Asti shed tears and blurted out a word, and the Sultan and Karina were so shocked by that one word that they couldn’t say anything.

Even when he heard that the Empire had invaded the desert, when the price of rice suddenly skyrocketed to three times its usual price, when he heard that the desert’s windstorm had blown up the outpost of the outer guard, the Sultan had never been so shocked.

Her one word was that powerful.

“I… don’t eat… because… of, father and, mother. Sob.”

“Our little sugar candy…!”

Isn’t it said that there are no parents who can win against their children?

To Karina, Shirak was a precious child, but it goes without saying that she loved Asti more than Shirak, who had left the palace saying he would do business, causing nothing but worry.

“Sultan, quickly, Hades’ Frau…! At this rate, our Princess Asti will die…!”

Karina pleaded as she pulled on Rashid. Rashid let out a small sigh and rubbed his forehead.

“Oh no!”

This was a blunder by Rashid and Karina who had overlooked how close Asti had become with Latifa, and it was a valuable victory won by Princess Asti herself, who couldn’t even read.

**

It was late at night, past twilight. It was also a quiet night when everyone except the merchants preparing for dawn business was asleep.

A carriage drawn by two horses was speeding down the wide, bustling main street of the Grand Bazaar.

The carriage was draped with dark green curtains, so it was impossible to tell who was inside.

But judging from the golden cobra and silver scorpion painted on it, it was likely a carriage carrying a nobleman or royalty.

Two brown horses of good pedigree, Thoroughbreds, quickly crossed the road, kicking up dust.

-Neigh!

The place where the carriage finally arrived was Kaleb’s estate, second to none in grandeur even in the Grand Bazaar.

The coachman, dressed in antique white and green attire, reverently got down from the carriage and lifted the green curtain, following the Sultan’s solemn order.

Soon, a woman with long, flowing silver hair and pale skin carefully got out of the carriage, and she quickly ran to knock on the large oak door of the estate.

-Knock, knock. Knock, knock.

“We’re not expecting any guests, who is it at this hour?”

The night gatekeeper, sounding a bit tired, opened the small hole in the oak door to check who was outside.

And upon seeing the woman outside, his eyes widened and he hurriedly urged the gatekeepers beside him to open the door.

And in a few seconds, the huge oak door creaked open with a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through, and the woman quickly scurried through that gap.

Of course, she didn’t forget to thank the coachman who had brought her here.

“Who is it? Who came at this hour? No one is allowed in here at night.”

“You know the situation isn’t good right now. Lord Hades will be shocked if he finds out. Oh…?”

The servants guarding the estate at night watched warily as a figure ran along the arched corridor of Kaleb’s estate, but soon recognized her identity and quickly made way.

“Please go in quickly.”

“He will be waiting for you.”

The silver-haired woman, seemingly familiar with the path ahead, quickened her pace without losing her way in the darkness, and even started to run, picking up speed.

Her heart was beating fast, and a thick jasmine scent emanated from her hot breath.

The small shadow of the beast that had entered with her pricked up its ears and hopped along the sand walls of Kaleb’s estate, watching with small eyes to make sure she was finding her way well.

Soon a tightly closed wooden door appeared before her figure, and beside it were two small torches flickering in the desert night wind.

As her small white hand carefully pushed the wooden door, the dark interior was revealed, and a terrible smell of rotten fruit wine wafted out from inside.

Despite the strong smell of alcohol, she didn’t mind and quietly entered the dark room.

There was no lit lamp or anything in the room, but it wasn’t difficult to distinguish objects due to the bright full moon pouring in from outside the window.

When the silver-haired figure glanced around the room, leaning on the moonlight, it was quite a sight.

Linen cloths used as sunshades were strewn about, large and small bottles of alcohol rolled on the floor, and even books and scrolls that were always neatly shelved were not organized at all.

And at the highest seat of the bedroom, a man lay sprawled with his clothes not properly fastened, eyes closed, fully exposed to the pouring moonlight.

His hair was disheveled and he lay as if dead, but his well-balanced chest slowly rose and fell, conveying the rhythm of life, and his long, dark eyelashes trembling finely showed that he was in a light sleep.

Soon, the woman’s white and slender fingers began to slowly stroke his sharp nose bridge, shimmering coldly in the blue moonlight.

-Snap!

Before the woman could say ‘Ah’, her small and delicate wrist was blocked by the man’s large, dark-colored hand, and the man’s closed eyes slowly opened.

His dilated black pupils slowly narrowed as they focused on the woman looking at him.

Her eyes, which could be said to be bluer and clearer than any jewel in the world, gazed at him, and her silver eyelashes blinked as she spoke to him.

“…Hello. Have you been well?”

At the woman’s soft and calm voice and the dazzling silver hair, the man seemed confused for a moment, as if wondering if the full moon in tonight’s sky had incarnated and come down before him.

“Are you a mirage, or-”

Unfortunately, the man’s words were not finished.

Because the small red lips of the full moon covered his dry lips.

“Haa…”

The woman exhaled a deep and hot sigh, but the moist, soft overlapping sounds showed no signs of stopping.

Chut, chut, sometimes light and quick. Sometimes wet without a chance to dry.

They sucked in each other’s sweet sighs escaping from their lips as if competing.

“Mmm.”

As if all of each other’s hot breaths were their own. As if they didn’t want to miss even a single small sigh escaping between their lips. That’s how they shared each other’s breaths.

“Huu, Hades…”

The silver-haired woman who barely parted her lips due to shortness of breath from the quick and stimulating kiss opened her eyes that had been closed during the kiss.

In her mouth lingered the taste and scent of strong fruit wine that seemed to have transferred from him, and it made her own mind, as well as his, even more distant.

“Hades, I hate you the most…!”

At her words, spoken as if complaining that she hated him the most, a large, satisfied smile bloomed on the man’s lips.

“Yes. I know.”

Along with his low and dull resonance, the black pupils visible made her blood boil and every hair on her body stand on end with a tingling sensation.

“If you had said you liked an incompetent master who couldn’t even protect you, I would have drawn my sword and ravaged you on the spot.”

“…”

“If you were in your right mind, you wouldn’t like such a pathetic man. So…”

The man’s strong arms embraced her delicate waist as he whispered.

“So you are not a mirage that will scatter, but real.”

“Hades!”

“My Frau, my goddess. Latifa, my happiness.”

Hades, paradoxically, shed all boundaries and pretenses at Latifa’s words saying she hated him, and pushed her into his arms while tangling her beautiful silver hair.

There was no time to turn on the light and talk about how she had returned.

He was too busy passionately embracing the dazzling full moon and then exploring her glossy lips again.

On that night when the miracle of moonlight occurred in a completely unexpected place.

Hades was not greatly surprised by the miracle performed by the goddess of Kaleb, but only embraced her wholly.

**

It was long after the soft cream-colored sunlight illuminated the bedroom of Kaleb’s estate that Latifa slightly lifted her eyelids, rubbing her legs against the silk blanket.

“Mmm.”

“…You sleep for a long time.”

When Latifa slightly opened her eyes, what she saw was Hades’ face.

As soon as she saw his face, Latifa’s face turned red with embarrassment as she recalled the previous night.

The night when she had kissed Hades as soon as she saw him, without even realizing it herself.

‘Why did I do that! Because I was so happy to see him… That’s right! I must have done it because I was so happy!’

When people are too happy or something good happens, don’t they hug even strangers next to them and rejoice together?

It must have been that kind of joy, Latifa thought as she slightly turned her head to the side, trying to calm her reddened face. If she kept looking at his face, she felt she would never be able to calm down.

But Hades chuckled at Latifa’s behavior and brushed her long silver hair with his fingers. Then he gently held her chin to meet her gaze.

“Eep…!”

The cream-colored sunlight falling through the linen cloth brightly illuminated his face.

Latifa’s face heated up again when she saw the smile on his handsome face revealed in the bright light. She turned her head somewhat stubbornly, trying not to let it show.

“Well, well. It seems your complexion has changed a bit after drinking the palace water?”

It was Hades’ tone of teasing and provoking the other person, but his touch that covered from her chin to her cheek was as gentle as caressing the most lovable thing in the world.

‘S-stop…!’

With her face so hot it felt like it would burst, Latifa couldn’t gather her thoughts or say anything.

“J-just a moment…”

“How does the Moon Goddess feel about returning to Kaleb?”

“Really…!”

Slightly annoyed at his teasing tone, Latifa pushed his chest and got up from her seat.

“I almost couldn’t come back!”

“Hmm, that’s right. I should hear the reason for how you came back.”

Hades stretched out long, lying on his stomach, as if his body was stiff. It looked just like a big cat stretching.

“I don’t feel like getting up now.”

Hades buried his body in the silk blanket and poked out only his head towards Latifa. Then he gestured and patted the space next to him.

It seemed he meant for her to lie down again.

“What’s this about? You usually hate being lazy.”

“I couldn’t sleep at all.”

Hades answered slowly, resting his face on his arm and looking at her. It wasn’t a lie that he hadn’t slept at all, as his eyes were red and bloodshot.

“Wasn’t I able to sleep comfortably because I came?”

“I was afraid this might all be a dream. Afraid you might disappear again if I fell asleep, I couldn’t sleep. Thanks to you, I stayed up all night.”

“That, if others heard it, they’d easily misunderstand.”

“What misunderstanding?”

“That’s the kind of thing you should say to a woman you like.”

“…Let them misunderstand, whatever.”

Hearing his dismissive tone, Latifa chuckled and sat down next to him again. Then she slowly leaned her back against Hades’ back as he lay face down and closed her eyes.

Latifa sat silently, enjoying the thick jasmine scent flowing amid the faded fruit wine smell, savoring the leisurely late morning.

“I’m sorry, Latifa. For making you go through all this.”

“Hm?”

“I will never let you go from my hands again.”