Leading the young lady I picked up astray, making her the happiest girl in the world!

"Hey, you can come out now," Allen called out.

"O-okay." In response, Charlotte opened the back door of the mansion.

What spread out before her was a spacious garden with a well - it was Allen's herb garden. And now, one corner of the garden was filled with light.

"Wow...!" Charlotte gasped.

The sofa in the living room had been brought outside, surrounded by a number of lanterns. Nearby, a bonfire was lit, and something was simmering in a pot.

Charlotte felt as though she was going camping.

Allen poured the liquid from the pot into a mug and handed it over.

"Careful, it's hot."

"Is this... hot cocoa?"

Illuminated by the gentle light from the lanterns, delicate wisps of steam could be seen rising from the light brown liquid. At its center, Charlotte could see three large marshmallows floating.

"That's right." Allen grinned mischievously. "Let's sip on it while we stargaze and chat."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Charlotte's face lit up with joy.

Prompted by Allen, Charlotte sat on the sofa and took in the expansive view of the clear night sky. It was like a scene out of a dream. Being far from the city, there was nothing to obstruct the ethereal glow of the stars.

While Charlotte was lost in admiration of the shimmering night sky, Allen sat down next to her.

He began to prepare something that resembled an incense burner.@@novelbin@@

"Is that aromatherapy?" Charlotte asked.

"No, it's just a simple insect repellent." Allen shook his head. "Here, put this on too."

A blanket suddenly appeared out of nowhere and gently floated down. 

Charlotte did as she was told and wrapped herself in the blanket.

Even though it was nighttime, the evening breeze still carried the lingering warmth of spring. Snuggled up in the blanket, Charlotte instantly felt cozy and warm.

The smoke rising from the incense burner infused the air with a refreshing scent, lifting her spirits. Above her, an endless array of stars adorned the night sky, while below, she was enveloped in a cocoon of warmth.

Wherever Charlotte looked, it was filled with happiness.

"Do you like it?" 

"Yes! Somehow, it feels so exciting!"

"Is that so? Well, that's good to hear." Allen's lips curled into a satirical smile as he savored his hot cocoa. "Well, even though we're stargazing, I don't really understand much about stars."

"What?!" Charlotte exclaimed, "But you seem to know everything!" 

"I'm quite familiar with how the alignment of stars affects mana but when it comes to constellations… it's all gibberish to me." Allen said, casually.

"That's just like him to be so nonchalant." Charlotte thought before pointing to the stars that adorned the night sky. "That yellow glow over there is the eye of the Spider constellation. And just below it is the Orthros constellation."

Allen squinted his eyes at the night sky. "They just look like a bunch of dots to me..." 

Even in the most ordinary of times, Allen's expression was still rather intimidating. He definitely lived up to his name as the "Great Demon Lord". Charlotte chuckled softly.

"I had to study a variety of subjects back home. That's how I learned about constellations," she explained.

"...I see." Allen's face slightly clouded over, giving off an air of displeasure. 

Charlotte tilted her head in confusion, puzzled by his sullen expression. But before she could ask, Allen started asking her all sorts of questions about the constellations. Soon enough, her own question slipped away from her mind.

Charlotte explained the stars and shared the myths surrounding them. In turn, Allen nodded along and roughly explained the relationship between magic and celestial bodies so Charlotte could understand.

Their conversation was nothing extraordinary, but it went on for a good while under the night sky.

As time passed, Charlotte yawned.

"...Are you feeling sleepy?" Allen placed his cup down and smiled gently.

"Let's go to sleep, shall we? Let me walk you to your room."

"No…" Charlotte slowly shook her head, "I don't want to sleep tonight." 

"I had a bad dream." Charlotte confessed in a quiet voice, "... And I'm afraid the same nightmare will haunt me again if I go back to sleep."

As Allen listened intently, it suddenly occurred to Charlotte. What if he thought that she was absurd? 

Weren't nightmares something only children would be frightened by? Charlotte lowered her head in shame. 

"That's alright."

"W-What?" 

Allen gently took hold of Charlotte's hand. Suddenly, a faint tension spread through her palm. 

Peering into Charlotte's wide eyes, Allen smirked, "I told you, didn't I? I won't let go of your hand. I'll protect you from anything."

"Even if you're trapped in a nightmare, I'll definitely come to your rescue. So, don't worry about anything."

"Allen..." Charlotte murmured, touched by his heartfelt words. Yet, the feeling was soon replaced with a strange sense of familiarity. 

She tilted her head in confusion and asked, "...Didn't you say something similar before?"

"Yes, I did," Allen replied with a kind smile before adding, "but maybe you have forgotten about it."

"I guess I must have." Charlotte returned a small smile. 

It didn't matter where she heard those words. Allen wouldn't lie about such things. If he said he was going to protect her… She was sure he would.

As Charlotte quietly thought to herself, a warm sensation started spreading in her and before long, drowsiness washed over her. 

"If you find your own dreams frightening, would you like to enter my dream?" Allen asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"Enter your dream...?"

"Yeah. There's a magic spell that allows you to enter someone else's dream. I can cast it for you."

"T-There’s even such a magic spell? Wow, magic sure is amazing!" 

"Well… there is, or perhaps I should say, it is an impromptu spell I improvised." Allen mumbled.  

"Anyways–" Allen said, redirecting the discussion elsewhere, "What kind of dream would you like to have? Let's hear them."

"Well..."

Any kind of dream would be great as long as he was there with her. 

But, instead Charlotte said, "I want to see the stars together, even if it's in a dream."

"Oh, that's an easy request."

The pair laughed and stood up from the sofa.

Until a while ago, the world seemed like a frightening place.

Yet now, Charlotte no longer feared the dark.