Now that’s experience. Not just anyone can pull off playing an innocent lamb. She’s good at defense.

 

“It’s Friday, wanna go see a play after this?”

 

“I told you, stop fooling around.”

 

“It’s not even morning anymore.”

 

“Any time before lunch is still morning.”

 

“Alright, fine. Let’s talk about it after lunch then.”

 

“After lunch, please quickly take care of the backlog of work first.”

 

From across the way, a carriage meant for two quickly approaches. 

 

It was the very moment Kise thought she had delivered a perfect retort and made a cool turn.

 

As if trying to make up for being somewhat late, the fiercely galloping horses let out a long whinny and came to an abrupt stop right in front of her.

 

“…”

 

It was more surprising than dangerous? She wasn’t scared, but she was slightly startled? That was about the extent of it.

 

But when she gathered her wits, Kise found her face completely buried in Leonhardt’s chest. 

 

And pressed firmly into it, at that…

 

Kise raised her arms and patted his back.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“I saved you.”

 

Even as he said it, Leonhardt tightened his arms, holding her more firmly. As if to say it’s dangerous outside the blankets.

 

Kise, who had been whining and groaning like a sick puppy, let out a deep sigh and said,

 

“This feels like seduction.”

 

“Depends on how you perceive it.”

 

Leonhardt bent down, pressing his cheek against Kise’s hair. As his breath reached her through her hair, Kise’s body temperature rose in turn.

 

Hey now, hey now you!

 

This time, she poked him directly with her fingers, counting them off.

 

“It’s seduction, isn’t it?”

 

“Depends on how you feel about it, doesn’t it?”

 

How you interpret it is up to you.

 

Amusingly, it was Leonhardt who whispered that. Seeing his body shake slightly, it seemed he was chuckling. Sensing the heat hidden within his words, Kise promptly closed her mouth.

 

Come to think of it, from some point on, he had taken to frequently using the awkwardly formal term ‘you’ instead of her familiar name.

 

At first, she thought it was just that for every ten times he used her name, he’d use ‘you’ once or twice, but gradually the frequency of ‘you’ had increased exponentially.

 

A man with a smiling face from whom you could never predict what he’d do next.

 

Even while thinking he was annoyingly clingy, Kise smoothly let go of the tightly held string of her tension.

 

Even if she didn’t understand anything else, this body of Leonhardt’s—his robust and solid physique—this one thing was incredibly, wonderfully warm.

 

Ah, so warm. Kise leaned her forehead against him again.

 

🦋

 

“These are the samples that came in from the showroom. This is Kise’s share.”

 

“Yes, got it. Just leave them here; I’ll come pick them up later.”

 

Once a month, sample products like this arrive from the showrooms of various guilds and factories. 

 

The purpose, of course, is for potential orders—a request to try them out, and if they’re good, to sell the goods they produce overseas.

 

Fabrics, crafts, medicines, tableware.

 

Kise roughly examined the items piled neatly in the basket to see what had come in this month. 

 

Since they were required to touch and test each sample one by one and later share their opinions during a meeting, she had to write her reviews meticulously.

 

‘Strange. How is every day so consistently busy?’

 

Corporate life was truly strange. When there was a lot of work, she was busy because of the workload, and when there was no work, she was busy because there was nothing to do. So, in the end, she was always busy.

 

Kise grabbed her keys and headed toward the warehouse. She was crossing the elevated walkway to go straight to the second floor when, right then, the sound of regular footsteps echoed from nearby.

 

The source of the sound was the central courtyard, located below where she was standing. 

 

A group of men who had just passed through the company’s main gate were quickly approaching the offices.

 

“That uniform… are they administrators?”

 

That uniform is famous in Mercia. Dressed in knightly attire, they were undoubtedly city administrators.

 

What business do those people have here?

 

Hiding behind a pillar of the second-floor walkway, Kise observed the four or five men passing below. 

 

Despite their dignified movements, up close they were enjoying a chat among themselves.

 

Someone began, talking about the boss here.

 

“I heard they’ve secured the mining rights for Mackil Mountain. Quite a skill. How did they manage to buy that? It must be related to this current affair, right?”

 

“I heard that was the price for lending a huge sum. Or perhaps it means he has the connections to fund the upper class.”

 

“That’s why there’s so much talk even in the parliament. ‘An extension of the state,’ and all that. Hey, Hert, you know something, right? I mean, that’s why we’re here to shake this place down?”

 

The man called Hert jerked his head up at those words. He probably wasn’t looking at her, but Kise swiftly erased her presence and focused her hearing.

 

“You know ‘him’ well.”

 

His comrade urged the man on again. Then, the man called Hert furrowed his brow.

 

He spoke grudgingly, as if he disliked having to say this, yet also as if he had no choice.

 

“That guy… he just prints money out of thin air.”

 

That guy. Him!

 

Kise intuitively realized who they were talking about.

 

‘They had business with him?’

 

Leonhardt. He’s a prominent figure in this city.

 

People highly regard his ability and wealth.

 

He is the major shareholder of this trading company, a magnate whose book value amounts to six million ducats. 

 

A terrifying fortune, estimated to be over ten million ducats in actual market value.

 

That’s why most views of him were favorable, but.

 

“He’s a natural genius when it comes to making money. But don’t let that fool you into thinking he’s easy to deal with. Just because he’s capable doesn’t mean he has a good personality. You’ll find out soon enough—he’s just an unlucky bastard. His specialty is toying with people while mocking them. And he does it all with a very kind smile.”

 

There were also those who held such a hostile view of him.

 

“And it’s so annoying that someone like him looks so proper. If he’s a bad guy, shouldn’t he at least look vicious and nasty? He’s also smooth with his words, which really gets on people’s nerves.”

 

Within Leonard’s sphere of influence, Kise carefully monitored the person who was openly badmouthing him.

 

Even in her eyes, Leonard was a man who somewhat deviated from the public’s general opinion. Whenever she got dangerously close to him, Tristan would also smirk and offer advice.

 

—Honey, I like you, so I’ll give you a special tip. Don’t be fooled by Leo’s glossy exterior. Don’t cross the line, and don’t be deceived. Just maintain the current distance. The owner of this company is an unparalleled piece of shit in this world.

 

—A piece of shit?

 

—Yeah, the kind who smiles brightly and then curses you with a shit.

 

That was some pretty valuable information. That type of man is definitely dangerous. 

 

Kise was also incredibly perceptive, so she wasn’t entirely unaware of Leonard’s unhealthy duplicity.

 

Thud!

 

He inserted the key into the keyhole. No, he jammed it in roughly.

 

‘Yeah, right. I know. I kind of know about it too.’

 

Kise’s eyes unintentionally turned sharp. His jaw tightened.

 

‘But it still pisses me off.’

 

That was it. Even so, he felt displeased.

 

‘Why insult him?’

 

Why insult him, why? Who are you to insult that person?

 

This was the very source of his irritation.

 

His piercing gaze mercilessly drilled into the back of the offending individual.

 

🦋

 

The man, engrossed in his work as he left trails of ink with soft scratching sounds, suddenly felt an unfamiliar sense of desolation.

 

Leonhardt lifted his gaze, which had been fixed on his desk. 

 

Soon after, his eyes slid over to the sunny window, where a chair was pulled out halfway, as if indicating its occupant had temporarily stepped away.

 

He checked his wristwatch. It wasn’t time for her to return yet. It would be a little longer. She would take a bit more time.

 

Knowing why she had gone to the warehouse, he was well aware that he had to guard this empty space alone, a little more tediously.

 

“Still late.”

 

It certainly wasn’t actually late, but to him, it felt late. It was a matter of feeling.

 

Leonhardt threw down his pen, quit his work, leaned all the way back in his chair, and slouched rebelliously.

 

Today, he had styled his front hair back with pomade, revealing his forehead clearly. His languid, relaxed posture, as if he were drunk, deepened his already decadent atmosphere.

 

As if protesting being alone or as if throwing a tantrum, he did not lift a finger.

 

Hurry up!

 

It’s a strike until you come.

 

He felt quite pleased with the childish idea that had popped into his head. The thought of Kise, upon returning and seeing the completely undiminished workload, nagging him meticulously made a laugh sneak out.

 

And so, Leonhardt nonchalantly slacked off. His thoughts, gradually drifting astray, eventually wandered completely away from work. As if out of habit, his mind began to settle on one subject. 

 

A source of trouble, a source of worry, towards one person at the center of it all.

 

‘What is lacking? What more must I do?’

 

What more must I do to have you? Was my effort insufficient?

 

‘I must corner you, little by little, slowly, without you noticing, trap you so you cannot escape.’

 

Leonhardt was currently experiencing some rather special symptoms he had never felt before.

 

During his time with Kise, he had gradually begun to feel a thirst, and before he knew it, he was suffering from a fierce hunger, with little room for patience. 

 

It was undoubtedly an emotion originating from Kise.

 

At the time, he didn’t fully realize it, but the desire to have her had been there from the very beginning. That’s why he chose her. He picked her, seated her by his side, and planned to slowly break down her defenses.

 

But when he looked back, he saw that the one who had truly become trapped was not Kise, but Leonhardt himself. 

 

Of course, he didn’t feel particularly wronged. He wasn’t so foolish as to argue about the order of events.

 

It was just that his inability to completely monopolize her heart even now was what fueled his impatience.

 

“She’s late.”

 

Leonhardt checked his watch once more. His brow furrowed in displeasure. It still wasn’t time for Kise to return. She should have been gone longer. 

 

Much longer. He knew this, yet it irritated him.

 

Leonhardt knew precisely.

 

He knew that soon this current hunger would fester into a fierce obsession.

 

And if he were to reach that point, he would cast aside all his previous hesitation and lock her away.

 

If he set his mind to it, it wouldn’t be impossible.

 

But that would be an unfortunate mishap, contrary to his gentle strategy of ‘little by little, slowly, and thus forever.’ 

 

It was an outcome he absolutely did not want.

 

Leonhardt did not want to become that kind of rude man to Kise.