Nana showered instead of Nox, and upon returning, he was already lying in bed.
Looking in the opposite direction of Nana’s bed, he curled up and breathed deeply.
He slept in the same position in his secret base beneath the house.
Nana approached stealthily and attempted to touch his back. However,
“!”
She was stopped by an invisible barrier.
It was a defensive barrier that Nox had devised to protect himself, and it automatically activated when he lost consciousness.
“So, you had to resort to something like this because you couldn’t sleep peacefully in the mansion…,” Nana said as she moved to the other side and gazed at the half-buried sleeping face on the bed.
When Nana arrived at Galaxia four years ago, the first thing Nox directed towards her was a quiet hostility.
In hindsight, it was intimidation and jealousy towards the unknown maid treated with more consideration by her father than him.
Nox was assigned a room with half the space and little sunlight compared to his brother’s room.
He had very few personal possessions, and aside from a couple of formal suits, the few clothes he had were wrinkled and stained.
Although Nox never raised his voice or resorted to violence, he rejected the tea prepared by Nana and refused her help in changing. Despite being a prince, he seemed more like a distrustful stray cat.
Lano took a liking to Nana from the beginning, but observing how he was treated around him, it was clear that he would be the heir.
Initially, he was stunned that it was a cancellation of the contract without even waiting to see who would inherit Galaxia, but he changed his mind upon seeing Nox’s softer expression when speaking with Pascal and Lano.
“Do you have that expression too?”
It was the face of a boy fitting his age.
She thought of wanting to see him face to face once, as if she was going to serve by his side until they grew up, she wanted to experience that gaze at least once.
Since then, despite being treated with coldness or rejection, she always sought to be close to Nox whenever she had the chance.
The turning point came approximately a month later. Seeing him dining with Pascal, Nana had a sudden idea.
Carrying the tea set as usual, she made her way to Nox’s room.
Because Nana followed him so closely, Nox would often narrate his plans from the day before to her.
Sometimes he would leave suddenly and sometimes not return for several days, but today he should be in his room.
She carefully prepared the tea, but Nox continued to gaze out the window with little sunlight as always.
“If Nox-sama won’t have it, then I will.”
After observing his predictable reaction for a while, Nana began using the room’s table and sipping the tea she had prepared.
“Although it’s so delicious, not eating it is a waste.”
Then, she started eating the treats prepared by Pascal in front of him. Nox was surprised, opened his eyes for a moment, sighed, and sat on the opposite side.
“You’re quite peculiar, aren’t you?”
“I’ve been told that many times.”
From the beginning, she prepared two cups. Nox probably realized what Nana was trying to do. He served his tea, took a bite of the treats, and then…
“Yes, it’s delicious.”
At that moment, when Nana, who was rarely disturbed by insignificant things, awkwardly chuckled a bit, she felt her heart, which rarely raced, beat strongly.
And at that moment, Nana decided in her heart that if she ever married, it would be with “him.”
To achieve this, she didn’t want Nox to inherit Galaxia.
But it frustrated her that her worth was not properly acknowledged. It had been four years of constant torment discovering the abilities he hid.
“You truly are a charming person beyond what you believe.”
Despite any unfair treatment he received, deep down he was kind and especially sweet to those who approached him.
His patience and cleverness in critical moments were remarkable. Edwin said he had a talent for magic, but having developed that so early was his own effort.
Even in front of Nana, who was told she lacked sympathy, he was not expected to behave like a lady, making it comfortable to be by his side.
Although his demeanor was courteous, he would sometimes quickly avert his gaze when tempted, which could be frustrating, but his shy gestures were adorable, making everything alright.
If there was a drawback, it would be…
“…Why, knowing that your brother is good-looking, do you not believe that you, as his twin, are also?”
Even walking a bit through the town in search of an inn, he noticed the gazes of young women eyeing him.
Nox was still sixteen years old. He was in the growth stage. If he continued to grow in height, he could expect those looks to increase even more.
“Although being aware that he plays with women is also a problem… Should I resolve this once and for all?”
As he muttered disturbing things, Nox turned in bed. Nana felt a bit nervous, wondering if she had been heard, but with no signs of him waking up, she sighed in relief.
“…That is something we will gradually resolve from now on.”
Nana stroked the semicircular wall and, turning off the light, settled into her bed.
In the darkness, illuminated only by the moonlight seeping through the curtain slit, she watched the silhouette moving rhythmically up and down for a while before closing her eyes.
