He headed toward the cart placed in front of the paneling that connected to the living room, picked up the plate and spoon on top, and carefully returned.
“Here, Cassian.”
With a proud look, Bliss set the plate and spoon down on the bed and looked up at him with an expectant expression. What the child wanted was obvious. Cassian, who had silently stared at the lone bowl of soup and spoon brought without even a bed table or tray, let out a sigh and picked it up.
…Hm?
Unexpectedly, the soup bowl still retained quite a bit of warmth, as if it had not been brought long ago. It would be quite hot for a child to hold. As he thought this and looked down, he saw Bliss had both hands resting on the sheet. The reason soon became clear. He kept shifting his hands to the side, then moving them again to a new spot, repeating the motion.
“…Is it hot?”
When Cassian asked, Bliss lifted his head and replied with a small sound.
“It's fine! Hurry and eat, Cassian. I went to the kitchen and asked them to make it myself!”
His beaming face was full of joy. Suddenly, Cassian felt an indescribable embarrassment and guilt. But that was not the end of it. Seeing Cassian sitting there with the soup bowl placed on his legs without saying a word, Bliss’s expression briefly turned serious before he suddenly climbed onto the bed.
“Fuu, fuu.”
Watching the child’s round head earnestly blowing on the soup bowl, Cassian could not help asking in disbelief.
“What are you doing right now?”
Bliss answered as if it were obvious.
“You can't eat it because it's hot. It's okay, Cassian. I cooled it down for you. It's fine now, so hurry and eat!”
“…Ha.”
Cassian let out a deep sigh. Bliss, having no way of knowing what was going on inside him, continued to smile brightly.
“I’m fine, Cassian. We’re friends.”
When Cassian paused again and looked at him, Bliss quickly continued with an excited face.
“I hope you get better soon so we can play together.”
Cassian said nothing. He simply gazed at the child’s face. He only opened his mouth after a few more seconds of silence.
“I can play with you now.”
“Huh?”
But you’re sick, Bliss’s face seemed to say as he frowned. Cassian continued without concern.
“You know the book I gave you? Bring it. Let’s look at it together.”
“Ah!”
Bliss realized. Right, even if you’re sick, you can still read a book together. They could look at the book Cassian made while sitting on the bed. Really, Cassian was so smart!
“Okay, I’ll get it right now.”
Excited, Bliss hopped off the bed. As he hurried away, Cassian shouted after him.
“Go slowly, you’ll fall!”
“Okay!”
Bliss answered as he opened the door and left. But the sound of his footsteps beyond the closing door did not slow down at all. He really never listens. Thinking that, Cassian shook his head.
The soup was still there untouched. When he scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth, it was already lukewarm, just as Bliss had said. He shrugged and continued eating. By the time Bliss returned, the bowl was already clean.
“Look. This is the first bird I ever observed and drew.”
Leaning against a cushion, Cassian opened a page of the book and spoke. Bliss, sitting in his lap, tilted his head.
“Why isn’t it the first page?”
“I organized them by species. So…”
He pressed the book down to show the split between the pages.
“I tore it and attached it here with glue.”
“I see.”
Cassian looked down at Bliss suspiciously as he nodded.
“You don’t understand what I just said, do you?”
“Hehe.”
“You little brat.”
Cassian lightly tapped his head, not hard enough to hurt, and opened the page again.
“You’ve seen this one too, right? Remember the wings?”
Bliss, who had been nodding, suddenly widened his eyes.
“It’s the bald bird!”
“Here, here,” he said, pressing a spot firmly with his finger. Cassian checked it as well. As he recalled what Bliss had said back then, he smiled absentmindedly, and Bliss muttered,
“We probably won’t see it again….”
Hearing that, Cassian replied without thinking.
“We can just go again.”
“Huh?”
Bliss looked up at him in surprise. Meeting the doubtful blue eyes, Cassian ended up smiling.
“Didn’t I say before? That we’d go out to observe birds again.”
“Yeah, you did, but….”
As if his words were fading for no reason, Bliss lowered his head and mumbled,
“Cassian keeps going out….”
His mood quickly grew gloomy. Cassian let out another deep sigh, weighed down by guilt.
“I couldn’t help it, Bliss. I’m sorry.”
The apology was sincere. Maybe it was because he had been playing wildly for the past few days, but thinking about it now, what was so important about that kind of decadent life anyway? He felt like he had played enough.
But the problem was that he still had a schedule left. And it was something that could not be canceled, the biggest plan of all.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Cassian finally spoke.
“Let’s go next week.”
“Next week?”
When Bliss looked up at him again, he nodded.
“Yeah. We’ll go next week. Let’s do that.”
As he repeated it, Bliss’s face gradually began to brighten.
“Really? We’re going next week? Huh? You’re really, really going to play with me?”
“Yeah.”
Cassian nodded.
“Starting next week, I’ll keep playing with you.”
Until you go back. Watching Bliss cheer and jump up with a shout, Cassian thought to himself. It would soon be a month. Just a little over a week left, so it would not be difficult.
Just until Bliss goes back.
Thinking that, he hooked his finger around the little finger Bliss held out.
“It’s a promise. For sure.”
“Yeah, a promise.”
Perhaps happy just imagining it, Bliss kept smiling and bounced around on the bed. Cassian felt his lingering hangover slowly rising again, but he did not bother to stop him.
“Yaaawn.”
Bliss stretched widely as he walked down the corridor. Darkness had already fallen. The drama with a full 320 episodes had not even reached halfway yet, but he had to return to his room. The Duchess had seen him dozing off repeatedly on the sofa and told him they would watch the rest tomorrow, sending him away.
“I could have lasted longer.”
Bliss pouted, but another yawn came out and his unsightly display of protest quickly vanished. Sniffling and rubbing his nose, something suddenly caught his eye. It was Cassian’s bedroom door.
Without thinking, he stopped walking. It had already been several days since he had properly seen Cassian. Instead, he had been passing the time watching dramas with the Duchess, but the lingering emptiness had not been filled.
After hesitating briefly in front of the door and confirming no one was around, Bliss quietly opened it. As expected, no one was inside. He slipped into the dark room with the lights off, his heart pounding with tension and excitement. Heh, I’ll surprise Cassian.
On the first day, he had lain down on the bed and ended up falling asleep. Today, he absolutely would not make the same mistake. Bliss quickly scanned the room and soon found a place to hide. Giggling, he slipped under the curtain by the window and curled up small. If I hide here, he’ll never find me.
Cassian would be back soon. When he turned his back without knowing anything, he would rush at him. Cassian would be so surprised he would shout, right? Heh, this is punishment for making me play alone today.
Ah, I wasn’t alone.
Thinking of the fun time he had spent with the Duchess, a smile crept across his lips. As he pondered whether tomorrow he should watch the next part with the Duchess or have Cassian play with him, he gradually began nodding off.
“……”
Cassian stood by the window with a serious expression, looking down. Beneath the curtain, as expected, Bliss was snoring softly, sprawled out asleep. Ha. Letting out a sigh, he ran a hand down his face, then bent down and lifted Bliss into his arms.