“Who?”

Eric asked, seeing Chase standing next to Alicia.

“A friend.”

“A friend?”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Chase Spencer.”

Chase smiled brightly and extended his hand to Eric for a handshake.

Bewildered, Eric also took his hand and shook it.

“I’m Eric Russell Gloucester.”

“Ah, you can speak comfortably. I’m the same age as Alicia.”

Chase said warmly with a friendly smile.

“Spencer? As in the son of Earl Spencer, the Deputy Minister of the Interior?”

“The eldest son. Ah, come to think of it, is my father still busy? I arrived from the Valois Empire yesterday, but I haven’t seen his face yet.”

“Every department is busy because of the demonic beasts.”

“It seems so. I thought the Interior Ministry would be fine, but…”

“But you mentioned the Valois Empire?”

“I’m working as the Deputy Ambassador to Valois. Although I’m still a newcomer, having been there for only about a year.”

Chase said it casually, but being appointed as the Deputy Ambassador to Valois, a rival country on the continent, at that age was no easy feat.

‘He seems quite capable. Friendly and smooth-talking.’

Though his sudden appearance was disconcerting, Eric was trying to think positively since he was Alicia’s friend.

At that moment, Chase put his arm around Alicia’s shoulders as if embracing her.

“?!”

“Please take good care of our Alicia. She may not look it, but she needs a lot of attention.”

“……”

Eric glared at the arm Chase had put around Alicia for a moment.

‘I know she needs attention, but it’s irritating that you’re touching her?’

“You’re saying all sorts of things.”

Alicia glanced at Chase with a frown.

‘Hah. Would she have stayed still if another man put his arm around her shoulder?’

Eric quietly narrowed his eyes.

Just then, the butler who had been standing nearby quietly spoke up.

“Perhaps we should go inside since a guest has arrived, my lord. I’ll prepare some tea.”

“Ah, shall we? This is Alicia’s fri…end. I’ve been rude.”

“It’s alright. It can happen when the atmosphere is good for conversation.”

“Then let’s go in, Chase.”

“Okay.”

Alicia and Chase followed the butler, walking ahead of Eric.

Eric watched their retreating figures with an incredulous look.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Wow, the tea smells great. Is this Orange Silence?”

“You know?”

“Alicia told me in her letters. It really is good.”

“Letters?”

Eric raised one eyebrow.

“Yes, letters. I mentioned earlier that I was in the Valois Empire.”

“I didn’t know you were close enough to write about such trivial things.”

“Ah. We’ve been friends since we were this tall.”

Chase smiled, looking at Alicia.

“We were inseparable like Ryan and Lyla. We attended the Imperial School and the Academy together.”

“Is… that so?”

Eric looked back and forth between the two with a sour expression.

The fact that there was a man who knew things about Alicia that Eric didn’t was more irritating than he had expected.

“Ah, I heard you’ve been busy lately because of the demonic beasts, elder brother?”

“Elder brother?”

“Is it okay if I call you that? You’re speaking casually to me too.”

“…Do as you please.”

“Thank you. By the way, may I talk about work for a bit?”

“Work talk?”

Instead of answering Eric’s question, Chase turned to Alicia.

“Alicia. Don’t you have something to do here?”

“I see. It’s talk I shouldn’t hear?”

“I’m afraid so?”

“Alright, then I’ll go do my work. You two talk comfortably.”

Alicia stood up willingly and reminded Chase before leaving.

“Let me know before you go.”

“Got it.”

Alicia briefly placed her hand on Chase’s shoulder before leaving the reception room first.

It was a situation no different from usual.

Alicia going to do her usual work and Eric having a business meeting with a ‘guest’.

But.

‘It’s irritating.’

Eric looked at Chase, who was sitting in front of him with a friendly smile.

That smile wasn’t genuine. It was the kind of smile that tries to hide something.

Nevertheless, Eric asked Chase with his usual attitude.

“So what’s this work talk about?”

“You directly confronted the demonic beast that appeared this time, right?”

“I did.”

“His Majesty the Emperor of the Valois Empire is very interested in this incident.”

“Why is that?”

“Because magicians and demonic beasts are a threat to any country.”

Eric slightly furrowed his brow.

The Britannia Empire was a country founded 500 years ago by people who stood against corrupted magicians.

They eliminated magic and created divine arts instead, and the cultivation and management of divine art practitioners were transferred to the Grand Temple of Britannia.

Of course, recently some divine art practitioners had gone missing, and two of them were found dead, but still, Britannia’s divine arts were of the highest level, and because of that, they were the object of envy and attention from other countries.

So now that demonic beasts and magicians had appeared, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t appear in other countries, and it wasn’t strange for the Valois Empire to be interested.

“Didn’t you say you arrived yesterday? This doesn’t seem like something you should be telling me first.”

“Of course, I’ll report formally to His Majesty the Emperor. But I needed an excuse.”

“An excuse?”

“Yes. An excuse to talk to you alone, elder brother.”

Chase smiled slyly.

Eric stared at him for a moment, then chuckled and crossed his legs, leaning back on the sofa in a relaxed manner.

“Well then, let’s hear it.”

“……”

Chase was taken aback by Eric’s completely changed attitude.

He swallowed dryly without realizing it, but still tried to maintain his smile.

“I heard that since your father hasn’t returned yet, it’s not an engagement yet, just talks of engagement?”

“There’s also the word betrothal, but well, I suppose that’s about right.”

“Don’t you think things might change when your father returns?”

“Well. We’ll see when he returns.”

“……”

After watching the silent Chase for a moment, Eric spoke.

“Then shall I ask a question too?”

“What is it?”

“Are you planning to interfere?”

“From my perspective, you’re the one who interfered.”

“If that were true, Alicia wouldn’t have become my fiancée.”

Eric smirked. Although he quickly returned to his usual expressionless face, that fleeting smile looked even more menacing to Chase.

“How much do you know about Alicia?”

“Ah. Is that your biggest card?”

“You could say that.”

“Of course, I don’t know as much as you do.”

When Eric readily admitted this, Chase made a puzzled expression.

“Some things I know better than you.”

“Is that really so?”

“Because I’m her fiancé, not her friend. But Chase.”

“?”

“I’ve been entertaining you quite diligently, so isn’t it time you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“The reason why you’re purposely showing your true colors to me.”

“Ah.”

Chase nodded slowly.

Showing one’s true colors to a ‘fiancé’ so blatantly is something one shouldn’t do unless they intend to ruin their relationship with Alicia.

That is, if it were a normally progressing engagement.

‘There must be something.’

Chase was originally quite perceptive. Especially when it came to Alicia.

When he asked about the engagement, Chase immediately noticed something strange, a small, fleeting sign from Alicia when she answered.

But Chase hid his true feelings and just smiled innocently.

“Let’s call it a preliminary skirmish.”

“Hmm. A preliminary skirmish. You seem to need such things?”

At those words that perfectly looked down on him, Chase’s face hardened.

Moreover, Eric’s expression as he looked at him seemed beyond arrogant, it looked haughty.

With that same expression, Eric asked Chase.

“So you want to give it a try?”

“Of course.”

“Well then.”

Eric uncrossed his legs and stood up.

“I have no reason to continue this with you anymore.”

Chase looked up at the standing Eric.

He realized that the pressure was greater than he had thought.

This person was just as serious as himself.

Feeling it beneath his dignity to look up, Chase also stood up.

“Let’s end it here for today.”

“If you wish.”

Eric moved first. Chase followed behind him.

“Ah.”

Eric stopped walking, turned around, and smiled slyly.

“Have lunch before you go.”

“What?”

“My fiancée’s friend has come all this way, I can at least offer that much hospitality.”

“Ha.”

Chase glared at Eric in disbelief, but Eric just chuckled and turned around to start walking again.

[This is the timeline separator]

‘What on earth were they talking about to create such an atmosphere? Aren’t they going to fight at this rate? Are we going to have to clean up a corpse?’

The butler who had opened the reception room door earlier to check if they needed more tea closed it immediately without thinking of entering.

‘Wasn’t that gentleman the young lady’s friend? If something happens, it’s likely to be the other side that crosses the river, isn’t it?’

The butler tilted his head in anxiety as he walked out and headed towards Alicia’s office.

“Young lady. About that friend of yours.”

“Chase? Did something happen?”

“Not exactly, but I’m worried something might happen.”

Alicia raised her head at the butler’s concern.

“I went to the reception room to see if they needed more tea, but the atmosphere between him and the lord was quite menacing. Perhaps you should go check?”

“Is that so? But they’ve just met today, so there shouldn’t be any reason for them to be on bad terms.”

“Is that right?”

“Ah, that’s right. He said they were going to talk about work, so it might be an unpleasant situation.”

The butler tilted his head at Alicia’s words. It didn’t seem like that kind of menacing atmosphere, though.

“Is that so?”

“It should be fine, don’t worry.”

“Yes, young lady.”

The butler bowed and withdrew from Alicia’s office.

If it was as Alicia said, there shouldn’t be anything serious, but still, the butler shook his head remembering the atmosphere from earlier.

He thought the tea might have run out by now, but he didn’t have the courage to go back to the reception room.

[This is the timeline separator]

Knock knock.

Alicia looked up to see Eric leaning against the door and smiled.

“You really have no intention of opening the door after knocking anymore, do you?”

“You said you’re used to it now, right?”

“That’s true.”

“Your friend left.”

“Did he?”

“I told him to have lunch before leaving, but he just went. He must be busy.”

“Was it because of that work you mentioned earlier?”

“Probably. It was something that needed to be reported to His Majesty the Emperor.”

As Eric sat on the sofa, Alicia also came out from behind her desk and sat on the sofa.

After staring at Alicia for a moment, he asked.

“Are you close with that guy?”

“Huh? Chase?”

“Yeah. That Chase.”

“Of course we’re close. We’re friends.”

“Right. Since you’re friends, have you ever felt anything strange?”

“Strange feeling?”

“Well-.”

How should he say this?

Have you ever felt like Chase might have ulterior motives?

And not just a little dark, but extremely pitch-black ones at that.

‘There’s no way I can say that with my own mouth.’

He couldn’t blatantly try to break up a close childhood friendship that had grown up together.

Feeling frustrated, Eric stared intently at Alicia.

How could he make Alicia notice without directly showing his feelings?

And at the same time, an odd thought crossed his mind.