Unabashed, the boy leaned forward and gently lifted her ankle, placing her leg across his knee as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then, he carefully slipped off her shoes.

“How are your legs? You look tired.”

“Don’t change the subject, Pipi.”

“You didn’t walk that much today, right?”

“Pipi, I told you to bring your books.”

“I said I already finished everything for today!”

“Then you won’t mind if I give you a little quiz.”

“No way.”

Now slightly larger than hers, Zephion’s hands carefully gathered the folds of her skirt and raised it just enough to reveal her calves. He looked straight at her, putting on an expression of exaggerated seriousness.

“Tests require mental preparation. If you spring a surprise test on me like this, my delicate heart can’t handle the shock. You have to give at least a week’s notice before a quiz.”

“There you go again. Talking nonsense.”

“Nonsense? Reina, I’m being completely serious. Do you have any idea how stressful surprise quizzes are?”

“Pipi, you talk too much.”

Reina scowled, but he didn’t flinch.

“If you really want to test me, set a date for next week. That way, I can mentally prepare myself.”

“Haa…”

She let out a long sigh. Just who had he taken after to end up like this?

The boy—no, the young man now—lifted her skirt just to the middle of her thigh and began to gently massage her leg.

‘Was the former Marquess of Baltgar like this too, deep down?’

The Marquess and his wife had died when Reina was still very young, so she’d only ever heard vague rumors about them. Still, no matter how much time passed, she couldn’t get used to Zephion’s serious face as he spouted nonsense and twisted logic.

The real problem, though, was that she didn’t particularly dislike it either.

How could she possibly hate the boy who still followed her around, calling her name just like he did when they first met?

“Hmm…”

A soft sigh escaped her lips as his hands, now practiced and skilled, eased the tension from her legs. The stiffness that had settled in from fatigue was slowly melting away.

There were many things Reina had grown used to—unintentionally—because of Zephion. Like how, when they were out together, she would hold his arm instead of leaning on her cane. Or how, when they were alone like this, she would let him take care of her legs so she could rest more comfortably.

‘Should I say something about the skirt…?’

The first time he lifted her hem, he’d been so little that she hadn’t thought much of it. But now he was fifteen, and the habit had stuck. That made her slightly uneasy. He was still young—not quite a man—but at this age, it wouldn’t be strange if he started taking interest in certain things.

And yet, she’d let it go on this long. It felt strange to suddenly draw a line now, after they’d already fallen into this rhythm. Before she knew it, things had simply continued like this.

“How does that feel? You must’ve been tired—your legs are really stiff.”

His warm hands gently pressed and kneaded her legs. Instead of replying, Reina simply leaned back against the armrest and gave a faint nod.

Her mind was heavy with thought. Finding a way to squeeze out more funding wasn’t easy.

‘I can’t sell my jewels…’

She had necklaces, rings—items that could fetch a considerable sum. But she couldn’t just put them up for sale in the market like any other trinket. They were traceable, unmistakably linked to House Berend. If word got back to Kaelid that she’d sold them, there was no doubt he’d demand to know why.

Just as she had done before, she would need to keep siphoning off assets as they quietly flowed into Berend. But scaling that up suddenly wasn’t a simple matter.

‘What now…?’

As she mulled it over, something unexpectedly touched her lips. Startled, her half-closed eyes flew open—only to be met with a pair of golden irises filling her vision.

“Is something bothering you?”

Then, without waiting for an answer, he gently pushed something past her lips.

It was a candy. A small, hard piece that rolled lightly on her tongue, releasing a wave of sweetness.

“It’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t seem like nothing. You looked really serious.”

“A child doesn’t need to know.”

At her words, the boy scowled and popped the cookie into his mouth.

“Do you still think I’m a ten-year-old brat? I’m fifteen now, you know.”

Reina watched him chew, the crisp crunch of the biscuit utterly undermining his argument. In fact, the way he boasted about being fifteen only made him look more childish, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Only fifteen, is that all?”

“Just a few more years and I’ll be an adult.”

“That’s still a long way off.”

“Time will fly, you’ll see.”

Grumbling, Zephion grabbed another cookie and munched away. For all his complaints, he clearly wasn’t about to give up his favorite sweets.

‘In a few short years, this child will be grown.’

The sudden realization made Reina blink slowly.

She studied his profile—the youthful softness still lingering on his features.

‘He’s growing up,’ she thought. Intellectually, she’d always known that Zephion would mature and one day leave her side, but she’d never truly felt it in her heart. When he was nine or ten, he was so small and adulthood seemed impossibly far away.

‘Have that many years really flown by already?’

In the blink of an eye, the child had become a young man—one who now stood taller than she did. A shiver crept down Reina’s spine at the sudden, startling clarity of it: Zephion truly would grow up.

Before long she would have to send him away—after revealing everything, after making him hate her. She had pictured that moment dozens, hundreds of times, but never had it felt so vivid… or so terrifying.

Even as he chewed his cookie, Zephion’s warm hands continued to knead her legs with gentle care.

“I can’t wait to be an adult.”

“…Why?”

‘If only this moment could last forever.’

If Zephion could remain a boy, perhaps time itself would freeze—allowing her to keep setting aside all burdens and simply smile, day after peaceful day.

Those golden eyes lifted to meet hers—serious, unwavering. Despite his youth, there was something almost manlike in that gaze, and Reina swallowed hard.

“You don’t have to know the reason, Reina, I’ll grow up soon enough—no matter what.”

“There’s no need to hurry into adulthood.”

“Why not?”

“Because whether you like it or not… you’ll get there eventually.”

If the arrow was going to hit the target, she wished it would stay in the air for longer. She’d never imagined that she could want a moment to last forever. But the thought of Zephion leaving, and of his once-cheerful eyes turning to hatred, now filled her with dread.

From the outset, she had planned to ruin his life, and now she was terrified of the day he would hate her for it. The years they had spent together had been long enough to crack the walls she had once thought impenetrable.

‘If I’d known we’d grow this close, I would have pushed him away… never let him near me.’

Too late for regrets now.

Reina bit her lip.

“That’s enough.”

She said, pushing his hands away from her legs.

“Just a little more—your muscles are still tight.”

“I’m tired. I’d rather rest.”

“I’ll carry you to bed, then.”

Without hesitation, the boy sprang to his feet and swung her into his arms.

“Pipi!”

“You said you were tired.”

“Put me down. I can walk perfectly well.”

“Why are you being stubborn all of a sudden?”

Zephion strode toward the door, bewilderment etched on his face—only for the door to fly open on its own.

A pair of icy blue eyes swept over them.

“…Put me down.”

Reina murmured into the tense silence. She tried to push away from the young man’s solid chest, but his arms only tightened.

“Zephion.”

Kaelid said quietly, his gaze locked on the boy’s. Displeasure twisted plainly across the man’s face.

Reina closed her eyes for a heartbeat—then forced them open again.

“Put me down.”

Her voice was calm, firm. With a reluctant expression, the boy set her down. But the moment her feet touched the floor, a strong hand yanked her roughly.

“Ah—”