“Who would have known that you’d show up like this.”

I threw Duke Pieren’s clothes that were nicely stacked on the rock and said.

“Dress quickly.”

“You’ve seen all you need to see.”

“Who says I saw!”

I felt truly wronged. I swear to God, I was only bewitched by Duke Pieren’s beauty and only looked at his face. I hadn’t properly seen his body.

Not knowing what was so funny about my flaring up, Duke Pieren chuckled, shaking his shoulders.

“Tanashia, the more I see you, the more you seem different from an average young aristocrat.”

“Put on your clothes before you go.”

Turning my body to allow Duke Pieren to dress, I soon felt the rustling sounds accompanied by the splashing water behind me.

After a moment, Duke Pieren gently tapped my shoulder and spoke in a soft voice.

“I’m dressed, let’s go.”

I didn’t forget to pick up a pebble of a suitable size. Then I started walking in the direction where I could see the laboratory far away.

I didn’t notice when I came here, but the road felt dark and rugged when I tried to return, so I took my steps cautiously.

Noticing this, Duke Pieren extended his hand to me and said,

“Hold on.”

I looked at his hand for a moment, then held onto it without refusing.

“Thank you.”

If I made a mistake and hurt my foot, I would have to hear nagging from Askan.

It was much better to hold Duke Pieren’s hand and go safely.

So, he walked one step ahead, paving the way for me to go a little more comfortably. Then, as if something suddenly occurred to him, he asked me.

“But what brought you all the way here?”

“Well, I came to look for some pebbles.”

“Pebbles?”

“It’s difficult to explain now, but I need it for my research.”

“Even in the middle of the night? Have your maid do it.”

“How can I do that, they must be resting by now. And I needed a specific size, so I felt a little uncomfortable entrusting it to someone else.”

“Then, you could have asked your maid to look for the pebble until she finds one that you need.”

Duke Pieren was not wrong.

It might be an aristocratic thought, but it’s usually the way to handle such matters.

But I didn’t think of it that way. I didn’t want to trouble others when I could do it myself.

“Maids are humans too, it’s a bit unfair to exploit them like that.”

At my words, Duke Pieren paused. He soon came to a complete stop and slowly turned to look at me.

There was an unfathomable emotion in his red eyes reflected by the dim moonlight.

“A maid, human?”

“Then are they monsters?”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“What do you mean then?”

I stared at Duke Pieren with a puzzled look. But he seemed even more confused.

“In your eyes… do maids appear as humans?”

“I don’t know how to answer because you’re asking something so obvious.”

“How do I appear in your eyes?”

His sudden question made me gaze at his face.

What does Duke Pieren look like to me?

Illegitimate son of the Lagent emperor, son of the lord of Ighteon, the submale lead in a novel, a man with a flowerlike beautiful face, an ambitious man.

Countless words that describe Duke Pieren were floating in my mind.

I wasn’t sure why he asked this question, but the answer that came to me was very obvious.

“You are, Duke Pieren.”

At my words, all signs of amusement disappeared from Duke Pieren’s face. It was my first time seeing him with such a serious look, so I was quite surprised.

“Did I make any mistake?”

At my question, Duke Pieren shook his head. And then, with a hardened expression, he briefly answered.

“No, nothing.”

After that, Duke Pieren didn’t say a word.

Given the atmosphere, no more conversation continued.

I found myself coming down from the mountain with Decain unexpectedly. Once we arrived at the front of the lab, I awkwardly scratched my cheek and spoke.

“Thanks. Now go in and rest.”

I was about to turn my body and head towards my room, but Decain’s voice, which had been silent all this time, came from behind.

“Tanashia.”

I abruptly halted and turned my head. In the darkness where not even the moonlight shone, Decain was standing alone.

“You were to me, the esteemed daughter of the Breloff Ducal House and a genius in the field of magic engineering.”

It was all directed at me. I didn’t understand the meaning, so I looked at Decain with a puzzled expression.

For some reason, his voice seemed tired as he continued.

“But even if you weren’t that, today I simply liked Tanashia.”

For some reason, the content of the novel “The Beloved Holy Lady” came to mind.

It was the scene where Decain confessed to Noksia, removing his mask.

I like you. Even if you’re not the esteemed daughter of the Breloff House, even if you don’t have the ability to manipulate water, I’ve come to like you now. Noksia.

I couldn’t remember why Decain, who initially approached Noksia for manipulation, suddenly opened his heart.

As I was lost in thought without realizing, Decain’s faint voice echoed once more.

“I just wanted to tell you. You have simply become Tanashia to me.”

This feeling of a similar tone of voice…

Is it my imagination?