Adopting Disaster

He couldn't answer.

The hangover from the alcohol he drank yesterday and his worries were tormenting his head.

He kept his head down, fearing that looking up at Dolores would only add to his misery.

"See, you're not listening. You don't even look at my face, and you don't talk."

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you like this today? Are you tired? I guess I was bothering you... Sigh, I should just go."

"No!"

As Dolores jokingly tried to get up from her seat, Reed reflexively grabbed her hand.

Dolores was surprised to see Reed, who had never done that before, holding her wrist.

Reed let go of her hand and apologized to her.

"I'm sorry."

"What's wrong? Are you having some trouble, oppa?"

Dolores, who had been good at acting sulky, cautiously asked, feeling uneasy about his sudden action.

Reed covered his face with one hand and waved the other.

"No, it's just... I'm just out of it today."

He couldn't bring himself to answer.

The third fate Reed had to face was Dolores herself.

'Dolores.'

Yes, from the moment he entered this game, Dolores was a character he had seen for the first time.

Instead of a talented young female magician, Rudis Grancia Jade, a pathetic person, took the position of the Tower Lord of Wallin.

Dolores disappeared without a sound.

If they said she died, he could at least somewhat understand it.

But she disappeared without a word, as if she had never existed in the first place.

He didn't know why.

Reed investigated the reason all night.

But there was nothing within his knowledge or understanding.

It was something that would happen in the future.

Perhaps it shouldn't have happened, and it was undoubtedly an event that could not even be anticipated.

He felt doubts and fears about whether he could prevent such an unpredictable event.

At that moment, a gentle sensation enveloped Reed.

It was Dolores' embrace.

"You've been deep in thought. I'm sorry. I should have noticed."

Like comforting a child, she hugged Reed's head and gently stroked it with her right hand.

Reed couldn't say anything as he nestled in her chest.

He quietly felt her embrace and waited until he calmed down as she said.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"...If you don't count the embarrassing act, I'm fine."

Dolores laughed at Reed's reaction.

It was a childlike smile with her dimples showing and her eyes curving like crescents.

Dolores, who had always sat on the opposite side, perched on the desk.

She changed the subject.

"I've picked out the clothes to wear while traveling."

Reed responded to the topic.

"What are they?"

"I'll wear a white dress and a straw hat because we're going secretly. Like a lady out for a stroll."

"What about me?"

"You look good in a suit, so wear a suit. Something similar to what you wore at the party."

"Hmm... What else?"

"During the day, we'll walk along the royal road. We'll go to the market, blending in with the sounds of carriages and merchants calling out."

"Go to the commoners' market? Isn't that dangerous?"

"What's dangerous about it?"

"What if someone offers you candy to follow them?"

"...You seem to be feeling much better, huh?"

"I'm sorry. What else?"

"We'll go to a not-so-fancy restaurant, eat not-so-fancy food, and have fun like commoners as much as possible."

"Acting like commoners during the day... sounds good."

"But that's not the end. When the sunset comes, we'll go to a quiet lake. I'll freeze the surface of the lake and we'll skate on it."

"Isn't that dangerous at night?"

"Let's do it on a full moon night. Wouldn't it be fun to skate on the ice together on the night when the moon shines the brightest?"

"Well, I'm not good at skating, you know."

"I'll teach you. We'll bring the food I prepared for dinner."

"What will you prepare?"

"That's a secret."

"If it's something weird, I won't eat it."

"Hey, are you saying I'd make something inedible?! I'm good at cooking, you know?! Just wait and see, I'll make you speechless."

Reed smiled at her childish grumbling.

"What do you think of my travel plan? Aren't you looking forward to it?"

"Hmm, is there a tree by that lake?"

"Um... There should be. Why?"

"If there's a big tree, we can lean against it and look up at the sky at an angle. So we can see the stars."

"Oh, and?"

"Let's have an unstructured conversation like we always do. Talking about things we couldn't talk about in here."

Dolores, who was looking forward to it, inadvertently closed her mouth.

A disorganized conversation.

Untold stories.

What could he be talking about?

"What... should we talk about?"

"I don't know."

"Let's say we went there! Then what would you say? Try saying it now."

"Why would I say that when I've never been there?"

"Ugh, you're so frustrating! We might not even go on this trip."

"Then I won't go either."

Dolores narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

Her blue eyes, visible between her narrowed eyes, were adorable.

"Dolli."

"What?"

"You don't get angry anymore."

"I realized I don't have to. If you enjoy my reaction, I won't give it to you."

"Whenever something happens, come to me first."

"Why?"

"Just come to me."

Reed said with a smile.

But Dolores knew that his smile was not an ordinary one.

"Do you worry a lot about me? Because I'm like a child?"

Her eyes wavered as she spoke.

She vented her surging emotions.

"You always pretend to be strong. Even though you're weaker than me. Always acting tough, treating me like a kid. If I wanted to, I could easily knock you down!"

Dolores showed her clenched fist.

It was a small, soft fist.

It was an appeal wanting to be recognized, rather than a threat.

"I've never seen you as a child."

"Then treat me like an adult. Don't just rely on yourself, rely on me too."

"Do you want me to rely on you?"

Dolores hesitated.

She fiddled with the hand she was holding.

And she nodded her head.

"I wish you would."

It was always what she wanted.

But she couldn't bring herself to say it and closed her lips again.

"Alright, I'll rely on you when I feel like collapsing."

At those words, Dolores smiled mischievously with her eyes.

"Since I hugged you, it's not fair, so now it's my turn to be hugged, right?"

Dolores playfully spread her arms.

"Well, it's just a joke but..."

Reed didn't say anything and hugged her.

Dolores, who had been talking, floundered like a carp caught on the riverbank.

"Uh, oppa?"

"Let's be fair. There you go."

"......Yes."

She wrapped her arms around his waist with the arms that she had playfully spread.

Neither of them spoke.

They just held on to this moment.

In this moment, they wrapped their arms around each other, trying not to let go.