Turning Point (3)

So, there was an unavoidable reason why I had to touch Leonardo's body late at night. Like usual, strings of words formed softly in the air before I went to sleep.

[The settlement has been completed!]

[Sub-quest reward, has been issued.]

'What? Even if Leonardo is the top contributor, the reward is still Natalie's journal.'

Last time, when I was the recipient of the reward for the hunt mission, it was also Natalie's journal. The authors must have decided it's time for me to need the information contained in that journal, so they forced it as a reward.

But… Leonardo can't see the system like I can, nor does he have the archive function. How is he supposed to check the reward?

The answer to that question came immediately.

[Error: The reward recipient is an entity bound by the '■■■■' principle.]

[Correction: The top contributor reward is converted into a stage prop.]

[Please claim your reward.]

Soon, a translucent piece of paper fluttered down from the air and slipped into the pocket of Leonardo's neatly folded pajamas next to the bathroom door, where he was busy washing up.

'Claim the reward,' it said.

The authors seemed to be making loopholes by force to get the information to me.

Lying on the bed and sorting out my tasks, I glanced toward the bathroom. Leonardo was still bathing inside, and aside from the occasional sound of water splashing, it was dead silent.

Should I go and quickly retrieve it now…?

With that thought, I quietly got out of bed.

For some reason, the creaking of the old bed frame sounded more unsettling than usual.

I tiptoed to the dresser and just as I grabbed Leonardo's pajamas.

Thud! 

The bathroom door swung open. Leonardo, with his dark, damp hair slicked back, emerged. The steam that had been trapped in the bathroom rushed out, enveloping my face. It wasn't just the steam; Leonardo's whole body radiated warmth from his recent bath. Through the haze, Leonardo tilted his head curiously.

"Isaac?"

"Uh… do you need a towel?"

"Oh. Thanks."

Hurriedly, I pulled open a drawer, took out a towel, and handed it to him. Leonardo accepted it without much suspicion. Phew, that was close.

Any other time, I would have just asked him outright if I could go through his clothes. But considering something like Natalie's journal suddenly appearing in the pocket of his pajamas, it would be hard to explain. I was also slightly worried that he might sense something 'off.'

It was only a few days ago that I saw the remains of the previous vanish as if they had never existed.

If Leonardo felt any sense of incongruity from that note, the reward wouldn't matter—we might end up with everything reduced to ashes before we even got to open it.

"Come here. I'll dry your hair for you."

Obediently accepting my offer, I vigorously rubbed Leonardo's hair dry with a towel, aiming for a second attempt, but it was another failure.

Ultimately, this led to us getting into bed. I worried that he might feel the crinkling sensation as he lay down.

Fortunately, Leonardo was too focused on retrieving the pillow I had accidentally tossed to the floor last night with my restless sleep, dusting it off and fluffing it up. He whispered as he placed the pillow under my head again.

"Have sweet dreams."

"I will. You too, sleep well…"

Ugh. This guy always acts so nonchalantly, but when I try to catch him off guard, there's not a single gap. Feeling a strange sense of betrayal, I forced myself to close my eyes. At least until Leonardo falls asleep first.

Pretending to sleep isn't hard. Keep your breathing shallow and steady, and clear your mind as much as possible. The human optic nerve is intricately connected, so if you're too engrossed in thought while your eyes are closed, the twitching beneath your eyelids can become quite noticeable.

After what felt like an hour had passed, I rolled over slightly, pretending it was just my sleeping posture shifting, and felt the rhythmic rise and fall of Leonardo's chest through the vibrations.

'Now!'

So, I carefully and slowly reached into the pocket, swallowing my saliva nervously…

"Isaac?"

I got caught after all.

The silver lining was that I managed to touch the edge of the note peeking out of the pocket. I quickly used my ability to stealthily snatch it. The problematic part was…

'How am I going to explain this?'

In the dark, our eyes met awkwardly, and I shook the wrist he was holding as a sign to let go. But Leonardo squinted slightly and slid his hand from my wrist to grip my fingers firmly.

"What were you doing instead of sleeping?"

Rifling through your pocket. But my mouth instinctively spat out an excuse.

"Um. I saw a loose thread here. It was bothering me, so I was trying to get rid of it…"

Leonardo pulled my hand closer, and his index and middle fingers traced down to my inner wrist. His calloused fingers brushed over the tender skin. The oddly ticklish sensation sent shivers down my spine, making me pull back my hand, but he interlaced his fingers tightly with mine once more. He hit the mark leisurely.

"You're lying."

Is this guy a human lie detector or what?

I've been through this before. Back then, he questioned me much more sharply. Now, it feels more like he's letting me off the hook, but I still couldn't come up with a decent excuse and rolled my eyes.

"Isaac, aren't you going to tell me the truth?"

He stared at me quietly. He seemed to have calmed down for a while, but now, Leonardo's silver eyes were vividly persistent, armed with intense curiosity again.

"It's just… I was cold. It's autumn, right? And the blankets in the fortress are thin. Cuddling up seemed childish…"

I mixed half-truths and lies, substituting the chilling sensation in my heart with the cold. The saying, 'the best lie is based on the truth,' is always true.

Leonardo seemed to be contemplating the truth of my words, stared at me for a moment. He then quietly turned over and wrapped his arm around me, as if struggling internally. He tilted his head, letting his forehead touch mine. Leonardo, speaking more gently than usual, coaxed softly.

"I know there are things you don't want to explain, things you can't tell me. I also know you don't want me to pry."

So, there's always a part of our relationship that's built on silence and mutual understanding.

"I don't really know how to be patient."

Leonardo admitted candidly about his short patience and his impulsive nature.

"But I believe that if we keep being together and I keep waiting, you'll eventually tell me everything."

His arm wrapped around my back, gently urging me to sleep. Even though I kept my mouth shut and didn't respond to his words, he continued to hold me like that. His touch was soft and comforting, yet at the same time, it felt as if his hand had slipped beneath my skin to grasp my heart tightly. How can I reciprocate the trust you show me?

As I lay there, unable to sleep, Leonardo's hand moved to gently cover my eyes. The warmth of his rough hand conveyed a silent command to sleep.

In the end, I had no choice but to close my eyes, setting aside everything else.

***

'Ah… I ended up losing sleep.'

As I lifted my stiff body and buried my face in my palms, I realized the space next to me was empty. Leonardo was probably training with Vittorio by now.

If so, now was my chance. I immediately used to retrieve . 

Let's see, the last journal entry was certainly about that. So, is this one about the same topic?

Thinking this, I unfolded the paper. The lines, written in tiny letters to save space, immediately caught my eye.

.

It wasn't about something trivial. Rather, it was a personal entry about Natalie. But, judging by the context…

And then, at the very end, a single, very concise sentence. The most recent entry, perhaps, as the charcoal ink was dark and thick. It was as if the results of an experiment were being listed, written in straightforward sentences.