Slowly, Iago's body rose from the warm lap. A faint dizziness still clung to his head. He looked around, confused. Yuki and Edward were sound asleep, their breathing a steady rhythm. Trying to shake off the lingering strangeness, he stepped softly toward the kitchen, poured water into a glass, and drank it all down.
"What happened?" Iago whispered to himself, his fingers massaging his temples. Last night felt like a nightmare that was far too real.
In the room, Yuki began to stir. Her eyelids fluttered heavily, her face looking weary. She yawned wide, then her gaze fell upon her lap, which was now empty. The emptiness startled her. Yuki's eyes widened, her heart immediately pounding fiercely against her ribs. She jumped out of bed, panic sweeping over her.
"Iago?!" Yuki yelled, her voice choked. "Iago, where are you?!"
"I'm in the kitchen," Iago's voice replied, sounding calm from a distance.
Yuki's body instantly went limp, startled yet swept by a wave of suffocating relief. Without waiting, she rushed to the kitchen. Iago was there, leaning against the counter, still holding the empty glass.
"Why are you shouting, Yuki?" Iago asked, slightly surprised.
Instead of answering, Yuki's tears simply fell. The warm droplets flowed down her cheeks. She approached Iago, hurriedly wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to hold back her sobs.
"Yuki?" Iago called softly, his expression turning anxious.
Yuki took a deep breath, trying to control the turmoil in her chest. "It's nothing," she said hoarsely. "I... I was just so worried about you."
A thin, sincere smile was etched on Iago's lips. He got up from the chair and stepped closer. "Thank you for worrying about me, Yuki. I'm glad there's someone who cares about me so much."
Hearing those words, Yuki's crying broke through. Her tears flowed even faster, and her voice now trembled violently. Suddenly, she embraced Iago, hugging him tightly. Her fingers clutched the fabric on Iago's back. "Of course, you idiot!" she sobbed. "Why? Why did you suddenly collapse? Why were you screaming? Who were the man in the rabbit mask and that woman?!"
Iago's eyes widened, surprised by Yuki's outburst of emotion. Slowly, he returned the hug, gently stroking Yuki's hair. "I didn't know you could be this worried."
Yuki continued to weep in his tight embrace. Only the sound of her sobs broke the kitchen's silence.
"Don't leave, Iago…" Yuki whispered, her voice muffled against Iago's chest. "I don't want to be left behind by someone I love again."
"Yuki?"
"I said don't leave. Whatever they said, please don't leave me," Yuki pleaded, weeping.
"I won't leave you or Edward."
"Really?"
"Truly."
Yuki rested her head on Iago's chest, closing her eyes. The dampness of her tears was still present on her skin.
"Who were those people, Iago?" Yuki asked again, her voice calmer now though still laced with sobs.
"They... They are my friends. They've always acted childishly," Iago explained.
"Is that true? It didn't look like it." Yuki pulled back, her gaze now sharp and scrutinizing. "You're not lying, are you?"
"I'm not lying, Yuki."
"Then why were they carrying real weapons? Why did the man in the rabbit mask throw the dagger so accurately? Why did he call you Master?" Yuki pressed, her tone impatient. Her eyes never left Iago's, searching for any hint of a lie.
"Well, that... He was trained by someone once," Iago said, pausing briefly. "Since childhood, they were very obsessed with becoming heroes, so they sought out martial arts and sword teachers." He sighed. "He calls me Master because I often helped and taught him back then."
Although a sliver of doubt lingered in her heart, Yuki chose to ignore it, choosing to trust the person she loved. "I see," she said softly. Yuki's lips slowly curved upward. "Alright, thank you for your explanation, Iago. And also... I'm sorry for being too nosy."
Iago shook his head gently. "It's okay, Yuki. I understand you were worried."
Suddenly, Iago's gaze fixed on the edge of the dividing wall leading to the living room. He saw Edward's hair peeking out, clearly eavesdropping on their conversation all along. Iago turned to Yuki, a small laugh escaping his lips. He pointed toward Edward. When Yuki saw him, she also laughed softly. The two of them slowly walked toward Edward. Edward, realizing the approaching heavy footsteps, flinched and turned around.
"Edward!!!" Yuki and Iago exclaimed in unison, perfectly synchronized.
"Woah…" Edward recoiled, his hand clutching his chest.
Yuki and Iago laughed at Edward's funny reaction.
Edward's face looked flushed with embarrassment, and there were traces of tears on his cheeks. His chest was rising and falling rapidly from the surprise.
"Wow, Edward, why are you crying?" Yuki asked with a gentle, teasing smile.
"I didn't know a boy could cry just from a little surprise," Iago added, joining the teasing.
"I-I wasn't crying!" Edward stammered, denying it.
"Is that so? Your eyes look a little damp, you know."
"W-well, that... I cried because I was happy to see Brother Iago was okay. I was worried about him too,"
Iago smiled warmly and ruffled the top of Edward's head. "Thank you, Edward."
Soon after, Yuki prepared breakfast as usual. Today, she cooked warm chicken soup with carrots and vegetables. Iago helped prepare hot mint tea, the aroma of which was calming. Edward sat nicely at the dining table, reading a book while waiting for the meal.
A moment later, the food was served on the table. Edward's face lit up; his stomach was already rumbling. They began to eat together in comfortable silence.
"Yuki, what did the man in the rabbit mask say?" Iago started the conversation, his tone casual.
"Hm? You mean Otto, right?"
"Yes. So you remembered his name."
"Well, he told us that you often get like that because of exhaustion. He also told us to take care of you for now," Yuki explained.
"I see," Iago looked down at his food. He felt relieved that Otto had successfully fooled Yuki and Edward with that story.
"Oh yeah, Iago... You said you wanted to look for that suspicious old man. When are we going to do that?"
"Ah, that, I don't know yet," Iago held his head. "Right now, I just want to rest. My head still feels a little sore."
"Oh, alright," Yuki nodded understandingly.
Yuki then watched her brother eating heartily. "How does it taste?"
"It tastes warm and delicious! Big Sis Yuki's cooking is truly the best!" Edward praised.
"Is that so? What number best is my cooking?" Yuki teased.
"The number 2 best."
Iago looked at Edward, smiling in amusement. "Number 2? Then who is number 1?"
"Of course, Mom," Edward answered without hesitation.
Yuki laughed softly. "That's right."
Iago smiled, enjoying the atmosphere. He felt comfortable and peaceful near Yuki and Edward. The savory scent of the soup, the fragrance of mint tea, and the breeze coming through the window of their simple home made Iago forget, for a moment, the dark side of himself and the crimes he had committed.
On the other side, in the bustling trade area, Otto walked quickly, followed by Eliana.
"Look! After you let them take care of Iago yesterday, now we can't find Boss Eldric!" Eliana said, her tone high-pitched and frustrated, making some people in the crowd glance at them.
"You're so noisy," Otto replied, his voice flat.
"Noisy, you say?! Now look at what you've done! We should have gone straight to look for Boss Eldric and the others yesterday. And you? You wanted to sleep in the park instead!"
"That was my right. Why are you trying to control me?" Otto did not turn around.
Eliana clenched her fists, truly frustrated. "Damn you, Otto!"
Otto suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked fully at Eliana. "If you didn't accept my decision then, why didn't you leave me?"
Eliana's eyes widened. "That... That's because you're part of Organization IV's team. If I left you and went to see Boss Eldric alone, he would just get angry at me!"
"Then don't complain about your own decision," Otto started walking again, leaving Eliana behind.
Eliana took a deep breath, trying to calm her anger, then quickly walked to catch up with Otto.
As he walked through the crowd, Otto accidentally bumped into an old man. The man was wearing elegant and expensive-looking clothes. The items in his hand scattered everywhere.
"Sorry," Otto said quickly, crouching down to help the old man. For a moment, he glimpsed the contents of the fallen bag: a patched-up grey coat, a few articles of clothing, and toiletries.
"It's no problem, son. It was my fault for not buttoning the bag properly," the old man replied with an authoritative voice.