He lowered my hand that was clutching his shirt collar, then turned his head to meet my gaze.

Until just now he had been quite angry, but the corners of his eyes had softened a bit.

“Do you think I’m asking because I don’t know?”

“Then why are you asking?”

“I’m asking if you were subjected to something strange or if you were forced to wear that.”

What? Was he angry because he thought Dante had forced me to wear this outfit?

Surprised by his unexpected words, I opened my eyes wide and shook my head.

“No, it wasn’t like that. The maids dressed me. The Duke didn’t say a word.”

Edan let out another small laugh.

“Really?”

“Really.”

Edan had lowered both hands but was still holding one of mine. Then he placed his other hand on top of my head and mussed up my hair carelessly.

“That’s fine then.”

Edan turned his body while still holding my hand.

“Duke.”

At that moment, Dante’s gaze shifted quickly.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Dante’s eyes were clearly directed at the hands Edan and I were holding. Then he quickly turned his head to meet Edan’s gaze and continued the conversation.

I felt the same way.

All my nerves were focused on my fingertips. Edan and Dante were exchanging a few business-like words right next to me, but I couldn’t hear any of it.

Edan’s large hand was enveloping mine as if grasping it.

Rather than holding hands, it would be more accurate to say he had seized mine.

But what’s clear is that I’m also holding Edan’s hand.

I tried moving my fingertips slightly. Even though it was a very subtle movement, Edan’s grip tightened.

Still, he didn’t squeeze too hard, so it didn’t hurt.

As much as he can wield a greatsword in one hand and cut down huge magical beasts, Edan’s hands possess great strength.

How much must he be concentrating to control his strength so as not to hurt my hand?

Thinking about it that way, it was an incredibly kind hand.

‘This is strange.’

I was clearly full of the desire to avoid any contact with ability users.

Even in Noah’s case, although I willingly healed him, an unpleasant sensation remained despite my thoughts and feelings.

I had the intuition that it would be unbearably horrible to think about doing such healing for Hillstain or Dante.

Just thinking about it was unpleasant and made me feel nauseous.

But with Edan…

‘It’s not just okay. It feels reassuring.’

Is it because of that pleasure I felt when healing Edan?

No. The pleasure felt during healing has nothing to do with the mental aspect.

That means even if I were to heal Hillstain or Dante through direct skin contact, that pleasure would come.

The problem is that it feels unpleasant before even starting.

‘Edan is definitely different.’

He wants me to heal him directly, but he maintains proper boundaries and controls himself. He doesn’t try to forcibly take my healing power.

Is it just because of that? That I feel this sense of relief?

I don’t know the reason, but what’s important is that right now, I don’t mind this skinship with Edan at all.

It’s hot. Perhaps because of the rising body temperature, even my heartbeat was pounding irregularly for no reason.

Thinking he might let go of my hand because of the heat, I gripped his hand tightly.

And I looked up at Edan.

Then Edan lowered his eyes toward me, bent his head slightly, and whispered.

“Don’t think about letting go.”

I wasn’t thinking that.

Edan, who was about to straighten his posture, casually turned and moved a little to my right side.

Then the sun was blocked and shade fell. The sunlight that had been so hot it made sweat bead on my forehead disappeared.

“Thank you.”

When I murmured softly, Edan’s lips twitched up ever so slightly.

After that, he straightened up again and continued his conversation with Dante. But I still couldn’t take my eyes off Edan.

My gaze went to his shirt collar, where a couple buttons were undone.

A drop of sweat that had emerged because of the sunlight trickled down from the edge of his jawline, along his neck, to his collarbone.

Edan’s lips parted and closed appropriately as he continued the conversation.

Sunlight danced over his sharp nose bridge, and the space between his well-groomed eyebrows furrowed slightly then smoothed out.

It suddenly struck me again.

At least in terms of appearance, he’s perfectly my ideal type. Edan is.

‘Edan cares for me because of my healing ability, but…’

I gripped his hand tightly again and called out to him in a very small voice, barely audible.

“Edan.”

Edan’s neat eyelashes paused and his head turned towards me. His soft golden hair, like threads of gold, swayed lightly.

His ruby-like sparkling eyes met the end of my gaze.

“What is it?”

The cold gaze he had while talking to Dante had softened in the brief moment he turned to look at me.

It was a change I could notice because I had been watching him intently.

I didn’t say anything.

I knew my behavior was strange, but I just stared blankly at Edan.

The gazes of Dante, Ruben, and others were focused on me, but I didn’t care at all.

Edan must have found my silence truly strange, as he placed his palm on my forehead.

“Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

His appearance, furrowing his brow and asking kindly, and his warm body temperature made me feel good for some reason.

And a little scared.

Not the usual light feeling of fear, but a deep ache throbbing in my chest.

This sense of reassurance of being by his side felt good, but a slightly fearful feeling crept in.

Why do I feel so good? It was something I couldn’t understand myself.

So I just looked at Edan and smiled brightly.

“I’m not sick.”

Edan blinked for a moment as if dumbfounded, then soon pulled up one corner of his mouth in a smile.

And he looked back at Dante, but in that moment Dante was staring at my hand again.

When our eyes met, he quickly turned his head towards Edan.

As if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

“Anyway, I don’t intend to pretend I didn’t do anything wrong. Since you’re here, let’s go inside.”

In the end, Edan, who had entered Dante’s castle, sent back all his subordinates except for Ruben and two others.

Then he went into the castle and headed for a large reception room for guests, not the place where he had been with Dante yesterday.

As soon as they sat facing each other at the long table, food was quickly placed.

It was prepared in an instant at Dante’s command, even though it was an unannounced visit.

I recalled the relationship between Edan and Dante.

They didn’t seem to have a bad relationship like with Crown Prince Killian or Hillstain.

After all, Dante joined forces to kill Edan at the end when he had gone mad and become a monster.

Unlike Killian, who was a brother but had a relationship entangled by political relations and parents, and unlike Hillstain, who was the Empress’s closest aide, they had a separate relationship.

Perhaps that’s why Edan didn’t get very angry when Dante politely apologized.

Maybe things could work out well.

“Please eat.”

At Dante’s invitation, Edan didn’t move a finger.

“Do you think I followed you in here just to have a meal?”

“No. Of course not. But…”

Dante looked at me.

“Lady Latieana should eat, right?”

“Ah…”

“You must have been very tired after enduring last night.”

“…”

Edan’s gaze from the seat next to me turned cold.

Even without looking, I could feel his sharp gaze flying and piercing like a dagger.

Add an object, you fool!

You should say what was endured and what was tiring. He’s misunderstanding!

“Don’t misunderstand. There were circumstances that couldn’t be helped.”

“What circumstances?”

“It was nothing much. Just a bit tired, I guess.”

“What could there be to be tired about in a place you were kidnapped to?”

Logically, wouldn’t it be natural to be tired after being kidnapped? But my appearance didn’t seem that way, and Edan was subtly twisting his words, perhaps irritated by Dante’s provocative remarks.

“Well…”

I didn’t want to ruin his already not-so-good mood, but I couldn’t honestly talk about last night’s events.

Noah’s story is a secret externally, so I can’t speak carelessly about it. Edan won’t check anyway, so I should just gloss over it.

But then Dante plunked down a glass filled with wine in front of me.

And he gave a small nod as if to signal it was okay.

He must have noticed that I was in a difficult position.

“I’ll explain.”

Dante, sitting down again, looked at Ruben and the other two subordinates.

“However, it’s an important matter, so it’s difficult to speak freely. Would you mind having your subordinates leave?”

And Dante gestured to his own subordinates first.

His subordinates bowed without a word, and the swords at their waists made a clanking sound as they withdrew from the room.

“Go outside.”

Edan also sent Ruben and the two subordinates out with a light jerk of his chin. Only three people remained in the space that was uncomfortably large.

“I’m curious how important an excuse it must be for the Duke to bother me like this.”

“I apologize.”

“Speak quickly. If you thought you could be forgiven with one apology and these measly foods after kidnapping someone else’s possession, that’s a big misunderstanding.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Dante took a breath and fiddled with his glass.

“I can also understand why you’re so angry.”

Edan tilted his head. He looked displeased, but his gaze said to keep babbling for now.

Dante’s gaze brushed past me and returned to Edan.

“Though it was brief, I also felt Lady Latieana’s healing power.”

Edan waited silently for the next words without replying.

“So I could understand. The reason Your Highness cherishes Lady Latieana so much.”

“And so?”

“She seems to be someone I wouldn’t want to lose either, if I had her.”

“That’s not very convincing for words seeking forgiveness.”

That’s what I’m saying. I looked at Dante.

Why on earth is he talking like that? The atmosphere seems more like he’s provoking Edan.

Regardless, Dante steadfastly continued what he had to say.

“So I understand why you’re so obsessed with Lady Latieana. And why you used such strong abilities to break through the castle walls protected by artifacts that even high-level magical beasts have trouble penetrating.”

Edan smirked. It was definitely not out of amusement.

It was a cold look that said, “How dare you presume to know my thoughts?”

“With such powerful healing abilities, she’s far superior to High Priestess Ivy, so there must be a reason for hiding her instead of sending her to the temple. Of course, it’s also because Lady Latieana doesn’t want to go.”

Dante was staring at me again.

“Or perhaps you want to keep her all to yourself.”