Chapter 9
“…How did this happen?”
I could only blink as I stared at Blake, who was sleeping soundly beside me.
My surprise lasted only a moment.
Soon, I silently thanked the heavens for gifting me such a wonderful sight.
Now that I looked closely, the man before me was truly handsome—as if sculpted by a master artisan.
The first thing that caught my eye was his long eyelashes, like bars shielding him from the sunlight, and the peacefully closed eyes beneath them.
Below them sat a high, elegant nose and lips curved into a faint smile as he slept comfortably.
Overall, he was the kind of beautiful man with soft, refined features.
Yesterday, his gloomy atmosphere had made me assume he looked fierce, but seeing him asleep…
“Pretty. He looks like an angel.”
Yes, angel was exactly the right word.
How could someone like this be treated as a villain?
Had all the real villains in the world frozen to death or something?
Maybe the standards for villains are different in the human world.
Was a man with a face this beautiful considered a villain because he stole people’s hearts?
Or maybe—
A villain because he blinded people with his beauty?
“Wow. You could probably sled down that nose bridge.”
Without thinking, I reached out and lightly stroked his straight nose.
Then I suddenly froze.
Oh no.
“…So that’s why he’s a villain. He turns me into a creepy pervert!”
Yeah. That had to be it.
After quietly admiring his face for a while, I tilted my head.
Wait, when did I put Blake to sleep?
I searched my memories, but the last thing I remembered was desperately mumbling spells so I wouldn’t have to fall asleep alone.
There was no way Blake had simply fallen asleep by himself.
I already knew he suffered because of his curse, and if he could sleep on his own, he wouldn’t have brought me here in the first place.
Unless he was pretending to sleep?
The possibility seemed unlikely, but just in case, I stretched my hand toward his face.
Then I gently pinched his nostrils shut.
After about a minute, his brow twitched.
“Mmm…”
He shifted in his sleep.
Hmm.
Not that either.
He was definitely asleep.
Now that I was certain, a new question arose.
Then how exactly had Blake fallen asleep?
And while hugging me, of all things?
But no amount of thinking was going to give me the answer.
I must’ve grabbed his hand in my sleep and accidentally cast a spell!
Giving up on finding the exact explanation, I moved on.
No matter what happened, the important thing was that I’d managed to put him to sleep.
And my mana’s been recharged so much!
It was probably all thanks to sleeping while cuddled up against him.
Let’s see…
Trying to estimate how much mana I had recovered…
If my mana capacity were the size of an ocean, then it’s about the size of a pond now.
There was still a long way to go before it was completely full, but the results were obvious.
If I stayed close to Blake and kept recharging little by little, I’d eventually be able to use proper spells again.
And maybe I’d even be able to search for a portal.
I gazed lovingly at the peacefully sleeping Blake.
“Blake, you really are my savior.”
Even if the original novel, Lovely Savior, hadn’t been named after him.
“…Ah.”
The words had been little more than a whisper, but when I turned my head, a pair of violet eyes was staring directly at me.
His eyes moved sluggishly between me and the ceiling, trying to make sense of the situation.
Then he suddenly sprang upright as if launched by a spring and leapt off the bed.
“Wh-what… Why was I sleeping…?”
“Good morning!”
Rubbing my arms and already missing the warmth of his embrace, I greeted him cheerfully.
Although…
Was it actually morning?
The room was covered by heavy blackout curtains, with not a ray of sunlight entering.
“Hup.”
Since I’d slept so well, it felt right to greet the day with sunlight.
Amazing how I’d become comfortable here after only one day.
I hopped off the bed and waved toward Blake, who was still standing stiffly against the wall, staring blankly at me.
Then I walked over to the curtains.
Whoosh.
The curtains opened, and brilliant sunlight flooded the room.
What a beautiful day!
Since I’d already opened the curtains, I pushed the window open too.
A gentle spring breeze carrying the scent of life brushed against my nose.
To think I was feeling a breeze like this instead of the western desert winds.
It felt like a dream.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought so.
“…I slept.”
Blake was still standing there, looking utterly unable to believe it.
Then he slowly sank down, gripping one of the bedposts.
“I know. You slept really well. Thanks to that, I slept warmly too. I really like how big this bed is!”
“I distinctly remember trying to throw you off the bed… How did this…?”
The cowlick sticking up at the back of his head was adorable.
Completely unaware of it, he kept darting his eyes around in confusion.
“Really? Did I sleep spread-eagle across the whole bed? I’ll be more careful next time.”
Not that it would’ve mattered much with my short little legs.
“Next time don’t sleep in my bed at all!”
Blake shouted.
“Don’t be so stingy, Blake. The bed is huge. What’s so hard about sharing it with one tiny teddy bear?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Realizing the conversation had gone off track, he took a deep breath.
He was ridiculously handsome.
Watching him press at the corners of his eyes, trying to regain his composure while still looking anxious, gave him a strangely decadent charm.
Starting the morning by looking at a handsome man really was wonderful.
“…Was it you?”
“Hm?”
“Did you make me fall asleep?”
“Ah.”
“So that’s what happened.”
Everything finally clicked into place.
I grinned confidently.
“I told you, didn’t I? I could put you to sleep.”
But my answer clearly wasn’t enough.
His expression immediately sharpened with suspicion.
“Tell me how.”
Suddenly, he grabbed me by the back of the neck while I was enjoying the breeze by the window.
“Hey! Let go!”
“Tell me right now. How did you do it? Nobody has ever broken this curse. We’ve spent fortunes, searched ancient texts, and been deceived by countless frauds, yet no one found a solution. So how did you do it?”
Though I was dangling awkwardly from his grip, I shrugged with all the dignity I could muster.
“Because I’m Vivian Holloway, the Great Witch of the West. I told you before. I’m not an ordinary witch. I’m an incredibly amazing witch.”
“So you weren’t lying?”
“I don’t lie. Liars always get what’s coming to them.”
That was one of my personal philosophies.
Never lie.
I’d once read a profound book that said lies only create more lies.
It also said trust was built through consistency, communication, and…
“Most importantly, sincerity. I don’t deceive you. Because I like you. Aaah! Why’d you drop me all of a sudden?!”
I hit the floor with a thump and rubbed my sore backside while glaring at him.
But Blake avoided my gaze entirely and asked:
“Then… does that mean you can keep putting me to sleep like this?”
“I don’t like making promises I’m not sure I can keep. But if you don’t kick me out of this mansion and let me stay by your side, then yes.”
“…And you can do it again tonight?”
“Of course. Oh, and one more thing—I can even make you take naps if you give me wine!”
I wonder how wine from the human world tastes.
While I was distracted by that thought, I noticed Blake hesitating, biting his lip as if he wanted to ask something else.
I tilted my head.
“What? Is there something else? I don’t mind answering.”
“…Earlier, I heard you. Why did you call me your sa… sa…”
“Sa… sa…?”
Watching him stammer like a pigeon trying to coo made me furrow my brows seriously.
Suddenly, he whipped his head away and shouted with a stiff face:
“…Why did you call me your savior?!”
The tips of his ears looked slightly red.
Was that just my imagination?
I stared at him for a moment before answering casually.
“Oh, that! Because whenever you’re near me, I feel full of energy. My mana gets replenished.”
Still refusing to look at me, Blake narrowed his eyes.
“I replenish your mana?”
“Exactly. I told you yesterday too, but I’ll explain again. You’re a mana-charging ability user. Or a mana replenisher, if you prefer. Your power restores my mana. It’s an extremely rare ability.”
“I’m not a mage. And I’m not a witch. I don’t even know what an ability user is.”
I’m just…
After a brief silence, he muttered quietly:
“A cursed human.”
“But you’re special to me.”
Silence followed.
Then I was treated to the rare sight of Blake’s eyes widening, twisting with emotion, and trembling ever so slightly.
Unlike his expressionless face, his ears had turned completely red.
