Karl’s voice turned into flames, heating up her nape.

She felt his moist tongue thoroughly licking her wound that had bloomed red like flower petals.

Karl held her startled, trembling waist tightly while covering the wound marks with his kiss marks.

“Ah.”

Lumiere shuddered at the strange sensation that made her toes curl.

Her whole body trembled at his hands caressing her waist.

The fear that had been choking her became dim, and only the pleasure Karl gave filled her mind.

She loved this blindly crashing heat.

She wanted to be swept away by him, unable to think of anything.

She had to admit it.

Pushing Karl away was too difficult.

She couldn’t find any rational reason why she should push him away.

She didn’t know.

She just loved his tenderness.

Lumiere stared blankly into space with eyes hazed by pleasure and comfort.

‘Just, like this. This way……’

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly, gray smoke began appearing before her eyes.

“……!”

The acrid smell of something precious burning and the ominous gray blocking her vision.

“F-fire!”

Lumiere pushed him away in panic, her eyes wide open.

“Lumiere?”

“There’s a fire, Karl! Fire! We need to get down quickly! What are you doing, not stopping the carriage!”

Karl firmly gripped her shoulders as she panicked with a face turned white.

“Lumiere! It’s okay. There’s no fire.”

She stared blankly at Karl with surprised, wide eyes.

Her hazy eyes gradually cleared, and her already pale face turned even paler.

He was right.

There were no flames anywhere.

The gray smoke wasn’t visible anywhere either.

Lumiere closed her eyes in despair.

Something was going wrong.

* * *

“…… Found it.”

Tamia stood up with a brightened face.

She finally found a way to neutralize exius.

She collapsed back into her seat with an exhausted face and laughed helplessly.

Who would have thought there’d be another side story to 〈Labuta Plant Guide〉.

“Why did this old man write the main book over 600 pages but split the side story into two 100-page volumes.”

Making people confused.

Tamia held her throbbing head while letting out a long sigh.

Exius was a flower with eight yellow petals wrapping around red stamens, and until a hundred years ago, its flower, stem, and roots were all used as medicine.

It was mainly used to control pain or calm the mind and body.

However, if poorly compounded, it caused hallucinations and made the heart race, allowing people to stay energetic without sleep.

Some countries abused this by using it on soldiers during war or making drugs to incite people.

When the side effects became too severe, some botanists started a movement to burn exius.

When it was nearly extinct, a variant of exius was discovered.

It looked identical but had different colors.

This flower with purple petals and red stamens, when consumed or inhaled like the original exius, cleared the mind like the original but wasn’t addictive.

Furthermore, it even neutralized exius’s addiction symptoms.

The flower was named anti-exius.

However, the problem was that this flower was even harder to grow than exius.

It needed abundant sunlight, required a hot and humid climate, and mainly grew near the sea.

Therefore, the book stated that it primarily grew naturally on pristine islands that preserved their ancient form.

“…… How ironic.”

Tamia laughed helplessly while looking at the open book.

By this point, she couldn’t help but wonder if this was fate’s prank.

‘A pristine island……’

Tamia thought for a moment before picking up her pen.

It was about time for that person to arrive.

Lumiere’s symptoms were worsening day by day, so she couldn’t hesitate any longer.

Tamia wrote down the long story as if she’d made up her mind.

* * *

“…… Don’t worry. I’m just tired. It’s nothing.”

By the time they arrived at the Lashantia mansion, Lumiere finally let slip the words she’d been holding back.

Strangely, she kept feeling self-conscious.

It wasn’t like Karl was looking at her with impure eyes either.

But his hardened face kept bothering her.

The man who clearly didn’t care about his own wound was watching her with careful and serious eyes.

Karl gazed at such a Lumiere before quietly responding with a smile.

“You’re right. Even I sometimes have auditory issues when stressed. It’s probably similar to that. It hasn’t been long since your accident either. So don’t worry too much.”

Lumiere’s face relaxed at Karl’s words.

Come to think of it, he was right.

It was common for physical symptoms to appear when fatigue built up.

‘Maybe my body’s gotten too weak from always staying home and sitting around.’

Lumiere blamed her weak body while speaking like it was nothing.

“Yes. So don’t worry about me and take care of your wound properly. Understood?”

“I will. I’ll take my medicine well and apply the ointment properly.”

Pleased with his answer, Lumiere smiled and stroked his cheek before pulling back her hand in surprise.

“I’m sorry, my hand moved on its own.”

“What are you sorry for? You can touch more. Go ahead and touch all you want before you go.”

“No thanks? Ah, looks like we’ve arrived.”

Lumiere pushed away Karl who was offering his cheek more, feeling embarrassed, and quickly opened the carriage door.

“Thank you for bringing me. Take care on your way back.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Right before closing the door, Lumiere looked at him as she remembered something she wanted to say, but quickly shook her head to clear away the idle thought.

‘When will you come again?’

‘Wouldn’t such a question sound too much like something lovers say?’

Besides, he wasn’t someone who could properly answer such questions.

He was a man who came and went like the wind.

“……I’ll go.”

Just before she closed the carriage door, Karl caught her.

“Lumiere.”

When she looked at him questioningly, he suddenly pulled her neck.

“……!”

In an instant, he stole her lips.

He kissed her cheek while she could only blink in surprise, then whispered.

“You’ll be fine soon. And……”

“……”

“This time, I’ll really come back quickly.”

He mumbled with an apologetic expression.

There seemed to be a hint of embarrassment too.

He looked like he wanted to say more but held back.

Lumiere felt she somehow understood what it was.

‘I’m sorry for making you wait every time.’

The sincerity reflected in his golden eyes conveyed silently.

Her heart ached heavily.

“Don’t open the door for just anyone.”

He whispered playfully and released his grip on her neck.

Leaving her dumbfounded, his carriage departed smoothly.

* * *

Shortly after departing from the mansion.

“Wait a moment!”

Someone who seemed to have been waiting there appeared suddenly and stopped the carriage.

Chris, sitting in the coachman’s seat, recognized her first and spoke in surprise.

“Miss Tamia? What are you doing here?”

“I was waiting. I thought you would come around this time.”

“Who……”

Before Chris could finish speaking, the carriage window opened.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“Yes. I waited for you, Mr. Winger. To give you this.”

Tamia held out an envelope she had been clutching tightly to Karl.

“What is this?”

“Once you read this, I won’t be able to speak to you for a while. You might have questions after reading it, but I won’t be able to answer any of them. I ask for your understanding in advance.”

“What do you……”

Karl stared at Tamia with strange eyes as she spoke oddly.

But Tamia couldn’t explain further.

‘I hope this man understands.’

He might not believe it.

He might even think she’s a strange woman and remove her from Lumiere’s side.

But Tamia judged there was a greater possibility that he wouldn’t.

The man she had observed would be willing to grasp at straws right now.

“……Please make your decision quickly.”

Tamia’s eyes flashed once again with an otherworldly color.

Karl stared at her intently with deepened eyes and accepted the envelope she held out.

When Tamia stepped back, the carriage departed as if nothing had happened.