“Um, anyway.”
I pointed politely at his chest, trying not to sound rude.
“Doesn’t it feel uncomfortable being like that? You should wash up when my sister comes back.”
“Haha, I-I’m fine.”
“My nose isn’t fine.”
“…I-I’m sorry! D-do I smell?”
His face turned red almost instantly.
“No. I was joking.”
“…”
And just like that, his face flushed an even deeper shade of red.
Wow. After dealing with Nox and his straightforward personality, it felt surprisingly refreshing to see a man who reacted like this. I giggled softly at his reaction, tilting my head.
“Nox will probably wake up around midnight.”
Even as the adult Grand Duke, Nox didn’t stay awake all night. He usually woke sometime between night and dawn, sometimes earlier if he wanted to see me before drifting off again. Occasionally, on sleepless nights, he went for walks, but that was rare.
“Ah. Yes, I know. Our commander tends to sleep a lot. That’s also part of his cursed magic, unfortunately.”
“I see. Why not talk to him when he wakes up? He might not remember, but… who knows? Things could be different once you talk.”
But when I lifted my head mid-sentence, I froze.
The big man was staring at me with tearful eyes.
“Thank you… for caring. Sniff. Even if the commander doesn’t… remember me.”
“Ah… well, I hope you won’t lose heart.”
I couldn’t imagine what that felt like, but I offered him what comfort I could before standing up.
I rummaged through the wardrobe and pulled out some large clothes. They were meant for nighttime Nox, who often tore his own clothes anyway, but they looked like they would fit Grey as well.
“Wash up and change into these. …And don’t cry.”
“Sniff. Yes…”
Rubbing his chin awkwardly with the back of his hand, Grey accepted the clothes.
Since Nox was using my room, the only places left were the living room and the storage room. Grey nodded quickly, saying the storage room was fine. As he started to leave, he suddenly turned back to me.
“Excuse me, miss, but I’m curious about something.”
I blinked at his earnest expression.
“You… seem so calm.”
“About what?”
“Well… this whole situation. You weren’t expecting to learn who our commander really was or to meet me like this…”
“That’s true.”
I tilted my head, then smiled wryly.
“But really, what could surprise me more than seeing someone who turns into a child by day and an adult man by night, every single day?”
“…Y-you’re right.”
Innocent, just like daytime Nox. Grey nodded with clear, honest eyes, and I couldn’t help but laugh softly at how guileless he seemed. Slowly, I raised my hand for him to see.
“Do you see this?”
Grey’s mouth closed abruptly. My hand was trembling slightly, shaking like that of a frightened person. It wasn’t an act—I’d been suppressing it since the moment I saw him.
Not because I was afraid of Grey. But seeing someone with a sword always dragged me back to the bloody scenes when Nox fought off intruders, or further back, to my sister fending off pursuers.
Swords protected me, but they also stirred up a fear I couldn’t quite explain.
“I’m just pretending to be calm.”
Grey hesitated for a long time before apologizing quietly.
Of course, the real reason for my trembling was very different from what he imagined, but I didn’t correct him and simply sent him off.
“Where is he?”
A little later, my sister, freshly washed, came back and sat beside me.
“I gave him the storage room.”
When I explained I’d postponed any serious conversation because Grey looked exhausted, she nodded and patted my shoulder.
“Good. You did the right thing. We’re tired too, after all.”
She smiled, suggesting we talk later, but beneath her usual gentle expression was a flicker of something more complicated. Understandable—how could she not feel conflicted?
Once Grey explained everything, my sister would know who Nox really was. What would change then?
I’d already altered their relationship from how it played out in the book, but… had I done the right thing?
The sun sank low, and night fell early in our house. The only sound was the soft breathing of everyone who had gone to bed early from exhaustion.
When midnight came, I slipped out quietly, leaving my sleeping sister behind.
The moment I opened the door, she mumbled faintly.
“Amy, don’t go outside…”
“Mm-hm.”
“If something happens, shout. I’ll break someone’s legs.”
“O-of course!”
Though she liked Nox’s daytime form, she still couldn’t completely shake off her unease about his nighttime form.
Once I was sure she was asleep again, I stepped into the living room—and froze.
“…What are you doing?”
Bathed in moonlight, two handsome men were tangled together. One was breathtakingly gorgeous, the kind of beauty you might never see twice in a lifetime, and the other—while not as flawless—was undeniably handsome in a warm, solid way.
What was this scene?
I shifted my gaze away from Nox, whose hand gripped Grey’s arm, pinning him down. Grey also noticed me.
“Amy!”
At the sound of Grey calling my name, Nox’s face seemed to harden.
“Amy.”
Glancing between Grey and me, Nox spoke quietly after a short pause.
“…Did you pick up another stray?”
His eyes seemed to burn, and I doubted it was my imagination. It had been over three months since he arrived here, but I still remembered that same sharp, dangerous look from when we first met.
Sometimes when his gaze fell on me like that, I couldn’t help stiffening—it reminded me too much of the Nox in the book.
Forcing a casual smile, I stepped back slightly. Judging by the situation, Grey had probably rushed over happily at seeing Nox, only to end up in this position.
“…It wasn’t me. My sister brought him home.”
…I’m sorry, supporting character Grey, but I’m powerless here.
As if betrayed by my words, Grey whimpered, his large frame shaking slightly. For a man of his size, it shouldn’t have suited him at all, yet somehow his soft voice matched perfectly with his appearance, making him look pitiful.
“It’s me, Commander! It’s Grey! The Grey you clothed and fed!”
“I don’t remember feeding a guy like you.”
“You—you’ve lost your memories, so you’ve forgotten the good ones too?! That’s cruel! Do you know how much we suffered searching for you—?!”
Nox turned his head away completely, ignoring him, and Grey, desperate, squirmed like a dog who’d just had its food bowl taken away.
He was injured; this really wasn’t good for him.
“Commander, it’s me! Please, Commander! Argh! Commander, Your Grace, Len—”
“Enough.”
Unable to stand it any longer, I finally spoke.
‘I think my sister’s awake.’
I could almost feel her alertness from behind the closed door. No matter how tired she was, she always put me first. If she came out and saw this scene, she’d probably throw at least one of them out—and my guess was Grey would be the one.
Since she hadn’t come out yet, that meant she was leaving it to me for now.
“Um, Nox. Could you let him go? He’s still a patient.”
Carefully stepping closer, I touched his arm.
To my surprise, his grip relaxed immediately, releasing Grey without resistance.
Oh. Honestly, I hadn’t expected him to listen so easily. I blinked, startled.
“Commander!”
“You’re noisy.”
Before I could say anything else, Nox struck the back of Grey’s neck with a quick, precise motion. Grey collapsed instantly, unconscious. My eyes widened as I swallowed hard.
I’d heard of people being knocked out with a chop to the neck, but I didn’t think I’d see it happen in real life.
“…Nox, you can’t just knock people unconscious.”
“Didn’t you say we should talk?”
“I meant you and me.”
He gave me a blank look, as if to say, Who else would I talk to?
He was serious. Turning my head, I glanced pityingly at Grey. Poor guy—hit with a book during the day, knocked out at night. If I were him, I’d quit being this loyal.
“He’s a guest in our house… I thought you might be curious about him.”
“…”
I stepped closer and hesitated, then cautiously took his arm.
“And from now on, please whisper quietly.”
“…Why?”
“My sister’s awake. She’s pretending to sleep.”
I whispered into his ear and gently squeezed his shoulder. Nox flinched slightly, clearly not used to me initiating physical contact like this. Truthfully, it felt odd for me too.
“This man’s name is Grey.”
I sat beside him on the sofa, lowering my voice as I spoke quietly.
“He says he knew you before you lost your memories. He even knows your real name. He’s probably someone who knows you very well.”
“…What?”
“Aren’t you curious? About who you used to be? What your true name is?”
Honestly, I wanted him to say yes. I wanted him to follow Grey, to return to the place where everyone was waiting for him, longing for him.
But he said nothing, and the silence made me swallow nervously, lowering my head.
“Um, if it were me, I’d be curious.”
“I’m not.”
“…What?”
“I said, I’m not curious. Not at all.”
Releasing my arm, he instead grasped my hand tightly, his deep voice firm.
“If I knew everything, would you send me away?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“No. You’re talking like you would.”
“Going back to where you belong isn’t a bad thing.”
“Then why don’t you ask me? Where I want to be.”
Because… how could I ask that of someone who’d lost his memories?
I closed my eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them. Even without looking, I could feel his gaze fixed on me.
“…I don’t think it’s my place to decide.”
“I won’t go anywhere.”
His strong arm wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me closer, his breath brushing against me. I didn’t have to look to know his face was close. My fingers clenched as his grip tightened around my hand.
“I won’t go anywhere. Amy, let me stay by your side.”
“….”
“Do I need your permission for that too?”
Even after three months, I still couldn’t be sure. What exactly did he feel when he looked at me? At this point in the story, what was Lennox—what was the male lead—truly thinking?
The book only gave me a few lines, and those lines never told me how he felt or why he acted as he did.
What would happen if my sister didn’t die, if she survived? Would Nox love me as he loved her in the book? Could I be sure of that?
So when he spoke so earnestly, I couldn’t answer carelessly. This was my last line of defense—if I crossed it, I felt like I’d be swept helplessly into a tide I couldn’t fight.
Wouldn’t he eventually whisper love to the heroine and find happiness, just like in the book?
“…And what would change if I allowed it?”
At my question, his arm tightened, pulling me closer. My eyes darted nervously in the dark. His breath sounded a little different now, heavier.
“Nothing would change. But… I’d just be a little happier.”
Still holding my hand, he lifted it to his lips and pressed a kiss to my fingertips, his voice soft yet filled with sincerity.
“I would be.”
I was speechless. Not because I hadn’t expected it—I had, vaguely—but because he had finally said it aloud, putting into words what I had only guessed until now.
Anyone could see he was trying to seduce me. How did someone with amnesia know how to do this?
My hand felt hot where he kissed it. Struggling to keep my composure, I managed to mutter,
“J-just… talk to Grey first, okay? I won’t force you to leave, I promise.”
“…Grey?”
“Yes, that man.”
“….”
The silence felt like a heavy warning.
“…Then I’ll keep calling him that man.”
Only then did he seem to smile faintly, lowering his head.
“If it’s just talking.”
His breath tickled my neck, making me stiffen as I took a deep breath.
“Y-yes, yes, just talking… Hey, wait, that’s a bit…”
“Don’t like it?”
“N-no… it’s just… embarrassing.”
…If only he’d step back a little.
I pushed lightly at his arm, but he didn’t budge. Instead, I felt the faint tremor of his laughter. His arms held me so tightly there was nowhere to retreat.
“If you’re the one asking, I’ll do it.”
* * *
The Next Day
Grey woke early and explained the situation to my sister and me: the truth about Nox, the boy who was a child by day and an adult by night.
I already knew, of course—I’d heard it while treating Grey’s wounds—so I only pretended to be surprised. But my sister was different.
“…Nox is a Grand Duke?”
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“The Grand Duke of northern Iberich? The war hero?”
“Yes, that’s all correct.”
Unable to hide her shock, she blinked rapidly, covering her mouth.
“Goodness, Amy… I’m not dreaming, am I?”
“No, sister. I was surprised too. I never imagined this…”
Nodding quickly, I played along with her astonishment. She rubbed her face like a rabbit washing its cheeks before finally calming herself.
After a while, she asked in a steady voice,
“Then… does Nox have to go back? He’s still just a child, without his memories.”
“A child… Well, I understand why you might think so,” Grey said, clearing his throat. “But the people of the Grand Duchy are desperately waiting for his return. So are we, his knights.”
“Even if he hasn’t regained his memories yet, surely he would be happier returning to his true home.”
“You’re probably right, but…”
Grey truly was as kind as he had been in the book. He could have demanded to take Nox back immediately, yet he patiently explained things, respecting my sister’s feelings.
I had to bite back a laugh at how different he looked from the tearful mess he’d been last night.
“Please give us some time. Amy and I need it too. It’s not easy to send away someone who’s been like family.”
“…Of course. But… would you consider coming to the Grand Duchy with us?”
“What?”
“You two are heroes to us—for me, and for our Grand Duke.”
My sister hesitated, then shook her head firmly. I understood why. We were the daughters of a disgraced family, practically criminals’ children. Going to any Imperial land would make everything we’d risked to hide here meaningless.
Grey seemed to understand, too, because he didn’t press further.
“I understand. Take your time. My comrades are stationed on the western side of the forest right now. I’ll fetch them and return as soon as possible. Please look after the commander until then.”
“Aren’t you going to wait and see him in his adult form tonight?” I asked.
“No, bringing my comrades here takes priority. They’re still searching tirelessly as we speak.”
He had a point, even if I couldn’t hide the twinge of irritation in my chest.
I worked so hard to convince Nox last night…
But I simply nodded calmly, hiding my frustration.
“Please take good care of him. Feed him well…”
“Don’t worry.”
“And make sure he gets enough sleep at night…”
After fussing over him like an overprotective parent for a good while, Grey finally left. I felt no regret watching him go.
“…He’s quite talkative.”
“Isn’t he?”
Even my sister, who rarely commented on people, muttered agreement. I nodded and headed back to my room. Nox would wake in about an hour.
Things should be peaceful for a while, right?
At least, they should be.
But as I looked out at the forest, I noticed a bird soaring high above the trees—only for a massive hawk to streak past, striking it down in an instant.
For some reason, an uneasy feeling settled deep in my chest.