Seeing Litt lying across his thigh like that, Red’s expression was nothing short of stunned.
Even after all this time, his mind still hadn’t caught up with what was happening.
To be honest, even though Litt was just resting her head on his thigh, the distance between them could now only be described as incredibly close.
Red could clearly see the subtle movement of Litt’s brows, as if she was asleep, yet somehow not.
And because they were so near, a fresh, slightly sweet scent drifted from her body.
This left Red truly unsure of what he ought to do.
Litt slept with the utmost peace of mind, but for him, the atmosphere at this moment was the very picture of awkwardness tinged with a hint of ambiguity.
“Litt…?”
He tested the waters, calling her softly under his breath, his throat unbearably dry.
His gaze fell on her completely relaxed brow and the gentle rise and fall of her chest—her breathing slow and steady, with the tranquil rhythm unique to those deep in slumber.
Red blinked in disbelief.
In less than three minutes, she… actually fell asleep?
Could she be faking it?
Suspicion seized hold of his reason in an instant.
Carefully, with a bit of hesitance, he used his fingertip to lightly poke Litt’s warm, soft cheek.
“Mmm…”
The girl resting on his lap let out a muffled mumble, as if her sweet dreams had been disturbed.
Unconsciously, as if relying on him, she reached out and accurately grasped his misbehaving finger.
Her palm was warm and soft, her grip gentle, yet it sent a tiny current through Red’s heart, making it skip a beat.
He instantly withdrew his hand.
“Litt, are you still awake? Don’t tell me you’re just pretending to sleep?”
He meant to sound a little threatening, to get Litt to obediently wake up, but as the words left his mouth, his tone was so gentle there wasn’t a trace of threat in it.
So, after staring for a long while at that defenseless sleeping face, so close at hand, Red could only resign himself with a deep sigh.
Though he felt this sort of behavior wasn’t exactly appropriate for the current state of their relationship, when he recalled how much Litt had helped him… if he couldn’t even grant her this small request, that really would be going too far.
Forget it, let’s just leave it at that.
***
Time slipped by quietly.
Outside the window, the sunlight shifted, stretching the shadows cast across the display.
But strangely, the dull, boring wait he’d expected never came.
Maybe because he was too absorbed, as Red gazed at Litt’s defenseless sleeping face, he felt no sense at all of time slipping away.
He didn’t know how long had passed until the shop door was pushed open.
At the clear sound of the bell, Red quickly covered Litt’s ears, so her nap wouldn’t be disturbed.
“Hello, Mr. Red.”
A graceful voice sounded, and Red looked up.
The person before him was none other than Otto, Bishop of the White Church.
This blond man seemed to have something to say, but when he saw Litt peacefully asleep, using Red’s thigh as a pillow, he paused for a moment in surprise.
Then, a rather mischievous smile slowly appeared on his face.
“Oh my…,” Otto’s voice was tinged with just the right amount of surprise and a barely perceptible hint of teasing.
“It seems I’ve come at an inopportune time? Have I interrupted a rare ‘happy moment’ for the two of you?”
“Ahem, not at all.”
Red forced himself to appear calm as he quietly used magic to conjure a pair of earplugs and gently placed them in Litt’s ears, making sure to keep his movements subtle.
Though things between him and Litt were perfectly proper, for some reason, he felt a bizarre sense of having been caught by a father-in-law while spending time with his girlfriend.
After making sure Litt wouldn’t be disturbed by outside noises, Red finally let go of her ears.
He remained seated, facing Otto, and asked,
“Bishop Otto, what brings you here?”
“It’s nothing major, really. I came looking for Litt, but seeing her like this, I can’t bear to wake her…”
At this, Otto glanced at Red, as if recalling the past, and said, “Perhaps you don’t know, Red, but honestly, during the time you were unaware, her exhaustion was no less than yours.”
Red might not have known Litt’s true identity, but Otto knew all too well.
She’d returned from the Dungeon, that deadly and dangerous place, only to don a different face and spend time with Red without missing a beat.
Though Otto didn’t know her exact reasons, her actions were certainly worthy of praise.
“Ah…”
Red froze for a moment.
No wonder Litt had fallen asleep in less than three minutes.
So she was actually that tired too?
After hearing Otto’s words, Red’s feeling of guilt deepened, and he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
She’s done so much for me… but for what reason?
And what could he possibly give her in return?
This thought weighed heavily on his heart, filling him with a helpless kind of confusion.
The warmth and support Litt gave him were like the gentle sun, yet he felt himself to be a barren tree, unable to bear fruit of equal value.
While he was lost in thought, Otto sat down, elegantly crossing his legs.
He drummed his fingers lightly on the armrest, his voice that of someone who’d seen it all, tinged with a subtle sting.
“Mr. Red, the Litt you see… might not be her truest self. To maintain this lovely image before you, she’s worked very hard to play the part.”
Red paused, looking down at the girl in his arms.
Honestly, he couldn’t imagine what Litt’s bad side could possibly be.
Maybe she was just a messy sleeper?
Like how she would sometimes sleep so restlessly that, for no reason, she’d end up with one or two fewer pieces of clothing.
But right now, she was sleeping quite peacefully.
Surely she’s not really pretending to sleep?
Red’s fingers almost moved on their own, itching to poke that soft, enticing cheek that was so close at hand.
Yet Otto’s emerald eyes, seeming to see right through him, remained fixed on Red with a look of playful amusement.
Under that gaze, Red could only sheepishly and awkwardly draw back his restless hand, as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t.
Otto didn’t mind, though, and once again let out a voice full of sincere admiration.
“And I don’t recall her acting ever being this good before, either.”
With that, Otto said no more.
Whether Red understood or not was up to his own fortune.
After all his research, Otto knew very well why the girl behind the mask could so easily play the role of Litt, an angelic presence in Red’s life.
It was… all thanks to the Mask she wore on her face.
Yeah that mask is definitely dangerous.