As if he was trying to find something to say, he moved his lips, and when they got closer to the mansion, he spoke.

“Noona.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you have any questions for me?”

“Suddenly? Hmm…”

‘…The reason for your rude personality?’

That was her first thought, but asking him directly seemed a bit much. He seemed aware of his personality, but asking, ‘Why are you so rude?’ was almost the same as asking that.

Pondering, Lysith propped her chin and then looked up.

“Then, can I ask why you agreed that day?”

“Ah…”

“What were you thinking when you agreed?”

He looked uncomfortable and sighed before answering.

“I thought it was because of the Grand Duke… I mean, to show that you were doing well without him.”

It made sense that women might want to show their ex-husbands they were doing fine without them. That wasn’t the case for Lysith, though.

She could either correct him or agree, but correcting him would require a new reason, and agreeing felt like admitting she used her body and fame, which was awkward. She couldn’t say it was because of a quest either.

“Hmm… Let’s just say it’s somewhat similar.”

“If it’s similar, it’s similar. If it’s not, it’s not. What does that mean?”

“It’s a secret.”

She couldn’t tell the truth, and lying would be another lie, so she brushed it off. As Ashites kept asking what it meant, Lysith changed the subject.

“By the way, can you use attack magic?”

Ashites knew she was trying to dodge the question but let it slide, giving her a playful look. Lysith, who smoothly deflected his gaze, shook their clasped hands to prompt an answer.

Relenting, he answered in an unusually kind manner, surprising anyone who knew him.

“Well, yeah. Most combat magic is gone, though. Only a few simple spells remain in the Magic Tower. There’s no need to use them anyway.”

“What about teleportation like in books?”

“That never existed, even in ancient times. Time, space, and souls are all under the domain of gods, not humans.”

He wasn’t lying. So, if someone had brought her soul from another world and given her quests, was it the god of this world?

If it wasn’t, and it was really a game, the entity responsible could be higher than a god.

Having resolved some of her curiosity, she nodded and tilted her head at a sudden thought.

“Then… dark magic?”

“Pfft… How imaginative are those pulp novels?”

Ashites burst out laughing, and Lysith, an avid reader of such novels, glared at him.

“You’re not criticizing me for reading them, are you?”

“Absolutely not. Anyway, there’s no such thing. Magic itself is like a blessing from the gods. It can’t exist. Some have tried, but they probably all died from divine punishment.”

Thinking about it, this world didn’t have holy power. Naturally, there were no temples either. So where did they worship gods?

“It’s unusual. Magic is a blessing from the gods, but the ones closest to the gods are in the imperial palace, and the Magic Tower is separate.”

“……”

The gods were so ingrained in everyday life that people had no choice but to believe in their existence. Thus, the imperial family, as the successors and beloved of the gods, naturally held a solid power base.

This time, the conflict with the nobility faction dragged on a bit longer, but such occurrences had always been frequent, and the imperial family remained steadfast.

“Hmm, but strangely, the imperial family members aren’t very good at magic…”

“Really?”

“Sometimes there are those who are good at it, but right now, more importantly…”

Ashites tilted his head, and Lysith followed suit. Noticing her mimicry, he chuckled softly, stopped her from walking, and turned her towards him.

“…Why?”

“Since I answered all your questions, you should give me a reward.”

“You were the one who told me to ask questions.”

His shamelessness wasn’t confined to the banquet hall; it showed even in moments like this. It seemed his question about whether she had any questions was all for this purpose from the start.

As Lysith looked at him with narrowed eyes, Ashites held her hands tightly and leaned in again.

“Were you planning this…”

“This is something I wouldn’t tell just anyone.”

“……”

“Right? Noona.”

Lysith’s gaze wandered helplessly under his handsome face. She knew he was good-looking, but being this close and hearing him call her ‘Noona’ repeatedly was more powerful than she expected.

It seemed that being weak to good looks was an unavoidable human trait.

Ashites, excited by her reaction, was certain his approach was working. As he became kinder, she no longer kept her guard up and treated him more comfortably. Even though his behavior could be troublesome, she no longer called him crazy like before, which he found most satisfying.

He wondered if she would call him crazy again if he mentioned this. He muttered to himself.

“So what do you want?”

“A kiss.”

“……”

“You first, Noona.”

In the end, Lysith closed her eyes tightly. Was this why women liked handsome younger men? Was that it? She felt like grabbing a passerby to ask how one could resist such charm.

Unfortunately, there was no one passing by in the alley they were in, and in front of her was a man who knew how to use his looks to his advantage.

Her face flushed with heat. She thought she should put some distance between them and nodded, but he remained close.

“Move back a bit…”

“Isn’t it more comfortable like this?”

He had a point. Lysith took several deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart and mentally prepared herself.

‘A kiss is manageable. It’s not like we’re rolling around here.’

With that thought, she pulled her hands from his, placed them on his shoulders, stood on tiptoe, and lightly kissed him with closed eyes.

That should be enough. As she lowered her heels, she was quickly pulled back by his grip on her waist and neck.

“Ashi, mmph…”

Ashites, holding her tightly, leaned in and slipped his tongue between her lips. Through his half-closed eyes, he saw her trying hard to accept his intruding tongue.

If they weren’t on the street, he would have gone further. The fact that he couldn’t was frustrating. His tongue intertwined with hers, rubbing and tangling, mimicking the act of penetration.

“Mm, mmph…”

Unable to withstand the deep intrusion, Lysith smacked his shoulder, and Ashites slowly pulled away. A thin string of saliva connected their lips, which disappeared when he licked her lips one last time.

He licked his lips, caught his breath, and shamelessly said,

“…I answered three questions.”

“Ha… ha…”

Even though it was an empty alley, how could he be so bold? She knew he had some affection for her, but he still managed to surprise her with his audacity.

What annoyed her more was that she didn’t particularly dislike the kiss.

Despite the sudden comfort and familiar physical contact, Lysith tried to shake off her mild excitement. She didn’t want to think about how she was also becoming emotionally attached.

After walking her almost to her mansion, Ashites removed the earrings he had given her and kissed her forehead.

“If you want to see me, come here.”

He handed her a piece of paper with an address, knowing she probably wouldn’t come.

After sending Ashites off and realizing it was time for dinner, Lysith opened the mansion door.

“Oh, Miss.”

“Eve.”

Eve, who had been waiting quietly in the hall, quickly led her to the second floor. Bathing with the water Eve had prepared and having dinner left her feeling drowsy.

On her way back to her room after dinner, she saw Penchev walking from a distance.

Due to the setting sun, lights were needed throughout the house. Though they had magical tools, they couldn’t turn lights on and off like in the 21st century.

As she watched him approach, leaning against the wall, his face looked more somber than usual.

Though he was usually expressionless, he seemed visibly downcast. Unable to bear it, Lysith called out.

“Penchev?”

“…Miss.”

Whatever he had been thinking about, he noticed her late. Surprised, he widened his eyes and carefully helped her off the wall.

Holding his hand, Lysith chose her words, but Penchev spoke first.

“I should have escorted you. It was my mistake.”

“I wasn’t planning to scold you for that.”

She had already asked Eve why Penchev hadn’t come to meet her. Though she didn’t know the reason, Eve had mentioned that he seemed troubled.

“Is something wrong?”

“…No. It’s… a personal matter.”

“Is it something you can’t discuss?”

“……”

Not answering a superior’s question was unlike him, indicating it was serious.

Eve had said nothing happened, but there might have been an incident. If it concerned the mansion’s order, she might need to intervene.

Thinking this, Lysith told him to speak up whenever he was ready and walked down the brightly lit corridor he had illuminated.

The butler was left in the dark corridor.