It was unexpected. Feeling a sense of gratitude in my heart, I unknowingly smiled.

“I didn’t even think about it, but I’ll use it well.”

Expressing my gratitude in my own way, Ascan’s expression was still not bright for some reason.

“If I hadn’t come, what were you planning to do?”

“What?”

“Bathing alone with that leg, isn’t that too careless?”

“Everyone must have had a hard time on the rainy road; it’s a bit much to ask for a bath.”
I found myself making excuses and stopped. Come to think of it, if Ascan hadn’t come, this wouldn’t have happened.

I looked at Ascan with a frustrated expression and spoke, “You came suddenly, and that’s how it happened.”

“Yeah, why were you alone without anyone? What if something happened?”

“What could happen?”

“I forgot; you’re fearless. There might be someone targeting you.”

“Who would dare to target me without fear? I can handle that on my own.”

As a precaution against unforeseen circumstances, I had brought magical engineering weapons. In any situation, I could protect myself adequately.

However, Ascan still seemed displeased and spoke with a slightly furrowed brow, “If I hadn’t come, what if you fell, and someone else opened the bathroom door?”

“Why would that be a problem? Is there an issue?”

I looked at Ascan with a puzzled expression, not understanding his point. Somehow, wrinkles seemed to deepen on his forehead.

“Do you not care if anyone sees you like this?”

Like this? I reflexively looked at the nightgown I was wearing.

Though it was thin, it had long sleeves and reached down to my knees. It couldn’t be considered overly revealing.

It bothered me because Ascan saw me like this, but it would have been a normal attire if someone else had seen it.

“What’s wrong with this?”

I looked at Ascan and tilted my head. Then, as if his headache had worsened, he touched his forehead and spoke in a lower voice than before.

“Have some self-awareness.”

“What self-awareness?”

“Haven’t you heard the saying that all men are beasts?”

I burst into laughter at his words.

“Then why aren’t you bothered at all?”

Ascan didn’t respond to my question. There was no visible change in his expression, but he seemed a bit more irritated than before.

‘What is it, seriously.’

Even though it was his duty to safely escort me to the Kallua Empire, interfering with my clothing to this extent was excessive.

“Could it be that the reason Zen opposed him entering the bathroom earlier was because of this?”

“Is there any other reason?”

“I thought Zen might misunderstand our relationship.”

“Misunderstanding?”

“Probably because of what happened earlier between us…”

Suddenly, the image of the thoroughly wet Ascan came to mind, and I stopped talking without realizing it.

In fact, I was a little surprised. Until now, I had only thought of Ascan as a boy, but just now, I felt a strong sense of mature masculinity from him.

It wasn’t just a matter of growing up this much; it was more about him emanating a very charming male presence.

When I stopped speaking, Ascan looked at me with a puzzled expression and asked, “What happened between us earlier?”

“It’s not that… I sneezed!”

A ticklish feeling in my nose made me sneeze.
For some reason, my body felt uneasy. It was when I scratched my nose, feeling embarrassed, as if I might seem too frail to him.

Ascan, who had approached without me realizing, hugged me again.

“Oops!”

Startled, I looked at Ascan, who spoke quietly with an expressionless face.

“If you don’t want to catch a cold, lie down quickly.”

Simultaneously with his words, flames rose around Ascan.

Shortly after, Ascan laid me on the bed and placed the ever-burning flames nearby, blazing like a fireplace.

“You don’t have to go this far…”

“I don’t want to worry about it anymore.”

Although the now-adult Ascan didn’t know how to phrase things nicely, seeing him act like this, he was still the boy I knew.

Feeling my entire body melting into warmth, I faintly smiled.

“Thank you.”

Despite the back and forth, after bathing and lying down on the soft bed, drowsiness quickly overcame me.

I looked up at Ascan with sleepy eyes. Then, he looked at me with a complicated gaze and said quietly, “Sleep.”

Yeah, it seemed like I answered out loud, but in my drowsy state, I might have mumbled it.

I was happy that I could see Ascan again after falling asleep and waking up.

Dekain, being involved with Tanashia for work, was the first to learn that she canceled all her schedules and left for the Kalua Empire.

Since the incident with Ascan ten years ago, their relationship had been cold, making it impossible for Dekain to directly ask Tanashia for the reason.

Unable to do anything, Dekain began investigating alone to find out what happened.

What he discovered was a letter from Ascan that Tanashia had thrown in the trash.

‘What is this…’

She might have seen the wolf emblem stamped in red sealing wax for the first time, but Dekain recognized it at a glance.

It was the emblem used by the Imperial Guard of the Kalua Empire.

While the Kalua Empire was engulfed in turmoil, the Imperial Guard did not engage in external activities. Still, once the rebellion was quelled, their blades could turn anywhere.

In fact, it was not only Dekain but all the empires that were the same.

Having sent a letter to Tanashia from such a dangerous organization, and considering that she rarely left her research lab, it was strange that she followed.

Instinctively, he could sense that something was amiss.

Dekain began collecting information from employees working in Tanashia’s lab. Perhaps he could find a clue.

Then, from the mouth of a servant, he heard a name he never expected.

“Oh, that day? A man in a black mask invaded the lab, and Miss was so surprised because she turned off all the security devices.”

“Tanashia? Why?”

“How would I know about Miss’s affairs? I just watched from a distance, but I could tell she recognized the man in the mask.”

“Are they acquainted?”
“Yes. He looked handsome even from a distance. What was his name… Ascan? You were calling him that.”

Ascan?

The moment Dekain heard that name, something brushed through his mind.

“By any chance, did you call him Ascan?”

“Oh! Yes, it seems like the lady called him Ascan.”

Dekain froze for a moment as if struck by lightning.

If Ascan belonged to the Imperial Guard of the Kalua Empire, then all the pieces fell into place.

Suddenly, Tanashia canceling all her schedules, leaving for the Kalua Empire out of nowhere—everything made sense.

Everything that had been incomprehensible until now was now acceptable.

‘Ascan, were you really alive?’

There were countless questions about why he hadn’t appeared for ten years, how he survived during that time, but none of it mattered now.

“Hahaha.”

Suddenly, Dekain burst into laughter as if he had gone mad.

Finally, he could erase Ascan from Tanashia’s heart.

‘You can’t confront a dead person, but if he’s alive, it changes everything.’

Moreover, Ascan being alive meant that Tanashia had no reason to resent Dekain.

They might be savoring the joy of their reunion by now, but Dekain had no intention of easily relinquishing Tanashia.

‘Wait, Tanashia.’

He would ascend to the highest position to bring her back.

Watching Dekain laugh like a madman, the servant cautiously asked, “Are you, are you okay? Does saying such things really help?”

“Oh, well. Thanks to you, I’ve learned a lot. I should also take care so that Tanashia can be safe.”

“Yes, please take good care of the lady. Master of the Upper House.”

The servant bowed and walked back towards the research lab, leaving Dekain alone.

Left alone, Dekain looked up at the sky with a bright expression.

It didn’t matter who was now in Tanashia’s heart. What mattered was who would take the place next to her in the end.

‘I won’t be easily taken away like ten years ago.’

Recalling the face of Ascan, whom he had parted ways with a long time ago, Dekain smiled with a deep satisfaction.