Irene’s safety was well-known through the shadow I had attached to her.

So I thought there was no need to worry.

“……”

Kalos was running towards Esper Castle where Irene was.

Moving through shadows would be faster, but it consumes a lot of energy, so parts of his body could become translucent like before.

Then he might inevitably need Irene’s help, so Kalos ran directly on his two feet without using his power.

‘Look at this.’

I know for certain that she is safe enough for me to be this leisurely.

But why am I running?

What is the reason I want to see if she’s really alright?

If I want to see that, I could look through the shadow, so why do I want to confirm it with my own two eyes?

While Kalos was searching for answers to these questions, his legs faithfully ran, arriving at the bathroom where Irene was.

“M-Master?”

Jessie, who was waiting for Irene to finish bathing at the entrance of the bathroom, looked at Kalos in surprise.

Kalos opened the bathroom door with a bang without even glancing at Jessie.

“Wait…!”

Jessie tried to stop Kalos in bewilderment, but his actions were faster.

As the translucent glass door opened, a hazy steam holding stuffy heat rushed out.

“……”

The moment he saw Irene standing there in the steam like a goddess from mythology with his own eyes, an indescribable sense of relief washed over him.

“Haa.”

Kalos finally let out the breath he had been holding and ran his hand through his disheveled hair.

*

Even if it had been Jessie who opened the bathroom door and entered, I would have been startled, but Kalos?

“……”

Irene was so shocked that she stared blankly at Kalos, forgetting the fact that she wasn’t wearing anything.

Kalos also said nothing and just looked at her.

They looked only at each other as if they were the only ones here, but there was one more person.

“Um……”

It was Jessie.

Even though Irene had recently opened her heart to Kalos, it wasn’t open enough to allow barging in while she was bathing.

If he did such a thing, it seemed like her heart that had opened might close again.

So she thought she should stop Kalos somehow.

When Kalos opened the bathroom door, she despaired that it was all over.

“……”

Judging by Irene’s reaction, it seems her concerns were unfounded.

Kalos’s reaction… she wasn’t sure.

She didn’t want to know either.

Jessie looked at Kalos with wavering eyes, then quietly withdrew.

*

As the cold air flowing in through the wide open door touched her skin, goosebumps spread and she came to her senses.

“…!”

W-wait a minute. I’m not wearing anything right now!

Realizing this fact belatedly, Irene hurriedly wrapped herself in a towel.

The large towel covered her body adequately, but it was still embarrassing.

She was also anxious, not knowing when the towel might fall off.

So just as she was about to ask Kalos to please leave, Irene noticed the bloodstains on his face and white shirt and her eyes widened.

Bloodstains? Could he be hurt?

Irene’s face turned pale.

She needed to check right away if he was alright, how badly he was injured.

“……”

As Irene approached fearlessly with just a towel wrapped around her, Kalos hurriedly turned his head away.

He had been so focused on the fact that he needed to confirm she was safe that he hadn’t paid attention, and now he belatedly realized how embarrassing this was.

I should apologize and leave now.

“Are you alright?”

But Kalos couldn’t do so because Irene, who had already approached, grabbed his arm.

Unable to turn his head, he glanced sideways to see golden eyes looking at him with concern.

“How badly are you hurt?”

…I’m hurt?

Kalos furrowed his brow at the incomprehensible words.

Thinking he was in pain, deep wrinkles formed between Irene’s brows.

“I’ll call for a physician.”

As Irene tried to go outside, Kalos grabbed her arm in rare panic.

His large hand wrapped around her wet arm with a thud.

“Where are you going in that state?”

In that state, what…

“!”

That’s right, I’m only wearing a towel right now.

To approach Kalos so fearlessly in this state.

I must be completely out of my mind.

Irene hurriedly shook off Kalos’s hand and stepped back.

“Ah!”

But her foot slipped on the wet floor.

Her body, unprepared for the unexpected accident, lost balance and staggered, falling towards Kalos.

Kalos caught her with his whole body.

Thud-!

A heavy sound echoed throughout the bathroom.

“……”

“……”

At a distance close enough to feel each other’s breath.

With each deep breath, the other’s scent penetrated deep into their lungs.

Irene, shocked in a different way than before, was frozen like a statue.

Kalos brushed back her wet hair that had fallen like a curtain.

When his hand touched her cheek, Irene’s long eyelashes fluttered.

“……”

Though she was naive about worldly matters due to being confined at home her whole life, she wasn’t so innocent as to not know what kind of situation this was.

Moreover, having looked into various things to pretend to truly love Kalos, she knew well what would happen next.

Of course, she didn’t think Kalos would do such a thing to her… but you never know.

Anything can happen between a man and woman.

So she thought she should push Kalos away and get up immediately, but strangely, her body wouldn’t move.

As she was confused, not understanding why this was happening, Kalos’s face gradually drew closer.

Is he really going to do it?

Is he really… going to kiss me?

The golden eyes that had been wavering aimlessly in confusion soon disappeared beneath thin eyelids.

Their lips touched lightly, like a mother bird feeding her baby, then parted.

“Haa……”

Irene let out a deep sigh, unknowingly disappointed that it was over.

As if knowing her feelings, Kalos embraced her wet back and kissed her again.

Cold yet dry lips met.

As he swallowed her hot breath exhaled with a different meaning and tried to delve deeper.

Knock knock-.

“!”

Startled by the sudden knocking sound striking her eardrums, Irene pushed Kalos away in shock.

She hurriedly adjusted the towel that had fallen while kissing frantically and crouched down on the floor. Her shoulders that she couldn’t cover in time trembled.

A shirt was placed over Irene’s shoulders as she looked around in a panic.

At this, Irene unknowingly raised her head and.

“Gasp.”

Discovering that Kalos had taken off his shirt, she swallowed her breath and quickly lowered her head.

As she glanced sideways at his body, Kalos said with exasperation:

“If you want to look, you can just look.”

Irene’s eyes widened.

“I-I don’t want to look, I was just ch-checking if you were injured……”

“Injured?”

Come to think of it, she had asked earlier if he was hurt.

Kalos was curious why she was asking such a thing, but when he saw the blood on his shirt that Irene was wearing, he understood immediately.

“This is not my blood but another guy’s, so don’t worry.”

Ah, I see. That’s a relief.

As Irene finally relaxed and sighed in relief, Kalos smiled faintly.

“I unintentionally committed a rudeness in my desire to confirm your safety. I apologize.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

Confirm that I’m safe?

As Irene asked in confusion, Kalos silently smiled and covered her wet silver hair with another towel.

Her vision was obscured by the long towel.

“I’ll leave first.”

When Irene lowered the towel blocking her view, Kalos was already gone.

*

Jessie filled the space Kalos had left.

Rushing into the bathroom, Jessie paused upon seeing Irene wearing Kalos’s shirt.

She had wondered if he took off his shirt because it was stained with blood when he came out.

She never imagined Irene would be wearing that shirt.

“Did something happen with the master, miss?”

When Jessie asked, Irene’s cheeks turned a shy peach color.

“Nothing… happened.”

It was clearly the face of someone to whom something had happened.

Jessie was very curious, but didn’t ask any further.

“I’ll bring you a robe, so please wait a moment.”

She decided not to press further since Irene likely wouldn’t tell her even if asked, and judging by her expression, it didn’t seem like anything bad had happened.

After Jessie left and Irene was alone, she stared down at the shirt she was wearing.

Perhaps because rose petals had been scattered in the bathtub, a thick rose scent lingered in the bathroom.

However, Irene couldn’t smell the rose scent at all.

Was it because she had inhaled Kalos’s scent deeply earlier?

Or was it because she was wearing Kalos’s shirt?

His scent constantly lingered in her nose, so she couldn’t smell any other scent.

…And we kissed.

Irene traced her lips with her fingertips.

Though they had only touched for a brief moment, the sensation was still vivid.

Why did that man kiss me?

Was he swept up in the mood like men usually are?

It was certainly a situation where that could happen, but could there be another reason?

If so, could that reason be that he…

“What’s wrong, miss? Did you hurt your lip?”

When Jessie, who had returned with a robe, asked, Irene smiled faintly and shook her head.

“No, I’m fine.”

*

The place Kalos headed after changing clothes was Abel’s bedroom.

Abel, who had been leisurely resting, tilted his head and checked the time at Kalos’s sudden visit.

“It’s not time to fix the barrier yet, what brings you here?”

Kalos silently closed the door, came in and sat on the sofa.

Sensing that this would be a long conversation, Abel sat across from him and asked with concern.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t you say you were going out? Did something happen?”

“Do you know where Dale might be?”

As the name that was almost taboo was mentioned, Abel’s expression stiffened.

Abel stared silently at Kalos with an unusually serious expression, then scratched his head and opened his lips.

“Well. I do like to poke my nose into things here and there, but I don’t know where that bastard is. If I were to say what I do know, it’s that he’s been away from his territory for quite a while.”

“I know that too.”

Because I’ve been receiving constant reports from the watchers I placed in the underground world.

“But why are you suddenly asking about his whereabouts? Did you find any traces?”

Before Kalos could answer, Abel continued.

“Was the monster riot in Esper territory caused by Dale?”

“……”

Always unnecessarily quick-witted.

Kalos nodded with a long sigh.

“It seems so.”

Abel asked in shock:

“Does that mean Dale came to Esper territory?”

“Yes.”

And I can say with certainty that Dale is still in Esper territory.

To kill Kalos.

To end this wearisome fight that has lasted over a hundred years.