It was more of a petulant sigh than a genuine plea for help.

Knowing this, Helix still stroked Leah’s cheek.

‘I’m doing this because I’m worried.’

He was checking if she was having a nightmare. As he caressed her soft cheek, she pressed against his hand in her sleep, whimpering slightly.

“……”

So this was because he was worried about Leah. Because he was curious about what a “Confucian man” was. Because he needed to infuse her with mana to help her recover.

Helix’s large hand gripped Leah’s arm. Just as his strong teeth gently bit her earlobe, mana flooded into her with a surge.

“…Ah, what?”

Startled by the sudden sensation while half-asleep, Leah’s eyes flew open.

“Leah, you’re awake.”

The very person who had awakened her now trapped her between his arms, looking down at her. While her mind was still cloudy with confusion, he bit her lips this time.

Pop.

The mana transferred through the tips of his lips felt so refreshing that it tickled even more.

“I was waiting for you to wake up.”

You weren’t waiting.

You woke me up.

She wanted to protest, but words failed her. Her body felt burning hot from his breath released between her lips.

“Helix… aren’t you going to sleep?”

She attempted a timid rebellion.

“Later.”

He replied curtly as he pressed his lips to her neck. Between gentle bites, his tongue slowly traced over the marks.

With each flinch she made, his mingled laughter and impatient breaths tickled her hotly.

“I, I need to… sleep more…”

Her mind began to blur again with pleasure. Leah blinked, squeezing out her last bit of reason to speak, but all she received in return was mana flowing into her from his fingertips and lips.

“Mmm… not letting me sleep… trying to restore my energy with mana?”

“Is that a problem?”

You’ve gotten so shameless!

Leah sputtered and grumbled.

“Are you giving just to take it back…?”

Helix responded to her as she panted, trying to block his lips with her hand.

“I’ll give you more, as much as you want.”

How could offering to give mana sound so sweet yet so terrifying?

Noticing her hesitation, he smiled mischievously and tickled her with his fingertips. Mana sparked like static electricity from his hot fingers touching her waist.

“Ah…!”

Startled, Leah jerked and removed her hand from his lips. Helix seized the opportunity to bite her neck.

So this is how I’m devoured again. Leah surrendered and muttered shakily.

“Please at least leave my bones after you’re done…”

With a soft chuckle, heat and mana transferred together from his hands. Unlike his laughter, his touch swept over her urgently and fiercely.

***

It wasn’t until late the next morning that Leah could read the letter again.

“What does it say?”

Helix asked as he brought a brunch plate loaded with milk, croissant, butter, cheese, jam, honey, fried eggs, and oranges.

“It can’t just be about the succession to the throne.”

“Right. He says he’s declining for now because he wants to focus on business.”

“That’s good. The young duke doesn’t want it either.”

“Yes. We need to expand our business in connection with our magic tower. Since he’s using us as an excuse, it seems Prince Patrick’s side can’t push any harder. And also…”

She turned her head to look up at Helix, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“The new products are incredibly popular!”

“The new products—you mean the cosmetics that the mages developed using Louise’s herbs?”

“Yes, yes.”

Leah excitedly counted on her fingers.

“Especially the premium ginseng essence, the heartleaf houttuynia toner, and the magic sunscreen are getting an explosive response. I knew these items would sell well!”

Sitting beside her and playing with her damp hair, he asked:

“So are all the urgent matters settled now?”

“I think so? The tower’s order has been established, and we have steady income sources for the time being.”

They had been too busy until now to enjoy their cozy daily life together.

Mediating conflicts between dragons and mages, reorganizing magic classes, dividing mages into combat and research types based on talent and personality, setting up training grounds and research labs.

In between, visiting and expanding Louise’s herb garden, hiring more people for the herb farm, and holding product meetings with herbalists dispatched from Piert.

“I thought we were finally getting some rest…”

Leah looked at Helix reproachfully. He avoided her gaze.

“…I’ve been holding back a lot while you were busy.”

“What?”

She nearly bit her tongue along with the bread in her mouth.

“You’ve done… everything you wanted, haven’t you?”

“What are you saying?”

Helix looked serious.

“I’ve been restraining myself.”

His slightly furrowed brow and gray eyes seemed to say, ‘Do you need me to prove how much I’ve endured? I can demonstrate anytime.’

Leah quietly lowered her eyes.

Though she didn’t understand, she knew if she didn’t let it go, she’d likely spend another day confined to bed.

‘Right. Helix naturally has different stamina than me.’

Having convinced herself, she gulped down her milk.

“By the way, Leah.”

Helix asked.

“What’s a Confucian man?”

“Pffft!”

As Leah sprayed milk, he quickly caught her and took the glass.

“Leah, are you alright?”

No, I’m not!

She screamed internally while taking deep breaths and turning her head. When their eyes met, Helix extended his finger to lick the milk from the corner of her mouth.

He pressed her lips with his finger and brought his face closer. Her eyes wavered.

“A Confucian man wouldn’t do this!”

“…What exactly is this Confucian man?”

“…A man who doesn’t touch you while eating?”

Helix looked at Leah with disbelief.

“So a Confucian man… um… hates revealing clothes, prefers modesty, believes men and women shouldn’t share the same space… that sort of thing.”

“Is this another term from your past life that you mentioned?”

“Yes.”

She nodded and asked:

“But how did you know about ‘Confucian man’?”

“You said it in your sleep. You thought I was a Confucian man, but it was a scam.”

“……”

Her sleep-talking had been too sincere for her to respond. Misinterpreting her hesitation, his face darkened.

“Leah, do you perhaps prefer that type of man?”

“What? Absolutely not!”

She jumped up in denial.

“My type is Helix, you know?”

“So if I was like that before…”

“No! It’s the opposite! I actually dislike Confucian men.”

“……”

“But I liked you even though you seemed like one.”

Helix’s expressionless face softened at her words.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

She grinned broadly. She kept smiling because she found it adorable how he reacted to her every word. Leah whispered in a sing-song voice:

“I like you more and more. How is this possible?”

“…I feel the same way.”

Helix sighed softly and said:

“You were always lovable, Leah, but you become more so with each passing day. Especially when you’re in my arms receiving mana, you’re truly…”

Aaaahhhh.

With a bright red face, she pressed her fingers against his lips. The soft palm smelled of butter from the croissant. Helix laughed deeply.

“You can’t just eat bread.”

He peeled an orange and placed it in Leah’s mouth. Watching her chew, Helix’s hands moved busily.

“…You’re fattening me up to eat me, aren’t you?”

“You finally figured it out. Eat your eggs too.”

***

The Twin Towers.

Magic towers built to represent mages on one side and dragons on the other.

As the situation on one side was resolved, it was now time for the other tower to become busy.

“I’m planning to take the hatchlings to purify the contaminated lands soon.”

Leah nodded at Helix’s words.

“Yes. It’s about time.”

Silence fell between them. She deliberately asked brightly, trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere:

“How long will you be gone?”

“I’ll have to see when I get there. I’ll send letters through Chirpy, so don’t worry.”

“How can I not worry?”

Leah sighed weakly. He took her hand and patted it reassuringly.

“Neither I nor the dragons are weak. We’ll set up camp and work gradually, so it won’t be dangerous.”

“Would you ever handle such matters carelessly? I’m just worried, that’s all.”

At Leah’s words, Helix put his arm around her shoulders.

“Leah, do you also worry when you can’t see me?”

“Of course.”

She grumbled, poking his side.

“You seem to have forgotten, but you’ve made me worry quite a bit too.”

“I also thought my heart was broken several times.”

Leah chuckled softly at his words.

“We must have liked each other from the beginning. All that worrying and anxiety.”

“Indeed.”

“Why didn’t we realize it? When we liked each other so much.”

“I think it was because we liked each other too much.”

Helix buried his face in her hair as she leaned against him.

Those were days when his mind was completely filled with Leah, yet he had no idea he was in love with her.

Because he liked her too much, because being with her sent his emotions soaring from heaven to hell, because just thinking about her made his chest tighten.

Even now, it was the same.

Just having her warm body against his made his heart tingle with happiness. Yet he feared losing this happiness he was experiencing for the first time in his long life.

Though he couldn’t tell Leah, his chest still felt like it would burst with worry.

‘What if Leah is in danger while I’m away purifying the contaminated lands?’

***

Unaware of Helix’s troubled mind, the hatchlings were ecstatic about finally going to purify the lands.

“Chirp! Chirp!”

Excited Chirpy flew around inside and outside the magic tower, howling.

“…What is he saying?”

“Something like ‘Contaminated land! Purification!’ I think. It’s unbearably noisy.”

The mages who could roughly understand the hatchlings’ cries were even more distressed.

Magic users and older mages shook their heads at the hatchlings’ commotion.

“My goodness, what a racket.”

“They’ll be leaving for purification soon, so this noise will end if we just endure. Kids naturally fantasize about adventures in unfamiliar places, right?”

“Haha, that’s true. Dragon hatchlings are still children after all.”

Indeed. The other children were dying of envy for the hatchlings.