I approached Noah and met his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Sir Noah.”

“Elder sister…”

“I hope we can meet again. Take care.”

“Are you going with the scary prince?”

Noah’s gaze showed he truly couldn’t understand me.

“Yes.”

I nodded and whispered very softly in Noah’s ear.

“And this is a secret. He’s quite kind to me at least.”

I can’t forget Noah’s wavering eyes, as if that must be a lie.

Edan, who had no conscience whatsoever, even though it was to save me.

He smashed through the castle walls and portal, and even received thanks before crossing to the North.

“Achoo!”

I didn’t want to reveal the castle’s location after coming North, but I immediately started sneezing.

It was natural, moving from the hottest desert region in the empire to the coldest region.

The dizziness was gone, but basically this body isn’t very healthy.

I have really low stamina too.

Even though it was midday, I was briefly exposed to the chilly northern air and coughed a few more times before I could return to the castle.

And Edan was irritated.

“Eek! W-wait! Just a moment!”

As soon as we passed through the castle portal, Edan slung me over his shoulder and headed straight for the bedroom.

Struggling is useless. I was dutifully laid down on the bed as Edan wanted.

Even though the sun was still high in the sky in broad daylight.

Edan’s shadow quickly overlapped mine.

Gulp.

I unconsciously tensed up and swallowed hard at Edan’s expressionless face with his lips tightly closed.

“Lati.”

“Yes?”

Should I take back a bit of what I told Noah about this man being kind?

I considered it for a very brief moment. It had been a while since Edan’s expression toward me was this fierce.

Thanks to that, my voice was trembling a bit.

“Me or that kid.”

…Huh? What nonsense is this now? What does that mean? Did I hear that right?

The tension in my heart fled.

“Don’t tell me you’re acting like this because I said Noah was pretty?”

“Answer me.”

Wow. Which part should I be dumbfounded by first?

“Noah is a child.”

“Who doesn’t know that?”

…Someone who knows is acting like this now?

Well.

“If you were going to treat him like a child, you wouldn’t have smashed walls in front of him…”

My thoughts escaped my mouth without realizing.

Edan’s smooth brow furrowed in irritation.

“Seems you quite enjoyed the Duke treating you well?”

“That’s not it. It’s just that you smashed the wall…”

I trailed off mid-sentence and quickly turned my head away from his gaze.

Really. I feel like I’ll be murdered by that fierce look.

“It’s like that. The Duke kept apologizing…”

I could feel Edan’s body, which had seemed about to crush mine, slowly moving away.

Though I could still feel his thighs near my legs.

“So, should I have said I understood after a few apologies?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Or should I have said it’s a shame he secretly kidnapped you while I was away at the festival, but at least he treated you decently for an abduction?”

“…”

Of course that’s not it either.

I squeezed my eyes shut then gathered courage to look directly at Edan.

“You didn’t need to do that in front of Noah. He’s still a child.”

I heard Edan’s light scoff.

“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s the next Duke. If he’s scared by something like this, he won’t be able to keep the Desert Duke position. Rather, he should learn what happens when you touch someone else’s things, especially mine.”

“You already smashed the portal…”

“You think that’s enough to appease my anger?”

Edan’s gaze burned as he spoke, suppressing his rage.

“You have no idea what I was thinking while looking for you.”

“Then what more do you need to do for your anger to subside?”

Edan silently closed his mouth at those words and narrowed his eyes.

“The answer to the question I asked earlier.”

He meant to choose between Noah and himself. So to say he’s pretty…

As I looked at him with incredulous eyes, Edan coldly lowered his gaze and began unbuttoning his shirt one by one.

“W-what are you doing?”

“I’ll show you so you’ll say it.”

The buttons were undone down to below his abs in an instant, and I instinctively turned my head to avoid his eyes.

Thud. The black belt that had been tied over Edan’s shirt was thrown beside the bed.

My heart started pounding rapidly, as if it would burst at any moment.

Even though Edan hadn’t done anything yet, imagining how he must look now with the fallen belt and shirt unbuttoned moments ago.

“Lati.”

Edan’s hand brushed past my nape and grasped my chin.

Then he gently moved my face. I was made to look at Edan again.

“D-don’t.”

I tried not to, but my face was already red. Seeing my flushed expression, Edan slightly raised the corners of his tightly closed mouth.

I really don’t know where to put my eyes.

I thought his shirt would be completely unbuttoned or taken off.

“Look properly.”

R-really gone mad!

Edan had only half-removed his shirt below his shoulders.

He even slightly stuck out his tongue to lick his own lips.

“Now, say I’m pretty.”

The sunshine was nicely illuminating Edan’s body clearly.

His handsome face of course, and the collarbone below his neck with raised veins.

His shoulders dropping at right angles.

The black shirt half-draped over his toned, muscular arms looked insanely sexy.

And his perfectly sculpted chest muscles and abs.

Even the scars on his sides and below his chest looked perfectly drawn.

“Want to see more?”

He just never gives up. He’s going to keep doing this until I say he’s pretty.

I quickly shook my head side to side.

“No need.”

“Really? Doesn’t seem like it.”

Edan is right.

It would be fine to show more.

I even unconsciously thought I wanted to touch him.

This is really strange.

The urge to run my fingers through Edan’s hair and stroke it, the impulse to hug his neck with its raised veins, the sensual feeling of wanting to press and caress his collarbone, chest, and abs.

Just the thought of being able to do that if I reached out made my lower abdomen throb and ache.

Touching Edan would definitely feel terribly good.

Not the pleasure from healing power, but normally like other people.

I unknowingly fell into such perverted fantasies that my neck flushed hot. Not wanting to be stimulated further, but oblivious to others’ feelings, Edan seductively pulled his shirt draped on his arms even lower.

“Still won’t say it?”

“Ugh.”

“Say it. The words I want.”

I know! I know better than anyone else that you’re handsome and cool!

To avoid being swept up in the mood, I changed the subject.

“Y-you always told me I was ugly!”

“What?”

“You told me I was ugly.”

Right. It’s selfish to ask me to say you’re pretty when you called me ugly. I won’t call you pretty anymore.

“You’ve been holding onto that?”

“Yes! I’m an ugly person who even had a fiance. But I’m also petty so I keep it in mind!”

“That’s not something to brag about, is it?”

It wasn’t meant as bragging.

I inwardly flinched but put strength in my eyes as if I wouldn’t back down.

“Ha.”

Edan’s hand holding my chin fell away. So I grumbled a bit more boldly.

“Other people told me I was pretty.”

“There are many bad people in the world with strange tastes.”

Wow. So only bad people with strange tastes like Hillstain and Jenald tell me I’m pretty?

It was a feeling of being genuinely angry after a long time.

So I pouted and sneered.

“Ah, well, I guess so. There are even men who keep trying to kiss women they call ugly. I suppose that’s how it is.”

Insulting me is your loss.

Because you’re always the one pouncing on me. I’ve only thought about it, I’ve never done it first.

I thought he would understand the meaning if I said it like this, but the shameless Edan was not affected at all.

“And there are women who avoid men who pounce because they find them pretty and to their taste.”

I glared at Edan, narrowing my eyes as fiercely as possible.

Edan was smiling at me like I was an amusing toy, but as soon as our eyes met, he swiftly took off his shirt and tossed it aside.

The soft rustle of the falling shirt sounded loud enough to hear clearly, I had become so sensitive.

Though my lips were tightly closed, my neck and cheeks were burning hot.

“You don’t have a fiance anymore.”

Edan slipped his hand under the robe that was tightly covering my body.

“Eek!”

My whole body tensed at the touch of his hand on my skin. Edan naturally pulled up my robe and removed it over my head.

“You’re too weak to run away either.”

Edan’s gaze, which had been directly facing me, slowly moved downward.

Scanning my face in order, then along my jawline down to my toes.

Because I was still in desert attire, the blatant gaze was unbearably embarrassing.

I quickly reached out to pick up the fallen robe, but at that moment, Edan grabbed both my hands so I couldn’t move them.

“Now you can’t even slap my cheek, what will you do?”

Are you crazy?! Do you want to hear me say you’re pretty that badly?