Louis glared at Kai while breathing heavily. He had spotted Aer and him together from afar and ran like mad.

He was displeased. He hadn’t liked Kai from the start.

If someone asked him if it was inferiority, he couldn’t deny it.

A tall build unlike his own, an expression and manners full of being loved.

And a perfect status that could be revealed.

All of these were things Louis didn’t have.

So what?

He had finally found his person. He wasn’t stupid or desperate enough to lose her, who was even his soulmate.

“Ah, if it isn’t Louis.”

Kai relaxed his expression upon seeing Louis, whose eye level had somehow become similar to his. Deliberately ignoring the unpleasant and strong grip, he smiled as if nothing was wrong.

“Don’t touch Aer carelessly.”

Kai’s expression hardened again at Louis’s cold words.

“Hmm, I’m grateful that both of you speak to me comfortably… But are you in a position to order me around?”

Aer felt displeased by Kai’s words.

“Do you have the right to do so after startling someone carelessly?”

At her sharp tone, Kai smiled broadly as usual and said.

“Why are you both so angry?”

“Try being followed secretly and startled. See if you get angry or not.”

“I’m sorry, Aer. No, I called out several times, but you didn’t notice. So I just followed out of curiosity…”

Aer realized the nature of the discomfort she had felt towards Kai all along.

His manners were solely based on his own standards. Not manners that stemmed from consideration for others, but manners based on his own criteria.

That attitude of assuming it was natural for others to accept it.

She found that aspect of Kai burdensome and unpleasant.

“Didn’t you think I might be busy?”

“Come on, what could a student be busy with? See, you’re meeting up with each other as always.”

“…Right, a student wouldn’t have anything to be busy with. More precisely, a student like you.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to say anymore.”

Aer snorted and turned her head away. Her heart, which had been racing with excitement, had now cooled down.

Somehow feeling like all the excitement had been ruined, she was considering just going to Kaylee’s, when Louis gently stroked the back of her hand.

It was a markedly different, more respectful feeling than when Kai had grabbed her.

It felt as if he was soothing her heart rather than her hand, and her sharp mood subsided without her realizing it.

“I’m sorry for making you wait, Aer.”

“…It’s okay. I just got here too.”

“Hey, you two are too much. Let me join in.”

Kai, with his arms crossed in front of his chest, felt his fingertips twitch. He was dying to know what that sensation he felt earlier was.

Wanting to grab Aer’s wrist again, he wanted to squeeze between the two.

However, Louis didn’t give him any room.

Louis slightly turned his body to envelop Aer. His intention not to let anyone come between them was so clear that Kai let out a hollow laugh.

That commoner, for the first time, he didn’t like him.

***

After finally shaking off the persistently clingy Kai, Aer entered the perfume shop Perfume with Louis.

Before Aer could pay for the osmanthus-scented perfume she had chosen again, Louis handed a gold coin to the clerk.

“I was going to buy it myself…”

At Aer’s words, Louis smiled kindly and said.

“From now on, I’ll buy this perfume for you.”

He meant that he would continue to buy the perfume he first gifted her.

Aer lowered her eyes with a prim expression. There was no way she couldn’t like those words.

To hide the rising corners of her mouth, she covered her mouth with her hand. Still, she couldn’t hide her curved eye corners.

The two came outside. Louis naturally held Aer’s hand.

“But where does Louis get money from?”

She certainly knew him as a commoner, yet he kept pulling out gold coins. Now suspicious, Aer asked, and Louis pondered for a moment before answering.

“…I have some inheritance from my mother.”

It wasn’t a lie since his mother had introduced him to Astin. All the money he used came from his work as an information broker.

After all, there was no way a budget would be allocated to a prince living in an abandoned palace.

Aer inwardly regretted bringing it up. He had talked about his family before.

He had said his mother passed away early, and while he had a father, he had a new wife and couldn’t pay attention to him.

‘In any case, the father is the problem in every family.’

She naturally thought of her own father.

‘I wonder if he’s still following the Duchess of Raymond around. Well, since he even divorced mother, he must be following her around even more freely, as if he’s grown wings.’

Her expression soured as she thought of her father after a long time.

“…Aer, aren’t you hungry?”

“Come to think of it…”

“I heard there’s a good restaurant, want to go?”

“Really? What do they serve?”

“They say they serve cabbage roll cream stew.”

“Wow, that sounds delicious. Okay, I’ll treat you there!”

“Hehe, alright.”

He felt happy as Aer’s expression brightened. He thought he made the right decision to turn the carriage around when he was on his way to the imperial palace.

If it hadn’t been for that, Kai, that man, would have certainly noticed. The fact that Aer was a healer.

Louis, walking alongside her, glanced at Aer from the corner of his eye. He had thought Aer would inform the Academy that she was a healer.

But Aer hid her manifestation just like him.

Normally, when manifestation occurs at the age of ten, the family directly informs the Imperial Palace, so they wouldn’t think of hiding it.

There were cases where families hid it themselves, but it was only possible if the mark was in a place that couldn’t be seen.

In such cases, for example, it was done by those who feared losing their life on the battlefield, like families with only sons for three generations or those where heirs were precious.

But why did Aer hide it? He was curious about the reason.

Anyway, if Aer wanted to hide it, he wanted to respect her wishes.

For that, she shouldn’t come into contact with awakened ones like Kai.

Even if they don’t know about the mark, awakened ones can sense it through energy.

‘Yes, I’m protecting Aer’s wishes.’

Louis found a justification to push away awakened ones approaching Aer.

A refreshing energy was spreading from their joined hands. Just from holding one hand, his mind felt clear.

Even walking through crowded streets, his mind remained calm.

To him, Aer was like a lake deep in the mountains.

He felt like he could fly at the thought of monopolizing that lake.

***

“Did you see that, Miss Anna?”

The young ladies with her said, shaking. Anna too, with her eyes wide open in disbelief, watched Kai and Aer.

Anna and her group, who had seen everything including Louis’s late arrival, glared at the two disappearing into the alley with looks full of displeasure.

“How dare a commoner push away Sir Kai’s arm.”

“Even if the Academy’s principle is that there are no classes, this isn’t the Academy, is it?”

“Miss Anna is right. My goodness, I never dreamed she was such a vulgar person.”

“That’s not it. It’s because the closest noble that person has observed is that Bestia.”

“Ah, Miss Anna, you’re right. Of all people, to have seen someone who’s not even like a noble!”

“I truly… My heart ached so much I couldn’t bear to watch Sir Kai’s departing back.”

Anna glared at the alley where Aer had disappeared. She had disliked her since she talked back to her mother before the vacation.

She seemed to have forgotten the most important etiquette while pretending to be smart.

“I can’t stand it anymore.”

“Miss Anna… Do you perhaps have a plan?”

“It would be ridiculous if awakened ones like Sir Kai or Sir Ian stepped in. But wouldn’t it be different if we healers took action?”

“That’s right.”

“I’ll help too.”

Although it was just about ostracizing one person as a group, their expressions were quite solemn. Anna, with the most serious expression among them, explained her plan.

“I need your help. We need to move during activity classes, so if anyone happens to be in the same group as Bestia after drawing lots, please switch the numbered paper with me.”

“We should hope that one of us ends up in the same group as Bestia.”

They finished their conversation secretly before returning to their families. Meanwhile, Aer and Louis came out of the alley.

They quietly watched the two disappear into the crowd, then exchanged farewells and left.

Anna glared at Aer until the very end before turning away.

The corners of her mouth were turned up slightly. She was simply happy to have found a reason to take revenge on Aer, who had humiliated her and her mother.