“Your Highness, what did you talk about with the Tower Master?”

I carefully asked Calix as soon as the Tower Master and Ms. Hyesung disappeared.

He answered with an indifferent face.

“About how the temple will act from now on, where the Pope went, and how the conflict between Morisias and Kamesis will unfold, things like that?”

Calix glanced anxiously out the window. Then he quickly scanned his bedroom and spoke with a determined expression.

“Today I’m going to secretly demolish the wall of your room.”

“…Pardon?”

Did I hear wrong? Demolish what?

‘Why does this person keep talking nonsense?’

Seeing my suddenly hostile expression, Calix wrinkled his nose, appearing slightly frightened.

But he remained resolute, apparently having made up his mind.

“…Don’t be angry. I have my reasons for doing this.”

“May I ask exactly where, why, and what inspired this brilliant idea?”

At my words, Calix anxiously fidgeted with the hem of my skirt and bit his lip.

“It’s a brilliant idea for both our safety, so don’t be angry.”

“Your Highness, what have I done to keep being told not to be angry?”

“Your expression is already… Ahem, by the way, why are your eyes like that?”

Look at him changing the subject! I looked up at Calix with a sideways glance.

Regardless, Calix cupped my cheeks with affection and rubbed around my eyes.

“Did that damned woman make you cry?”

He suddenly gritted his teeth. Why is he being so impulsive? What’s with him today?

“I wasn’t crying!”

“Do you think I can’t tell that much?”

“Your Highness, this isn’t crying, it’s—”

“You reveal all the secrets that should be kept hidden, yet you lie about trivial things?”

He stroked the back of my head with his large hand and gently pulled me into his arms. His low voice rumbled above my head.

“Don’t cry without telling me. I don’t know what to do when you cry.”

I was flustered. How could he suddenly come at me like this?

I remained stiff, awkwardly looking up at him.

“…Why are you being so sentimental?”

Calix replied with a complicated expression. His voice was choked with emotion.

“Because you should always be happy. Unlike me.”

I bumped my head against his broad chest.

His words made me feel oddly melancholic.

‘Is he saying that he himself isn’t happy?’

Well, it would be laughable to wish for his happiness in this situation.

Especially now that Morisias…

‘How can I tell him that Morisias is inside the Emperor?’

This is driving me crazy. What am I supposed to do?

From what I’ve observed, Calix has always wanted his father’s approval.

That’s why he always tried so hard.

He was excited when going to report about the elf experiments to the Emperor, and he was happy when he won first place at the birth celebration despite gaining nothing from it.

How can I tell him that Morisias is hiding inside the Emperor?

For the first time, I hoped the diary was wrong.

“Why should I be different from Your Highness?”

At my question, Calix hugged me tightly and answered in a thick voice.

“You’ve heard it too. My fate is cursed. How could I be the same as you?”

I hugged Calix back firmly.

If I were him, I might also be susceptible to that damn cursed fate story.

How can the situation be so cruel?

“Stop talking about digging your own grave and think positively. Don’t you know? Those high-and-mighty gods brought me here to change their fate.”

“I know.”

“If you know, why are you acting like this?”

“Yes. Because I know, I feel even more that way. I’m not some great Absolute One, just an ordinary human. But you, who those Absolute Ones waited hundreds of years to bring here, will only face a thorny path by staying beside me.”

My face crumpled. I lifted my head from Calix’s chest and glared at him.

What is he saying?

“I know I’m being stupid, and I shouldn’t be like this when I think of you, but despite all that, I’m such a selfish bastard that I can’t bear to let you go.”

Calix cupped my cheeks and pressed his forehead against mine. His gloomy face came so close I could feel his breath.

So close I couldn’t even muster a retort.

“So you must be as happy as possible by my side, even if it kills you.”

Calix looked so tired right now.

That made me feel even worse inside.

Everyone is really too much. Why torment someone who’s already struggling so much?

‘Should I be grateful that he’s at least relying on me…?’

After staring at his gloomy face for a while, I cupped his cheeks.

“Don’t worry. Even if Your Highness tells me to leave, I won’t.”

Then I tapped his cheeks with my fingers, guiding him to look directly at me.

“Thank you. For telling me to be happy.”

“….”

“But if Your Highness is unhappy, I don’t think I’ll be very happy either.”

I smiled as I brushed his lips with my thumb.

I meant it sincerely. I want Calix to be happy.

It wasn’t a simple emotion born from pity.

Nor was it loyalty.

To be honest, even if someone offered to send me home now, I don’t think I could easily go back.

‘How could I leave this person and go somewhere alone…?’

Then I stood on tiptoe and briefly kissed his lips.

My heart felt like it would burst from this unfamiliar, embarrassing act, but I tried hard to appear cool as I said.

“Don’t you think so?”

But even after a long time, there was no answer from Calix.

His face was blank, seemingly entranced. Why is he zoning out again?

Just as I was about to wave my hand in front of his face, my waist was suddenly pulled and my lips were captured.

My eyes widened and my toes curled involuntarily.

Our bodies pressed together. A shiver ran through my entire body and my heart pounded wildly.

I couldn’t help but squeeze my eyes shut.

Feeling the tension naturally, I tensed my entire body and foolishly just moved my lips along with whatever Calix was doing.

After a while, when I was gasping for breath, only then did his lips slowly part from mine with an embarrassing sound.

With his lips still on mine, Calix spoke in a voice thick with emotion.

“…How can I give you up when you’re like this?”

My lips tingled. I inhaled with great difficulty.

At that moment, Calix’s warm hands gently gripped my cheeks again.

“I… can’t give up.”

He licked my lower lip, nearly biting it.

I clutched Calix’s clothes tightly.

My legs felt like they would give out and I’d collapse. Regardless, Calix’s large hand slipped into my hair and firmly held my head in place.

It felt like I was being devoured.

My heart was pounding madly. I exhaled with a trembling breath from the tension, and Calix mumbled against my lips.

“Rose, you must not leave me…”

His voice was thick with emotion.

“I’ll protect you, I’ll keep you safe. Even if it costs me my life, I want to protect you. So please stay by my side…”

Our lips remained like that, just gently touching.

I was still running my trembling fingers down Calix’s body.

And I looked straight at him.

My heart still felt like it would jump out of my mouth, and I wanted to close my eyes and hide under the blankets right away, but I tried my best to stay calm.

He still looked anxious. Has something else happened that I don’t know about?

“Did you have a bad conversation with the Tower Master?”

I asked while brushing back Calix’s disheveled hair.

Then I saw his eyes, already red and bloodshot.

“…I don’t want to be like this, but I don’t know why I act like an idiot in front of you.”

A tear fell from Calix’s eye. He tells me not to cry, but then he cries himself?

I opened my arms and hugged Calix tightly.

“It’s okay. It will be okay, and it has to be okay. I’ll try hard too.”

“…Not even funny. Crying like this in front of you.”

Calix frowned, visibly embarrassed, and I laughed out loud and pressed his forehead.

“I like people who show their humanity.”

He looked at me with pursed lips and misty eyes, clearly feeling wronged.

I blushed and told him firmly.

“But don’t cry in front of others. Understand?”

“…Why?”

I stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear.

“Because I get jealous.”

I lowered myself from my tiptoes and moved away from him to see Calix’s dumbfounded face. But unfortunately, I couldn’t see his stupid expression.

There was something I had momentarily forgotten.

“W-wait a moment, Your Highness. When you approach with that face, it’s a bit scary.”

“Are you having fun?”

The book I had read before coming to this world was definitely a dark, hard-core, adult romance novel.

Calix was the male lead in that world.

“Um, Your Highness, uh, oh my!”

“Seems like a new assassination attempt? Creative. I’ll give you that.”

I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut. This crazy guy. I can’t even joke around!