Selina had no idea what she was supposed to do. She only knew she didn’t want her relationship with Calix to fizzle out like this.

Once they returned to Thalia, it was certain they would go back to their lukewarm distance—and to endure that long stretch of time alone, she wanted to keep these memories of him intact.

That was why she had clung to him so impulsively…

“…I know exactly what you’re trying to do right now.”

Calix muttered through clenched teeth, his voice dropping low. He caught Selina’s hand as it slipped between his thighs.

She was acting without fear, perhaps because she’d been called beautiful so many times… No, that wasn’t right. He had never actually said such a thing—but either way, she was behaving as though she didn’t know the danger.

Holding her hand firmly, Calix let out a low growl, like a predator issuing a warning.

“Be glad I’m stopping here.”

“I-I’m not saying I want you to stop…!”

Before she could finish, Calix scooped her into his arms. Sliding his thigh between her legs, he pressed forward. The solid pressure, as unyielding as stone, made her gasp. When he moved, a sharp, unfamiliar sensation rippled through her entire body.

“Ah—!”

Her balance faltered, and she leaned into him as if collapsing. Her breath came unsteadily, and Calix gathered her hair in his hand, holding it as he whispered in a roughened voice.

“I could ruin you right here. I’m barely holding myself back, so don’t tempt me any further.”

Only then did Selina’s mind, clouded by the overwhelming rush of sensation, begin to clear. Reason returned—enough to realize that provoking the man before her could lead to a situation she would not be able to handle.

“Ah… I understand.”

She exhaled the breath she’d been holding and murmured softly.

“…So let go of my hands.”

Calix’s grip still bound both of hers. His hands were so large they could wrap around her two smaller ones with room to spare. When she twisted her wrists uncomfortably, he raised one corner of his mouth in a languid smile.

“What makes you think I’d trust you?”

“I-I promise. I won’t provoke you anymore…”

“That promise is for your own sake, not mine.”

Calix moved his other arm, bringing his wrist to his lips. Around it was the red ribbon Selina had tied there for his safety.

‘Wait… wasn’t that supposed to be tied to his sword?’

Wondering if she had remembered wrong, she stared at it. Sensing her gaze, Calix answered the question she hadn’t even asked.

“I guess swinging a sword so often made it come loose. So I tied it to my wrist instead.”

And now, it seems, it’s time to take it off.

Murmuring low, Calix tugged at the knot with his teeth. The ribbon had been tied tight, so it didn’t come undone easily—but even while wrestling with it, he never released her hands. When at last the ribbon came free, he looked pleased and held it in his hand…

“W-what are you doing?”

“Oh. Didn’t you give this to me for my safety? Seems like now’s the perfect time to use it.”

With a faint smile, Calix bound Selina’s wrists together with the ribbon.

“I have no intention of doing anything dangerous!”

“And who would believe that, when you look at me like that?”

‘What’s wrong with my eyes…?’

Unable to check her reflection, Selina’s face crumpled. Now that the heat of desire had cooled, her mind was painfully clear—and the words and actions she’d spoken in the grip of that heat came flooding back as unbearable embarrassment.

‘I want to crawl into a hole and disappear…’

But that was impossible. With her ankle injured, she couldn’t walk, and now her wrists were tied together—she couldn’t even move.

She shot Calix a glare, but his face held only a look of deep satisfaction.

“Let’s go.”

One small mercy was that the heavy rain had finally stopped. At least they wouldn’t be stuck spending more awkward, private moments together. Still, the sudden drop in heat left her shivering with a bone-deep chill.

‘I’m so cold…’

It wasn’t even especially frigid outside, but with her clothes soaked through, her teeth were chattering. Noticing her condition, Calix picked up his shirt from the ground, shook off the dirt, and wrapped it around her.

“Th-thank you…”

Selina murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I hope you’ll remember that I’m your benefactor even after we arrive.”

Calix said offhandedly, then effortlessly swept her up into his arms. The moment his body pressed against hers, a tremor unlike the chill ran through her. Afraid he might sense it, Selina held her breath, hoping it would still the trembling.

“Selina.”

“Y-yes?!”

So much for that. She forced an awkward smile, worried he might have once again seen straight through her feelings—

“Where did you pawn off the bracelet I gave you?”

The question caught her completely off guard.

“By bracelet, do you mean the one with the red gemstone?”

“That’s right.”

Ah. Only then did Selina realize his gaze was fixed on her wrist. It seemed that when he’d tied her with the ribbon, he had noticed the absence of the bracelet she always wore.

“I heard it was an extremely precious treasure. That’s why I put it away, to wear only on important occasions.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Still, his expression carried a hint of doubt, so she added cautiously.

“Shall I show it to you once we arrive?”

“No.”

Calix shook his head, then added—

“It’s valuable, yes—but it means nothing if you’re not wearing it. That red stone is a moonstone that tells me about my condition.”

For a moment, Selina forgot to breathe as she looked up at him.

Those were the very words that Karen had once told her not to repeat to Calix, since he would be displeased to learn that she had spoken first. Selina had thought she would never hear those words from him again.

And yet…

“A-are you telling me something that important?”

Her violet eyes shone brightly, entirely different from the hazy glimmer they’d held before. The way the light caught them now, clear and radiant, made Calix flinch in spite of himself before giving a small nod.

“You’re my wife. Why would there be any reason you shouldn’t know?”

“…Wife…”

She rolled the word over in her mouth, cherishing it. It was the first time she had ever heard Calix say my wife, and she knew she would remember it.

“Normally, it stays red. Red means everything is fine—that I’m in good health.”

Watching her brighten like a delighted puppy, Calix felt a strange flutter in his chest, like taking a sip of warm tea on an empty stomach. He couldn’t understand why she was so moved by such a small piece of information, but the way her violet eyes sparkled as she nodded was livelier than any expression he’d ever seen on her.

“You’re healthy enough, so there’s little chance it’ll ever change color.”

Perhaps that was why…

Calix found himself saying things he hadn’t needed to share. In his head, he knew this should be the time to draw out information about the Empire from her.

“Come to think of it, that ribbon bracelet you’re wearing now is red too.”

Useless words kept spilling from his mouth. Maybe, deep down, he simply wanted to see her flustered.

Still holding Selina in his arms, Calix arrived at the tournament hall. The place, already lively, grew even more uproarious at the sight of the two of them entering together.

“L-Lady Selina, thank goodness you’ve returned… but, Your Grace, where exactly have you been?”

Several soldiers, looking as though they’d been searching for them in a frenzy, hurried over.

Seeing Alter and Zenfri waving awkwardly from a distance, Selina realized that Calix’s disappearance had been discovered long ago.

“I told you, you were to undergo questioning!”

The marquis, face flushed with anger, appeared between the soldiers.

“You must think my words are a joke! Is that why you behaved so aggressively toward Iden as well?”

“Of course not.”

Still holding Selina in his arms, Calix smiled pleasantly and shook his head.

“My only crime is loving my wife too much. I couldn’t bear the worry.”

Selina swallowed a groan at the sight of him lying so smoothly without so much as wetting his lips first.

‘Because Iden was trapped, so the suspicion fell on me. If I hadn’t pretended to rescue Selina myself, I would have been executed.’

On the way back, she learned from Calix the real reason he had come all this way to find her.

“How romantic…”

Unaware of the truth, the noblewomen looked at Calix with unabashed admiration.

Contrary to the Marquis’s hopes, the Duke’s reputation was improving by the day, much to the Marquis’s displeasure. If things continued this way, the hunting tournament would become entirely a platform for Calix’s benefit.

However, if that happened, His Majesty the Emperor would be furious.

The Marquis was racking his brains for a way to turn the situation around.

“Kyaaaah!”

A scream cut through the noise.

Rrrr… Raaaargh!

A pack of more than a dozen monsters came charging straight toward them.