Aaron roughly wiped away the water streaming down his face.

“No need. I’ll be out soon.”

“What if you catch a cold?”

She doesn’t know how resistant to cold he is, that’s why she says such things.

It was also amusing that she worried about the health of a man whose body was twice the size of hers.

The corners of his mouth naturally stretched at the image of Lucilia blinking as she prepared hot water.

‘Ah, d*mn’! What a fool he was.

Aaron scratched down his twitching lip corners with his index finger, then reached out to grab a linen towel.

As he pulled his foot out of the tub, water cascaded down his entire body.

After roughly shaking his head and wiping away the moisture, he wrapped the towel around his waist and emerged from behind the screen.

Confronted unexpectedly with the man’s body, Lucilia’s gaze lost its way and fixed on some point in the empty air.

“Where should I put the liquor… um?”

Not knowing where to look, she scanned the ceiling, then plunged to the floor, noticeably wandering.

Meanwhile, Aaron cut through the humid air and headed for the reception room.

The maids who had come up with Lucilia quickly lowered their heads to avoid seeing their master’s n*ked body.

“Take the hot water back, and leave the alcohol and food there.”

“Shall we empty the bathwater too?”

“No need, just go.”

“Yes, young master.”

As they retreated hastily as if being chased away, Aaron glanced at the tray placed on the desk.

After seeming lost in thought, he promptly pulled over a long sofa and placed it close to the table.

“Please sit.”

The only seating options in the reception room were the desk chair and the sofa.

Standing awkwardly, Lucilia alternately looked at the sofa and desk, which were clearly mismatched in height.

Still, the reception room, roughly furnished for official business, would be less stimulating than the bedroom permeated with damp air.

She had already been captivated by Aaron and was at a loss.

Despite having no experience with men, the cells in her body stirred.

His form, seemingly crafted with deliberate intent by the Creator, captured her gaze.

She wondered what kind of diet produced such a physique—a body that was simply astonishing, skin with a tantalizing glow from moderate sun exposure, curves that bent gently and then dropped sharply.

And that wasn’t all.

The fragrance emanating from him was so pleasing that she wanted to keep inhaling it, and each breath he took seemed to dampen her fine hairs.

As her imagination became more concrete, she unconsciously swallowed.

Was she really salivating at the sight of him?

She hadn’t known self-loathing could pierce her heart so painfully.

By now, she must either be crazy or depraved. Or perhaps both.

Lucilia exhaled a long breath as she lowered herself onto the sofa.

Aaron buried his back deeply in the desk chair and picked up the glass bottle.

Glug, glug—

The brown liquid fell into the glass.

Despite regaining her composure, her mind filled with fantasies of liquor flowing along the contours of the man’s defined muscles like a stream.

If only she hadn’t seen those undried droplets flowing between his abs…

Once coiled, her sensual imagination refused to turn wholesome.

Should she bring him a robe to cover up?

The more she looked, the more l*stful she became, causing Lucilia to break out in a cold sweat.

“Um… aren’t you cold?”

“Not at all. You seem to be the one who feels the cold more.”

“I suppose it’s because Tudra is further north than the capital.”

“The strong liquor will help. If you can’t drink it, I can have wine brought instead.”

“No, I can drink it.”

She couldn’t refuse the drink he had thoughtfully poured.

As the alcohol spread, her senses would dull, and she wouldn’t be affected by looking at Aaron.

However…

She knew nothing about alcohol, absolutely nothing.

Far from dulling her senses, it maximized all five of them.

They say daytime drinking is much more dangerous than the same alcohol consumed at night, and indeed, it completely stripped away her mental faculties.

The experience of tilting glasses together and conversing was so unfamiliar that awkward silences periodically descended.

The two endured the awkwardness silently while letting the tingling liquid flow down their throats.

Sitting on the low sofa, Lucilia only sipped her drink, thinking it would look fussy to reach for the fruit on the desk. Aaron, for his part, never ate food while drinking alcohol.

As intoxication began to rise, her posture loosened. Lucilia, who had been sitting with her back perfectly straight, gradually began to tilt sideways.

Eventually, her head grew heavy, and she propped her chin on her elbow resting on the armrest.

“May I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Were you… very upset?”

Her expression looked even more distressed.

Aaron didn’t like Lucilia’s crumpled expression. He was the one who had left her defenseless in the territory.

Hadn’t he expected the Pope to plot during his absence?

He couldn’t deny that he had used Lucilia as bait.

Despite going that far, there had been no signs from the temple.

He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a pity. His insides just rattled uncomfortably.

Though aware she was referring to the greenhouse fire incident, Aaron feigned ignorance.

“About what?”

“The pergola you cherished was burned.”

“Well… of course I’m upset. But as angry as I was, my head cooled down. I plan to handle it coldly.”

“I see.”

As the conversation broke off, the air circulating between them hardened once again.

Trying to loosen the rigid atmosphere, Lucilia took more small sips of her drink.

At first, she had grimaced at how strong the liquor was, but the more she drank, the sweeter it tasted.

The feeling of a fireball traveling down her esophagus wasn’t bad either.

Her eyelids grew heavier, and soaked in alcohol, her focus became blurry. Eventually even her pronunciation slurred.

“Aren’t you sleepy? I heard you didn’t sleep at all…”

The moment her drowsy, almost extinguishing voice tickled his ears, interest sparked in Aaron’s eyes.

Aaron steadily gazed at the orange eyes he had been avoiding. Her half-closed state allowed him to steal glances comfortably.

The orange iris that appeared and disappeared with each blink was insanely beautiful.

If he could, he would have pulled her face close and stared into her eyes all day.

‘They say she’s lost her sacred power?’

Hans had discreetly informed him. Though he had asked several times in disbelief, he withdrew his doubts when told that Karen had confirmed it firsthand.

The head maid who observed Lucilia most closely couldn’t be wrong.

Still, he shouldn’t completely let his guard down.

For the time being, he intended to be careful not to reveal his thoughts.

“I was also very shocked and upset. It feels like it happened… because of me. Everyone dislikes me. Haah…”

Her sigh dissipated like a dying candle flame.

Her nodding head collapsed powerlessly onto her elbow. For a moment, tears seemed to form at the corners of her eyes.

Aaron put down his glass and removed the precariously balanced glass from Lucilia’s hand.

“Next time, you should avoid strong liquor. If I had known you would collapse so easily, I wouldn’t have offered it.”

He placed her arm around his neck, then slid his hands under her back and knees.

She was so light that he barely felt her weight.

Aaron lifted her effortlessly and looked down at her before taking a step.

Eyes with the sunset embedded in them and hair tinged with a lunar halo. Heat gathered on cheeks as fair as if transparent. Full lips with a vivid red tinge.

Saint Lucilia Teneri was said to be the greatest beauty in the kingdom.

Looking at her up close, she was indeed beautiful enough to elicit spontaneous exclamations.

And how soft and delicate her frame felt against his chest.

It seemed as if she would crumble helplessly if he embraced her too tightly.

Aaron unconsciously loosened his arms that had been bent. It occurred to him that she might be hurt by the pressure of his arm muscles.

“Phew…”

“D*mn it.”

Just as he had managed to clear his thoughts, the alcohol scent escaping from her nose was absurdly sweet.

How special could one alcohol smell be compared to another? Yet, as if his head had turned half a circle, it truly emitted a sweet fragrance.

Could it be due to each person’s unique body scent?

He buried his face in Lucilia’s warm neck.

What a sight he must be, sniffing to distinguish the body scent diluted by alcohol.

“I shouldn’t have shared a room.”

Who would have thought that his pretense of surveillance would unexpectedly bring such torment?

Should he prepare a separate bedroom for her even now?

But he didn’t want that either.

“I must be crazy, right? Aaron Artnal, you’ve finally lost your mind.”

Aaron bit his lip tightly until it turned white.

“She’s just baggage. I’m just carrying baggage.”

Repeating this like a mantra, he suppressed the urge to kiss her flushed cheeks.