“You bastard, Hades! How dare you ruin my company and works?! I will never forgive you! No matter how much you resist, you will never get back that Fraulein!”

Shirak shouted, tearing apart the sparkling shawl wrapped around his shoulders.

Lohan, loosely fastened in a gold-threaded belt made of green indoor robe, lay on a long sofa. He placed one calf on the backrest and closed his eyes for a moment.

It might look a bit lazy and undignified, but it was Lohan’s preferred position to escape the heat of the Grand Bazaar.

Thud.

On the nearby white mahogany side table, a blue glass held his favorite mint tea. The sound of slowly melting angular ice cubes slipping down seemed to cool his head just by listening.

On the sofa, a long scroll was spread down to the floor, detailing mandatory administrative orders and rules for the crackdown on illegal carts.

Next to it was a scroll detailing the mobilization of forces for security purposes.

As princes were granted authority to regulate some administrative and military powers under the pretext of assisting the Sultan’s duties, Lohan, who usually refrained from using force to sanction people, had no choice but to mobilize troops this time.

“Hades is handling the permits for transport animals well, so there should be news by now… But, unlike Tarek, Rashk’s sister is more sensitive and nervous, so we can’t be sure.”

With a small sigh, Lohan looked at the ceiling, where patterns of intricate mandalas harmonized.

“Prince Lohan, Princess Asti has arrived.”

Through a slightly opened gap in the large door, a royal maid politely informed Lohan.

Asti, who often visited the royal palace to annoy Iroth, had been visiting the prince’s palace more frequently since Latifa came. Hence, the news of her arrival was almost identical to the news of Latifa’s arrival.

“What?! Eek!”

Startled by the mention of Princess Asti, Lohan, entangled in the long robe, tumbled off the sofa and fell to the floor.

“Your Highness, I hear a loud noise. Are you okay? If you feel dizzy, I will call the physician.”
“No! Hurry, come here! Oh, no, don’t come! Just a moment! Go to the reception room, go to the reception room! Irigos, Irigos is in Palaistra, right? Uh, call him too.”

With one foot stomping, he grabbed this wall and that wall, quickly tucked one arm into his robe after properly finishing the hem, and tightly fastened his belt after neatly tying it.

“Mirror, mirror!”

However, there was no way there would be a mirror in this unfamiliar place.

Lohan, who had never seen a mirror while working and had never realized the need for it, busily smoothed his brown bangs with both hands, hastily searched the room, but there was not even a makeshift shield-like object.

It felt odd to suddenly ask a maid to bring a mirror. Also, going back to redo his morning routine might be a waste of time when Latifa might be waiting in the reception room.

“Amor! If this isn’t your prank, what is it!”

Lohan quickly paced, picked up a deep blue glass with his mint tea, and used it as a makeshift mirror to adjust his hair by looking at his reflection.

With his sparkling forehead and rapidly cooling down, he struggled to hide his embarrassed appearance.

After a short pause, Lohan finally left that place and headed to the reception room.

“Prince Lohan!”

“Lohan, older brother!”

Lohan prayed sincerely not to collapse with his legs giving out and, with both hands, washed his face hastily.

An elegant goddess with a dazzling smile looked at him, and beside her, a chubby but cute Asti shook hands, both wearing plain side-colored caftans that highlighted the clumsy stitches as if they had personally sewn them rather than their usual gorgeous and pretty clothes.

In an instant, Lohan, who felt his temperature rising rapidly, couldn’t say anything, and his expression didn’t know how to manage, so he sat in front of them with quite a stiff face.

“Prince Lohan, your face doesn’t look good?”

“Yes, did we visit when you’re not feeling well, Your Highness?”

Latifa, showing respect in front of others, called him “Your Highness,” but she called him Lohan only when they were alone.

Lohan, who couldn’t understand why he was getting angry at her perfectness, was never aware of the need for a mirror since he had never seen himself working.

If she appeared sweaty, with tangled hair, or with dandruff, making loud noises while eating or frowning, his heated head and chest might have cooled down.

“Oh, no. It’s just that the sun in the Grand Bazaar seems particularly hot today. Asti, soon Irigos will come too, so play slowly and leave. But those clothes…?”

“Oh, my apologies, older brother! Did you think we came to the royal palace just because of Irigos? Today is Madrasa’s day off, so Latifa and I made these! How is it?! Irigos will like it, right?”

Although she spoke strongly, Asti, whose body was already twisted with embarrassment, continued.

“I have a favor to ask today.”

Latifa, with a bright smile, handed a rolled-up fabric to Lohan.

“Neither of us knows how to write in the desert language. We thought you might be able to help us, just in case.”

Latifa told Lohan about Asti’s Madrasa story.

And when she mentioned preparing for the day Latifa would return to the Caleb Estate after the one-month grace period, Lohan’s face began to darken slightly. The fact that the day she returned to Caleb Estate was approaching meant that the day she stayed in the royal palace was also coming to an end.
“If you can read soon, it’s not Taekan; I can tell my friends directly. And this is somewhat top-secret information, so not everyone should copy it.”

As Asti picked up and ate the sweet dried apricots placed on Lohan’s reception room table, she said, “If it’s your favor, I can do anything.”

Lohan quickly erased the dark expression, offering Asti a fruit tray.

“Okay. Then from now on, I’ll come every day and tell you the behind-the-scenes stories of the Heroic Expedition of Harzept. Please tell me a convenient time.”

“Every day?!”

“There’s not much time until I go back, actually, I wish I started today.”

“If you don’t do it, I’ll tell Father!”

At that remark, the fingertips of Lohan, who was moving the tray, began to tremble with joy.