I felt like a herbivore cornered into a dead end. I forced myself to hide my inner turmoil and looked up at Ascan with a nonchalant expression.

“Who, who said I was running away? Ha, ha ha.”

I quietly stepped backward, sidestepping to avoid Ascan.

But in an instant, Ascan blocked my path again, frowning deeply.

“You still deny it?”

“No, I just have business over there.”

“This direction leads to the main gate—you were planning to go outside?”

“Oh, right. I had something to do outside.”

Though this errand had never been on my schedule, I walked toward the main gate as calmly as possible.

I’d come too far to turn back now, and I still didn’t have the courage to face Ascan.

That was when—

Ascan suddenly grabbed my wrist.

Puzzled, I turned my head—and for some reason, his eyes were burning with intensity.

“Don’t push your excuses too far. My patience isn’t wide enough to pretend I don’t know what you’re doing.”

“You—you’re casually dropping honorifics now?”

“Have you ever considered that it’s you, Lady, who’s in the wrong for speaking informally to a Count in the first place?”

He wasn’t wrong. Many people used formal speech to curry favor with me—the continent’s top arms dealer—but strictly speaking, nobles of high rank had no reason to do so toward a young lady.

Unconsciously, I’d reverted to how I used to treat Ascan in the past; if we were judging by proper etiquette, I was the one being rude.

As I stood speechless, staring blankly at Ascan, he quietly continued.

“When were you ever shy about hovering around me? Why change your attitude overnight? Have you lost interest in me now?”

“No, more importantly—how did you even know I’d come out here…?”

I’d only intended to step out briefly after leaving the room, just to check the repaired spot. Yet Ascan’s timing felt too perfectly coincidental to be mere chance.

Suspecting something, I turned my head—and sure enough, Bishop, who’d been watching from afar, quickly ducked behind a pillar.

‘Ha! Crabs stick together—Bishop’s clearly on Ascan’s side.’

Feeling oddly betrayed, I glared toward where Bishop had hidden. Ascan noticed my gaze and immediately turned my face back toward him with his hand.

“Who are you looking at?”

“I was just—Bishop told you I was here…”

“Look at me. Not anyone else.”

“…!”

What—what was that?

Caught off guard by his unexpected words, my mouth froze.

I stared at Ascan with startled eyes, while he gazed back at me intently, his pupils strangely dark and solemn.

“I asked why you’re avoiding me.”

“…Isn’t it obvious? If you saw me like that… I’d be embarrassed.”

My voice grew quieter without me realizing it.

But Ascan clearly heard me. He listened seriously, then replied with a suddenly lighter expression.

“Is that all it takes to scare you off?”

“All it takes? I got drunk, threw up, and ran around like a lunatic…”

For some reason, Ascan asked back with a meaningful look.

“That’s all you remember?”

“What else could’ve happened here?”

“Never mind. If you forgot, then it’s fine.”

“What is it? Don’t leave me hanging…!”

I stopped mid-sentence. Suddenly, Ascan lowered his head and thrust his face close to mine.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Better from what?”

“You said your stomach hurt.”

I suddenly recalled the scene—Ascan giving me medicine while I was drunk.

The look in his eyes as he held the medicine and stared at me wasn’t much different from how he looked now.

—Open your mouth.

The memory replayed in my head, and my face flushed reflexively.

Watching me, Ascan asked with a puzzled expression.

“Could you still be feeling unwell?”

“No, it’s nothing like that.”

I turned my head away to avoid his intense gaze.

“But what made you suddenly decide to come find me?”

When I was hiding earlier, you didn’t even show your face—why care now?

Ascan gazed at me with unreadable eyes and quietly replied.

“I thought you kept bothering me, so I’d be annoyed… but now that you’re out of sight, I’m even more bothered.”

Bothered?

I looked up at Ascan incredulously.

“Is that really the word you want to use?”

“Just… keep acting like you always do. Don’t go out of your way to bother me more.”

Infuriated, I shot him a glare. But his complete indifference only made me angrier.

Ascan glanced briefly toward the main gate—the direction I’d tried to escape to—and continued.

“And from now on, wherever you go, tell me first. It seems the Empress and the Manoko family are plotting something.”

“Do they seriously intend to kill me?”

“They’re certainly capable of it—and more. The political situation in the Calua Empire is more complicated than you realize.”

The Calua Empire’s civil war had only recently ended. Similarly, Helsion’s ascension to Emperor hadn’t been long ago.

Come to think of it, we were ambushed by remnants of the former Emperor’s faction on our way here.

Was there something else I didn’t know?

While I was lost in thought, Ascan’s quiet voice reached me.

“Soon, the Imperial Court will host a grand party. You’ll receive an invitation shortly.”

“Really? You already know this, even though I haven’t gotten the invitation yet?”

It was surprising—Ascan never seemed interested in parties like this.

Ascan hesitated briefly, then continued with a perfectly casual expression.

“Since the Empress will attend, be especially careful. Better yet, don’t go at all.”

“If they truly have ulterior motives, they’ll make sure I can’t refuse the invitation.”

“Perhaps. We’ll see what they do.”

“Fine. I have no intention of becoming Empress Consort—but I won’t walk into a trap either.”

Whether I wanted it or not, since I’d already become a target for Empress Seruna and the Manoko family, I couldn’t just sit back and take it.

It was reassuring that Ascan was protecting me—but I’d likely need to formally decline Helsion’s offer for Empress Consort soon.

“How many days should I wait before declining the Empress Consort position?”

Outright refusal felt too abrupt—the Emperor’s marriage proposal weighed on my conscience. I needed at least a short grace period to avoid seeming like I hadn’t even considered it.

For some reason, Ascan answered with a faint smile.

“No need to drag it out. Ten days should be enough.”

“Ten days? Wouldn’t fifteen days at least make it look like I actually thought about it?”

After pondering, I eyed Ascan suspiciously.

“Aren’t you just saying this because you’re tired of protecting me?”

Ascan stared at me with an utterly dumbfounded expression. But in my eyes, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

“Be honest. You’re doing this because you want to get rid of me, aren’t you?”

“…Think whatever you want.”

Ascan turned away like someone avoiding an awkward question and walked off.

When did he ever hesitate to approach me? Now he was leaving like this—it infuriated me, and I chased after him.

“What’s this? Why are you avoiding answering?”

“Who said I’m avoiding anything?”

Ascan denied it—but his behavior was clearly suspicious to anyone watching.

Just as Ascan and I were bickering our way back toward the mansion—

Whooshhh—

A breeze blew.

It carried the scent of flowers I’d planted at the repaired spot. The moment I caught that sweet fragrance, I stopped dead in my tracks.

Noticing my sudden halt, Ascan looked at me curiously.

“What’s wrong?”

Silently, I looked up at Ascan standing before me.

I remembered.

What had happened that night I got drunk.

When I came to, I was inside a carriage.

Apparently, I’d dozed off. Feeling warmth, I looked down and saw Ascan’s outer coat draped over me.

As I groggily sat up, Ascan, seated across from me, asked in a low voice.

“Awake now?”

I tried to answer—but before I could, nausea surged.

“…Ugh!”

As I clamped my hands over my mouth and gagged, Ascan—uncharacteristically urgent—called to the coachman.

“Stop the carriage. Now.”

“Ah, yes, my Lord Count.”

Thus, the carriage halted unexpectedly in the middle of the street.

Ascan scooped me up and stepped outside immediately. But with my stomach churning, I couldn’t hold it any longer—I bent over before we even reached our destination.

“Urp!”

Thankfully, we were at a deserted corner. Once I started vomiting, I couldn’t stop.

Then, unexpectedly, I felt a warm hand on my back.

Pat pat—Ascan was gently patting my back.

Before I could say anything, I emptied my stomach completely, then lifted my head weakly.

Ascan carefully wiped my mouth with a gentle hand. Then, in a stern voice completely opposite his touch, he scolded me.

“I told you to drink slowly.”

“…Hurts.”

“Where does it hurt?”

“…My stomach.”

As I made a pained face and rubbed my belly, Ascan held me seriously again and said while quickly returning to the carriage.

“We’ll get back as fast as possible.”

“…It hurts.”

The carriage set off—but my churning stomach forced us to stop several more times.

By the time we barely reached Ascan’s mansion, I was thoroughly drunk.

The world looked breathtakingly beautiful, and I felt euphoric—as if I could fly to the heavens if I just willed it.

Ascan carefully supported me and said,

“Take medicine, then straight to bed…”

“Ascan, want to see how fast I can run? Let’s race from here to over there.”

“What are you—!”

Before he could stop me, I was already dashing around the mansion.

I kicked off my shoes and ran barefoot—who knew running could be this fun?

The cold night air tasted delicious, and even my heavy breathing felt exhilarating.

Tatata-tat!

In the dark night, my running footsteps shattered the silence.

Ascan quickly grabbed me—but treating it like a game, I wriggled free and ran again.

That was when I suddenly noticed shadowy figures hiding atop the wall.

Though thoroughly drunk, I could tell intruders had arrived.

Ascan must have noticed long before—I realized as he pulled me tightly against him and whispered softly.

“Please, just stay still.”

But rational judgment was long gone for me.

I looked up at Ascan and cupped his cheeks with both hands. Grinning mischievously at his startled expression, I declared,

“This time, I’ll protect you.”

I summoned a magical engineering weapon stored inside the mansion using the bracelet on my wrist.

Whuuuuuum!

The magical engineering weapon resonated loudly as it flew rapidly toward me.

I’d chosen a weapon—a miniaturized cannon. Larger than a K39, it was cumbersome to carry, but I was confident in its firepower.

“Tanash…!”

Ascan called out urgently—but my finger had already pulled the trigger.

Paaaang!

In the dead of night, a powerful blaze shot toward the mansion’s wall.

The intruders were instantly subdued—but the blast was so strong, parts of the mansion risked collapsing.

Ascan urgently summoned an unextinguishable flame to block the fire I’d unleashed.

The two flames clashed midair, creating a flash as bright as daylight.

Paaat!

The magical engineering weapon’s firepower couldn’t overcome Ascan’s unextinguishable flame—but my blast veered and swept along the wall’s edge.

It left behind charred black marks around the mansion.

Startled by my attack, the intruders quickly hid. Ascan, about to chase after them, stopped when he saw my face.

Looking at me with a resigned expression, he said,

“Who’s going to stop you if you use magical engineering weapons while this drunk?”

“You’re here, you are.”

As I swayed happily, drunk and cheerful, Ascan shook his head incredulously—but a faint smile played at his lips.

Looking at me, he spoke in a voice even softer than before.

“Then from now on, drink only with me. Not with anyone else.”

“I will.”

“If you forget, I’ll handle it myself.”

That was when—due to the earlier flash—people sleeping inside the mansion seemed to have woken up.

As Bishop rushed out from the front door, Ascan quietly said,

“Bring a hangover remedy.”

“Ah, understood, Master.”

I leaned against Ascan. My strength was drained from all that running, and he seemed worried about letting me out of his sight.

As I stood quietly, a thought suddenly popped into my head—Ascan’s expression while watching me during dinner with Helsion.

“When the Emperor proposed to me earlier… you were jealous, weren’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Be honest.”

As I shook Ascan’s arm insistently, his expression changed at some point. His eyes—like moonlight gathered into liquid—glowed in the darkness.

He looked down at me with sudden seriousness and said,

“…If I admit it, are you prepared to handle the consequences?”

Though completely drunk, I wanted to ask what consequences I’d need to handle—but just then, I heard Bishop’s approaching footsteps.

Ascan, receiving the medicine from Bishop, quietly said,

“Take this first.”

I stubbornly shook my head.

“Finish what we were talking about first.”

“Take this first.”

“No.”

Ascan, holding the medicine, looked down at me and opened his mouth.

“Tanashia. Open your mouth.”

His serious gaze as he looked down at me caught my eye.

He was gorgeous. Whether as the boy I knew ten years ago or as the adult he was now, Ascan hit every one of my preferences perfectly.

I was staring blankly at his straight forehead, sculpted nose, and sharp jawline—

“Tanashia.”

The moment I heard him call my name again—

I pulled his neck down and pressed my lips against his.

My lips met his firmly, then pulled away. Oddly enough, he seemed to carry a sweet, flower-like scent.

I grinned at the utterly flustered Ascan.

“Really want me to open my mouth?”