The black-haired girl waited in a messy courtyard - the branches of the tree that had broken as the ice dragon carried Ed away in a panic had fallen to the ground. She watched them return in the hazy light, watched the ice dragon transform back into human in mid-air, jumped with Ed to the ground where there was almost nowhere to stay, watched Ise faintly avoid her gaze, and watched Ed's dumbfounded face......

“...... You told him. She glared at Is, her tone flat, but no one could hear the anger that was about to explode.

"You yourself said that a dragon will never break its promises. She said, "That's ...... Because it's a promise to me, or because it's not that important, it doesn't count?!"

Her abruptly raised voice was unusually sharp. Ed was startled, the uncontrollable smile on his lips froze into an awkward arc. He thought Narya would be angry...... She had plenty of reason to be angry. No girl would like their secrets to be leaked in this way...... But for a proud dragon, this sentence is also true...... Too sharp.

In the silence of the early morning, he could clearly hear Is's breathing suddenly increase after a moment of stiffness, and his heart tightened, and he immediately stood sideways between the two.

Is's gaze fell on him, and the golden streamer flashed in those light blue eyes, which was terrifyingly bright. Ed hardened his head and prepared to face an enraged ice dragon. But Is's tense shoulders soon collapsed. He hung his head and stared at his toes without saying a word. And when Naria pushed Ed away hard, the first thing she saw was the red circles under the eyes of the blonde young man.

She froze. The flames of shame and anger in her heart died down in the light of the water in Is's eyes—she had barely seen him cry since he was brought to her by Eren when he was ten years old.

“...... Doesn't count...... It doesn't count. In the face of such an Is, she could only throw away her armor, lamenting with one heart, and softened in a mess, "I also said that 'there are no secrets between us'...... But!"

She straightened her back and tried to maintain her majesty as a "sister": "You run away in the middle of the night without a sound, don't you know if it will worry everyone?......!"

She reached out and poked Is's chest: "Go back to the room and stay by yourself, and reflect on it!"

The corners of Ed's mouth twitched - So, is the punishment for doing something wrong a grounding...... Isn't Isi twenty-two years old or five......

But he didn't dare say anything. Because after Isis had secretly glared at him and obediently and sneered away, Naria's finger poked him in the chest.

"You," she said viciously, probably not knowing that her deliberately extremely serious face was as red as the rising sun, and it did not frighten anyone at all: "Follow me!"

Ed was more than happy.

.

They sat upright in the study, looking at each other. Naria's gaze began to wander around, and her hot cheeks couldn't get cold.

“...... Whatever he says, you don't hear it!"

Ed knew he shouldn't laugh at such a time, but he couldn't help it.

“...... Don't laugh!" Naria said.

Ed had to hold back.

"I didn't actually say anything, he was so weird and weird, he had to ......" The sentence that was forced out was actually quite frightening even to herself. But is that true?...... Until now, she wasn't quite sure.

“...... What the hell did he tell you?" she finally asked.

Ed looked at her. He had never seen her look so cramped and uneasy, and there was a hint of confusion in her brown eyes beyond shyness and irritation.

He gradually calmed down from his ecstasy. She really loved him...... He should not be so happy that he should not be so happy that he gets carried away, like a lucky gambler, holding chips falling from the sky in his hands, and involuntarily triumphant.

“...... I love you. ”

After a long silence, he spoke, allowing himself to look into Naria's eyes, every word solemn and firm.

Naria stared at him blankly, the flush on her face faded and resurfaced, and she was speechless.

The moment those three words came out, everything suddenly became clear.

"I should have told you a long time ago...... That night in Kriesburg...... It was a terrible time, but even then, I should have told you clearly, not something like 'if I don't want to be just your friend'...... I deserved to be rejected, deserved to be rejected many more times. But I love you, Naria Kavo, before that, after that...... Never stopped. ”

It was he himself who chose to back down after Naria's silent refusal. He tried to define his relationship as "friends," as she had hoped, carefully keeping his distance and not daring to take a step forward.

Now, however, does he finally have a little hope that he can ask for more?

"So, we," he stumbled, "isn't we, is it okay to ......"

Can you start over a journey that he thought was over before it began?

.

Isis slumped in his chair with his back in the sky, staring blankly at the ceiling, his mind empty, nothing.

His resentment and reluctance had been exhausted—didn't he already know this was going to happen, even if it wasn't for Ed, Nalya would always fall in love with someone else. In her eyes, he will always be just a "younger brother...... He really shouldn't have called her sister in the first place.

But even if he never called, even if he ...... Nor will anyone bless them.

Probably, except for Ed.

So it was pretty much the best for now—he had just tried to comfort himself with it when the underwhelmed fool snuck in with a smirk on his face.

Ed dragged a chair across from him, and didn't say anything for a moment, just grinning, so laughing that Is's anger that had finally been subdued began to roar upwards again.

"I told her, I said it first!" the fool began to babble as he was about to punch him, "that's how it should be, isn't it? she's a girl!"

“...... What did you say?" asked Iss, grimly.

"I said 'I love you'. "Ed didn't feel the danger at all," I said, 'Can we ...... it?' and she said, 'Okay.'" ”

He even nodded, as if imitating Naria, and repeated with a smile: "She said, 'Okay.'" ”

“...... So you're here to show off?" the green veins on Is's forehead jumped.

"No, no, no, no. Ed shook his head repeatedly, thought and thought, and finally found the right word, "I just ...... Happy, happy, happy like a fish, every bubble that spits out is happy happy happy. ”

- What the hell is this analogy?!

"And you're my best friend. Ed gestured unknowingly, "So, I have to share my ...... with you"

Isis kicked it with a black face.

.