When she crawled over and sat in front of him, Aiden wrapped a thin blanket around both himself and Brody.

Soon the air inside the blanket warmed up.

Brody now felt like she would survive and leaned snugly against Aiden’s body.

He was surprised when she leaned in aggressively, but Brody was too embarrassed by what had already happened to think about anything else.

Aiden found her blithe disregard appealing.

He also plucked up the courage to embrace Brody, holding both her hands and rubbing them vigorously.

Warmth returned even to her cold fingertips.

But with his body heat, the tropical climate, and Brody’s hot body temperature added, Aiden quickly got hot.

Brody felt his body soaked with sweat and asked as if sorry,

“Hot, right?”

“No.”

“……”

Even though it’s obvious that he’s hot, seeing him sweat, he says no.

‘Why is he so kind? It’s weakening my heart.’

Brody closed her eyes, reeling in the cruel comfort.

.

.

.

A little later, when she opened her eyes, it was already dark.

Feeling Brody wake up, he lowered his gaze from looking at the stars through the trees.

“Awake?”

Brody, feeling much lighter, stretched.

He moved his head out of the way so as not to interfere with her stretching.

Brody laughed, finding his action unbelievable.

He felt sad that Brody was about to get up, but she changed her posture and leaned against Aiden again.

“There’s no separate human water bag, is there?”

The Grand Duke, being treated like a water bag for the first time in his life, felt proud.

“It’s a relief to be useful.”

At his words, Brody turned her head to look up at Aiden.

His profile was oblique in Brody’s view.

At her sudden gaze, Aiden looked at her in confusion.

“Tell me, Your Highness.”

“What…what do you want me to say?”

“That I’m the first is a lie, right?”

“……?!”

At her words, Aiden’s face turned fiery, blazing red.

“It’s…it’s not a lie……”

“Hmm, but how is it so familiar?”

No, in fact, it wasn’t familiar. Just looking at this reaction, she could fully feel how clumsy he was.

The strange thing was actually the opposite. The women, that is.

‘Women wouldn’t leave a guy like this alone.’

But Brody consciously swallowed that statement.

She felt like she would be jealous if she said it out loud.

She turned her head again and nestled comfortably in his arms.

‘Let’s admit it, that I have feelings for him.’

But Brody liking him and following him around were two completely separate issues.

At least to her, that was the case.

He looked up at the sky again and said,

“I’ve lived here. Seems like I had a good time.”

It was a clumsy attempt to change the subject, but the usually sharp Brody was lost in her thoughts and missed it.

Brody replied, enjoying the sound resonating in her chest,

“Yes, it was fun.”

Aidan also listened, feeling good every time her hair tickled him as she moved.

“I ate well and rolled around well. It seems like I did everything I could do that I wanted to.”

His heart ached again as he looked at Brody, who looked happy.

Without realizing it, he reached out and stroked her cheek, visible below.

She felt his touch and said, her cheeks heating up without her realizing it, and feeling bewildered, she felt like she had to say something.

“My skin has gotten really good, too. I found good cosmetics. It used to be too rough.”

“No, it was soft enough before.”

Trying to dismiss it out of embarrassment, she ended up saying anything, and eventually, Brody’s cheeks turned red.

It seemed like it would reach her ears, and she was worried, but there was nowhere to hide or conceal it.

‘The atmosphere is a bit… dangerous.’

Aidan, without realizing it, gazed at her neckline visible through her hair and asked,

“Are you okay now, Brody?”

“Yes, I am. It’s better.”

But the next moment, Brody felt strongly that her answer might be wrong.

He bowed his head and kissed Brody’s neck.

Already blushing, Brody shivered at his touch.

Aidan was surprised at her unexpected reaction, expecting her to take it calmly.

A pleasant twist if one were to insist?

“Your Majesty…?”

“Brody, look at me.”

Brody was flustered. Already flustered because she couldn’t avoid it, and now he was telling her to turn her head?

To look at him with this disheveled expression?

It felt like she would reveal her heart.

As Brody hesitated, Aidan turned his body.

And he reached out his right hand, grabbing her cheek and neck gently, turning her to face him.

The blush wasn’t visible in the darkness, but he could feel the warmth of her cheek in his hand.

And as expected, she was unable to look into his eyes.

A certainty found its way into his hopeful heart.

Not just him, but she too was conscious of him.

He suppressed his joy and met Brody’s eyes with his lips.

Nose, cheek, and lips.

Fortunately, Brody accepted his kiss.

It felt like his heart would burst.

Aidan turned his head and kissed her several times again.

He felt sweetness on her lips, which had not yet lost their heat.

Finally pulling his face away, he looked at Brody, breathing raggedly.

After catching his breath for a moment, he said,

“Brody, come with me.”

Brody’s eyebrows arched upward as she looked down at him.

Her eyes trembled as she looked at him.

Her trembling lips finally opened.

She answered,

“Your Highness, the Archduke. I cannot go with you.”