“Are you all right, Your Grace?”

Matilda and Edith burst into the lab, panting, despite Astrid’s request to not be disturbed while working.

“Why is the Marquis…?”

“…Lord Chase?”

The moment they stepped into the lab, Matilda and Edith were met with an unexpected sight: a man and woman standing in an unusually close and awkward posture, staring at each other.

“Uh, this is…”

Astrid flinched and tried to take a step back, distancing herself from Chase.

“…!”

Suddenly, a strong grip on her wrist made her eyes widen in shock. She was too startled to resist and stood frozen as Chase leaned closer, his tall frame matching Caleb’s stature.

Lowering himself, Chase whispered near her ear, “I hear two sets of footsteps. One light and quick, the other heavy and deliberate. It’s likely Elena and the Grand Duke. Stay as you are.”

“…What?”

“I can offer advice on making the Hestian Potion. You said the theory is flawless but that it always fails during experiments? While you’ve worked out the magical formula perfectly, not everything is within a mage’s domain.”

“You…?”

“Yes. But since the beast will soon arrive, today’s experiments are likely out of the question. Let’s try another kind of experiment instead. Cooperate with me, will you?”

“…”

Astrid hesitated briefly before nodding slightly. Chase’s face lit up with a confident smile—but it didn’t last long.

Thud!

Like a furious beast, Caleb barreled into the room and struck Chase across the face without mercy. The force of the blow sent Chase sprawling to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Chase wiped his lips with one hand and looked up at Caleb with a smirk. Caleb, seething, raised his fist again.

“Caleb! Stop!”

Caleb’s fierce gaze shifted slowly to the side, where Astrid stood with a desperate expression.

She looked as though she was on the verge of tears.

Please.

Her eyes seemed to plead with him, but he couldn’t bring himself to heed her request. Caleb clenched his teeth and raised his fist once more.

“Please, Caleb, stop.”

Astrid clung to his arm with all her weight, imploring him earnestly.

“What is he to you that you’d go this far?”

“What are you thinking, Caleb?”

“…What?”

“There was a minor explosion during an experiment. Marquis Chase happened to be passing by, and he came to check if I was hurt, that’s all…”

“Are you all right?”

Caleb’s large hands suddenly cupped Astrid’s small face.

“…!”

He gently lifted her face, scanning it anxiously. His expression showed he’d completely forgotten about Chase.

“You’ve got a scratch!”

“…Oh.”

Caleb’s thumb carefully brushed over a spot on her neck, causing a sharp sting of pain. It wasn’t a burn, but a shard from the exploded pot seemed to have grazed her.

Astrid raised her hand to cover her neck, feeling exposed under Caleb’s intense gaze.

“It’s nothing. Just something that happens often…”

Caleb’s brow furrowed deeply, and his tone became firm.

“Stop these experiments immediately. You don’t need to put yourself at risk—there are plenty of people who can—”

“Caleb!”

“What’s wrong?”

Her wide blue eyes were swirling with emotion. Caleb gripped her shoulders tightly, his voice urgent.

“Did you get hurt somewhere else?”

“W-What is this?”

Caleb’s gaze, which had been fixed on Astrid the entire time, finally followed her pointing finger. She was indicating his right arm.

On his black clothing, the same dark hue as his eyes, blood was seeping through. It had soaked the entire sleeve, heavy enough to drip steadily to the floor.

***

“Summon a physician immediately!”

It was Caleb who was bleeding, yet Astrid looked like she might collapse at any moment. In the end, Caleb hurriedly sent everyone away and focused on calming her down.

“Relax. It’s nothing. I’ll just clean it, apply some ointment, and bandage it. It’ll heal in a few days. Really, I just couldn’t stop the bleeding properly in a rush.”

“Are you a doctor now?”

“You’ve seen my bandaging skills. On the battlefield, I pick up the basics…”

“I know more about medicine than you do. I’ve even practiced bandaging. Let me take care of it.”

“…Alright.”

“What’s with that look? Don’t you trust me?”

“It’s not that…”

“Sit down. I’ll cut the sleeve with scissors. I’ll bandage it for now, but you’re still seeing a physician. I’ll summon one immediately…”

“I didn’t know.”

“…What?”

“I didn’t know you could nag this much.”

A subtle playfulness glimmered in Caleb’s dark eyes.

‘You’re joking at a time like this?’

She nearly snapped at him but held her tongue. Treating the wound came first.

Astrid rummaged through the tools Matilda had brought, finding the scissors. With careful, deliberate hands, she cut away the sleeve and removed his shirt, revealing his chiseled, muscular torso.

“…!”

Even before she started treating him, a nervous sweat broke out on her forehead. She forced herself to maintain a calm expression and got to work, methodically following what she had read in books.

It wasn’t until the treatment was nearly complete that Astrid spoke again.

“…How did this happen?”

“A claw swipe.”

“What kind of animal leaves such a large wound? Is that why you returned early?”

“It wasn’t very big.”

“So, it was kind of big?”

Even as she focused on treating the wound, her curiosity didn’t waver. Caleb, intending to brush off her questions, let out a small sigh.

It seemed she wouldn’t stop until he gave a proper answer.

‘I didn’t realize she could be so persistent.’

He looked at her anew, a fleeting, mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

“It was…”

“It was what?”

Astrid had just finished bandaging his arm and looked up at him. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead and nose, a testament to her intense concentration.

“A bear.”

“What? You tried to hunt a bear? Alone with Elena?”

“No. Elena was off hunting deer elsewhere…”

“Are you out of your mind?”

Her lips trembled as her eyes flared in anger, clearly furious. Caleb watched her with a faint hint of amusement in his gaze.

“Let me remind you of something you seem to forget often. I am Caleb, Grand Duke of Cliff. You know what people call me, don’t you?”

“…”

“They call me the Savage Grand Duke. They say I tear monsters apart and drink their blood. Compared to that, what’s a bear? Don’t you agree?”

“…You may be fine, but…”

“Astrid?”

“I’m not.”

Her delicate shoulders trembled as though they might collapse under the weight of her emotions. Lowering her head, she shook slightly. Caleb’s large hand hovered over her trembling shoulder but hesitated and ultimately withdrew.

Caleb clenched his empty fist, letting his hand drop.

‘To think she’s this distressed over a mere wound…’

Watching Astrid struggle because of him stirred a strange feeling in Caleb.

He could’ve explained that there was no need for her to be so upset, that he’d sustained far worse injuries during monster hunts and was always fine. But he didn’t want to.

Caleb silently gazed down at Astrid for a while. The fiery anger that had surged within him earlier was gone without a trace.

In its place was a peculiar sense of satisfaction.

“I know how extraordinary you are as a warrior. I know you don’t need to listen to requests like this. But still… if possible… I’d like you to be more careful. Save the injuries for monster hunts only.”

“Why?”

“…Because Cliff is your home. I want you to feel comfortable and safe here. Is that so wrong?”

At some point, Astrid had raised her head to meet his gaze. Her blue eyes, filled with earnest hope, seemed to captivate Caleb. Before he knew it, he was nodding.

“…If the lady of the house insists.”

“R-Really?”

“If I disobey the mistress, even I might get thrown out, don’t you think? These days, the knights, Matilda, and even the servants—I can’t tell you how sharp their stares feel. I might as well become a hedgehog at this rate.”

“That’s…”

Though spoken in jest, his words seemed to carry a trace of truth. Surprised by his unexpected remark, Astrid’s eyes wavered. Caleb’s hearty laugh broke the tension.

Realizing it had been a joke, Astrid let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Anyway, you must see a physician this afternoon for proper treatment. No excuses.”

“This treatment was perfect as is. If the physician comes, maybe they should look at your wounds instead.”

“…What?”

Astrid struggled to understand Caleb’s logic—how could someone who had sustained a gash from an animal’s bite be concerned about someone else?

“You mean the scratch on my neck? If left untreated, something like that could—”

“Have you already forgotten my advice to prioritize your own safety above all else?”

“…”

Caleb’s expression had turned serious, his earlier playfulness completely gone.

“Fine. Let’s make a deal.”

“…”

“I’ll get treated, but you have to take care of your wound too. And as for the experiments…”

Astrid had been nodding slightly, but her face immediately hardened. She cut him off firmly.

“It has to be me.”

“…Why?”

Caleb’s voice dropped, reflecting his wounded pride. The air in the room felt as cold as a winter’s night. Despite the chill, Astrid had no intention of backing down on this matter.

“I can’t abandon the potion-making experiments. It’s not something I can delegate to anyone else.”

“Why not? You could hire a mage or an alchemist…”

“This concerns Cliff’s survival! We can’t just let anyone handle it.”

“But—”

“I’ll do it. This is my responsibility. If that’s how you’re going to be, then stay out of it.”

Astrid folded her arms and turned away from him entirely. Her resolute stance made it clear there was no room for negotiation. Caleb realized she wouldn’t budge.

With a rough hand, he raked through his hair and let out a long sigh. Startled by the sound, Astrid flinched and shrank her shoulders.

“…Ah!”

She had inadvertently brushed against the scratch on her neck.

“Are you alright?”

Hearing her cry out, Caleb rose abruptly and closed the distance between them before she could react. He firmly held her head in place. Her small head fit easily in his hand.

“Let go…”

Astrid protested weakly, but Caleb ignored her. Carefully pushing aside her hair, he revealed the wound. What he did next was entirely unexpected.

“…Whew.”

He began blowing on her wound, his lips softly exhaling air to cool it.

“…Caleb?”

“Shh. Stay still.”

“…”

His bare chest was so close to hers, it seemed they might touch. Like a deer frozen in front of a predator, Astrid stood stiffly, her entire body tense.

It was an agonizingly awkward moment.