As Escalion took her hand and led her out of the castle together, she saw the servants gathered in a circle around something.

It seemed that even for the people of Griblata, the sight of a magician creating a giant portal was a rare spectacle.

“Ah, my lord!”

When Wolf shouted upon seeing the lord and lady coming out together, the surrounding servants discreetly moved to make room for them.

Is that him?

Belladonna moved alongside him and approached the magician who had his back turned, wearing a robe.

“Fabion.”

“Yes, my lord. Thank you for calling me.”

When Escalion called his name, the magician named Fabion turned his head as he took off the blue robe he was wearing.

‘Oh…’

At first glance, he appeared to be a white-haired old man well over 100 years old.

Belladonna looked up at Escalion, surprised by the magician who looked much older than expected.

Isn’t it too much to entrust such a difficult task as portal creation to such an elderly grandfather? Isn’t this elder abuse?

Fabion bowed his head to Escalion and spoke in a very small voice.

“Um… I will create it around here. This wide open area seems suitable.”

“Go ahead.”

“Wow…!”

“He’s starting!”

The servants’ excited voices filled the surroundings, having somehow understood the old man’s quiet words.

Fabion turned back to his original position and drew a large circle in the air with the staff he was holding.

After clearing his throat for a moment, he closed his eyes and muttered something unintelligible, and blue flames began to rise from where the circle had been drawn.

“Look at that…!”

“Wow!!”

The cheers of the people grew louder and louder.

The blue flames also grew larger and larger, eventually changing to a size that could easily accommodate one large carriage.

Belladonna looked up at the portal he had created with wide eyes.

For now, it was just a blazing pit of fire, but it was clear that a new landscape would await once you closed your eyes and passed through.

Wow… This is the first time I’ve seen such a large portal…!

“Is it done?” Escalion asked in a nonchalant voice beside her.

Fabion, looking much older than just a few minutes ago, perhaps from exhausting his magical power, nodded slowly.

He seemed to have used up even the energy to speak.

“Alright. Then everyone prepare.”

As Escalion gave instructions to the surrounding servants, still looking unimpressed, those gathered around slowly returned to their places with reluctant steps.

Belladonna was also about to turn around to find Cindy when someone grabbed her wrist with a strong grip.

“W-Wait!”

Huh?

Startled by the sensation different from Escalion’s, she turned her head to see the magician, who had somehow approached close, staring intently at her while breathing heavily.

Belladonna looked down at the old man’s bony hand that had snatched her wrist with a surprised expression.

Fabion spoke with his eyebrows deeply furrowed.

“H-Holy Maiden…?”

“Do you have business with my wife?”

Escalion quickly struck away his arm as he asked. His golden eyes immediately sank dangerously.

But Fabion did not take his eyes off Belladonna, as if Escalion’s intimidating presence didn’t bother him at all.

“This is strange… Are you really the Holy Maiden?”

Dark eyes shone beneath the wrinkled face.

What is this old man saying now? Could it be… does he know that I’m not the real Holy Maiden?

Belladonna couldn’t even blink properly due to the sudden tension that arose.

His gaze felt like it was tightly binding her.

“What is this impudent magician mumbling about now?”

Escalion muttered in a fierce voice as he blocked in front of Belladonna.

Only then did Belladonna, freed from his gaze, exhale a held breath.

“If you’ve been paid, just do the job you were told to do properly. Don’t pay unnecessary attention to someone else’s wife.”

“Oh my. I-I’m sorry. I must have seen wrong.”

At the sharp tone, Fabion finally bowed and stepped back.

Belladonna, hidden behind Escalion’s back, watched Fabion return to the portal while placing her hand on her rapidly beating heart.

Does that magician really know something?

“Are you alright?”

After Fabion disappeared, Escalion quickly turned to examine Belladonna.

He especially raised her wrist that had been grabbed by Fabion and looked at it closely.

“That damn old geezer… He didn’t grab you too hard, did he?”

Belladonna shook her head lightly. Fabion didn’t have that kind of strength to begin with.

“If there’s even a slight bruise or swelling… I’ll deal with that magician first before any portal business. He was supposed to be experienced, but he’s just senile.”

Escalion muttered with his jaw clenched as he gently wrapped his arm around Belladonna’s shoulders and moved towards the carriage.

“Go in first. We’ll depart soon.”

After ushering her into the carriage, he began talking with Wolf who was standing in front.

Belladonna quickly moved her seat inside the carriage and opened the opposite window.

She could see Fabion still looking around near the portal.

I think I need to have a conversation with that man…

‘Will I have the chance?’

The maintenance time for the giant portal was less than an hour.

They had to move quickly during that time, and once they safely arrived in Sirlenia, the magician would surely return to where he came from.

“Haah…”

Just as she was letting out a small sigh, Escalion, having finished his conversation with Wolf, boarded the carriage where she was sitting.

He naturally sat right next to Belladonna and leaned back comfortably in the seat, stretching out his legs.

His thighs, much thicker and longer than hers, extended far in front.

“If we go through that portal, we’ll arrive at the middle town of Titisi, and if we create and pass through one more portal there, we’ll reach Sirlenia.”

“…”

“Unlike public portals with short travel distances, it might make you dizzy. It might be better for you to just sleep through it.”

After finishing his words, Escalion shifted his seat slightly and pulled Belladonna closer.

As she relaxed her body and moved as he pulled, she found herself lying down with her head on his thigh.

Belladonna blinked her eyes as she lay on the rock-hard thigh.

Escalion was stroking her belly with clumsy hands.

“Sleep.”

“…?”

Sleep?

Belladonna burst into laughter at his actions, as if he were trying to put a child to sleep.

Escalion, who had been staring down at Belladonna laughing silently with shaking shoulders, abruptly turned his head to look out the window.

Her smiling face was beautiful enough to want to keep looking at, but at the same time, it was too beautiful to bear looking at.

At the unfamiliar emotion that came over him again, he felt his chest tighten.

He felt hot even though he was wearing thin clothes.

“We’ll be departing soon! Please enter the portal in order, starting with the front carriages!”

Wolf’s voice could be heard shouting from outside.

Escalion lowered his hand to fix Belladonna’s fallen bangs.

Their carriage soon began to move its wheels slowly forward.

As the magician had said, they arrived in Sirlenia before half a day had passed.

Belladonna looked at the villa in Sirlenia that appeared before her eyes after passing through two portals.

“Are you dizzy?”

Escalion asked from the seat next to her.

Belladonna shook her head. There was a slight crisis in the middle, but it didn’t lead to motion sickness.

Escalion, having confirmed that his wife was fine, followed her gaze to look at the villa that was getting closer.

“It’s been a while. Was it originally like this?”

Unlike Griblata Castle, which gave a cold and sharp first impression with its walls built of dark and solid bricks, Sirlenia’s villa made of smooth marble was the very definition of a beautiful townhouse that anyone would admire.

Belladonna inwardly marveled at the clean building design without any unnecessary elements.

‘We should have come earlier! It’s so beautiful!’

“If I had known you’d like it this much, we should have come sooner.”

Escalion chuckled as he looked at Belladonna’s side profile with sparkling eyes.

Embarrassed, Belladonna turned her head to face him.

The golden eyes that came close filled her vision.

“If you’re grateful, give me a kiss.”

Huh? Belladonna raised her eyebrows, doubting her ears.

What did you say?

Escalion opened his mouth again without changing his expression.

“I hurriedly hired people to make the villa usable, called a magician to create a giant portal, and even made time in my busy schedule to come along. Don’t I deserve praise? So come on.”

“…”

“You won’t do it?”

Escalion asked, slightly raising the corners of his mouth.

He was truly a shameless fellow. Who told him to come along anyway?

Just as she was pondering how to refuse, the carriage came to a smooth stop, indicating they had fully arrived.

Nice timing! We have to get off now, so move! Belladonna raised her arms to gently push his chest.

But he didn’t budge at all.

“If you don’t do it, you can’t get off.”

Escalion said, as solid as a rock. Belladonna looked up at him with an incredulous expression.

“I’m serious.”

Outside, the sounds of servants who had been riding in the carriages in front and behind getting off and moving luggage could be heard.

Wolf, finding it strange that the lord and lady’s carriage hadn’t opened despite having arrived, might soon knock on their carriage door.

Ugh… You cheap bastard… I’ll do it, I’ll do it!

Belladonna, thinking it would be better to get it over with quickly, puckered her lips and lunged at him.

Smack! After a light kiss, she tried to quickly pull her head away.

“…!”

As if he had been waiting for this, he grabbed the back of her head and twisted it.

Surprised, her lips parted, and his thick tongue slid in between them.

Belladonna glared at his tightly closed eyelids and pounded her fist against his solid chest.

You sly fox…!

After deeply pushing in and lightly brushing Belladonna’s teeth, Escalion playfully nibbled on her lower lip before pulling away.

Escalion wiped his red lips, glistening with saliva of unknown origin, with the back of his hand and smiled with his eyes.

His thin eyes had also become flushed.

“Were you this grateful?”

“…”

“Say something.”