The heat from Jade’s body pressed close was transmitted.

‘Is he sick somewhere?’

Gradually, the color was returning to his face that had been pale.

“Jade. How long are you going to stay like this?”

“If I had my way, I’d like to be like this all day.”

The low voice whispering with steady breath made my hair stand on end and gave me chills for no reason.

“Come inside for now.”

I led Jade into the room and sat him down on the sofa.

“Larien, where are you going?”

“I need to treat your neck. Don’t move and stay still.”

I rummaged around looking for the first aid kit I had put in the drawer.

‘I treated Blanche last time and put it here… Ah, here it is!’

I took the first aid kit and went to Jade.

He was leaning back on the sofa, looking at Blanche sleeping soundly on the bed.

“Jade. What are you thinking looking at Blanche?”

“I wasn’t thinking anything.”

A lie.

Anyone could see the warmth lingering in his gaze.

It was a bit awkward and clumsy, but mixed with curiosity.

‘Now there’s nothing more to hide, rather it feels better being caught.’

I approached his side with a smile.

“Jade, loosen your cravat. How did you get hurt?”

“…I don’t know.”

Jade loosened his cravat to show his neck. The long gash looked like a trace of brushing against something.

“You don’t know? With a wound this size, it must have hurt quite a bit…”

Perhaps this was related to why he came late.

I disinfected Jade’s neck and took out gauze to wrap it.

‘He seems to be in a bad mood. Doesn’t look like he wants to talk about it. Did he fight with Ayla?’

He grabbed my hand that was wrapping the gauze.

“Larien. I can’t breathe.”

“…Oh.”

The gauze was wrapped quite thickly.

If I had wrapped it a bit more, it really would have been hard to breathe.

“I’m sorry, it must have been uncomfortable. I’ll loosen it. I was thinking about something else.”

As I reached out my hand to unwrap the gauze, my body tilted to the side.

Jade pulled me down underneath him.

“When you’re with me, don’t think about anything else. Only look at me and think only of me.”

I felt calluses on Jade’s left hand cradling the back of my head. It was hard, but not painful.

“You’re throwing a fit because I thought about something else for a moment?”

A headache throbbed from Jade getting angry that I wasn’t fully focused on him.

“Larien. If you’re thinking about another man.”

“…What?”

“It irritates me so much, I want to kill him.”

I wasn’t even really thinking about another man, rather I was worried about him…

‘What kind of unreasonable behavior is this.’

Jade was truly fortunate to have been born as an ordinary nobleman.

‘If he had been born in the imperial family. He probably would have become a tyrant recorded in history books.’

Jade’s silver hair sparkled as the sunlight touched it repeatedly.

I reached out my hand and stroked Jade’s hair.

The texture was soft, so it felt good to touch.

‘At times like this, just stay still.’

The unsettling gaze watching what I was doing with one eyebrow raised was amusing.

“Jade, please live kindly. Don’t go around showing off your bad personality. You don’t have any friends besides me, right?”

There was no need to ask specifically.

I knew best that Jade had no friends other than me.

“…”

It was just words I brought up to tease him.

“Jade. You should have other friends to help you when something happens to you.”

As I continued, I really became worried.

‘Even Aaron, who almost got executed for trying to kill the emperor, was saved because he was the son of my uncle’s friend.’

…How nice it would be if Jade had such a friend too.

Of course, there were many who wanted to become close to Jade.

Why wouldn’t there be people approaching him, with his wealth, inheriting his parents’ title at a young age, and frequent summons from the emperor.

‘Young lord, I am from the Viscount Raymond family-‘

‘I’m not interested in your name so don’t open your mouth anymore and get lost.’

It’s because he pushes everyone away and doesn’t let anyone get close.

“…Larien.”

Jade repeatedly touched the edge of my lower lip.

It was his habit whenever he wanted to kiss or right before doing so.

‘He wasn’t listening to me at all until now.’

I was annoyed that he hadn’t been concentrating, so I deliberately pressed my lips tightly shut.

I thought he would give up and back off, but Jade put his hand on my waist.

“This is easy to untie.”

The strings came undone with a swish.

“Jade…!”

Surprised, I opened my lips to call out to him, but Jade swallowed them and interlaced our fingers.

Mischievously curved eyes. The intense gaze slightly visible within them.

Rough kisses that were unusually unkind continued.

How many times did we repeat this? Jade separated his lips and stared intently into my eyes.

“I only need you.”

“…Why?”

My response was delayed due to the breath I couldn’t catch from kissing.

“Do I need a reason? I’m saying that’s how it is.”

Jade’s blind affection was frightening.

‘If I disappear…’

If the day comes when I have to leave him again for unavoidable circumstances…

It seemed he really wouldn’t be able to endure it. I was afraid of leaving him.

“Larien, you don’t know. How kindly I live because of you. Just now, Earl Winst-”

“Earl Winst? Sharlin’s father?”

“…I misspoke. It’s nothing. Forget it.”

Jade got up and moved away from me.

‘Did he meet Earl Winst and that’s why he was late? Why does he stop mid-sentence?’

I still don’t understand what he’s hiding, what’s going on inside him.

‘Well, it’s probably nothing.’

Not wanting to cause unnecessary conflict, I let it go.

“Larien. You’re still not getting up, is that permission to do it one more time?”

I quickly got up and threw a cushion at him.

It probably wouldn’t hurt even if it hit him, but Jade easily dodged even that.

“How annoying…”

Jade looked back at me with a slight curve to his lips as he wrapped the gauze around his neck himself.

“Jade, when you treated my knee back then, and now too. You’re skilled.”

“I don’t like others touching me, so I usually treat myself.”

“…Hmm.”

I meant to give a compliment, but it only ended up making the atmosphere awkward.

“Larien. Turn around. I’ll tie the strings for you.”

I turned around and swept my hair to one side.

Jade’s hands touched my waist.

“Larien. Stay still for a moment.”

“I-I’m not moving.”

“You’re not staying still. You flinch every time I touch you.”

Right now, I was glad I wasn’t facing Jade.

I didn’t want him to see my flushed cheeks, as he would surely tease me if he saw.

“…It’s because it tickles. You keep touching the same spot. Who asked you to untie the strings?”

“If you hadn’t opened your lips, it would have been fine.”

Jade retorted that I was the one who provided the cause.

“I’m done tying.”

He took out a pocket watch from his breast pocket and held it out.

“The hour hand, is broken?”

“…Yeah.”

So this was the reason he seemed subtly downcast.

‘I should fix it and give it back.’

Jade pointed to the center of the watch.

“My father’s jewel is embedded if you open the inside.”

When I opened the pocket watch, a ruby with the same reddish glow as Jade’s eyes was embedded.

“Jade, I think it was good that I gave this to you.”

When the previous Marquis Rowe died in a carriage accident, this pocket watch ended up at an auction house.

The day I went to the auction house to match the date the pocket watch was sold in the original story.

The price was quite high so I was about to give up.

There were quite a few other ways to become close to Jade.

But, I was bothered by how preciously he kept his father’s watch, so I paid money to the person who had already won the bid to buy it…

‘If it weren’t for this, Blanche would have been in danger.’

I took out the ruby and carefully wiped it with an alcohol swab.

‘Is this really okay for Blanche to swallow?’

Jade must have read my concern and touched my shoulder.

“It looks like a jewel, but that ruby and my sapphire, in essence they’re part of the heart.”

Reassured by those words, I put the ruby into the mouth of Blanche sleeping on the bed.

“Nom nom…”

With her habit of moving her mouth while sleeping, Blanche swallowed the ruby.

“Why, is nothing happening? You said she would cough it up if she ate a jewel due to the conflict.”

“…Ungh.”

Blanche, who had been tossing and turning calmly, opened her eyes with an uncomfortable groan.

“Mommy, Shu Shu, something’s strange here. My heart is beating fast too…”

Wolf ears appeared on Blanche’s head as she frowned intensely, clutching near her heart.

“Jade, what do we do, Blanche seems to be hurting somewhere…!”

Jade blocked me and gestured towards Blanche.

For some reason he was smiling.

“Blanche. Close your eyes, and try breathing in time with your heartbeat.”

“Mmm, it’s difficult, but I’ll try.”

Blanche placed her hand on her chest and calmly exhaled.

That’s when it happened.

“…Oh my goodness.”

Fluffy silver fur swaying tail, a slightly brownish nose, adorable paws.

Blanche had transformed into a complete wolf.

‘She must have succeeded in shapeshifting!’

No matter what anyone said, it was the appearance of a brave silver wolf.

“Blanche…?”

The padding steps coming towards me hiding sharp teeth stopped.

“Baby, what’s wrong. Come to mommy.”

“Whine…”

Blanche backed away and jumped behind the curtain.

The sound of her vomiting something followed.