Whoosh.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

An unbearable heat rushed out from the blacksmith’s forge.

The workers hammering the red-hot iron on the anvil were fierce in their intensity.

Daril worriedly glanced at the one person who didn’t fit in this place at all.

“Kasha. I told you I’d take care of commissioning Hans myself if you just give me the blueprints. You didn’t have to come to such a rough place…”

“No. I need to… explain the structure and… principles accurately… to ensure a perfect product is made.”

Kasha’s cheeks were flushed as she spoke, clutching the blueprints tightly in her hands.

It seemed she was a bit excited, not just from the forge’s heat.

“But you… you’re really making magical tools yourself? How on earth?”

While waiting for Hans who had stepped out briefly, Daril asked again what he’d been curious about.

“I studied… Then I used the principles and ideas to… do research.”

Kasha replied as if explaining something as simple as planting seeds and watering to harvest apples.

“You really designed all this by yourself?”

Daril scratched his head as he peered at the blueprints that looked complex even at a glance.

“Yes. Ah…, is that Mr. Hans over there?”

Kasha asked mid-reply, then walked unhesitatingly towards Hans who had just returned. Watching her back as she went, Daril had to swallow his confusion.

Just how much did he really know about this half-sister of his?

Had he ever properly known that child to begin with?

This child who casually claimed to have created magical tools that would take several mage tower wizards years to develop.

This child whose eyes sparkled as she explained the blueprints to the technician. Was she really the same timid 12-year-old girl who had entered the mansion holding father’s hand?

Kasha looked genuinely delighted. Like a child setting foot in a toy store for the first time.

Hiding his somehow heavy heart, Daril approached Hans and Kasha.

“So, you’re saying I should infuse mana into this?”

Leon asked as he carefully examined the magical tool Kasha had handed him.

“Yes. Here in the middle, at the end of the round sphere, there’s an inlet, right? Place your hand there and focus your mana. For now… just about a third of what you can manage. Then half in another sample. And then the full amount in yet another sample. After that, I’ll demonstrate how it works…”

Leon quietly listened to Kasha’s explanation, which was halting yet passionate.

The modest but well-tended garden of the Lyuschino Count’s estate.

They were seated under a white gazebo in the center of the garden. Wisteria vines climbing up the pillars and roof created a fragrant shade.

There was a reason they had come out here.

In Kasha’s room, it was impossible to have a smooth conversation due to Daril constantly sending in spies.

Knock knock.

‘Miss, please have some cold drinks while you work.’

Knock knock.

‘Oh, I’m sorry, Miss. It seems the morning cleaning was incomplete. My, look at this dust. Ho ho.’

Knock knock.

‘…Lord Daril said he might have dropped his handkerchief here and asked me to find it.’

After Sena, the head maid, and even the old butler knocked on the door, Kasha’s patience finally ran out.

So they ended up sitting face to face outdoors like this.

In an exposed location where Daril could spy with peace of mind, allowing them to have a private conversation.

Ever since the hunting competition was mentioned, Kasha had been eager to finish the work of utilizing mana in the magical tool as soon as possible.

‘That hunting competition is very important.’

Her tone as she said that was quite significant.

Because of that, Leon had only completed his morning training today before borrowing the books she mentioned from the library and visiting the Count’s residence.

The garden was lush green under the dazzling summer sunlight. Sunbeams filtering through the wisteria vines created intricate spiderweb-like patterns on Kasha’s hair.

Kasha’s smooth black hair like a golden veil, and her pink eyes lightened by the sun.

Leon found himself uncomfortable and unfamiliar with how he kept unknowingly losing focus to those features.

“This way.”

Perhaps thinking Leon’s dazed expression was due to not understanding, Kasha took his hand and placed it on the sphere of the magical tool.

Even though he was wearing gloves, Leon inadvertently held his breath the moment her hand touched his.

“…You really have no fear.”

“Pardon?”

Kasha, who had been staring only at the magical tool, looked up in confusion and met his gaze.

‘Too close.’

Looking at the blinking pink eyes right in front of him, Leon suddenly felt an intense thirst come over him.

“Step back a bit. I can manage on my own.”

When Leon muttered lowly, agitated, Kasha finally moved her body back a little.

“Sorry. I thought you might not… understand.”

Though she said she was sorry, it was obvious her attention was still entirely focused on the magical tool.

Feeling a strange pettiness rise up that he couldn’t understand himself, Leon took off his gloves with a somewhat rough attitude and set them down.

Woong.

The sphere that Leon’s hand touched vibrated finely, emitting a soft golden light.

Kasha’s eyes sparkled with fascination at the sight, and she leaned in close.

“So this is mana.”

I said you’re too close.

He was about to complain again but unknowingly applied his mana more strongly.

Crack.

“Ah…!”

The sphere cracked and instantly shattered.

“Are you alright? Did you hurt your hand?”

Kasha approached with a worried face, but he shook his head stiffly, blocking her approach.

As he set down the broken magical tool, she murmured, seemingly a bit disappointed.

“I thought it could easily handle about a third…”

Seeing her disappointed face made him feel strangely urgent.

“That’s not it, I failed to control the mana. I’ll try again, give me another sample.”

Kasha’s face became a bit relieved at his words as she placed a new magical tool in his hand.

Her face, not blinking once, was utterly serious.

Buzz−

At that moment, a wild bee flew between them, tracing a threatening trajectory.

As Kasha started in surprise, about to move her body, Leon quickly reached out and grabbed her.

The moment his hand touched her bare shoulder, his lips closed involuntarily at the cool yet soft sensation.

Barely suppressing the rising heat, Leon extended his hand towards the bee.

Kasha seemed to think he was trying to catch the bee with his bare hand. She opened her eyes wide, as if afraid.

Each of her tiny changes in expression was irritatingly clear. Trying hard to hide his impatience, he applied a bit of mana towards the wild bee.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Instantly tamed, the wild bee landed on his palm and began peacefully exploring it.

“Wow.”

Kasha’s eyes became crescent-shaped and slightly narrowed.

“Mana works… on bees too. That’s amazing.”

Until the wild bee spread its wings again and flew off into the summer garden, she observed his palm intently, her nose almost touching it.

Buzz.

As the wild bee flew away again, she even followed it with a regretful gaze. Her expression, deeply lost in thought, seemed to have forgotten he was even there.

Leon felt that unidentifiable pettiness rising again.

Clack.

He set down the magical tool he was holding on the bench and folded his arms.

Kasha looked at him with round eyes, as if asking why. As he thought how innocent she looked, blinking her pink eyes in that pale face just like a rabbit, he reflexively shook his head.

Forcing his face to harden even more, Leon deliberately turned his gaze towards the garden.

“…Why don’t you ask?”

He realized that his way of speaking to Kasha wavered wildly between formal and informal.

The utter lack of consistency was just like his feelings towards her.

Oscillating between wariness and curiosity, hostility and sympathy, and… burning desire and subtle tickling of the heart.

“Ask… what?”

Kasha asked slowly.

It’s amazing how her speech becomes noticeably slower and more awkward when she’s not talking about magical tools.

Her expression also becomes somewhat dazed and awkward. But even this aspect strangely stimulates his nerves.

As Leon stared at her, unable to take his eyes off, he suddenly felt his vision blur and desire surge up.

It was a very clear and sudden desire.

He wanted to push her down and see tears well up in those flushed pink eyes. Making her unable to look anywhere else, forcing her to look only at him. And then…

Thwack.

Leon struck his own thigh hard with his fist.

‘I’m going crazy. It seemed to have calmed down these past few days.’

“…? Are, are you okay? Why.”

Kasha, startled to see him suddenly hitting his thigh, tried to approach but sat back down awkwardly when he held out his hand to block her.

Leon quickly recalled Daril’s face. Imagining his face like a snorting bear was extremely effective in suppressing lustful thoughts.

Having barely regained his senses, Leon continued the conversation.

“Ahem. That… is, why don’t you ask why I accepted the contract relationship?”

“Um… that’s because. You want to… break the curse?”

“Aren’t you curious why I believe your words? You’re still an extremely suspicious woman, after all.”

At the word suspicious, Kasha leaned back and straightened her posture. Her expression was serious.

“…Even so. Because I hold… the possibility.”

“Possibility, you say.”

“The possibility… for you to become happy again.”

Leon’s handsome forehead wrinkled at the unfamiliar word.

“Happy…?”

“Yes, happy.”

Snort.

Leon’s lips twisted in an irrepressible sneer.

What an idle thing to say.

“Happiness, you say. Do I have the right to that?”

He is, after all, a fallen holy knight.

For someone like him to become happy…?

It was truly something that would anger the gods.

What Leon wishes for is not something so grand.

Just to find a way to disappear quietly without being discovered in this state, without causing any harm to the Grand Duke’s family.

To not go completely mad until then.

That’s all he can hope for.

But… what nonsense.

At that moment, she suddenly spoke.

“Sir Leon.”

“……?”

“Sir Leon. I don’t… know well either yet, but… the right to be happy… you earn it yourself. It’s not given.”

“……”

“So, don’t give up yet. Not yet.”

Whoosh.

For a moment, a welcome breeze that cooled the summer heat swept between them.

Her long black-blue hair swayed gently.

He thought the scent of wisteria flowers was too strong.

Suddenly, an unexpected smile appeared on Kasha’s snow-white face. Leon stared at her blankly for a moment, at a loss for words.

His heart is racing. Too much.

It seems he’ll have to train until he collapses again today.