Kael stepped inside with his usual unhurried grace, the wooden door closing behind him with a soft thunk.

Alenia was already standing straight beside her desk—hair smoothed, posture perfect, eyes insisting she was completely fine.

But Kael didn't miss things.

Especially not tiredness.

Neither the faint shade of red dusting the tips of her ears.

Of course, he didn't understand the reason behind her embarrassment, but that didn't change anything.

"…You look exhausted," he said.

Alenia stiffened. "N-No, I—I am perfectly fine, Kael. I was only—"

Her heart was still beating fast as she felt like Kael had heard or seen what she was doing using his senses.

She felt like he was merely not mentioning it right now.

Kael didn't respond.

He walked wordlessly to the sofa and sat down, leaning back into the cushions like he owned them—and the room, and the entire world.

Then he pointed at her.

"Sit."

Alenia blinked rapidly. "W-What…? A-Ah—y-yes!"

Her body moved almost on instinct—straight-backed, flustered, her steps light and hesitant until she sat down at the edge of the sofa, hands folded awkwardly on her lap.

Kael watched her for two long seconds.

Then he snapped his fingers.

—Shff—

Alenia yelped as the world twisted.

In the blink of an eye—

Her head was resting on Kael's lap.

Her hair spilled across his coat like soft brown strands.

Her body lay stretched comfortably along the sofa, legs dangling slightly over the armrest.

She froze.

Completely, utterly froze.

"W–W–What—?!" Her voice cracked sharply.

Kael looked down at her with the same expression he used when he blinked lazily at a sunset.

"You're tired," he said. "So lie down."

Alenia's mind went blank.

'H—He teleported me.' A realization came. 'He teleported me into his lap.'

She stared up at him, speechless, and Kael tilted his head.

"Is something wrong?"

The question was genuine.

The panic in her chest was not.

Alenia opened her mouth… then closed it.

'Right. Of course. This is Kael.'

He was a man—a dragon, to be precise—who could be gentle one moment, savage the next, lazy the third, elegant the fourth, and utterly unreadable at all times.

How could she predict what he would do? How could she think that he would tell her to do what she wanted, even if she was tired?

The moment she thought she could predict him was the exact moment she proved she couldn't.

That's why he was Kael.

And that's why, no matter how hard she tried not to, she couldn't stop herself from admiring him.

Alenia swallowed, heat prickling her cheeks.

"No… nothing is wrong," she whispered.

Kael gave a satisfied nod.

"Good. Then begin your report."

Her mind short-circuited again.

"H-Here? Like this?"

She had thought this was a momentary thing and that Kael would let her get up soon, but now he wanted her to give him a report.

Like this?

With his intoxicating smell filling her nose and his handsome contour just inches away from hers?

How was she supposed to focus?

"Yes," Kael replied instantly. "You said we should be alone when you give me reports. We're alone."

'This wasn't… what I meant...'

She couldn't say it out loud, though.

She could tell him that the only reason she had always wanted that was because she wanted all of his attention, even if it was only for an hour, and even if it was when she gave the report.

But as she looked at his harmless yet devilish smile, recalling how he wouldn't look at any women in the wrong way until they allowed him, all her panic disappeared.

She realized that even if Kael had her head on his lap, it wasn't with the intention to flirt with her but to let her rest.

Above all, she could already feel his healing power working on her body.

A small smile tugged her lips—tiny, gentle, and involuntary—before she shifted slightly, adjusting the angle of her head so she could look at him comfortably.

His coat was soft, his presence warm, and his golden eyes half-lidded as he watched her, completely relaxed.

Like she belonged there.

Alenia inhaled slowly, steeling her voice.

"Very well," she said softly. "I'll begin."

Her fingers curled just slightly into the fabric of his coat as she centered herself.

"First… the population records for the week. We've officially passed two thousand three hundred twenty-seven residents…"

Her voice flowed—steady, professional, still tinged with gentle warmth, the way she only spoke when she felt safe.

Kael listened with half-closed eyes, one hand drifting to rest near her hair—close, but not touching, like he knew she would shy away if he did.

Her report continued, the room wrapped in quiet intimacy—the soft rustle of leaves outside, the faint scratch of quills from beyond the office wall, and Alenia's calm voice as she spoke from his lap.

She wasn't sleeping, but her body grew more relaxed with every passing second, wondering if she would even need sleep after an hour of this treatment.

No, rather, she was worried that she might get addicted to this treatment and that she would have a hard time working without getting it daily.

Still, she left those worries for later.

For now, she decided to focus on what was before her, and that was Kael.

............................

Meanwhile, near the training ground.

The afternoon wind drifted lazily across the open clearing, carrying with it the laughter of children chasing each other in circles.

Druvarn stood in the middle of the chaos—massive, earth-furred, and smiling—as he lifted three small kids on his back and jumped in his place, making them squeal in delight.

A little way off, sitting on a pair of flat stones, Rue and Rina watched quietly.

Their twin tails swept the ground once… twice… before going still.

Rue—pink hair tied in uneven loops, purple eyes bright and deceptively childish—kicked her legs idly.

Rina—purple hair spilling like velvet, pink eyes soft and shy—sat with both hands folded neatly over her knees.

To anyone else, they looked exactly like what they pretended to be: two tired little fox girls who were taking a break from playing.

But their eyes…

Their eyes did not belong to eight-year-olds.

Not right now.

Rue exhaled softly, her cheerful mask melting away like it had never existed.

"…It's getting harder to act, Rina."

Rina nodded, just as calm—just as mature.

"Mm."

The clearing was loud with children's laughter.

But around them?

It felt quiet.

Too quiet.

Rue leaned forward, voice low—almost a whisper.

"Kael's going to notice soon."

Her tail twitched once, betraying the anxiety.

"No… It's not even 'soon,' is it? He might've already noticed."

Rina's eyes drifted toward the house in the distance, where she thought Kael was.

Her voice, still soft and shy by habit, held none of its usual trembling innocence.

"…When he named us," she murmured, "I felt it. You did too."

Rue swallowed.

How could she forget?

The moment Kael gave them new names, triggering an evolution, something inside them had awakened.

They remembered their memories.

Fragments.

Warnings.

A duty they weren't supposed to remember yet.

And a terrifying possibility that Kael might have seen the flicker of recognition in their eyes.

Rue rubbed her face with her small hands.

"I feel bad, you know?" Her voice cracked—not childish, but heavy. "He keeps treating us kindly—playing with us, protecting us, and letting us stay with him, with Lyra, with everyone else…"

Her purple eyes dimmed. "And we're just… lying."

Rina looked down at her hands.

For a moment, she looked like the innocent little girl everyone thought she was.

But her words were razor-sharp.

"We can't tell him. You know that."

Rue winced.

"I know."

"The blood oath won't let us," Rina said softly. "We can't reveal anything—about ourselves, about the truth, about where we came from, or about what's supposed to happen."

Silence settled.

The wind blew, carrying the scent of fresh leaves.

Rue clenched her tiny fists.

"Then we only have one choice, right? We leave him." Her voice trembled—not like a child's, but like someone far older. "We leave all of them… and go back."

Rina didn't answer immediately.

She stared down at the dirt, her expression unreadable—too calm, too controlled for an eight-year-old girl.

Finally…

"…Yes."

Another long silence.

Then Rue added, with a sigh that carried years of exhaustion, she should not have. "Besides… your shy act is getting annoying."

Rina's head whipped toward her.

"E-Excuse me?! Annoying?"

Her real personality peeked through—the composed irritation of someone far older than she appeared.

"You're one to talk! Your cheery bouncing is so exaggerated it looks like you're mocking actual children!"

Rue scoffed. "At least my acting isn't getting worse every time I unlock a memory."

Rina glared. "At least I don't giggle like a squirrel every time Kael pats my head!"

Rue gasped. "I do NOT—!"

"Rue! Rina!"

Both girls froze.

Druvarn's deep, friendly voice echoed from behind them.

They turned in sync.

In a single breath—

Their mature expressions vanished.

Rue's face brightened like a lantern lighting up, while Rina's eyes widened shyly, cheeks blooming pink.

Their tails perked up adorably.

"Druvarn!" Rue chirped, swinging her legs. "Are we playing again?"

Rina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice soft and small once more. "S-Sorry… w-we were just resting…"

Druvarn smiled, oblivious to everything beneath the surface.

"Well, rest time's over! Come join us again—the other kids are waiting!"

Rue hopped up cheerfully, grabbing Rina's hand.

Rina followed meekly.

Both of them were smiling.

Both of them were acting.

As the two fox girls ran toward the group of laughing children again, their tails fluttering behind them…

Only the stones they sat on moments ago knew the truth.

They weren't children.

They weren't innocent.

And they weren't supposed to stay.

But for now…

They played.

Because playing was easier than thinking about what came next.

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