The next time Julius regained a semblance of consciousness, he had already been transferred into a bed.

His whole body was burning. He assumed it was the extreme hotness that woke him up, for better or for worse.

The witch was beside him, making quick work of his attire.

Despite the fact that he could no longer feel anything from top to bottom, the sight of her still caused him to recoil.

After successfully getting rid of his mantle and coat, the witch immediately spread his shirt open.

As she took in the sight of his exposed self, the witch smiled widely.

She seemed to be saying something, but the sound his ears received was choppy at best.

His waning vision and wavering mind were the only reliable aspects of his person as of the present.

 “...—intact, I’m glad—!”

Unable to produce or even receive voice, his mind drifted for a bit.

When she made quick work of that male guest, he wondered if she was wearing that kind of smile, too.

The memory of that unconscious man, the witch’s recent victim, revived both the resentment and anger within him.

The witch had to be stopped at all cost.

For that, he mustn’t forget who was standing before him no matter what.

Regardless of how advanced the bewitchment spell was, regardless of how low the chance of prevailing against it was—he absolutely had to remember!

With his sheer will as his sole weapon, the knight templar forced his eyes wide open.

He proceeded to commit every inch of her into his memory, every single nook and cranny—

—I have to remember!

I have to sear it within my entire being; the horridness of this insolent, immoral, monster!!!

Therefore, later, I could—!

However, the witch’s words, which failed to be hampered by the ringing of his ears, caused the reality to dawn upon him.

“It’s alright, Julius. It’ll be over soon.”

The ‘later’ he was referring to might never come.

“...—no!!”

“Julius, calm down...”

“Unhand me!!”

“You’ll only injure yourself if this goes on...”

“Stay away!!”

He started to flail around like a mad person.

His tongue, numb as it was, spouted endless refusals.

The importance of staying calm, the significance of observing his surroundings, the need to determine his situation—as the shadow of Death loomed over him, he abandoned all those notions.

At that point, he was but someone in death throes.

His limbs were heavy like lead, while his mind was light as a feather.

“W, what are you going to do to me...?”

Try as much as he could, he could barely form a sentence. His ears were ringing—it felt as if his head would explode. His current state rendered him helpless at fending off the impending doom.

Regardless, he just wasn’t one to give up.

With what was left of his strength, he kicked and trashed as much as he could—to no avail.

His relentless, pointless, attempt at escaping only caused the bed to creak violently under him.

His blurring vision caught the silhouette of the woman making her way to him.

As the last resort, he screamed towards the woman—

“—Anicca!”

There was a blinding light.

As his vision was dyed in white, there was a loud crashing sound, accompanied by the sounds of a few things tumbling down all at once.

All he could do was wait until everything subsided in utter shock.

Once it did, the witch was no longer in her former position, but instead at the far-left side of the room.

She seemed to have flown there, and crashed on the drawer, causing all the small implements on top of it to rain down upon her.

The witch herself lay still on the ground with her back facing upward.

...What just happened?

But Julius quickly regained his bearings.

...More importantly, I need to escape!

 Nevertheless, he was quickly reminded of his own predicament.

After some meaningless struggles, he was forced to bear witness to the reawakening of his captor.

“Ugh...”

It took the witch considerable effort to just prop herself up. Both of her shoulders and knees, which she used to steady herself on the ground, seemed about to give out at any moment.

The moment the witch lifted her head from the ground, blood started to dribble on the ground. It seemed that she had hit her nose on impact.

The incessant, crimson, flow showed no sign of ending.

The mere sight of it was enough to fill anyone with dread.

“—Ani, cca...”

To the point he beckoned to the witch without realizing.

As the witch turned towards him, he expected her to either be angry, or laugh at his failed attempt to escape.

Instead, she said something unexpected.

“...You went, and triggered the contract, it seems...”

The witch remarked with a hint of helplessness. She tried to stop her nosebleed with her sleeve, which soon became red.

...Contract?

It took him a moment to realize what she meant.

The thing, that is supposed to be a sham—?

“...I, triggered the contract?”

Parroting the witch like some buffoon was all he could do amidst his bafflement.

The witch, through tremendous effort, had shifted into a sitting position.

“I promised to never harm you, remember?” Despite the fact that half of her face was concealed with her sleeve, he somehow knew that she was showing a carefree smile. “Whenever you feel threatened by me, all the magic inside the contract shall be unleashed upon me. That day, I imbued the contract with every ounce of my magic.”

“B-but, that’s...”

Anyone would die if they were to receive magic in such a way. In fact, it was quite similar to the time when he rigged his own seal, with the only difference being she was the only target.

As if she had guessed his thought, the witch answered with a laugh.

“I would’ve, if I didn’t cast a barrier during the last minute. After all, now isn’t the time to die.”

“...Are you mad!?”

“Now isn’t the time to fuss about such trivialities, either. Julius, we have to quickly remove the bewitchment spell from you!”

...What is she talking about—?

Her hair was unkempt. Her clothes were ragged. From time to time, blood still dripped from her nose.

In such a brief period of time, the girl had managed to end up in an even more grievous state than him, and yet—

 “—Allow me to absorb it from you, Julius! I promise that afterwards, you’ll feel as good as new!”

—he was all she ever thought about.

On the other hand—

‘—Absorb’?

As soon as his recollections of that evening returned, somewhere within his mind, a connection had been established.

By that... does she mean...?

Then, that unconscious man from before... instead of being assailed by her, is it the opposite—?

The same goes for me...

...She’s just trying to help—

—If it’s so... what am I doing?

—No, considering everything I’ve done...

The evidence was all there. They were all linked together, forming a clear picture of what truly happened.

Julius just refused to believe it.

“...You’re joking, right?”

“No, I’m most assuredly not.”

Considering everything he had done, there was no way anyone, much else a witch, would lend him a hand.

“You’re a witch—!”

 “I am. But does that mean I’m not allowed to help you...?”

Or, at least, not without a price.

“What would you gain from this—!?”

“Your recovery will be more than enough.”

The entire time he derided her, he didn’t dare meet her eyes.

However, it was getting difficult to avoid her gaze, especially when she was already kneeling right beside him.

“I... I’ve been nothing but terrible to you...”

“Since witches are prone to misdeed, it’s only natural for you to be defensive in the presence of one. Also, ‘you’ve been nothing but terrible to me’? You’re exaggerating. Admiring the late count’s travelogue with you is the most fun I’ve ever had in a while. Of course, that isn’t the only instance.”

...!

When Julius inadvertently laid his eyes upon her face, he could know instantly—

—that what she said was the whole truth.

Yet, despite everything, he still struggled to accept it.

It seemed that after a passage of time, there was something within him that had lost its capability to accept kindness as it was, since betrayal was something that to him was inevitable.

Still—

“...How?”

“Yes?”

“...How can I trust you, then?”

The witch—Anicca—who seemed to have all the answers to his queries, responded in all earnest.

“—You don’t need to.”

“...Huh?”

Anicca took his hand and firmly held it within both of her palms.

“Whenever you feel threatened, all you need to do is wish me away. I have little to no magic left, as such, I will probably die for sure.”

That’s... as if—

—Confirming his thought, Anicca said while staring straight into his eyes.

“I’m putting my life in the line to save you.”

Her eyes, as dark as the night sky, carried within them the resolve that was as brilliant as countless gleaming stars.

Why?

“But, why...? Why are you doing this...?”

It felt as if he had been repeating the same question for eternity.

“If I have to let someone else die despite the fact that I can prevent it, then I’d gladly choose death.”

Despite her clobbered state—despite her disheveled appearance—

—as of the present, kneeling before him wasn’t a witch, or a victim of an accident.

In his life, he never felt more certain.

That the girl’s unyielding expression, which was full of a sense of duty and obligation, would be seared into his memory.

“Julius, won’t you let me help you?”

“...A, alright, uh...”

His response should be as resolute as her pledge—

—and yet, his throat felt dry, while his face was heating up. It was getting difficult to maintain eye contact with her for some reason...

“J, Julius!? Did your fever return?! Please lay down right away!!”

[]

“...It’s true...”

Julius, who was currently lying on the bed underneath the blanket, remarked in awe.

Magic, in the form of translucent, green, briar, flowed into her. At times, it’d feel as prickly as an actual thorn. As time passed, the number of stems within the briar lessened.

Because he was facing towards her, Ame could clearly see the astonishment in his face.

“Right, right...?” She smirked while still holding one of his hands.

“It’s as if... a fog has been lifted from my mind.” After all was said and done, the blond-haired man sat up, probably finding it easier to move his body.

“Uh-huh! Now, a ‘thank you’ would be ni—vvhat dhe hell ar you duin?!”

The first thing Julius did after recovering was to pinch her nose. Hard.

“...Your nose is bleeding.”

The unmistakable concern in his voice caused the witch to stop resisting for a moment.

“...Whell, yeah! Vut I khen reghenereid, right?!”

“Then, why isn’t it healing?”

After some struggle, Ame managed to remove his hand.

“Cause’ I don’t have any magic left!”

That night was hellish.

Figuratively speaking, if her magic at its fullest was ten, sapping that belligerent spell out of the man took about three, while the advanced teleportation spell took about six. The following events that happened afterward left her at negative fifteen.

What? The number didn’t add up?

Well, that was because she had to compensate for her lack of magic with her own stamina!

...Ugh, just thinking about it makes me want to die...

...Not to mention, even though I didn’t suck it with my mouth, I can still feel the honey-charcoal...

...Someone save me...

“...nicca—! Anicca—!”

At the desperate voice beckoning for her, Ame’s eyes fluttered open.

Above her, Julius’ worried expression could be seen.

“S, sorry, it seems that I drifted off for a bit, there...”

“Your face is awfully pale...!”

That was to be expected. She felt that she’d faint at any moment.

Ah, but that’d be bad. After all, the knight templar needed to rest.

The witch decided if she were to faint, she’d at least do it in the courtesy of her own room.

“I’m going back to my room, alright...?” Ame staggered to her feet, and wobbled towards the door.

“No—!”

Soon after, there was a loud, clambering, noise. Before she could touch the doorknob, a pair of sturdy arms enfolded her.

“Julius—!?” Ame let out a scream.

Immediately, she was encased with warmth. Not to mention, both her head and back were leaning on something soft, yet firm.

“...Don’t go.” Julius whispered to her ear, almost pleading.

“...Why?”

“That’s—...”

When asked for the reason, he tensed up.

“What’s out there?”

“Y, you just can’t...”

In contrast to his faltering voice, his grip had strengthened.

“Is there something in my room?”

“...I’ll explain everything to you tomorrow, but please, stay here tonight...”

Ame turned around. Julius’ expression, ridden with consternation, came into view. For some reason, there was a mixture of guilt and fear in his eyes.

...What’s wrong with him?

The fact that he looked about to cry stunned her for a moment.

But then, she found out.

“W-why is your shirt still open—!?”

That’s what’s wrong with this guy!!!

He’s sick!! What is he thinking!?

Almost instantly, his oh, so, so good smell pervaded her nostril.

...Oh, lord...

“...Before I could do anything about it, you pushed me down and covered me with a blanket, so...”

Because her mind was amess, she could barely understand his words. She was sure it didn’t contain even an inch of sarcasm, at the very least...

...Thus, an idea popped into her mind.

She had vague inklings as to why he prevented her from returning to her room.

Nevertheless, she had a surefire way to ensure her freedom—!

“...You say that, but aren’t you worried that I might eat you up?”

“I don’t mind.”

Julius answered without a second thought.

“But you should—!!”

The rest of the witch’s words were cut off as the knight templar began to squeeze her tight.

H, hold on, why is he pressing me to his body—!?

At this rate, I’d end up inhaling his scent because there’s simply nothing else I can do—!!

Faintly, she could hear his words.

“...You have done a lot for me. Therefore, I’d like to repay you. If by doing so, I could ease your burden, then I’ll happily oblige...”

...He... he actually means it—!!

W, which means...

...No!! I’m not planning to make a habit out of this!!

“I, I can’t...”

“I know how unreasonable my request is. What if we look at it this way? You can treat it as compensation. If that’s what it takes to make you stay—”

“—I got it, I got it already!! Fine!! I will stay, but stop tempting me, lest I do the unthinkable—!!”

[]

“Tell me if it hurts.”

“W-wait, hold on!”

Intending to clean her bloody nose, Julius extended a damp fabric towards her face. As of the present, they were sitting on top of the bed. He had used the water from the pitcher on the shelf right beside it.

However, Ame immediately stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

“What’s wrong?”

“But it’s your handkerchief!!”

“So?”

“It will get soiled...”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Not only were they sitting right next to each other, Julius was also leaning towards her. Just by looking at his clear, silver, eyes, she could grasp his sincerity.

Ame wondered why he was being so kind.

It was funny, really.

Until a while ago, the knight templar used to be the one who repeated that exact question to her.

“...Or, are you planning on sleeping as it is?” Julius asked with a hint of amusement.

“N-no...”

Being honest, it felt awful. Not only was her face caked with dried blood, clumps of hair also clung to it due to sweat. The knight templar’s help was actually very welcome.

“Then, be good.” As he said that, Julius showed a victorious smile.

...Normally, she’d find that smile annoying. But, as of the present, she couldn’t help but admire it. Due to the close proximity, Ame felt as if she was directly gazing at the sun. At the same time, she also noticed some small tidbits.

...He looks cute when his eyes are narrowed like that.

Then, the witch let him clean her face.

Although he told her to speak up whenever she felt hurt, the gentleness of his caress made it impossible for such a scenario to occur.

“Done.”

Julius announced satisfactorily—even though she was the one getting her face cleaned.

...Certainly, my face feels lighter than before!

Feeling refreshed, Ame happily thanked Julius.

“Thank you, Julius! I will surely sleep well tonight!”

“T-that’s good to hear.”

The usually calm Julius was tongue-tied for some reason. He hadn’t only averted his gaze, but also concealed the lower half of his face with his hand.

Because of that, his handkerchief was brought into her view. The whiteness of the handkerchief had been stained with both her blood and sweat.

Just to ensure that she had a good night's sleep, that handkerchief had gone through a lot.

I, I’m sorry...! I will surely wash you tomorrow...!

“But...”

Although the problem with her face had been addressed, there was another issue.

Ame lowered her gaze towards her attire... which was in shambles.

There were some torn parts, and her sleeve was also drenched with blood.

“I guess I will get changed...”

At the mention of getting changed, aka going back to her room, Julius immediately turned towards her. His gaze had sharpened immensely. The knight templar looked ready to take all the necessary actions to prevent her from stepping a foot outside.

“...Or not.”

That’s no good, it seems...

She couldn’t help but feel more curious.

“Seriously, what’s outside...?”

“...Tell me the location. I shall fetch it for you.”

Julius deliberately avoided answering her question.

Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind.

...Judging from how he reacted during a certain ‘incident’ that afternoon.

“...I feel sweaty, as I thought, I also have to change my underwear.”

...There—!! How are you going to respond to that—!?

At the mention of a certain tidbit, the knight templar tensed up as expected.

But he wouldn’t be called Julius without his unyieldingness.

“...I shall fetch them.”

Despite the fact that his tone was no longer as firm as before, Julius still insisted upon carrying it out.

Fine! If that’s how it’s going to be! Just don’t come back crying ‘shameless’ this and ‘shameless’ that later!

After Ame had instructed Julius where to find them, she was left alone inside his room.

Of course, she doubted Julius would actually come back crying.

Thus, a few moments later, the knight templar returned, having fulfilled his duty.

She was truly proud of him.

As he transferred the items to her hands, he refused to meet her gaze.

B-but how am I supposed to commemorate this moment...!?

Julius was obstinately looking at the ground. As a result, his golden bangs obstructed his expression. However, his ears, which peeked out of his side bangs, showed a hint of red.

Ame suddenly got an idea.

“Good job.”

She extended her hand, and started to pat his head. Although she was genuinely grateful to him, her action was also tinted with jest.

As always, his hair was silky, it felt like a fluffy coat of an animal.

Ame half-expected a tornado to be conjured amidst the room. However, until the moment she retracted her hand in puzzlement, nothing happened.

“You should prepare for bed.”

Even Julius, who stood up and corrected his posture, acted like nothing had taken place.

“...Right.” Ame started unbuttoning her shirt.

“W-wait!!”

The knight templar, who seemed keen on looking at the other side of the room until a few seconds ago, reacted strongly towards that.

The knight templar’s response was misplaced as always.

“What’s wrong?”

“You should’ve waited until I’ve left the room!”

After he said that, Julius immediately tried to leave.

“Hold it.” Ame rushed to his side. “Where do you think you are going?”

Julius answered in bewilderment. “‘Where’, you ask... Shouldn’t it be obvious? After this, you should go straight to bed. I will make use of the vacant sofa at the drawing room.”

“Denied.”

“I’m not asking for your permission!”

“I know.”

Which was why she started latching unto him.

“A, Anicca? Stop this, you’re being unreasonable...!”

As they grappled against each other, the witch monologued to herself.

“Who are you calling unreasonable? I’m now a prisoner of my own house, for a reason a certain someone insists on withholding from me.”

“...!”

His resistance had ceased slightly.

“Since you already promised to explain everything tomorrow, I won’t bring it up again. But, for you to be able to roam freely in this house while I can’t—that’s just plain unfair.”

At the same time, her grip upon him had only tightened.

“W, what are you getting at...?”

Julius asked in an exasperated manner. He sounded breathless—perhaps due to the struggle.

“Either you stay here with me, or the two of us can walk through that door together.”

[]

There was a window on the ceiling of the room, allowing the moon to cast its light inside.

Beneath such a window, a man was basking amidst the moonlight.

While sitting on top of the pure white bed, one of his legs was folded, while the other was outstretched. Clutched within his hand, was a book. As his pair of silver eyes downed its content, a lock of gold fell on his cheek.

What a picturesque sight it was—

—to the point one wouldn’t even think of disturbing it, lest the illusion faded away.

“Julius, what are you reading?”

Too bad, the witch wasn’t one such person, per se.

When Ame cheerfully hopped to his side, Julius didn’t attempt to shield the book from her view. As such, she could see that it was some kind of...

“‘A story of a wonderful journey based on Eastern folklore...’?”

While Ame could totally see Julius immersing himself in folklores, an adventure book, on the other hand...

“At that time, my curiosity was piqued by the Eastern folks, and this is the only book I could find that matched that—do you have any problem?”

“Ah, no...”

“Also, why haven’t you changed, yet?”

She could feel him boring a hole into her.

“Well... I was curious what could’ve gotten you so serious, so... like, you don’t even have eyes for your surroundings anymore—”

“—No way, you aren’t saying—!?”

Julius was shocked and even withdrew for some reason.

“Even if you are a witch, you still have to possess some self-respect! This act of depravity will only lead you astray!”

“???”

Julius started talking like one of those old geezers who’d usually preach inside the church during Sunday morning...

“I can still stomach the idea of spending the night in the same room with you, but to watch as you get changed—!”

“Wait, who’s watching who’s getting changed...?”

Julius looked bewildered, and the witch was even more so.

“But, weren’t you...!”

“...What?”

“I, it’s nothing! Just get changed, already!”

Julius sat back down on the bed. However, his back was turned towards her.

“Alright...?”

The witch went to the corner of the room to change into her sleepwear.

The rustling of her clothes and the sounds of pages being flipped from time to time were the only things she could hear.

It’s quiet... too quiet...

Thus, Ame decided to start a conversation.

“I must say, I’m really glad you offered to fetch me my clothes. Not to mention, you picked the correct bunch, too.”

“...Hmm.” Julius answered in a noncommittal manner.

Oh, well, the other party was busy pouring into a book, so it couldn’t be helped.

“Albeit there are many options to choose from, I always stick to this one because it has pants! The one with the skirt is really uncomfortable because it’ll ride up my cro—”

“...I’m trying to read here.”

As he said that, Julius glanced at her over his shoulder. He looked ready to pop a vein.

“I, I’m sorry...”

Right. She had forgotten that he was a man of few words.

Sighing, Ame changed her attire amidst the quietness of the room.

[]

“I’m all set!”

After she had finished changing, Ame plopped down right beside Julius.

Julius, who was surprised, turned to look at her.

“Have you finished reading, yet? I mean, you were so focused...” Ame, who was more interested in the progress he had made, peeked into his book.

...Huh?

Why, if it wasn’t the same page from before.

Judging from the many flipping sounds she had previously heard, she truly believed he had at least finished about a quarter of the book.

Puzzled, Ame glanced at Julius...

...Only to realize that he was doing the same. Not glancing, per se, but glaring.

It didn’t seem that Julius had realized what he was doing, either.

“Julius...?”

Because when she called out to him, he seemed surprised.

“Ah, I... forgive me...”

“What are you apologizing for?”

“It’s nothing...” As he closed the book, Julius quickly turned around, but not before giving her a quick one over.

...Is a witch in pajamas such a strange sight?

The pajamas she was wearing consisted of a shirt and a pair of pants. They were both made with comfortable, and not-too-thick material. The shirt had butterfly sleeves, and a flowy ribbon on the back. Its hem was a bit long. At a first glance, it could very well be mistaken as a dress.

When she chose to wear that amongst the many sleepwears he had procured for her, he laughed at her taste, branding her as childish.

“It’s already this late, I’m getting drowsy...” Julius said while looking at the floor.

Ah. So, that’s why.

No wonder he couldn’t finish the book, then.

“Alright, let’s go to sleep.”

“...Yes.”

“Where are you going?”

Ame saw him attempting to get off the bed.

Julius showed an incredulous look, as if she had just asked him what color was the sky.

“...I’m going to sleep on the floor.”

“What are you talking about?” At that, Ame became alarmed. “A curse has just wreaked havoc in your body. You need to rest a lot, and definitely not on top of the cold floor!”

It was sensible advice, no matter how much she thought about it.

But Julius was adamant on not resting his case. He seemed agitated for some reason.

“Don’t you understand? The two of us sleeping on the same bed won’t do, either!”

Indeed.

While it was normal for soldiers to sleep side by side with each other, of course Julius—a knight templar—would have his reservations when the other party was a witch.

“Then, I’ll take the floor.” Right when Ame was about to jump off the bed on his stead, Julius stopped her.

“No! As if I could let a lady lay on the floor while I alone enjoy the warm bed!”

...Was she mistaken about something? Julius didn’t seem to have reservations because she was a witch, but more so because it conflicted with his conscience...

...In any case—

“—I also can’t let a victim like you spend the night on the floor, either. So, how about we share said warm bed together?”

“...You’re just trying to throw me for a loop. My answer remains unchanged.”

...Why does everything have to be difficult with him?

Due to their back-and-forth, what was left of her energy had bitten the dust. Not to mention, it made her head hurt, as well.

“...What’s wrong?”

Perhaps because she had grown quiet, Julius asked in a concerned tone. His voice had also become gentler.

She was curious as to what kind of expression he was currently making—

—unfortunately, her vision had grown out-of-focus. Thus, all she could see was a semblance of his face.

“...No, I just feel woozy all of the sudden.”

“It’s because of your lack of magic, isn’t it? I’m truly sorry, everything is because of me...”

Judging from his voice, he must have been sad.

As if the entire night hadn’t been harrowing enough for him, already.

It seemed that the knight templar wasn’t only hard to those around him, but also himself.

At that precise moment, Ame extended her hands towards, and pulled his face closer towards her.

Ah, there they are...

...His pair of silver eyes, which were as clear and as bright as a river on a fine afternoon. His ever-so-taut expression...

She could finally behold them more clearly.

“W, what are you—!?” Julius’ expression was dyed in surprise.

“Do you truly feel sorry?”

“I, I am...”

His silver eyes went in another direction but her gaze.

“But I’m not seeing it.”

“...Huh?”

“I mean, if you truly feel guilty about it, you’ll get off my back about this whole sleep arrangement thing, and just do what I said so I could rest.”

Julius looked startled for a moment. While he did look guilty, at the same time, it also seemed that he had made a decision.

“...I understand.”

“Good.”

After quietly saying so, Julius laid down on the other side of the bed. His side was close to the door, while her side was adjacent to the wall.

Finally...! My well-earned rest...!

If only her partner didn’t wear such a conflicting expression the entire time, though. It made her feel like she had committed a crime, even though it was just sleeping together.

If he despised the sight of the witch that much, then so be it!

After the witch had turned to face the wall, she could still feel his eyes on her back.

Regardless, his intense stare was less uncomfortable than her breathing, which became more difficult. Before long, her every breath was accompanied with a wheeze, which she tried her best to suppress.

It truly felt as if there was a dark cloud lurking inside her mind.

A moment later, a voice, coming from behind her, lifted some of those clouds.

“Is your body alright...?”

“Huh...? ...Yeah.”

“There’s no need for you to hide it. I can go fetch you some medicines in town.”

“No, I’ll be fine...”

...Eventually.

Her eyelids felt heavy.

“...You’re shivering.”

A blanket was draped on top of her body.

“Really? I feel hot, though...” While being inside the blanket, the witch started to flail her arm towards the direction of his voice. “You should wear it, otherwise you might catch a cold...”

As her vision was dyed in black, her hand only managed to reach a blank space.

In the end, all she did was cast aside the blanket.

At the precise moment she was about to retract her hand, a larger palm took it.

“Really, you’re such a handful.”

She could hear the knight templar remarking in amusement as he gently tucked her hand inside the blanket.

Then, Julius joined her side and made sure that the blanket covered her properly. Because of that, they were under such a close proximity, she could feel his body heat right on her back.

Although the blanket felt warm, the knight templar was the warmest of all. Moreover, he smelled nice.

As the witch got lost in the momentary bliss, she felt guilty for considering it as her reward after such a painstaking day.