The golden eyes of Askan, as if made from moonlight, were entirely focused on me. His gaze was so straight at me that it felt strange.

As if I had received a confession of love…

It was an odd feeling.

The people of the Brellof mansion were thrown into chaos by Tanashia’s injury.

Orland, Barney, and countless academics who had tried to meet her, were all inevitably surprised.

Everyone was focused on who had injured Tanashia, but all she gave were unbelievable excuses about tripping accidentally.

Askan knew why Tanashia wouldn’t tell anyone. It was to hide the revelation of his abilities.

‘How could she think of me in such a situation…’

It was unbelievable.

‘Does she think of me?’

No, it was hard to believe.

Even though she had been brutally assaulted by Leyana and her party, she endured. She was only worried that her body might unknowingly turn into steel like last time.

Askan was strong.

No matter how much he was beaten and bleeding, he could endure.

The wounds on his body healed quickly due to the experiments, so being hit by someone and venting their anger didn’t really bother him.

Only, his mood was not good at all.

He had revealed his feelings for Tanashia to Deccain and was feeling complex, and when Leyana and her party approached, it was hard for him to control his emotions.

But he gritted his teeth and endured…

Stop, stop!

The sudden voice and Tanashia’s appearance paralyzed his thinking.

When Leyana’s pathetic wind scratched Tanashia’s body and passed, Askan felt his rationality breaking apart.

Seeing Tanashia bleed and fall in front of him, an unbearable rage welled up.

‘How dare, how dare…!’

He wanted to kill them.

Everyone who was there.

No, for a moment, Askan was in a state of mind consumed by rage, wanting to burn everything in the world.

What woke Askan up again was the scent of Tanashia.

Although multiple targets disappearing in front of him due to light magic had contributed, it was definitely Tanashia’s presence that brought him back to his senses.

Because Tanashia suddenly hugged him, he had no choice but to deeply inhale her scent, and even in the moment when his reason was fading, he realized who was holding him.

‘It’s her. It’s her…’

When he came to his senses, he heard Tanashia’s desperate voice.

Askan, please, come to your senses.

He couldn’t run wild while Tanashia, who was bleeding, was there. At that time, the most urgent thing was to treat her wound.

Tanashia might not know it, but once Askan started a rampage, he couldn’t stop it again.

He would have lost his reason and set everything on fire as usual, it was surprising even for Askan that this was the first time something like this had happened.

‘… But I’m glad.’

If he had hurt Tanashia while losing his senses, he wouldn’t have been able to bear it. It was a great relief that he was able to stop the rampage before it was too late.

He learned painfully through this incident that he had to control his abilities, just as Tanashia had said earlier.

No, now he wanted to listen to whatever Tanashia said.

Even if she wanted to experiment on Askan again, he was willing to offer his body to help her.

‘I thought I should run away if I could.’

Imagining a future with Tanashia was difficult. The more he cherished her, the more he thought it might be right to let go.

But…

It was already too late.

He had abandoned such thoughts when he saw Tanashia bleed and fall instead of Askan.

He couldn’t run away.

Askan did not want to leave Tanashia even a step away.

He had thought he was alone all his life, but now he felt like he had found a nest to stay in.

He now had a name he could call at the moment of death.

“…Tanashia.”

There was now also for him, a feeling of longing for someone, a desire to see them, and an emotion that brought tears. A bud called Tanashia had sprouted in his barren heart, which had nothing in it.

Suddenly, the warning Decain had once given came back to his mind.

─There’s a saying not to even look at a tree you can’t climb. It would be best not to covet what’s not yours, it’s a warning.

He hadn’t been able to respond at the time, but now he could.

He knew she was a tree he couldn’t climb. He also knew that he was a being that he could not easily covet.

But he couldn’t give up. No, he had decided not to give up.

Askan’s eyes shone darkly. He would no longer hesitate about his longing for Tanashia. Now he had clearly set his path.

Then it happened.

The door to the room where Tanashia was, opened, and a doctor in a white gown came out.

“The treatment is over.”

Zerin, who was anxiously waiting outside with Askan, spoke with a bright expression.

“Really? Is everything okay now?”

As soon as he heard the doctor’s words, Askan went silently into his room without a fuss. And he brought a small suitcase.

Zerin looked at Askan, who had suddenly brought a suitcase, and asked in surprise.

“Huh? What’s that?”

Without responding, Askan went into the room where Tanashia was.

Zerin tried to follow Askan, but Tanashia spotted him and gestured for him to back off, so he left the room again.

Tanashia, who had been lying in bed, looked at Askan with a face full of questions and asked.

“What’s that? Is it because of what happened? I said I would help you run away based on the situation. But to go now…”

Askan acted faster than he spoke.

He opened the suitcase he had brought and poured it directly onto the bed where Tanashia was lying.

Wooruru ─

The jewels that were in his bag poured out. It was what Tanashia had given to Askan to use when he ran away before.

“Why this…?”

Tanashia looked up at Askan with a face that seemed to understand less and less.

Askan looked at the bandage wrapped around Tanashia’s body. He remembered clearly the wound on her body and the blood flowing from it.

Unknowingly, he clenched his fist tightly and spoke in a tight voice.

“I came to return it because I no longer need it.”

“You don’t need it? Why? This is all what I gave you for escape funds.”

“I’m not going to run away.”

Initially, he thought about running away in case the chasers sent from the Calua Empire came after him. Because Askan’s abilities had been leaked unintentionally several times, he could no longer say that the Brellof Mansion was safe.

But nowhere in the world was perfectly safe for Askan. More than anything, he decided to stay by Tanashia’s side.

Whatever future awaits, he will be by her side.

“What are you saying all of a sudden? You won’t go?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Because I want you, Miss.

He couldn’t spit out the words that came up to his throat.

He didn’t know how to woo, but he couldn’t be hasty.

She was the first person he ever desired in his life, the woman he wanted to give and receive love from. It was too early to convey his feelings now.

“Miss… you protected me.”

“Me? Are you talking about the situation earlier?”

“Yes. I never thought you would throw yourself for me.”

“Ah, that’s because somehow……”

Tanashia scratched her nose as if she was embarrassed. It was adorable to him because he knew her habit like that very well now.

“Please keep me by your side from now on and protect me like now.”

“Huh, what?”

“I decided not to run away. I don’t think there’s a safer place than here.”

At Askan’s words, Tanashia seemed to think hard about what he was thinking. Then she nodded as if she agreed.

“That’s not wrong.”

“Yes. So I will stay by your side.”

Forever.

Askan had finally found his place.