Even though their faces were the same, daytime Nox and nighttime Nox felt like completely different people—except for the way they looked at their own injuries. That, at least, was the same person.
I mean, come on, there’s no way it doesn’t hurt!
I could feel his gaze on my grumbling face, but I pretended not to notice. I might complain, but honestly, he still scared me a little. I kept avoiding his eyes for a while until I thought it was safe, then slowly turned my head and spoke.
“By the way, about that magic book we talked about the other day—I figured out how to get one.”
His eyes turned toward me.
“Um, I’m not sure if it’s related to your condition, but…”
He gave me a look that said, let’s hear it first, so I stood up before continuing.
“Before I explain, I have something to show you. This way.”
“…We’re going out?”
For someone whose expression rarely changed, his brows furrowed faintly. Well, he had been practically confined to this room because of my sister, so of course he’d find it strange.
“My sister’s out for a while. She won’t be back for three days.”
“Out…”
“Yes. You must’ve been frustrated, right? You never said anything, but I figured as much. You haven’t even seen the rest of the house yet, so why not take this chance to look around?”
“Look around?”
“We can’t exactly go outside, can we?”
There were more monsters active at night than during the day. Even my sister, who was used to the forest, minimized going out after sunset.
“Here we are.”
I showed Nox around the house, excluding my sister’s room. Honestly, the house was small, so apart from her room and mine, there was only the living room and kitchen to show. After a quick stop by the storage room, we finally stepped into the garden.
“This is both the garden and our vegetable patch. We grow simple vegetables here, and my sister gathers what we can’t grow from the forest.”
“Your sister must be quite skilled if she goes into a forest full of rampaging monsters.”
“Yes, she is. Um… she used to be some kind of knight, though I can’t remember the exact title.”
I had only overheard the term once when I was younger, but apparently, my sister had been a promising knight. Her bright future had disappeared along with our family’s downfall.
I felt my expression darken at the thought.
“She’s good at handling monsters. She can’t take on higher-level ones alone, but still. Ah, wait here a moment! I’ll bring something. Stay here!”
I dashed off to the storage room and grabbed what I’d planned to show him. The storage held things my sister didn’t use anymore, including this longsword.
“My sister found this in the forest, but it’s too long for her to use properly. Maybe it’ll suit you, Nox?”
“…It’s definitely a large sword, but I don’t remember if I ever used one.”
“Well, how about trying to swing it once? Maybe your body will remember, even if your mind doesn’t…”
I wasn’t completely sure myself, but the moment Nox took the sword and swung it, I changed my mind.
“…You said you didn’t know how to use a sword.”
“I don’t.”
But even though it was only a single strike, his form was refined and stable—so perfect that even someone clueless like me could tell. Judging by his own surprised expression, he hadn’t expected that either.
…Yeah, I’m never picking a fight with him. I decided that on the spot, crouching down in front of the sword.
“Is the blade sharp?”
“Roughly.”
“It’s been in storage for a long time, so I’m not sure if it’s rusted. Hmm, maybe I should test it with a strand of hair…”
I tapped the blade with my fingers, ignoring his gaze on the top of my head. My sister had said most things in storage were still usable, so it should be fine, right? I plucked a strand of hair to test it.
But maybe I was too careless—
“Ow…”
Instead of just laying a hair on the blade, I accidentally nicked my palm, and blood welled up. I pouted, looking at the bloodied hand.
“…It hurts.”
“…You’re something else.”
He looked at me expressionlessly, his gaze on my wound as detached as when he looked at his own injuries.
“Is that what you say to someone who’s hurt?”
“That’s just a small cut, isn’t it?”
Tears of frustration stung my eyes as I snapped back.
“No! Look. Even a small cut like this hurts like crazy, so how could a hand full of glass shards not hurt at all…”
“I suppose I should try to understand, but why are you saying this to me while looking straight at me?”
“I’m telling you to say it hurts when it does! That’s what people are supposed to do.”
“…If it doesn’t hurt, then what should I say?”
“You’re so stubborn…”
“What?”
“Ah—ow!”
Before he could say anything else, I turned my head sharply, clutching my palm with my sleeve to stop the bleeding. It wasn’t too deep, so this should work, but…
“Uh…”
“What is it?”
“The bleeding isn’t stopping. What do I do?”
“….”
Nox frowned, crouching in front of me. When he grabbed my wrist, I flinched, but I stayed still, watching what he’d do.
He stared at my palm for a moment, then lifted it to his mouth.
“…Wait, w-what are you doing?!”
“…Would you be quiet? You’re hurting my ears.”
“No, but—”
Slurp.
It took less than five seconds for me to realize the soft, warm sensation on my palm was Nox’s tongue. Startled, I tried to pull away, but his grip was stronger.
“Stay still.”
“Ugh, a-ah…”
“You really are a handful.”
…Seriously? Is saliva supposed to be a cure-all or something?
I couldn’t tear my eyes away as he licked my palm.
“Ugh…”
When I averted my gaze from the sensation of his lips against my palm, my eyes accidentally met his. His gaze was sharp, almost beastlike, yet strangely captivating.
“I-It’s fine now, right? That’s enough.”
I quickly pulled my hand back.
Whether it was because of him or not, the bleeding had stopped.
But now all the blood had rushed somewhere else—what was I supposed to do about that?
I turned my head sharply away from Nox, who licked his lips. Thank goodness it was dark; otherwise, he would’ve seen my burning face.
“A-anyway… about the way to get that book.”
“I’m listening.”
“There’s another ‘safe zone’ not far from here. There’s an abandoned house there that used to belong to a mage. There might still be books.”
“I see.”
I glanced sideways at him.
“Will you go?”
“Weren’t you telling me so that I would go?”
I nodded, a little flustered.
“Yes, but… it’s dangerous. It’s dark at night, and there are lots of monsters. It would be better to go during the day, but…”
“I can’t move during the day.”
“Then maybe I should go instead? I mean, it’s probably safer during the day…”
“Do you really have a reason to go that far for me?”
At his quiet words, I widened my eyes and shot back immediately.
“What? But it must be frustrating for you.”
“…”
The forest was full of lurking monsters. There were more at night, but that didn’t mean daytime was completely safe. My sister’s warning to stay safe weighed on my mind.
“You don’t even know why you turn into a child. You have no memories, not even your own name. If it were me, I’d feel so frustrated…”
“Then I’ll have to go at night.”
He spoke calmly, but for some reason, his eyes lingered on me longer than usual. Was it my imagination, or was there something different in his gaze this time?
Either way, I couldn’t stop him if he decided to go.
“…You’ll come back, right?”
“Of course. There’s nowhere else for me to return to but here.”
Something flickered in his eyes as he said it, the moonlight making his amethyst gaze shine so intensely that I couldn’t hold his stare. I looked away, his hair brushing slightly as he moved.
Unable to hide my worry, I let out a soft sigh and gripped the hem of his clothes.
“It’s still dangerous…”
If my sister could travel through that forest, then it should be no problem for Nox, who was far stronger than her. But the fact that he had lost his memories worried me. Even if his body remembered how to fight, he might not be at his full strength… Maybe it would be better to ask my sister to go with him?
I knew I couldn’t do that, yet I still agonized over it—until Nox pried my hand from his clothes. Instead, he placed my hand on top of his own and looked directly at me.
“Amy.”
The name I’d heard for sixteen years suddenly felt unfamiliar. His amethyst eyes gleamed under the moonlight, catching me like a predator eyeing its prey. His face, usually blank, curved into the faintest smile as I blinked up at him.
“Will you come with me?”
“To the forest?”
“Yes.”
“I won’t be any help at all…”
Was he serious? Taking me into the forest would be like carrying around extra baggage.
Wait. No, hold on a second.
I realized it wasn’t that simple.
“Amy, look at these pictures, okay? Memorize them well. These are the monsters you need to watch out for in the forest.”
I wasn’t trained in swordsmanship like my sister; my body was as ordinary as any other. Sure, I was slightly more resilient because I’d lived here, but compared to my sister—who’d already been a respected knight by eighteen—and Nox, who had commanded entire armies as a Grand Duke at seventeen, I was nothing.
But I had learned a lot from my sister, who was practically a monster-hunting expert. I had gone with her into the forest many times and studied it.
This forest was full of poisonous plants, dangerous wildlife, and all sorts of strange creatures. Just being good with a sword wasn’t enough to move through it safely. Nox might be the male lead, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t get hurt—he wasn’t immortal.
“I take that back. Come to think of it, Nox, you don’t know anything about this forest.”
“Isn’t that the same for you? You seem to spend all your time indoors.”
“At least my chances of surviving here are higher than yours. And I’ve gone through this forest with my sister before.”
I pouted and gave him a side-eye glare before quickly lowering my gaze.
“And besides, you’re the one who asked me to come with you.”
I might be intimidated, but I wasn’t the type to stay quiet. Even if my voice wavered, I pushed on.
“If you’re asking for a favor, shouldn’t you at least ask nicely?”
After all, my sister and I had saved him, dressed him, fed him, and let him stay here. We were his benefactors, whether he remembered it or not.
Sure, my sister didn’t know what he was like at night, and yes, he had been threatening at first because of his lost memories. But that wasn’t the case anymore.
I lifted my head, scowling.
“Is that so?”
Nox tilted his head slightly, watching me. His expression seemed to say he understood… or maybe that he didn’t understand at all.
“Yes. Show some sincerity when you’re asking for something.”
“How?”
“Politely. Say something like, ‘Please.’”
Maybe I’d gone too far, but I couldn’t stay nervous around him forever. Then again… what if he regained his memories? What if he held a grudge later?
A shiver ran down my spine.
“Wait, no, forget it. I was joking.”
But Nox just stared at me with an unreadable expression.
Oh no. He’s not mad, is he?
I flinched and took a cautious step back. But just as I moved, my eyes widened.
“Nox?”
His tall frame slowly leaned toward me, bringing his face closer. His expression didn’t change, but now I could see every sharp detail of his stunning features illuminated by moonlight.
“Will you accompany me, my lady?”
The words left his lips smoothly, his breathtaking face glowing under the silver light.
“Wh-what?”
“I saw it written in one of your books.”
“Oh. You read it?”
My mind immediately went to the romance novel I’d left on my desk—a simple love story my sister had painstakingly gotten for me. I’d read it multiple times out of boredom.
Apparently, I hadn’t put it away. And of all things, he had to call me “my lady.”
…For a second there, I thought he’d gotten his memories back.
“Is that good enough?”
Looking at his emotionless face, I thought to myself that this must be what he’d be like as the Grand Duke in the future.
I nodded quickly.
“Yes. Perfect. Now, could you… um, step back a little?”
A face like that was terrible for my heart. Terrible.
“But what can you even do in the forest?”
What? Did he really just say that after asking me to go with him?
“Of course I can help! I’ve practically lived in this forest my whole life. I’ll be useful. Probably very useful.”
“You don’t look like you could kill a single bug, let alone a monster.”
“…I can kill bugs, you know. I might not be as good with a sword as you, but at least I can make sure you don’t eat poisonous plants, or warn you about hallucinogenic spores, or tell you a monster’s weak spots. You weren’t actually planning to just wander out there blindly, were you?”
“Blindly?”
“…You must’ve misheard me. I said wisely.”
I rolled my eyes quickly and blurred my focus on purpose.
Yes, that was better. I must’ve let my courage slip out of my mouth for a second there.
…Wait, why was I even trying so hard to convince him?
Realizing I was practically defending my own usefulness, I frowned. It was safer not to go. Staying behind would keep my promise to my sister. So why was I hesitating?
My thoughts didn’t last long.
“Let’s try tomorrow. I still have things to check.”
I patted my skirt and stood up. Nox’s eyes followed me as I moved.
“Was I someone you knew before?”
“No. This is the first time we’ve met.”
If it weren’t for this forest, we probably never would have met… though, thanks to the original story, that wasn’t really an option.
Nox asked another question.
“Then do you help everyone like this, without asking for anything in return?”
“Hmm… I don’t think so? But I haven’t really seen anyone besides you, so I wouldn’t know.”
His icy-blue gaze held a silent question, as if he couldn’t understand why I was being kind to him.
“Anyway, it’s not like that. It’s just… I wouldn’t feel right letting you go alone.”
I scratched my cheek awkwardly, avoiding his gaze.
“They say life isn’t meant to be lived alone, right?”
“My thoughts are the opposite of yours.”
“Why? Life is meant to be lived together.”
He stared at me for a long moment, lips pressed together, as if he were thinking it over. Then, slowly, he spoke.
“Does that mean… you’re inviting me into your life?”