“Yes. So you were sick and slept.”

“Mm.”

“I see, I see. Our Lily hasn’t been looking well lately, so of course you could get sick. Well… whether you were with Commander Lucen, or your face suddenly has a healthy glow, or your hair looks so very pretty, those are all such minor things that I won’t ask about them.”

Lucy poked my side teasingly.

When we left the lounge, I worried that I had been away from my post for too long, but Endymion said, “I will tell them you were resting because you weren’t feeling well,” and before I could react, he took me straight to Lucy and explained the situation.

My task was to check returned books for damage and ensure they were organized by section and list, so even if I had been gone for two hours, it didn’t significantly affect my work. Lucy said it was fine, but her expression looked like she had caught something big, making me sigh.

“I thought you didn’t like Commander Lucen, but you two seem quite close lately?”

“…We’re not close.”

“Not close, my foot. He always looked at you like honey was dripping, but today he’s completely a man in love. Who wouldn’t notice?”

She was referring to Endymion, who had said he would wait outside until I finished despite my telling him to go ahead. I couldn’t hide my gloom and frowned.

“Do you really have no feelings for him? From what I can tell, Commander Lucen is serious about you. Others say he’s looking after you because you have black hair, but I think he just likes you, and that’s why it became his preference.”

“That…”

I had vaguely suspected as much. When I trailed off, Lucy continued confidently.

“You’re weak to those who are weak, but also weak to those who are strong. You can’t refuse a request or say you don’t like something.”

“I’m not that much of a pushover.”

“You are that much of a pushover. What I’m worried about is that you’re so weak to being pushed that if the Commander seriously seduces you, you won’t be able to say no and will end up completely devoured.”

I had nothing to say when she pointed out my indecisive nature, but still, Endymion wasn’t that kind of person. Even if he sometimes acted unreasonably.

“If you have feelings for Commander Lucen, then marry him quickly. He would never treat you badly. I’m very sharp when it comes to reading people. But if you don’t feel that way and he tries to do something bad to you, don’t think twice and just kick him in the vital spot.”

“But the Commander is a noble.”

“His Majesty the Emperor doesn’t like people pulling rank, so it shouldn’t be a problem. And Commander Lucen isn’t that kind of man anyway.”

Something about Lucy’s words felt inconsistent, but her earnest advice made me smile despite myself. Lucy frowned and said, “Be careful, and then be even more careful!” In truth, it was me as a succubus who treated the commanders recklessly, and it was the commanders themselves I needed to be careful of, but I couldn’t say that.

“Miss Lily.”

After finishing my work and reporting in, I stepped outside to find Endymion waiting and holding out his hand. I stared at it, wondering if he truly thought I was a patient, and shook my head.

“It’s fine. I’m not actually sick.”

“…Ah, I see.”

He withdrew his hand with an awkward smile. Tilting my head, I suddenly felt the weight of people’s gazes and frowned as I walked down the stairs. We avoided the main road with streetlamps, and in the quiet, Endymion spoke.

“Miss Lily… have you always been a succubus?”

“What?”

“As I said earlier, your personality is so different.”

“Well, there’s a bit of a story there…”

Caught off guard by the question, I hesitated. I didn’t know how much I could trust Endymion with the full truth. I knew he liked me, but with no idea why, I couldn’t confide in him based solely on one-sided feelings.

Perhaps realizing I didn’t want to answer, he didn’t press further. I sighed at the uncomfortable, awkward air between us, only for him to suddenly blow warm air into my ear.

“Ah!”

Startled by the hot breath, my face flushed red. He was smiling as if he found it amusing.

“That’s… that’s sexual harassment!”

“Then does that mean what you did to me at night was sexual harassment too, Miss Lily?”

“That…!”

I couldn’t refute his calm retort, because I knew what I had done was far worse.

Endymion walked ahead with a playful smile. My face still burning, I quietly followed. At some point, the distance between us had grown shorter.

“I am always on your side.”

“……”

“If you ever feel like talking, please tell me. I will surely be of help to you.”

He spoke while looking straight ahead. Once again, it felt as if he had read my thoughts. I was rubbing my cheek with the back of my hand and lowering my head when I caught sight of black shoes at the edge of my vision. Endymion suddenly stopped walking, and I looked up.

Standing beside me, Endymion muttered in an awkward voice, “Ares.”

Right in front of us stood Ares, hair disheveled, looking as if he might cry. His lips were so chapped and bitten that they were bright red and even bleeding.

“Eddy, what do I do? What should I do? I keep thinking about it. I keep thinking about it and I can’t bear it… There’s nowhere… Hic.”

His trembling voice broke, and Ares finally burst into tears. Endymion sighed, and I stepped back in surprise. With this one, my appearance wouldn’t give me away, but what Endymion had said about my scent made me tense instinctively.

Then Ares, rubbing his eyes with his palm, looked straight at me and twisted his face. I almost ran without realizing it.

“Hic, hic, lo-looking for someone with black hair, who looks like… hic… but I couldn’t find her…!”

“…Ah. I-I see.”

“Where, where… hic, where is she… huuhhh!”

It seemed he didn’t recognize me. Even standing right here in front of him, he didn’t notice, which was a relief, but it also struck me as strange that Endymion had realized instantly. Still, I couldn’t understand why not finding me would make him cry so sadly. Ares was weak to lust, but he had never welcomed me that much.

I looked at him sourly as he clung to Endymion and poured out his woes.

“…Ares. You, I mean…”

Endymion looked between Ares and me with a baffled expression, then sighed.

“Is it that she hates me so much she can’t even see me? Hm?”

“No, that’s not it, you—”

“Huuhhh! Eddy! I really want to see her! I could recognize her right away!”

“No…”

I really didn’t want to know why Ares was so desperate to find me. Endymion gazed down at the weeping Ares with a face full of words left unsaid. I mouthed silently to Endymion, ‘I’ll go on ahead.’

Endymion looked at me with regret, but with Ares clinging to him and wailing whenever he tried to move, it didn’t seem like he could get away.

Even after I had gone some distance, my sensitive ears picked up their voices.

“Eddy! Huuhhh!”

“What, did you pick up your nose from somewhere and stick it on?”

“Hic, no. Hic, what are you talking about… huuhhh!”

“Or is it just decoration? Do you not have a nose or eyes?”

“Why… why are you saying this. Hm? Hic…”

“I’m just thinking maybe it’s time to get rid of such useless things. Ah, please go away.”

It was the first time I had ever heard Endymion speak so sharply. I recalled Regulus saying once that they all had bad personalities but pretended otherwise.

I returned quickly to the palace where the maids lived, but before going to my room, I stopped by the dining room and grabbed a handful of dried fruit. Popping a piece of cut apple into my mouth, I headed to my room, but a loud noise came from the next room and Maria ran out.

“Lily, hello! You’ve got a letter!”

“Mm. Thanks, Maria. You could have given it to me later.”

“It looks like it’s from home, but you’ve been waiting for it.”

At her words, I quickly checked the front of the thick letter she held out. It was indeed from my mother. I popped a small piece of fruit into Maria’s mouth and smiled.

“Thanks for bringing it. Are you going out?”

“Yes! The night market starts today. I’m going to look around with Lisa. It would be nice if you could come too, Lily.”

Maria, clearly dressed up, twirled her skirt once and spoke in a regretful tone.

In Ciel, a large night market was held every even-numbered month. It was an event hosted by the imperial family to revitalize the capital, whose atmosphere had sunk due to years of war.

With its large scale, abundant sights, and heightened security, it was practically a festival, but I had never been. Even though I would be fine for several days after absorbing energy, I avoided going out at night because I never knew what might happen. Especially at a time like this, it was even more out of the question.