A night without a sound.
Except for the hallway and Rosenta's room, the lights in all the rooms went out one by one.
That didn't mean Rosenta wasn't asleep.
He was asleep on the sofa with the lights on, fully dressed.
However, the door to Rosenta's room, which had been tightly closed, began to open slowly.
"You… … .”
It was Wolf, who had left the room earlier with a hazy expression that had made it seem as though he was on the brink of sleep.
But now he didn't look sleepy at all. Rather, he entered the room with purposeful steps.
Wolf took a seat on the table that was in front of the sofa.
All action ceased after that. He just watched the sleeping Rosenta.
For an instant, Wolf's eyes twinkled.
“So this is it.”
Wolf put his hand on Rosenta's ear.
The surrounding air shimmered.
Soon, the shimmer gradually subsided and Rosenta's appearance changed without her even knowing.
The thick jawline, cheekbones, neck, and shoulders that looked wider than an average woman’s had disappeared.
The person in front of him now was Rosenta, but not Rosenta.
It was the true form of Rosenta when all of the magic surrounding her was erased.
“It’s the same… yet."
In fact, Wolf already knew.
No matter how he looked at it, Rosenta looked like a girl in his eyes.
However, people called her 'Young Master'.
Child Wolf had been puzzled. That's why he once asked Hiorin why he called the Princess “Lord”.
Of course, he didn't get an answer.
Instead, his teacher, Hiorin’s face turned white and he handed him over to a wizard.
“What kind of emotion is this? It's completely different from my usual pulse."
After meeting his mage master, his mind was ruined and he became generally desensitized.
‘Is that really true?’
The only stimuli Wolf could experience were the excitement and euphoria of engaging in dangerous behavior.
It was at those times that his nerves became highly sensitized and he felt no different than an ordinary person.
“Strange, but not bad.”
But these days, Wolf felt a sense of intoxication with things that weren’t dangerous, things that would normally be boring.
“… … ‘Wolf’ is no good.”
‘I never thought being called 'Wolf' would be such an annoyance.’
He looked down at Rosenta, who was soundly asleep and touched his hair, which she had arranged.
It was more appreciable than usual and seemed to smell like something sweet.
Wolf rubbed his hair with his index finger and let out a faint exclamation.
"Oh!"
Suddenly, a deep smile appeared on his lips.
“I had a name. How would I feel if you were to call me that?”
A name had suddenly flashed through his mind.
However, in order to be called by that name, there was work to be done. Something to make Rosenta remember him.
‘How should I get her to call 'my name' first?’
There was also the option of telling her himself, but for some reason, he didn't like it.
He himself couldn't figure out why. But Wolf wanted to be recognized. And he insisted.
Wolf slowly stood up.
Then, he reached out to Rosenta and returned the magic tool he had stolen.
The magic was cast again.
After looking at ‘her’ for the last time, Wolf left the room with no hesitation.
Click.
As soon as the door closed, all the lights in Rosenta's room went out.
Thus, darkness finally came to Rosenta's room as well.
*
‘To think that I’m so tired even after a good night's sleep and a hearty meal.’
“Rozen, are you okay?”
"I’m fine."
He deliberately stretched out wide and smiled brightly at Vivian.
The sleeping arrangements were uncomfortable.
However, there had been an argument with Duke Gray during breakfast over the location of the sandstorm.
Actually, there was no need to ask about its location. But it was necessary to lay the groundwork.
If they went there at once, the duke would be very suspicious. That's why they needed an excuse.
As Rosenta kept repositioning his uncomfortable body, a knock was heard at the door.
Knock, knock.
Someone entered the room.
“Duke, everything is ready.”
Wolf, whom he hadn't heard from in a while, had finally returned to Rosenta’s room with word that everything was ready.
It was finally time to leave for the epicenter of the sandstorm.
He got up and tried to follow Wolf outside.
But Vivian's hand came out of nowhere and grabbed his.
“Vivian?”
Vivian looked at Wolf and whispered in Rosenta’s ear.
“Rozen, I’ve been curious since morning, why is Wolf’s hair like that?”
His eyes automatically fell on Wolf.
Since that morning, whenever he’d look at Wolf's head, Rosenta was speechless.
He had left it the way Rosenta had styled it the night before.
At first, he wondered what to say to Wolf.
But, in the end, he decided to just let it go.
It was a hairstyle that noble women would wear but it, somehow, matched Wolf quite well.
“I see what you mean.”
He couldn't explain that he was the one who’d styled it that way so he, naturally, changed the subject.
Fortunately, while Vivian looked at Wolf quizzically, she seemed to decide not to ask any more questions.
Rosenta quickly extended his arm to Vivian and escorted her out of the room.
They slowly walked outside.
“I’ve been awaiting your arrival.”
As they stepped outside, the attendants who had been waiting for them bowed their heads toward then.
But there was something else that caught Rosenta’s attention. It was a camel.
He began counting the camels, but no matter how many times he counted, there were only two.
‘Why are there only two? I'm sure you know there are four of us traveling.’
Wolf quickly realized Rosenta’s confusion and calmly explained.
“They said that the only things they could spare were two camels for the Duke and Vivian.”
‘No way.’
No matter how hyena-like that peacock was, how could he be so petty.
That said, there was no time to go argue with Duke Grey.
Time was running out and an unscheduled meeting would require a long wait.
He pursed his lips and began wringing his hair.
It looked like he would have to go with what was provided. He had no choice but to leave without Vivian and the attendant.
He quickly sorted his thoughts.
But before he could say anything, Wolf struck first.
“I'm the Duke's butler, so why don’t I ride with the Duke, and Lady Vivian's attendant can ride with Lady Vivian? It wouldn’t be right for us to ride a camel or just wait around for our guests.”
*
Vivian couldn't keep her eyes open because of the wind.
Suddenly, she resented her choice.
‘When Rosenta told me to wait at the palace, I should have listened.’
However, she stubbornly followed and could not go back now.
"Ugh."
For some reason, it felt like the sandstorm was getting stronger.
Vivian kept her eyes closed tightly. Then she suddenly became curious about Rosenta's condition.
She didn't hear any sounds coming from Rosenta. Even while Vivian herself screamed or made annoyed noises.
Vivian pulled her turban up under her eyes and cautiously turned her head.
"Oh."
She was surprised at how unrealistic the sight before her was; it was out of place with the current situation.
Rosenta was asleep.
He looked cozy, like he couldn’t even feel the sandstorm. He was leaning against Wolf's chest as Wolf steered the camel.
Then Vivian met Wolf's pale green eyes.
He raised the corners of his bright red lips to the fullest and brought his long index finger to his lips.
Seeing that, Vivian copied his actions like someone possessed.
“… … Shh."
*
“Rozen.”
He felt someone calling his name.
But he didn't want to open his eyes.
Maybe it's because he hadn’t been able to wash away all the tiredness of yesterday. Or did he not want to escape from the coziness that surrounded him?
“Rozen!”
He was finally awakened by a loud, deafening voice.
As he took a deep breath, his chest swelled to the fullest. In response, his eyes flashed open.
Little by little, he became aware of his surroundings.
The yellow winds were blowing so hard that they seemed to obscure his vision.
Vivian and her attendant could barely be seen, obscured by the strong, sand-filled wind.
Above all, a sand vortex that looked ten times larger than normal could be seen in the distance.
“Wolf!”
“Yes, did you call?”
He jumped at the sound of a voice that was so close, no, right next to his ear.
Then he felt something wrapped around his waist lending him more strength.
It was Wolf's arm.
“I can’t let my employer get hurt when I haven’t been paid yet.”
He was embarrassed, and the arm wrapped around his waist was awkward, so he stuttered.
“Thank you.”
It would be a lie if he said he wasn't conscious of it, but he pretended to be fine and looked around.
Then he noticed something strange.
“By the way, what about Vivian? ah… … .”
It was bizarre.
Not a single grain of sand flew in the direction where he and Wolf were. As if a transparent shield had been erected.
But Vivian's surroundings were different.
A sandstorm swarmed Vivien and her servant. As if trying to completely block their view.
He knew one person who would make this happen.
“Wolf, is this your doing?”
"Yes."
He didn't ask out of anger. Rather, he felt fortunate.
He had no choice but to bring Wolf die to the situation, but he was reluctant to let them witness Wolf getting rid of the sandstorm.
Anyone who saw that vast amount of mana and magic would not be able to help themselves and would talk about it.
That's because Wolf was a genius and a powerful mage.
So, if there was even the smallest of rumors about Wolf, there was a risk of getting involved with the wizards of the Mage Tower who were after him.
That was an extreme stipulation.
"Ah… … . Vivian!”
‘I was so distracted!’
Unlike Rosenta, who had already roughly grasped the situation, if Vivian were to suddenly encounter the vortex, she’d be terrified and surprised.
As soon as he realized that fact, he immediately shouted out loud.
“Vivian!”
“Huh, Rosen! What’s going on?"
"Wait a minute. Wait a minute! I'll deal with the sandstorm and be right back to get you!”
"Ugh… Alright!"
Hearing Vivian's answer, he looked forward again.
He couldn’t be heard by those who were being hit by the frantic sandstorm, but just in case, he spoke to Wolf with his voice lowered.
“Since when have you been using this magic?”
“Since the Duke fell asleep. It would have been strange to suddenly shield your view, so I slowly increased the intensity.”
Rosenta hadn’t even noticed this; he’d slept so soundly.
He scratched his cheek in embarrassment.
It seemed that Wolf had already completed the preliminary work, so it seemed that there was no need to do anything more.
Now all he had to do was calm the maelstrom and return to the capital.
“You remember my request, right? What I want you to do is dissipate that whirlwind.”
He pointed to the vortex.
No reply came from Wolf. Instead, he handed Rosenta the camel's lead that he had been holding.
At that moment, Rosenta felt the wall behind him suddenly disappear.
Naturally, his head turned.
Wolf, who got off the camel's back, was looking at him.
Blue magic power gushed out of his fingertips and Wolf swung it around without difficulty.
“Wentus.”
**************************
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