I casually looked at Askan while talking to Barney, and he was looking at me with a disgruntled expression, his eyebrows knitted together.

His expression had clearly changed from before.

I always thought his eyes were deep like an abyss, but now they were brimming with raw emotions, like a volcano about to erupt.

‘Is there something he doesn’t like about this place?’

I nodded at Barney, hiding my confusion.

“Alright. I’ll leave now. Master.”

“Good. You worked hard. Leave the minor things to me, and I’ll contact you at the Brelopf mansion as soon as there’s news.”

“Thank you.”

With that, I said goodbye to Barney and left the lab with Askan.

I thought it was earlier than usual, but when I went outside, the sun was already setting. The gradually darkening sky seemed oddly picturesque today.

I walked to the carriage, looking at Askan beside me.

His face was still expressionless, but I could tell he was not happy about something.

“Is the master’s lab a bit cramped?”

Upon my words, Askan looked at me. After a few seconds of silence, he answered in a soft voice.

“… It wasn’t a place that suited you, Miss.”

“Really? I don’t care about such things, I even feel more comfortable when things are a bit messy. If it’s too clean, I’d be cautious to touch anything.”

“Is that so? I thought you liked luxurious things, but you also have a simple side.”

Of course, I didn’t dislike extravagant and flashy things. However, Askan’s words felt like they were directed at Tanashia from the original story, not me.

I smiled and replied without realizing it.

“I like luxurious things too. It’s just that I like different things depending on the situation. There isn’t much I dislike. But it seems like you didn’t really like the lab?”

“… Me?”

“You seemed to dislike something, didn’t you?”

“Oh.”

Upon my cautious remark, Askan seemed to understand.

“I don’t know what you didn’t like, but you don’t have to come to the master’s lab next time.”

I wasn’t sure exactly what had upset Askan, but he was not a person who showed his emotions easily.

If it was noticeable to me, it meant that he was very uncomfortable. If he was uncomfortable, there was no reason to follow me to the lab.

Upon my words, Askan paused for a moment. Then he spoke in a more serious tone than before.

“If I hadn’t come today, you would have been alone with your master, right?”

“Well, yes.”

His face darkened as if he had thought of something on his own. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a deeper voice.

“What kind of person is your master to you, Miss? Do you have any special feelings for him?”

“…Cough, cough!”

If I had been drinking something, I would have spit it out for sure.

I was shocked at Askan’s unexpected question and could only stare at him in surprise. How and where could he have such a thought?

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“You looked intimate. You didn’t hesitate to touch his head, you whispered to each other up close…”

As he spoke, Askan’s voice seemed to get oddly lower. His tone was extremely displeased, as if he was gritting his teeth.

“…Or are you too naive, Miss?”

His question left me speechless.

“Askan, do you know how old the master is?”

“… He looks over 60.”

“Do you know how old I am?”

“…”

“Ha, and you’re asking if I have feelings for the master?”

What do you take people for?

Of course, age is just a number in love, but the age difference between Barnen and I was too severe.

Even if we put the age aside, Barnen had never once felt like the opposite sex to me.

If Barnen had heard this, he would have certainly burst out laughing.

We were simply teacher and student, nothing more or less.

“Askan, listen well. I look at men’s faces a lot.”

“Faces?”

“Yes, and their physique too! One should essentially have a good face and physique.”

Upon my words, Askan gazed at me intently. For some reason, his gaze was awkward, but that wasn’t reason enough for me to hide my preferences.

“The master is too old by my standards. I can respect him as I’m receiving his teachings, but it is absolutely not a romantic feeling.”

“I see.”

Askan’s expression seemed strangely satisfied. The unpleasant atmosphere from earlier seemed to have slightly vanished, which left me feeling a bit confused.

“What are you thinking, seeing all this?”

“You approached the lady too closely. And the lady did not seem to dislike it either….”

“That’s something anyone would do.”

“I do not like it.”

I was momentarily at a loss for words at his firm reply.

I said it before but Barnen was not a man, but my master. No, why do you dislike me being close with other people?

Anyone would think that Askan was jealous of my relationship with Barnen.

As I looked at Askan with surprise, he hesitated for a moment and then cautiously opened his mouth with a resolved expression.

“When my emotions become intense, I can’t control my strength.”

Askan must have said this thinking that I would know a bit about it since Tanashia experimented on him in the original work. But having read the novel “The Saint Who is Loved,” I knew much more in detail.