“Mmph―”

The thug who tried to grab Calliphe’s nape suddenly had his mouth covered by an appearing hand.

And was immediately knocked unconscious by a strike to the neck.

That made three of them dealt with.

Lynen tossed the thug next to a garbage bin and resumed looking for Calliphe.

Calliphe was already quite far ahead.

Despite her bowlegged walk, why were her steps so quick?

Whenever she stumbled and was about to bump into passersby, they would hurriedly dodge out of the way.

‘I thought she was pretending to be drunk.’

It seemed it wasn’t an act after all.

Maybe that’s why she was wandering around instead of leaving quickly.

But watching a bit longer, Calliphe appeared to have a clear destination.

‘Is that a bakery?’

Could it be that buying bread when drunk was her drinking habit?

“I’ll take that one.”

“Ma’am, that’s the sign.”

“Oh, I saw wrong. Okay, then that one.”

“Th-that’s already been bought by me!”

Lynen was overcome with the urge to correct the direction of Calliphe’s finger as she kept pointing at the wrong cakes.

But instead, he quietly dealt with the men approaching her.

Thanks to his efforts, Calliphe successfully managed to purchase a cake.

“Phew.”

Just as Lynen was secretly relieved.

As Calliphe turned around, she stumbled when bumping into someone entering the store.

“…!”

Just as he thought she was going to fall.

Lynen suddenly realized he was already holding Calliphe steady.

It was his ingrained chivalry.

He quickly let go like he’d grabbed something he shouldn’t have, but Calliphe had already clutched his collar.

“Oh, startled me… huh?”

“…Wh-what is it?”

Calliphe wouldn’t recognize him anyway. Even knowing this, Lynen felt somewhat tense.

Strangely, Calliphe seemed delighted, like she’d met someone she knew.

“You’re the silver-haired man!”

“Silver-haired man…?”

“Wow, you look even better in person… why do you look like this?”

“……”

That’s when.

“She couldn’t have gone far.”

“Search this area first!”

Lynen’s keen hearing caught the voices of the dealer’s gang searching for Calliphe.

The moment he sensed their gazes turning this way, Lynen pushed Calliphe against the wall.

“Oof! What are you―”

“Shh.”

A warm thumb pressed firmly against her parted lips.

At the same time, his well-trained broad chest, not even hidden by clothes, drew very close.

Trapped between the wall and the man, Calliphe was almost completely covered by his body.

“…hah.”

His warm breath tickled her bangs.

When the frozen Calliphe unconsciously moved her lips, the man’s finger pressed against them twitched slightly.

Blue-gray eyes looked down at Calliphe.

Looking up at those stoic eyes whose thoughts she couldn’t read, Calliphe thought hazily.

‘His face…’

Looking closely… he’s extremely handsome.

But looking again, he seems ordinary and blurry.

The increasingly strange silence was broken by the pursuers’ rough voices.

“Is she there?”

“No, not here.”

They seemed to be the ones who had followed from the bar.

“Let’s check somewhere else.”

Just when it seemed they were about to leave, another group appeared and stopped them.

“We’ve searched everywhere else. She must be here!”

“Find her now!”

Now pursuers were appearing from alleys in all directions and gathering here.

They tried to check the face of each passerby.

Calliphe moved his thumb from her lips and whispered softly.

“H-hey. We’ll be caught at this rate.”

“Indeed.”

“We need to hide somewhere el― eek?”

The man grabbed Calliphe’s wrist and pulled her into a nearby alley.

The pursuers spotted them.

“There they are!”

“After them!”

They came running recklessly, knocking down pedestrians in their way. Calliphe, looking back, cursed at their violent behavior.

Then she bumped her head into the man’s back when he suddenly stopped.

“Ow! That’s rock hard.”

“It’s a dead end.”

“…Didn’t you know the way before coming in?”

“No.”

“Why are you so confident about it?”

Just as Calliphe was dumbfounded.

“Excuse me.”

“Momma!”

Whoosh! Her vision turned upside down.

The man had slung Calliphe over his shoulder like a sack.

Then he firmly gripped her waist and.

“…!”

With amazing agility, he leaped onto the roof in one bound, using small protrusions on the wall as footholds.

Feeling nauseous, Calliphe covered her mouth and groaned.

“Urgh….”

The man flinched at the sound. But it was too early to lower his guard, so he didn’t put her down.

The pursuers’ presence could be felt below.

“Where did they go?”

“Didn’t they go this way?”

“They couldn’t have gone far. Find them quickly!”

Pat-pat-pat, multiple footsteps scattered in all directions.

They apparently hadn’t thought anyone would suddenly jump up onto the roof.

After their presence disappeared, still perched on the man’s shoulder, Calliphe spoke.

“Hey, Mr. Silver-hair. I don’t know how you suddenly appeared… but thanks for helping.”

Calliphe wiggled free from Lynen’s shoulder.

Skillfully, she had managed to protect the cake box she was holding.

“As thanks, let’s go to my house. I’ll treat you to some delicious cake.”

“Have you finally sobered up?”

“Yes. My head’s much clearer now.”

Then she started walking confidently.

Towards the edge of the roof.

Lynen hurriedly grabbed Calliphe’s shoulder as she was about to step into thin air.

“Not quite sober yet.”

Calliphe, apparently disliking the restraining hand, tried to shrug it off.

“Let go. I need to hurry.”

“Not yet. The dealer’s gang is still looking for you.”

“I see. Then this is trouble?”

“Yes.”

“I see. Then let’s go to my house.”

“I’m saying right now… *sigh*”

Lynen rubbed his face wearily.

Through his fingers, he quietly glared at Calliphe, who looked perfectly normal while completely drunk.

“I’d like to just leave you here.”

But knowing she would definitely try to go over the roof if he did, Lynen had no choice but to grab Calliphe’s wrist and pull her along.

“Come here.”

“Don’t wanna.”

Despite saying she didn’t want to, Calliphe followed obediently.

She’s disobedient yet obedient. With that contradictory thought, Lynen sat her down on a flat spot on the roof.

“I said I need to go.”

“I won’t hold you back, just stay here for a little while before going.”

“It’s cold here.”

“Bear with it.”

“Then give me your cloak.”

“……”

I’m bringing this trouble on myself. And because of Calliphe Offensa of all people!

Lynen clenched his jaw before letting out a resigned sigh.

Then he quietly took off his outer garment and handed it to Calliphe.

“Are you really giving it to me? You’re quite nice.”

“You asked for it.”

“You’re the first person who doesn’t get annoyed at what I say.”

“I am annoyed.”

“Oh, you’re honest.”

Calliphe casually put on Lynen’s cloak over her own outer garment.

The fierce face that used to antagonize anything that caught her eye was now softened with a smile.

‘So that’s what she looks like when she’s relaxed.’

Just as Lynen thought that absently.

Finding it more comfortable than expected, Calliphe sniffed at the cloak, going “sniff, sniff.”

Startled, Lynen became flustered.

“Wh-what are you doing? Stop that.”

“It smells nice. Do you wear perfume?”

“Stop…!”

Unable to bring himself to snatch the cloak back, he instead tightly wrapped the front of it to restrict Calliphe’s movements.

Finding this amusing, Calliphe giggled and then smiled brightly.

“Thank you.”

“……”

Frowning in silence, Lynen changed the subject.

“…Put down the cake box too. You’ll crush it like that.”

“Ah, right.”

Calliphe set down the cake she had been holding tightly.

Due to all the commotion, not only was the box damaged, but even one corner of the cake was crushed.

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Sorry?

What was there to be sorry about to a cake?

While Lynen was puzzled, Calliphe stuck a long candle in the middle of the cake.

“Need to light it. Got a lighter?”

“Lighter…? You mean a magical tool? No.”

“Can’t be helped then. Let’s pretend it’s lit.”

Fixing her posture to sit up straight, Calliphe clasped her hands.

With her eyes closed, she seemed to be earnestly wishing for something.

“……”

Calliphe’s prayer went on for quite a while.

Lynen, who had maintained silence throughout, only asked after she opened her eyes.

“Is today your birthday?”

“Yes.”

“Are you satisfied with just a cake? What about the banquet?”

Surely the Calliphe Offensa he knew.

Would have been someone who would say ‘As the only direct descendant of House Offensa, it must be more splendid than anyone else’s!’

But come to think of it, he had never heard news of Calliphe’s birthday banquets.

This fact only occurred to him now. Because he had never paid attention before.

Perhaps she preferred to spend her birthdays modestly.

As Lynen was thinking this, Calliphe answered.

“What banquet? Absolutely not.”

“Why?”

“Ah, well…”

Calliphe mumbled awkwardly.

“Because my birthday is the death anniversary of Porsche Offensa. My mother… that is.”