Having toured most of the major attractions, it was time to wrap up their journey in the Holy Kingdom and move on to another place.

“Shall we go somewhere else now? Where would be good…?”

“Pontos.”

Once again, Shahar insisted strongly.

‘This feels like a tour of the male leads’ nationalities…’

“Why Pontos?”

“The traces of the Mother Goddess remain there too. When there were only three of us in the world, Mother often suggested a race to see who could reach Pontos first.”

His words made my uneasy heart swell with emotion.

Though he spoke bluntly, he must have been nostalgic for the past.

“Unfortunately, Pontos has not opened its doors to other countries. Moreover, the civil war hasn’t ended yet, so it’s not safe.”

Even if travel was possible, it was problematic.

Pontos was notoriously far from the capital, and the journey was extremely treacherous.

The imperial family barely managed to subjugate Pontos but gave up practical control precisely because of this.

Additionally, the people in Pontos were known for their violent nature, whether they were rulers or the ruled. It wasn’t a place for a novice traveler like me to wander freely.

Not wanting to return empty-handed, I booked a luxurious cruise instead of Pontos. I wanted to show Shahar the beautiful sea.

But I overlooked the fact that I was an incredibly unlucky person.

Just the day before boarding the cruise, a sudden typhoon struck, canceling the trip.

Due to the natural disaster, refunds were not possible, and I lost the cost of seven tickets.

Having spent all my travel funds on the tickets and with the storm raging, I had no choice but to return to the capital quickly.

‘So, I just saw Gined’s face and came back?’

Less than two weeks into the trip, I felt utterly deflated by the outcome.

Even though it was daylight, I felt no motivation and lay on the bed like a corpse, staring at the ceiling.

I could hear the sound of raindrops tapping on the window, indicating early winter rain. Through the sound, a boy delivering newspapers shouted loudly.

“Extra! Extra!”

‘Extra?’

Despite everything, I was curious about what had happened.

I barely managed to reach out and ring the bell next to the bed, and soon Seren brought me the newspaper.

It was an article about Grand Duke Iscallion of Pontos abandoning the long-standing isolation policy and opening the borders.

Still lying in bed, I looked at the paper and then jumped up with a scream of joy.

Since it was unlikely that Iscallion’s relatives, who had maintained the isolation policy for so long, suddenly changed their minds, it clearly meant he had successfully suppressed the rebellion.

‘Good job, kid. I knew you could do it.’

“Why are you so happy, lady? Do you have a man in Pontos or something?”

Seren looked at me suspiciously as I grinned.

“You don’t need to know.”

My heart raced with the hope that I might soon be able to meet Iscallion.

Hope began to spring anew.

Indeed, it wasn’t long before a public notice was issued seeking members for a special delegation to Pontos.

Without a second thought, I immediately applied.

Generally, it was rare for someone as young and titleless as me to be included in a delegation. However, due to the notorious reputation of the region, there were few applicants, so I was exceptionally permitted.

I felt grateful to the typhoon that had ruined my cruise tickets.

Had I been on the cruise, I would have missed this golden opportunity entirely.

The departure schedule was set surprisingly quickly. Pontos was far away, and winter was approaching.

As I hurried to prepare for the trip, the departure date approached rapidly.

Excited by the fact that I would be leaving the next day, I couldn’t sleep when Michalis suddenly visited.

“Hello. I love you, Lou.”

“Yes, I love you too, more or less. What’s up?”

“Oh, you say you love me with your lips, but your eyes are cold. I’m just here to give you some travel tips.”

“I don’t need them. What nonsense are you going to spout this time?”

“Nonsense? I’m worried about you going to such a dangerous place, so I rushed over.”

“Instead of worrying about others, why don’t you think about the future of your race?”

How could the heads of their clans all be like this?

Michalis, one of the most powerful transcendent beings, was nothing more than a very strong slime king to me.

Despite my sarcasm, he showed no sign of being offended. As always, he just continued with what he wanted to say.

“I visited Pontos a long time ago. It was a very rough place. If it was harsh for a vampire like me, how much more so for a frail human girl like you? So, make sure to take something useful from Enril’s lair just in case.”

“Lair?”

Suddenly, my ears perked up. Michalis’s advice made sense, and more importantly, it gave me an excuse to visit the lair.

I hinted to Shahar several times before, but he seemed reluctant, and I almost gave up.

Then, after seeing Shahar’s painting at the Holy Kingdom’s art gallery, the desire I thought I had forgotten started to resurface.

“I heard there’s a bag there that can hold an infinite amount of stuff.”

“Oh my, then I must get it right away. I was already worried about how to carry all those enormous winter clothes. Don’t you think so, Shahar? If I carry all that luggage, I’ll surely be scorned… Do you want me to shiver in the cold without decent winter clothes, Shahar?”

With persistent hints, Shahar reluctantly agreed.

Cheering inwardly, we immediately flew to Enril’s lair.

The previously rediscovered lair had not changed one bit.

I desperately hoped for the golem to appear again, but perhaps it had been completely destroyed last time as there was no sign of it.

‘Well, I needed the bag anyway…….’

Even if I stayed up all night, it wouldn’t be enough to search this vast lair, and if I had to deal with the golem, it was clear I wouldn’t arrive on time.

Contrary to my worries, fortunately, the bag was found quickly. It was carelessly thrown in a corner of Enril and Lina’s bedroom. Although it was a bit dirty, probably because it was made a long time ago, it didn’t matter as long as it could reduce the load.

Humming, I swept up everything in the lair including gold, jewels, magic stones, and unknown potions.

Even so, the bag remained small and light. It was an item that pleased me greatly after a long time.

“I think we’ve gathered enough. Shall we head back now?”

“Let’s do that.”

The answer came without a moment’s hesitation. His indifferent attitude despite coming all the way here made me feel somewhat disappointed.

‘Was it only me who enjoyed it back then?’

“Hey, Shahar. It’s okay for you to change to your true form here, right? There’s no one else but us?”

“It’s not good for a human with life to frequently come in contact with my true form.”

As if knowing my intentions, he firmly refused.

But I wasn’t one to back down here.

“Then just for a moment. Please?”

Perhaps tired of my repeated pleading, he eventually accepted my request.

Darkness fell all around. But now, I wasn’t scared of the darkness at all.

I took a step forward without knowing where he was. A large hand carefully grasped my groping hand.

“Be careful.”

Without responding, I reached out higher with my other hand. I touched his face. I couldn’t tell if it resembled the picture, but it was certain that he was indeed handsome.

However, I was more curious about the expression he was making than his appearance.

I lightly touched his lips. His thick lips were firmly closed.

“Why is your expression like that? Are you angry because I pestered you?”

“How could I be angry with you?”

“Then smile.”

Despite my demand, his lips only tightened further.

“Geez, it’s not that hard. You just need to pull your lips like this…….”

I brought his hand to my lips. I intended to demonstrate a smile, but feeling it, I realized he was already smiling, which made me a bit embarrassed.

“Your face is red. Are you sick?”

‘Damn.’

Since it had come to this, I decided to act shamelessly.

“It’s because I’m embarrassed. Aren’t you embarrassed at all, Shahar?”

“What is there to be embarrassed about? We didn’t do anything shameful.”

“……I just want to go home. It feels like I’m the only one who likes this.”

As I grumbled, his lips suddenly parted slightly.

Startled by the low sound tickling my fingers, I blinked and forgot I was sulking, and ended up laughing along with him.

‘What a pathetic guy I am…… I have no pride at all.’

But so what. Pride meant nothing in front of a handsome man.

In the darkness, we giggled while touching each other’s smiles. Then, I accidentally brushed my tongue against his fingers. His slightly parted lips closed tightly like a clam.

“It’s better to head back now.”

“What? Already?”

Before I could stop him, he turned back into a stone. At the same time, my vision brightened.

I instinctively covered my eyes with my hand and lowered my head. In the meantime, I noticed the necklace faintly glowing.

‘Hmm? Why is this happening?’

There are only two reasons why the necklace glows. When borrowing Enril’s power, or when I and the male leads are excited.

And probably now…….

‘It’s the latter.’

It seemed I got excited without realizing it while touching Shahar. It was a great relief that he cut it off at the right time.

‘I almost exposed my dirty desire…….’

“Hurry, let’s go.”

I covered the pendant with my hand and hastily urged the way back.