“Um, Grand Duke?”

“Yes?”

“Why is this back again…?”

The tea I’ve been drinking every day since I woke up in this body. Even though I didn’t know its name, apparently, it helped reduce the magic in my body.

Why was it here again?

Looking at Enfrise with wide, curious eyes, I noticed him avoiding my gaze.

“…Sir Jaha adjusts the dosage whenever he visits. I’ve asked him to keep the amount slightly lower when he comes the day after tomorrow.”

“Hm…”

Well, that was one way to handle it. Still, if he said he liked kissing me, why did he look for another method? Did he find it unpleasant after all?

“Grand Duke.”

“Yes…”

Enfrise seemed to sense trouble, judging by the uneasy look on his face as he turned his head slightly. His reluctance annoyed me, so I leaned in closer and asked again.

“Didn’t you say you liked it?”

“….”

“Then, why are you looking for other ways?”

“….”

Ah, the silent treatment.

This was new. Enfrise usually responded, whether with sarcasm or something else. Even if he wanted to avoid a topic, he’d find a way to steer the conversation elsewhere, though now, he was just silent.

“…Okay, I get it.”

“….?”

His head snapped back to me, and Enfrise looked surprised. He might not be speaking, but I could still crack this silence.

“You didn’t like it, did you…”

“What?”

See? Got him.

For my own conscience, I’d like to clarify that this wasn’t about tormenting him. It was about using a fair interrogation technique.

“You didn’t like it when I kissed you first, did you…? You must have—”

“That’s not it at all!”

“Then, why give me the tea again?”

Honestly, I agreed with his method. Drinking a bit of the tea to manage my magic levels and then having him take the excess when a fever starts seemed like a solid plan. It also brought us more time to study my condition.

However, after he ran off yesterday and didn’t come back until now, he suddenly showed up with the tea in hand.

Did he have any idea how much courage it took for me to kiss him?!

“….”

“….”

Enfrise closed his mouth again looking troubled. Judging by his red ears, it seemed he was too embarrassed to speak. Then, he tapped his fingers on the table a few times before letting out a low sigh and finally speaking up.

“I’m… not ready yet.”

“Yes?”

“I mean, the other time, I had to do it because… well, there’s an excuse.”

“An excuse?”

“Yes… Having an excuse made it easier, but just doing it now… I need to prepare myself.”

“Why?”

What was the difference? Sure, there was an excuse, but didn’t he admit he had feelings too?

“…It feels like something lovers would do.”

“Uh…”

‘…I guess that makes sense.’

Performing mouth-to-mouth on someone who’s choking or about to die is seen as a medical act, and no one thinks twice about it. But if you said, ‘Let’s practice mouth-to-mouth just in case,’ it would be….

So, I get it.

“You don’t dislike doing that with me, right?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Hey.”

“Just as you said… you wanted to do such things only with me, I feel the same. I can’t imagine doing this with anyone else but you for the rest of my life.”

Loyalty was basically a passive skill for male leads. Even though I expected it, hearing it outright still makes me happy. Initially, I thought all his affection was directed at Sharperil, and it felt like I was watching from a distance….

Now, it felt like all of it was aimed at me, and it was making me emotional.

“Grand Duke, can we study letters like we did last time?”

Enfrise didn’t say anything but leaned back slightly against the backrest, creating a small space in front of him. As I slipped into that space and sat down, I took the tea he brought and drank it.

Well, it didn’t taste bad.

I gulped it down, gradually leaning against Enfrise. As I finished the tea and tipped the cup for the last sip, I locked eyes with him, who was watching me.

I wondered if he knew.

At first, he always seemed stern and cold, but now he looked different. While he didn’t smile warmly like Jaha, his expression softened considerably. Maybe it was because there was less tension around his eyes.

Oh, I just noticed his forehead looks like a heart shape, with his hair like that….

“Um… staring at me like that makes me a bit self-conscious.”

I had set down the cup and was tilting my head back, thoroughly examining Enfrise’s face.

Wasn’t it unfair for someone to be this handsome, even from below? Even his nostrils were well-shaped. They weren’t heart-shaped, but they looked nice.

“Grand Duke, even your forehead is nice.”

“Is…that so?”

“My forehead is a bit narrow, but yours is broad and doesn’t look like you’re going bald.”

“…Your forehead is lovely as well.”

“Have you seen it before?”

Wait, I’ve never walked around with my forehead exposed.

“That time when you had a fever.”

“Ah.”

“I let Tambor rest at night so she could work during the day, so I stayed by your side.”

This guy really did everything he could back then, huh? I gave him a look at the thought before he quickly explained himself.

“I didn’t mean to. I was just changing the cloth on your forehead…”

“Hmm…”

Well, I guess that made sense.

I looked at him for a moment before speaking.

“Next time the Grand Duke is sick, I’m going to stick by you and take care of you.”

“I can’t let you do that…”

“I’ll see everything, just like you did.”

“I never did anything like that!”

Enfrise, drenched in sweat and sick.

Enfrise, with his cheeks flushed red, looking at me with moist eyes.

Enfrise, weak and reaching out his hand, asking for help.

I couldn’t miss a single one! I’d make sure to remember them all. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a game where I could capture them in an album, but I could keep them in my memory.

“…No, actually, never mind.”

“Hoo…”

“It’s better if the Grand Duke doesn’t get sick at all.”

So far, I’ve seen him looking troubled, perplexed, angry, glaring…

I’ve seen many expressions, though the most beautiful one was when he caught me as I fell from the man’s back and smiled with relief. No matter what faces I see from him in the future, no one would be more beautiful than that smile.

“Hmmm… maybe I should be in danger more often.”

“What are you saying now?”

Ah, better be careful with such remarks. They might become a problem again.

“Sorry.”

“Please don’t say things like that…!”

“I won’t say it again.”

When I apologized sincerely, Enfrise was momentarily at a loss for words.

Watching him, I couldn’t help but think.

Would there come a day when I get used to this kind of everyday life, to these feelings that make my heart race? Not too long ago, I wished that day would come sooner. These new emotions were scary and unfamiliar.

But now…

I wouldn’t mind if these feelings lasted a little longer.

“Oh, by the way, what happened to that man?”

When I suddenly asked, Enfrise quickly turned his head away.

* * *

“Useless fools!”

Barca stormed down from the throne. Drawing the imperial sword always at his waist, the blade emitted an ominous glow, contrary to its noble name.

“You had all the information on their whereabouts and how to get in, and you still couldn’t bring them back?!”

“We’re, we’re sorry, Your Majesty.”

“How did that b*stard find out?! I had all the magical barriers and alarms deactivated!”

The Emperor’s gaze fell on the palace wizard. The old wizard, with his long white beard, appeared calm, but a bead of sweat trickled down his cheek.

“I don’t doubt your skills, but are you sure everything was deactivated properly?”

“Of course, Your Majesty. I deactivated everything perfectly, staking the name of the 13th Court Wizard on it. It wasn’t even that high-level magic to begin with.”

“Then, how did he find out and run off? And he did this while ignoring me, the Emperor!”

Enfrise and Barca weren’t what one would call close brothers.

Despite being the firstborn, Enfrise was scorned and called a blood thief just because he didn’t resemble the Emperor, while Barca, though less capable, was the spitting image of their father and received all his favor. There was too much between them for them to become close.

Still, they weren’t exactly enemies either.

Enfrise was a man who knew his place.

When his late father, the previous emperor, quietly suggested he forgo the position of crown prince and be content with the title of grand duke, he obediently nodded.

Since then, he has shown no interest in central politics or increasing his power, spending his days wielding swords and shooting arrows. Therefore, Barca didn’t treat him poorly, though he never intended to treat him with high regard either.

No matter how sudden his visit was, there was no reason for Enfrise to abandon him in such a manner. Moreover, the fact that Enfrise headed straight for the secret villa upon leaving the mansion.

It could only mean he had detected the intrusion.

“That incompetent fool. Only an incompetent would employ such an incompetent servant!”

It had been a mistake to use that man’s servant.

To prevent any chance of resistance from Chaperil, Barca had used that man’s servant, thinking she would follow someone familiar without issue.

But look at this mess.

Instead of coming quietly, she took far longer than expected to leave the mansion and ended up getting caught by Enfrise.

“Do not worry, Your Majesty. That man believes his master orchestrated everything.”

“That man.”

“He has been imprisoned in the royal dungeon beneath the palace. It would be bothersome if the grand duke took him and extracted information.”

That man was likely already suspicious of Barca.

Out of all the times, Barca decided to visit the mansion without informing anyone. It was rare for the Emperor to move like this, and on that very day, an intruder attempted to take Chaperil.

__