If I were alone, and if it was just the two of us here, what would you do, Chamuka…?

Leticia smiled awkwardly at the suddenly uncomfortable atmosphere, informing him that they were not the only ones in the room.

“Aina is in the adjacent room. She said she wanted to rest for a moment.”

“Then call her.”

“Yes, I’ll call- Why?”

Didn’t he want to be alone? Wasn’t he going to confess again, or at least try to do something with her?

“You’re uncomfortable when it’s just the two of us, Leti.”

“….”

“But I want to spend more time with you. If someone else is around, I can see you being less uncomfortable with me for a little longer.”

So, this was consideration.

Did the sun rise from the west? Or did the sun turn blue?

Leticia unconsciously glanced at the beautifully setting sun behind Chamuka, peering over his shoulder.

The sky, beautifully tinged with orange, was surprisingly normal.

Chamuka’s silver hair, colored by the sunset glow, was tousled by the wind.

Surprised by his uncharacteristic words, Leticia closed her mouth before carefully asking again.

“Are you really okay with that?”

“No. But whether I’m okay isn’t what’s important.”

His expressionless face somehow seemed sullen.

Leticia thought, ‘He must have been scolded by Master again,’ and smiled slightly.

“Did Master scold you that much? Saying my thoughts are more important?”

“That too, but… She said if she catches me by your side again, she’ll really bury me this time.”

Leticia couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

The atmosphere lightened considerably. At least, that’s how she felt.

Chamuka’s golden eyes looked down at the laughing Leticia.

“…What’s so funny?”

“That you get scolded like a five-year-old child.”

Leticia grabbed Chamuka’s arm. And with laughter still in her voice, she added:

“Come inside and greet Master before you go. You’ll be moving at night anyway, right?”

Chamuka’s role tonight was to rescue the families of the imperial collateral branches who were responsible for the military city.

It was something that had to happen simultaneously when Prince Sion’s debut ball reached its peak, so there was plenty of time.

Because the hostages were inside the imperial palace.

“I’ll tell Master not to scold you too much. I like being with you. So you don’t have to be so conscious of Master.”

“Mother doesn’t matter. Even if Mother threatened to kill me, if you really were okay with me, I would have stayed by your side.”

The atmosphere, which had just lightened, became awkward again.

“And if I had really listened to Mother, I would be in the Grand Duchy now, not here. Mother doesn’t approve of me as your match, so she’s trying to separate us somehow.”

“Master probably doesn’t mean it that way. She just… wants you not to make mistakes based on childish emotions.”

“My feelings for you aren’t childish, and they won’t change for the rest of my life.”

“You don’t know that. How can you know what will happen in the future?”

“Then keep asking, keep checking. My answer will always be the same.”

“What if I don’t want to? What if I don’t want to ask, don’t want to know?”

Silence fell between them.

Leticia didn’t dislike Chamuka. But she disliked conversations like this.

Seeing Leticia’s uncomfortable expression, Chamuka pushed her hand away and said.

“I will always be wherever you want me to be. So don’t be afraid. Whether as family or brother, I’ll be whatever relationship you want.”

“….”

“And if you get curious, you can occasionally ask how I feel. If not… then not. It’s your choice.”

Leticia didn’t respond to his words, and Chamuka left a brief “Rest” before climbing over the terrace.

Her mind was complicated. How long had she been standing there, lost in thought?

“Leti!”

Astrid flung the door open and entered.

Leticia, who had been deep in thought, turned slowly and then startled.

“Master, you’re here- What is that?”

A man and woman were hanging from the ceiling, bound by streams of water. Judging by their attire, they weren’t servants, nor nobles… Magicians? Were they magicians?

“My pretty disciple. Your master’s gift!”

“Why are they on the ceiling…? No, more importantly, people…?”

“I brought them stuck to the ceiling so others wouldn’t notice.”

Astrid gestured, dropping the male and female magicians from the ceiling to the floor with a thud. Then she said proudly.

“Leti. I think things will be easier now.”

…Wouldn’t they be more difficult?

How could she say things would be easier after abruptly kidnapping magicians working at the imperial palace and bringing them here?

Leticia loved her master, but her master was too much for her common sense to handle.

***

Prince Sion’s debut ball had begun.

Purple tapestries, the symbol of the Herta Empire, covered the walls, and people in various formal attire filled the main hall.

The brilliant light from the chandeliers simply illuminated those dancing below, unaware of what would happen tonight.

Prince Sion, the protagonist of the debut ball who was breathtakingly beautiful from his first appearance, danced his first dance with a lady from a ducal family.

In a way that made it difficult for any scandal to arise, the prince danced with all the ladies according to their ranks and powers.

After the ducal families, Marchioness Moreta’s daughter, who was first in line among the marquis families to dance with the prince, stared at his forehead instead of his golden eyes, which could bewitch at first sight.

It was somewhat problematic that even his forehead, clearly visible with his blonde hair neatly swept back, was handsome.

“Why aren’t you looking at me?”

At the prince’s question, she quietly replied.

“I don’t want to fall in love with someone who’s going to die today.”

“I don’t think suddenly looking into someone’s eyes would make you fall in love with a stranger…”

“With Your Highness’s face, it’s possible. You should be careful. You might attract someone who sticks to you like a leech, impossible to shake off, no matter how hard you try.”

“…What if someone already has?”

At that subtle ending, she glanced at the prince’s face.

Seems like someone is already attached. And he doesn’t seem to mind it. That’s usually the most ambiguous situation.

Being quite perceptive, she thought for a moment and then abruptly asked.

“Is she pretty?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking if that leech who’s stuck to you is pretty.”

“Pretty… I suppose? Well, I think she’s pretty. Rather than pretty, her appearance is more what you’d call beautiful… but I guess they’re similar in the grand scheme of things…?”

Despite not having seen much, the prince’s words, which had only shown calmness until now, were mixed with confusion.

His eyes, momentarily unfocused as he recalled what the person looked like, briefly showed a tender light.

She, who had no intention of giving relationship advice on this important day, sighed deeply and asked.

“She’s pretty even though she sticks to you like a leech?”

“No matter what she does, pretty is pretty. Just as you wouldn’t become less pretty if you wore rags, my lady.”

“Oh my. I appreciate the flattery, but the only people who would call me pretty if I were wearing rags and had mud smeared on my face would be my mother and father. Because they love me.”

“That person is like family to me. So no matter what they do, they’re pretty.”

“Then go meet her. What’s the problem?”

Leticia frowned slightly.

“You said she’s like family. Who does that with family?”

“The other person doesn’t think so, right? Then the family relationship is already over. A relationship is decided by two people, not by one person’s insistence…”

She wanted to refute more, but the music ended.

They parted politely, and Leticia, as “Prince Sion,” continued to dance with the ladies.

As the night of the ball deepened, “Prince Sion” now invited ladies from viscounts and barons to dance after the counts and marquises.

And when he took the hand of a lady in a white dress and stood in the middle of the hall, Prince Sion suddenly stopped.

Alone among the spinning dancers.