The night was deep, and the starlight outside was sparse.
The alchemy lamp before Klein remained bright, but its glow could no longer pierce the heavy shroud of exhaustion over his mind.
Time had slipped away silently; no sooner had he pulled himself from the complex alchemical arrays and the torrent of data than an indescribable weariness washed over him.
He rolled his stiff neck, producing a faint click.
His gaze drifted across the room, settling on a corner where a slender figure sat quietly on the bed that should have been empty.
Ophelia.
She was wearing a pale home dress, the hem falling softly over the edge of the bed, making her appear much gentler.
Even her golden hair seemed less dazzling in the dim light, blending into the night.
Klein's brow twitched imperceptibly.
He hadn't noticed her arrival at all.
This was hardly surprising; while knights weren't known for their stealth, a powerhouse like Ophelia could remain undetected even at arm's length if she so desired.
Still, when had she arrived?
And why had she remained so silent?
He cleared his throat, his voice slightly dry. "Ophelia? When... when did you get here?"
Ophelia's shoulders gave a nearly invisible tremor, and her golden eyes shimmered in the lamplight.
There was no surprise in them, but rather a sense of calm that suggested she was finally being noticed.
"A long time ago."
Her voice was soft, carrying the coolness of the night and a faint, nearly imperceptible trace of... being slighted?
"I was worried I would disturb you," she added, her gaze falling on the scattered vessels and runic diagrams on his desk.
Klein walked over to the bed and sat down beside her.
"You should have called out to me sooner," he said softly, a hint of self-reproach in his tone.
He knew her temperament; she cared for him, yet feared interfering with his work.
Ophelia withdrew her gaze from the table and turned to him.
Her lips were pressed thin, and she said nothing, simply reaching out to gently touch his slightly cool fingertips.
Her fingers carried the warmth of her body, offering a silent comfort.
"You look exhausted."
Klein gave a wry smile and rubbed the space between his brows. "Indeed. This research was... unexpected."
He briefly explained his discovery of the power of resistance in Karen's blood in the simplest terms possible.
He knew that while she didn't understand alchemy, she had a unique intuition for the nature of power.
Ophelia listened intently, a thoughtful light swirling in her golden eyes.
She too had been eroded by deep-sea power, and she perhaps understood this struggle of will better than anyone else.
"So, this isn't something a potion can solve?" she asked.
"At least, not a simple potion," Klein nodded. "I need to find a way to make this unconscious resistance more... deliberate and powerful."
He looked at her, his eyes shining with the excitement of a researcher and a hint of vision for the future.
Ophelia just watched him quietly, not interrupting his thoughts.
She knew that what he was thinking of now was far deeper than she could comprehend.
But she also knew that no matter where his explorations led, she would be by his side.
She shifted slightly, closing the distance between them.
She could smell the unique scent of herbs and magic clinging to him, a focused aura beneath the fatigue.
She leaned her head gently against his shoulder.
"It is late."
Her voice was very soft, carrying an underlying intimacy.
"Rest early."
Klein's body stiffened for a moment before relaxing.
He raised his hand and gently placed it on the crown of her head.
This sudden closeness made him slightly uncomfortable, yet it brought a warmth that was hard to describe.
He knew that tonight, his research might have found a direction, but more importantly, he had his wife, who had been silently accompanying him.
Tomorrow might bring another long day of experiments, but for now, he only wanted to feel this rare tranquility.
"Alright."
...
Ophelia showed no intention of leaving.
She simply leaned her head on his shoulder, unmoving, her breathing shallow.
In the room, the light of the alchemy lamp had been dimmed to its lowest setting, leaving only a soft halo that barely outlined their silhouettes.
Klein could feel the slight touch of her hair against his neck and the faint, crisp scent unique to a knight, mixed with a feminine softness.
This caused his thoughts, which had been muddled by fatigue, to become clearer instead.
He asked softly, "Aren't you going back to your room?"
Ophelia rubbed her head against his shoulder, her voice husky with sleepiness. "Consider this my supervision over you."
The excuse sounded a bit forced, yet it carried an undeniable weight.
Klein's heart stirred; he knew this wasn't mere supervision.
She simply wanted to stay by his side.
This blunt yet subtle expression of affection felt novel to him, and a little... sweet.
He said nothing more, only adjusting his posture to make her more comfortable.
The bed wasn't spacious; sitting side by side, they were pressed close together.
Ophelia soon moved her body and lay down, occupying half the bed.
She patted the empty space beside her, her golden eyes offering a silent invitation in the darkness.
Klein hesitated for a moment before eventually complying and lying down.
He turned on his side to face her, their breaths mingling in the close proximity.
Ophelia's gaze lingered on his face for a moment before she softly closed her eyes.
Her eyelashes cast faint shadows in the dim light, making her look exceptionally peaceful.
It was difficult to fall asleep with such a beauty lying beside him.
Klein's thoughts were like a stirred lake, unable to settle.
He could feel her even breathing and the slight heat radiating from her body.
This was an unprecedented experience, making him feel both relaxed and a bit... tense.
He could even hear his own heartbeat, which was slightly faster than usual.
He closed his eyes, trying to pull his attention back to those complex alchemical runes and analyze the energy fluctuations in Karen's blood.
However, those cold theories were completely scattered by the living warmth beside him.
He remembered the pale home dress she had changed into today and the flash of expectation in her eyes.
She was always like this, inadvertently revealing how much she cared for him.
It was then that the incense, ignited at some unknown point, began to take effect, a light herbal fragrance quickly filling the air with a trace of sweetness.
Ophelia's breathing grew deeper, clearly having entered the realm of dreams.
Klein also felt a powerful weariness surge, every cell in his body screaming for rest.
He was truly too tired.
Before his consciousness sank into sleep, the image of Ophelia in that pale home dress surfaced in his mind, along with those expectant golden eyes.
Was Ophelia's wedding dress... almost finished? He wondered.
She must be looking forward to that wedding dress very much.
With such vague thoughts, he fell into a deep slumber.
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