“No, we have to do this. It becomes very troublesome when I encounter that person.”

Among beast-humans, descendants of the Rastavan imperial family who received dragon blood have excellent intuition. And they were humans who were as unpredictable as they were genius.

He hadn’t shown himself with Spica yet, but the moment they were caught, the Crown Prince’s interest would definitely turn to her.

Talitha had inserted the fuse and Lepus had pulled the spark, and then Alkaid had practically wrapped Spica up with his scent.

‘I wasn’t in a position to say anything to that Arneb fellow.’

His mouth tasted bitter even though he was holding candy.

He bit down on the small candy. Sour syrup flowed out just as the Commander’s office door burst open.

“Alki! I’m here!”

“……Alki?”

So he had a nickname too. Spica’s interested gaze was shamelessly deflected by the helmet.

Meanwhile, a disappointed voice was muttering from across the window.

“……What, he’s not here?”

“He’s not in?”

“Right, Dame Meg! Our Commander Alki isn’t here! Where did he go? Can’t you produce him right now?”

Megrez said everything she had to say even while being caught and shaken by the Crown Prince.

“How would I know? It’s not like I hid him.”

“If you don’t know, who does! You were sitting there like a gatekeeper!”

“That’s what I’m saying. He was here just a moment ago!”

The Crown Prince’s golden eyes sparkled.

Truth.

Megrez’s words were fact.

“Hmph. So you want to play hide and seek?”

The Crown Prince snorted.

Megrez, a man of loyalty, probably knew where Alkaid had disappeared to, but she never looked toward the window while gently shaking off the Crown Prince who was clinging to her leg.

But the Crown Prince wasn’t one to let go. He pointed to the door he had entered through and shouted loudly.

“Let’s go! Dame Meg!”

“Pardon? Yes?”

“Ah. You’re going to send out a Crown Prince who came without escort knights alone?”

“Well, that’s……”

“In these times when children are disappearing?”

“……”

“I understand the Imperial Second Knight Order’s position well.”

“……That’s why I keep telling you not to ditch your escorts all the time.”

Megrez sighed while giving the Crown Prince a piggyback ride. The Crown Prince, who had been giggling, grumbled about something else that displeased him.

“I should name my horse Silence.”

“Neigh neigh……”

The presence disappeared along with the neighing of a pitiful horse.

Though brief, it felt like a storm had passed. Spica asked carefully.

“That person earlier……?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Come to think of it, she had often heard stories about Alkaid avoiding the Crown Prince. She had wondered why someone who seemed afraid of nothing in the world would do that, but now she seemed to understand the reason.

Just hearing the sound made her soul escape, so what would it be like to actually experience it?

But…….

“Alki?”

When she called out with a bright smile, Alkaid turned his head sharply. Spica tilted her face this way and that, playfully facing the visor head-on. When she kept doing it no matter how much he avoided, finally the sound of Alkaid sighing could be heard.

“Do you want to call your superior like that?”

“Will you punish me?”

He liked her eyes that sparkled mischievously without being intimidated. Alkaid smiled thinly.

“……I’ll allow it. If it’s you.”

Like this, Alkaid gave another span of his side to her.

Spica curled up her fingertips that somehow felt feverish. She became newly conscious of Alkaid’s presence beside her.

Her breathing shook wildly like a heart that had risen to her throat. Spica took a deep breath. In the middle of the neatly arranged flower bed, the fresh scent of plants rushed in and seemed to calm her agitation somewhat.

And with the breath she exhaled and inhaled again,

A familiar fragrance mixed in at the end of it.

“Huh?”

Spica, who was startled, forgot the fact that they were hiding and stood up abruptly on the spot.

The Crown Prince wouldn’t miss that. He kicked open the window.

“Aha! I knew you were here!”

A blonde, golden-eyed boy shouting triumphantly. Behind him, Dame Megrez with disheveled hair. And Alkaid rising ominously slowly.

‘I-I caused trouble.’

Spica, who had turned pale, belatedly came to her senses and knelt on one knee.

“Imperial Second Knight Order Adjutant Spica Atrain greets Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

It was just as Alkaid had expected. The Crown Prince’s eyes, which had been staring intently at Spica, curved into half-moons. It meant he had found the best source of entertainment.

“Can I call you Sister Spica?”

It wouldn’t have mattered. If only the other party wasn’t the Crown Prince.

What should I do? Spica reflexively looked at Alkaid. He, who had been crossing his arms in displeasure, warned quietly.

“She’s my adjutant. Don’t trouble her.”

“Hm? What did I do?”

Come in, come in. The Crown Prince gestured heartily while laughing. The Crown Prince was 10 years old from what Spica knew, but his laughter was closer to an old man than a child.

But the way he circled around Spica after coming inside looked lively and age-appropriate.

“Wow, you have truly beautiful eyes. They’re like a spring sky that makes me want to jump in and swim right away.”

……Take back what I just said.

Spica smiled awkwardly.

“Th-thank you?”

“Yes, yes. Let’s get along well, Sister.”

Alkaid clicked his tongue inwardly. Seeing the excited Crown Prince and Megrez who wanted to escape from here somehow, it was clear they hadn’t left to find Alkaid but had been hiding their presence outside the office.

‘Wasting magic on completely useless things.’

While he was holding back from wanting to hold his forehead, the Crown Prince asked with a grin.

“How is it? Do you like wearing a helmet? Isn’t it stuffy?”

“Yes, it’s so good that I want to ask you to please enact a law so everyone wears them.”

“Commander Alki sometimes talks nonsense.”

What kind of conversation am I listening to?

Spica thought while feeling restless. Alkaid and the Crown Prince seemed very close. The Crown Prince grabbed her arm like he had read her desire to quickly step aside from between them.

“He’s this kind of commander, but please take good care of our Alkaid, Sister Spica.”

“Rather, shouldn’t I be the one asking Your Highness to take good care of me……”

“Did you hear? Spica acknowledged me as your master, Commander Alki.”

He’s doing that on purpose. Alkaid knew why the Crown Prince was so excited. He wanted to touch his other half and draw out a different reaction.

Even knowing he shouldn’t fall for it, he wanted to separate the Crown Prince from Spica right now.

“That’s enough small talk. Please state the business that brought you here.”

“Ah, right. I’m going to hold a party. I’m telling you in advance so no one skips it.”

“Postpone it. Now that the missing case has been reported, the timing isn’t good. Political attacks will come.”

“You’re looking at it politically? It just so happens that it’s been five years since I ascended to my position as crown prince.”

Why are you having such a conversation while including me?

Spica looked resentfully at Megrez, who was slowly backing toward the door by herself.

‘Let’s go together.’

‘Sorry, I have no power……’

Alkaid was silent for a moment. The Crown Prince had been invested when he was very young, so no investiture banquet was held. So if he personally held a party to commemorate the fifth anniversary…… no one would dare object, regardless of timing.

But there must be another reason why the Crown Prince brought up the party story now.

“Will you publicly mention this incident there?”

“Yes, we need funds, right? Personnel too. But since it’s slum children who disappeared, everyone’s probably treating it indifferently.”

The Crown Prince was right. Everyone only thought of that incident as something to pick  apart, but were uncooperative when it came to actually tracking the culprit. Several faces flashed through Alkaid’s mind.

‘Since the Crown Prince is giving direct orders, there will be many watching eyes, so interference will decrease.’

The guard commander’s head flying would be delayed, but such people were excellent at protecting themselves, so they would stop lining their pockets for the time being.

Alkaid nodded and pulled Spica toward himself.

“I’ll prepare.”

“Yeah, I knew you’d agree.”

The Crown Prince replied matter-of-factly while looking intently at Spica’s right arm. Then he soon smiled innocently.

“I was wondering what to make the dress code, but I decided after seeing Commander Alki. I should tell everyone to come wearing helmets.”

“The ladies too?”

Spica asked back. She had been hypnotizing herself saying she couldn’t hear, couldn’t hear, thinking it was best not to listen to stories she couldn’t handle, but when she imagined mismatched helmets floating around on top of gorgeous dresses, she absolutely couldn’t stand it.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun, right?”

“……I will definitely attend in uniform.”

“You want to be like the Commander?”

“Of-of course.”

Half was because she was an adjutant, and the other half was sincere. Alkaid’s sword, swung with tremendous power, was even beautiful.

Alkaid’s hand tightened. Spica, who suddenly became aware of the fact that she was touching him, rolled her eyes to the opposite side for no reason.

Hmm, the Crown Prince, who had been smiling meaningfully, suddenly clicked his tongue.

“I should go now. Something annoying has already caught up.”

Something annoying.

She didn’t know who the other party was, but from behavior to words, they were too similar to Alkaid, who had noticed the Crown Prince’s presence and avoided him just moments ago.