The Only One for Each Other (4)

The dawn when we had promised to mean something to each other. Even that night, which had seemed like it would last forever, eventually gave way to sunlight, and the morning of a new day arrived.

"You're ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠awake."

"······Yeah."

We woke up ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lying side by side. Maybe it was because we hadn't covered ourselves with the blanket, but it felt cold. At some point while sleeping, the fox had burrowed into my side. Her warm body heat, the soft brush of her tail, and the unmistakable sensation of bare skin pressing against my chest. The girl leaned into my embrace and spoke.

"We fell asleep just like that last night."

"We were both exhausted. A lot happened yesterday."

"Today is going to be even busier than yesterday. We should get up early and prepare."

"Got it."

Irene nodded obediently. Her reply came immediately, but her dark eyes still hadn't shaken off the haze of sleep. The girl looked adorably disheveled, caught between dreams and reality. I smiled faintly and stroked her hair.

"Hehe."

"······."

Perhaps because she had grown so much more compliant lately, she no longer resisted when I touched her. She simply accepted the caress in silence. It made me think back to our first meeting, when she had been so sharp and guarded.

-I don't trust humans. I know exactly how vile and cruel your kind can be.

-You said you'd tame me, but... I have no intention of submitting to a human. If that moment ever comes, I'll bite my tongue and die.

-I'm only following you to protect my siblings.

Hatred, resentment, and a thirst for revenge toward humans. All those negative emotions. The venom that had filled her eyes. The girl had refused to let her guard down.

'I wondered how we'd ever get close at first...'

I mulled over the pointless thought. As I continued gently stroking her head, Irene suddenly moved and caught my wrist. I tilted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my head ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in question.

"Miss Irene?"

Maybe it bothered her. I was about to pull my hand away when—

"Hey."

"Yes?"

"Instead of my hair... you can touch my ears if you want."

The fox spoke with a perfectly blank expression. Then she guided my hand and placed it directly onto one of her perked ears. A soft, plush sensation met my fingertips.

"You've been avoiding them this whole time. It looked uncomfortable."

"Is this really okay?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Hmm."

I tilted my head in confusion. I'd tried to touch them a few times before, only to be rejected. She would let me touch her tail with mild annoyance, but the ears atop her head had always been strictly off-limits. Her reaction had been one of genuine dislike. There was no way I could force it. I'd more or less given up, so I never expected her to suddenly allow it.

-From now on, a lot of things will change.

-We will be the only one for each other.

-I'll be counting on you.

The conversation from last night replayed in my mind. Perhaps the promise we'd made then had become the turning point. Maybe enough trust had built up that she was finally willing to allow it. I smiled softly.

'Yeah... I just needed to approach her slowly.'

Taming was always like that. It required patience. Even when sitting a little apart in the grass, without speaking, stealing glances, breathing in the awkward air and scent, becoming conscious of the other's presence—that was how you drew closer, little by little, day by day. And when you finally reached out after such painstaking resolve, the other would no longer run away, as if answering the time you'd invested. Perhaps this was one of those moments for me.

"Then I won't hold back."

With a delighted heart, I began to gently caress the girl's ear. It was incredibly thin yet plush, and the way it softly crumpled under my touch was addictive. A faint warmth traveled through my fingertips. The fox, still nestled in my arms, shivered slightly.

"Ugh, haa... hn."

Her breathing had grown strangely rough. Her cheeks were now flushed red. Even the focus in her eyes had turned hazy and distant. Had I pressed too hard? Worried, I asked, but she only said it was fine. The girl buried her face against me and let out heated breaths.

"Don't... worry about it... ngh, it's nothing."

"Can I keep going?"

"······Yeah."

The girl nodded. I relaxed the pressure in my hand and began to stroke the delicate curves of her ear more lightly, almost like a caress. The sounds of her breathing gradually filled the quiet room.

"Hngh... ngh, haa..."

The air grew thick with the scent of her body. Our limbs remained tangled together. Our body heat mingled stickily. We stayed lying in bed like that, letting a little more time slip away.

It was a slightly late morning. We were preparing to return to the field trip.

Standing on the open deck, letting the sea breeze wash over us, a sudden burst of blue sparks erupted in the air.

Crackle—!

The glittering light quickly formed a circle. Space twisted, creating a contradiction that pierced through distance. A portal created by ability. From within the shimmering shadow, the one who stepped out was none other than Lena.

Her long black hair fluttered. The moment the woman met my eyes, she immediately dropped to one knee.

"Commander. I came as soon as I received your summons."

"Thank you for coming so quickly. We don't have much time, so I'll start with a quick summary of the situation."

"Understood."

Lena had flown over the instant she received the message. I calmly summarized the events. The woman listened quietly, then nodded as if she understood.

"You want me to handle the cleanup of this vessel. The two of you will be returning to the academy's schedule, correct?"

"The field trip isn't over yet."

"I'll open a return portal for you as well. Since I have memories of visiting Heiron before, I should be able to take you to a more precise location."

"You truly are a capable subordinate."

As expected, having her around was reassuring. In the original story, she had been an incredibly troublesome enemy, but now that she was on our side, she proved useful in countless ways. Her loyalty was especially appealing. It was worth saving her from starving to death on the streets. A satisfied smile spread across my lips.

"I'll trust you to handle the finer details."

"After erasing all records left on the ship, I'll call in technicians to refurbish it. Given its excellent base performance, it should become a valuable asset."

"Good."

"As for those who were captured as illegal slaves... like we did in Belzen last time, I'll first transport them to a hospital to assess their condition. Once their identities are confirmed, I will release them as free individuals."

"Handle them with care. They've suffered unreasonable pain."

"I will do everything possible to ensure their comfort."

Our conversation organized the complicated procedures. Once the general flow was settled, I lowered my voice and brought up a new topic. It was about the troublesome connection we'd encountered a few days ago.

"As I mentioned earlier, the situation is quite complicated."

"Since Bulmyeong... the First Sword has made a move, it seems safe to assume the Lord's will is involved. We will investigate why they suddenly became active."

"Make sure the Lord's name doesn't reach the vice-commander's ears. It seems it would shake her considerably."

"I will keep it in mind."

Was it because of the mention of Neria? The woman nodded with a somber expression. I offered a bitter smile and asked about a question that had just occurred to me.

"Now that I think about it... the vice-commander didn't come with you?"

"She is currently away."

"Hmm?"

"She was dispatched near the border. A report came in that traces of black magic were discovered in that area."

"That region has been unusually noisy lately."

"The black mages have been acting strangely recently."

"Oh dear~ Does that mean everyone's getting rowdy? We'll need to start preparing ourselves soon as well."

"I will inform the members separately."

"Once my schedule is finished, I'll join you right away."

"Understood."

Lena answered with crisp discipline. I patted her shoulder a few times, then turned and stepped across the deck. Since the explanation was over, it was time to head back. Irene had already approached and was standing beside me. When I gave her a light nod, the woman reached into the air and created another portal that pierced through space. This time, it led to the hotel building.

"I'll take my leave here."

"I will wait for you, Commander."

"Those are pleasant words."

"Everything shall be as you wish."

The woman knelt on one knee and murmured. Her head bowed in reverence. Leaving behind the loyal subordinate who saw us off with such sincerity, we stepped toward the portal swirling with sparks. The moment our feet crossed the shadow—

Crackle—!

We were standing in front of the building.

We naturally returned to our lodging. Although we had been away from the trip for a full three days, there were no particular problems. Selena had agreed to handle our attendance. Thanks to that, we were able to enjoy the remaining schedule without worry.

"You!"

"Y-Young Master...?"

Of course, we had to endure some questioning from those close to us. We had promised to explore together, yet I had disappeared for several days. I smiled awkwardly.

"Haha... I have no excuse."

The two girls standing before me were the villainess and the protagonist.

"You. Where have you been for the past few days?"

"I-I was worried... You weren't in your room, and I looked everywhere, but no one knew where you'd gone, and I thought maybe something had happened to you..."

"Even if we ignore the school rules... disappearing suddenly is alarming! What exactly were you doing for three whole days?"

"S-Still, I'm glad. You said nothing serious happened."

The two greeted the boy with very different reactions. It seemed I'd made them worry. I recited the lie I had prepared.

"I'm sorry. Professor Selena asked me for a favor. I had to go somewhere briefly. I didn't expect it to take this long."

"I-I'm fine... I was just worried, that's all."

"Thank you for understanding, Miss Legia."

"······I'm not particularly angry either. It would've been nice if you'd at least said something before leaving."

"I will make sure to do so next time, My Lady."

The children accepted it once Selena's name was mentioned. As expected, holding the position of head assistant professor made it easy to escape these situations using the "responsible professor" card.

"Let's move together starting today."

"You do know today is the last day of the field trip... right?"

"Then we should hurry even more."

"Th-The wind is nice, so walking along the beach might be good...!"

"Sounds good. Let's go."

"Y-Yes!"

"Haa..."

The puppet, the narcissist, the snake, and the fox. The children all walked out of the lodging together. Whoooosh—. As we walked with the blowing wind, the sensation beneath our feet soon changed to sand. The sea, blue like the sky itself.

"Wonderful weather."

The children enjoyed the final day of their vacation like that.