To be held in Lloyd's arms, to feed her medicine, and to take care of her with sincerity.
'Is it a dream?'
It must be a dream.
Where does the dream start?
'It doesn't seem like a dream until I overheard Lloyd and Vincent's conversation.'
Then it seems like a dream after that.
Aria stretched out and looked around.
At the same time, the black eyes met hers.
"You're up."
Lloyd was right in front of her, pressing his forehead with a tired look on his face.
Aria rolled her eyes as she lowered the arm that was outstretched up above her.
She felt embarrassed because she dreamed of being cared for by him.
– Hi.
Without realizing it, she reflexively greeted him.
The boy raised his eyebrows silently.
And after being silent for a long time, he said in a voice that was slightly submerged because it was morning.
"Hi."
It became even more awkward after they finished greeting each other awkwardly like someone who had met for the first time.
– When did you come?
Aria flapped her lips.
Then she paused for a moment, with Lloyd frowning at her, and he replied a beat late.
"… just now."
It was a dream too.
'Well, it's not that Lloyd doesn't have a thing to do, he'll be busy with his successor class, and he can't care for me all night."
Then, she thought Vincent had stopped by from time to time to check her condition.
Aria nodded her head, drawing a reasonable conclusion inside.
– How long have I been sick?
"A week."
Is that so?
'Somehow, from the moment I got up, my body was droopy and I had no energy.'
She was so starved that she swept her stomach, when she couldn't even feel hunger now.
Then she glanced at Lloyd's complexion.
His condition looks very bad.
She doesn't know if he was so busy with work these days that he hasn't slept properly, but it seems like his nerves are sharp.
Even under his eyes, it was black.
– You look tired.
"Anyone who stays up all week long…"
Lloyd continued his words, but then he suddenly stopped, stiffened, and shut his mouth.
Then Dana appeared and broke the silence .
"I brought a meal… Hyuk!"
Dana looked at the awake Aria and hardened as a stone as she opened her mouth.
It was like seeing Medusa, a monster in myths.
Aria realized it too late that she had taken off her mask.
'Ah.'
She had a sad expression on her face.
Lloyd was so consistent in putting on and taking off her mask so she forgot.
In her previous life, she had seen how others reacted when she showed her bare face. She felt a little sad at the thought that Dana might not be smiling like before. But Aria had no intention of wearing the mask again.
'Because Lloyd didn't reject me.'
No, it'd be right to say he didn't care what she looked like. Thanks to that, it felt like her mind was pierced and she was refreshed. Aria felt like she had escaped from the shadows of the past that had been following her the whole time.
However, Dana's reaction afterward was unexpected.
"Where did the Lord bring you such a lovely fairy?"
"….."
Maybe this is making fun of her?
Aria thought seriously. But no matter how she looked at it, it wasn't the tone of mockering. Because Dana looked really happy.
"Now you can sleep well without the rabbit mask friend!"
She slept well from the beginning.
Dana looked at Aria and blushed her cheeks as if enchanted as she kissed her on the forehead.
'…her lips touched.'
At first she thought it was soft.
'Strange. I've never felt this way before.'
When Aria was a Siren, she received many kisses. Because everyone was so anxious that they could kiss the back of her hand or the back of her foot. But Aria only felt creepy sensations as if worms were crawling around.
It was unlike this tickle that reaches her heart. Aria clasped her forehead with both her hands. She was realizing why Lloyd had rubbed his cheek after brushing against her lips.
"Hoho."
Dana laughed as Aria was being adorable.
"…you're not really a fairy, are you."
It was a small mumble. It was also something she would never hear being said to her.
But Aria shrugged her shoulders and turned her head. And her eyes met Lloyd, who was leaning against the window sill.
"…"
As if observing her, the obsidian-like eyes staring at her widened slightly in surprise. They averted their gaze at the same time.
"Oh my."
Dana looked at the two of them alternately and burst into an exclamation that they did not understand the meaning.
Lloyd threw a blunt word to Dana, who was smiling wide.
"What."
"Hoo, it's nothing."
"She's got a weird habit because you're constantly fiddling around without hesitation."
"Oh, what's the habit?"
"….."
Lloyd fixed his gaze out of the window, annoyed till the back of his head, and then abruptly turned his head away.
And with eyes squinted in suspicion, he gently flapped his lips.
"You heard me."
Aria shook her head.
"I think you heard."
Aria shook her head and crossed her arms to make a cross.
"Oh my, did the rabbit hear it too?"
No, how did he figure that out?
She was in a cold sweat.
The gap between Lloyd's eyes, who stared at her tenaciously, gradually narrowed and his brows began to wrinkle little by little.
'You're doubting me...'
However, what had already happened was unavoidable.
Instead of acting suspiciously, Aria tilted her head with an innocent expression on her face. And she smiled faintly as she looked at the flowering tree outside the window.
[Because the flowers are pretty.]
Out of her old bag, she pulled out the card that she had shown Dana before. It's as if Lloyd wasn't listening, he was just staring at the flowers outside the window.
"…"
And she smiled once more at the silent boy. Then he nodded his head.
"Alright."
"…"
"Have a meal."
Aria nodded her head. Lloyd made sure she was awake, so he returned as if with no regrets.
No, he was going back.
Clink-
If Aria had just not picked up the spoon improperly and dropped it.
'Oh.'
Aria stared at her trembling fingertips in trouble because of the lack of strength. Because she was starving the whole time she was sick, her body did not have any energy.
"…"
Lloyd let out a sigh.
Then he dragged the chair and sat in front of her, was handed a new spoon from the servant, and picked up the bowl of soup.
"Ah– come on."
It was an order, no, it was a threat. He kept calling her a bunny, and it seemed like he was really feeding the bunny.
Aria stared at Lloyd's face and the outstretched spoon that he held by himself alternately. She was flustered.
She was more embarrassed than that.
'I keep thinking of my dreams….'
The dream of her being held in Lloyd's arms like a child, and taking her medicine, kept tickling her mind.
"Open your mouth."
The way he talked was the same.
It was around the time when she thought that her dream reflected reality very well.
Dana carefully pointed out his actions.
"Grand Prince, be a little kinder."
"I'm kinder now than ever."
Lloyd raised his eyebrows, perhaps if Dana was asking for more here.
Is this the kindest he can do?
'Well, I wonder if the Grand Prince has ever given food to others in his lifetime.'
Aria suddenly remembered when Lloyd gave her the bath. An expressionless face and a more blunt tone than that. But even though it was clumsy, the consideration was clearly felt.
Without realizing it, the corners of her lips rose.
"Why are you laughing."
He asked with a sullen face.
'Because it's cute.'
Aria thought so, but never spit it out of her mouth.
"You seem to be having unpleasant thoughts."
Lloyd muttered suspiciously. Aria pretended not to understand, and she put her hand on his. For a young age, his big, rough hands trembled.
"What are you doing?"
No, just.
She always thought he was blunt and rough, but in fact, she thought maybe he just didn't know how.
Aria opened her lips.
– Just so you know.
"What."
– Act as oneself says?
Lloyd frowned.
He looked like he had no idea what Aria was trying to do.
"Let go. It'll hurt you."
However, it was difficult for him to shake off Aria's hand.
Because his hands were trembling uncomfortably.
While considering what to do, Aria brought the boy's hand to her mouth with a spoon.
"What…."
With her other hand she placed her hair behind her ear, her eyes half closed and then raised up.
And their gaze met.
A smile formed on her lips as the soft soup seemed to warm her stomach.
– I want you to do it like this.
"…"
– Because Lloyd is kind.
She called her by his own name, but would it be okay?
Aria looked at Lloyd's reaction.
"….."
The boy, who had been silent for a moment, avoided her gaze at an angle, frowned, then scooped out the soup again and offered it out.
He's definitely a bit more kind than before.