Before boarding the ship to Langrangsha, Blanche clung to Aaron.

“Uncle, can’t Shu Shu go with you?”

“We can see each other again later. It’s not like we’ll never meet again.”

“Hmph, still……”

Blanche stomped her feet at Aaron’s refusal, expressing her deep regret.

It was evident she disliked parting so soon after arriving in Rukah.

It seemed unfamiliar to be separated from Aaron for long, having been together since birth.

‘Aaron needs to represent the merchant guild, and as a traitor, it’s dangerous for him to go to Langrangsha.’

I tried to separate Blanche from the troubled Aaron.

“Jade?”

Jade frowned as he picked up Blanche and placed her on his shoulder.

“The ship will depart soon. Larien, let’s go.”

He grabbed my hand with his other hand and led me onto the ship.

I felt Aaron’s bewildered gaze shooting at Jade.

‘I didn’t expect him to dislike it so much just because the child clung a little.’

I noticed from Jade’s expression that he was looking disapprovingly at Aaron, who seemed close to Blanche.

That he was jealous of Aaron.

“You don’t like Aaron?”

“That bastard is dangerous. Larien, you know. All the guys I said were weird turned out to be empty-headed.”

Jade’s answer that all the men he said were weird turned out to be empty-headed was wrong.

‘You disliked all of them.’

He was wary of all men who approached me, saying they were weird.

“You say all men are weird. And Aaron is fine. He’s been taking care of Blanche since she was a newborn.”

“……Since she was a newborn?”

“Lord, Shu Shu is dizzy. Please put me down.”

Jade put Blanche down again at her words about feeling dizzy.

Blanche glanced at a boy looking at the sea with a telescope right next to her.

The boy turned around, feeling Blanche’s gaze.

“Hello! I’m Richard. And you?”

Richard greeted Blanche energetically.

His flaming sun-like red hair fluttered in the wind, and his golden eyes were filled with intelligence.

“Shu Shu is, Blanche!”

At a glance, he seemed to be around the same age as Blanche.

“Richard. What’s that in your hand?”

“It’s called a telescope, you can see the sea with it. Blanche, do you want to look too?”

“Yeah!”

Perhaps because they were the same age, Blanche and Richard quickly became friends.

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of them sharing the telescope, each holding half.

“Larien. Is it okay to let her play with a stranger?”

Jade poked me, seemingly displeased.

“She’s with us, what’s the problem? Blanche is having fun too.”

Blanche closed one eye and looked at the sea through the telescope.

“Mom, there’s a mother beluga and a baby beluga swimming together over there!”

Richard, who was watching Blanche, knelt down on one knee.

“Blanche. Let’s get married.”

“……Huh?”

I was simply enjoying watching the quite serious Richard and the confused Blanche.

“Starting so young already.”

Jade glared at Richard, trying to intimidate him.

“Jade. What are you doing to a child?”

Any other child would cry out of fear, but not Richard.

“Father! Please give us your blessing!”

Rather, thinking he wanted to be acknowledged, he called Jade ‘Father’.

“Who’s your father.”

Jade treated Richard coldly, seemingly displeased even with that.

“Young Master Richard! Where are you!”

A voice calling for the undeterred Richard was heard.

“I have to go now. See you later, Blanche. I’ll give you this as a gift.”

Richard handed the telescope he was holding to Blanche and ran to an old man.

The old man scolded Richard for a while before disembarking at the settled pier. Blanche held out the telescope.

“Mom, there’s a red rose here.”

“A red rose?”

As I was wondering why a red rose was engraved on the telescope, I saw Jade’s frozen face.

“Jade, what’s wrong?”

“The rose is the national flower of the Estupe Empire. And the royal family receives roses of different colors as their personal emblems. That child must be from the Estupe Empire’s royal family.”

The Estupe Empire.

‘If it’s Estupe……’

The Crown Prince of Estupe, who was one of the sub-male leads in the original work, was a psycho on par with Jade.

When he first appeared, readers disliked him, saying he overlapped with Jade.

But unlike Jade who silently watched from behind, the Crown Prince of Estupe kidnapped and imprisoned the female lead.

He gained popularity due to the scene where he resented her for not giving her heart to him.

The fact that he was much younger than the female lead also played a big part.

“……He can’t be the Crown Prince, can he?”

I was worried that Richard, whom we just met, might be the Crown Prince of Estupe. Even if the chances of meeting again like earlier were slim, you never know with people.

‘He seems to have fallen for Blanche, but if he’s the Crown Prince, would he do the same thing he did to the female lead……’

The Estupe Empire was also an ally of Langrangsha, and they often sent delegations.

“The personal emblem of the Estupe Crown Prince is a golden rose.”

“Then he’s not the Crown Prince, I guess.”

My worries were eased by Jade informing me that the Crown Prince’s personal emblem was a golden rose.

“Whether he’s the Crown Prince or not, I don’t like him. Larien, give me that telescope.”

“What are you going to do with the telescope?”

“Throw it into the sea.”

At Jade’s chilling gaze, Blanche took the telescope from me and hugged it tightly.

“No! It’s Shu Shu’s telescope!”

“Blanche. If you keep that, you have to marry him.”

“Why?”

“Because you received it when he proposed, if you don’t throw it away and keep it, you have to marry him. Do you want to marry someone you barely know?”

At Jade’s question, Blanche thought for a moment before speaking.

“Richard is handsome, so it’s okay to marry him! So I’ll keep this telescope and not throw it away.”

Blanche put the telescope to her eye again.

Jade sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead.

“I wonder who she takes after, already being swayed by looks like that.”

Jade turned his head to look at me.

“Why, why are you looking at me?”

“Larien. You like my face too, don’t you?”

As if to say that the someone Blanche takes after is me.

“When did I ever……”

“You, when we first met. You said I was handsome.”

At those words, I traveled back in time, recalling my first meeting with Jade.

The day I first met Jade after realizing I had possessed Larien, and made plans to become close to him.

When I saw Jade, who had distinct features despite being young, I blurted out without thinking.

‘Move aside.’

‘You’re really handsome…… The description in the book wasn’t just written, it was real.’

‘What nonsense. From earlier. Book? Description?’

Because of that, I was almost in danger of being found out as a possessor.

“Just when are you talking about?”

“It’s true, isn’t it?”

“And while it’s true you’re handsome, you’re a bit far from my ideal type, you know?”

No.

Jade fit my ideal type perfectly.

But I didn’t want to answer honestly to Jade who was asking with a nonchalant attitude.

“……Far from your ideal? What is your ideal type then? Is it that Aaron guy from earlier?”

“Aaron isn’t so much an ideal type as he is diligent and smart, which I like. He graduated top of his class from Romer Academy, you know?”

I deliberately praised Aaron to tease Jade, who was looking relieved.

“I was top of the class every year too.”

“Anyway, Blanche hugged Aaron first because she didn’t want to be separated. It’s because he played with her a lot and cherished her.”

It was enjoyable to see Jade’s face continue to harden.

“Then, is the child’s father your ideal type?”

“……”

“What’s so good about a guy like that. From what I see, you raised her alone without the child’s father.”

Jade, not knowing that he himself was that child’s father, gritted his teeth.

“Mary and Aaron came in between…… Uncle also visited occasionally, so I didn’t raise her completely alone.”

Still, I often wondered what it would have been like if I had raised her together with Jade instead of alone.

“What kind of person is the child’s father?”

At that question, I summarized what kind of person Jade was.

“Annoying, irritating, someone I want to hit……”

Clearly at first, I only watched my step to avoid death. In front of him, I always felt like I was walking on thin ice.

I had vowed never to give my heart to Jade.

He shattered that resolve of mine……

Made him become precious to me…….

“I guess he was someone I couldn’t help but like.”

Jade grabbed my chin and met my gaze. With eyes that looked slightly anxious.

“Larien.”

“……”

“Do you love that person?”

This time, the answer didn’t come right away.

If it was simply affection for him as Blanche’s father or as a friend, that would be understandable, but.

“I’m not sure if it’s love.”

It was difficult to discuss the relationship between Jade and me, that is, emotions as a man and woman.

“That’s enough. You won’t tell me who it is, right?”

“……Why do you want to know so badly.”

I had clearly intended to tell Jade, and the misunderstanding about Sharlin’s child had been cleared up.

‘The territory issue has been resolved, and Jade must be busy looking into his parents’ affairs. It’s better to tell him later.’

However, it wasn’t appropriate for either of us to say it right away given the timing we were both facing.

“So I can find him and kill him.”

“……You, I’ve told you many times when I’m with Blanche. To speak nicely.”

I was afraid Blanche would learn and imitate Jade’s way of speaking.

“She’s not even listening.”

Jade complained, pointing at Blanche who was still absorbed in playing with the telescope.

“Larien. There’s something on your cheek. Come closer.”

“On my cheek?”

Then he gestured as if to remove what was on my cheek.

As I leaned my head forward, Jade’s lips touched my cheek.

“What are you doing!”

“I said something was on your cheek. I didn’t say I’d remove it.”

I glared at Jade who was shamelessly evading, and entered the special cabin first.

The soft sensation left by his lips didn’t easily fade away until we arrived in Langrangsha.