She understood that Ebel and Phoebe both had their own ways of caring and worrying about her. But one wrong move likely would’ve led to an irreparable crack in their relationship.
Rock’s hands grew clammy as she thought about her absence being another trigger for disaster within Mateus Manor.
“So, uh, did Father and His Excellency make up?” Rock asked, not sure if that was the right way to phrase it.
On one side of her, Iniel looked like he was trying to suppress his laughter, while Johanna grew unusually serious on the other side.
“Of course they did! They are full-grown adults after all.”
“I see…but weren’t they quarreling a lot?”
“They were!” Johanna chirped without a moment’s delay, her hands no longer scrubbing the dishes. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, despite Rock shuddering from the thought of it.
“Why are you so happy?”
Johanna’s enthusiasm was only further stoked by Iniel’s dry question.
“Because! I was a witness for their dramatic reconciliation!!!” Water splashed everywhere when she thrust her fists into the air. “Master Phoebe struggled to shake His Excellency off when he gallantly grabbed him, putting his own body at risk. Enraged, Master Phoebe raised his fists, but His Excellency chose not to dodge, instead accepting the blow to his wrists!”
“I-It turned into a brawl…?”
“No! His Excellency emphatically yet patiently tried to persuade Master Phoebe with his words!” Johanna grew even more animated as she reached what seemed to be her favorite part of the story. “I understand why. His Excellency lost his father while he was young. I believe he sometimes sees his father in Master Phoebe… He felt the same way as Master Phoebe but tried to persuade him not to be rash. He trusts him.”
“His Excellency did that…”
Rock also understood that about him.
Ebel occasionally said things that made him sound envious of her relationship with her father. It was easy to understand why he wanted what they had, considering what he’d lost.
Phoebe also should’ve known that.
“His Excellency’s feelings definitely reached Master Phoebe!” Tears formed in Johanna’s eyes. “And then, at long last, Master Phoebe said he’d entrust everything concerning this case to His Excellency… He promised to bitterly wait for the right opportunity to save Master Rock! They shared a passionate look and a firm handshake. I saw it with my own eyes!”
“I see…”
Rock was relieved.
She couldn’t say she was happy about the overall situation, but she felt she should still be glad that the relationship between them had been repaired.
Or maybe it was better to say that their relationship had improved and grown stronger rather than just repaired.
Rock was impressed all over again by Ebel’s calmness and her father’s magnanimity.
“It’s probably imprudent for me to say this, but…” Rock started as she wiped down each dish she was handed. “I’m okay with everything that’s happened if it resulted in His Excellency and my father coming to trust each other.”
Rock had met her aunt and uncle, and they were able to form a relationship through all the pain and hurt they caused each other.
There were definite losses. There were a mountain of unsolvable mysteries and yet-to-be-settled circumstances.
But they’d definitely gained some things along the way.
“I believe we might actually be making some real progress,” Rock quietly finished.
“We have,” Johanna agreed. “This time, it might have just been a small win, but a win is still a win! We absolutely didn’t lose!”
“You’re right, Johanna.”
Although some things were lost, Rock was able to return to the people she loved and gained much more in the process.
Maybe someday, they would be able to bring back an even greater happiness.
“But I still can’t believe Father raised a hand against His Excellency…”
Rock snickered despite herself.
Her father often accepted any fight someone brought to him, but he was rarely the instigator. It was just like her father to choose a nobleman as the one person he personally picked a fight with.
“I don’t mean to correct you, Master Rock, but that is the way in which all gentlemen forge friendship!” Johanna said in a singsong voice.
“Really?” Rock asked, curious.
“Master Rock, please ignore her,” Iniel appealed with a sigh. “You’re going to get her started rambling about her fantasies again.”
Apparently, Johanna didn’t hear him. She completely stopped washing the dishes and stared into the distance like she was daydreaming.
“If I may join you in being imprudent, seeing them fight was honestly the best thing ever… The trust that forms from clashing, a slowly changing dynamic—those are some of my absolute favorite story beats!”
“Story beats?”
“Please ignore her! I implore you!”
Johanna entered her own little world despite Rock’s dubious look and Iniel’s pleas. But then she seemed to abruptly snap out of it and whirled toward Rock in a panic.
“Oh, please don’t misunderstand! I fully support your romance with His Excellency, Master Rock!”
“What? Wh-Where did that come from?”
“I’ll admit I did temporarily fantasize about how great of a pairing they’d make, but it’s too immoral! It’s an undeniable fact that His Excellency is madly in love with you, and Master Phoebe treasures his beloved daughter above all else. I’ll just have to enjoy shipping them in my own fantasy world, so please rest assured that you can stay by His Excellency’s side without your father getting between you! Please let him stay with you!”
Rock couldn’t understand half of what Johanna was trying to say. But she saw Iniel holding his head like he just wanted it to end, so she played along with it for the time being.
“Yeah…I’m fine with that.”
“Thank you!” Johanna cheered, bowing with heartfelt gratitude that was lost on Rock.
✦ ✦ ✦
♚♚♚
ROCK ended up staying in the kitchen much longer than intended. Most of the time was spent talking, but after somehow finishing the dishes, she returned to her guest room after midnight.
She peeked into the next room to confirm her father was asleep before crawling into bed alone. She was more exhausted than she thought as she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the fluffy down pillow.
When she woke up the next morning, Ebel was sleeping beside her.
He was in the same bed, under the same sheets, his burnt sienna eyelashes fluttering as he lay there peacefully asleep.
“Wh-Wh-Whaaaaa?!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Sure, Johanna had pleaded with her the prior night to let Ebel “stay by her side.” But she didn’t expect that’d entail waking up with him in the same bed. She was positive she’d crawled into bed alone, so why was he there? Her sleep-dazed mind snapped awake at once.
“Ebel… Ebel!”
She frantically shook him until he squinted up at her like she was the brightest light in the world. A soft, lazy smile spread across his face when he registered she was really there next to him.
“Good morning, Roxy.”
“Good morning— Hey! This isn’t the time for greetings! Why are you in my bed?!”
Contrary to Rock’s panic, he was as laidback as could be. His eyes fluttered shut as if he might fall back to sleep again, and he answered her by moving only his lips and nothing else.
“I just couldn’t fall asleep last night, so I visited your room. You were already sound asleep, so I laid down just to enjoy the sight of your sleeping face…when I accidentally fell asleep myself.”
He boldly said something that made Rock tremble with anger.
It didn’t matter how much she loved Ebel; she still wasn’t happy to have him or anyone coming into her room while she was completely zonked out and too tired to wake up. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him; she was just embarrassed. She had no idea what she looked like asleep.
And not only did he watch her, but he even spent the night in bed with her! She had every right to be flustered.
“B-But you didn’t have to get under the sheets with—”
Rock’s objection was silenced by Ebel reaching out and pulling her to his chest. He sleepily whispered into her ear under the warm blanket wrapped around both of them.
“I wanted to personally confirm you were safe and still here with me. We were separated for a painfully long time.”
Rock couldn’t complain when he hugged her like that.
It was a fact they’d been apart for a long time, and she’d terribly missed his warmth. Even though they hadn’t hugged like this much, she felt a mysterious sense of security in his arms as her heart raced. She wanted to stay with him like this forever.
“I’m sorry for worrying you,” she whispered into his muscular chest.
“I was worried. But it’s all good now,” he responded right above her head.
“But—”
“I’m content now, Roxy. Everything is all right as long as I have you.”
Rock lifted her face from his chest. Ebel was smiling down at her with just one eye cracked open. His face slowly drew closer and passionately captured her lips before his head fell back on the pillow, and he drifted off to sleep.
“…Ebel,” she whispered with lips still warmed from his kiss.
She reined in her racing heartbeat and shut her eyes. She wasn’t going to leave Ebel’s embrace anytime soon. She wanted to stay a little longer so he could get a good night’s rest.
They remained quietly in bed together until the faint morning light grew much brighter.