Nighttime.
Walking through the castle corridors, Artoria stretched lazily.
To be honest, even she couldn't help but feel a little tired from such work.
Becoming king wasn't as easy as she had imagined—at least, not on the surface.
If she could, Artoria really wouldn't mind letting her sister Morgan handle all this.
She, too, sometimes had the urge to escape from these matters.
But that was only a fleeting thought.
Artoria knew that since she had chosen to be this kind of king, there was no such thing as escape.
"I must lead Britain down the right path."
She was more clear-headed, more aware of this than ever before.
But a little rest now and then was surely permissible, right?
Surely, no one had the right to blame her for seeking a night's rest with Ian.
Heh.
It really felt like she was seeking out her own queen consort now.
Artoria couldn't help but think.
I need to hurry.
I can't... let him wait too long for me.
With this thought, Artoria couldn't help but quicken her pace. She couldn't wait to see Ian.
However—
Not long after she began to hurry, Artoria saw an unexpected sight.
It was Mélusine.
She was standing at the door to the room, looking hesitant.
In the past, faced with such behavior from Mélusine, Artoria would have driven her away without a second thought.
Appearing outside the room where she and Ian rested in the middle of the night was, by any measure, not normal.
But now...
"Mélusine."
Artoria greeted her graciously, as if she didn't mind her presence here at all.
"It's so late, aren't you going to rest?"
"Eh?!"
Mélusine whipped her head around.
Her movements were a bit stiff; she clearly hadn't expected to see Artoria at this hour.
"You... what are you doing here?"
"I thought you weren't supposed to come back tonight?"
"That was the plan, originally."
Artoria didn't try to hide anything.
"But..."
The mature king gave a small smile, looking for a moment like the bashful young girl she once was.
"I missed him a lot today, so I came back."
"Mélusine, am I being a little willful for doing this?"
"Well..."
Mélusine's eyes darted about nervously, flicking towards the door to Ian and Artoria's room every so often, looking particularly concerned.
"..."
Of course, Artoria couldn't ignore such an obvious gesture.
She asked again, only this time, her question was much sharper.
"What is it, Mélusine? Are you unhappy to see me back?"
"Or should I say—"
"Is there something you can only do when I'm not here?"
"There's no such thing!" Mélusine immediately denied the possibility Artoria had raised. "I... have no such thoughts."
"Then there's no problem, is there?"
Artoria took the initiative and took Mélusine's hand.
"Let's go—"
"Since you're still here at this hour, it must mean you wanted to see him too, right?"
"Eh, no, I..."
Before she could get another word out, Mélusine was dragged along by Artoria.
Creeak.
The door to the room was pushed open, and then closed again.
The corridor was silent once more.
.....
Inside the room.
The moment they entered, Mélusine's eyes scanned the area frantically.
Artoria didn't know what was happening, but she understood perfectly!
Baobhan Sith was in the room right now!
That's right.
Just as Baobhan Sith had "helped" her see Ian before, the "help" Mélusine offered Baobhan Sith was the very same act.
She let her go in, while Mélusine herself acted as a "lookout."
It wasn't a difficult task.
After all, both Baobhan Sith and Mélusine had reason to see Ian as Knights of the Round Table.
The problem was—
Artoria had returned!
It's fine for me!
But if she saw Baobhan Sith here, who knows what she might think.
However...
Mélusine looked around and discovered a rather terrifying problem.
And that was—
Baobhan Sith was gone.
Yes.
Baobhan Sith, who had been with Ian just moments before, had vanished from the room into thin air, as if by some magic.
"How did she do it..."
Mélusine couldn't help but wonder.
"What is it now?"
Artoria looked at Mélusine beside her.
Just like her, the King of Britain also had many questions, though their points of confusion were different.
"You're acting very strange today, Mélusine."
"..."
"Am... am I?" Mélusine's conscience was pricked.
"I feel perfectly normal."
"..."
Artoria looked as if she wanted to say more but held her tongue.
In the end, she didn't press the matter.
Artoria walked straight towards Ian and sat down directly beside him.
"I missed you."
The King of Britain spoke her heart directly, seemingly unwilling to waste a single moment.
Ian didn't say much either. He just glanced back at Mélusine before tackling Artoria onto the bed.
The dragon never minded displaying his feeding in front of others.
Especially not when the other person present was Mélusine, who he also found to have a very nice "scent."
However—
The latter's mind, at this moment, was not on Ian.
She could only think of one thing.
Where on earth had Baobhan Sith, who was here just a moment ago, gone?
She couldn't have just vanished into thin air, could she?
Hiss...
It wasn't impossible.
She was Morgan's daughter, after all, and had been taught a great deal of magecraft by her. She had even been personally acknowledged by Morgan as a magus who could hold her own in her absence.
But if she really did leave just like that, that was truly impressive.
Doesn't that mean she can find Ian whenever she wants?
Her circumstances are so much better than mine were back then!
Thinking this, Mélusine couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
However—
This envy didn't last long.
As Ian and Artoria were doing... things... in front of her, Mélusine herself sensed something.
It was...
Baobhan Sith's presence.
Close.
Unusually close.
Mélusine suddenly realized something.
She took a few steps back and peered under the bed, her eyes meeting Baobhan Sith's gaze in an instant.
She was hiding there, like a shadow.
"..."
"No way, you're really hiding here..."