As soon as I woke up, the first sensation hit me.
“Ugh…”
My head is pounding,
It feels like someone is poking it with toothpicks.
…It’s so painful.
I furrowed my brows and made a whiny face.
Well, I usually don’t feel pain in my daily life, so I might be overreacting to this minor discomfort.
And…
“Ugh-”
My stomach hurts so badly,
It feels like a fireball has been put in my chest and throat, heating me up from the inside.
…I want to cry.
To make matters worse, my memories are hazy, which is just the cherry on top.
“Hah…”
I rubbed my face, trying to sift through the faint memories of the past.
I remember the taste of alcohol, and some fragments of the conversation I had with Nameless.
I feel like we talked about something pretty important…
But I can’t recall what it was.
Hmm, maybe it’s been a while since I had a drink, and I made a small mistake in moderation…
Well, even if it were important, it’s probably fine, right? If it was, wouldn’t Nameless bring it up again?
Nodding absentmindedly, I stared blankly at the ceiling.
More than that…
“I can’t believe I’m this weak against alcohol.”
That’s the most shocking realization.
Though my memories are pretty old now, I used to enjoy drinking.
So why am I in this state?
I barely drank a few glasses, and I’m suffering from a hangover.
No matter how much I think I drank, it was just one bottle…
Embarrassed by my own pitifulness, I rubbed my pounding head and let out a deep sigh.
…I will never drink more than three glasses again from now on.
Just then, as I resolved to sit up and purge my upset stomach.
“Um…?”
It felt like something was blocking my body, preventing me from moving forward.
Curious, I glanced down.
“…Nameless?”
I saw Nameless’s arms wrapped around my waist and belly.
…Not a pillow?
No, more importantly, why is he here?
I pinched Nameless’s cheek gently as he lay there breathing softly.
If it were the usual Nameless, he’d say something ridiculous like, “How could I share a bed with you, Master?” and spread his blanket on the floor…
I tilted my head.
Did something change in Nameless’s feelings?
Or maybe he simply passed out next to me, succumbing to the alcohol?
Hmm, they say when you’re drunk, you become more honest about your desires…
A pleasant smile crept onto my face as I looked at Nameless.
So even my usually rude disciple secretly wanted to sleep next to me!
That’s why he’s next to me, right?
Hmm, that makes sense.
What else could it be?
How cute.
A smile broke out across my face.
Surely the reason he declined to sleep with me before was that kindhearted Nameless was considering my comfort.
He’s really my disciple.
Patting Nameless’s head affectionately, I pushed aside the sting of my hangover and snuggled into his chest.
“Ugh… this is bliss.”
Unlike me, with his solid build,
I buried my face there and closed my eyes again.
Normally, at this hour, I should’ve been getting ready to leave soon…
But it’s fine.
I’m not so busy that a little delay in leaving will throw off my plans, and all I need to do is finish up what I was supposed to talk about in Elren.
“…Sleep well.”
My consciousness slowly began to sink away.
*
After a brief moment, as Cheon Ha-rang’s rhythmic breathing filled the room,
Nameless slowly opened his eyes,
Watching his sleeping master in his arms.
In fact, Nameless had been awake since Cheon Ha-rang started complaining about a hangover.
He simply found his master’s adorable sleeping face too charming and couldn’t find the right moment to wake up, so he lay there silently.
Nameless swallowed hard, suddenly faced with an unexpected opportunity.
A fatherly smile appeared on his face as he gazed down at his beloved master in his embrace.
‘She truly is like an angel.’
How could someone look so beautiful while sleeping?
Behind such a foolish reaction,
Nameless’s hand slowly rose, hovering near Cheon Ha-rang’s lips.
His trembling hand hesitated momentarily, then, perhaps resolved, he reached out and plucked a strand of hair from Cheon Ha-rang’s mouth.
“Ugh…”
“…!”
The moment he pulled out the hair, Cheon Ha-rang started to stir.
‘Could it be that I woke her up?’
As Nameless’s expression twisted with self-reproach, Cheon Ha-rang broke into a sleepy smile.
It seemed like it was just one of the usual mumblings she did in her sleep.
“Ha…”
Letting out a sigh of relief, Nameless couldn’t help but smile, feeling proud that he had helped his master in some way.
As he observed his master absentmindedly,
– Knock, knock, knock
He heard someone knocking on the door, and before he could think of who it might be, a voice followed.
“Harang? I’m coming in!”
The smile that had bloomed on Nameless’s face when he looked at Cheon Ha-rang instantly vanished.
Elia…
I recalled how Cheon Ha-rang always furrowed her brows slightly when she saw that woman.
‘But I can’t just kick out a guest of my master; it’s better to be polite, even if I send her away.’
Nameless let out a resigned sigh and waited for Elia to open the door.
– Creak
Just then, the door opened.
“Harang? Can we talk for a moment?”
Looking worn out and ragged, with dark circles under her eyes, Elia spoke.
However,
Whether Elia was exhausted or not was irrelevant to Nameless.
“Shh.”
He pointed to Cheon Ha-rang, who was still asleep in his arms, raising a finger to his lips.
“Master is still sleeping.”
Elia, looking at Nameless and Cheon Ha-rang in turns, wore a somewhat displeased expression and nodded.
“Ah… okay, then please tell her that I have something important to discuss once she wakes up.”
Nameless maintained his usually aloof demeanor toward anyone except Cheon Ha-rang, and the conversation ended there.
“Yes.”
As he showed Elia a sign of agreement, she quietly turned to leave, still wearing a somewhat dissatisfied expression.
After Elia left, Nameless rubbed his chin.
‘What should I do about this?’
Normally, it would make sense to wake Cheon Ha-rang since Elia said she had urgent business…
“Hmm…”
A rather dark desire to just hold my master a little longer swirled in Nameless’s mind.
“…”
After observing Cheon Ha-rang nestled against him for a while,
Nameless made a resolution.
‘Just for today, I’ll indulge myself only this time.’
He pulled Cheon Ha-rang closely in his arms, embracing her without any hesitation.
“Ugh…”
Cheon Ha-rang squirmed, slightly distressed, but Nameless didn’t loosen his grip,
Knowing that this would not awaken his master.
“Swish- Ha…”
Nameless buried his face into Cheon Ha-rang’s shoulder,
Her normally bony frame was soft and warm to the touch, giving off quite a comforting feeling.
In short, it was perfect for hugging.
With a happy smile, Nameless gently stroked Cheon Ha-rang’s hair,
‘Just until she coughs…’
The corners of his mouth curved into a pleasant smile.
*
In the subdued atmosphere of the reception room,
As everyone held their breath, Elia looked at me with a grave expression.
“…So why were you late?”
“I overslept!”
Hmm, why is that usual quiet girl being so prickly today?
Elia tousled her hair roughly as if she had a headache,
As I flinched at her sudden movement, a smile returned to my face.
After all, isn’t it said that you can’t spit on a smiling face?
“Ha… really.”
Upon seeing my expression, Elia let out a heavy sigh and began to speak.
“While some people are sweating over sudden work and can’t even sleep…”
“Um…”
“They were saying something important about the master-”
“Ah, Nameless, it’s okay.”
I halted Nameless, who seemed about to protest with his brow furrowed.
I usually wouldn’t have spared her a thought like this, but Elia seemed genuinely unwell…
For some reason, I felt guilty and rolled my eyes, glancing at Elia.
After a moment of glancing sharply at me, Elia placed several sheets of paper with lengthy writings on the desk.
“…Anyway, I’ve completed some research.”
“Oooh.”
Of course, I couldn’t read the text…
But somehow it felt like it counted for something, so I took the papers and let out a small exclamation.
“Thank you.”
“…Just don’t mention it.”
Saying that, Elia took a cookie sitting on the desk with a haughty expression.
It was a treat that looked as if the cookie had red jam slathered all over it, so beautiful that even I, who normally didn’t snack, was captivated by it.
As I stared blankly, Camilla, sitting at the head of the table, spoke up.
“Try one; it’s loaded with sugar, so it should taste good.”
Camilla, who had brought it deliberately because of Grandma, added with a confident smirk.
Curiosity sparked within me, but strangely, Camilla’s expression made me feel like a child, which turned me off.
“That’s fine.”
I turned my head and rei-fused.
Camilla spoke in a conspiratorial tone, pointing to her mouth.
“The stuff on top is strawberry jam.”
“Hmm… then just one.”
Considering how thoughtfully it had been prepared, it would be rude to reject it.
“Then… I’ll enjoy it.”
Nodding lightly, I picked up the cookie, bringing it to my mouth.
And at that moment.
“Ugh-”
Feeling nauseous from the hangover, I gagged.
“Master?”
“…Old lady?”
“Ha… I knew this would happen.”
Suddenly, the atmosphere grew icy.
With my quaking pupils and cold sweat, here I was,
And similarly flustered, Camilla and Elia shook their heads with small sighs.
“Congratulations…?”
In this tense environment, only Lucius clapped his hands, tilting his head.
…Is hangover worthy of congratulations?
My expression was filled with confusion.
