I rubbed ……

Lily breathed evenly.

But Letitia couldn’t fall asleep.

A lot had happened today.

In the morning, they were at Grintei’s house.

In the afternoon, they went to Granny Monet’s for a divination.

The round trips on the griffon had left Letitia restless.

On the griffon, space was limited.

So Letitia could only act on her own feelings toward Lily.

Lily’s graceful gestures made Letitia’s heart ache with longing.

Even if she didn’t admit it, Letitia was gradually becoming dependent on Lily’s presence.

She wanted to be with Lily quickly.

To share a moment of true happiness together.

Lily breathed evenly.

And Letitia could no longer sit still.

She turned around.

Gazing at Lily’s back—Lily still didn’t want to face her while sleeping.

Every time she slept, she turned away.

Making it impossible for Letitia to see her face clearly.

“Lily? Are you asleep?” Letitia asked cautiously.

Lily didn’t answer.

Her breathing became even steadier.

In reality, she was pretending to sleep.

But Letitia’s mind was full of thoughts about Lily, making normal judgment impossible.

Letitia sat up on the bed and gently adjusted Lily to lie on her back.

Even so, Lily showed no signs of waking.

Her expression looked unusually peaceful.

Looking at Lily’s face, Letitia couldn’t help but become captivated.

Lily tried to control her racing heart.

Why was Letitia adjusting her like this?

Was she just curious or planning something unexpected?

Should she open her eyes to see? Or stay quiet and watch?

No, if she woke up now, Letitia would surely hesitate.

She needed to wait for the right moment.

“All right, let’s see…”

Lily had already considered many possibilities.

As a dragon, she couldn’t compete in strength alone, so she relied on clever observation.

Soon, Letitia gazed at Lily with admiration.

What was meant to be a quiet moment quickly stirred stronger emotions.

At first, Letitia only wanted to be near her, just a simple hug.

But holding Lily’s soft form, her rationality began to falter.

Just a little closeness… she thought.

Gradually, Letitia’s resolve weakened.

And her self-restraint lowered.

Seeing Lily’s gentle posture, Letitia realized mere observation wasn’t enough.

She let herself act on her feelings.

She couldn’t resist—why should she?

Lily was here, and this was her moment to show affection.

Lily’s face flushed slightly, responding instinctively even while pretending to sleep.

The quiet encounter neared its end.

Letitia held Lily close.

And Lily remained asleep.

Softly responding to Letitia’s touch.

“You’re really… so lovely,” Letitia whispered to herself.

Soon, Letitia realized something was off.

Just now, she had treated Lily almost like a companion.

She should have been cautious.

But why did she feel so tender and gentle instead?

Could it be… she had come to admire Lily’s beauty?

No… she couldn’t have… fallen for Lily, could she?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Humans were fragile, and even a little force could dominate—but she couldn’t bring herself to act harshly toward Lily.

Not even a hand’s worth of pressure.

She couldn’t do it.

Her instinct refused to allow harm.

She should feel resentment.

She should act with caution—but why couldn’t she?

Why was she unable to cause any real harm?

“I must be too tired…”

Letitia restored Lily to her original position.

Looking at her delicate skin, her heart still fluttered.

But she forced herself to shake her head.

To prevent further emotional turmoil, Letitia hurriedly helped Lily get dressed properly.

This was also to ensure the night’s rest remained undisturbed.

Otherwise, Lily would certainly notice.

Then she could not hold her head high again.

Next, she decided to go outside for some fresh air to calm her mind.

Letitia dressed.

Put on a shawl.

And before leaving, noticed Lily’s blanket wasn’t properly tucked.

She hurriedly adjusted it.

Having done all this, Letitia struggled with inner conflict.

Why was she being so kind to Lily?

Wouldn’t it be better if Lily were left slightly chilly?

Then she could act decisively without hesitation.

In any case, she decided to leave the blanket slightly open to let the air in.

She reached out properly.

But couldn’t bring herself to disturb Lily further.

As if an invisible force prevented her from doing so.

“Why am I caring so much?

Protecting someone I care for… isn’t that my responsibility?”

Letitia persuaded herself.

Leaving the room indignantly.

The courtyard wind was cold.

Which was just fine—it would help clear her mind.

The palace had night-watch maids patrolling with magical lanterns.

When they saw Letitia, they showed surprise.

Letitia explained she was just getting some fresh air.

And asked them not to worry.

The maids saluted.

And continued their patrol elsewhere.