Carlos sat opposite Irene.

“I’ll bring something to drink.”

Dewey left with a knowing look, and an awkward silence filled the office.

Irene couldn’t look directly at Carlos and kept her gaze down, fidgeting with her hands.

It was good that she came with courage to ask for a favor, but that was it.

Once she decided to ask for a favor, it wasn’t good to go against Carlos’s words, so she sat down as told.

Carlos looked at Irene without saying anything.

Dewey laughed abruptly, as if he had come up with a good idea while stroking his chin.

“Perhaps we don’t need to hesitate about the means and methods?”

Carlos’s hand, which was about to pick up the next report, paused.

Only then did he look at Dewey and said, “You’re thinking of killing someone.”

“Come on, I’m not.”

Dewey grinned.

“I won’t casually take a life like those guys.”

“…”

Carlos silently looked at Dewey.

Although Dewey said he had forgotten everything and no longer thought about that time, sometimes, when he spoke revealingly about living like that, it seemed like he hadn’t forgotten.
“The maus were at the maus training camp… I heard they are to the east. The guides are working hard taking care of them.”

Still, Carlos couldn’t look directly at Irene’s face.

“I heard they are so busy that they would borrow a cat’s paw if they could… If they are that busy, I want to help.”

“You’re going to help them?”

Carlos tilted his head slightly.

“Are you saying you’ll personally take care of the maus?”

Hearing it like a reproach, Irene clenched her hands tightly, looking into his eyes.

“Oh, no. I won’t personally take care of the maus. I just want to do simple errands like deliveries or cleaning.”

“Hmm.”

Carlos leaned back deep into his chair, his fists on the armrests.

To hesitate rather than outright refuse meant there was room for permission.

Irene clasped her hands tightly to her chest and pleaded earnestly.

“I won’t go near the maus or do anything dangerous, so please allow me.”

“…”

The violet eyes that had been silent stared at her, and after a moment, he opened his eyes again and nodded.

“Fine. Let’s do it that way.”

She wondered if he would permit it, and he really did.

Irene’s face brightened.

“However, only for a week.”

Even with a short period, she asked curiously when a deadline was added.

“After a week, will the maus return to the training camp?”

Carlos was about to answer, but with a knock, Dewey entered, pulling a tray.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Dewey set up what he brought on the table.

Milk tea with froth, cake, and even cookies.

“…”

Irene swallowed her saliva, staring at the sweet desserts.

It hadn’t been long since she had a hearty lunch.

She didn’t feel hungry until she came here, but seeing the desserts made her suddenly hungry.

Especially the cheesecake with plenty of chocolate powder sprinkled on top, she couldn’t take her eyes off it.

Carlos picked up a whole piece of cake and pushed it toward her with a smirk.

“Eat it all.”

“Oh, no. You should eat too…”

“Don’t worry about me and just eat.”

Since he originally brought the cake for Irene, he didn’t mind even if she ate it all.

“Then I’ll eat a little.”

Irene, unaware of this fact, cut the cake and put it on a plate.

As soon as she put the chocolate cheese cake in her mouth, she felt a burst of joy, as if fireworks were going off in front of her.

“It’s delicious!”

Unknowingly, a sigh of admiration escaped her.

Enchanted by the sweetness of the chocolate and cheese combination, Irene, who had completely forgotten that Carlos was in front of her, ate the cake absentmindedly.

As the cake, which was as big as Irene’s face, disappeared in the blink of an eye, Carlos let out a wry laugh.

“You said you would eat a little, but you ate it all.”

“Oh.”

When did she eat so much?
Belatedly coming to her senses, Irene blushed and put down her fork.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I said you could eat it all, so there’s no need to apologize.”

Carlos replied nonchalantly as he lifted the teacup.

“More importantly, regarding what you asked a little while ago.”

What did I ask a little while ago?

Oh, I asked if the maus would return in a week.

“Soon, an investigative team sent by the temple and the royal palace will come to the Esper Territory.”

“…”

Among the words listed, the word that caught Irene’s ear was ‘temple.’

The completely drained color from her pale face.

“The priests… are coming.”

“Yes.”

Carlos put down the teacup and continued speaking.

They are coming to investigate the truth behind the maus uprising, but just in case, it would be better not to meet them if possible.

“As little as possible… means there might be a case where you have to meet them.”

“You catch on quickly.”

Carlos laughed.

“You are officially my lover, so you should welcome the investigative team with me. Of course, you’re not a wife but a lover, so there’s no obligation, but if you don’t show your face, rumors might spread that we broke up.”

“…I see.”

As much as she didn’t want to face the priests, for that reason, she couldn’t avoid stepping forward.

Yeah. It’s right to step forward with her head held high… but her heart disagrees.

I don’t want to meet them.

They might sell me as a witch.

They might shake my heart with strange words about helping me escape.

I absolutely didn’t want to meet them.

“…”

Her eyes, reflecting her inner thoughts, trembled futilely.

She bowed her head like a well-ripened ear of rice.

Carlos, who had been quietly watching her, moved to her side.

Then he took Irene’s shoulders, stole her lips with his thumb.

“…!”

Surprised by the sudden action, Irene stood up from her seat.

Her face was now redder than ever before.

“W-what…”

“Because there’s chocolate on it.”

It was evident from the chocolate on his thumb that he wasn’t lying.

When did it get there?

Embarrassed Irene wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

There was still some chocolate left on her hand.

“If you had told me there was chocolate, I would have wiped it off.”

Irene muttered somewhat resentfully.

Carlos wiped off the chocolate on his thumb with a handkerchief and casually replied.

“I just wanted to wipe it off.”