Though Tanner was on the verge of madness due to Hector asking about Charlie every five minutes.

“He’s much better.”

“That’s a relief.”

Charlie sighed in relief.

Watching her quietly, Tanner got to the point.

“I heard from the attending physician that you haven’t been sleeping well lately. If there’s anything uncomfortable about your sleeping arrangements, please feel free to tell me. I’ll take care of it.”

Since Kaisis started looking for Charlie, Audrey had been staying in the mansion’s annex.

Moreover, she was conducting examinations and research on the Zero servants with Tanner.

Seeing her every day, Audrey easily noticed even the smallest changes in Charlie.

“Ah, well…….”

While she was worried about Hector, Charlie couldn’t sleep easily due to the emptiness she felt.

But unable to speak the truth, Charlie hesitated and continued.

“The blanket is too light.”

“The blanket?”

“Yes. Maybe because it’s not heavy, I can’t sleep well.”

Charlie was sensitive to the cold. Even considering she was Zero, her body was particularly cold.

It was the complete opposite of Hector, who possessed the ability of fire.

So Tanner had specially prepared a goose down blanket for Charlie.

But she found it light.

Tanner nodded, recalling Hector’s muscular body.

“……I see.”

* * *

A few days passed since then.

“No.”

Inside the office, Hector immediately rejected Charlie’s words.

Hector’s recovery after stopping the suppressant was faster than expected.

More accurately, he did his best to recover quickly.

Therefore, Charlie’s return to her role as a purification guide was again being considered.

“You can’t go?”

Charlie asked Hector if she could go to the festival with Emma.

Not only had Hector’s condition improved, but a change of mood was also necessary for pleasant pheromones.

“It’s dangerous.”

“Ma…”

Charlie, who was about to say that it would be fine with the mana stone, pursed her lips.

“Ma?”

“I’ll come back before it gets too late. And I heard that Sir Leon and the knights will be accompanying us…”

Despite Charlie’s words, Hector was firm.

“I said no.”

While he had no doubt about Leon’s skills, Kaisis would employ all sorts of tricks.

Moreover, the Eve was an event where cardinals and priests moved en masse for the Pope’s prayer ceremony.

“I see. Well.”

What if she insists?

Hector, who had been wondering what to say since he couldn’t talk about Kaisis, was instead surprised and stared at Charlie.

Meanwhile, Charlie was making a sailboat as if it was no big deal.

The sailboat, nearing completion, strangely had no sails.

* * *

And so, the day of the Eve arrived.

From servants to knights. The mansion, with everyone gone to see the festival, was quiet.

As there was no brief work today, Charlie was staying in the Grand Duchess’s bedroom.

After Hector collapsed, Charlie attended to him every other day.

This was Tanner’s idea. Fortunately, with the reduced suppressant intake, Hector’s side effects had also subsided.

How long had she been sitting there blankly?

Knock knock–

Charlie’s head turned at the sound.

The direction of the sound was clearly the door connected to Hector’s bedroom.

As she hesitated, wondering if she had heard wrong, a low, deep voice was heard, confirming it wasn’t a mistake.

“Charlie.”

* * *

“I really don’t have to go.”

Contrary to Hector’s expectation that she would be happy, Charlie was rather trying to dissuade him from going.

“Didn’t you want to go?”

Hector, dressed in plain clothes to avoid standing out, furrowed his brow. In one hand, he was even holding Charlie’s robe.

“I just asked because Emma said we should go, but I really don’t mind not going.”

Charlie waved her hands.

It wasn’t a lie.

While it would be nice to go to the festival, it didn’t matter much if she didn’t.

Besides, wasn’t Hector insensitive to pheromones and a neat freak?

The festival, which is teeming with people, would surely be torturous for him.

No, putting all that aside, he had just collapsed not long ago. There was nothing good about pushing himself.

“I want to go.”

“You want to go to the festival?”

Her round eyes looked up at Hector.

“Yes.”

“There will be a lot of people when we go. Women too.”

“I know.”

Despite Charlie’s dissuasion, his impassive face showed not even a hint of change.

“Don’t you hate festivals?”

“I don’t know because I’ve never been.”

For a moment, Charlie, who was trying to dissuade him, was at a loss for words.

Of course, it wasn’t Hector’s first festival ever. But it wasn’t wrong to say he had never gone around privately.

While Charlie hesitated, Hector said,

“Leon said that the snowflake candy sold at the stalls is so delicious.”

“……”

It was meant to tempt her with candy, but the meaning was conveyed differently and pierced Charlie’s heart.

* * *

Shortly after, Charlie, changed into a white shirt and black high-waisted skirt, came out of the room.

The collar and cuffs were also black, while the ribbon and patterns were red.

It was designed by Isabelle the other day after seeing Hector dressed all in black.

It seemed to have worked. Hector’s lips stretched into a smile.

“Not today.”

As Hector approached to pick her up, Charlie stepped back.

“Why not?”

“Who goes around hugging someone at a festival? People will look at us strangely.”

“I don’t care.”

When his hand reached out again, Charlie pressed herself against the door she had come out of.

“If you say you’re going to hug me, I won’t go.”

“You might get lost.”

“Am I a child, seriously? Just because you say that, I won’t get lo…”

–st. And that too, in the mansion.

Charlie blinked as she recalled her impressive record. As if reading her inner thoughts, Hector waved his outstretched hand.

“Didn’t you say there would be a lot of people? Then it’s easier to get lost.”

“Well…”

“And you’re small, so you’ll definitely get pushed around by the crowd.”

Hector’s words were not wrong. But that doesn’t mean she could go around the festival being carried.

“Didn’t you say you were going to hide your identity? And yet you’re saying you’ll carry me around?”

“Even if I carry you, they won’t know I’m the Grand Duke.”

At that moment, a thought occurred to Charlie and she opened her palm.

“We can hold hands instead.”

“Hands?!”

Hector looked down at Charlie’s hand blankly, as if he had received some kind of shock.

“Then you won’t lose me. And I won’t fall either.”

“Now, you’re saying to hold hands…”

Where did the person who used to hug without hesitation go?

Why is he acting like this over just holding hands?

Charlie grabbed Hector’s hesitating hand, worried he might say he’d carry her again.

“Is this okay now?”

“……”

“Let’s go.”

Charlie pulled Hector’s hand, urging him.

* * *

Meanwhile, there were two more people with their robes pulled low.

They were Leon and Tanner.

“His Grace will notice.”

Leon spoke softly with an anxious expression.

On the other hand, Tanner was fixing his gaze on Hector and Charlie who were visible in the distance.

“He might have already noticed.”

“What’s your duty?”

“Well, to protect the family, of course.”

“Then you should protect.”

“This isn’t protection, it’s tailing, isn’t it?”

“……”

Tanner’s eyes trembled slightly. He hit it right on the mark.

Then, as if making an excuse, he rambled on.

“His Grace isn’t feeling well. Besides, the security forces are the Emperor’s people. If anything happens, we need to help.”

“That’s true, but…”

“And since he’s not good at talking, if they get into a fight, we need someone to mediate.”

“I don’t think that’s the case?”

Tanner turned to Leon.

“What do you mean it’s not?”

“Didn’t you see last time? They won’t care whether we’re there or not.”

“……”

“And look. They’re holding hands so tightly that anyone who sees them would think they’re a married couple.”

The palm is a part of the body that can give or receive magical power.

In other words, holding hands in this world had several symbolic meanings.

Of course, Charlie doesn’t know this.

“So prepare a thousand trangs. Don’t create troublesome work that needs to be deducted from your salary.”

“Why is that coming up here?”

“If you follow quietly, I’ll reduce it to five hundred trangs.”

“Let’s go.”

Leon took the lead, using his ability to suppress his presence.

As expected, the pheromones filling the square stung Hector’s nose.

The women, all dressed up, each showed off their beauty. The men lingered around like bees around flowers.

Even though it was before the Blessing Period, sparks flew in the eyes of those exploring each other.

Moreover, the bustling crowd brushed against Hector’s body countless times.

Because his magical power was sealed, they couldn’t guess his identity, and also because Hector himself was blocking with his body to protect Charlie.

If he were to speak of the unpleasantness, there would be no end to it.

Yet, the reason he endured everything was just one.

“Wow, look at that.”

Since her possession, Charlie’s eyes, experiencing a festival for the first time, never had a moment’s rest.