Daril approached Leon, stomping his feet.

His already fierce expression, now flushed red, made him look even more threatening.

The problem was that he wasn’t much of a threat to Leon.

Behind Daril, the maid from earlier stood pale and at a loss.

Next to her, a healer who seemed to have been called from the temple was craning his neck to assess the situation. When his eyes met Leon’s, he flinched and shrank back.

Leon, frowning with one eyebrow, watched their entrance and suddenly realized why they had such expressions.

‘…I was still holding her hand.’

He was still holding the hand he had grasped to reassure Kasha before infusing his holy power.

He had put the ring back on the hand he had infused with holy power, but due to prolonged contact with human skin, there were signs of lust beginning to boil up again.

‘You’re only choosing to do foolish things, Leon Aranias.’

Leon quietly let go of Kasha’s hand and stood up.

Seeing his action, Daril gritted his teeth as if he had seen something despicable.

Daril first gestured for the healer to check on Kasha’s condition, then strode towards Leon.

His expression was fierce.

“As someone of your stature, the vice-captain of the Holy Knights no less. As someone born of the Aranias imperial bloodline… Despite that unsavory incident at the last ball, I refrained from questioning you further. But now… what exactly is this situation?”

“…Viscount.”

“How exactly did you meet my sister today? I thought it strange that a child who usually only studies at home has been going out frequently these days…”

Daril sighed, rubbing his forehead with a hand as big as a pot lid.

“What on earth did you do to make her collapse? Huh?”

“What do you mean, what did I do? What are you thinking?”

“Listen here, Lord Leon…”

Daril glared at Leon with his green eyes. It seemed he had no intention of listening to Leon’s excuses from the start.

‘They really don’t look alike at all, these siblings.’

Leon thought.

He had heard that Kasha Lyuschino was an illegitimate child adopted into the count’s family.

‘But even if their blood was only half mixed, they should look somewhat alike.’

The two were as different as carnivores and herbivores, like elves and dwarves.

Their build, skin tone, hair color, eye color, expressions, and manner of speaking, everything was completely different.

It seemed easier to find similarities between two random strangers on the street than between these two.

Leon stood with his arms crossed, watching Daril who continued to rant in agitation.

He seemed to show quite an affectionate attitude towards his younger sister.

However, Leon clearly heard Kasha’s sleep-talking.

‘I’m hungry… sob…’

It certainly wasn’t the kind of sleep-talking one would expect from a young lady of a noble house like the Lyuschino family.

‘Could it be that she’s being abused?’

Could this uncompromising, stubborn-as-a-bear Daril Lyuschino be doing this to his half-sister?

Suddenly, Leon’s eyes narrowed.

Remembering Kasha’s heartbreaking sobs from earlier, he couldn’t help but view Daril Lyuschino in a different light.

And Daril became even more agitated at Leon’s gaze.

As Daril’s accusations grew louder, Leon half-heartedly listened while scanning Kasha’s room with his eyes.

Who would think this was the room of a noble young lady?

There wasn’t a single piece of jewelry, accessory, or even a lace canopy on the bed, let alone shoes.

Wouldn’t even ten-year-old Eve’s room be more luxurious than this?

If it weren’t for the lack of smell, it would be more similar to the rooms of magicians in the magic tower or research-obsessed academy professors he had once glimpsed.

On the dressing table were a few cosmetics and a comb, but the presence of crumpled paper balls and books piled like mountains beside them was more prominent.

The state of the desk in the center of the room was even more serious. It seemed so cluttered with research books and indecipherable design drawings that there wasn’t even space to place a single pen.

‘I’m… a magic tool maker.’

Suddenly, her words came to mind.

Those design drawings. The thick research books encompassing both magic and engineering.

‘At least one of the things you said seems to be true.’

‘No. I studied alone. I’m introverted, so being part of a group is a bit…’

‘That also seems to have been true. And also.’

What else had Kasha said to him?

‘I want you, Leon Miloyonif Aranias.’

Whoosh.

At that moment, remembering those eyes that had stared at him, the lust that had subsided began to boil up again.

Leon unconsciously bit his lip and tensed his eyes.

“…Ha. You look like you’re about to throw a punch, Lord Leon.”

Daril’s expression became even fiercer upon seeing Leon’s face.

Fortunate or not, facing Daril’s reddening and paling face immediately quelled the lust.

Leon composed his expression and uncrossed his arms.

Daril spoke again.

“It seems you’re not grasping the situation. You’ve trespassed into a lady’s room and touched the body of a helpless lady without permission. How can this be acceptable?”

“That’s enough.”

Leon cut off Daril’s words with an expressionless face. There was no reason to listen to such accusatory remarks any longer.

“I’m fully aware that this situation could be misunderstood.”

“Misunderstood??”

“First, I did not trespass into this room. I was guided here by Kasha’s maid.”

“……”

As Daril turned to glare at Sena with a fierce expression, she flinched and averted her eyes.

“And second, I never touched the lady’s body without permission. I merely extended kindness upon request.”

“Request? Kindness? What are you talking about?”

At those words, Leon gestured towards Sena, who had shrunk her neck.

“You. Didn’t you clearly ask me to bestow holy power on the young lady?”

“Huh? Th-that’s… Yes. That’s right. I just… since you said you were a Holy Knight… I thought it would be better to receive treatment as quickly as possible.”

Listening to Sena’s mumbling excuse, Daril glared at Leon and muttered.

“Holy power… you bestowed?”

Daril finally took a proper look at Kasha’s face, which had been hidden behind Leon until now.

The healer, who had been shrinking back while observing the two, also nodded vigorously and took Leon’s side.

“Although there are symptoms of dehydration due to excessive sweating, her physical condition is extremely good. Well, since Lord Leon… is known to possess one of the most potent holy powers in both the Holy Knight Order and the Grand Temple… frankly, there’s not much more for me to do.”

Daril tilted his head, seeming to hesitate a bit after hearing the healer’s explanation.

He had been raging furiously, accusing Leon of misconduct, but it seemed he hadn’t considered the possibility that Leon had actually performed healing.

Leon opened his mouth to clarify the situation.

“Viscount, as you know, I am a Holy Knight. I believe you’re aware that the Holy Knight Order’s code of conduct is stricter than any other knightly order on the continent.”

Daril’s face finally softened a bit as he listened to Leon’s explanation. However, his eyes still held suspicion.

“Did you really only use holy power? But usually, when treating the sick, doesn’t one place their hand on the forehead to exert holy power? Why were you holding her wrist?”

“That’s……”

Once again, Leon was at a loss for words.

Daril’s point was accurate.

Moreover, even Leon himself found it difficult to understand why he had continued to hold her hand even after the treatment was finished.

Before Daril’s gaze could grow fiercer, Leon quickly came up with an excuse.

“I was checking her pulse.”

“Her pulse…? You know how to do that as well?”

“Of course. I am the vice-captain of the Holy Knight Order, after all.”

Leon nodded with a calm expression.

With this, Leon had broken two more rules of the Holy Knight Order today.

Do not speak falsehoods.

Do not misuse the name of the Holy Knight Order for improper purposes.

‘Even though I’ve already fallen…’

Internally, he felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Well… if you say so.”

Daril backed down for now, saying that much. However, his gaze was still cold.

Somehow, it seemed as if Leon’s very existence displeased him.

“Lord Leon. I apologize for the parts where I misunderstood. And… regardless of the circumstances, I thank you for safely bringing my sick sister back to the mansion.”

Saying this, Daril bowed his head.

Leon bowed back in response to his greeting.

“However.”

Daril raised his head and met Leon’s gaze. His eyes were hardly those of someone seeking reconciliation.

‘I can see why he got the nickname “Red Bull of Lyuschino”.’

Leon thought, observing his fierce expression.

“In the future, I hope that such incidents will not be repeated, Lord Leon.”

“Such incidents?”

“I mean exactly what I said. Please do not meet my sister again, my lord.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Lord Leon. I’m ignorant of high society and know nothing of rumors or gossip. But if even someone like me has heard about this, doesn’t that mean the situation is serious?”

“Speak plainly.”

“Today, I met with a merchant who deals in weapons with my father, and he told me this. There are marriage talks going on between the Grand Duke’s family and the Tyrot Duke’s family, but rumors are rampant throughout the capital that it’s about to fall apart because of my sister.”

“……”

“My lord. I admit that Kasha is not ordinary. But that doesn’t mean she’s insignificant enough to be carelessly tossed about on others’ tongues. As long as she bears the Lyuschino name.”

Looking at his resolute expression, Leon thought.

His request was reasonable.

Besides, wasn’t he planning to end the relationship with this woman when he agreed to meet her today?

So he should just respond firmly.

Say that he will never meet her again.

Isn’t that what he wanted anyway?

“……”

But in the end, he couldn’t give any answer.

The answer he should give was clear, but the presence of the woman lying behind him wouldn’t allow him to do so.

Kasha Lyuschino.

A suspicious woman from head to toe.

A woman who held the key to breaking his curse.

The only woman who broke the pattern of his curse.

And…

A woman who rubbed her tear-stained face against his hand as if it were salvation.

He suddenly realized.

It was impossible to stop meeting Kasha Lyuschino.

Though it was difficult to explain exactly why.

At that moment, Daril once again urged him for an answer.

“Lord Leon. Give me a clear answer like a knight. Say that you will never meet my sister again.”

“That can’t happen, brother.”

Suddenly, a soft but weak voice was heard.

Leon and Daril simultaneously turned to look at the owner of that voice.