He was about to go straight to her seat, but unfortunately it was time for him to enter guard duty for the Emperor. Alkaid left the office, struggling to suppress the dark desires that were rising. He couldn’t confine Spica anyway.

‘There seems to be some problem…… I should have a conversation with her.’

Come to think of it, he hadn’t had the leisure for that recently. Whenever they had even a brief moment, they had been intimate……

But even that had become nonexistent since Spica had intensified her sword training. Even Alkaid couldn’t touch someone who had fallen asleep exhausted.

‘Ha.’

Today, even if the Emperor instead of the Crown Prince tried to detain him, he would leave work on time.

The knights walking with him stepped back slightly with pale faces due to his suddenly surging momentum.

* * *

A woman who no longer wanted to leave work on time but had worked so hard that her tasks had disappeared, and a man who had come out after rejecting the Emperor’s suggestion to have just one drink for leaving work on time, rode the same carriage home.

“Phew.”

Spica got out of the carriage before Alkaid and took a deep breath.

Even inside the carriage, a strangely awkward atmosphere had lingered, so Spica found it difficult to casually talk to Alkaid.

‘If this continues, Alkaid will definitely think something’s strange.’

She felt a heavy presence behind her. When a careful hand wrapped around her shoulders, Spica turned her head. Alkaid was looking down at her with an unreadable expression.

It was a time when the sky was gradually turning red. The slanting sunlight hit Alkaid’s face diagonally, creating distinct shadows.

“Handsome…… ah, no.”

Spica, who had been momentarily dazed by his overwhelming beauty, gathered herself and opened her mouth again.

“You know, Alkaid……”

“Master, you’ve arrived right on time! The Denebola marquis family has just arrived as well.”

Just then, the butler came out to greet the two.

‘Denebola family?’

Puzzled, Spica reflexively looked at Alkaid. The moment she saw his red eyes, one person flashed in her mind.

The boy who came to mind because of Heze, whom she couldn’t pretend not to know and had sacrificed her arm to save.

That child’s name was Chertan Denebola.

‘How could I forget that! Chertan said he would come to greet us today with his parents.’

How surprised she had been when they made contact with that child’s parents. She never could have imagined that the heir of a marquis family had been kidnapped.

If the marquis family had lost their son to Diblin Sobek, they might have declared territorial war and a war involving a third of the Empire might have broken out. Spica thought she had paid a cheap price if she had prevented that war with just one arm.

Of course, now her arm was fine too, and Young Duke Sobek had politely apologized to the Denebola family, so it had ended peacefully.

‘This is all thanks to Alkaid.’

Spica smiled brightly and pulled Alkaid’s hand.

“……Spica, what were you trying to say just now?”

“I’ll tell you later. The guests come first, right? Let’s hurry.”

For Alkaid, hearing Spica’s words was more important than meeting an immature brat. However, if he stood firm while she was pulling him, he would only look more immature than Denebola’s brat.

So Alkaid obediently let Spica lead him toward the reception room.

However, when the door opened, he couldn’t help but frown at the distinctive smell that poured out.

‘Beast-human……’

Traces of beast-human mixed with the thick floral scent. Come to think of it, the Denebola family was a lion beast-human family.

The heir of that place, Chertan Denebola, stood up abruptly holding a bouquet as big as his body and swayed.

“Whoa!”

“Chertan!”

Spica reflexively stepped forward and the marquis couple half-rose, but Chertan regained his balance himself. He thrust the bouquet, so large it was difficult to manage, toward Spica.

“Big sister, ah, no! Lady Atrain!”

“Uh, yeah?”

Spica responded bewilderedly. Lady Atrain? It was an awkward title since Chertan had always called her big sister.

Seeing the bouquet trembling so much that petals were falling, it seemed tremendously heavy. When Spica took another step closer to receive it from the child,

Chertan dropped a bombshell.

“I want to imprint with you, my lady!”

“Huh……?”

Spica, who had been momentarily dazed with her arms outstretched, thought.

‘Uh, well. I’m not a beast-human, but…… imprinting doesn’t seem to happen just because you want it like stamping a seal.’

Since he was still young, he might think marriage and imprinting were the same concept.

Even so, she didn’t want to crush this sincerity. Chertan would meet his mate when he grew up too, so she wanted to make it so he could look back and laugh, saying ‘something like that happened.’

No, she had to. That’s what adults should naturally do.

Spica received the bouquet, which weighed similar to a child, with an “oomph.”

“Thank you, Young Lord Denebola. This is the first time I’ve received such a gift.”

When she expressed gratitude in polite speech to match Chertan, the boy smiled brightly.

On the other hand, the Denebola couple coughed awkwardly and observed Alkaid’s mood. They knew this kind lady who had saved their son was the Young Duke of Winterhold’s mate. They were also beast-humans — it was natural to tear apart anyone who coveted imprinting, even as a joke.

However, the Young Duke was enduring with just one sigh. For the sole reason that Lady Atrain, an ordinary person, was being considerate of Chertan.

“Now, Chertan. The lady is happy, so that’s fortunate. You should sit down now, shouldn’t you?”

“Huh? But I haven’t heard an answer yet.”

“……The lady needs time to make up her mind too. You should be considerate of the lady.”

The marquis couple resolved to educate him properly about imprinting when they returned and forcibly pulled Chertan to sit down.

Alkaid, who had watched up to that point, seated Spica across from them and began speaking. Because she was holding the bouquet tightly without handing it to a servant, the flower scent was overwhelming.

“So, is today’s business a marriage proposal?”

“Ah, no. Today’s visit was primarily to officially express our gratitude, just we contacted you in advance.”

“……Primarily?”

“Yes. Actually, our family would like to propose guardianship to Lady Atrain.”

Receiving the marquis’s words, the marchioness smiled gently.

“After marriage, the lady will have to engage in social activities the Young Duke’s mate, after all. Also, while we trust the Royal Guard Commander will handle the wedding preparations, there are surprisingly many places that need a woman’s touch.”

It was repayment for saving Chertan and a gesture of goodwill toward the Winterhold ducal family. But that wasn’t all. It was also consideration for Spica, whose parents had both passed away.

Spica was grateful for that sentiment. However, she also hesitated about whether she should readily accept.

‘If I take this hand, it’s no different from deciding on social factions from the start. What if my choice harms the ducal family?’

Then a large hand gently patted Spica’s back. Like pushing her to do whatever her heart desired.

Spica glanced at Alkaid once and realized her thoughts were correct.

‘Well, Alkaid is…… someone who would say I did well even if I destroyed a banquet hall and left because I hated appearing in society.’

Just imagining it made her laugh. Spica nodded with much less burden.

“I gratefully accept your kindness and consideration.”

“Be happy. Let’s get along well from now on, my lady. Contact us anytime if you need anything.”

“I will.”

“First, I’ll organize and send you things to consider regarding the wedding, so please read them.”

The marquis couple seemed delighted to help with the big event. Even after they left, Spica sat for a while, fiddling with the flowers.

‘It’s amazing how one moment’s choice leads to all this.’

She had a premonition that her connection with the marquis family wouldn’t end with just the wedding or one or two social activities. The connection with someone she had saved felt more special.

Alkaid watched Spica laughing softly while looking at the flowers and finally asked with dissatisfaction.

“Is it the flowers or me?”

“……Huh?”

Alkaid was acting strange today.

‘Why does he keep doing only cute things?’

Spica looked up, doubting her ears, but she hadn’t heard wrong.

Alkaid continued to say inappropriate things with a cold face.

“Tomorrow, it would be good to spend time with just the two of us.”

“Suddenly?”

“Do you hate it?”

“It, it’s not that I hate it. It’s just that you’re busy……”

“I can spare about a day. Let’s go get clothes fitted together.”

“Clothes? A dress shop?”

Spica’s face brightened considerably. It wasn’t because she liked buying clothes. Knights were practically in uniform all year round anyway.

She just liked that it would be their first ordinary date together.

‘Right. Since it’s the first time, it would be nice to do some memorable event, wouldn’t it?’

Spica grinned. She had even heard the cute question about whether she preferred flowers or him — she absolutely couldn’t hold back. Her sky-blue eyes began sparkling again.

* * *

‘Wow.’

Spica, who had entered the dress shop with Alkaid, admired inwardly. Rather than a place for fitting clothes, it was like entering a small banquet hall — the walls and windows were adorned with gold leaf, making everything very glittery. Even when her father was alive, she had never been to such a place.

‘We didn’t live poorly either. Luxury really has no end.’

She didn’t look around obviously because she now lived in an even more splendid mansion and went to the imperial palace every day.

Spica sat down, examined the designs, checked the fabrics, and watched Alkaid try on everything before calmly saying.

“Buy everything I’ve seen so far.”

“……Spica?”

It was an unexpected side of her. But there was nothing to stop the excited Spica.

“Everything looks so good on you. How can a person look good in blue and red too? Black is nice because it’s calm, white is good because Alkaid shines in it, and dark green is pretty too. I can’t choose just one here.”

“Yes, there’s no need to. Just being satisfactory in your eyes is enough.”

Alkaid, who had escaped from the tailor’s hands and walked over steadily, slightly lifted Spica’s face. He lightly pressed their lips together and separated, then subtly narrowed his eyes.

“Spica, now it’s your turn.”

“Ah, ri, right.”