The Witch, Who Once Was Called A Saint

That meant various merit awards, the day Astreia heard that Ios had been granted a special leave.

"They say you can take as much time off as you want, so why don't you start traveling tomorrow? If possible, I'd like the King's Capital."

"Huh?"

"My parents are dying to meet Astraia."

"Huh? Huh?

It was two envelopes that Ios took out before Astraia, which surprised him in many ways.

"What's that?

"I've been keeping it to myself, but I'm missing a letter saying I want to see Astraia. Almost every day, from one of my parents, brother, or sister-in-law. This is what I received today."

……

Astreia had never heard of, or seen, such letters being received. No, I had heard from Sphale that if it was just a letter, it would arrive well under Ios recently.

I was just grinning at him when Sphale did it, so I heard he was teasing me as Astraia, but I was surprised that it was a letter from my family.

But the look on Ios's face, who sees such an amazing astreia, also seemed somewhere sorry.

"What's going on?

"No... well, what are you offering?"

"Yeah."

"If you think it's too early to see me, I'm wondering if it's okay for a normal sightseeing, so why don't we just go away? Yeah, well, I'm not gonna get a long break."

……

Astreia frowned when the words showed the cause of her expression.

After finding out that I'm not very used to talking to people, I guess I care that I suddenly said I want my parents to see me. Perhaps there is also a realization that if you haven't already done so.

"... nothing, it's not impossible."

Before I started living in the same house, Ios once told me that I wanted my parents to meet me someday.

Indeed, I didn't think they would suddenly tell me today that I was headed to King's Capital tomorrow, and before that, I had asked you to say it once and for all, but I thought it was a story to come someday.

The tension caused by unexpected abruptness leaves me somewhat unresponsive, but I still don't dislike it.

"Oh well. Thanks."

Why are you thanking me?

'Cause I'm happy.

"... I don't think I have to be happy about this"

Instead, Astraia thinks we have to say hello once, even if Ios doesn't tell us. It is true that I am still nervous when talking to the first person I meet, but it is a pleasure to be given that opportunity.

But Astraia thought that far and came up with one element of anxiety.

(I want to see you... that's a favorable thing, right? You know... you started living together without saying hello, and it pisses me off... or something, right?

That should be unlikely, at least because Ios is smiling. But I don't see the other person's face just because of the exchange of letters. So it's not strange if there's something I don't know.

Although Astreia desperately thought about crushing the anxiety that comes up one after the other, such as what else to tell her and how to greet her, unfortunately the answer could not be found by the time she was ready for the trip.

However, the choice not to go never crossed my mind.

In the words of Ios, who said he wanted to enjoy the journey while we talked slowly, the journey to Wang Capital was to be travelled by carriage. So Lazur is leaving a message in the fortified city.

However, even though it was a carriage, it was not a Tsuji carriage, but a call flight from the fort to Wangdu was to be taken, so it was said that it would arrive as soon as possible.

But the journey to its king capital became very unsettling for Astreia.

That's not just because the problem hasn't been solved.

(sleepy......)

It was the third night since he left the city of the fort that he arrived in the king's capital, but between the day of his journey and today Astreia could hardly sleep until morning. Sometimes during the day travel, you can relax or sleep a little. But even though I haven't slept enough about that, I wasn't going to be able to sleep at all in the inn today.

And as the outside began to whiten, Astreia was just wearing herself as she hit a turnaround.

(why... why, sleeping in the same room as ios...!!)

No, Astreia also knows that it's because we don't have to have separate rooms from the surroundings without having to ask. Yesterday and yesterday the Inn also used the same place as the liaison officer because he was aboard a contact flight to Wang Du. At that time, there was nothing strange about it, and the liaison who arranged for the two inns because of the first day and so on, had Astreia and Ios in the room as a matter of course.

('Cause, you know, we live together... and it's not like we don't like the same room...!

But just because you live with Ios doesn't mean Astreia is awake in the same room. Sometimes I fall asleep in the living room, but I've never been in Ios' room, and on the contrary, Ios shouldn't come into Astreia's room.

It's really more about living together than living together.

So the situation now makes my heart jump too much.

(My heart is too restless to sleep at all after all)

If we arrive in Wang Capital, we won't have to make it convenient with the carriage, so today, Ios has chosen a somewhat luxurious place to stay. I guess this bed is also inherently very sleepy. Ios sleeps well in the bed next door to prove it.

Astreia rose up slowly, resentful only a little about the way it was. And see Ios sleeping in the next bed. You hit a turnaround, the only thing you can see from Astraia is the back of Ios' head.

……

Astraia slipped out of bed and Ios laid his hands on the bed where he slept, peeking softly at the condition. It is clearly visible that Ios is breathing regularly and calmly, as his eyes are initially working at night and the outside is a little brighter.

And as I watched the situation, the resentment I held at the beginning gradually turned into a strange feeling.

(Until morning, let's have a look)

With that in mind, Astraia's arm was suddenly pulled.

Another successful hand was spinning around Astraia's back, which fell over the futon without a sound of surprise.

"It's still dark out there. Can't you sleep?

"... were you awake?

"Where I just woke up"

Astreia thought the word was an absolute lie.

Ios' voice is too firm. I thought I was sleeping well, but apparently it was raccoon sleep.

And I wonder how long I've been awake, and I wonder if they've noticed what I've been observing, and it's hard to get my face up in this way.

"Can't sleep?

"... just a little"

Asked again, Astreia answered Ios while feeling a little bad.

When he heard Astraia's answer, Ios moved his hand, which was turning his back, to his head as he said, "Oh."

"You know what? This is how I can sleep when I can stroke my head."

"Mmm..."

That's not true - and Astreia thought.

But I felt my eyelids get really heavy all of a sudden, but I couldn't afford to be surprised, and my consciousness was starting to turn away a little bit. Though I was kind of blurry that I felt like I was back on the kid, I was just feeling that gentle hand movement.

"Sorry, you were making it impossible, weren't you? But there was nothing I could do about all the rooms."

"I know that."

And Astreia grinned bitterly wondering if the lack of sleep had been noticed after all.

But that's not Ios' fault.

It's something I don't need to worry about so much in this day and age in the first place, so I don't need an apology or anything from Ios even if I resent all the suckers, or rather, I feel sorry if they just fit in. Sleeping face at ease can also create jealousy if it is slightly sloppy, but it is also more 'sloppy that only one person is made to occasionally' than sleeping itself.

But Ios went on to say more.

"I really thought I should just let you slow down today. But... I couldn't sleep much either, so I missed it."

Astreia could not think firmly of the meaning of the word. I don't care, I feel good with my head in my hands. I left myself in drowsiness as I was, while I felt it strange to feel at ease rather than being restless about the distance being too close.

However, the next time I woke up, for some reason... no, Ios would have moved me, and as a result, my sleepy, neat head boiled once and for all to the fact that Ios was in the bed where he was sleeping.

Ios had already woken up and read the book, but he was so ashamed that he could only react to the voice called "Good morning" by lying down on his pillow.

(I was just moved not to catch a cold, and nothing to be ashamed of...... what do you mean as a woman of my age who has her head stroked full like that kid, then this condition too...!!)

There was no room at all for such panicking Astraia to see the look on Ios's face.