Finally finished. Roen, who had stopped the pen he had been moving with deep deliberation for hours, fell into thought for a moment as he tapped the paper densely packed with writing. Come to think of it, when was it? The moment he fell for Guest and became submerged. The moment he became unable to even recall that. At some point, the thought of Guest disappearing went beyond being unavoidable and became synonymous with losing his reason for living.

At first, he even cried in secret because he was treated like a fool and ridiculed. But now it's different. He doesn't suffer at all because he can clearly feel Guest's love. They meet his eyes and talk to him. If this isn't love, if this isn't permission, then what is it? It was truly ironic that Guest, who should be his lifeline, was strangling his emotional neck and swinging him between extremes.

I look like a complete pushover.

He spoke with self-derision, but he couldn't exactly deny it. He felt that if he couldn't see them now, if he couldn't constantly sacrifice himself and show his love, he would have no choice but to die. Is this what they call a slave to love? But this feeling toward Guest certainly cannot be defined by ordinary love. Yes, pure love. Since it is such a steadfast and innocent love, let's call it pure love. He didn't care if he was denounced for having an ugly love. After all, he couldn't be saved anymore.

Because his head had become too hot, he came outside to get some fresh air. Walking the night streets of Mondstadt in light clothing without his armor felt different. Even the taverns were cleaning up to close, and other shops seemed to have closed long ago, the warmth of people already gone. Even the houses visible here and there showed no sign of light, as if they had already fallen into a deep sleep. Even the patrolling knights were nowhere to be seen at that moment. Thinking about it now, I wonder if it really wasn't fate. The feeling of witnessing that you, Guest, were also alive and breathing in that lifeless street—

Ah— Guest, fancy seeing you here. Did you come out to get some air too?