* * *

If it was done in complete secrecy, then perhaps no one knows.

Could Ateol be testing me instead?

I had no idea.

Ateol was an inscrutable man.

But what choice did I have?

My survival depended entirely on him.

First, I had to raise his favorability as much as possible.

Only then could I confess the truth—that I wasn’t the real Yuris.

That I hadn’t lost my memory, but rather, I’d never had it to begin with.

“Want to see somewhere else?”

“Somewhere else?”

“My room.”

“….”

Ateol’s eyes widened.

For once, his emotions were plainly visible—he was genuinely surprised.

Well, it wasn’t a typical suggestion.

Inviting someone to my bedroom in broad daylight, with countless people just beyond a single door?

“Are you serious?”

“I am.”

“….”

“If you’re not interested, forget it.”

What if he refuses?

“Of course not.”

“Yuri.”

Right.

Given the circumstances, there’s no way he’d refuse.

As soon as Ateol answered, I called for Cloden.

Hearing that we were heading to the bedroom, Yuri wore the exact same expression as Ateol had moments ago—a look that said, ‘Did I just hear that correctly?’

“Shall I escort you immediately?”

But perhaps conscious of Ateol’s presence, he quickly masked his surprise and spoke to me formally.

I nodded, and moments later, Ateol and I were standing in front of my bedroom.

Cloden bowed deeply and opened the door.

Just like in the reception room, the attendants had vacated the space, leaving it empty.

“Shall I prepare refreshments?”

“No need. We have private matters to discuss. Leave us.”

“Understood.”

Cloden left without sparing Ateol a single glance, even to the end.

As I stepped into the bedroom, countless thoughts flitted through my mind.

Now that we were in the bedroom, endless excuses for some form of contact could easily arise.

This wasn’t the drawing room, my personal study, the office, or even the tea room—it was my bedroom.

That was quite the invitation.

Still, no matter how bold I was, blurting out “Wanna get in bed?” would make me sound insane.

That’d be way too much.

While pondering where to start, I turned my head, only to find Ateol acting oddly.

“…?”

It seemed to start the moment our eyes met.

Ateol looked completely startled—more so than when I had first invited him to the bedroom.

Squinting against the overly bright sunlight, I realized why.

My hood, which I’d habitually flipped back upon entering, had left my face exposed.

Is there something on my face?

Or did I just look gloomier than Ateol had imagined?

Either way, it didn’t feel great.

“Why are you staring at someone’s face like that?”

“Do you not look in the mirror often?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I frowned in irritation, and Ateol furrowed his brows as well.

“My apologies. Forgive my rudeness. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“I never had the opportunity to see your eye color up close. Now I have.”

“It’s not exactly a remarkable color.”

He’s never noticed my eye color before?

If he was making a big deal out of this, it had to mean Ateol and I weren’t as close as I had worried.

Ateol was always so elusive, like a thousand snakes boiled into one, making it impossible to figure him out.

“No, it’s like finely crafted silver.”

Silver is silver.

What does “finely crafted silver” even mean?

I tousled my messy hair and turned away, though I could feel Ateol’s gaze following me.

Well… does this mean he’s at least a little interested?

That thought was quickly interrupted by a delightful notification sound.

[Favorability (Ateol): 68%]

This much?

I didn’t even do anything!

It feels like pulling an ultra-rare card from a gacha game.

I spun around to face Ateol.

“You look pleased all of a sudden.”

“Yeah.”

This guy. Acting nonchalant when his favorability is at 68%. I strode up to him.

Ateol flinched slightly at my brisk approach but didn’t back away.

I drew so close I could smell Ateol’s cologne, placing my hand firmly on the man’s chest.

[Ateol’s favorability is rising!]

+1
+1
+1

What’s with the tiny increments?

Is this a joke?

I gritted my teeth.

Clearly, something more intense was needed.

Driven by a desperate need to survive—a need for favorability—I wrapped my arms around Ateol’s neck and pushed up on my toes.

But even then, I couldn’t reach Ateol’s lips.

The man stood too tall and straight.

“…”

“…”

Ateol stared down at me with an unreadable expression.

“What are you doing?”

He was probably asking himself the same thing.

“Are you serious?”

“Why else would I bring you to my bedroom?”

“I didn’t think you chose me for… this reason.”

“What? That’s—”

Before I could finish saying That’s not what I meant, the words were swallowed.

My only coherent thought was how warm Ateol’s lips were—or maybe it’s just me being cold.

Leaning down to meet me, Ateol pressed our lips together and stayed there for a long moment.

Our eyes stayed open, locked on one another, making the fleeting contact strangely intimate.

My heart pounded inexplicably.

Just as I narrowed my eyes, intent on pulling away, Ateol suddenly wrapped me up and pulled me closer.

Caught in Ateol’s strong embrace, I instinctively tried to wriggle free, but Ateol’s arms held firm.

The kiss deepened, Ateol’s tongue brushing lightly against my lips.

Startled, I flinched, but Ateol tightened his grip as though he feared I might slip away.

His tongue delved deeper, flicking against my palate and teeth.

Overwhelmed, I could hardly keep up.

“Mm… ah…”

A soft sound escaped my lips without me realizing.

Ateol hesitated momentarily, then cupped my head and kissed me even more fervently.

Practically lifted off the ground, I had to balance on my toes to stay upright.

Ateol kissed me relentlessly, nibbling at my lips and sucking on my tongue with such intensity that I felt my senses dull.

Each time my body slackened, Ateol would bite down gently, snapping me back to reality.

“Ugh… mm…”

I clumsily reciprocated, lips and tongue awkwardly yielding to Ateol’s movements.

The strange sensation of wetness and friction left me breathless, my soft groans escaping my throat.

In my attempt to steady myself, I grabbed onto Ateol’s waist.

The motion made me cling to the man entirely, which only deepened my embarrassment.

Despite my struggle to breathe, Ateol didn’t let go.

When our lips finally parted, I gasped for air, fingers brushing my swollen mouth.

“…”

Ateol still held me close, gazing down at me from mere inches away.

Sunlight caught in Ateol’s crimson eyes, making them look uncharacteristically warm.

For once, Ateol didn’t seem terrifying.

In this moment, he felt like someone else entirely—someone softer, different from the venomous man I had always known.

How long did we stay like this?

Ateol finally parted his slightly bruised lips.

“…I apologize.”

“…”

Apologizing after a kiss?

What kind of etiquette is that?

Without thinking, I blurted out my thoughts.

“Apologizing after a kiss is a bit much, isn’t it?”

“…”

Ateol frowned, seemingly realizing something.

“You’re right. My apologies weren’t for the kiss itself. I thought I might’ve been too rough.”

With those words, he gently wiped my lips with his fingers.

Judging by the lingering sting in my lips and tongue, it was clear the kiss had been far from ordinary.

But what exactly made a kiss “ordinary”?

I wasn’t unfamiliar with the act; I’d kissed before.

Yet, if asked to explain the difference between “rough” and “ordinary,” I’d struggle to answer.

Peeking at the status window, I was stunned.

[Favorability (Ateol): 72%]

What the hell?

After all that, it only went up this much?!

Grimacing in frustration, my expression caught Ateol’s attention.

The man narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low voice.

* * *