“Yes. As someone in a position to protect them all, I must at least extend the minimum courtesy.”

He meant it sincerely.

However, there was another reason he did not disclose to them.

As the conversation progressed, he had finally come up with a crude but feasible solution to the problem he had been wrestling with.

If sacrifices must be made for the greater good, then at the very least, he should hear out the voices of those few who would be sacrificed.

He planned to tell them everything as it was and let them decide how they wished the matter to be handled.

“If that is the case, I will accompany you. Please allow me to join you.”

At Theron’s resolute request, Aiger responded with a subtle expression, neither rejecting nor agreeing immediately.

“I will consider allowing you to accompany me.”

Now that the previously strained conversation had reached a relatively smooth conclusion, Aiger promptly dismissed his two uninvited guests.

“You should leave now. If you linger too long, you won’t hear anything pleasant.”

“How could you say—”

“It’s fine. Just leave.”

Theron’s gaze deepened as he regarded the crown prince, who even showed consideration by warning them not to get entangled with someone of his infamous reputation.

Aiger’s true intention had merely been to rid himself of nuisances, but regardless of his motives, he had left a profound impression on Duke Theron Lucart.

As he brushed aside the long vines that acted as a curtain, blocking the view from outside, Theron spoke as he walked.

“I will send letters to your estate and the surrounding villages.”

“Oh, yes. That would be very helpful, Your Grace.”

With those words, he fell silent, walking at a pace noticeably slower than usual.

He was matching his stride to Julia’s.

Thanks to that, Julia, who normally would have struggled to keep up, now had the leisure to entertain other thoughts. She glanced up at Theron and absentmindedly rubbed the ticklish feeling in her chest.

Although she had sought his help and stubbornly followed him here, she had not expected Duke Lucart to become so actively involved in this matter.

‘Father, it seems that not all nobles in high positions are two-faced or terrifying.’

Sending silent regards to her father, who was surely worrying about her back home, Julia stepped out of the greenhouse alongside Theron.

Once their presence had completely faded, Aiger leaned one elbow on the sofa’s armrest and rested his chin on his hand in a slanted posture, then asked—

“Were you acquainted with Duke Lucart?” 

“No.”

Raylin immediately denied it. She didn’t know why, but her instincts screamed that she had to.

Aiger’s slightly raised eyebrow returned to its place upon hearing her swift and unwavering response.

Seizing the opportunity, Raylin quickly explained the circumstances that led to her accompanying them.

“I have no personal connection with him. But he suddenly came to visit today without any prior arrangement…”

Aiger, listening quietly, asked, “Did you tell them I might know something and request to accompany them?”

“Yes. Despite the gravity of the situation, the empire remains silent. That means something is happening beneath the surface that ordinary people are unaware of. So I assumed Your Highness must know something.”

Raylin grinned and added, “And I was right.”

Aiger, seeing her unable to hide her pride and satisfaction over something she hadn’t even done herself, couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Raylin, who had never seen Aiger laugh so openly, widened her eyes in surprise.

Aiger, noticing her staring at him with round, blinking eyes, spoke in an amused tone.

“Why do you look like that?”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Your Highness laugh so freely.”

Only then did Aiger realize his own expression and traced the shape of his lips with his fingers.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. It suits you.”

Her words held no deep meaning. It was simply an observation, a reaction to witnessing a rare expression from someone who seldom smiled.

Even though Aiger knew this, he couldn’t help but feel his previously subdued mood lifting once again.

Only Raylin had the power to shake him like this with just a few words.

Though, she remained unaware of that fact.

As he gazed at her smiling face, Aiger instinctively realized that now was the perfect opportunity.

“By the way, Raylin.”

“Yes… Yes?”

Raylin responded reflexively, only to realize a moment later that he had just called her by her name. Her lips parted slightly in surprise before she quickly pressed them shut.

Feeling the heat rapidly spreading across her cheeks, she subtly inched backward.

Why was her face turning red over something as simple as her name being called?

It must have been because of that night.

That night when he had suddenly sought her out, asking for a cure for his insomnia. The night when, in a moment of madness, she had volunteered to be his human pillow.

She had tried so hard not to recall that embarrassing memory.

Right… What was he thinking when he had suddenly called her name back then?

Until that point, he had always addressed her formally as “Lady Greuga.” But that night, he had caught her off guard, calling her name without warning.

Wait, now that she thought about it, how had Aiger been addressing her since then?

Raylin’s emerald eyes wavered like an earthquake had struck.

He hadn’t called her anything at all.

Since that night, he had completely stopped using titles like “Lady Greuga” or even simply “Lady.”

My god, had he been waiting for the right moment to call me by name all this time?

If this was just one of his whims, it was far too meticulously planned to be a coincidence.

Before she could even sort out the mess in her head, he nudged her ever so slightly at just the right moment.

“Don’t you think it’s about time?”

“T-time for what?”

“For us to call each other by name.”

What does he mean by ‘about time’?

The question rose to her lips but never left her mouth.

Even she had to admit that her relationship with Aiger had completely changed from before.

How? Well… for the better?

They had saved lives together, worked on several tasks side by side.

He could even drop by at night unannounced and it would be fine.

Wait, that last part sounded strange, but it was all for the sake of curing his insomnia…

Before she could organize her thoughts, Aiger continued speaking.

“We made a proper deal, we’ve held hands. And a hug? Well, we even slept together—”

“You don’t need to say it out loud!”

Raylin jumped up from her seat, cutting him off with a shout.

Sure, it had been for treatment purposes, but still! A grown man and woman had shared a bed, tightly embracing each other.

Wasn’t that the sort of thing one should refrain from mentioning so loudly in public?

Seeing her flailing hands in embarrassment, Aiger simply shrugged.

“So, it’s about time you called me Aiger.”

“No, I’m fine with calling you ‘Your Highness.’ That’s more than enough—”

Raylin instinctively resisted saying his name.

It was just a name, just a way of addressing him. And yet, she felt that if she crossed that line, something inside her would change irreversibly.

But Aiger, as if he had already decided on the outcome, responded calmly.

“I can’t be the only one calling you by name. That wouldn’t be polite.”

“I really don’t—”

“Raylin.”

Her protests were swallowed by the way he said her name.

It sounded almost affectionate.

Locking eyes with his deep, dark-blue gaze, Raylin found herself unconsciously responding.

“A… Aiger.”

“That’s right.”

He smiled, a satisfied grin like that of a well-fed lion.

Watching him, Raylin found herself silently repeating his name over and over again in her mind.

‘Aiger. Aiger Reinhardt.’

His name was something she had known for a long time, so it shouldn’t have felt particularly special. And yet, her throat tickled as if she had swallowed dandelion fluff.

“Say it once more.”

“Aiger.”

“That’s right. Raylin.”

Perhaps it was because emotions like excitement, joy, and satisfaction were so vividly evident beside him.

As if what was pouring onto him was not the noonday sunlight but Raylin herself, Aiger took in the scent of golden osmanthus and smiled.

***

“Kyaaaah!”

“Ugh, so noisy. Here we go again.”

A middle-aged woman frowned at the sharp scream coming from the house next door.

As was often the case in the back alleys, she didn’t know their story, but the couple who had drifted in one day fought nearly every other day.

There was always the sound of something breaking, accompanied by shouting, screaming, and even crying.

It was a noise she had grown used to, yet it still irritated her, and her wrinkles had only deepened day by day because of it.

She should never have turned away that time when, having finally lost her patience, she had gone to complain and found the neighbor’s woman at the door covered in bruises.

Since when had she started concerning herself with other people’s business when her own life was hard enough? Why had she simply handed over a few potatoes and left without saying a word?

The middle-aged woman curled up under her blanket, trying to ignore the scream that tore through the dawn.

How much time had passed?

“Aah! Aaaargh!”

“This is unbearable!”

As the relentless screaming showed no sign of stopping, the woman finally heaved her heavy body out of bed.

She had to put an end to this today. Even if it meant beating up that husband or lover or whoever he was with her own hands, she would see this through.

She threw on some clothes and grabbed the spiked club that had kept her safe all these years in the dangerous back alleys.

She might be living a quiet life now, but she had been born and raised in these streets—she had never been one to get beaten down easily.

That no-good bastard had been bragging about getting some ‘good medicine’ the other day.

Hah, as if there was any ‘good’ medicine in these alleys.

Was he really so ignorant even at his age? Or did he know the truth but wanted so badly to believe otherwise?

Either way, it was utterly—

“Pathetic.”