[Day 12 Month 6 Year of Crescent Moon: 21.30]

Night time, Roland sitting on the tall black rock near the road while looking on the certain direction with worry on his face. Hearing a footstep he turned his face and saw Harold approaching, he wanted to ask but somehow his mouth say “Is Shirley already resting?”. Looking on Harold scowling expression, Roland regretted his question.

“Well, this is the first time she had a real fight. She ended foolishly spend her power too much and exhausted. She is sleeping after I finished my advice.” Hearing Harold, Roland only make a troubled smile as the word ‘Advice’ is actually is off than the actual advice. And it is so long that he ended escaped outside in worry of getting caught of that atmosphere.

Harold silently observed Roland and sighed. “Do you have an acquaintance in the Signal Village? You looked on edge while staring that direction.”

Roland blinked before he shifted his sight while rubbed his back neck. “No, I don’t have any in there. I just worried that the Signal Village currently in danger and many people would end dying. My feeling is telling me to help them as fast as possible.”

“You worry wart, Signal Village isn’t that easy to fall. There are many experienced veterans and strategic ground for defensive. You would only hurt your stomach thinking something unimportant. You better save your power and go to sleep! It’s my time to take a guard duty. Shoo” Harold makes a gesture to shoo him away.

Roland smile twitched when he hear ‘something unimportant’ and that rude gesture, he wants to rebuke him but decided against it as he would lose in a debate.

“You’re right, I shall take a rest then.” Jumping down the rock Roland gripped his sword handle on his waist and walked past Harold but his voice suddenly makes him stop.

“One moment, don’t you dare see Rey's sleeping face…”

Roland body trembled before he turned to face Harold and smiled wryly.

****

[Day 13 Month 6 Year of Crescent Moon: 02.30]

Shirley rubbed her eyes and slowly rises up her body, not long after sitting from her sleeping position she feels aches on her shoulder, neck, and her back. Silently chanting a healing magic, her body enveloped with light and the uncomfortable feeling lifted from her as fresh feeling now filled her body and mind. She smiled in delight before she paled. The honorable father always scolded her to stop her use healing magic like this. If it used in the night time, she would lose the sleepy feeling and would end breaking the sleep cycle, and he always said that the sore and ache can be good ‘experience’ in life.

Shirley jumped and prostrated to the ground, afraid of the honorable father sacred scolding. But noticing something, she lifted her head and saw a stack of woods and remnant of a bonfire that her memories returning back. Sighed in relief, Shirley also noticed a familiar robe falling below her.

Seeing Harold who curled on the corner and shivered because of cold, Shirley makes a smile. She slowly moved without sound and covered him with the robe while whispering ‘Thank you for your consideration, Harold. But you needed this now.’

Stroking Harold front hair, Shirley smile turned gentle. “Now that I wasn’t sleepy anymore what should I do? Oops, Harold would get angry if he wakes up seeing me stroking his hair.”

Holding her laugh Shirley comes out of the shelter while muttering. ‘Right, where is sir. Roland?’ her wondering eyes suddenly caught a figure of a person sitting on the rock and she approached him.

Roland who fell in deep thought blowing up a tired sigh. He remembered the word from Harold when they switched place for guard duty.

‘You, can you stop showing me that disgusting expression? Do you want to rush to the Signal Village that much? Look around. It’s already night time, who would stupidly run from distance that long. You would exhaust yourself and end killed before arrived!’

‘I refuse to carry you there as Rey is currently tired. Deal with it and hope they endured before we arrive!’

Roland knows that Harold word is true, but there is uncomfortable feeling and he ended thinking all night without he noticed. He suddenly remembered the bad memories a few months ago and unconsciously gripped tight his sword handle.

“Ah?” Suddenly without Roland notice, his vision turned dark as a soft sensation touched his face. “Who is it?” A voice that so clear and pleasant to the ears appeared behind him. Then with the wind blow, he can smell a sweet fragrant which make his heart racing. Roland grit his teeth and say.

“S-Shirley, what are you doing?” Then his vision cleared up and Roland turned to face Shirley who smiled at him.

“Hehehe… I was found out~” Shirley giggling while covering her mouth with her hand.

Slightly blushed, Roland rubbed his back neck and said. “Well, of course, it was you. Who else? Harold would never do something like that.”

Hearing Roland’s, now was Shirley turn to be red. “W-well, t-that is true I guess…”

Coughed, Roland turned to face Shirley again. “So why did you suddenly wake up in this late of night?” To Shirley who makes a troubled smile, Roland continued. “Let me guess, you want to go to the bath- Woah!?”

Roland evaded Shirley punch and he holds her both hand to lock her, but somehow Shirley was going to overpower him.

“You dumb! You’re not allowed to say that word to maiden!” With ‘Hmph’ Shirley pouted.

“I-I apologize… Does it mean you unable to sleep? Ah?” Now Roland was being glared by Shirley and he becomes more confused.

“Good grief, you really lack gentlemanly… You need to learn how to treat women to Harold it seems.”

“Ahaha…” Roland only answered with a troubled smile but he thinking ‘Nah, I’ll pass.’ inside his mind. He thought that Shirley only wanted to joke.

Feeling the tension turned better, Shirley smiled again and asks. “So why are you here?”

‘Girl feelings are hard to understand. One time they got angry and then smiled as if nothing happen and reverse…’ Of course, it’s only in Roland minds. He in other hand smiled.