However, no matter how much Lepus bared his teeth, it was useless. Alkaid snorted while looking at the rabbit beast-human who couldn’t tell heaven from earth.

“I know you’re the one who cheated. I just helped my adjutant.”

“You’re meddling unnecessarily. An outsider in a matter between us two……”

“How rude.”

“What did you say?”

“A matter between two? It’s already rude to touch an ordinary person while reeking of another beast-human’s scent.”

This was a society where beast-humans and ordinary humans lived together. Even if Spica couldn’t feel it, other beast-humans would know everything if he did such things.

‘It’s disgusting.’

Me.

Alkaid twisted his lips and released his pheromones with a whoosh. Lepus immediately backed away, covering his nose and mouth with an “ugh.”

‘Why is he suddenly acting like that?’

Spica tilted her head while looking at him.

Suddenly, it seemed like an unidentifiable fragrance was flowing in from somewhere. A scent that made her unconsciously take deep breaths. But no matter how much she inhaled, she could only feel it faintly, which was regrettable.

Alkaid approached Lepus. A large shadow fell over the soft, thin ash-colored hair. Lepus was about to reflexively back away, but when Alkaid raised his visor, he froze in place. He looked like a frog in front of a snake.

Alkaid looked down at the trembling herbivore and lowered his voice.

“It seems you haven’t been neutered yet, so don’t approach Spica again. You might be the first to see something scary.”

Meanwhile, Spica, who had been perking up her ears from behind, was greatly disappointed.

She couldn’t hear even a bit of what they were saying, but Lepus had already run away.

‘What on earth did he hear to tuck his tail like that? Strange.’

Just like how he had persistently followed Spica earlier, Lepus had quite a tenacious personality. She had seen him make opponents sick of him, but this was the first time she saw him run away like that.

By the way, it was quite a familiar sight.

‘There were many people like that before.’

It was when she first entered the knight order.

Unlike the good-natured people of the Second Knight Order, when she went to other departments, being ignored for being a young woman was natural. She also faced a lot of hazing. But there were always times when people who had been looking at Spica with cold eyes would suddenly become kind.

When that happened, if she turned around, Alkaid would be standing there.

Back then, she thought it was because a man the size of a door — no, not just any door but a main gate-sized knight commander — was protecting her.

‘The Commander just now, it seemed like he raised his visor in front of Lepus.’

Had he shown his face to those people back then too? But knights, especially knight commanders, had uniforms that were like identification cards, so there would be no need for that.

Lepus’s reaction was even more incomprehensible. Instead of being amazed after seeing Alkaid’s face, he was terrified?

“Just how scary was the threat……”

“Threat? Who dares to threaten?”

The Commander threatened Lepus?

Spica, who couldn’t say that, just shook her head.

“No. Haha.”

She won’t reveal her inner thoughts.

Alkaid looked down at the top of Spica’s head with displeasure. It was an expression she couldn’t see, hidden by the helmet.

The two people who had driven away Lepus were returning to the knight order. Spica stealthily looked around. Fortunately, no one was passing by.

‘I should probably give it now, right? The thank-you gift.’

If other knights saw this, they would ask what this was, why she was only giving it to the Commander, didn’t she think of them, and would wag their tails excitedly again. It was somewhat embarrassing to reveal that she had been indebted to the hotel.

Spica took out the box she had been fiddling with since early morning.

“Commander, I…… would you accept this?”

Alkaid stopped walking abruptly.

He had thought Spica was being wary of her surroundings like a squirrel hiding food. But he didn’t expect something like this to pop out.

“For…… for me?”

“Yes, I found a good house and moved. As a way of saying I’ve been doing well thanks to you…… It’s nothing special, but I prepared it. If it weren’t for you, Commander, it would have been difficult to leave home right away like that.”

“I told you it was fine.”

Though he said that, Alkaid’s voice had quietly brightened.

How cute. Spica thought that without realizing it and smiled along.

“May I open it now?”

“Of course. It’s really nothing special though……”

Alkaid ignored Spica’s words and opened the box.

This was the first thing she had prepared for him. Even if it contained a single fairy tale coin, he would treasure it.

‘But it’s a velvet box. It’s exactly a ring case.’

Though it was unlikely, it was true that he was getting a little hopeful.

But what revealed itself inside was a pair of cufflinks. They had a calm red background with white stripes like a tiger.

Alkaid’s expression became strange. Over pure joy, a pleasure like watching a well-fitted puzzle find its place cast a shadow. Fear also resided on one side.

Spica waited for the silent Alkaid while clasping her innocent hands together and twisting them.

‘I wonder if he likes it.’

It probably wasn’t high-quality enough to catch the eye of a ducal heir, but somehow she had expectations. She had bought it because she immediately wanted to give it to Alkaid when she saw it.

The fact that the button color was similar to his eyes made her feel a little guilty, like she was confessing to having seen his face. But couldn’t she just pretend it was a coincidence?

Alkaid, who had been touching the red, smooth surface, finally opened his mouth.

“Originally, a commander shouldn’t accept private gifts from subordinate knights.”

“Ah……”

She felt her heart drop. Spica wanted to punch her own head for not thinking of such an obvious thing.

Just when she was about to extend her hand to take it back despite the embarrassment, before she could even apologize, Alkaid spoke first.

“I’d like to make an exception just this once. Will you keep it a secret?”

He must like it! Spica’s face brightened like a sunflower.

“If you’ll also keep it secret, Commander.”

“Of course. Then now we’re accomplices.”

“Accomplices? Haha.”

Alkaid slowly watched Spica giggling. She was within arm’s reach.

But even touching her cheek once made her stiffen rigidly. Alkaid rolled the box in his itching hands and held it out to Spica.

“Will you put them on? To commemorate becoming accomplices.”

Alkaid spoke nonchalantly, but Spica couldn’t accept it as naturally. Putting on accessories — wasn’t that something only lovers would do?

Or perhaps a servant helping with grooming…….

‘B-but right now the Commander doesn’t have free hands.’

Spica dismissed the useless thoughts and moved her hands.

The cufflinks decorating Alkaid’s sleeves today were silver buttons. Lines so detailed they couldn’t be seen unless viewed closely drew the crest of the Winterhold ducal family.

‘Should I dare touch something like this.’

It was such a high-quality item that she became even more embarrassed about putting on what she had bought.

From above, she could feel Alkaid’s piercing gaze. If he hadn’t been wearing a helmet, her cheeks would have definitely stung.

But the biggest problem was that Alkaid’s hands kept brushing against hers.

She already knew his hands were large. He was a tall person to begin with.

But knowing something and actually having skin touch skin were completely different stories. It wasn’t even a handshake, and every time they lightly brushed and briefly touched before separating, she felt a strange sensation bit by bit.

‘Is it because they’re hot and firm.’

The prominently protruding wrist bones and thick knuckles kept drawing her gaze, and every time she felt his body temperature higher than hers, tension surged.

‘Get it together, Spica.’

Every time her hands trembled, she urged herself on and barely managed to change all the buttons.

It was truly a long time that made her sweat, but seeing that Alkaid said nothing special, it seemed it wasn’t so for him.

He checked his sleeves front and back and said.

“Thank you. I’ll wear them every day.”

“Th-they’re not that good. The original ones were pretty too, so how about using various ones……”

“Does it bother you?”

“Well…… I suppose……?”

She heard laughter flowing from behind the visor.

Then a declaration like a murmur too.

“Then I’ll have to wear them every day.”

Spica’s mind went blank. Did those words mean he wanted her to be bothered?

If it had been someone else, she would have thought it was mean, but somehow when Alkaid did it, her heart skipped a beat.

Alkaid walked while listening to Spica’s heartbeat quickening with a thump-thump.

“Do you like the house you moved to?”

“Yes. I got an unexpectedly good house, you know? I was lucky.”

“What was particularly good about it.”

“Everything’s good but…… there’s a good place to train in the garden? The entrance is pretty?”

“The entrance was pretty?”

“Yes, vines and flowers wrap around the pillars and walls. Every time I open the door, it makes me feel good.”

Spica, who had been bragging like she had built the house herself, thought seriously for a moment and revised her ranking.

“Oh wait, no. The meals are number one after all? They’re so delicious that I’m eating tons for breakfast and dinner. I think I’ll gain weight quickly like this.”

“Is that so.”

Alkaid replied contentedly.

Spica could also feel that his mood had improved. Between Alkaid’s arm that had come close enough to almost touch and her shoulder flowed some current that was difficult to define clearly.

But one thing was certain.

This path, walking slowly with Alkaid, felt much shorter than when she had walked quickly from the knight order office to the grand conference room.

* * *