Unlike when my sister brought Nox home, her expression this time was far from pleasant. Frowning, she pointed to the man tightly bound with rope.
“He was wandering in the forest… saying strange things.”
“Strange things?”
But I knew immediately she didn’t mean truly strange, not in the way she sounded.
“…He says he’s looking for a small child in the middle of this deep forest.”
“It’s true! He has to be somewhere in this forest!” the man shouted desperately, sounding almost indignant.
My sister clammed up like a shell, and I didn’t need her to explain why. Both of us, the moment we heard “child” and “forest,” thought of Nox.
Looking at the man, my eyes widened. Ash-gray hair stirred faintly in the breeze, and his dark green eyes glimmered. If my memory was correct…
Almost unconsciously, I tightened my hold on Nox in his boy form. Swallowing as I stared at that ash-gray hair, an old memory surfaced, and I remembered who this man was.
“Amy…?”
The man’s eyes, dull with resignation until now, suddenly widened. His gaze shot straight to where Nox clung to my dress hem.
“C-Commander…? Commander!”
The only person who would call Nox “Commander” was a single man—the knight of the Grand Duke’s order, Lux.
The man with trembling, tear-filled eyes was a supporting character in the book.
* * *
“Commander…”
As the man approached, my sister’s expression tightened, and she gripped the hilt of her sword. His steps were heading toward me—but really, toward the boy staring at him with half-lidded, sleepy eyes.
Judging by the almost haunted look on the man’s face, he seemed to be in shock. Nox, just waking up from his usual sunset nap, rubbed his eyes lazily with the back of his hand, his gaze fixed solely on me.
Normally, Nox fell asleep well before sunset. Today, he’d been sleepier than usual, and I had just been about to tuck him in—until this man showed up.
I looked at my sister and gave a small nod. Seeing my reassuring expression, she frowned slightly but slowly lowered her sword, though she didn’t release it completely.
‘He’s harmless. And he’s tied up.’
I didn’t think the tightly bound man could do anything, but my sister clearly didn’t share that confidence.
In the meantime, the man strode closer and dropped to his knees with a heavy thud. Startled for a second, I realized he hadn’t knelt to me but to Nox.
“Commander, sniff… it’s me. Lux’s Wing, Grey. You’re alive, aren’t you? Are you well?”
He wiped his forehead with a trembling hand.
“I—I thought for sure you’d been swallowed by some monster’s belly. Do you know how much I’ve worried?”
If you’re in a monster’s belly, you’re not exactly alive, I thought dryly, but I stayed silent, watching him. With his arms and waist bound so tightly, he couldn’t do anything rash, and if he did, my sister would get to him first.
“Sniff… Commander, I missed you so much. Truly… so much.”
His thick arms and legs, his large, solid build—all screamed soldier. His gray hair hung low over his eyes, matted with dust and leaves.
Grey Western—the supporting character from the book. One of the pillars of Lux, the Grand Duke’s knight order. Naturally, the male lead was the strongest, but Grey had been the second strongest, later playing a crucial role in the showdown with the Crown Prince.
And, more importantly, he had been key in helping the male and female leads confirm their love. Right now, though, he was just a sniffling mess.
Looking at his tattered clothes, I felt a pang of pity and was about to reach out when—
Wham.
I froze. Instead of telling Grey to stand, I glanced down at Nox, who had wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and was looking up at me.
“Nox? What’s wrong?”
He stared at me, then shook his head, burying his face firmly against my waist.
“…Don’t.”
“Huh?”
“…Don’t touch him.”
Peeking his eyes out just slightly from where his face was buried, Nox frowned. It was a small frown, but in that moment, he looked exactly like his nighttime self.
“…Dirty.”
“Eh?”
I quickly looked between Grey and Nox. Grey’s eyes widened in shock, as if I’d just told him he was adopted.
“Commander! I—I’m not dirty! I swear, I can wash! I’ll be clean!” he shouted, desperate.
That’s not really the issue, I thought, scratching my cheek awkwardly. Raising my hand carefully, I patted Nox’s head.
“Nox, you mean you’re worried I’ll get sick, right? Because I cut myself while cooking earlier?”
…Nod.
Yep, that’s what it was.
Rolling his eyes briefly, I gave him an awkward head-pat. He immediately leaned into my palm, rubbing his head against it, looking for all the world like a spoiled cat.
Still holding onto the boy dangling from my waist, I turned to Grey and smiled awkwardly.
I felt like I was apologizing for a child who’d just broken the neighbor’s window.
“Um, sorry. We taught him not to touch anything dirty. Our house is dusty, you know? And I cut my hand cooking earlier, so he’s a bit more sensitive today.”
“T-taught him?”
“Ahaha…”
He looked more offended at the word “taught” than at being treated like a walking germ.
Well, honestly, if my commander had pushed me away and some strange woman said, “We taught him not to touch gross things,” I’d be insulted too.
“Um… So you know Nox, right?”
“Nox?”
“The boy’s name. We named him because he didn’t know it himself.”
Nox, who had been listening, quickly tugged at my skirt.
“…Amy named me.”
“Yes, Nox. That’s right, I named you.”
Grey blinked, clearly stunned into silence.
But this conversation couldn’t end here. I scratched my cheek nervously.
Nox tugged on my clothes again, and I gave him a calm smile, though worry weighed heavily on my face.
I couldn’t avoid this, so after glancing around briefly, I spoke carefully.
“Um… Please don’t be too shocked. When my sister and I found Nox, he didn’t know much about the world and… he couldn’t remember anything about himself. So, you see…”
“Please call me Grey.”
“…So, Grey, whoever you were to him, Nox doesn’t remember. Not a thing.”
“…What?”
“He doesn’t remember anything. At all.”
“….”
Of course, even at the Grand Duchy, Nox had gone through his day-night changes. But what had happened to his daytime self there? We didn’t know.
At the very least, people like Grey—close subordinates—would know, and maybe that’s why he was staring at Nox with that miserable expression.
“Then… he doesn’t remember me, either…?”
Grey tried to smile, but the complexity of his emotions was written all over his face.
“Are you alright? You should get those wounds treated first.”
“Ah… Thank you. It’s just… a bit overwhelming.”
The Lux knights were fiercely loyal to the male lead. If their commander told them to die, they wouldn’t just pretend—they’d actually jump off a cliff.
They had made a unique oath when they joined, one that allowed them to sense their commander’s location even from far away. That’s probably how Grey had found this place. But it would only give him a general area, so he’d likely searched this massive forest on foot—judging by his ragged state, he’d gone through hell for it.
And after all that, the master he’d finally found looked at him like a stranger, forgetting not just him but even his loyal knights. If it were me, I might cry too.
Feeling a bit sorry, I started to reach out to pat his shoulder in comfort—only for my hand to stop midway, caught at my waist.
“Nox?”
Nox tightened his grip on my hand, his clear eyes hardening into something sharp as he stared at Grey. Unlike the warm gaze he usually gave me, this one was pointed, almost hostile.
Then something flew past my line of sight with a sharp whish.
The book—one of the picture books I’d encouraged Nox to read—smacked Grey squarely in the forehead before dropping to the ground. I gasped, looking between the two of them in shock.
“I don’t like him.”
Tears welled up in Grey’s eyes as he stared at Nox.
Oh no. He looks like he’s about to cry.
* * *
“Like I said, this is Grey.”
After the little commotion, everyone had gathered inside the house. My sister had suggested moving indoors because of the heat.
“I’m Diana. This is my sister, Amy.”
“I’m Amy.”
After introducing ourselves, my sister and I exchanged a glance. She clearly hadn’t had time to think through this sudden situation either. Of course she hadn’t—she hadn’t gone out looking to run into Grey.
The book hadn’t explained in detail how Nox was attacked or how his memories returned. It only said that after an attack, he regained them.
‘…But isn’t this too soon?’
In the book, Diana and Nox had lived together for almost a year before that event. Even with some margin for error, it should’ve been at least half a year. But right now, it had only been about three months.
So what did this mean? Did Grey’s arrival have nothing to do with it? Would the attack still happen three months from now?
Swallowing my unease, I spoke calmly.
“Anyway, even though it’s a bit late, how about we have dinner first?”
“Yes, that sounds best. We’ll have a lot to talk about.”
My sister slowly got up, saying she’d wash up first. She was still wearing her outdoor clothes, clearly shaken by everything that had happened. Once she left, I stood and fetched a small box, sitting down in front of Grey.
“I only wiped off the blood earlier, but let me apply some medicine.”
Inside the box were simple remedies—powders and ointments I’d made myself from herbs my sister often brought home. They worked surprisingly well.
“Ah, thank you.”
“I scolded Nox for throwing that book at you, of course. Right, Nox?”
“…I won’t do it again.”
Peeking his face out from behind me, Nox looked thoroughly displeased.
“…Because Amy told me not to.”
He still glared at Grey, though, which made Grey look utterly crushed—like a man who’d just lost his entire country. Or maybe more like someone hit with the harshest reality check of his life.
“…Scolded…”
“Should I rephrase it?”
“…No, it’s fine.”
Grey fell silent as I treated the red spot on his forehead. His eyes occasionally flicked to Nox, his expression clouded and thoughtful.
Meanwhile, Nox, who had been nodding off as he clung to me, finally couldn’t fight it anymore and buried his head against me, drifting into sleep. By now, him napping with his head on my lap wasn’t unusual. Smiling faintly, I gently stroked his soft hair.
“Um.”
As I finished applying ointment to Grey’s forehead, he looked at me.
“Have you… given our commander your affection?”
I froze. The word “commander” and “affection” in the same sentence made me hesitate, but I forced myself to reply casually.
“Is that a problem?”
I wasn’t sure what expression I made, but Grey quickly waved his hands.
“N-no, no! Forgive me if I sounded rude. I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just… I’ve never seen our commander like this before.”
“Like what?”
“Well, you’ve already seen it, haven’t you? You’ve seen him in his true form at night?”
“Yes.”
“That’s our commander’s real form. It must have been difficult letting such a big man sleep beside you. I never even thanked you for that—thank you!”
I nodded, and Grey smiled slightly. With his drooping eyes and kind face, he looked like a large, friendly dog when he smiled.
“His name is Lennox Iberich.”
“Lennox.”
“Yes, the Grand Duke of the northern Iberich lands. He might have this troublesome curse, but he’s incredibly strong.”
For a moment, I was grateful my sister wasn’t here to hear that. Not that she wouldn’t find out eventually, but still.
Grey’s eyes sparkled as soon as Nox’s name came up.
Though he was a big man in his mid-twenties, with sharp features that were objectively handsome, his excitement made him seem almost boyish rather than intimidating.
“Truly, very, extremely strong!”
“Ah, y-yes… right.”
“You know that already, don’t you, Amy? You’ve lived with him! Has he used a sword while with you?”
“Ah? Yes, actually. I’ve seen him wield it before, at night. It helped us out quite a bit.”
“Even without his memories, his skills haven’t dulled—that’s our commander for you!”
Honestly, Grey didn’t just look like a big dog—he acted like one too. Thinking of Nox, who often reminded me of a wolf pup or a wild fox, I couldn’t help but imagine Lux being filled with canine-like men. Maybe Lennox was the alpha wolf, and all his knights were just loyal dogs.
I stared at Grey for a moment, wondering what kind of dog he’d be. A Siberian husky, maybe?
Half lost in that thought, I finally raised my hand.
“Um, wait. Let me just put Nox in bed first.”
“Ah, then let me—!”
“You’re injured.”
“….”
Grey grimaced but didn’t argue further. Smiling faintly at him, I stood.
Though Nox had filled out a little over the past three months, my sister still said he was small and skinny for his age. It was a reminder of the neglect and abuse he’d suffered before, and every time I saw it, I felt a pang of pity.
After laying Nox down in his bed, I returned and crouched in front of Grey.
“Grey.”
“Yes? Yes, ma’am?”
He blinked rapidly, answering immediately.
“You must be tired.”
“….”
He stayed silent for a moment, then quickly denied it, though his green eyes were heavy with sleep. He probably hadn’t slept at all while searching the forest.
“It’s natural to feel sleepy once you can finally relax.”
“Haha. You’re very perceptive.”
I’ll take that as a compliment. Resting my chin in my hand, I continued.
“You really like Nox, don’t you?”
“Eh? Oh—yes! Of course I do.”
“What do you like about him?”
“Ah? Hmm… I don’t know. Just… everything!”
The big man’s eyes sparkled like a kid’s.
“He’s simply the best! The most amazing person in my life!”
I almost thought I could see a wagging tail behind him. Truly, Lennox was like the alpha wolf—and his subordinates? Definitely dogs. Very loyal dogs.
And Grey? …Yes, definitely a husky.