Ggol-ggak, ggol-ggak.
She hadn't imagined water sliding down her throat could be this sweet.
'Ah, finally.'
As the burning thirst was quenched, Rose smiled without realizing it.
"More, more……."
"Alright."
Dane once again used that familiar something to feed her water.
Something warm and moist swept along the inside of Rose's lips, guiding the water so it wouldn't spill out.
"Haa……."
After drinking her fill of cool water, she felt like she could live.
A refreshing sensation spread through her insides, while a cozy warmth enveloped her outside.
That contrast felt quite pleasant.
"Hehe……."
Rose smiled faintly and burrowed deeper into the warmth.
"This is nice……."
"Hah, good grief."
An exasperated sigh poured down from above her head.
"You were fussing so much just a moment ago, and now you enjoy it this much."
Even so, he carefully brushed Rose's hair aside. It was a soft and tender touch.
"Do you even know what you were drinking from?"
A faint trace of amusement was mixed into the low murmur.
"If you knew, you probably wouldn't have nestled in so obediently. So I suppose I'll keep that to myself."
Gguk.
A broad, warm embrace fully enveloped Rose.
Rose relaxed and surrendered herself completely to it. Then she buried her nose into his firm skin and sniffed lightly.
'What a lovely… scent…….'
A unique scent—like the cold, crisp energy of deeply inhaled winter air, mixed with a hot body temperature.
Whenever she caught this scent, she always felt an inexplicable sense of security. It was the same now.
"Stop. It tickles."
Suddenly, her body was pushed back, and the scent drifted away from her nose.
"Hng."
Rose whined and tightened both arms. The force pushing her back weakened.
"Don't stimulate me too much. It's hard to hold back."
She heard his troubled voice, but Rose paid no mind and breathed the scent in deeply.
Huuuu—she inhaled deeply, puuuu—she exhaled slowly. She savored the scent filling her lungs to her heart's content.
"…Guess I can forget about sleeping."
His hollow voice gradually faded. An approaching wave of drowsiness was crashing over Rose.
This time, she felt she could sleep deeply without dreaming.
**
The Kalmar Mine encampment.
A debate broke out among the knights gathered in the mess hall.
"Hey, at least make some sense."
"Maybe if you were someone who loses his mind over women, sure. But His Grace doing something like that? No way."
Everyone in unison criticized Nils, the knight who had raised the topic.
"First of all, I don't lose my mind over women. Get that straight."
Nils began his rebuttal calmly.
Uuu—
He ignored the jeers and continued speaking.
"You guys didn't see His Grace's expression when those bastards climbed onto the carriage."
"Well, the enemy did something unusual, so of course he was caught off guard."
"That's not the point……!"
Nils let out a "Haah" and raked his hands through his hair in frustration.
"At that moment, I genuinely thought—he could kill a man with that look in his eyes."
Despite Nils's serious tone, the knights merely snorted.
"I see it often. When we're facing monsters, just looking at His Grace's face makes me go cold."
"Last time the field cook steamed griffon meat, His Grace had that same look in his eyes."
"I'd have done the same. Steamed? No way. It should be fried."
"No!"
Nils pounded his chest in frustration.
"You punks, that's not what I mean! His Grace truly, truly cherishes the Madam! He acts like a complete fool in love!"
"Fool? I'm filing a report for that."
"No, that just now was a slip. Anyway, when it comes to the Madam, he'd go through hell or high water for her! He's completely lost his mind over her!"
"Did this idiot eat something wrong? Someone check his bowl."
"It's fucking delicious Manticore tenderloin sausage. If you don't want it, want me to finish it?"
"Ugh, seriously!"
Nils scratched the back of his head vigorously and looked sideways. He asked another knight who had been assigned to the same carriage escort squad.
"Am I wrong? What do you think?"
"I think the same. His Grace is completely mad over the Madam right now."
The knight who was inhaling Manticore sausage nodded.
"If His Grace brings the Madam when he comes to the mine today, I'll bet half my salary on it."
Then, going a step further, he opened a betting board.
The significant sum piqued the interest of the knights who had been snickering.
"Oh? Then I'll bet too. On His Grace coming 'alone' as usual."
"I'll bet on this side too. His Grace bringing a woman here… puh-lease."
Most of the knights bet that Dane Schmaichel would come alone as usual.
It was reasonable.
What he did here was either shed the blood of monsters, or ensure the miners didn't shed theirs.
Bringing the Madam to a place like this? No matter how much he cherished her, that seemed unlikely.
"I'll bet my entire salary."
Nils, the last one standing, declared resolutely.
"On His Grace coming with the Madam."
"Sir Nils, gambling has been called the path to ruin since time immemorial."
"Ggeuk. I'll say thanks for the meal in advance. You guys should start thinking about what you'll do with your winnings."
Just then, as most of the knights grinned with confidence in their victory—
"Those little shits, seriously……."
Knight Commander Matthias had been listening from the mess hall entrance.
He couldn't join the gambling due to his dignity as the Knight Commander, but he shared the same thought.
"Does he think his older brother is some horny kid?"
He had heard the reports from the knights who went on the last carriage escort duty.
They said he'd rushed desperately, panting, to rescue the Madam, and after saving her, he'd searched for God—reports like that.
Nonsense. They must have misjudged in the heat of the moment.
"Why would his older brother be so desperate."
The Dane Schmaichel that Matthias knew was not that kind of person.
He hadn't spared a single glance for the countless noble ladies at the academy who threw themselves at him. Let alone turn his eyes toward a scruffy child like Rose Vikander.
Matthias's memory of Rose was stuck at the time she first came to the castle.
"It's about time his interest waned."
Thinking thus, Matthias left his spot. He waited for Dane at the castle gate.
"He's a bit later than usual."
As Matthias tapped the castle wall while waiting, something caught his eye.
"……?"
Matthias frowned.
Something… the procession was oddly long? More people than usual?
And furthermore…….
"A carriage?"
In the middle of the procession was an unfamiliar object.
A sense of foreboding washed over him.
"Surely not……?"
Matthias bit his lip as he watched the approaching carriage and its escort of knights.
As the carriage grew larger, the family crest emblazoned on it became clearer. A guard who confirmed the crest let the carriage through into the castle.
Kkiik.
The carriage stopped and the door opened.
Poljjak.
The first to step out of the carriage was a woman with dazzling blonde hair.
"It's a woman!"
"She's pretty."
Other knights standing atop the castle gate murmured.
It wasn't simple surprise. The fact that the blonde woman was a remarkably stunning beauty played a part.
"Could she be……?"
"As expected, His Grace has high standards……."
"No. The Madam has red hair."
A knight who had been in the escort squad corrected their hasty misunderstanding.
"Hmph."
The blonde woman brushed off the gazes directed at her and looked straight at Matthias on the castle gate.
"-!"
Their eyes met, and Matthias flinched—but tried not to show it.
And he muttered without realizing it.
'She is pretty, I'll give her that.'
Her saucily upturned blue eyes and delicate features stood out.
A dangerous charm emanated from her—different from the refined noble ladies at the academy.
Jeobeok.
Then Dane emerged from the carriage. But he wasn't alone.
"Slowly."
He stood right in front of the door and extended his hand into the carriage. It meant someone else was still inside.
Tak.
A small, gloved hand settled on Dane's palm,
"Yes, that's it."
Dane's gentle voice settled over it.
"-!"
Matthias was struck so hard his head buzzed.
'His older brother could speak like that…'
He'd only heard it in words, but seeing it with his own eyes was a tremendous shock.
He stared blankly at the scene below the castle gate.
Ddokak.
Holding Dane's hand, Rose slowly stepped down from the carriage.
Meanwhile, Dane delicately adjusted his strength so Rose wouldn't lose her balance.
"Phew."
Rose, now fully on the ground, steadied her breathing.
"Are you alright?"
"Of course. The physician even said I could walk around now."
"I should have just carried you……."
"Your Grace!"
Rose quickly grabbed Dane's forearm. She shook her head and spoke in a pleading tone.
"There are many other knights here. You need to maintain your dignity."
"Something like this won't undermine my dignity."
"Please."
When Rose pleaded with doe eyes, Dane smirked.
The cold and biting Dane, like a winter wind, was nowhere to be found. A soft and warm aura, like a spring breeze, surrounded him.
Syeok.
He brought his lips close to Rose's ear and whispered something.
Peong!
Rose's face began to turn bright red.
"……."
The castle gate was dead silent.
No one dared make a sound.
No—they couldn't.
Jjeok—
Jjik—
Everyone's jaws had dropped to the floor.
There was one person among them who was the only one moving.
Teop.
Nils, who had smacked the jaw of the knight next to him shut, wore a triumphant smile.
"Everyone, pay up."
The knights flailed in shock.
"There must be something wrong with my eyesight……."
"I must have eaten something wrong earlier and I'm hallucinating……."
"Ah, shut up and pay up already!"
As the scuffle between Nils and the knights continued—
"……."
Matthias staggered and barely held himself up by grabbing the castle wall.
'How?'
He wondered if the person before his eyes was really Dane Schmaichel.
A smile as sweet as cotton candy, a voice as tender as melting honey, and a touch as delicate as handling glasswork.
It was an attitude as if he were deliberately trying to seduce her.
'His older brother? Seducing? That woman?'
Matthias shuddered at the thought he'd just had.
How could he have such a pathetic thought! His older brother would never!
He didn't know.
That Dane was indeed acting with that very intention. That he was genuinely sincere about being good to Rose.