Chapter 246: Yukina Lives with Reiji

In the southern corner of Uzushio Village, a village surrounded by turbulent seas and sharp rocky cliffs, morning slowly creeps in.

The sunlight has not yet fully emerged from behind the horizon, but the sky is already beginning to change color—from dark blue to soft purple, then to a pale orange peeking shyly behind thin clouds.

In one of the simple wooden houses on the outskirts of the village, a small room is still shrouded in the dark shadows of dawn.

The wooden floor glistens from the damp, cold air.

The morning air flows in through a half-open window, carrying the scent of the sea, salt, and a hint of metal from the village's observation tower not far away.

In the middle of the room, a boy lies on his side, sound asleep.

The boy's breath is soft, almost inaudible.

Reiji—this is the boy's name—looks like an ordinary child, but the surroundings radiate a different impression.

Under the bed, rolls of notes and documents are piled haphazardly.

A small table in the corner of the room is cluttered with ink bottles, quills, and several unknown crystals that reflect the faint light.

Reiji's face is still young, around eleven or twelve years old, but tired lines adorn his under-eye bags.

Reiji's hair is messy, the ends sticking to his temples from last night's sweat.

He had stayed up late, as he had on previous nights—researching, taking notes, experimenting.

No one knows for sure what Reiji is working on, except that his work always makes him lose track of time, forget to eat, and even forget to sleep.

The door to the room creaks softly.

Almost soundless footsteps enter the room.

Soft and light, like dew falling on leaves.

A woman appears in the doorway—her hair is jet black, long down to her waist, shimmering in the dim light filtering in from outside.

Her skin is pale, too pale, like fragile porcelain.

The woman's face looks calm, but her eyes—dark brown, deep and full of stories—radiate a caution that has been honed too often.

Her name is Yukina Yuki.

Yukina stands there for a moment, silent, gazing at Reiji who is still asleep.

The morning light coming through the window illuminates Reiji's face, highlighting his slender cheeks and slightly furrowed brows even in sleep.

Yukina takes a slow breath, then walks closer.

The long white dress Yukina wears drags slightly on the floor, making a soft sound like leaves being swept by the wind.

Yukina now stands right beside the bed.

She leans down slowly and touches Reiji's shoulder with the tips of her fingers.

"Sir... Sir," Yukina whispers softly.

The voice... is different.

Reiji, hearing it, furrows his brows but does not wake up.

Yukina's voice, usually cold and firm, now sounds like a thin mist in spring—soft, almost inaudible, yet carrying a faint warmth.

Yukina tries again. "Sir Reiji... morning has come."

Reiji merely stirs slightly, then pulls the blanket higher, as if reluctant to release himself from the world of dreams.

Yukina gazes at Reiji for a long time. There is a small wonder in her eyes.

Yukina is not accustomed to this—being in someone else's room, calling softly, waking a young man who is technically... her master, as well as her researcher.

Then Yukina lets out a slow, almost inaudible sigh.

With hesitant movements, Yukina pulls the blanket that had shifted and carefully wraps it around Reiji's body.

Yukina's face remains expressionless, but her eyes hold a confusion that she does not show.

Yukina does not know why she is doing this—whether out of responsibility, or for something else that she is not yet willing to think about.

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