Imperial Palace of Wallentian, Crown Prince Adenmir’s office.

Just as Adenmir was putting down his pen after finishing his morning work, an aide entered with a stack of letters.

“Letters have arrived, Your Highness. Would you like to review them now?”

“Place them on the desk. I’ll look at them after visiting the Emperor.”

Adenmir visited the Emperor daily to check on his health. Today was no exception.

As he was about to head towards the door.

“Ah, Your Highness. As you previously instructed, I’ve set aside the letter from Severes.”

Stop.

Adenmir’s steps halted.

Quickly turning around, Adenmir strode towards the aide.

“Your, Your Highness?”

Startled by his superior’s sudden approach, the aide blinked in confusion as Adenmir extended his hand.

“Give it to me.”

“Pardon? What do you…”

“The letter.”

“The letters are here on the desk, but…”

“I mean the letter from Severes.”

“Ah… yes…”

As the aide handed over the separately kept letter, Adenmir immediately broke the seal and checked its contents.

But what followed was truly shocking.

‘He’s… smiling?’

Whatever amusing letter it was, Adenmir chuckled softly.

Seeing such a relaxed expression was so rare that the aide felt as if he had witnessed something he shouldn’t have.

“Then I’ll go see the Emperor.”

“Yes, have a safe trip.”

After placing the Severes letter in the first drawer, Adenmir left the office.

Though he had read the letter several times in a short span, he remembered its contents clearly.

[To His Highness the Crown Prince,

We are holding a small party to celebrate my father’s return and my homecoming. I’ve enclosed an invitation for Your Highness, so please attend if your schedule allows.]

The postscript was the highlight.

[P.S. I’ll say it again, but I didn’t forget about Your Highness last time.]

Adenmir’s lips loosened as he imagined Elodie’s expression, her eyes drooping as if wronged.

At the moment of writing this invitation, she must have been thinking only of him.

It would be nice to send a letter back, but now that he had an excuse, he planned to hear her voice through the magical communication device.

Otherwise, he had no reason to contact Elodie.

It was pathetic, but unavoidable.

After all, Elodie had said she had someone else in her heart.

As he was hurrying his steps, intending to quickly see the Emperor and return…

Midway down the corridor to the Emperor’s bedroom, he encountered a face he didn’t want to meet.

Adenmir’s good mood plummeted in an instant.

Empress Salvatrice and the Second Prince Beltran were walking side by side.

“It’s been a while, Prince.”

“Yes.”

He was about to pass by with just a slight nod, but the Empress continued to speak.

She smiled sickeningly brightly as she said.

“We’re on our way back after hearing from the Imperial physician that the Emperor’s health has improved significantly. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Adenmir stared at her with an expressionless face.

‘Crazy woman.’

To the extent that even that expression seemed polite, Adenmir deeply despised Empress Salvatrice.

It was disgusting how she acted like a caring stepmother when they met, while sending assassins after him and constantly attempting to poison him.

Not only that, but her behavior of trying to manipulate the health of her husband, the Emperor of the Empire, by poisoning him was subhuman in itself.

He felt nauseous at that smiling face, saying health had improved when she herself had worsened the Emperor’s condition.

“Why, Prince. Aren’t you happy?”

“I am.”

“If you go right now, you should be able to talk with His Majesty. He was awake until we left.”

“I see. Thank you.”

He tried to end this unpleasant conversation and pass by, but he couldn’t.

“Ah, yes. I heard His Majesty entrusted you with the matter of the Black Ravine monster subjugation team?”

Adenmir answered quietly, trying to gauge the Empress’s intentions as she suddenly brought up the subjugation team.

“That’s correct.”

“I’ve read articles saying the subjugation is progressing successfully. Especially the exploits of someone named Raeyan Vietan, I hear?”

The Empress’s tone in asking about the subjugation was meaningful. What was she trying to probe?

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m just happy to see the Prince has grown up so well and is handling matters excellently. His Majesty personally entrusted you with this task, so you must be pleased with its success.”

Was she just bringing up the subjugation team to mock him?

Deciding there was no value in continuing this conversation, Adenmir replied bluntly.

“Thank you for your concern, but there’s no need to worry about my affairs.”

“How cold, Prince.”

“I’m not of an affectionate disposition.”

Despite the cold response, the Empress laughed leisurely and bid farewell.

“Then, let’s greet each other again next time.”

As the Empress passed down the corridor with graceful steps, Beltran stood there stupidly, glancing at him.

“Beltran. Aren’t you going?”

“I-I’m going.”

Taking a hesitant step, Beltran turned back to Adenmir and said.

“I just have something I’m curious about.”

“What is it?”

“That girl Elodie, why is she so hard to contact? Does she respond to your messages, brother? I wish she’d stop playing hard to get.”

He had been wondering why Beltran was so hesitant, but it seemed he wanted to ask about Elodie.

Judging by how he spoke, it seemed he was still persistently pursuing Elodie.

It was quite impressive how Elodie steadfastly ignored Beltran throughout all this.

Instead of the answer Beltran hoped for, Adenmir gave a brief warning.

“Stop bothering people and don’t contact the young lady.”

“By what right do you say such things, brother? It’s my choice to contact her.”

“If your choices inconvenience others, then you shouldn’t.”

Beltran frowned at Adenmir’s words.

“Brother. Actually, you’re envious of me being able to contact her freely, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“It’s quite unfortunate for you, brother. You broke off the engagement thinking she was a nobody, but it turns out she’s the real daughter of Duke Severes.”

Beltran added with a smirk.

“Don’t you think I have a better chance than you, who coldly abandoned her?”

After spouting such nonsense, Beltran gradually moved away.

As Adenmir turned back towards the Emperor’s bedroom, a shadow fell over his face.

Ridiculously, Beltran’s words brought a sense of reality.

Just as Beltran had said, if he were to approach Elodie now trying to get closer, everyone would think that way.

Elodie Severes’ situation…

***

The day had come to purify Leon, whose body had been corrupted as the price for a sinful contract.

I had planned to meet at the mercenary guild headquarters again, but Leon provided an address instead, mentioning he had a rarely-used villa.

When I stepped down from the carriage and gazed up at the location Leon had specified, I froze in disbelief.

‘A small… villa?’

[It’s huge.]

‘You think it’s big too, right?’

Indeed, the truly wealthy are different. Our standards for “small” were worlds apart.

I entered the vast mansion and was guided by the butler to a certain room.

“Your Grace. The guest has arrived.”

“Let them in.”

As I entered, Leon put down the documents he had been reviewing.

While sitting on the sofa, I looked around the room.

It was furnished like an office. I was particularly puzzled by how lived-in it felt.

“Leon. Didn’t you say this was a villa you rarely use?”

“It’s where I stayed until a few years ago. The main mansion felt somewhat stifling, so I lived here.”

Leon smiled bitterly as he brushed what seemed to be an old table.

I felt strange, as if there were intangible memories lingering there. As if I had glimpsed something intimate.

“Is it alright for me to come to such a place?”

“It’s fine, Miss Elodie.”

Leon’s firm answer made me feel oddly awkward. His treating me as an exception felt like dealing with someone special.

‘It’s because I’m his benefactor. I’m even purifying him like this.’

To break this awkward atmosphere, it seemed best to get straight to the point of why I came here today.

I stood up abruptly from the sofa and said:

“Then, could you please take off your clothes?”

“….”

“Leon?”

“…Yes.”

Leon hesitated for a moment before starting to unbutton. As I admired the perfect muscular body gradually being revealed, Greed made a comment.

[You’re truly a bad woman.]

‘What do you mean?’

[Never mind if you don’t know.]

***

Leon gritted his teeth.

He was anxious that she might hear his heart pounding so fiercely.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Elodie was solely focused on the purification.

Fortunate because his emotions weren’t discovered, unfortunate because Elodie didn’t think of him as a romantic interest at all.

If she showed even a little hesitation, he could cling to some hope.

After using her purification power for a while, Elodie looked up and examined Leon’s face.

“Hm? Leon. Your face is quite flushed, are you feeling unwell?”

“…I’m fine.”

“Please tell me if you’re in pain. I’ll try infusing power little by little.”

Is there a need to be this diligent?

Seeing Elodie concentrate solely on purification like a model student, he suddenly wondered.

What line would need to be crossed for her to see him as a man?

He wanted to cross that line, but Leon restrained himself.

Elodie thought of him as a gentleman. He didn’t want to disappoint her.

“The corrupted areas have definitely faded compared to before. If we keep this up, we should be able to purify everything.”

“I see.”

“Shall we stop here for today?”

The moment Elodie withdrew her hand without hesitation, Leon unconsciously placed his hand on her cheek.

“…?”

Elodie’s eyes widened in surprise.

Leon too was surprised by his own action.

He thought he should remove his hand, but the sensation of touch felt so good that he couldn’t shake off the temptation.

His thumb gently traced under Elodie’s eye.

“Um, Leon?”

Seeing Elodie’s flustered face, he felt an involuntary thirst.

Was he a pervert? To feel so pleased that she was flustered because of him.

He barely managed to regain his composure.

“…There was an eyelash on your eye.”

He muttered this as he withdrew his hand.

There hadn’t been any eyelashes to begin with. Unaware of this fact, Elodie smiled awkwardly.

“Oh, an eyelash…”

Elodie’s cheeks turned slightly pink.

This was enough. Leon didn’t cross the line any further.

As he was buttoning up his shirt, Elodie placed something on the table.

“It’s an invitation. We’re holding a party at Severes. I’ve invited Miss Belissa too, so I’d love for you to come together. I’ve never had a chance to talk with her, so I’d like to become friends at this party.”

“Yes. I’ll pass it on to Belissa.”

He thought of his sister, who was difficult to see these days as she attended social events almost daily.

Although he didn’t like that she was associating with Dorothea, the daughter of Duke Angellus, he couldn’t interfere with whom his sister befriended, so he left her be…

“You must come.”

“I hope Belissa and Miss Elodie can become friends on this occasion.”

Of course, he wasn’t without ulterior motives, thinking that if the two became friends, it might help him, as the older brother, get closer to Elodie.