Under the sunlight, everything was clean and bright.

That was one of the reasons Muen had chosen lunch instead of a more formal, more romantic dinner. He felt that in an environment like this—clear skies, gentle breeze, birdsong, flowers in bloom—Ariel would be able to see the sincerity in his eyes more clearly.

And in fact, that was exactly how it was. From the moment Muen spoke the first word, Ariel understood that this was not a joke, nor some prank, but a heartfelt invitation from the man standing in front of her.

The careful bath from earlier, the hundred-plus outfits sewn especially for her, and all the delicious food she had never tasted in her life before this—all of it spoke to the weight of that invitation.

He genuinely, sincerely wanted to invite her on a date unlike any she had ever had before.

Put simply...

he was trying to court her.

“Do you know what I’m feeling right now?”

Ariel came back to herself from that brief moment of confusion, her gaze dropping to the hand Muen was using to hold hers.

“What are you feeling? Warmth? Broadness? Or maybe... have you already gotten used to it?”

Muen gave her a roguish blink, his fingers deliberately teasing the center of her palm. They had held hands many times before, but this kind of intimacy was still a first.

“No. I feel like... right now, my hand is being held by the paw of some golden-haired dog.”

Ariel sneered.

“...”

“And why exactly would you have an idea like this? You have to take responsibility, so that means you have to court me? Does that mean every girl you accidentally hurt in this world has to get courted by you too? What kind of scumbag logic is that?”

Ariel was openly contemptuous of Muen’s reasoning just now. She admitted that she had briefly gone dazed again when Muen Campbell overlapped with Miss Muse in her mind, but that changed nothing, because no matter how you looked at it, the possibility of her getting swept away by Muen Campbell was absolutely nonexistent.

“It’s not some kind of scumbag logic. I want to save you from the Love God’s grasp. I want to correct your twisted love.”

“I don’t need that. I don’t need anyone to save me. I’ll find a way myself. Since I was little, what kind of desperate situations have we not gone through? It’s just pollution from an Evil God. There has to be a way.”

“But even your teacher and my teacher are helpless against it.”

“So what? Just because they can’t do anything doesn’t mean I won’t find a way. Just because there’s no way now doesn’t mean there won’t be one in the future.”

Ariel lifted her swan-like neck slightly, her clear eyes full of disdain.

Muen was briefly taken aback. He realized that this was Ariel—the proud and untamed, brave and fearless chosen protagonist Ariel, the one who had always scorned fate’s provocations.

That really was exactly the kind of thing she would say.

“All right, I’m really leaving now. Count this meal and these clothes toward the hundred million you owe me, so you can’t say I’m taking advantage of you.”

Ariel rose and walked off directly. It seemed that even these hundred adorable dresses and dozens of delicious dishes still could not move her heart.

“So...”

But as he watched Ariel’s solitary figure leave, Muen suddenly said, “You’re scared?”

“...”

Ariel’s steps halted.

“What do you mean, scared?”

“It means exactly what I said. You’re scared.”

“Scared? What would I possibly be scared of?”

Ariel laughed in disbelief and turned back.

“What about you is there for me to be afraid of?”

“You’re afraid of my invitation.”

“That’s even more ridiculous. The one I like is a beautiful girl. I like Miss Muse, not you. Why would I be afraid of your invitation?” Ariel scoffed.

“Is that so?”

Muen said, “Then if you’re not afraid, why are you refusing?”

“That’s because I don’t want to waste time—”

“I’m being this sincere, and that’s the excuse you’re using to brush me off?”

“What does that have to do with me—”

“So you really are scared.”

“Shut up!”

Ariel suddenly shouted.

She glared straight at Muen like an enraged beast.

And the truth was, she really was angry. She had no idea why Muen kept saying she was scared.

Why would she be scared?

Scared of being won over by Muen Campbell?

What a joke.

She was Ariel Bugaard, the most fearless person in the world. What she liked were beautiful girls. Her dream was to build a huge crystal palace and flirt sweetly with the beautiful girls she loved inside it.

How could she possibly be scared of being won over by a guy she had once hated more than anyone else?

That was only some trivial—

“That’s right. It’s only a trivial little date.”

It was as if Muen had seen straight through her thoughts. He extended his hand once more.

“So trying it once isn’t really a big deal, right?”

“...”

The daylight dimmed, and the sun slipped behind the clouds.

The garden went completely silent, not even a trace of birdsong left, as though the entire world were waiting for the girl’s answer.

The girl did not answer immediately.

She stared at Muen’s face, her gaze flickering uncertainly, no one knowing what she was thinking.

Muen waited patiently too.

“All right.”

After a long silence, Ariel finally chose to take hold of that broad, warm hand again—the hand that had made her feel safe several times before.

“I’ll try it once.”

...

...

“Yes! Young Master did it! The hardest step is already over! He successfully invited Miss Ariel on a date!”

Noah ran into the kitchen in excitement and loudly announced the news to the maids who had long been craning their necks in anticipation.

The Duke and Duchess Campbell had been gone for quite some time, and Muen himself was often away from the estate. Aside from their daily work, these maids had long been idle like flowers with no sunlight, on the verge of withering away.

So to witness—and even take part in—such a thrilling piece of gossip with their own eyes was, for them, top-tier entertainment that rarely came around. The moment they heard the news, nearly all of them let out excited cheers.

“That’s wonderful! All that running around the city to find master tailors wasn’t for nothing.”

“Exactly, exactly! Head Chef Laken was about to go on leave, and I ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) was the one who chased him down in a carriage and brought him back.”

“It’s so romantic. Really, truly romantic. I don’t think anyone but Miss Ariel could have withstood the young master’s offensive.”

“That’s right, that’s right...”

The maids all sank into intoxicated delight, as though they themselves had become Ariel, sitting in that sunlit, flower-scented garden with the extraordinarily handsome Young Master Muen across from them.

And he was reaching out his hand, inviting them with a face full of tenderness...

Bang! 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The suddenly heavier sound of chopping jolted all the maids back to reality.

At that very moment, a huge fish was flopping in the middle of the room, but the instant a sharp iron blade came down, the fish did not even have time to struggle before it was cleanly severed in two.

“Could you all be quiet for a moment?”

An lifted the heavy cleaver and said coldly,

“An environment that’s too noisy will affect my cooking.”

“Y-Yes...! Head Maid!”

The maids, who had all been wildly excited a moment ago, immediately shrank back to their stations like frightened little chicks. Cowed by An’s authority, they no longer dared whisper among themselves, though they continued exchanging messages with their eyes.

After a fierce round of silent communication, Noah was the one who finally stepped out trembling and walked over to An’s side.

“Um... th-that... Head Maid, are you all right?”

“Hm? Why wouldn’t I be?”

An asked in confusion.

“Well... about the young master and Miss Ariel... you... you’re not angry?”

An’s relationship with Muen was no secret in the duke’s household by now. An had never made any effort to hide it, because this had always been one of the ways she kept certain pests away from the boy.

That’s right. In her eyes, the maids of the duke’s household were also dangerous figures worth being on guard against.

And that was exactly why Noah and the others, knowing all this, had been so uneasy. They were terrified that this calm was only the stillness before the storm—that An had already poisoned the food earlier, or that the very next moment she would charge out and hack Miss Ariel to death.

“Don’t worry.”

But An still looked completely calm.

“How could I possibly do something that would only cause trouble for the young master?”

“I-Is that so?”

“Of course.”

“I-I see... haha...”

Even after getting that answer, Noah still felt uneasy. She secretly made up her mind that she would keep a close eye on the head maid. If An made any sudden strange move, then she... she would grab her leg and beg with all her might!

“You really don’t need to think so much.”

An suddenly said, “I’m not going to do anything. After all... for now, I owe Miss Ariel a favor.”

That was right. Until that favor was repaid, she would not do anything.

At worst, the work of eliminating pests could simply be postponed a little.

And not only that...

“So that things would go more smoothly for the young master, I even specially invited someone who could actually help him...”

Bang!

With another heavy strike, the fish—already dead through and through—was chopped into two again. Cold iron flashed, reflecting An’s expressionless face.

“A professional.”

...

...

The imperial palace, conference hall.

Even though it was noon, the doors and windows were tightly shut, and the magic stones had not been lit, making the place especially dim.

Only in the faint light filtering in from outside could two deep silhouettes barely be made out.

One of them lounged in the seat at the very top, smoking lazily and staring at the statues of knights from previous generations, as though seriously pondering some extremely grave matter.

The other silhouette, older and more aged, let out a helpless sigh.

“Do we really have to do this?”

“Why not?”

The figure exhaling smoke said, “This is a rare opportunity—an opportunity to display my outstanding talent and extraordinary gifts. I have no reason to refuse.”

“...I don’t know about opportunities, but I do know that if Her Majesty the Empress finds out that you did something like this while she was away, I doubt she’ll let you off—”

“Shut up! This concerns your grandson, doesn’t it? Don’t tell me you don’t care!”

The large hand holding the cigar slammed down on the table as the figure snapped in anger:

“And besides, Celicia is finally away, and that tigress is off dealing with something too. Can’t I enjoy this hard-won freedom for once?”

“But your duty seems to be holding down the capital and making sure Belrand doesn’t fall into chaos...”

“I am holding down the capital! I’ve already heard what happened. As one of the empire’s current pillars, how could I possibly let some damnable Evil God have its way?”

At last the magic stones flared to life, illuminating Pink Bear’s stern face.

“Since I’ve been invited, this fun—no, this favor—I’m absolutely helping with it!”