13 The Lady is picked up by the Black Knight 12

Sofia slowly opened her eyes to the warmth of the lukewarmth. It seems to be wrapped in soft clouds. With a gentle light, I know it's night. I remember being guided to Gilbert's bedroom and hesitating to sleep on the bedside. But the sights show that Sofia has been sleeping on the beds until now. As soon as I understood the situation and woke up, a small lamp flame was shaking on the round table of the sleeping pouch. Gilbert looks at Sofia, as if she was reading a book, with a slight noise from the spring.

"Wow ─ ─ I'm sorry too. If I were you... I'd take the knight's bed on my own...!

Sophia watched Gilbert dressed in a room and hurried to get off the bedside to roll up the futon.

"No, it's okay because I put him to bed. ─ ─ You like the floor?

Speaking of which, Sofia stopped moving surprisingly to Gilbert, who continued to be small, as he slept on the ground in the woods. Was it Gilbert who carried Sofia, who was sleeping on the carpet, to the bed? I can't tell if I should be happy with the kindness or ashamed of being seen sleeping, so I lower my gaze a little.

"No, that's not why...."

I see.

Porphy, Gilbert got up from the sofa and walked towards the bedside. Sofia moves her body with awkward thoughts about giving up her place. But before I put my foot down on the carpet, Gilbert grabbed me by the right hand on the sheet.

Um ─ ─

Sofia, sitting on her bedside, was scared of Gilbert and the two of us in her private room and shook her shoulders small. Gilbert mistakenly took off his hand and took off his own feather and stepped out and hung it on Sofia's shoulder.

"It'll be cold. Keep it on."

"... thank you...?

Gilbert sat on his bedside again and now gently laid his hand on Sofia's right hand. Sophia dyes her cheeks like an envelope. I squeezed the sheet with my free left hand.

"What happened to you in the woods?

Gilbert opened his mouth to explore. It's too frank, but for Sofia, it's a hard question to answer, and it turns a blind eye. I thought you'd hear me. I also know that I have to answer. My mouth was still heavy.

"─ ─ You don't have to say it if you don't want to."

She raised her face in a hurry to wonder if she was disappointed by the words that had been spit out with her sigh. Sofia took a breath as her gaze hit her from the front. Gilbert's indigo eyes are like a sea where the bottom is invisible in the glorious lights of the night. You're about to be inhaled, but you can't distract your eyes.

"No... yeah. It's so pathetic that it's hard to tell people ─ ─"

I see. Then you don't have to tell me now. "

Sofia breathed softer than expected.

"─ ─ Are you sure?

"Ahh.... I just don't know if I have to say it."

Gilbert's eyes were shaking as he stared straight at Sofia. Someday Sofia nodded to herself that she wanted me to talk to her. The stacked hands were still there, and they hesitated to get off the beds. Without knowing what to do, Sofia lost her sight. Gilbert watched Sofia silently for a while, but once he grasped his hand, he changed his expression and opened his mouth as if he were ready.

"─ ─ You can live with me."

Sofia glances at Gilbert's eyes. The color that was floating there conveyed Gilbert's true intentions to Sofia. Sofia leans away from the heat. The two hands entered their sights and closed their eyes.

"But I... can only be your luggage."

Sofia chewed her lips with a more unreliable voice than she thought. I can still hear the mockery that has been directed at me many times. At the Baron's, Sofia was in the way with her luggage. Words that are used to being spoken already make you feel sad when you say them yourself. Gilbert turned his eyes outside the window to distract himself from Sofia.

"Is that because you don't have magic?

"Why did you do that...?"

Sofia raised her face. It can't be said in person for the first time. Not to mention the fact that there are people without magic. Instead, he raised his vigilance as to why Gilbert knew. But Gilbert's continued words betrayed Sofia's expectations.

"There are no magic objects in my room. You'll be able to live in peace here."

Sofia was told by Gilbert to look over the room. The lamp flame Gilbert was using was burning oil. There are matches on the bedside. The room that was examined during the day was not used, but there was a fireplace. As far as I can remember, the lever in the bathroom was something that could be handled by Sofia. I don't know why, but everything in this room is arranged in a familiar antique style for Sofia. Sofia was confused and turned to Gilbert. Scared by the gently narrowed blue eyes, he opens his mouth aggressively.

"But, Knight ─ ─"

Gilbert.

It was the way to call it that was corrected immediately. My mother taught me when I was young that calling my name was about making a connection. My mother said to call me by my name ─ ─

It's Gilbert, Sofia.

Just in case, Gilbert kept an eye on Sofia. It shakes Sofia's chest violently, like a knife poked at her. I couldn't control my unwittingly wet eyes.

"Dear Gilbert, I...."

"─ ─ You don't think I'm going? Your Majesty's orders are irrelevant. He wants me to stay in Sofia."

Words with strong intentions surround Sofia. There seems to be no escape.

"I won't hurt you. I just want to know about Sofia."

With a strong and gentle grip on the overlapping hands, Sofia could not resist any further. For the first time, I know that words that are pointed straight have so much coercion. Sofia lowered her head as she turned her gaze down.

"... okay. Thank you for your help."

"Well, thank you. You may stay in this room for a while. I sleep in the next room."

Sofia raised her face when she heard a flat, but somehow delightful voice. Gilbert narrowed his eyes toward Sofia and raised his mouth ─ ─ smiling. Sofia feels the fever gathering on her face. When she groaned inside, Gilbert's hands, which were supposed to have been tied, stroked Sofia's head softly. I tried to open my mouth, but I was hesitated by that gentle expression.

Gilbert stood up naturally and turned off the lamp on the sleeping pouch and closed the curtains.

Good night, Sofia.

"─ ─ Good night....."

As soon as the door to the bedroom was closed, Sofia covered her head with a futon and covered her hot face with both hands. A loud heartbeat bothers me, but I close my eyes with a deaf gesture. I wanted to fall asleep soon, but Gilbert's smile flickered and Sofia couldn't sleep.