***

Astrid was a genius.

And as is often the case, the thought processes of geniuses are incomprehensible to others.

“Why on earth did you kidnap the prince?”

While a suffocating battle of wits between the kidnapped prince and Luka was unfolding on the third floor, a fight between mother and son was erupting on the floor below.

“Mother. If you suddenly act in such a conspicuous manner……”

“Were you moving around inconspicuously, Chamuka?”

Astrid, whose life satisfaction had dramatically increased with Leticia by her side, asked sweetly.

And Chamuka, whose life satisfaction had plummeted after losing Leticia as soon as they entered the inn, retorted.

“At least I didn’t do anything that would invite pursuit.”

“My goodness. Look at how suspicious you appear. A large man wrapped in a cloak from head to toe in this warm weather. Perfect for getting reported.”

Leticia, who was contributing greatly to Astrid’s mental stability at her side, made excuses on Chamuka’s behalf.

“But Master. Isn’t it better to look suspicious than to reveal your face?”

That made sense, given his dazzling silver hair, golden eyes, and overall magnificent appearance that was simply impossible to forget once seen.

No matter how suspicious it looked, covering up was better.

However, Astrid dismissed Leticia’s excuse with a single statement.

“You shouldn’t have gone out at all. Or if you did go out, you should have avoided being seen by people. Does it make sense to walk openly on the streets?”

“Are you saying I should have let Leti walk alone?”

“Is there any need for you to walk with her? It’s been ages since our baby took her first steps. She won’t appreciate being treated like a child if you keep doing that.”

“……”

Leticia thought that, in this situation, the one treating her most like a child was actually her master.

Her ears reddened with the familiar embarrassment washing over her anew. It seemed her immunity to embarrassment had decreased from being apart for so long.

And seeing Leticia’s reddened ears, Chamuka malfunctioned.

“……”

“Anyway, stop following the baby around and bothering her.”

“……”

“Don’t you know how uncomfortable you make her? You’re already unnecessarily large and get in the way when you’re beside her.”

“……”

“…? Chamuka? Why aren’t you saying anything-”

Astrid momentarily stopped speaking when she discovered that Leticia was at the end of Chamuka’s gaze.

She looked back and forth between Chamuka and Leticia, then frowned.

Simultaneously, streams of water shot out from all directions, wrapped tightly around Chamuka, and suspended him from the ceiling.

“Master!”

Hearing Leticia’s startled call, Astrid patted her shoulder reassuringly. Then she sat Leticia on the sofa and covered her head with a blanket, completely hiding her face.

“…?! Master, why suddenly…?”

“It’s alright. Your master will take care of this.”

“What?! What’s alright?!”

Leaving behind the confused Leticia, who was bewildered by the sudden turn of events, Astrid went in front of Chamuka hanging from the ceiling, crossed her arms, and interrogated him.

“What did you do?”

“Mother, what are you suddenly doing?”

“Your gaze was impure. Confess honestly. What did you do to Leti?”

“Do you think I would do something bad to Leti?”

“Of course.”

Hearing the sharp exchange, Leticia removed the blanket from her head and shouted.

“Master, why are you suddenly acting like this? What did Chamuka do wrong?”

“He was looking at you with impure eyes. When a Basilinte has that kind of look, it’s always a sign of something! Absolutely! It’s not a look that appears without any meaning!”

Astrid, who had shouted in agitation, grabbed Leticia’s shoulders firmly.

“What did Chamuka do to you! Tell me, and your master will immediately take that impure fellow and-”

“Nothing happened at all?! Chamuka’s eyes have always looked like that!”

“No. Originally, they were a bit more innocent!”

“They’re still innocent!”

“How can you use the word ‘innocent’ for Chamuka!”

“You just said he was originally innocent!”

“That’s, that’s…!”

Astrid clutched her chest, unable to accept the reality of arguing with Leticia, who had always smiled adorably saying her master was the best.

How could my disciple! My kind, lovely, cute, in short, my adorable baby droplet who deserves all the good adjectives in the world!

“Leti, are you fighting with your master because of Chamuka?”

“No. It’s not because of Chamuka…”

Leticia trailed off, then finally said while fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

“It’s not about what Chamuka’s gaze is like right now, but I thought you might talk about something else, and when you didn’t, I was surprised, and honestly a bit disappointed too…”

“Disappointed? Did your master disappoint our baby?”

I’m not a baby. Leticia, shamefully getting used to the nickname again, deliberately ignored it and said.

“I’m wearing a skirt.”

“That’s what disappointed you? That I didn’t say your skirt wasn’t pretty? That was wrong of me. I didn’t notice you were wearing new clothes because I was looking at our Leti’s face.”

“……”

Is this really the normal reaction when a disciple you thought was a boy suddenly appears wearing a skirt?

“How well our Leti suits a skirt.”

Couldn’t you show even a little interest in my gender?

Leticia felt that all her past efforts to hide her gender had been utterly meaningless.

In fact, she felt it wouldn’t matter even if her identity was revealed to be a winged elephant.

She gave up on Astrid, realizing her gender on her own, and confessed.

“Master. I’m a woman.”

It was a remarkably plain confession, making the past 10 years seem pointless.

“My name is Leticia Borba, and I was a death row prisoner, not a prince or royal family member.”

“…Huh?”

Astrid was flustered and didn’t know what to do, but finally gripped Leticia’s shoulders firmly and said.

“Leti. Whoever you are, your master loves you. Thank you for telling me, and thank you for trusting your master that much, whether you’re a death row prisoner or a woman- Ah.”

Astrid’s words abruptly stopped.

She awkwardly moved her head up and down to observe Leticia.

“Master?”

“A woman?”

“Yes? Yes…”

“Since when?”

“Since I was born?”

“Why?”

She was just born a woman and is a woman; is there supposed to be a separate reason for that?

“Not Chamuka either?”

“…? Chamuka is currently hanging from the ceiling, listening to this conversation. Actually, I told him first…”

“So that’s it!”

Suddenly screaming as if she had realized something, Astrid suddenly embraced Leticia protectively.

Leticia’s eyes, which had been blinking in confusion at the sudden hug, widened when she saw Chamuka.

More precisely, when she saw Chamuka, who had suddenly moved from the ceiling to hang from the wide-open window.

“Master! If Chamuka falls like that…!”

“Let him fall!”

Even in this precarious situation, Chamuka only slightly furrowed his brow as he asked.

“Mother, do you really need to go this far?”

“Disappear from my lovely disciple’s life!”

“Do you think I’ll disappear from Leti’s side just because of this?”

Chamuka’s golden eyes glinted with pure determination.

Seeing those eyes, Astrid shuddered, while Leticia, who hadn’t seen them, innocently tilted her head at Astrid’s reaction.

“I absolutely won’t fall. Because I’m going to marry Leti.”

“…Pardon?”

I’ve never heard anything about this. When was this future decided?

Leticia murmured, “Is this a proposal? Or a dream?” as her sense of reality slipped away.

Astrid could barely speak and just grabbed the back of her neck.

“You, you, you…!”

At that moment, the door opened, and Tan appeared with Luka slung over his shoulder.

The already chaotic room became even more disorderly.

“I caught an intruder. Do you know him, Leti?”

Leticia nodded in the midst of this confusion.

Tan then casually dropped Luka onto the sofa. And with a bright smile, he pulled the trigger that would explode this chaos.

“Mother, why not just drop Chamuka as he is? I’ll marry Leti and make Leti part of Basilinte.”

Astrid finally grabbed the back of her neck and collapsed onto the sofa.

I, I… gave birth to thieves…!