The suits of armor, all identical in size and shape, were clearly hollow inside, yet they looked as if they might spring to life at any moment. If they turned their heads and spotted Bliss, it felt as though they would immediately charge at him and grab the back of his neck. The fear made his entire body tremble.
Hurry, hurry.
Bliss, who had frozen for a moment, hurriedly moved his legs. He had to get out of here. Before those knights started moving, before those cold steel hands reached out to seize him.
“Uuuh… uuuh…”
A frightened whimper slipped from his mouth. The faster he moved, the longer the shadows stretched, and the larger the armored knights seemed, as though they were about to pounce on him. The cold breeze brushing his back had to be the empty swipe of a knight who had barely missed catching him. What do I do, what do I do?
The wind howled outside the window. The old frames rattled ominously. As the moon, hidden behind drifting clouds, emerged once more—
“Waaah!”
Seeing one of the armored knights thrust its head toward him, Bliss finally burst into loud sobs.
Waaah!
Cassian, who had fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep, twitched his brow at the faint sound.
…What?
He remained still with his eyes closed, but the faint noise continued. As his senses gradually awakened, certainty followed. Someone was crying. And very loudly.
In the end, he had no choice but to rise with an irritated sigh.
“What now.”
Swallowing a yawn, Cassian trudged across the room. The moment he turned the doorknob, the child’s cries rushed through the slight gap.
“Waaah, waaah!”
Cassian froze for a second. Even though he already knew the answer, he felt the urge to deny it. Choosing to shut the door and pretend ignorance would require a little more courage. But the continuous sobbing stabbed at his conscience.
“…Haah.”
With a sigh, Cassian stepped into the corridor. He walked steadily toward the small white bundle collapsed near the middle of the hallway.
“Bliss.”
“Waaah! Waaah! Please save me! Please save me!”
He called the child’s name and reached out, but the moment he touched him, Bliss shrieked in terror and cried even harder. With patience, Cassian spoke again.
“Bliss, calm down. It is me. Cassian.”
“Hic… hic…”
“Bliss, it is me. Cassian, your friend. We are getting married, remember?”
“Hic… hic…”
Only then did the sobbing begin to subside. Bliss cautiously lifted his head. His face was a mess of tears, mucus, and drool. Under the moonlight, Cassian smiled gently at the round, tear stained face.
“Are you calmer now?”
“Ca, Cassian. Cassiaaan.”
Bliss burst into tears again and threw himself at Cassian. Cassian easily lifted the small body into his arms, patting his back while murmuring softly until he calmed down.
Ah.
He felt a damp sensation against one side of his arm. He did not need to check.
…You wet yourself.
With a deep sigh, Cassian closed his eyes. Meanwhile, Bliss buried his face into Cassian’s shoulder, wiping away the rest of his tears and snot.
“Haah.”
Only after drinking half a cup of the hot chocolate Cassian had made did Bliss finally let out a satisfied sigh. His eyes and entire face were swollen from crying, and though he had removed his wet pajamas and underwear and hastily put on one of Cassian’s shirts, he looked far more at ease than before.
Of course he would be. He felt completely safe now.
Cassian found the situation absurd, yet thinking of the child trembling alone in the dark softened his heart.
When I was young, I was afraid of that corridor too. He is no different.
With that thought, compassion welled up inside him. The anger and irritation he had felt before sleep had vanished. In their place was a different question.
Now that the sobbing had quieted and Bliss seemed somewhat calmer, Cassian finally spoke.
“Bliss, what were you doing there?”
He had wanted to ask this the entire time. At the question, Bliss’s cheeks flushed red and he grinned sheepishly.
“I was going to your room.”
“My room? Why?”
His guard immediately rose, though he already knew the answer. Bliss gazed at him fervently with swollen eyes and replied,
“To sleep together, of course! We are getting married now, so we will always be together. We sleep together and share a room!”
Why is your memory so good when it comes to this?
Cassian felt the blood drain from his face. Well, he had waited a whole year and come all the way here. Of course he would remember that too. Maybe I am the foolish one here.
A deep sigh escaped him. If that was the case, his plan to leave early in the morning was ruined. Just as despair crept in at the thought of having no escape from this relentless little guard, Bliss added,
“We share a secret now, right?”
That sentence quite literally made Cassian snap.
What? A secret? A secret? This damned brat. I was willing to let it go, and he was boldly bragging about it?
“You do not know what a secret means?”
Cassian ground his teeth as he spoke, but Bliss answered brightly,
“I know. Shh.”
Shh my foot.
Bliss pressed his finger to his lips again. Cassian’s fist trembled, though he did not dare strike him.
“I am asking if you understand what that means.”
His voice dropped low with rising anger. Only then did Bliss seem to sense something was wrong. He glanced nervously at Cassian and muttered,
“…It means not telling anyone.”
“Then why did you tell your Daddy?”
“Huh?”
Bliss’s eyes widened at the immediate accusation. Looking down at the flustered child, Cassian spoke rapidly.
“Yes. I saw you on the phone. You promised it would be a secret, but you were happily telling him. Why? You said you knew what a secret meant.”
Bliss opened his mouth but could not answer. The thought of him scrambling inside that tiny head for an excuse nearly made Cassian laugh hysterically.
Go on. Say something. Let me hear how well you can make it up, you rotten little brat.
Arms crossed on the opposite sofa, glaring fiercely, Cassian watched as Bliss glanced at him repeatedly. The child’s eyes darted anxiously, cold sweat forming, until he finally spoke.
It will probably be some ridiculous nonsense.
“…I am sorry.”
Cassian paused at the unexpected words. Frowning, he watched as Bliss bowed his head and confessed in a small voice.
“I am sorry, Cassian. I was just so happy, I wanted to brag. I am sorry.”
Bliss’s voice began to tremble.
Ah.
Regret flickered in Cassian’s chest, but it was too late. Bliss was already sniffling, wiping at his eyes.
“It was my first secret. No one ever shares secrets with me….”
The tears began flowing again. Seeing him cry loudly, Cassian felt his anger vanish, replaced instead by guilt. He stared blankly at the child apologizing over and over, then hurriedly grabbed tissues and wiped his face.
“Stop crying. What are you doing crying again? Stop it. Here, blow your nose. Hmph.”
“Hmph.”
Bliss obediently blew his nose. Cassian took a fresh tissue and wiped away the remaining mucus, looking down at his face.
If he left him like this, it would only get worse.