“That’s why I’m saying you should take responsibility. If I had disliked it, you would have died on the spot.”

What did I just hear?

Roen looked at him with bewildered eyes. But Jean met her gaze calmly, without any sign of embarrassment.

It seemed he was saying she should take responsibility because he had liked it.

Wait, this isn’t right…

Something was strange.

Of course, she had planned to seduce him and have him in her grasp.

But it felt like he was falling into her hands too easily.

So she felt oddly uneasy.

‘He must have another intention. Either to trick me or…’

Roen’s mind was complicated by this sudden development.

“There’s no need to be suspicious. I have no other intentions.”

“How can I believe you? Someone who tried to strangle me twice.”

At Roen’s pointed remark, Jean’s brow furrowed.

“To be honest, it doesn’t hurt anymore. Isn’t it the same for you?”

“What was hurting? You need to tell me exactly to know.”

“Here.”

Jean pressed his hand against the area near his heart.

“That’s where the dragon’s scales…”

“Exactly.”

With his answer, Jean’s hand slowly unbuttoned his shirt. As the white shirt opened, his firm chest muscles were revealed.

At that moment, Roen’s cheeks flushed red.

On his beautiful muscles, which looked as if they had been meticulously carved with a chisel, black scales had sprouted.

Five of them.

Four bluish-black scales. And one of them was lighter in color.

It looked almost fragile, like a newly sprouting leaf.

“The bleeding has stopped. I thought I would go mad from the extreme pain until they fully sprouted.”

He meant that it wasn’t like that now. At that moment, Roen understood the intention behind Jean’s words.

“Do you think it’s because of the kiss?”

She couldn’t be certain it was just because of the kiss.

Even before that, the place where the new scale had sprouted had been tingling.

It was probably from the day she first saw him here at Argus Cliff.

That day, a new scale had sprouted.

He had surrendered his body under the waterfall to forget the pain, and felt like he would lose consciousness from the overwhelming agony.

But in his hazy consciousness, on the verge of losing his mind, emerald eyes had clearly entered his vision.

And the place where the scales were sprouting had tingled.

It was different.

It was a different sensation from when the dragon’s scales had sprouted before.

His mind, which had been filled with only terrible despair and darkness, became clear. His blocked breath, if only for a moment, felt like it was opening up.

And what was certain was that since three days ago, after kissing her at Ranke, the pain had noticeably decreased.

“It doesn’t hurt. And if anything has changed from before, it’s only that I kissed you.”

“Ah…”

Roen bit her lip with an awkward expression.

“You seem to know the reason.”

“Of course I know. I told you, didn’t I? That I know more about your curse than you do.”

Jean remembered that as well.

“Tell me what you know.”

“There’s a price. Would that be alright? The information I have is precious and not easily obtained.”

Jean nodded as if he had expected this.

“I’ll give you what you want, so answer first.”

At Jean’s urgent voice, Roen slowly opened her mouth.

“The bodily fluids of someone who has swallowed a dragon’s heart purify the poison of blood toxification. And conversely, the bodily fluids of someone carrying blood toxification help control the dragon’s power dormant in the body of the one who swallowed the dragon’s heart.”

By bodily fluids, she seemed to be referring to the saliva that had intertwined during their kiss.

It was an utterly absurd thing to say, but nevertheless, it had been effective. The pain had disappeared after that kiss at Ranke. So he couldn’t completely deny it.

“So you mean we help each other purify our poisons and control our powers.”

The word “we” bound the two of them with an invisible string.

In the eyes looking at each other, a different bond from before was formed.

From strangers who had strangled each other and proposed deals, the two had finally acknowledged each other as “we.”

“Yes. That’s right. You can verify it again if you want.”

She meant they should kiss right now to prove it. Her proposal was extremely bold and seductive, but it was also very dangerous for him.

For Jean, who had been living in terrible pain all this time, the kiss with Simonetta was like rain falling on a dry desert. So once addicted, it was clear he would never be able to escape.

What was needed now was a rational transaction.

“Now tell me what price you want. I’ll grant it.”

“The price I want is for us to help each other unconditionally when we’re in danger.”

Jean frowned, as if surprised.

“You mean when we’re in danger and need each other, we should kiss?”

“That’s right, but I don’t mean we should kiss every time. Three times should be enough, don’t you think?”

The condition “when needed” was too ambiguous.

Also, although he and she were bound within the framework of “we,” the fact that she would have to use him in the end remained unchanged.

So she shouldn’t get too close to him.

Just three times.

A relationship of helping each other in dangerous moments was appropriate.

“Fine. We should draw up a contract.”

Jean seemed to agree as he took a glass bottle from his pocket.

“This is my goodwill for our new contract. Take it.”

The glass bottle, through which moonlight passed, contained a luminous purple bead.

“The Peacock’s Tears.”

“Isn’t that what you came for?”

“Yes. It was.”

Roen took the glass bottle Jean offered and held it up to the moonlight. Watching her, Jean spoke.

“It seems the Peacock’s Tears are effective in purifying the deadly poison flowing in your body? Just as I was.”

Roen nodded and carefully clutched the glass bottle in her hand. Then, for the first time, she gave Jean a bright smile.

“Thank you, Duke. I thought I wouldn’t be able to get it this time either since it’s so late.”

For a very brief moment, Jean’s gaze was fixed on Roen’s face as if nailed there.

What is it?

Roen found it strange and called out to him.

“Duke?”

At Roen’s voice, Jean seemed to come to his senses, clearing his throat awkwardly and avoiding her gaze.

“You must have delayed too long at the entrance.”

“Yes. I don’t suppose you’d consider going to the meeting place even now?”

“No. I’m sure I made that clear that day.”

Jean firmly refused. Roen nodded as if she had expected this.

But she couldn’t just let go of the question she had been harboring since meeting him beneath Argus Cliff.

“May I ask why you came to the Recluse’s Forest then?”

At Roen’s question, Jean’s lips stiffened slightly.

“Why else? For the same reason as you. I also needed the Peacock’s Tears. And I had something to confirm as well.”

“By confirm, you mean… Ah.”

Roen’s cheeks turned red.

He must have also felt the changes in his body after the kiss at Ranke, so of course he would have been curious.

That curiosity would be resolved through the three kisses they had just contracted for.

“I should be going now. Cecil is waiting for me at the entrance.”

Roen put the glass bottle in her pocket and prepared to leave.

“You work late. Isn’t it dangerous?”

“No. Actually, I rarely set such remote places as meeting spots. This was an exceptional case.”

“That’s a relief to hear.”

Roen looked at him. It was as if he was worried about her.

‘That can’t be.’

Before they knew it, the two of them were walking toward the forest entrance as if by agreement.

Is he coming back with me?

Roen glanced back as she walked with him.

He didn’t seem to mind returning with her.

Soon, they reached the entrance of the Recluse’s Forest.

“My lady? Why are you so late?”

Cecil, who had been anxiously pacing in front of the entrance, spotted Roen and rushed over.

Then, noticing Jean following behind, she stopped in her tracks.

“Who…? Oh, could it be Duke Reushden? Were you in the forest rather than at the entrance?”

When Cecil asked in surprise, Roen awkwardly said,

“Well, that… we met at Argus Cliff.”

“Oh my goodness! Then you came to the forest to meet my lady, not Lady Lucy!”

“No, that’s not it…”

Roen looked back at Jean with an embarrassed expression. Jean neither denied nor confirmed, simply looking at her.

What, does this mean he doesn’t mind if there’s a misunderstanding?

“Didn’t you say the Duke also came for the Peacock’s Tears? Right?”

When Roen looked at Jean as if urging him to answer, he nodded.

“That’s right. I only came because I needed the Peacock’s Tears.”

“Ah, I see. What a coincidence. That we needed the same thing.”

While nodding and saying it was a coincidence, Cecil’s expression clearly showed she didn’t think it was a coincidence at all.

This made Roen feel rather embarrassed.

“Duke, we’ll be going now. Please get home safely.”

Roen bid farewell to Jean and pulled on Cecil’s arm.

“Why? Weren’t we going together?”

“Going together! Are you crazy?”

The last words were spoken in a small voice that only Cecil could hear.

“Oh, right.”

Finally understanding the situation, Cecil hurriedly bowed to Jean.

“Duke, please return safely. Homes are meant to be gone to separately, after all.”

Cecil’s expression and tone were noticeably awkward.

Her attitude clearly showed her intention not to reveal where they lived.

“You said it was the general store, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll stop by soon. We need to draw up a new contract. Well then.”

Jean left first.

Watching his back disappear into the darkness, Roen finally exhaled the breath she had been holding.

He didn’t seem to be particularly suspicious.

“Let’s go too.”

Once he disappeared, fatigue suddenly overwhelmed her. Roen pressed her temples as she walked.

Cecil followed behind her with an expression full of questions she wanted to ask.