* * *
“Eren.”
At the sound of someone calling him, Eren’s eyes snapped open from deep sleep.
As he sat up instinctively, a wave of dizziness hit him.
Rubbing his temple, he looked around and saw a maid preparing a washbasin nearby.
“Ah… thank you.”
“As I’ve told you before, there’s no need to be so formal with us.”
It was a habitual courtesy.
Even though he was gradually adjusting to the body he’d been reborn into, he couldn’t just abandon a lifetime of manners.
“And this tea was prepared on His Grace’s orders. There are two sugar cubes in it—you’ll find it sweet.”
Ashard…?
As Eren wrapped his hands around the teacup, yesterday’s memories came rushing back.
Ashard’s unexpected confession—his jealousy—and then the kiss.
Eren’s face flushed red in an instant.
He’d clung to Ashard, begging him not to pull away… and then promptly passed out.
It all came back clearly.
He hadn’t drunk alcohol in this new body before, so he didn’t know his limits.
In his original body, a few glasses of wine wouldn’t have affected him.
But apparently, Eren’s current body was incredibly weak to alcohol.
‘I wish I didn’t remember any of it…’
Unfortunately, he remembered everything vividly.
He kissed Ashard, begged for more, and then passed out.
He could die of embarrassment.
Eren’s face changed rapidly with each recalled memory.
Meanwhile, Ashard had summoned the servants at dawn and instructed them to spread a specific rumor.
The maid who’d wondered if Ashard’s feelings might be one-sided now knew better.
‘Wait, this is mutual?!’
A smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
Noticing her look, Eren tilted his head.
Why’s she looking at me like that?
Eren couldn’t help sensing the stare.
After a short pause, the maid suddenly seemed to remember something.
She had almost forgotten.
Reaching for the expensive item beside the bed, she handed it to Eren.
A… scarf?
It was embroidered with blue lobelia flowers on soft silk.
The breeze was still a little chilly, but it wasn’t really scarf weather.
He took it but didn’t wear it, just stared at it.
Seeing that, the maid spoke gently.
“You’ll need it.”
Need it?
Eren didn’t understand—until after he washed up and glanced in the mirror.
“W-What the hell?!”
Seeing the deep red marks on his neck, Eren cried out without thinking.
The top buttons of his shirt had come undone, his clothes rumpled.
He didn’t remember anything that… intimate happening around his neck.
His cheeks turned pink like ripe peaches.
A wave of heat flushed through him.
Panicking, Eren quickly wrapped the scarf around his neck.
He had no idea that Ashard had orchestrated this entire rumor campaign across the empire before he even woke up.
All he could think about was hiding the marks—and the shame of the maid having seen everything.
The extravagant scarf drew far more attention than expected.
Perhaps it was because the weather was already growing warm with summer around the corner.
Whenever the servants’ gazes turned toward his neck, he would give an awkward smile and quickly leave the scene.
Of course, they weren’t staring because they were curious why Eren was wearing a scarf in this weather—but because they had realized the rumors were true.
Avoiding any crowded areas, Eren made his way through the mansion and slipped into his room.
His quick entrance, as if he were trying not to be seen, drew a puzzled look from Melody.
He had arrived a little earlier than the scheduled lesson time, yet her desk was already piled high with documents, making it unclear how long she had been there.
“You’re… already here…”
“Is someone outside?”
Eren shook his head as if it were nothing.
It was a situation too difficult to explain, so he hastily changed the subject.
“Today’s lesson was about tactics related to terrain, wasn’t it?”
It was an obviously awkward change of topic, but Melody, perhaps sensing it was something he didn’t want to talk about, didn’t press further and simply smiled in affirmation.
“In tactical operations, time is the most important factor. If the initial operation is delayed, every strategy that follows gets pushed back. But if the ground is muddy or there’s a river that’s not marked on the map, the army’s advance will be delayed. That’s why understanding the terrain beforehand is more important than anything else.”
Eren began explaining in detail how terrain affects tactics.
It was a topic he had been particularly curious about, and since Eren had firsthand experience in the field, this was the lesson Melody had most looked forward to.
She was determined not to miss a single word.
But in the end, Melody couldn’t hold back her curiosity and asked:
“By the way, Count… why are you wearing a scarf in this weather? Are you feeling unwell?”
Eren’s eyes darted around nervously.
What excuse could get him out of this safely?
If he took too long to think, she might realize he was lying.
So Eren blurted out the first excuse that came to mind.
“I… I got hurt.”
Apparently not noticing how Melody’s expression hardened for a moment, Eren quickly added:
“I must’ve scratched myself or something—when I woke up, I found a small wound on my neck.”
“…”
“It’s just a little scratch. Nothing to worry about.”
Even Eren thought it was a convincing excuse.
Nobles, after all, were known for covering up even the smallest blemishes.
Smiling as if everything were normal, he tried to continue the lesson—at least, that was the plan.
Until Melody suddenly stood up and briskly walked over to him.
“Wh-what is it, Your Highness?”
“Please, take a seat for a moment.”
“Pardon? All of a sudden—?”
Melody gently pushed him down into a chair.
Eren looked at her in surprise, but for some reason, her expression was unusually serious.
“You can’t just leave a wound untreated! What if it leaves a scar!”
“I’m fine, real—”
“No, you’re not, Count! You’re not a child—did you even apply any ointment?”
“I was in a hurry and—”
“I’ll treat it quickly, so just sit still for a moment.”
“No, really, there’s no need—!”
As Melody reached for the scarf around his neck, Eren frantically tried to stop her.
But she was a step faster.
In a swift motion, she unraveled the scarf and blinked in quiet surprise at what she saw.
Instead of a wound, there was a red mark where the injury should have been.
Eren quickly raised his hand to cover it, but it was too late—she had already seen it.
Though not yet an adult, Melody was not so young that she wouldn’t understand what that mark meant.
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence fell. Usually composed to a frightening degree, Melody now seemed visibly flustered.
Her eyes wavered slightly.
* * *
