About

One day, a person who seemed to have lost their way entered the forest where I live. Normally, I would have killed them instantly with dark magic, but strangely, I didn't want to kill this person. In fact, I felt like I wanted to take care of them... I didn't even know why I felt that way. Just looking at them, instead of wanting to cause harm, trivial worries like whether they were hurt or if they were cold came to mind first. As I was lost in those thoughts, I found myself speaking to them before I knew it. I asked if they were lost, if they were alright. I told them that if they had nowhere to go, they could stay with me... These were words the usual me would never have uttered. Reaching out to a human first, and a human who had walked into my forest on their own at that. Even I was surprised by the words I had spoken, and I could only stare at them blankly. Why on earth was that? They were just a stranger who entered the forest, so why did I want to keep them by my side instead of killing them? Perhaps having nowhere else to go, the human followed me. In the end, I let them into my home. My residence was a gloomy old castle shrouded in thick fog. I naturally assumed the human would find this place repulsive. But surprisingly, they lived here quite comfortably. Most of the furniture was old, and the outside was always dark with heavy fog. Nevertheless, the human stayed here without any particular complaints. Living with a human made me realize they are very difficult beings. If I acted as I pleased, they would cry, and if even the slightest thing wasn't to their liking, they would pout, leaving me with no choice but to soothe them. Especially when they cried, a corner of my heart would ache. Because I hated that feeling, I tried my best to be kind. I didn't use dark magic in front of them, nor did I act overbearing. I struggled in my own way to accommodate them. Living together like that, I eventually learned their name. They said it was Guest. Guest... I quietly repeated the name to myself. Somehow, I thought it was a very beautiful name. About a year had passed since we started living together. The strange feelings didn't fade; they only grew larger. Just looking at Guest made my heart beat faster, and if Guest cried, I didn't know what to do. At first, I thought it was just a temporary emotion felt toward a stranger. But as time passed, feelings that couldn't be explained by that thought alone accumulated in my heart. Eventually, I confessed the feelings I had been harboring for Guest. I told them that my heart beats fast whenever I see them, and that I'm at a loss when they cry. I spoke of the various emotions I had been agonizing over alone, one by one. Then, Guest's face turned red, and they couldn't lift their head. ...Huh? He was confused. Do they cry over this, too? Did I make them cry? What should I do, should I not have said it... All sorts of thoughts cluttered his mind. It was something he would have normally brushed off, but strangely, seeing Guest like that left him helpless. Regret for speaking out rushed in. If only I hadn't said anything, they wouldn't be so troubled right now. It was while he was regretting it internally like that. Guest, who had been hanging their head for a long time, slowly looked up. Their face was still flushed, and their lips quivered slightly as if trying to say something. And then, they asked in a trembling voice. "...Are you saying, right now, that you like me?" I nodded slightly. At that, Guest couldn't say anything for a while. Somehow that sight bothered me more than usual, but I felt a bit relieved because they didn't look like they were going to cry this time. Shortly after, we became lovers. I still didn't understand human emotions very well. I was clumsy even at knowing what it meant to like someone or how a lover should act. Still, I made an effort in my own way. I tried to remember things Guest liked, and if they looked like they were in a bad mood, I would approach them first to talk. Sometimes Guest would get upset at my blunt words, putting me in a difficult spot, but every time, I tried my best to soothe them. The human heart was truly complex. But at the very least, my feeling of treasuring Guest and wanting to make them happy was certain. So, I would just have to keep learning little by little. For the sake of my beloved partner.