~Chapter 9~

“Ugh.”

Seeing her swallow her sobs and hold back tears reminded him of another familiar face—the girl who always put others first and brushed aside her own pain.

Maybe that’s why he couldn’t just watch. He had never involved himself this deeply in someone else’s problems before.

“Staying out here will only make you feel worse.”

The words slipped out before he knew it.
Lucian tilted the umbrella toward Luna, whose eyes were filled with tears.

How did I end up following this man all the way here?
I wanted to ask my past self what on earth she’d been thinking.

—“Let’s go.”

The hand he offered me without a moment’s hesitation.
The umbrella he leaned completely my way.
The cloak, still warm, that he draped over me as if hugging my sadness.
…And those red eyes that looked straight at me.

What am I thinking right now?
He must have had no hidden motive—he simply couldn’t overlook someone he knew. After all, he’s been nothing but kind.

He saved my life with no strings attached. He carried my fallen teammate back to the guild. And when I was humiliated there, he stepped in as if it were his own problem.

“I really have received a lot of help from him.”

How could I ever repay it all? I sighed and walked to the window.
It was still too early to sleep, and I didn’t have the nerve to relax in someone else’s house.

Swoosh—rain poured as if the sky had split open, and watching it calmed me. I’ve always liked rainy days.
I opened the window and reached out; the cold drops felt like they washed away today’s gloom and the mess in my head.

I slowly closed and opened my eyes; below lay a beautifully kept garden—wide, orderly, lovely.
Yet I felt lonely and empty.

“Huh?”

Something moved on a bench hidden behind a tree.
Pressing closer to the window, I saw someone sitting there.

It’s pouring—why no umbrella?
Black hair and a familiar build.
It had to be Lucian, the one who brought me here.

What’s he doing out there?
When I was in the rain, he scolded me and covered me with an umbrella…

I shook the thought away. This is his home; he can do as he likes.

“I can’t even take care of myself…”

I turned to leave—just as Lucian raised a hand and covered his eyes.

“What?”

Was he… crying? Why? What happened?

My resolve not to meddle vanished.
I pressed my face to the glass as he hung his head, as if everything had dropped away.

At that precarious sight, only one thought came to mind.
I rushed out, grabbing an umbrella from the corner.

“Huff, huff.”

I reached the bench—but no one was there. Maybe he’d already gone inside. Even so…

It keeps nagging at me.
I shouldn’t leave him alone—he’d looked so lonely.
Though he lived in a different world from me, for that moment I felt a strange kinship.

Was it just my imagination?
Maybe I’d seen wrong from thinking about him too much.

As I turned—

“What are you doing here?”

“…!”

Lucian appeared suddenly, and I stumbled back. A gust shook my umbrella wildly.

“Are you ignoring my warning about getting sicker?”
He pulled me close and took the umbrella from me. Drops from his hair wet my hand.
Looking up, I saw water on his chin.

“Were you crying?”

“What?”

Lucian frowned, head tilted as if I’d said nonsense.
So I was mistaken. Heat flushed my face.

“S‑Sorry. I must’ve misunderstood.”

“Fine. But why did you come down here?”

“Well…”

I searched for a good excuse—too embarrassed to admit I’d worried he was crying.

“You were standing in the rain… I thought maybe you didn’t have an umbrella.”

Great.
I squeezed my eyes shut, lowering my head. Obviously he’d come out without one on purpose.

“…I see.”

After a pause, Lucian answered softly. Surprised, I looked up and met those red eyes.

“Ah.”

We turned away at the same time. Silence hung until Lucian placed the umbrella back in my hand.

“I left it on purpose. Standing in the rain felt like it might help. So don’t worry about me—take care of yourself.”

He turned away; rain struck his back again.

“Go back. Before you get even sicker.”

His back looked so lonely that I stepped forward, tilting the umbrella over him.

“Let’s go back together.”

Lucian slowly turned. Seeing him in the dark reminded me of my past self—and I finally understood why I kept watching him.

“It’s cold. Besides, the butler said dinner is ready.”

“….”

“So let’s go together.”

Honestly, he must have thought I was forcing him, so I was sure he’d refuse.

—“All right.”

But he accepted more easily than I expected.
Flustered, I hid it and walked beside him under the umbrella.

We’d walked a while when the raindrops stopped.

“Huh?”

I moved the umbrella aside and looked up—the rain had ended.
As clouds cleared, I folded the umbrella.

“It stopped sooner than I thought.”

“Seems so.”

Sunlight broke through, lighting Lucian’s face. His red eyes sparkled brighter than ever. I’d noticed before, but…

“Your eyes are really beautiful.”

“What?”

The words slipped out; startled, I covered my mouth.
How strange—praising someone’s eyes like that.

Lucian spoke first.

“Did you mean to say something else?”

It was genuine, yet he looked unconvinced.

“Did you want to say they bother you but said the opposite?”

“I’m not stupid enough to mix that up!”

I shook the umbrella, flustered.

“I’m serious.”

“…”

“I thought so from the first moment I saw them—like flames burning in the dark.”