“Why, why isn’t he here… It’s past the time he should’ve come… sigh”
Raphne was pacing her room at the top of the tower, anxious and restless.
“Why… I haven’t done anything wrong…”
The reason for her confusion was the man she was waiting for.
Ken Feinstein had yet to show up at the tower.
Normally, he would have already visited by now, and they would be having dinner together.
But he still hadn’t arrived.
“Ugh, K-Ken… sniff”
She understood in her head. He would definitely come here.
Even if he couldn’t come now, he would surely come tomorrow or the day after.
Raphne understood that since Ken was human, it wasn’t easy for him to visit every single day and hour.
“K-Ken, sniff Ken…”
But understanding this was only in her head.
Tears gathered in Raphne’s eyes, dripping onto the floor.
In the end, what emerged from her mind was a feeling of being abandoned.
A whisper in the darkness that told her, “This time, you are being left behind again.”
The thought continued to linger in her mind.
“I’m back…”
But just as she was indulging in her anxiety, the door that had been tightly closed opened, and the long-awaited Ken appeared.
“K-Ken! Why are you so late today…! I was really worried…!”
Seeing him looking weary, Raphne immediately rushed towards him.
To soothe her heart that was trembling in anxiety.
Wrapping her arms around his waist, she buried her face in his neck to feel his presence directly.
“Whoa! Raphne! If you cling too tightly…!”
He kindly lowered himself to her level and sat down, welcoming her embrace.
The scent she could catch in his arms eased her anxious heart.
“No! I don’t care! It’s your fault, Ken! Do you even know what time it is? sniff I was really worried…!”
Of course, her worry wasn’t for Ken’s safety but whether he would come to see her.
But Ken’s lateness had shaken Raphne’s heart.
Feeling wronged about her earlier anxiety, she pleaded with Ken.
And Ken, without getting annoyed, gently accepted her childish antics.
“Sorry, Raphne. I was a bit busy.”
Raphne understood as well.
She knew he hadn’t intentionally made himself late.
But still, when she saw him, tears fell as she clung to him and threw a tantrum.
She wished he would understand her feelings.
Her heart that spent all day thinking of him in this empty space, counting down the moments until he would come.
Worrying that he might hate her, yet still clinging to him with stubbornness.
She poured out her feelings of frustration from the anxiety she felt just moments ago.
“Wahh…! Ken must understand how important he is…! I’m anxious! I’m really worried!”
As she sulked, she burrowed deeper into his embrace.
Raphne knew she was being a bothersome girl.
She knew it, but she couldn’t stop clinging to him.
While worrying that he might come to dislike her, she also realized he didn’t hate her.
While she used to be more careful about this in the past, recently, that restraint had disappeared.
Now, she had fully pressed her feelings onto Ken.
“Don’t make me anxious… Don’t abandon me… sniff Hold me a little more, comfort me, stay by my side, pet me, don’t leave me…”
Her childish complaints.
Yet, Ken gently accepted her whims.
When she threw a tantrum like this, he would pet Raphne’s head with one hand.
Ken’s touch brushing her hair felt so nice.
When she felt that hand, her heart calmed down.
“All is good, but I have to go back to the dormitory.”
And he replied playfully, one last time.
But even Ken’s playful words made her heart waver.
“Ugh, I’m going to burn down the dorm!”
“That would mean I’d have nowhere to live…”
“…You can live here.”
Muttering, Raphne buried her face even deeper into his neck.
When her lips touched his neck, he shivered.
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she pressed her body against him.
As she pressed close, Ken shuddered again, perhaps feeling stimulated.
Pressing against the warm and fluffy Ken, it felt like she could feel his heartbeat.
As she buried her face in his neck, she caught his scent.
Every time she exhaled, Ken would flinch.
His reaction was adorable.
This was her little revenge for making her worry.
Raphne thought inwardly.
As she pressed against him like this, Ken fumbled, but soon began to gently stroke her head.
That gentle touch felt delightful.
Using her revenge for the earlier anxiety, she moved her body even closer.
Every time Raphne’s body stimulated Ken’s, she enjoyed the reactions she got back.
The pauses in his hand or the trembling in his shoulders.
For no reason, that reaction was amusing, leading her to stimulate him even more.
This was her time of retribution for her anxious heart. Raphne enjoyed this moment.
In the past, she had been afraid of being alone, of being abandoned.
But recently, she had endured each day thinking of the moments spent with Ken.
But when it seemed like Ken wouldn’t come, anxiety washed over her.
Then, when Ken did finally arrive at the tower, they spent their happy moments together.
Raphne had completely lost herself in the time spent with him.
‘Now that I think about it, maybe I could stay locked up forever with just Ken.’
The Academy that had abandoned her.
The family that had abandoned her.
The country that had abandoned her.
But this one man had never abandoned her.
Not even her stubbornness, complaints, or past mistakes had made him abandon her.
She loved Ken’s gentle heart.
As she savored the present moment with him, she focused on his warmth and scent.
Inhales, haaa.
As she breathed out, she felt Ken’s body trembling.
“……”
But something felt different.
Raphne felt a dissonance.
Quickly pulling her face from his neck, she looked at Ken with a confused heart.
He seemed flustered as he noticed her gaze.
“Ken…”
Why is he feeling flustered?
“…Where were you today?”
That unusual feeling she sensed from his scent.
Asking this, Ken stuttered like a person caught in a lie.
“Uh, um… I, just had to check out a Swordsmanship Tournament….”
Raphne immediately realized from Ken’s words.
He didn’t just watch the Swordsmanship Tournament.
Unable to shake off her doubts, she questioned him once more.
“Ken… you smell like a girl.”
There was undoubtedly a foreign scent within his usual scent.
A fragrant hint of another woman’s smell.
Seeing Raphne’s empty gaze, Ken thought,
‘No way, am I really a puppy?’
How could she even distinguish that?
But Ken decided to deny it. It wouldn’t be good to answer honestly—so why would he do that?
“I-It’s just your imagination! I-I must’ve picked it up from the crowd!”
“…Really?”
Raphne tilted her head and asked again.
“…Y-Yeah. Really.”
Then, seeing Ken avoid her gaze, Raphne became convinced.
“Liar.”
“……”
Like magic, Ken closed his mouth.
Avoiding her gaze and sweating coldly. Ken was terrible with lies.
Being swallowed by Raphne’s empty and fiery gaze, Ken steeled his heart.
He knew what to do in this situation. What mattered wasn’t whether he met a woman.
What was important was that Raphne was not abandoned.
“E-Even if I’m lying… I’ll never abandon you, Raphne. I’ll find you no matter what happens.”
“……”
Then, Raphne fell silent.
‘Is… is that alright?’
What Raphne worried about wasn’t him meeting other women.
What mattered to her was that she wouldn’t be abandoned.
Seeing him resolve himself to charge forward, Ken made this judgment.
Whether that judgment of his was right, Raphne’s empty gaze turned into a sorrowful one filled with tears.
She buried her face in Ken’s neck once more.
Raphne knew, even if a woman appeared, Ken wouldn’t abandon her.
But to her, Ken was everything.
Was it so wrong to wish for him to see her as everything?
But if she clung any longer, Ken might really start to dislike her.
So Raphne suppressed her true feelings and whispered in Ken’s ear.
“…Ken, it’s okay to lie. Even if you met a woman, as long as you’re not dating her, it’s fine.”
She clearly conveyed her wish.
“Just make sure to prioritize me always. Think of me as your number one.”
Suppressing her feelings that threatened to overflow, she whispered that.
Raphne was afraid of the response she would get, but Ken gently placed his hand on her head and stroked it carefully.
“Of course. Don’t worry.”
“Y-You really need to understand. sniff, I really have no one but you…”
“Yeah, yeah.”
His gentle touch grazed her head.
Even while crying, this made her feel more at ease.
She didn’t want to lose this moment.
In Raphne’s heart, Ken’s place kept growing bigger.
‘It seems like it will take some time to calm down.’
Unaware of this, Ken smiled.
“Just wait a little. I’ll make something to break the curse soon.”
“…Okay.”
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