Of course Grisha is good. In the past, I might have gladly taken Grisha’s hand.

‘But I’ve met Cedar.’

On our way back from the academy carrying the dragon egg, we chatted comfortably in a much more relaxed atmosphere than when we left.

Since we knew very little about each other, Cedar mostly talked about swords, and I about magic.

[As soon as I first held the sword, I knew it was mine. It felt like it stuck to my palm. For you, it must have been like that with magic?] [I felt like I absolutely couldn’t not do it.] [Yeah, that. I’m glad. That you feel the same way. Other people think I’m just showing off.]

Since our fields were different, there was a lot we didn’t understand when talking to each other. But we also gradually built up common ground.

Even I, as dense as I am, could tell that the atmosphere between us was different from before.

‘Cedar said he loves me. He said he would protect me.’

Even just coldly calculating, I had to stay by Cedar’s side.

So that I could absorb his magical power and use magic.

But even without such calculations, now I wanted to stay by Cedar’s side.

I wanted to know more deeply what kind of emotion I was experiencing for the first time thanks to Cedar.

The more I thought about it quietly, the more drastically the scale in my heart tipped to one side.

The problem was how to convey this to Grisha.

‘If I tell him honestly, won’t he be hurt?’

While you were far away, I fell in love with Cedar.

‘Ugh, even imagining it from his perspective, it’s shocking.’

It wasn’t Grisha’s fault that he had been far away from me.

‘Above all, Grisha is going through a difficult time right now.’

He lost his ducal title, and confirmed that his father’s heart was with Lady Briar. If I choose Cedar on top of that, he might completely crumble.

‘But I can’t keep putting off an answer forever.’

It’s also a problem not to say anything now for fear of hurting him. As time passes, it’s like deceiving Grisha.

‘Sigh. I have no idea what to do.’

What chaos this is for me, who already has difficulty dealing with people.

As my thoughts multiplied, my head started to hurt, so I moved more busily than usual.

I brought unused blankets and cushions, rolled them up in a circle to make a cozy spot. And I placed the egg there.

“Jik, do you like it?”

Of course, the egg didn’t move at all. I don’t know if it could hear my voice, but I chattered away enthusiastically.

“This is our home. I thought it was a bleak place with few things, but I think it’ll be great for you to fly around later. The ceiling is high, and there’s nothing to get in the way.”

Since Hail didn’t come up to the second floor, dust had accumulated while it was empty.

I busily opened the windows and swept and wiped away the dust.

Thinking that it wasn’t just a room for me to use alone, my fingertips became even more meticulous.

As I cleaned so diligently, Grisha’s confession naturally faded to the back of my mind.

“The room is clean now, isn’t it nice?”

Just as I naturally spoke to the egg, there was a knock on the door behind me. And a familiar face poked through the opened door.

“Nelly.”

“Cedar!”

I was so absorbed that I hadn’t even noticed Cedar returning to the mansion. I hurriedly ran over and grabbed Cedar’s hand.

“Did you have a good trip?”

The corners of Cedar’s mouth lifted slightly, then fell again. His large palm stroked my hair.

Feeling happy, I grinned like a puppy, “Hehehe.”

Cedar, who had been meeting my gaze for a moment, slowly opened his mouth.

“…Did Grisha come by?”

At Grisha’s name, I flinched without realizing it.

I wanted to spill everything that had happened, but I pushed all those words down my throat and smiled as if nothing was wrong.

“Yes. How did you know?”

For now, it seemed I shouldn’t tell Cedar that Grisha had confessed.

Cedar stared at me intently as if trying to read my mind, then answered quietly.

“Just a feeling.”

I scratched my cheek. Then I brought up the story that had surprised me earlier.

“I heard you decided to inherit the ducal title?”

At those words, Cedar let out a long sigh. Then, as if tired, he rubbed his face and answered.

“I was just on my way back from expressing to His Majesty my intention not to want the ducal title.”

“To His Majesty? Can you refuse the title?”

“Well. Expressing my intention is entirely my freedom.”

Cedar made it sound easy, but it didn’t seem like it would be resolved so simply.

Cedar also seemed to have a headache, pressing his fingers between his brows, then asked me in a light tone.

“What were you doing while I was at the imperial palace?”

I pointed to the egg by the window and said.

“After Grisha left, I tidied up the herb garden a bit, and was observing the dragon egg. I tried tapping it and scratching it, but like you said, it just feels like a rock.”

“Why did you put it by the window?”

“I thought good ventilation might be good, like for plants.”

That’s how I answered, but even I thought it was a funny thing to say.

It’s not like air would reach inside the eggshell just because the egg got some wind.

‘But are dragons endothermic animals? If we think of them as reptiles, there’s no need to wrap them in blankets.’

But what reptile speaks and uses magic?

There were even fewer remaining records about dragons than about elves, and all that was known was their external appearance like a giant crocodile.

But the egg wasn’t elongated or thin-shelled like a crocodile egg, so it was unreasonable to conclude it was a similar creature to a crocodile.

‘Is the Granite family library all we can rely on?’

I blinked and asked.

“Cedar, when are you thinking of visiting your family home?”

“Well… I should go to figure out what happened, but…”

“Ah.”

I sensed reluctance in Cedar’s weak voice. I covered my mouth with both hands.

‘I misspoke!’

It was already a sensitive issue, and I blurted it out without thinking while pondering about the dragon.

‘What should I do? Should I apologize?’

As I rolled my eyeballs around worrying, Cedar chuckled. Then, stroking my head, he asked.

“Can I hug you for a moment?”

“Of course. Think of me as a teddy bear.”

Before I could even spread my arms, Cedar tightly embraced me.

Cedar’s build was much larger than mine, so I was almost completely buried in his arms.

The familiar scent relaxed the tension in my body.

Gently patting my back, Cedar asked in an amused voice.

“Did you hug teddy bears when you were depressed?”

“No. There were no dolls at the academy. And I wasn’t really interested in dolls.”

“Me neither. We found another thing in common.”

But why did he ask if he could hug me?

Wanting to ask that, I lifted my chin to raise my gaze.

My face was reflected like a mirror in his mystical silver eyes with a hint of pale blue.

Cedar, meeting my gaze, blinked quickly as if a little flustered, then asked in a low voice.

“…Aren’t you going to ask for a kiss today?”

I burst out laughing at the unexpected question.

“Why? Do you feel awkward because I didn’t ask?”

“It feels empty, I guess. Awkward, I guess…”

“I always want to.”

Cedar, who had been trailing off his words weakly, brightened his eyes at my answer.

“You always want to?”

“Of course. You won’t understand that sensation no matter how much I explain it.”

“Me too.”

I wanted to ask what it felt like for him, but Cedar’s face came closer, naturally swallowing my question.

His lips lightly touched mine, then he pulled me deeper into his arms as he overlapped our lips more deeply.

My heart pounded pleasantly.

Before, I was so intoxicated by his magical power flowing in like waves that I couldn’t come to my senses, but now I was more aware of Cedar close to me than the flow of magic.

His slightly trembling body, his heartbeat transmitted through his palm.

Even after the long kiss ended, Cedar didn’t loosen his arms embracing me.

He patted me as if making some kind of resolution to himself.

‘He must be very troubled.’

If it were an emotional problem, I wouldn’t know, but for an issue like inheriting a ducal title, we could solve it simply! I, who had been leaning my face against his rock-solid body, suddenly raised my head.

Then I asked in a cheerful voice.

“If nothing works out and your head hurts, should we just run away, the two of us? To somewhere no one knows?”

Cedar’s eyes widened at my words.

“Is that okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? If we go together, won’t we be welcomed anywhere?”

That’s just talk, but we are an archmage and swordmaster.

As long as Cedar is by my side, there’s no one in this world who can defeat me with magic.

No matter how much they try to catch us, they won’t be able to.

Among academy graduates, there were people who lived as they pleased without being bound to a country like that.

‘Cedar has very good survival skills. Honestly, I think we could live well even if we went deep into a forest.’

The problem is me, who can’t even heat bath water alone.

‘But that’s no problem at all if Cedar just recharges my magic power!’

The more I thought about it, the better idea it seemed.

As I nodded, satisfied with my own thoughts, Cedar asked in a careful tone.

“I’m asking if you’re okay with it. If we run away, we won’t be able to return to the empire, so you won’t be able to see your friends or family.”

“As for family, I should consider them nonexistent. As for friends…”

I don’t think I’d miss Diana at all, but there was one friend.

‘Grisha.’