“Evelyn!”

As usual, Reynard had arrived at the hideout first and greeted Evelyn as he saw her cautiously entering.

Even though it had only been half a day since they last met, he was genuinely happy to see her. Just as Reynard was Evelyn’s first friend, she was also his first real friend.

Evelyn spotted Reynard and gave a shy smile.

“You’re here early again today?”

“Well, you know.”

Reynard shrugged his shoulders once. Unlike Evelyn, who had been busy working until evening, Reynard had plenty of free time.

Though he was disguised as a page, his true identity was that of a prince.

No matter how fallen a prince he may have been, no one dared to order him around like an actual page.

Evelyn sat down beside Reynard as she always did.

“Why are you just sitting down?”

Reynard looked at her with a puzzled expression and asked. At first, Evelyn didn’t understand what he meant and looked confused, but she quickly realized what he was referring to and opened her mouth.

“I asked my mother, but it seems like it might be difficult.”

“She said no?”

“No, not exactly…”

Evelyn hesitated and struggled to speak.

“Why? Did something happen?”

When Evelyn trailed off unclearly, Reynard tilted his head and asked again. Evelyn thought for a moment, then shook her head.

“No, nothing happened. It’s just… my mother didn’t really respond positively…”

“Then it can’t be helped.”

Reynard accepted it without protest. Evelyn quietly sighed in relief, grateful that he didn’t press her further. It wasn’t a lie that Glenna had reacted negatively.

Though she hadn’t outright said no during their conversation, Evelyn, who had spent many years with Glenna, knew well that her evasive irritation was as good as a refusal. If she had been inclined to permit it, she would have simply said, “Do as you wish.”

Thinking that far, Evelyn buried her face between her arms. She wished that Glenna could be at least a little kind to her.

If she could be even half as kind as she was to Princess Ophelia, Evelyn wouldn’t ask for anything more.

But Evelyn quickly corrected her thoughts. Still, she had a mother. Even if Glenna hadn’t been a source of support, at least she was alive.

Reynard had said that his mother had passed away. And that he was hated because of it. Compared to his situation, Evelyn’s circumstances weren’t so bad. She didn’t want to complain over something like this and end up hurting Reynard’s feelings.

“Was your mother a good person, Ray?”

As her thoughts continued, Evelyn suddenly asked Reynard. He glanced at her briefly, then, like her, buried his face between his arms and nodded.

“Yeah. She was a good person.”

Though his eyes stared forward, what Reynard saw wasn’t just the brush and trees before him.

“…She really was.”

He only muttered the same phrase, offering no further details about what kind of person his mother was. But Evelyn could guess from the sorrow and longing that clouded Reynard’s eyes just how kind and loving his mother must have been.

“……”

Soon, moisture welled up around Reynard’s eyes. Evelyn, unsure of how to comfort him as she watched, reached out and gently hugged him.

“What—what are you doing?”

Startled by the sudden hug, Reynard pushed Evelyn away and shouted. Though surprised by his reaction, Evelyn acknowledged that her gesture had been sudden and gave an awkward smile.

“It just looked like you were crying, so I wanted to comfort you.”

“Crying? Me?”

Reynard asked in disbelief. Even as he spoke, tears remained at the corners of his eyes.

“Yes.”

Eventually, a tear that filled his eyes slid down his cheek. Only then could Reynard no longer deny it. That he was crying.

“……”

Once the tears began to fall, they didn’t stop. They continued streaming down his cheeks and dropped little by little onto his arms.

Evelyn silently watched him for a while, then gently hugged him again. This time, Reynard didn’t push her away.

“…I didn’t mean to cry.”

“I know. It’s okay.”

Evelyn gently patted his back. That touch had a deep impact on Reynard, who had endured everything while pretending to be fine all along.

Without needing to think about who he was or who it was comforting him, Reynard began to sob aloud, releasing all the emotions he had kept buried.

And Evelyn continued to comfort him until he calmed down in her arms.

***

It wasn’t until night had completely darkened the sky that Reynard finally stopped crying.

“…Sorry. And thank you.”

Reynard expressed his gratitude to Evelyn in a barely audible voice. It was the first time he had cried so openly since his mother passed away.

The fact that he could receive such comfort from a young girl he had only met a few times was, to Reynard, something astonishing and hard to believe.

“Do you feel a little better now?”

Evelyn tilted her head and carefully examined Reynard’s face. Seeing the shimmer in her teal eyes, Reynard sharply drew in his breath. Evelyn, now close enough to be right in front of him, smelled faintly of fresh grass.

Her large, round eyes, small but well-shaped nose, and the way her little mouth moved—everything captured Reynard’s gaze.

“Ray?”

When she received no response from him, Evelyn called his name softly.

“Y-yeah.”

Reynard, coming to his senses a beat late, answered with a trembling voice.

“I-I feel better. A lot better. Thank you.”

“I’m glad.”

Smiling bashfully, Evelyn looked relieved. Watching her made Reynard’s heart race so fast he thought he wouldn’t be able to handle it, so he quickly turned his head away.

But the scent of grass that clung to her still lingered. Just breathing it in made his head spin.

Eventually, Reynard suddenly got to his feet.

“I-I-I! I’ll get going now.”

“Already?”

“Already? It’s night! If you’re any later, Evelyn, your mother will worry. You should get home quickly.”

Reynard spoke in a flustered rush. Evelyn paused to wonder if Glenna was really someone who would worry about her coming home late.

No matter how much she thought about it, her mother didn’t seem like the type to worry over her well-being like she did Princess Ophelia’s. But it wasn’t something worth voicing aloud, so Evelyn simply nodded and stood up.

“Okay. Then… will I see you again tomorrow?”

To Evelyn’s cautious question, Reynard simply nodded in reply.

“Thank goodness. Then see you tomorrow, Ray.”

“Y-yeah.”

“Then I’ll go ahead now.”

“Take care.

Evelyn brushed off the grass and dirt clinging to her bottom and began to scurry away with her short legs. 

Reynard stood rooted to the spot, silently watching her go. As he gazed at her shrinking figure, his chest tightened painfully for some reason. It was a kind of pain—and fluttering—that he had never felt before.

‘What is this?’

Reynard silently muttered to himself as he tried to make sense of the unfamiliar emotions. Whenever he was with Evelyn, his heart would beat too fast. And his face would flush with heat. It wasn’t unpleasant. On the contrary, looking at her made him feel so warm and giddy it was almost ticklish.

Reynard took a deep breath, still picturing Evelyn’s now-vanished figure, and then slowly exhaled. Even now, he couldn’t calm the erratic beating of his heart.

“…See you tomorrow.”

It was a phrase Evelyn couldn’t possibly hear anymore, but Reynard felt the need to say it aloud. Strangely, it made him feel good.

With that final thought, Reynard turned and began walking slowly back toward the Bait envoy’s lodging.