Sleeping in Her Lap

The conversation with Duke Espelt ended more peacefully than I had expected.

He was stunned for a while after hearing my answer at the end, and then burst into a hearty laugh, which made me feel a bit awkward, but I should be relieved that his reaction wasn’t bad.

Anyway, after finishing the greetings and leaving the room, I ran into someone while heading to the carriage where Sylvia was waiting.

It was none other than Vermillion Drake.

“I didn’t expect you to come out to see me off.”

“Don’t say things that are unpleasant to hear. I just came to deliver something.”

“Deliver something?”

That guy, who had been growling at me and using informal language the night we had a secret conversation, had somehow switched back to honorifics.

More than that, when I tilted my head at the mention of delivering something, he took something out of his pocket and floated it with magic, sending it to me.

It was an object that looked like a crystal ball, and as soon as I saw it, I instinctively knew what it was used for.

“A communication device, huh.”

“Yes. It seems that the witch-nim dislikes you associating with me, so I’ve come up with a plan.”

So, it was a crystal ball for communication after all.

It’s commendable that he took the initiative to get a communication device, but I couldn’t help but growl and release magic at the irritating word mixed in the middle of his sentence.

“Watch your mouth, before I tear it off.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Leaving the guy who quickly backed down, I crossed the hallway and tried to move my feet.

Just then, Vermillion Drake’s voice followed from behind.

“How should we arrange the meeting time?”

“I’ll contact you later. It’s best not to play any tricks.”

“I have no intention of doing that anyway. You and I are in the same boat.”

Come to think of it, that’s right.

Strictly speaking, it’s not just that he succumbed to power and is obeying me because he was caught with a weakness.

It was largely because of the contract, and because my existence was beneficial to him as well.

He’s a man who can do anything for his ambition.

In other words, he’s the type of person who would abandon even his family and the organization he belongs to for the sake of that ambition.

As long as he judges that my existence is more beneficial to him, he will promise fierce loyalty to the end.

That’s why I chose Vermillion Drake as a pawn because I liked that point.

“Alright, then proceed with what I asked you to do as soon as you return to the main family.”

“Yes.”

I passed Vermillion Drake, who bowed his head after delivering the instructions, and left the castle as it was.

Passing through the gorgeously blooming flowers and fountains, and when the entrance of the castle finally began to appear in the distance.

“Lied-gongja! Over here!”

“……”

At the same time, Sylvia’s figure, waving her hand vigorously at me, came into view.

She could have sat comfortably in the carriage and waited, but she really lives a tiring life.

But even such trivial consideration warms my heart, and I was unknowingly smiling and slowly approaching her.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Eleanor-gongnyeo. The conversation with Duke Espelt took longer than I thought…”

“Don’t worry about it. More than that, did the story end well? I was worried that something might have happened.”

“Yes, it was nothing. It was just asking me to say hello to my father and some light conversation.”

“…Is that so?”

I told a lie without batting an eye, but Sylvia kept staring at me as if she was suspicious of something.

Her gaze was strangely sharp, so I pushed her back as if urging her and put her in the carriage first, then followed suit and sat across from her.

Then, Sylvia’s gaze, which had been looking at me with strange eyes since a while ago, kept following me.

I tried to act as natural as possible and turned my gaze to the scenery outside the window.

Thud.

“…Gongnyeo?”

Suddenly, I felt a sensation as if the carriage was tilting slightly to the side, and someone’s face filled my vision.

Sylvia, who had been sitting across from me, had suddenly moved to the seat next to me.

Why bother coming here when there’s a perfectly wide seat available?

“Hmph, this is a punishment. Because Lied-gongja lied to me.”

“A lie, what are you talking about?”

“About the conversation you just had with Duke Espelt-nim. Of course, you don’t have to tell me everything as it is, but I could see that you were trying to hide it too blatantly.”

…She noticed that? She’s incredibly amazing.

Maybe there’s a special ability hidden in those magic eyes that can distinguish between truth and lies.

I thought I was good at acting, but it seems that it’s useless in front of her.

“It was just a trivial matter, so I didn’t bother to mention it.”

“If it’s such a trivial matter, you can tell me. Anyway.”

“……”

Anyway, if I say this, she retorts like that, and if I say that, she retorts like this, so there’s no answer.

At least among the people I’ve seen, she seems to be the most skilled in verbal sparring.

The problem is that she only uses that colorful rhetoric when she’s arguing with me.

“Anyway, I’m going to sit like this all the way back. You don’t have any complaints, do you, gongja?”

“…I understand. If I can atone for my sins with this.”

The fragrant freesia scent next to me makes my head spin, but I nodded, trying not to show it as much as possible.

If this makes Sylvia feel better, I’ll have to accept it.

Kururung.

Soon, the carriage slowly started moving with the sound of horses’ hooves, and around the time we arrived at the King’s Nest along the mountain range we had passed on the way here.

“…Lied-gongja, are you okay? You look very tired.”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

For some reason, I was so sleepy that my eyes kept closing.

Well, I stayed up all night in my room yesterday, planning for the future, and only fell asleep around dawn, so it’s only natural.

If I were alone, I would have collapsed to the side and taken a nap, but I couldn’t just leave Sylvia alone and sleep comfortably, so I tried to wake myself up somehow.

Since Sylvia was sitting next to me anyway, I couldn’t lie down on the seat, so it was hard to fall asleep.

“Eueum…”

By the way, it’s not like I can hold on by just holding on.

My eyes keep closing and my body is leaning forward.

Is there no magic that can overcome sleepiness during magic?

I was seriously wondering if I should develop it when I get back to the main family, when Sylvia’s voice suddenly came to my ears.

“Lied-gongja, if you’re really tired, would you like to lie down and get some sleep?”

“…Would that be alright?”

If it were normal times, I would have refused, saying that I was fine, but I was so sleepy that I was tempted by her suggestion.

She’s probably going to move aside so I can lie down and sleep comfortably.

Of course, the carriage is bumpy, so even if I lie down, I won’t be able to sleep comfortably, but it’s still better than sitting and dozing off.

By the way, I thought Sylvia would insist on sitting next to me to vent her anger, but was she more concerned about me being tired than that?

I was feeling a subtle emotion, thinking that she was a very considerate person after all.

“Of course, lie down quickly. Here you go.”

“…Yes?”

I felt my mind snap back to reality at Sylvia’s actions of suddenly patting her thighs and telling me to lie down.

What does that mean? Am I misinterpreting Sylvia’s actions right now?

So, she’s not clearing the seat next to me so I can lie down, but she means for me to lie down with my head on her lap?

Put my head down there?

“Gongnyeo, if you just clear the seat next to me, I’ll take care of it myself…”

“No. I told you earlier, I’m going to sit here until we get back.”

“……”

I was speechless at her firm refusal.

I thought she had canceled the words she had said earlier to be considerate of me, but she was trying to catch two birds with one stone by sticking to her own intentions and taking care of me at the same time.

But as for me, I don’t think I’ll be able to fall asleep if I lie down with my head on her lap.

“Besides, it’s obvious that it’ll be uncomfortable to lie down on the bumpy carriage seat. There’s no need to refuse, so lie down quickly.”

“Ah, no. I’m wide awake now, so thank you, but I don’t think I need it…”

“Aish, really!”

Thump.

The moment I tried to step back despite her active encouragement.

Suddenly, I felt something grabbing my head with rough hands, and my vision tilted to the side.

By the time I came to my senses, I was already feeling a soft and fluffy sensation at the back of my head.

…I didn’t know she would grab someone’s head and force them to lie down just because they didn’t do a lap pillow.

“Anyway. It’s easier for both of us if you lie down like this from the start.”

Sylvia gently stroked my head, which had ended up lying on her lap, and said grumbling.

I’ve never even acted like this with my mother when I was young, so I’m incredibly embarrassed.

I feel like my face is getting hot.

“…Gongnyeo must be uncomfortable.”

“My mind is at ease. It’s better than watching someone dozing off next to me with anxious eyes.”

She means her body is uncomfortable.

But I couldn’t bring myself to say those words. Otherwise, a harsh scolding would come flying right away.

I don’t think I was this careful with my words even in front of Duke Espelt.

“…Euk.”

By the way, until a little while ago, I was convinced that if I lay down with my head on her lap, the tension would make me lose sleep, but as soon as I lay down, the very comfortable sensation makes me even sleepier.

Maybe it’s because of the thin cloth, but her body temperature is being transmitted as it is, and the freesia scent, which is even stronger than before, is tickling my nose, making my head dizzy and even harder to hold on.

As if she noticed my feelings, Sylvia personally arranged the hair that was covering my vision and said kindly.

“Sleep well if you’re tired. That’s why I’m lending it to you.”

And then, a soft lullaby follows.

I had already closed my eyes, so I couldn’t tell where it was coming from, but I could tell that the clear voice like a nightingale was Sylvia’s without having to check.

When we were talking briefly on the terrace earlier, the words she threw jokingly flashed through my mind.

I never thought that the day would come when I would actually fall asleep listening to Sylvia’s lullaby.

“Good night, Kyle.”

Soon after, the lullaby stopped and a faint voice was heard, but I couldn’t tell exactly what it was saying.