"Mr. Ray, it's time to wake up."
The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains. Phoebe had already changed into her Order attire.
She tiptoed to Ray's bedding on the floor, crouched down, and gently poked his cheek with her fingertip.
Ray frowned with his eyes closed, turned over, and wrapped the blanket tighter, mumbling vaguely. "Mmm... got it... getting up..."
"Mr. Ray!"
Phoebe poked him twice more, unwilling to give up, but he still slept deeply.
In the end, the girl could only give up with a soft sigh. She crouched to the side, propping her face in her hands, looking helplessly at this person who wouldn't get out of bed.
The Dark Tide had subsided, the Tidebreaker Whale was calm again, and the crisis at the Riccioli Islands had finally concluded.
According to Order regulations, Phoebe should have returned to Ragunna immediately after the mission to report.
But Ray's voice kept circling in her ears:
"Since we're already here, why not relax for a couple of days before leaving?"
"If you don't tell and I don't tell, how would the Order know~"
"Phoebe, this swimsuit really suits you!"
In the end, she couldn't win against him or perhaps, she wanted to stay a little longer herself.
So she reluctantly agreed, stealing two days of leisure on this island.
Today was the day they had agreed to return.
However...
Phoebe looked at Ray's defenseless sleeping face and softly sighed.
The moments of the past two days surfaced in her mind, the azure sky, the soft clouds, and those precious seconds that were so invaluable to her.
Even if two days were but a blink in a lifetime, to her, they had already become a treasure she never wanted to forget.
She drifted off slightly, then the corners of her mouth curved into a tranquil, gentle smile.
"Mr. Ray, stop lazing in bed. We should go."
But joyful times always had to end. Phoebe didn't feel any reluctance about it.
Because she always believed that this small, peaceful everyday life would surely return one day in the future, in another form.
"Mmm... got it... five more minutes, just five minutes..."
Ray still mumbled vaguely, showing no sign of waking up.
Phoebe was about to reach out and push him again when her gaze inadvertently swept over the blanket covering him, something seemed to be propping up a small, high section in the middle, standing straight, like a stick hidden inside.
'Huh? What's that...
Why is there a stick in Mr. Ray's blanket?
Wouldn't that be uncomfortable to sleep with...?'
She tilted her head slightly, her violet eyes filled with incomprehension.
The pure-minded girl's knowledge in that area was almost a complete blank, so naturally, she couldn't understand what that "anomaly" under the bedding actually meant.
She even naively wondered: Could it be a stick for self-defense?
But if for self-defense, why not keep it by the pillow or within hand's reach, but hidden in that particular spot?
Phoebe couldn't figure it out.
Subconsciously, she reached out, wanting to touch it gently and investigate. But her fingertip had just stretched halfway when she abruptly pulled it back, quickly shaking her head.
"No, no... I can't just touch Mr. Ray's things without his permission."
"That would be too impolite."
But in the end, curiosity finally overcame the girl's restraint.
After hesitating for a while, she ultimately reached her hand toward that stick.
At the bottom of the sea, Phoebe hadn't seen Ray fight with any stick; he always used a crystal sword.
"So this... what exactly is it?"
"Why does it feel... hard, and a bit warm..."
Even through the thin blanket, her fingertips could still transmit a firm yet warm sensation, a temperature that felt almost scalding.
At that moment, Ray, in his sleep, suddenly relaxed his tightly furrowed brows, revealing a contented expression. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and he even couldn't help letting out a soft moan.
"Huh? Strange... why is it getting harder and harder?"
Suddenly, Phoebe's movements stopped abruptly. As if understanding something in an instant, she jerked her hand back as if shocked, her originally fair cheeks instantly flushing bright red.
She stood up in a fluster, turning her back to Ray, her hands tightly covering her burning face. Her lips trembled slightly, her mind a complete mess, unable to form a single coherent sentence.
'Th-that thing is...
Wh-what was I doing?
I actually touched Mr. Ray's...
If he finds out, he'll definitely think I'm a shameless, bad child...
Sentinel above...'
The golden-haired girl clenched her hands tightly in front of her chest, her head bowed deeply, even the tips of her ears burning red.
She muttered softly, her voice fragmented and chaotic, almost impossible to make out clearly in fact, it was really just some scattered, incomplete prayer phrases.
After realizing what she had touched, Phoebe was completely stunned.
Her brain seemed to have stopped functioning, leaving only a burning face and a heartbeat echoing in a void.
Just then, Ray groggily opened his eyes.
Yawning as he sat up from the floor bedding, he rubbed his eyes and greeted Phoebe. "Morning, Phoebe... praying so early?"
Hearing his voice, Phoebe jolted violently, her entire being growing even more flustered.
She absolutely dared not turn around, afraid Ray would see her currently flushed face and panicked expression.
"G-good morning, M-Mr. Ray... I-I was praying. Yes, I was praying..."
"Is that so?" Ray scratched his head, looking somewhat puzzled at her stiff back. "Why does your voice sound a bit strange... Am I not fully awake yet?"
"I-it must be Mr. Ray mishearing!" Phoebe hurriedly cut him off, her voice rising a bit. "Please go wash up quickly! Don't forget we're returning to Ragunna today!"
"Got it, got it."
Ray got up and walked toward the bathroom, his mind still lingering on that brief yet unusually vivid dream.
How to describe that feeling?
As if gently enveloped by a warm halo, with a clinging, tight sensation that made one reluctant to let go...
Ah, too bad beautiful dreams are always short. If only it could have lasted a bit longer.
He quickly finished washing up and packed his luggage, only to find Phoebe still standing there in a daze.
"Ready, let's go. Phoebe? Phoebe?" He called her twice. "What are you spacing out for?"
The girl abruptly snapped back to reality, the tips of her ears slightly red, her voice a bit unnatural. "N-nothing! I know... I'm coming."
"Are you feeling unwell somewhere today? You seem a bit off." Ray looked at the girl's flushed profile, concern in his tone.
Phoebe unconsciously clenched her fingers, gently shaking her head. "It's nothing... I'm just a bit worried whether the Dark Tide might still have lingering effects on the Tidebreaker Whale."
"Don't worry, it's been dealt with long ago." Ray smiled, patting his chest. "Have faith in Anby's stomach! If it says it's eaten everything, then there's absolutely no problem."
"Mm... I know."
The girl replied softly, lowering her eyelids and saying no more.
Only, her gaze kept drifting unconsciously toward a certain part of his body, then quickly darting away as if burned, her cheeks growing increasingly crimson.