“Fin, stay there and don’t follow. If you come, the unicorn might get scared and run away again.”

[Dash]Whining. Whining. Woof!

Perhaps understanding Rose’s words not to follow, Fin stayed behind.
Fin had a frustrated expression and couldn’t stay still. He circled around, barking passionately towards Rose.

Following the shimmering light, Rose moved her steps. Passing through a well-maintained garden, she entered a dense forest.

As the sun was setting, she somehow felt a melancholic atmosphere.

Below the darkened forest, there was a tranquil lake, and the full moon faintly reflected on the water’s surface.

“Ah… it’s eerie. I think I should just go back.”

The red light she had seen just a moment ago was no longer visible. Rose turned around to return to the mansion.

[Dash]Heeey!

When she turned around, the unicorn that had run away was nudging its head towards Rose.

“Here you are. Were you surprised?”

As Rose talked to the unicorn while stroking its face, the unicorn let out a sound, as if throwing a tantrum.

Rose locked eyes with the unicorn. The sudden relief in her eyes was replaced by a piercing pain.

“Oh… my eyes again.”

As Rose rubbed her eyes, feeling a sudden pain, she heard voices from afar, Fin and the Duke.

“Rose!”

[Dash]Woof! Woof!!

Rose turned her head to look at the Duke.

The Duke had an extremely grim expression and was running towards her. Fin, resembling his owner, also had a combative expression.

“Duke!”

Rose waved her hand towards the Duke with a cheerful expression.

Unlike the relaxed Rose, the Duke’s expression looked extremely uneasy. He shouted towards Rose.

“Get away from that creature!”

“What? This unicorn?”

Could it be that it’s a creature she shouldn’t touch because it’s too precious?

Startled by the Duke’s words, Rose quickly withdrew her hand. The Duke, in response to Rose’s words, furrowed his brows and shouted.

“It’s not a unicorn, it’s a monster.”

“What? A monster! It’s so gentle, though!”

Rose immediately stood in front of the unicorn, which the Duke was about to stab with his sharp sword. Then, she hugged the unicorn.

“It’s dangerous. Let go of it immediately.”

Among all the images of the Duke she had seen so far, this was the most frightening. Unintentionally, Rose took a step back, forgetting that there was a lake behind her.

One step, two steps, and…

Splash!

“Kyaaah!”

Without even taking three steps, she fell into the lake.

“Rose!”

The Duke rushed towards the lake where Rose fell. The unicorn also rushed towards the water, seemingly trying to rescue her.

Even though Rose was in the water, she didn’t lose consciousness. She shouted towards the black unicorn.

“Don’t come this way. Run away!”

With a splashing sound, the unicorn, making hoof noises, raised its front hooves and rolled over, then began running to the opposite side.

The Duke lightly pulled Rose’s hand, pulling her out of the water. Then, to ensure he didn’t lose sight of the unicorn, he commanded Fin.

“Fin, go after it.”

[Dash]Woof! Woof!
With a growling sound, Fin, with raised fur, turned his body toward the direction where the unicorn had run.

One, and only for a moment.

“Fin, don’t go. Sit!”

At Rose’s command, Fin, who seemed like he might rush out at any moment, hesitated but sat down in his place.

‘Is… is this working?’

Rose looked at Fin with bewildered eyes.

It wasn’t only Rose who was surprised. The Duke, too, stared at Rose with a strange expression.

‘Fin is a hellhound… he sat at Rose’s command?’

Fin was a breed specialized in hunting monsters. Such a creature sitting still with its prey right in front of it was quite surprising.

There were many questions, but now was not the time to go through them one by one.

The Duke stared at Rose, who had fallen into the lake, soaking wet. The loose dress now clung to Rose’s body, emphasizing her figure.

Without any hesitation, the Duke took off his own shirt. Then, approaching Rose, he crouched down.

Even though the Duke behaved casually, without embarrassment, with his shirt off, it was not the same for Rose.

She looked at the Duke with a trembling gaze, swallowing hard.

Although she had seen his body before, it felt like her heart was about to explode, unlike the last time.

Was it because of the Duke, conscious of his words since Libera’s remark?

Rose couldn’t calm her pounding heart.

The Duke leaned towards Rose, covering her with his shirt.

The Duke’s shirt fluttered, wrapping around Rose’s body.

“Thank you.”

Her heart felt like it was about to burst out. Rose bowed her flushed face and replied in a low voice.

“Northern nights are cold. Let’s go inside before you catch a cold.”

As the Duke stood up, he reached out towards Rose. Rose nodded and grabbed the Duke’s hand.

The Duke’s forehead, which had been staring at Rose, wrinkled in a terrifying way. He muttered quietly with a very serious expression.

“No shoes.”

Rose, still confused by the Duke’s influence, didn’t even realize she was standing barefoot.

“Oh, it seems my shoes got stuck in the lake.”

Rose, belatedly coming to her senses, pointed to the lake. The Duke, gazing at the deep lake, spoke to Rose.

“I’ll prepare new ones for you.”

With those words, he hugged Rose.

“D-Duke?”

In an instant, Rose found herself in the Duke’s arms. Rose was so dizzy that her vision was spinning.

Feeling her damp skin against the Duke’s, she felt a dizzying sensation.

“To avoid falling, hold on tight.”

The Duke secured Rose’s arms behind his neck.

Rose stood stiffly in his arms, not knowing where to put her eyes.

‘I’m going crazy…’
Even when embraced in the arms of a man with clothes on, it was embarrassing enough, but the Duke was holding Rose without anything covering his upper body.

Look here, flesh color; look there, flesh color.

Why on earth does he have to be shirtless?

Her field of vision was filled with a festival of flesh color. Rolling her eyes around, Rose realized that she had nowhere to look and closed her eyes.