“Ah. You just laughed, right?”

At last Sarah’s face brightened, having successfully drawn laughter from Ethan. Sarah smiled brightly like the warm sunshine. Ethan’s heart trembled as he saw it. Soon his heart began to beat with a pleasant beat.

“……You have such a wonderful talent.”

It was Ethan who, until just a moment ago, was possessed by the feeling that his consciousness was about to fly to the other side of the darkness. But with just a few words from Sarah, he was panting like a man who had been taken up from hell. Ethan smiled softly, stroking his relaxed lips. He was clearly not swayed by her words. No, he felt rather sweet.

“Are you feeling a little better now? I’m worried because you don’t have a good complexion and don’t feel well.”

“Yes, there are so many things to take care of. If I rest a little like this, I’ll be fine.”

Ethan said so and closed his eyes for a moment. When he looked at Sarah’s face staring at him, his heart could not be calmed easily. He felt like he could do anything to keep her close to him. It was a surprisingly dark and clingy feeling, and if he didn’t control it, he would get caught.

“……”

Then Sarah, who was looking at Ethan’s face with his eyes closed, reached out and placed her hand on his forehead. And as she created mana in her palm, a cool energy seeped into his head. His complicated mind cleared up in an instant.

“……Sarah.”

Ethan slowly opened his closed eyes and looked at Sarah. She made eye contact with him and said in a low voice.

“I’m sorry. This is the only thing I can do for you.”

“……”

“I won’t be selfish from now on.”

Ethan blinked slowly, then slowly closed his eyes and smiled, and placed his hand on Sarah’s. Then he brought her hand, still covered in cool magic, to his cheek, rubbed it, and exhaled a languid breath.

“This is enough.”

“……!”

Urk, said Sarah, raising her hand that Ethan had not caught, and bringing it to her heart. Harmful face, harmful expression, that harmful smile. Ethan Ambrosia, harmful to the heart! If being handsome was a sin, that man was guilty of his very existence.

“I’ll do better……”

Sarah couldn’t resist the burning heat on her face and lowered her head.

“Then may I manage the invitation for Sarah from now on?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“I wish I could join you when you go out.”

“I will never go out without the Duke.”

“A walk…… I wish you could do it often in the garden where I can see you.”

“Of course!”

Ethan raised his lowered gaze and looked at Sarah, raising one eyebrow and smiling subtly.

‘That’s the way it works.’

That was how Ethan learned about Sarah.

* * *

Penelois’s room.

In the video crystal ball that Sarah left behind, Crassida’s rude words could be heard very clearly. Eleon had already seen it several times and was watching it again and again. He was now staring at the video crystal ball with blood-red eyes as if he was trying to memorize every word of Crassida.

[Where would that dirty blood go? I’ll do anything to scratch the dirty blood out of Young Master Elexa. No, to be honest, if I see Young Master Elexa’s vulgar demeanor, I’ll believe he’s another person. It would have been nice if it wasn’t for the blonde hair…… You dared to seduce His Highness Eleon with your frivolous body that might have rolled over other men somewhere else……]

How Penelois riled her up was unknown, but Crassida was pouring out the words contained in her heart.

“I can’t believe it. How could Aunt do this to me……”

Eleon sat down and covered his head in agony. After the Empress gave birth to the Second Prince and the Third Prince, it was Crassida who cared for them more than anyone else. Eleon, who had grown up in her hands, was at a loss for what to do with the feeling of betrayal that flooded in as much as he believed in Crassida. After suffering for a long time, he took Penelois’s hand with his stuttering hand.

“Forgive me, Penelois.”

“Eleon.”

“I didn’t even know that you and Elexa were suffering so much, and were focused only on taking the throne.”

A deep sense of shame and anguish dripped from his trembling voice. Penelois said nothing as she watched Eleon worry more about herself and Elexa even though he was shivering at her betrayal. However, Eleon, feeling uneasy about her appearance, said in an anxious voice.

“Are you disappointed in me? Do you hate me?”

“……”

“I’ll kick Aunt out of here right away. I’ll take care of all the knights who guard the mansion.”

Now, Eleon continued to speak in a voice mixed with wailing.

“So please don’t be mad at me. Don’t regret choosing me. Give me another chance, Penelois.”

The noble prince of the Crombell Empire knelt down in front of Penelois, a mere slave, and begged for love. Eleon, who was terrified that Penelois’s affection would disappear, was an infinitely weak man in front of her. Penelois was very weak in this aspect of Eleon.

“Eleon, I’m fine.”

With a soft voice, she calmed Eleon, who was trembling in fear. But that had the opposite effect.

“Heaven……! Penelois. How wrong am I? Are you that angry?”

“……”

He trembled even more with contemplation as if the soft, gentle Penelois was unfamiliar. Her body was ill, and because of Crassida, she lost a lot of self-confidence, so she also lost her temper which he knew of Penelois. But as she watched Eleon cry desperately in front of her eyes, heat slowly rose inside her.

“Don’t drive people crazy, do it in moderation, Eleon.”

“……Penelois!”

At the sound of Penelois’s cool voice, Eleon’s face turned red. Come to think of it, it was like this when they first met. Eleon, who liked to travel alone, often found himself in dangerous situations because he went around hiding his identity. At that time, Penelois, a slave, had to protect Eleon because of the incompetent mercenary he had hired. He said that he fell in love with Penelois, who protected Eleon while drenched in blood from wild beasts, robbers, and sometimes monsters, and followed her even after the quest was over. Even though she was harassing him for being bothersome and even kicking him for being crazy, Eleon was steadfast. He almost took away a huge sum of money from the mercenaries and took Penelois away.

“Perverted jerk. Do I always have to say such harsh words to make you feel better?”

“Eung…… Now you’re my woman.”

“Ha, what a crazy guy.”

“Eung, I love you too, Penelois. Thank you for your forgiveness.”

As Eleon looked at her with twinkling eyes, Penelois was finally able to smile comfortably. She was actually a little nervous. It was because she thought that she was only a slave and that if Eleon changed his mind, she could be thrown out at any time. Crassida, on the other hand, was blood-related with Eleon and was a family member, on his maternal’s side. When facing such Crassida, Penelois wasn’t sure if Eleon would really support her.

“……Thank you too.”

But in the end, Penelois was the one who didn’t believe in her lover. Eleon was ready to do anything for herself and for Elexa, but she was suspicious of him. She was sorry for the fact, and nevertheless grateful to Eleon for being on her side so naturally.

‘If it wasn’t for Countess Millen…… I must have lived in that doubt for the rest of my life.’

Penelois smiled as she remembered Sarah’s face that had given her confidence. Sarah offered to pay her debts for her rudeness, but Penelois owed Sarah a great deal. She was determined to never forget this and to repay the kind favor without fail. First, after doing what needed to be done.

“So how are you going to deal with that damn Crassida?”