It’s Not Night - Chapter 167.1

As the door closed, Andra lifted her gaze from the book she had been absorbed in. Dustin, having taken off his coat, was placing a paper bag on the table.

“How’s the dragon?”

“It’s a cycle of getting better and then worse.”

“I’ll have to go see it tomorrow.”

Andra closed her book and laboriously got off the sofa.

Last night, after their affair, she had woken up early in the evening. Her body ached everywhere, and she felt so exhausted that she couldn’t get out of bed for a while. It took her an hour of tossing and turning before she could stagger out to the living room.

On the table, there was food and a note that Dustin had prepared before he left. The note mentioned he had gone out to check on the dragon and would be back soon, telling her to eat in the meantime.

“….Didn’t you eat the food?”

As Dustin unpacked the items from the paper bag and organized them, he frowned upon seeing that the food he had previously prepared was untouched. Andra, swapping the book in her hand for another, nodded.

“No, I wasn’t really hungry.”

“You barely ate yesterday either.”

“I just don’t have an appetite. My body feels tired.”

Andra picked up another book and sat back down on the sofa, responding half-heartedly. Dustin watched her focus solely on her book before suddenly approaching and lifting her up abruptly, causing her to drop the book in surprise.

“What are you doing? Put me down!”

Fortunately, Dustin gently set her down before she could resist further, right in front of the table.

He pushed the untouched plate of food toward her again.

“Try to eat something.”

“I told you, I’m not hungry.”

Andra pushed the plate back defiantly. I’m not hungry. Really, I’m fine. But Dustin was persistent. He placed the plate back in front of her again and said.

“I wondered why you looked so thin. No, you need to eat at least a little.”

In Dustin’s observation Andra had become alarmingly thin.

While she had some flesh on her chest and hips, her arms, legs, and back were scarily thin, making her look as if she might break at any moment. He had truly realized how weak she had become, especially now that the magic that once sustained her was gone, leaving her powerless.

Her exposed limbs and back were extremely thin.

“If I’m hungry, I’ll eat. Why keep insisting when someone says no?”

“Look at yourself, Andra. You’re easily tired and worn out because you don’t eat enough.”

Andra scoffed in disbelief, knowing that her fragility wasn’t just due to lack of food. Though she couldn’t deny it contributed, the primary reason was Dustin’s reluctance to leave her be. Their affair often left her drained and exhausted.

“That’s because you keep me….!”

“Actually, you were the one who initiated it last night.”

Andra fell silent, realizing he was right. Last night, she had indeed been the one to lunge at him first.

“….!”

“Try to eat a little, at least. I’m not asking for much.”

Hurry. Dustin’s eyes were stern as if scolding a student, which made Andra slightly resentful. She never imagined being reprimanded by Dustin over something like this.

Reluctantly, she reached for the cutlery but then changed her mind, placing her hand back down. Dustin’s brows furrowed slightly.

“I don’t like it when it’s cold. Make it fresh, and I’ll eat.”

Andra knew well that the food was only recently made. She was half-hoping he’d show annoyance or frustration, giving her an excuse not to eat. But contrary to her expectations, Dustin calmly nodded and took the plate away.

“I didn’t consider that, sorry.”

“…No need to apologize….”

“I’ll make something fresh right away. Just give me a moment.”

After Dustin placed a kiss on her forehead and headed into the kitchen, Andra let out an involuntary chuckle, watching his retreating back.

She felt like a child who had just thrown a tantrum over food. Resting her face on the table with a sullen expression, she eventually relaxed her shoulders and her expression softened.

‘What am I doing, being so childish…’

Despite resolving not to act this way, she found herself snapping at Dustin again. It was an ugly temperament, no matter how she thought about it.

Andra flopped down on the table and pondered how long she and Dustin would maintain this kind of relationship. The love-hate dynamic… How long would she have to endure these conflicted feelings? Could she even leave Hezel if she wanted to? What was she supposed to do here in Hezel in the first place? It felt like she had lost her way.

Even if she managed to reach the island above the sky, what then? There was no guarantee that Anat would be waiting for her. It was more likely that Nera was the one expecting her. Honestly, at this point, she was beginning to doubt what Nera even wanted from her.

Andra sighed deeply with her eyes tightly shut.

‘I think I understand why people here give up on leaving and settle down in Hezel.’

Surprisingly, Hazel imposed nothing on anyone. It was the same for Andra. No expectations of her as an Avelin, no demands typical of a Marquis’s daughter or the pressures of a future Crown Princess. The external pressures that once tormented her seemed to vanish here.