CH 25

“!”

Elusiana was briefly dazed by Astein’s calm words. Then, her face turned red as if it were going to explode soon.

So what did he mean now? That he knew she was peeking, but he still closed his eyes on purpose… Ugh! You coward!

Elusiana shouted with a startled face, ““You, you, you! D-Did you see? Did you see it?”

“I don’t know what you are referring to.”

“Y-You pervert brat. If you know someone is coming, you should not pretend not to know! Why are you closing your eyes?”

“That’s—”

With a meaningful smile on his face, Astein continued to speak softly. “Because it’s too blinding.”

Astein gently grabbed Elusiana’s wrist, which wrapped around her burning cheeks, and pulled her. “Don’t stand there. Sit down, Lusi.”

“Stop it. I’m going back down.”

Even though she spoke like that, Elusiana sat next to Astein, and fanned her red cheeks to cool off. As he looked at her cute and lovely appearance, a deep smile spread around Astein’s mouth.

“I thought you’d come a little later.”

Astein laughed as he took Elusiana’s light brown hair off her cheek and turned it over to her ear.

“It looks like you were very worried, Lusi.”

She, who had hardened like ice for a moment, replied with surprising rabbit eyes. “What… are you doing?”

“Ah, this? Your hair is stuck to the corner of your mouth.” Astein, who answered naturally, withdrew his hand.

“…stop it.”

Elusiana, embarrassed for no reason, turned her head. It was embarrassing, but she didn’t know exactly why she felt stuffy inside.

Astein looked at her pouting lips and felt that his laughter would burst out at any second. He, half-covering his mouth, asked again. “By the way, how did you leave the children apart?”

He asked a question because he was familiar with the children’s clinging behavior.

Elusiana answered casually as if she was asking something so obvious. “They said you’re gone.”

“…”

“How can I stay still when I hear you disappear without a word?”

It wasn’t a big deal, just a normal conversation between ordinary people. But it was different for Astein. Because he felt the warmth spreading somewhere in his cold heart. It was small, but that was why he could feel the warmth more.

Haa… Lusi, you’re really. Every time she said something like this, it shook him like crazy.

Astein said, loosening his slightly stiff facial muscles. “Lusi is the only one who thinks about me.”

“Did you just know that now?”

“…how did you know I was here?”

In response to that question, Elusiana narrowed the distance between them. Because of that, her subtle body scent, resembling lisianthus, tickled the tip of his nose pleasantly.

Elusiana, who was close to him, looked straight at him and said, “There’s nothing I don’t know about you. You’re in the palm of my hand, As.”

Elusiana, who snorted, folded her arms and continued triumphantly. “Even if you run away.  I will be able to find you.”

“Aren’t you too confident?”

“Hmph. If you’re confident, you can go anywhere. I will chase you to the end of the world and catch you.”

“Pft. Hahaha.”

Astein, who covered his face with one hand, couldn’t hold back his smile and laugh.

“Hahaha.”

She was right. There was nothing she didn’t know since he started living with Waieos family. She knew everything about his likes and dislikes, even his little habits. Except for one thing.

However, Astein wasn’t worried. Because he was thinking of keeping that innocent and clean soul by his side somehow. Only by my side.

* * *

On the other hand, Elusiana became a little worried as she saw the excited Astein. It was because she wondered when he had ever burst into such a cool laugh.

What’s really going on? Why the hell is he doing something he never did?

She heard that when it was nearing the time when people died, people did things they didn’t usually do. The strange behavior he had been showing lately amplified her anxiety.

Elusiana put her hand on Astein’s shoulder and asked anxiously. “Are you okay?”

“Pft. Yes?”

“Are you really not sick?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Astein looked at her, putting his hand on the back of her hand. Elusiana’s face quickly turned red, which was closer than expected.

“…what are you staring at?”

“Why? Can’t I see it?”

“That’s… it’s not like that.

You’re too close right now.

Then, Astein reached out slowly and smoothed her cheek.

“…As?”

“Your hair is stuck there.”

“Again?”

Astein, who smiled, brushed her hair that had been stuck to the back of her ear.

It was a familiar touch that had nothing special, just like handing over a glass of water when you were thirsty while eating. But why did his light touch today feel hot, as if it were burning?

“Do you want me to tie your hair?” said Astein, holding the softly brushed hair from the end. “Just in time. There’s a hair tie too.”

“…No, that’s enough.”

Elusiana shook her hips back. In the meantime, she could see Astein’s face full of regret while holding a hair tie.

She was a little uncomfortable with this position now. Even Astein, who was overly friendly, was very unfamiliar to her, so she was conscious of it. Elusiana, who had been shaking her hips a few times, suddenly stood up.

Astein looked up at her, holding her warm hand.

“Why?”

“…going down.”

“You’re going down? Suddenly?”

Elusiana, who flinched at the word ‘suddenly,’ nodded awkwardly.

“I have to go see the children. I’ve been away too long.”

“Children… So do you have to go now?”

“Not necessarily, but I think I have to go down now. You… aren’t you going down too?”

“It’s pretty to see the sunset here.”

Astein’s gaze, muttering to himself, was toward the sky before she knew it. He spoke in a mellow voice, reminiscent.

“It’s a landscape you love, Lusi.”

Elusiana’s gaze followed him and reached the sky. The blue sky gradually became orange little by little.

“…wow.”

When she was young, she came to Angel’s house with Astein, she would always climb up there and enjoy the sunset. The sky, which was dyed orange and yellow, was as pretty as a painting, so she didn’t notice the time passing until the black darkness settled down.

In fact, Elusiana thought that Astein’s eyes, with the glow of the sunset, were more beautiful than the sunset. At that time, it wasn’t bright red like blood but shimmering like gold. Would they be as beautiful as back then? They’re As’s eyes.

Just in time, a wind blew and scattered Astein’s bangs. As his jet-black hair covered his eyes, Astein swept his bang in annoyance. His red eyes shimmered as if embracing a golden ring.

Elusiana looked at those eyes as if possessed and unknowingly uttered words. “It’s pretty, really.”

“Yes?”

“S-Shall we watch it together?”

“Yes, Lusi.”

Elusiana, who blushed at the answer that came back, smiled lightly. She thought he would be smiling for some reason, even if she didn’t have to look. For a long time, the two looked at the sky silently.

“Lusi.”

“Yes. Why?”

“You… are you going to get married?”

“…what… are you saying?”

Elusiana looked stunned by the sudden question that came in suddenly. “G-Getting married?”

Why is he suddenly talking about marriage out of nowhere?

Unlike her head, which was confused by the question he had been given away, Astein, who was calm, continued his words with his eyes on the reddish sky. “You can’t live alone for the rest of your life. Viscount also wants you to get married.”

“If that’s the reason, shouldn’t you do that first, As?”

Elusiana nodded deeply because it seemed plausible. Then Astein, who was delighted, asked with a look of excitement. “That means… Lusi, are you saying you have no intention of getting married?”

“Hmm, I don’t know.”

She had never thought deeply about it. Aside from her previous life, where she was busy earning a living every day, she thought it was still early for this 18-year-old body. If she looked at it in modern times, she would be in her second year of high school. To think that she had to get married and have children when she should be focusing on her studies.

That’s a little… Of course, by the standards here, it may be natural. As long as she also decided to settle down and live here— There must be a part that she had to endure to some extent. But it didn’t have to be a marriage… right? Especially if it was a marriage that would push her back.

Elusiana replied while smiling, “I’ll have to do it someday.”

When I have someone I like. It was the moment when she was about to utter those words. Suddenly, she got goosebumps all over her body.

Elusiana rubbed the goosebumps that ran all over her body. Where is the cold wind blowing…? Maybe it was just her feeling, but the air around her felt so tense. Feeling spooked for nothing, Elusiana called Astein, who was sitting next to her.

“As?”

Astein’s gaze was slowly lifted upward by her call. When his eyes, which had a particularly darkened color, came into sharp contact with her, Elusiana was startled unconsciously. Why does it look like he’s suddenly in a bad mood?