”
He didn’t know. After brief contemplation, Rowy raised his hand. He thought he should use magic. Since he suspected his nighttime melancholy was caused by lack of magical power, he’d been trying not to use magic at night as much as possible. …But there was no choice. Rowy waved his hand roughly to cast magic. Unlike the light gesture, thick magical power instantly swept through the castle.
“…Found him.”
Fortunately, Van was discovered quickly. Confirming Van climbing the stairs, Rowy brightened and ran toward him.
“Where have you been?”
“…Master?”
Rowy rushed at Van, who had just finished climbing the stairs. But Van, who would normally have caught Rowy right away, swiftly dodged. Rowy stopped abruptly, shocked, never having imagined Van would avoid him.
“Why are you avoiding me?”
“…My clothes are wet right now.”
“Where were you that you got wet?”
“Just go inside your room for now.”
Van’s voice saying that was excessively cold.
“…Why are you talking like that?”
At the icy tone he’d never heard from Van before, Rowy spoke filled with hurt feelings. Tears even welled up in Rowy’s eyes, still not free from his nighttime melancholy.
“Ah….”
At Rowy’s reaction, Van clicked his tongue inwardly. He wanted to treat him warmly as usual, but right now it wasn’t easy to control his emotions. Van took a deep breath and slowly explained the situation again. Trying to be as gentle as usual.
“My body is wet and dirty right now. After I wash…”
“Why are you angry?”
…But unfortunately, it didn’t work on Rowy. Van, who had been choosing his words for a moment, finally spoke.
“…I went to the basement.”
“The basement? Why there? That place is all collapsed.”
At the sudden statement, Rowy tilted his head.
“…Your magical tools were there.”
“…My magical tools?”
At the unexpected words, Rowy’s eyes widened. Magical tools? If it’s a place where magical tools are…
“…Did you see it?”
Rowy asked Van in a trembling voice.
* * *
The dim dawn when the sun was beginning to rise. Van brought Rowy to the bedroom, then saying he’d go wash up, went to his own room. Waiting for Van to return, Rowy paced around the room restlessly.
‘How did he get all the way there? The path is all collapsed.’
Rowy, who had been trembling with anxiety even biting his nails, looked at the ring on his finger. This ring stuck on Rowy’s hand was precisely the magical tool that had been supporting the path to the basement. …But to think Van had broken through the collapsed place to get there.
‘He must have seen it, right? …Will he be very angry?’
The two had already encountered a demon at the auction house. Even then, how worried Van had been that Rowy might get hurt. Moreover, he’d heard directly from Van himself that he was a Holy Knight who fought against demons. Probably… if he saw that, he’d naturally be angry. Even Rowy had that much conscience.
“…Hng.”
Rowy made a tearful face, anticipating being scolded. Knock knock.
“Master.”
While he’d been at a loss for a while, Van opened the door and came in.
“Y-you’re here?”
“……”
Gulp. Along with the sound of Rowy swallowing, a brief silence flowed between them. Van was the first to speak.
“…You haven’t slept.”
“Mm, I suddenly woke up. But you weren’t there….”
Rowy spoke while watching Van’s mood. But Van showed no particular reaction even to Rowy’s words. Normally, at just one word from Rowy about not being able to sleep, he would have immediately made a fuss and patted him comfortingly.
Suddenly sadness rushed in. Rowy’s eyes became wet in an instant. Still having some conscience, Rowy tried his best to hold back the flowing tears. Whether knowing or not knowing such a Rowy, Van, still standing one step further away than usual, spoke in a low voice.
“Don’t stand there, sit down.”
He doesn’t mean kneel down, right? Having never been scolded on his knees in his life, but having seen it somewhere, Rowy sat down meekly on the edge of the bed with a completely tearful face.
“…Were you planning not to tell me?”
“No….”
Rowy said sullenly. At that completely cowed voice, Van finally sighed and approached Rowy. Seeing Rowy up close, his eyes were red as if he’d cried all night again. And tears were still welling up in them….
‘Hah….’
…In the end, Van’s heart softened and he stepped one more step closer to stand right next to him.
“Do you know how shocked I was?”
“Well….”
Rowy, who had opened his mouth to make some excuse, closed it again seeing Van’s eyes still looking quite angry. Seeing such a Rowy, Van finally couldn’t hold back and poured out his scolding.
“How shocked I was. To have something like that brazenly in the basement… You clearly said there was nothing dangerous in this castle, Master. It’s not even like you didn’t know it was there at all, but to hide it from me and not tell me, how does that make sense?”
“Sorry….”
“If I hadn’t found it, were you planning to keep not telling me?”
“……”
…? No immediate answer? Van’s eyes widened. Seeing that, Rowy was startled and mumbled his words.
“I wasn’t planning not to tell you… I was just going to tell you a little later….”
“……”
“I said I’m sorry….”
Rowy, who had been sneaking glances at Van, finally couldn’t stand the suffocating atmosphere and gently grabbed Van’s sleeve.
“I’m sorry. Don’t talk so scary. Okay?”
“……”
At that delicate movement, Van’s lips twitched for a moment. No, really. To suddenly do something this cute. Isn’t this totally cheating? Glancing at Van’s mood, Rowy shook the sleeve more actively with a slightly bolder gesture. Sorry, okay?
“…Haa, really.”
In the end, Van, who had succumbed to that cuteness, approached Rowy and stroked his head. It was the same gentle touch as before. Reassured, Rowy hugged Van first. While hugging Rowy back, Van continued to drone on with his scolding. Since even Rowy seemed to know he’d done wrong, Van intended to give him a thorough warning with this opportunity.
“Never do anything dangerous from now on. What if something happens to you, Master?”
“I got it. I won’t do it again. I won’t do it anymore. Never again from now on.”
Rowy shook his head enthusiastically.
“How could you hide that there’s a demon summoning circle….”
“That sort of thing where I secretly imprison demons in the basement and experiment on them, from now on….”
At the words simultaneously blurted out, Van looked at Rowy with a face filled with shock.
“…Ah, isn’t this it?”
“……!”
“Oh dear….”
…At the dizziness rushing in, Van squeezed his eyes shut.
