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Perhaps out of consideration for us after their loss, I didn’t get the chance to see Vannabelle and the others. Before I could dwell on it, I hurriedly finished dinner, and thanks to the kindness of the cafeteria staff who gave me a few pieces of bread for a late-night snack, I returned to the backyard to continue working.

Isaac and Romeo patiently stuck with me, and what I had planned to do alone—the maintenance on Arkecius—progressed far more smoothly than expected.

Even so, by the time the work on the machine was done and we headed back to the dorm, it was already past midnight. Normally the gates would have been locked by then, but just for tonight, Aunt Ur had left the dorm’s entrance light on and was waiting to welcome us back.

“…I’m back.”

Careful not to wake Hom, who was surely already asleep, I still called out softly just in case she happened to be awake. After quickly washing up to remove the grime and machine oil, I used a bit of wind magic from Ars Magna to dry my hair. It felt like a rather improper use of such magic, but it was better than letting the noise of the dryer disturb Hom’s sleep.

“…Master?”

When I returned to the room in my nightclothes, Hom’s voice came out of the dimness.

“Ah, sorry. Did I wake you?”

Her call had sounded faintly uneasy, but instead of pointing that out, I acted as I normally would. Hom rolled onto her side toward my bed and gave a small shake of her head.

“I have been trying to sleep, but the nerves will not let me.”

Of course—despite their words of encouragement, seeing Estea and Melua carry themselves with such composure must have been intimidating.

Even though she understood they had no ill intentions, to a wounded heart like Hom’s, their unshakable confidence and calm might only have driven home how little she felt she had of her own.

“Come here, Hom.”

As I slipped into bed, I softly called out to her.

“Yes.”

It was only a brief reply, but I could tell her voice had brightened, if only a little. Whenever she was wanted, whenever she was needed, Hom felt the greatest joy. I had created her that way, but even so, I wished she could someday find happiness of her own within it.

I drew her into the bed and held her close as always, gently stroking her head.

I could feel the tension melt from her body, the sense of relief flowing from her. That kind of honest reaction, being able to feel it so near, made me happy as well.

“Feeling calmer now?”
“Yes. But I should probably—”

As Hom tried to slip out of the bed out of restraint, I held her tighter and stopped her.

“It’s fine. Tonight, let’s just sleep like this.”
“…Master?”

She blinked and looked up at me.

“This is something parents and children do. When I felt uneasy, my mother used to hold me this way too.”

Though of course, that had been when I was much younger. But the first time I truly felt unconditional love was that night at the daycare, when I’d been left there for the first time and, unluckily, had come down with a fever.

The loneliness and anxiety that came with being alone at night—those tangled threads unraveled, lightened, when held in someone’s arms like this. And with it came a peaceful sleep.

“…You’re so warm, Master.”

Hom timidly slipped her arms around me, trying to return the embrace. It seemed she had understood what I was trying to say, and I felt my cheeks relax into a smile.

“Do it however you like, Hom. I’ve gotten plenty used to being hugged by Alfe, so you won’t disturb my sleep. If anything, it might help me remember the past and let me rest more easily.”
“Is that so?”

Hom shared my memories. She would immediately know I wasn’t lying. Even so, emotions I had once felt weren’t something she could fully understand just by knowing them.

“Want to try?”

When I looked down at her and asked, Hom gave a small nod and gently hugged me. At first her arms were hesitant, uncertain—but little by little, they tightened, as if reaching for my warmth.

“…Like this?”
“Mm. That’s good. I’ll follow your lead, Hom.”

Just as she was doing for me, I hugged her tightly in return. Hom relaxed into it, a breath of relief escaping her lips.

“So this… this is what you felt, when you called it happiness.”
“That’s right, Hom.”

As I answered, Hom closed her eyes and nuzzled her face into my hair with childlike affection.