Firm, rough fingers slowly interlaced between her held hand, digging in between her fingers.

He moved slowly, giving her a chance to escape.

But then he gripped it like a trap and bit the soft edge of her hand.

“Ugh.”

His rather sharp canine teeth stung.

“Why are you suddenly biting me?”

To Calliphe’s hushed question, Lynen stared intently at the faint teeth marks he had left.

“…Because I could smell the scent of magic power.”

His ears were red. Perhaps it was because of the candlelight.

Lynen slowly released his grip on her hand.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Right then.

Calliphe’s freed hand firmly but gently grabbed Lynen’s chin.

“You could smell the magic power? Really?”

“…!”

Lynen’s eyes widened.

At the same time, Calliphe was surprised by her own impulsive action.

‘This is crazy, this isn’t how I meant to ask!’

She had meant to tease him, asking if that wasn’t just an excuse, if he liked her.

‘Why did I grab his chin! Crazy Calliphe!’

When Lynen showed vulnerability, she had snatched it up without letting it go.

To think her Flame Fist instincts engraved in her body would manifest here of all places.

‘It’s okay. Anyway, this is when Lynen should get annoyed.’

Right?

“……”

However, after a moment of confusion, Lynen gradually calmed down like settling sediment.

As the last remaining candle at his bedside went out, his expression was hidden in shadow.

“Don’t provoke me.”

A voice that seemed to crack.

A clear warning.

However, Calliphe was the type who, rather than shrinking from someone’s warning, would provoke them right back.

“What happens if I do?”

Instead of answering, his chin moved slightly in her hand.

It seemed like he was opening his mouth.

Like he was slowly lowering his head.

Warm breath tickled her fingers.

The sensation that followed was of even teeth. And then.

Something hot and soft.

Just as Calliphe silently drew in a breath.

“Nnng.”

Noah kicked off the blanket, feeling hot.

They snapped back to their senses like being splashed with cold water.

“!!”

Rustle rustle!

Calliphe and Lynen quickly broke contact and lay down very straight and proper, facing the ceiling. And promptly pretended to be asleep.

“Nnng… huu.”

Fortunately, Noah settled back down after tossing a bit.

Calliphe clutched her chest.

‘Crazy… you crazy person. You crazy person… what on earth was I doing! Me? With Lynen? Why?’

Calliphe mentally kicked off her blanket violently.

‘I got caught up in the mood. The mood!’

Honestly, when an incredibly handsome man like Lynen reveals his hidden story and shows weakness, how could anyone stay still?

This is all Lynen’s fault.

‘Even so, was I always this weak to atmosphere and impulse?’

‘I really need to keep myself in check.’

‘Right now I’m in the middle of a life-or-death hidden route quest, and I don’t want to get distracted elsewhere.’

‘I’m already distracted enough by Noah. I’ll pass on dispersing my focus further.’

‘Good. I’m calm now.’

With her eyes closed, her pounding heart returned to normal.

‘Besides, think about it.’

Calliphe thought as she gradually drifted off to sleep.

‘Lynen is suffering from magic power thirst. He really showed such impulsive behavior because of my magic power.’

It happened before too.

‘So don’t get swayed.’

As long as he suffers from magic power thirst, it’s natural for him to be drawn to my magic power.

‘Since it’s top-grade magic power that was acknowledged as golden in the magic verification. I must have lots of magic power inside me.’

Of course, being magic power incompatible, I can’t use what I have and just suffer.

‘Anyway… if Lynen is sensitive to magic power because of his magic power thirst… my magic power must be very appetizing… so don’t misunderstand…..’

Calliphe eventually fell into a deep sleep, breathing softly.

However…

‘She’s sleeping? She can sleep? After what just happened?’

Lynen, unable to sleep, was dumbfounded listening to Calliphe’s sleeping breaths.

It seemed clear that Calliphe wasn’t taking what happened earlier to heart.

‘Hah…’

Though he didn’t know why, Lynen was annoyed and quietly got up from the bed.

He went to the reception room and drank a glass of cold water.

Finally calming down, he analyzed the earlier events one by one.

Whether his head had really gone crazy.

Or if his magic power had gone crazy.

Or if it was something else.

“…D*mn it all.”

A faint realization.

Muttering the rough curse quietly, he roughly rubbed his face with both hands.

His ears were redder than ever.

“This is driving me crazy.”

No wonder he wanted to refuse Noah’s request.

He should have followed his instincts.

But he had already jumped into the fire.

* * *

“Sleepyhead young master, wake up.”

It was Head maid Lina’s voice.

As she drew the curtains, the sunlight that streamed in like a comb tickled Noah’s eyelids.

“Uh… okay.”

Noah got up from bed rubbing his eyes. Calliphe and Lynen were already gone.

But Noah wasn’t disappointed at all. Rather, remembering last night made him happy.

“Young master, you seem to be in a good mood today?”

“Yes.”

Noah smiled broadly while changing clothes by himself.

“Because yesterday was the first time the three of us slept together. They read me stories too.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yes.”

Lina looked at the nodding Noah with endearment.

At the same time, she couldn’t help but laugh thinking about how the two must have struggled not to reveal their fake engagement to the child.

“Then shall we go to the dining room to say good morning? They’re both there.”

“Yes…!”

Noah quickly finished washing up and followed Lina to the dining room.

Though the memories of last night were really good, he hadn’t forgotten his original purpose.

‘I wonder if Lady Calliphe and the Duke got closer?’

It seemed certain they would have.

He thought they would show how close they were, like when they took turns reading the storybook yesterday.

“Did you sleep we… ll?”

But when he entered the dining room.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Good morning.”

Calliphe and Lynen were sitting further apart than before.

Exactly one chair further apart.

Noah was puzzled and confused.

‘Did they get less close? Or not…?’

To check, he casually asked.

“Can we sleep together again?”

“…Ahem.”

“…Hmm.”

Neither one answered.

Plus, they wouldn’t even look at each other.

Thud.

Noah was shocked. Lady Calliphe and the Duke seemed to have grown even more distant. Even though they slept together!

As they were each having their troubled breakfast.

“My lady.”

Discovering a particular letter among the mail brought by a servant, Lina immediately handed it to Calliphe.

“A letter from the Great Temple.”

“I see.”

Calliphe lightly wiped her hands before taking the letter.

She already had an idea what it might contain. After all, she hadn’t just been treasure hunting with the Saint.

‘It must be about what I requested.’

Inside the letter was exactly what she expected.

We can finish preparations earlier than expected. We’ll wait at noon three days from now.

Calliphe smiled slightly.

‘I can finally deal with the black stone I have.’

The item was revealed to be a fragment of Lumen’s heart.

Since it was something used in black magic, it might still be hiding more of the Young Marquis’s  secrets.