“That’s enough.”

Several knights apologized. In such an unexpected emergency, they were supposed to follow Leah and Ruyan, but with people collapsing left and right, they were stuck in indecision.

“You probably thought following me would only slow things down.”

The knights who had thought exactly that flinched.

“We’re sorry. Even though following you is our duty…”

“Do you know what? When we return, I’ll make sure you reflexively follow me just by seeing my back.”

“Y-yes…”

After reassuring his subordinates, Ruyan muttered anxiously.

“At this rate, we won’t be able to depart again soon. Why do these things keep happening…”

“Brother.”

Leah called Ruyan into the carriage to discuss.

“This seems to be an aftereffect of the sleep magic.”

“What? What magic?”

She explained.

About how fire had engulfed the campsite in the middle of the night, how only Leah and Helix had woken up, and how Helix had hurriedly loaded everyone into carriages and fled because no one else would wake up.

Ruyan’s expression grew serious.

“…I was told everyone fainted from smoke inhalation and you two evacuated them, but it was because of sleep magic?”

“Helix said it was probably sleep magic. But I don’t really know what sleep magic is exactly, I just went along with what Helix said. But if there are aftereffects like this, you should know about it too.”

“Then everyone except you two could suddenly fall asleep…”

Ruyan sighed anxiously.

The capital was still far, unexpected incidents kept occurring, and now the aftereffects of the Dragon’s sleep magic were holding back their party.

“Brother, about that…”

Leah said.

“I think Helix and I should head home first.”

***

This was Leah’s reasoning.

The returning party members were suffering from sleep magic aftereffects and could fall asleep anywhere at any time.

“If we continue like this, there will be accidents with carriages and people falling off horses,” she added.

“And if we’re unlucky enough to run into bandits, it’ll be even worse.”

Ruyan frowned at Leah’s words.

“Why worry about bandits when I’m here?”

“Can even a Swordmaster use their sword while sleeping?”

“…”

Leah crossed her arms in front of Ruyan.

“Brother, you might seem fine now, but we can’t be sure. You and Karai could collapse at any moment.”

Ruyan roughly messed up his platinum blonde hair.

“Damn it.”

“Right now, Helix and I are the only ones who don’t have to worry about the aftereffects, right?”

Leah continued.

“So it’s better if the others wait somewhere safe while we two go to the ducal residence and bring back more people to help with the return.”

It made sense.

“Still, I can’t let you go alone with that guy- I mean, that person.”

“Why?”

“…Are you really asking?”

“I don’t understand? We don’t have any other options.”

What to do with this dense little sister.

While Helix kept making excuses about poison, magic, and motion sickness to stick close to Leah, unable to take his eyes off her, Leah seemed oblivious to his intense and persistent gaze.

“Hah.”

Feeling frustrated, Ruyan looked at his sister. Just looking at her made one corner of his heart soften.

It couldn’t be helped.

After the tournament incident back then, when he had shut himself in his room, little Leah would barge in every day saying:

‘Little brother, look at me.’

‘…’

‘Today I’ll definitely succeed.’

Little Leah would always do forward rolls on his bed of all places. She never succeeded even once.

‘Why are you doing this here? If our parents sent you…’

‘What are you talking about? This bed is the warmest and softest!’

Despite frequently getting fevers and falling while just walking, Leah would faithfully come to practice forward rolls through snow or rain as long as she wasn’t sick.

‘Why keep doing something you can’t do?’

‘It’s frustrating that there are so many things I can’t do.’

‘…’

‘So I’m going to at least try to see if I really can’t do it.’

Even someone as weak as her was trying so hard to do something she couldn’t.

On the day he had that thought, Ruyan demonstrated a forward roll in front of Leah.

At his perfect execution, Leah’s eyes went wide as she enthusiastically clapped her small hands.

‘Little brother, you’re amazing!’

‘H-hmph. This much is nothing.’

If it hadn’t been for Leah then, Ruyan would have had a much harder time overcoming his frustration.

“Haaaaah.”

Ruyan finally let out a deep sigh and brought his warhorse.

“Since you can’t ride anyway, you’ll have to ride with that… that person.”

“I’ll be careful not to fall off.”

Ruyan placed his hand on Leah’s shoulder.

“Please be careful around men too.”

“Helix will protect me.”

That bastard is the one you need to be careful of.

Ruyan swallowed the words that came up to his throat and squeezed her shoulder.

“Leah, all men are wolves.”

“Didn’t you used to call big brother a fox cub?”

“T-that was just nonsense from when I was young. Other guys are all wolves. You need to be especially careful because you’re pretty and cute and lively and powerful and elegant and everything.”

Our brother might have an excessive sister complex.

Though Leah felt somewhat uncomfortable, she nodded.

“Alright. I’ll be careful.”

***

Meanwhile, Prince Archaik was receiving a report.

“We’ve confirmed the mage’s exact identity.”

His subordinate reported.

“She is Lady Leah Piert of the Piert Ducal Family.”

“Piert Ducal Family? I’ve heard of them.”

“They’re an old noble family of the Kingdom of Peiren, whose influence has been growing recently.”

Archaik Prince stroked his chin.

“A noble lady.”

Quite a high status, isn’t it.

“Why was such a noble lady in the northern mountains? It’s not a place for a high noble’s daughter.”

“Could she have been exiled?”

“No.”

The subordinate hastily added to his report.

Lady Leah Piert had gone there for recovery because she was too weak, and she was quite popular in Peiren’s social circles, known by the nickname Peirlily.

“Peirlily…?”

“The Lily of Peiren. She seems to be truly famous in the Kingdom of Peiren.”

At Viscount Paipers’ words, Prince Archaik let out a derisive laugh.

“The people of Peiren have no eye for talent. Calling a fire mage who sets counterfire a lily.”

“They must be foolish people who don’t even know what magic is.”

The prince vaguely nodded at the viscount’s words while contemplating.

A noble lady from a small kingdom.

Too troublesome to simply kidnap and ignore, but too ambiguous in status to deliberately escalate the situation.

Someone suggested.

“How about requesting her as Your Highness’s concubine? The Kingdom of Peiren wouldn’t be able to refuse.”

“They should consider it an honor. For someone from a small country like Peiren to enter Oken’s imperial family – even a princess wouldn’t dare dream of such a thing.”

Viscount Paipers scolded them.

“What nonsense is this? How would public opinion within the empire react if Prince Archaik, who hasn’t even held his official marriage ceremony yet, took a foreign noble lady as his first concubine? Such a blemish cannot be allowed for one who will inherit the throne.”

A concubine, huh. Archaik thought as he listened to his subordinates.

‘That method won’t work with that woman.’

Though he had only glimpsed her once or twice in dreams and reality, he could be certain.

Her eyes.

The burning flame energy boiling within that slender body.

If she were to receive such a demand, she was the type of woman who would elope with that silver-haired man beside her.

“…First, we need that mage to accept my dominion.”

At Archaik’s words, his subordinates stopped arguing and nodded. Viscount Paipers spoke.

“Since you mentioned there was other mana mixed in… Perhaps your dominion has weakened because your mana was diluted?”

“…That might be it.”

Prince Archaik frowned before nodding.

Just thinking about another man’s mana being inside her made his insides twist.

“Then what should we do?”

“I think we should try to increase the ratio of Your Highness’s mana inside the mage again.”

“How?”

“As it happens, we have a useful piece we can use.”

Viscount Paipers said, “Your Highness, do you remember Count Trow who was in charge of our potion experiments?”

“Ah.”

Prince Archaik slightly furrowed his brows and said.

“You mean that rat who might have been stealing potions?”

“Yes. I heard he has quite some influence in Peiren’s social circles. How about using Count Trow?”

Not bad. Having made his decision, Archaik ordered.

“Make contact with him.”

***

While Prince Archaik Oken had changed his approach toward Leah, she and Helix, unaware of this fact, were anxious and in a hurry.

‘What if he comes after us?’

Their opponent was someone who had tried to subdue her with mana the moment they met at the inn. When that failed, he came to their campsite in the middle of the night, cast sleep magic, and set fires.

He was someone who would use any means necessary, had abilities they couldn’t predict, and even showed obsession by calling her his mage. Leah frowned as she recalled the look in his eyes when he looked down at her, clearly believing she would obey him.

‘He’s really dangerous.’

He was on a completely different level from the guys who had pestered her in the capital. Even while riding under the warm sunlight, her hands and feet felt ice-cold with anxiety. Her worries kept snowballing.

‘If he attacks us, Helix and I can probably escape? But… what if he attacks my brother and the others we left behind?’

Ruyan and Karai would make a powerful combination. A Swordmaster and Karai with his barrier ability would be the optimal composition for fighting while protecting others.

But what if they succumbed to his mana? What if they fell asleep during battle due to the sleep magic? What if he used some other mental attack to control them or make them fight each other?

Just thinking about it made her dizzy.

“Helix, let’s hurry.”

Seeing Leah’s face turn pale as she urged him, Helix felt fire rising inside him.

‘That bastard…’