There was no time to ask where they were going. He quickly entered a store. Only when the bitter scent of medicinal herbs reached her nose did Iella realize he had brought her to an herbal medicine shop.

Aster went to the shop owner who welcomed them and showed him Iella’s two hands.

“I’d like to have the thorns removed and the wounds disinfected and treated.”

“Oh my, how did this happen? Please come this way.”

“It’s fine……”

“I’m not particularly doing this because I want to. I’m doing it because I don’t know what people will say if I notice and ignore it. If you intended to be a nuisance, you’d better give up.”

Aster firmly cut off Iella as she habitually tried to refuse. His voice was so cold that it no longer conveyed any concern, reminding Iella once again that she was with him as Ailexia.

“……I didn’t think that at all.”

Iella retorted grumpily and turned her gaze to the owner who was standing awkwardly between them. The perceptive owner guided her to a treatment room set up in one corner of the shop.

Aster stared intently at her as she entered the treatment room.

* * *

When she came out after finishing treatment, Aster was leaning against the counter, waiting for her.

Iella unconsciously felt relieved inside. On one hand, she had worried that he might have just left after resolving the troublesome matter. After all, the person he was dealing with was none other than Ailexia.

“Are you finished?”

Just then, Aster, who had spotted Iella, straightened up from his leaning position. He approached with large strides and nodded his head slightly, and Iella showed him her treated hands without protest. His silver eyes examined the wounds thoroughly.

‘So he waited to check, as I thought.’

Having realized why he had stayed, Iella suppressed a smile that was trying to emerge. Given their relationship, he had already shown more than enough consideration by ensuring Ailexia received treatment, but it was typical of him to stay until the end and verify it responsibly.

‘Now he’ll threaten me not to do anything unnecessary because of this. As if he waited for this purpose.’

“I’ve allowed you to receive proper treatment, so please don’t use this incident as an excuse to cause unnecessary trouble.”

“Pfft, hmm……”

Indeed. He didn’t deviate one bit from Iella’s expectations.

Because of that, laughter unconsciously escaped her for a moment. Iella hurriedly covered it up with a cough, pretending it didn’t happen. Of course, judging by the sharp glance she felt, he had already noticed.

Fortunately, Aster didn’t add anything more. He simply turned and left the shop.

Iella was about to follow him but first turned to take out some of the money Chase had given her from her bag to pay. However, the shop owner already standing at the counter had several gold coins in his hand. Iella quickly went outside, leaving behind the owner who was expressing his gratitude.

She worried he might have left, but fortunately, he was standing in front of the shop. Iella quickly approached and grabbed his wrist. His silver eyes turned to look at her.

“You didn’t need to pay as well.”

“I was just finishing things cleanly.”

After drawing a firm line, he shifted his gaze to the hand holding him. Then, with a movement that wasn’t rough but not entirely gentle either, he naturally dropped her hand.

“Why, are you going to offer compensation? While mentioning that vulgar harem of yours?”

“I wasn’t really……”

“Good. If you had, I would have regretted not leaving you alone.”

‘As if you could have actually done that.’

Iella knew he couldn’t have done so, but she didn’t bother mentioning it. Then suddenly, she noticed a familiar object on the wrist he was frowning at while touching.

It was the navy blue thread bracelet she had once given him.

‘He’s still wearing it.’

When she had put the thread bracelet on his hand, she thought it would break soon. Although she had made it as sturdy as possible, she thought that since he was a knight who used his hands a lot to hold swords, the thread bracelet would inevitably get worn out.

She still thought the same now. Even more so after learning he was a duke. As a duke, besides using a sword, he would handle a lot of documents, which meant the bracelet would inevitably come into direct contact with desks or other surfaces. Naturally, it would wear out quickly.

However, the thread bracelet looked almost unchanged from when she first gave it to him. She couldn’t remember exactly when she had given it, but it was certainly quite a long time ago. Yet it was in excellent condition, almost like new.

Just as Iella was examining the thread bracelet more carefully, it was suddenly covered by his large hand. Only the protruding knuckles and veined back of his hand remained in her view.

Feeling oddly disappointed, she slightly raised her gaze, and immediately met his eyes, as if he had been staring at her all along.

“How long are you going to stand there?”

His voice came sharper and more sensitive than before. Like someone who had been caught with something precious. Like someone guarding against having it taken away.

Iella didn’t understand his sudden change. That thread bracelet wasn’t such a remarkable item. As the person who had directly given it to him, she was perplexed.

Ah, perhaps he had made an incredibly desperate wish on it? That would make sense.

‘He didn’t tell me about it back then either.’

He had immediately believed her words that when the thread broke, the wish would come true, rather than dismissing it as nonsense. He had made a very solemn and lengthy wish right there.

She had become even more curious watching him. Wondering just how desperate this wish was. She had tried to casually ask, but he never revealed it.

He only smiled that warm smile she loved, saying it was a secret.

“Is there a really important wish in it?”

Was that why? She had asked without thinking.

Once again, she became very curious about the wish she hadn’t heard back then.

‘He wouldn’t tell Ailexia, though……”

But maybe she could ask? Perhaps he would immediately tell Ailexia out of disgust. He probably thought she was a woman who might do anything if he didn’t tell her.

‘Hmm……”

But human feelings were strange. Now that she thought she might actually hear the wish, she didn’t like the idea of Ailexia hearing something she herself hadn’t heard. She shouldn’t have criticized Ailexia for being contradictory.

“You don’t need to know.”

Fortunately, or perhaps not, Aster firmly cut off her curiosity.

But somehow, for a moment, his silver eyes seemed to waver. Though they quickly froze over again, colder than the northern chill, as if it had been an illusion.

Iella expected him to turn and leave after that response. But he didn’t leave; instead, he quietly stared at her before speaking.

“There will be no more entanglements between us. I said I would end things without making further demands regarding the incident at the auction house.”

At his voice reaching her again, Iella unconsciously perked up her ears. The mention of the auction house reminded her of that time, and she suddenly wondered if he had obtained what he wanted there.

She worried that he might not have gotten what he desperately wanted, even after dealing and becoming entangled with Ailexia whom he disliked.

But this time, she didn’t voice it. If something was that precious to him, it was respectful not to speak of it or touch upon it carelessly.

“……I didn’t get what I wanted either, just like Ailexia.”

She hadn’t expected Aster to bring it up first.

Iella wondered if something had shown on her face. But there was no way to check without a mirror. She just pretended to be unaffected while he hesitated, moving his lips slightly, before firmly pressing them together and then releasing them as he looked directly at her.

“I’m telling you this so you won’t feel unfairly treated. Neither of us got anything from the deal.”

Although he was giving a reason, Iella didn’t fully believe it. His eyes told a different story.

Besides, if that was the reason, Aster would have said so much earlier. That day when they met in the garden, or even before that. The day they met in front of the bedroom right after she had returned to her original body.

He could have used that as an excuse not to fulfill his deal with Ailexia. Of course, the terms of their contract didn’t specify that he must obtain what he wanted or what would happen if he didn’t, but since she had disappeared for a while after the auction, it was something he could have reasonably mentioned.

That despite not getting what he wanted, he had intended to fulfill the deal according to their mutual promise, but she had refused it, so he no longer felt obligated to keep his part.

But he hadn’t mentioned any of that.

‘So why is he mentioning it now?’

She couldn’t make any guesses. For the first time, she couldn’t understand Aster’s intentions. Her light pink eyes, tinged with bewilderment, took in his image.

Then a certain question—one that seemed absolutely impossible—came to mind.

Iella hesitated but eventually asked. The silver eyes looking at her persistently seemed to be waiting for something. No, did he want to confirm something? He looked like someone who wanted to end a long period of questioning.

Looking into those eyes, she had a strange intuition.

That she must ask this question.

“……What were you looking for at the auction house?”

And that she must hear his answer.

At Iella’s question, Aster slowly parted his lips.

“Someone who, like you, fearlessly picks up a wooden stick, doesn’t realize she’s injured, and even after finding out, says she’s fine first.”

By now, the hand that had been covering the thread bracelet had completely lowered. The navy blue thread bracelet came clearly into Iella’s view. She was looking at it when his words paused, and she raised her gaze.

“A kind and strong person.”

And the moment she met his unwavering, steadfast silver eyes, Iella realized the reason for her intuition.

Like a breeze too faint to even tickle her cheek, his voice seemed to reach her ears as if scattering.

‘……So you were looking for me.’

Iella, that is.