I want to protect you in this hand.

That night, I finished my first lamb house dinner in a long time, and I was alone. I haven't spoken to Cyril or Will in another week. Honestly, what am I mad at?

I swore to protect the children. The children said they would stand on their own and move on. Says he'll be strong. You can let go. You can be happy.

So, what about me?

Alone again?

"Arsh."

"Mal."

……

"Mal remembers everything."

"Anything?

"Yes, everything since I was a little girl. Your face, your face, your face, your face is dead, your new face, all of it."

"Mal......"

"But, you know, everything, it seemed like I was looking at it from a distance, and I didn't think anything about it. The old man stopped coming, and his face began to creep, and his eyes that looked at us grew colder and colder, and eventually he threw it away, even to nothing. You're the only one who was connecting Mal."

"... it is."

"The day I first had it for Arsh, the one with the kohak and the black, the little, cute one, for some reason it looked colored. I wanted to take care of this one, I wanted to protect him."

"Do that that day"

"From there the world has changed. I found the food to be delicious and fun every day. It wasn't until I met Arsh that I found out that your face was sad. So did I find out that I like swords and I like to fight."

It's weird.

"So, Arsh. Mal is by his side. One day as an adult, the day may come when both Arsh and Mal will stand alone. Until that day, we'll be together."

"Mal......"

"Then take turns. Cyril, did the Marias forgive you?

"I've managed to get out of it"

"Arsh, talk to me properly"

"Mal."

"" Um ""

"Arsh, I'm sorry"

"It's okay. We shouldn't have stopped Cyril and Will from moving forward."

"That's not true! We made up our minds... Please, don't think it's irrelevant... don't leave me..."

"Leaving, even though it's Cyril?

"No, it's not! The day we saw the sunset together in the Wang capital, one day you promised the Empire you'd come with us."

"Yeah."

I feel like a long time ago.

"Then I thought, If we stay like this, we shouldn't be together. Even if I could go, Ash would take me."

"Why..."

"Arsh is amazing. I can do things that adults can't do. Soon, I'm making it work. Dan's business was also done because Arsh was there."

"That's not..."

"It's a fact. I'm not jealous of that, I don't want to, I just think it's amazing. Next door if you can, if you can help."

"That's what you did."

"But then, you can't. I want to walk shoulder to shoulder."

"That's what Dan said."

"Uh, I knew it. You're my friend, think the same thing."

"Hehe."

"So, if Arsh is going to the Empire, he's not necessarily an adventurer. About grandfather and teacher, for study, for student exchange, maybe as a government clerk, business."

"Well thought out."

"But if I were to go, I'd only be an adventurer. I like studying, but I'm not interested in a civilian or anything. And business."

"It is."

"So, as an adventurer, I want to be empowered. When I said I was coming, I wanted to be told that I could let him go, even if he wasn't noble."

"Cyril......"

"For a future together, let me hang in there"

What you have to protect, maybe you didn't start from the beginning.

"Of course, if Arsh says no, I'm not going."

"I can't tell you anymore"

"Look, turn around"

"What?"

"Ribbon"

"It was gone."

"It's new. I thought I'd lose it, so I bought a couple of bottles."

"Red again?

"Arsh looks good in red."

"You only bought red."

"Ugh, actually, yes. But you can lose it, you can take it off, but I'm gonna put it on you the whole time."

"Yeah."

Let's spread our closed hands. For a future together.