“Did Kalia hold onto Leti again at night? Chamuka, how did you end up trapped there, too?”

Even as Astrid was pouring out words, Ferik did not withdraw his questioning gaze.

Chamuka had never shown affection for his sister Kalia; in fact, he treated her as less than a passing ant.

Of course, Kalia also regarded Chamuka as less than rolling dust.

So if told to leave, he would have; she would never have kept Chamuka there.

“Leti often calls me to Kalia’s room these days, saying siblings should become closer.”

“Then was Tan there too?”

“Yes. He’s probably sleeping with Kalia on the second floor now. Since it’s late.”

Astrid nodded at that and gestured to Chamuka to hurry along.

“My goodness, look at the time. Quickly take the baby and put him to bed. Chamuka, you go back and sleep too.”

“Yes.”

With that brief answer, Chamuka passed by them with the Prince in his arms.

Ferik quietly spoke up.

“After you take Leti to his room, return to your room and sleep. Chamuka.”

“I had no intention of entering a bed without permission.”

Bed? Ferik hadn’t even thought that far.

“I mean, don’t stay in the same room at all. Not by the bed, not on the windowsill, and not in front of the door. None of it.”

“Understood.”

With this compliant response, Chamuka disappeared upstairs.

Astrid pulled Ferik’s ear in protest.

“Why are you treating the child like that?”

“….”

“Ferik? What’s going on with you?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s go look at the papers you were searching for—”

“You.”

Astrid’s arm wrapped around Ferik’s neck.

Although Astrid’s strength would only hurt her own arm without affecting Ferik at all, he stopped talking.

“Just tell me straight. Why were you glaring at Chamuka like that?”

At Ferik’s silence, Astrid said, “Should I sleep in the annex again from now on? Or will you just talk?”

“Chamuka won’t be going to his room tonight.”

Ferik’s mouth opened easily at Astrid’s brief threat.

“…How do you know that?”

“Because he didn’t refute anything we said. From the beginning, he had no intention of listening, so he just said what we wanted to hear. He wanted to leave quickly.”

“Leave to do what? If he’s not going to his room, what is he planning to do with the baby at night?”

“….”

Due to Ferik’s inability to answer, Astrid’s mind began to race in a somewhat negative direction.

However, Ferik truly had no answer to that “what is he planning to do?”

There was a very high probability that the pure purpose was simply “to be alone together.”

When a Basilinte found someone they wanted to monopolize, they simply wouldn’t leave their side. They would do everything together. Being alone with just the two of them was best.

“Follow him.”

“Astrid.”

“Suppress your presence and follow him to see where he’s going!”

As always, Ferik obeyed Astrid’s command.

He moved with his master on his back.

Soon, Ferik, who had been tracking Chamuka’s presence, said.

“He seems to be in the workshop.”

“Then let’s go there.”

It seemed she had already forgotten about the papers she had been so desperate to find that she rushed out in the middle of the night.

Ferik silently followed Astrid’s instructions and headed to the workshop.

The workshop was dim, but a faint light was leaking from one corner.

While Ferik could see the two sitting side by side on a sofa with books piled around them, Astrid apparently couldn’t, as she tapped Ferik’s shoulder saying, “Get closer.”

“That’s enough. I can see now.”

Fortunately, it was different from Astrid’s impure imagination.

Her disciple, who had been wrapped in a blanket, had apparently woken up and was rubbing his eyes, while Chamuka had cleared the books on the sofa and was sitting beside him.

Although their arms were touching because the sofa sank under Chamuka’s weight.

“No. That still seems too close.”

Contrary to Astrid’s anxious muttering, the space on the sofa where the two were sitting was peaceful.

Chamuka supported Leticia’s chin as she began to doze off again.

Startled, Leticia looked around and murmured blankly.

“Uh… I was in the basement storage…”

“You were sleeping, so I just brought you back.”

“Thank youuu…”

Leticia’s words trailed off, mixed with a yawn.

She looked comfortable as she repeatedly blinked her eyes and patted her cheeks, as if trying to stay awake.

Although Chamuka’s staring might have been uncomfortable, Leticia moved naturally under his gaze, as if accustomed to it.

Then, once she had regained some consciousness, she made eye contact with Chamuka.

“You didn’t go back to your room?”

“I was also interested in what you were reading.”

Astrid was exasperated.

What’s interesting about it? What do you know about magic?

However, regardless of what Astrid was internally shouting from a distance, Chamuka picked up one of the papers from the desk and said.

“I brought one from downstairs. You seemed to have fallen asleep while reading, is this where you got to?”

“Yes. I had almost finished reading it…”

“I’ll read the rest for you. Close your eyes if you’re tired.”

“It’s okay, yaaawn… I’m fine…”

Despite Leticia’s refusal, Chamuka began to read the paper.

Chamuka’s slow and deep voice was enough to make anyone sleepy.

Leticia was no exception; despite her efforts to keep her eyes open, she soon began to nod off and eventually fell asleep.

Leticia’s side hair bumped against the opposite end of the sofa.

While still reading the paper aloud, Chamuka pulled Leticia’s head to rest on his thigh.

Except for the fact that it was the middle of the night, it was a scene as warm as midday sunshine.

But Astrid couldn’t believe that it was her son who had created this warm scene.

Chamuka had sometimes been even more machine-like than Ferik. How much had he upset Astrid because of that?

“…Every curse has a source. The caster’s most honest desire is…”

When he was 4 years old, he said that for learning purposes, reading should be done alone when I offered to read him a book, but now why is he reading to her?!

And she’s sleeping! Our baby isn’t even listening!

“I think you should stop pulling my hair, Astrid.”

At Ferik’s quiet remark, Astrid just trembled.

But whether she trembled or not, her disciple with even his breathing sounding adorable and her detestable son remained just as they were.

“…Huh?”

So, Chamuka, who had finished reading the thin paper he had brought, was now starting over from the beginning and reciting it exactly the same way.

Almost as if he had gone back to a few minutes ago.

“Why is he doing that? The baby is sleeping anyway.”

In response to Astrid’s whispered question, Ferik drew from his own past experience and answered.

“He keeps reading even though he knows she’s asleep. That way, he has a reason to stay there.”

Upon hearing that he would probably repeat reading those few pages all night long, Astrid let out a long sigh and rested her forehead on Ferik’s shoulder.

A brief assessment of the situation fell from her lips.

“We’re really in trouble.”

What are we going to do about our baby?