Don't tell anyone!

ㅤ Sleep didn't come. In the quiet night, Rody strolled through the small village. Far from the noisy tavern where they were staying. The local drunks just wouldn't calm down. But they weren't the cause of her insomnia. She was sad. Sad because all that remained of Dhaos were frozen feelings and memories. And even time travel couldn't help save him. She was powerless. "The night is so young, and you are so cheerful," Albert’s familiar voice was heard. "No, not like that. Let me sing of your beauty, comparable only to the moons…" Rody peered cautiously around the corner of the wooden house, expecting to see a living wardrobe, but instead of the usual Albert, she discovered a handsome young man communicating with a cat. On it, he practiced terribly trivial phrases for picking up naive country girls. He himself was handsome enough to avoid such charm-killing nonsense. Tall, muscular, and well-groomed. His face, framed by waves of light-brown hair the color of the wood from which he was made, was incredibly handsome. When he was in the form of a wardrobe. "Albert?" After a brief silence, trying to collect her thoughts and believe what was happening, Rody finally decided to ask. "Huh?" the man didn't immediately understand who had called him. "Shh!" he immediately put his finger to his lips, jumping up and leading the girl away. "Were you following me!?" "No. So it's you after all?" she continued to stare at the handsome man, dumbfounded. "Oh, you!" Albert bit his lip, unwilling to stoop to insulting the woman, even if she'd caught him so brazenly. "Just don't tell the others, okay? Let me remain just a wardrobe for them, picking up girls at night." He mixed several thoughts at once, completely confusing Rody. "What's so scary about them finding out you can turn into a human?" "The thing is, I won't be able to date other girls without a problem. If Mel catches me cheating, she'll stop trusting me. And if Dio or Ethos know, they'll tell her everything." "I don't think Mel cares," Rody admitted honestly. She hadn't really noticed Mel's penchant for wooden household items. "Just don't say anything, okay? As payment for your silence, I can offer you an inspiring date!" Albert winked. "It's not worth it," Rody waved, getting ready to leave. She had no intention of revealing the secret. For now. "Wait!" Albert caught her hand. “You’ve been looking sad lately, even though you’re trying hard to hide it,” he said seriously and understandingly. "Maybe you can fool that idiot Dio and the naive, sweet Mel with a fake smile, but not me. You need to unwind," there was not even a hint of vulgarity in his words. "I just found a nice spot nearby. Why don't we go for a walk together?" Having no reason to refuse, and still walking alone in the night, Rody agreed. It was just a stroll, not a date, as Albert insisted. He led her to a meadow of magical flowers. Small, securely hidden by nature itself from prying eyes. In the sunlight, the flowers were unremarkable, but at night, "inhaling" mana, the buds and the pollen hovering above them shone in the moonlight. The sight was breathtaking, and all worries receded. Magic, indeed. "How did you find this place?" Rody said, barely coming back down to earth. "Oh, I can find something even better than that," Albert boasted. "I'm a master at this." He never lied about his skill. Perhaps his eloquence sometimes failed him, but he knew how to please women and always found something new and unique for them. And he didn’t forget about food and light drinks to make the magic even more magical. Being an interdimensional wardrobe, he had no problem carrying a large number of things. Seated among the flowers dancing in the gentle breeze, Rody and Albert clinked glasses of red wine. The atmosphere was soothing that Rody even felt resigned to being dragged on a date. Albert quietly moved closer. It wasn't that Rody didn't notice, but she didn't say anything. Until Albert was bold enough to put an arm around her shoulder. "That’s too much," she warned tactfully. But Albert ignored her, leaning his forehead against her other shoulder and quietly saying: "Sorry. I'll just sit like this for a little while," he said, making no further attempts to get closer or to take his vulgar intentions further. He just sat with his eyes closed, enjoying the company of a beautiful woman. "You know, being a wardrobe is so lonely." "Eloquence really isn't your strong point." Rody let out a resigned sigh, nearly falling for Albert's "trick." However, she thought… No, she was sure he was serious. And if not, she could always punish him most cruelly by telling Mel the truth. Instead of outrage and warnings about the consequences of deception, Rody involuntarily stroked Albert's head comfortingly It was getting cold. And sleep was starting to creep in. It was time to slowly return. Finally, standing up, Albert hugged Rody once more, standing before her. "Can I walk with you like this sometimes at night? Hug? As friends, if you don't want more." "Well, if you promise not to grope me," Rody said hesitantly. "And if you really want to hug someone, why not confess to Mel?" "I'm not an idiot, Rody," Albert smiled sadly, looking into her eyes. "I know she won't accept me. And Dio won't stand aside. And Ethos will fight me off with a stick, like a crazed mother overwrought for no reason: they're all like that." "Well, you're unlucky," Rody patted him on the back. "Okay, let's go already, otherwise I'm starting to get cold." "I can offer my help!" Albert smiled broadly. Rody left silently, without even asking what exactly Albert meant by the ambiguous phrase: hugs or a large selection of clothes. ㅤ