Chapter 87: Verina's Viewpoint: Sleeping Beauty

Before our encounter with that group of suspiciously hostile vagabonds, I was admiring the comforting face of sleeping Narcissus on the VIP seat—beside her on the bed, tugging her arm.

Of course, I was not the only audience to this divine scenery.

"Despite being steadfast at staying awake in our arms, she fell asleep in less than ten minutes," Kuzunoha said as she trailed her finger on Narcissus' exposed neckline. "She pouted for so long while pretending to be unconscious, curiously watching us if we were truly asleep. Fufufu~"

I was quite disturbed by her clinginess and brazen way of showing affection, but I started to get used to it as my hate for her started to dwindle. After all, her presence brought us more benefits than harm.

Though, the only reason why she was this touchy now was because of the circumstances and how she got the upper hand after finding out that there is an entity she named Daffodil inside Narcissus' soul.

Of course, I shouldn't be the one who was supposed to say this, considering how touchy Narcissus could be when both of us were alone back then.

"Stubborn, isn't she?" I slowly exhaled with bliss in my breath, my eyes fixated on the gentle rise and fall of Narcissus' chest. Her breath, steady and quiet, seemed to harmonize with the stillness of the room. "Always trying to prove she's invincible, even to us."

Kuzunoha smirked. "It's moments like this that remind me she's still human. Vulnerable, despite the walls she builds."

Heh, she built a lot of walls, alright.

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Though, I couldn't help but agree. Narcissus, with her domineering composure and unyielding strength, rarely let her guard down—even when she was playfully interacting with us. But here, in the safety of the cabin, surrounded by us, she looked rather peaceful.

It was strange to see her resting this deeply—face softened, not tense, lips slightly parted, with a stray lock of her golden hair draped over her cheek. A slumbering queen who, even in her most exposed state, carried an air of regality that drew us in.

And yet, there was something undeniably adorable about her, like a child lost in dreams.

"Look at her," Kuzunoha murmured, her tone unusually gentle, almost reverent. "All that power, all that control, and yet, she sleeps like she doesn't have a care in the world."

"I wonder what she dreams about." My voice was wistful, my mind wandering to the mysteries locked inside Narcissus' head, her history. Despite all our time together, she remained an unreachable enigma—a puzzle that I couldn't possibly solve.

It was also why I'm not as hateful to let Kuzunoha close to her. After all, she might have achieved something when she was doing her shoddy experiment.

Kuzunoha's gaze lingered on Narcissus for a moment longer before shifting toward me. "You've always been curious, haven't you, Verina? About what goes on in that pretty little head of hers?"

A soft smile tugged at my lips, that was, if I could express it physically. "How could I not be? She fascinates me. Her divinity, her strength, her intelligence, the way she navigates through everything with such precision… and yet, it's when she's like this, so defenseless, that I can't help but feel…" I paused, searching for the right word, trying to ensure that I didn't show much of my obsession.

"Protective."

"Protective, mmm~?" Kuzunoha's voice took on a teasing edge. "Is that what you call it?" Sёarch* The NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

I shot her a glance, catching the glint of amusement in her eyes. "And what would you call it?"

Her lips curved into a sly smile. "Obsession."

The word hung in the air between us, heavy with truth.

We both knew it. Our feelings for Narcissus went beyond simple affection or admiration.

There was something deeper, and gripping—a need, a craving to be close to her, to possess her in ways neither of us could fully explain.

Narcissus, with all her complexities, had a way of drawing us in, of binding us to her in ways that felt both intoxicating and inescapable.

And yet, neither of us minded.

"No matter how considerate and kind she wants herself in our eyes, she's always kept us at a distance," Kuzunoha mused, her gaze returning to Narcissus' sleeping form. "But in moments like these… it feels like she rightfully belongs to us."

I couldn't deny the truth in her words. Though, I don't agree with her implication. "Narcissus is not an object, stop treating her as one."

"But she did treat us as one, to a small extent." Kuzunoha grinned, not by the argument, but by the urge to toy with me. "It is only proper to recuperate that kind of sentiment back, no?"

"I think you need to talk more to people, and not hunting for Theotechs for who knows how long."

"I'm wounded by your words~ Is this what I deserved after I passionately taught you the way of the arcane~?"

"I doubt that you can get hurt emotionally."

"Dehumanizing your own teacher is inhumane, you know?"

"I don't even know if I can deem you as part of humanity yet."

"So, what do I resemble more then?"

"A cunning fox."

"Well~ I'm technically one, if you take a look at my adorable ears." She pointed at the pair of pointy, foxy ears atop her head, waving them up and down alternatively. "And I'm quite proud of that~"

"Hmm, do you have human ears on the side of your head then?"

She raised a curtain of her long crimson hair beside her cheek, revealing a cursed view that I regretted for the rest of my life.

"... Have Narcissus seen that yet?"

"She asked the same question yesterday~" She softly giggled. "Her reaction was adorable~"

Dammit, I missed that moment!

For a brief moment, there was nothing but the soft sound of Narcissus' breathing, lingering among the quiet intimacy of shared understanding.

In this small, stolen moment, she was ours. Not the powerful figurehead or the enigmatic leader—but simply Narcissus, lying before us, fragile and perfect.