Rune shifted his body slightly. As he pondered, he felt a bit more awake.
[That's fine too. But even if you want to stop this moment forever, time wonât stop. The things around you will gradually change over time.]
âChange? Will you change too, Lord Rune?â
Heukmi lifted her head slightly.
To the small fox spirit, Rune had always been a presence since she was born.
But suddenly, she felt as if Runeâs heart had changed and he might distance himself from her.
Unaware of Heukmiâs feelings, Rune let his thoughts flow out of his mouth.
[Why, are you afraid of change?]
âHmm~ Iâm not sure. But I donât want the moments with Lord Rune, Laharn, Uncle Jede, and Baekya to change as time passes...â
Rune continued, seeing Heukmiâs melancholy.
[Everyone will feel the same. They all want to be by your side, so donât worry too much.]
âEven you, Lord Rune?â
Heukmiâs eyes widened, and she reached out her small, cute hand from under the blanket.
âHehe. Itâs a promise!â
Seeing the hand with the pinky and thumb raised, Rune extended his paw slightly.
Heukmi pressed her pinky finger against the tip of Runeâs toe and then stamped it on the gel part of his foot.
After pressing the gel for a while, Heukmi seemed satisfied and smiled, lying down again.
âHeukmi wants to continue having fun with everyone in the future. Is that possible?â
In his heart, he thought, âWho knows.â
At the same time, he wondered if he really needed to say that.
In the days of the Imugi, the way to achieve what he wanted was to hold onto one thing in his heart and strive until it came true.
But his ascension failed, and he even lost his life.
âThey say you canât see even an inch ahead of you.â
However, Rune was given the opportunity to live a new life.
How should he explain this to the young Heukmi?
After some thought, he spoke the words in his mind.
[In one of the stories I know, itâs said that if you make a wish when a shooting star falls, it will come true. Next time we see one, weâll make a wish together.]
âOkay! Heukmi will do that too.â
The sound of her small head moving was heard.
Though he couldnât see, Rune knew Heukmi was looking at the ceiling of the lair.
The ceiling, which held a gentle sunlight during the day, was now dyed with the calm moonlight and starlight.
[When you want to achieve something, thereâs one thing I think is essential.]
[Be honest with yourself. If you donât know what you truly want, your thoughts and heart will go in different directions. Usually... thatâs the hardest part.]
Even though she was asleep,
Her mind was awake, but sleepiness was gradually creeping in.
Without resisting, Rune began to breathe steadily.
[...Quite. Those kinds of people.]
Runeâs responses were getting slower.
Heukmi, tilting her head, fidgeted as if lost in thought.
Baekya was already asleep, making small sounds like âpipi...â occasionally.
[If you know what you truly want... it will help you live the life you want. The world is quite vast, so thereâs definitely something out there for you.]
He didnât have the talent to tell a beautiful story that would inspire dreams in a young one.
Heukmiâs thoughts were unknown, but this was the best he could do.
Heukmiâs slightly hoarse voice was heard.
âLord Rune, do you remember? Before Heukmi was born, you said that since I was reborn, I should live a good life, right?â
He couldnât understand at first what it meant to have told a story before she was born.
âIt must be from the memories of the Demon World Rose. Probably when I was still a seed.â
At the time, feeling sorry for the rose sprout that was dying after being revived with great effort, he had said those words.
He didnât expect Heukmi to still remember them.
As he was lost in nostalgic thoughts, Heukmi murmured happily.
âCan I continue living like that in the future?â
Hehe, Heukmi wagged her tail.
Since he had created her with his power, he had developed a certain attachment.
He truly hoped she would live happily, making up for her motherâs share.
[You should live happily.]
At least, he hoped she would feel that good things happened more often than bad things in her life.
Heukmi reached out her small hand and stroked from Runeâs forehead to the top of his head.
Feeling the touch, Rune opened his eyes slightly and looked at Heukmi.
Rune, frowning, smiled with his transparent pink rose-colored eyes sparkling.
âThank you so much, Lord Rune, for wishing for Heukmiâs happiness. So, because Iâm grateful, Iâm going to praise you.â
It felt awkward, but somehow familiar.
Thinking for a moment, he immediately thought of Christina.
âSince she used to pet my head when praising me, it must be her influence.â
It seemed Heukmi had learned this behavior from Christina, who often praised him while petting his head.
Though somewhat embarrassing, it felt cruel to push away a young child expressing pure gratitude.
He waited for the right moment to naturally let go of her hand.
âLord Rune is indeed kind.â
âNot really. If it were Amelia, maybe.â
He had indeed paid attention to Heukmi, but it wasnât because he was kind.
Glancing at Heukmi with sleepy eyes, the fox spirit was just grinning.
She even pressed his furrowed brow with her fingers, saying, âOh! Lord Rune, you canât have wrinkles here~â and pressing it.
âNo need to deny it, I guess.â
After a while, as sleepiness overcame him, Rune gently took Heukmiâs hand and let go.
Yawns kept coming out, regardless of his dignity. Rune relaxed his body and stretched.
[Too sleepy. You should go to sleep too.]
âYes! If you have a bad dream, Heukmi will chase it away. So, rest assured and sleep, Lord Rune.â
In the end, Rune chuckled.
As if yawning was contagious, Heukmi yawned and rubbed her eyes.
Though she could sleep in her rose form, she eventually curled up in the blanket as a fox spirit.
Rune waited a moment and then casually covered her with the blanket.
Random thoughts swirled in his mind, but as he heard the small snoring and the young breathing, they gradually faded away.
The black hatchling, feeling a bit uneasy, turned a few times and eventually fell into a deep sleep.
As the faint air tickled him, he sensed he was waking up.
Wanting to stretch and relax in the peaceful air, something suddenly poked his side.
Feeling around with his paw, he caught a round, fluffy object.
His thumb touched a sharp beak.
âItâs Baekyaâs beak.â
Thinking this, he gently pushed the bird away.
Then, Heukmi rolled over and sprawled on Runeâs stomach.
âNyaam. Go... od... please...â
Since she wasnât too heavy, he tried to fall back asleep with Heukmi on his stomach.
If it werenât for the damp feeling on his stomach, he would have fallen back asleep.
His premonition was not wrong.
Opening his eyes slightly, he saw Heukmi drooling and licking her lips, saying, âMeat... please...â
âOf all things, drooling on my stomach...â
Still half-asleep, Rune made an awkward expression and gently placed Heukmi back in her original spot.
Lying down again, he closed his eyes.
Was it because Heukmi mentioned meat?
Finally, Rune opened his eyes and sat up.
Though he was drowsy in the warm sunlight, his body felt a bit stiff.
Sitting there for a moment, he flexed his wings.
After a few flaps, his wing muscles stretched, and the stiffness eased.
Pressing his eyes with his paw, the gel on his footpad gently pressed his eyelids.
âIt seems to be daytime. The light is strong... is it summer?â
Opening his eyes slowly, he saw a rolled-up parchment on one side.
The seal, marked with the power of light, was clearly left by Christina.
Rune tore the seal and read the letter.
< Rune, I have to go on an external mission and will be away from the lair. If you wake up, make sure to eat in the kitchen first. Iâve put some food in