“……Who's there?”
Noah asked in a trembling voice.
‘Oh, can't he see me?’
I picked up the lamp that was rolling on the floor and bent down. The lamp's light illuminated both our faces, mine and Noah's.
“Noah.”
“Ah…?”
Noah stared at me, his face blank.
"C-Caliphe? What are you doing here...?"
“I came to get you.”
“Me…?”
He looked like he couldn't believe his eyes.
I mean, it was Caliphe. Of all people.
I retracted my hand – I'd almost reached out to pat him – and answered quietly, "You're the child I brought here."
“…….”
"I'm responsible for you."
Then, Noah’s blank expression gradually began to distort.
"Sniffle... sob... Waaaaah!"
Noah burst into a sorrowful cry, hiccuping.
I wasn't sure how to comfort him, so I just watched him for a moment, then I scooped him up, putting my hands under his arms.
"Hang on a sec. We'll be out of here in no time... Ugh."
The child’s arms wrapped tightly around my neck.
I tried to pry him off – I couldn't breathe! – but he just cried harder and even wrapped his legs around me. He was stuck to me like a little koala. He must've been so scared that he forgot about keeping his distance.
I had no choice but to hold him up, supporting his bottom.
“Let’s go.”
Nods.
"But I can't breathe, so loosen up a bit, okay?"
Shakes head.
"Can you let go just a little?"
Shakes head vigorously.
He seemed even more freaked out and clung to me for dear life. I couldn't breathe, but I felt bad for him. I mean, how scared must he have been to cling to Caliphe, of all people, after trying so hard to avoid me?
"Fine, whatever... Let's go."
Giving up, I patted his bottom.
When we got out of the forest, a maid came running up.
"Miss! Are you okay?"
I took the blanket the maid was trying to wrap around me and draped it over Noah, who was asleep.
"Maid, you've got some work to do."
"Oh, yes! Your clothes are all wet; you must be freezing! I'll get a bath ready for you right away. And the child, I'll..."
"Not my mess."
I avoided the maid’s touch and commanded coldly, "I want you to find out from the servants who knew Noah went into the forest and why nobody went after him. Get the facts straight."
"Huh? You're going to deal with this child's situation yourself...?"
"Of course, I should."
The maid, who'd been staring blankly for a second, quickly replied, "Yes, yes, I understand. Should I take the child to the servants' quarters, then?"
"No. I'll take care of him. He needs a warm bath, ASAP."
"You're going to do it yourself, Miss?"
Seriously, I'm already exhausted; why does she keep making me repeat myself?
I gave her a glare, and she jumped a little and said, "Oh, right! Leave it to me!"
I left everything to the maid and went back to the annex. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it by calling for help, so I took off Noah's wet clothes myself and gave him a warm bath.
After I got him cleaned up, Noah's color returned – he looked all rosy again. His hair, which had been gray and ashy, was back to its nice, dark color.
"But what happened to his hands?"
I unwrapped his hand and looked at his palm again. I'd noticed it when I was washing him – his palms were blistered and raw, with some blood.
What the heck was he doing in the forest?
'I'll have to ask him about it when he wakes up.'
I gently stroked his palm with my thumb, then got up. I figured I'd have Noah stay in my annex for now.
'...Will he hate it if he has to stay with me?'
Remembering that -99 favorability, I figured I should give him some space for a while so he could chill out on his own.
"Sleep tight, Noah."
After Caliphe left.
“…….”
Noah slowly opened his eyes.
Caliphe had touched his hand, and it still felt warm. Noah clenched his fist, as if he were trying to hold onto the warmth before it faded away.
'I've never heard anyone say "sweet dreams" to me before.'
It's something you only read about in fairy tales.
Just then, Noah spotted something familiar and jumped up.
"Huh?"
The drawings, all neatly arranged on the desk, were definitely...
"My drawings...!"
They were the drawings of the "Supreme Golden-Haired Fairy" that he hadn't been able to grab when he ran away from the annex.
"Why are these here...?"
I'd given up on them, figuring they'd been tossed out. Maybe she kept them, thinking the owner would come back for them?
“…….”
Noah hugged the drawings close. His heart, which had been full of fear just a little while ago, started to feel warm and fuzzy. It was a real miracle.
All that running around in the forest yesterday really wore me out.
'Ugh. I'm just gonna chill today.'
If this were modern times, I'd be playing video games, but it sucks that there's nothing like that here. So, I ended up heading to the study. The study, which I'd decorated myself, was more like a cozy book cafe.
I grabbed a book and plopped down on the sofa. But I got distracted before I even cracked open the first page.
'I wonder if Noah's resting okay?'
He must be totally freaked out, being moved to the annex so suddenly. I had a ton of questions for Noah. But the most important one was this.
'Who sent Noah into the forest?'
I was sure that person was the jerk who'd been tormenting Noah the most.
"I'll have to feel out the situation before I ask him... Ack."
I looked up without thinking and was surprised. Noah was peeking his head around the doorway, staring at me like he was in a daze.
'What's going on?'
Noah flinched when our eyes met. But then he just started staring at me, like, really staring.
Staring—
'What's his deal?'
I started sweating bullets and tried to focus on my book. Then Noah hesitated, grabbed a book, and sat down in the seat furthest away from me, all the way across the room.
I pretended not to notice and just left him alone, and then a system window popped up.
[Noah's favorability went up by 2.]
Oh. So playing it cool was the way to go?
Noah was staring super hard at some thick foreign book. He was even holding it upside down.
I ignored him again, and I could feel him looking at me. And then.
“…….”
Shuffle, shuffle.
Noah, who'd been sitting at the very end of the sofa, scooted his bottom towards the middle. He was a little closer to me now.
“…….”
He stopped moving for a second and checked me out again. Then he scooted closer again.
Finally, Noah stopped moving with a little huff of satisfaction. It was this weird in-between distance, not too close and not too far, but way closer than before.
That's when I finally figured out what Noah was up to.
'Oh, I get it. You wanted to sit closer, huh?'
This single-seater sofa is the warmest and comfiest one. Plus, it's a nice color, so it's no wonder a kid would want it.
When I got up, his head followed me. I walked out of the study without looking back.
'Good. That was smooth.'
I felt all proud of myself, like I'd finally become a mature adult. But then I heard these little pitter-patter footsteps behind me.
'What's that cute sound? Is there a puppy in the annex or something?'
I turned around without thinking, and Noah, who'd been following me, froze. The puppy sound was actually Noah's bare feet on the floor.
"What are you up to?"
“……!?”
Noah, busted, took off like a scaredy-cat.
But Noah's gaze followed me.
When I walked down the hall.
“…….”
When I took a stroll in the garden.
“…….”
Even now, during tea time.
‘Why is he watching me?’
He knows I've seen him, but he keeps up this suspicious tailing.
‘And my favorability keeps going up, even when I do nothing.’
[‘Noah’s’ favorability has increased by 3.]
[‘Noah’s’ favorability has increased by 5.]
…….
In the game, it was a pain to raise, but now it goes up so easily. Is it because it started in the negatives?
‘Wait. Since he keeps following me, maybe… he wants to be near me?’
As I looked at Noah, who was poorly hidden behind a flower pot, a servant, misunderstanding my gaze, tried to grab him.
“You! Why are you following the young lady?”
“N-No.”
Noah easily dodged the servant’s hand. He looked around, searching for a place to escape, and paused when he saw me. Then, he hesitantly approached me.
His eyes were tense, as if he were testing something.
“…Are you trying to hide behind me right now?”
“…Can’t I?”
Noah looked up at me with teary eyes. He looked like a pitiful puppy.
The moment I saw his face, my mouth moved on its own.
“You totally can.”
Ack. I didn’t mean to say that.
I cleared my throat, belatedly managing my expression, and gestured to the seat next to me.
“Sit here.”
Moments later, Noah sat down, and a warm milk tea and a large strawberry shortcake were placed before him.
The bright red strawberries atop the white cream were thinly coated in sugar, giving them a sweet gloss.
Gulp.
Noah stared blankly at the cake, then looked at me as if asking for permission. I nodded.
“Go ahead.”
Only then did Noah use his fork to cut a small piece of cake and put it in his mouth.
Nom.
“……!”
Noah’s green eyes widened.
He looked at the cake with a bewildered expression, as if he had experienced a revolution of thrilling flavors, wondering, ‘How can such a taste exist?’
I quietly covered my mouth with my tea. I had no choice. My lips were twitching uncontrollably.
‘Oh my god. He’s like a squirrel…!’
I’ve already sent him plenty of sweet bread anonymously, so is this really that new to him?
Nom. Nom.
The cake around the strawberry was slowly disappearing. Finally, Noah carefully looked at the last remaining strawberry.
‘He saved the strawberry for last in the game, too.’
Perhaps because of his unfortunate past, Noah was particularly attached to the things he cherished.
If the caregiver ate the strawberry, his favorability would drop by half.
‘My current favorability with him is…….’
[Current favorability: -30]
Wow, it’s gone up a lot, hasn’t it?
The incident in the forest must have had a big impact.
‘Still negative, though.’
So, I should definitely not steal it and just leave it alone.
That’s what I was thinking.
“H-Here.”
“Huh?”
Noah, holding a fork with a strawberry on it with both hands, offered it to me.
His hands and the fork were trembling slightly.
“I want to share. Together.”
“…With me?”
Noah nodded, his cheeks turning slightly red.
“For not… throwing away the drawings… Thank you.”
“Drawings? Ah.”
I quickly remembered what drawings Noah was talking about. The yellow fly drawings. The "yellow fly drawings" are actually drawings of a "Golden Haired Fairy".
At first, I was going to throw them away, but they seemed to be drawn with great effort, so I thought he might come back to look for them.
That’s why I temporarily placed them in the guest room, but I never imagined they were Noah’s work.
“…Hmm, if that’s the case.”
I suppressed my embarrassment and accepted the strawberry with my mouth.
Noah couldn’t hide his joy, perhaps not expecting me to actually accept it.
The sugar-coated strawberry was sweet.
“It’s delicious. Thank you.”
“Yes!”
I was expecting another favorability increase when...
[You cannot raise ‘Noah’s’ favorability any further.]
What? It’s still negative, and it’s over?
‘But the hidden route quest clearly said to raise the favorability to 0.’
Then there must be some kind of condition. Like, I have to remove the element that’s blocking the favorability increase.
As I pondered, Noah’s bandaged hand came into my view.
“Noah.”
“Yes?”
“Why did you go to the forest? And how did your hand get like that?”
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