Chapter 22
With Milrun’s sudden appearance, not only As but even Harnen lost his smile and stared at Milrun with a cold expression.
But Milrun remained completely unbothered by their gazes, as if he couldn’t feel them at all.
‘Is he really this clueless, or is he just pretending?’
We had clearly settled things at the last festival, but for him to show up again like nothing happened—he had to be pretty thick-skinned.
“It hasn’t been that long, has it?”
I replied sharply, intending to cut off any conversation, but Milrun responded as if nothing was wrong.
“But it feels like a long time since I’ve seen you, Ainra.”
After finishing his sentence, Milrun turned his gaze to As, who was standing next to me.
“As, hey. You saw me at the Acacia Festival, right?”
“……”
As looked at him with a frosty glare and turned away, as if he didn’t even want to acknowledge him.
Trying to be generous, I said with a forced smile to cover for him.
“As is just a little shy around strangers.”
“True,” Harnen nodded beside me.
As’s cold eyes now turned toward Harnen.
“Haha, I see,” Milrun laughed awkwardly, trying to play it off. Then he looked toward Harnen.
“Hmm, I don’t think we’ve met before… and you are?”
“That’s what I should be asking,” Harnen said with a frosty grin, tilting his head slightly.
“And who are you to act so familiar with our Ainra?”
“O-Our Ainra?!”
Milrun’s face turned pale instantly.
With a smug look, Harnen slung an arm over my shoulder and pulled me close.
“Yes, our Ainra. I’m her closest friend. So I’d like to know—who exactly are you to act so friendly with her?”
Before he could finish his sentence, As casually stepped in between me and Harnen, wedging himself between us.
Naturally, I ended up moving away from Harnen, who shot As a glare before turning his eyes back to Milrun.
The word “friend” seemed to shake Milrun as he lifted his chin and shouted.
“Friend? Don’t be ridiculous! You think I don’t know? You’re pretending to be a friend just to make a move on Ainra! How dare you touch my fiancée—!”
“…Fiancée?”
I didn’t even get the chance to snap at that absurd word that completely ignored my own wishes.
Because two chilling voices interrupted Milrun’s declaration.
I flinched from the terrifying killing intent, which subsided only slightly a moment later.
Even the last trace of mockery vanished from Harnen’s face as he strode up to Milrun.
“W-What the—?”
Startled by Harnen’s towering frame suddenly up close, Milrun instinctively took a step back.
Harnen grabbed his collar and yanked him forward, his voice ice-cold and devoid of any amusement.
“Who the hell gave you permission to call her your fiancée?”
“Guh—Kuh!”
“With me here, you really think a lowlife like you even stands a chance?”
Harnen’s voice oozed menace.
“S-Stop…!”
Milrun’s face turned bright red as he desperately grabbed Harnen’s arm—but it was pointless.
It wasn’t Harnen’s hand that was choking him.
‘It must be Harnen’s spell.’
That was what I thought.
The idea that it could be aura never even crossed my mind.
After glancing briefly at As, Harnen finally released his grip, letting go of Milrun’s collar as if tossing away trash.
“Cough! Cough—! Cough!!”
Milrun dropped to the floor, gasping and coughing violently.
Harnen, calmly watching him struggle, walked over and squatted beside him.
With a bright smile suddenly on his face, he reached out.
“Hey.”
He lightly tapped Milrun’s cheek and whispered sweetly.
“Know your place, okay? Got it?”
With a final cheerful smile, Harnen clapped his hands together and stood up.
I, slightly dazed from witnessing my favorite person’s unexpectedly twisted personality, turned to the stunned Milrun.
“As I said before, let me say it again clearly.”
I sighed and continued.
“I have no intention of marrying you.”
“……”
“Please understand that declaring me your fiancée without my consent is extremely inappropriate and embarrassing.”
“……”
“I hope we won’t have another unpleasant encounter like this ever again.”
Milrun just sat there blankly, staring at the ground.
Well, given that he was a pampered son of a wealthy commoner, I supposed this kind of shock would be too much for him.
Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I turned to As and Harnen.
“Let’s go.”
The rest of the day passed without incident.
That evening, after confirming that Ainra had fallen asleep, Akes quietly left the room and headed downstairs.
On the first floor, Harnen was waiting for him with a soundproofing spell cast.
“Start talking, Grand Duke.”
Arms crossed, Harnen leaned back on the sofa, eyeing Akes coldly.
“What’s with that look? You were the guest of honor at the imperial banquet, and now you’re here looking like a little kid?”
“Grand Duke Baharman pulled something during the banquet.”
Akes answered calmly as he sat across from Harnen.
Harnen let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead in disbelief.
“…How much did you even drink, seriously? You can’t even hold your liquor.”
Akes stayed silent.
Not expecting a response, Harnen looked back up at him and said,
“Fine, what’s done is done. But you need to go back to the capital immediately.”
“No.”
“I really don’t get you. Not long ago, you were avoiding Ainra so much that you ran off to the battlefield. And now you want to hang around here?”
Harnen mocked, twisting his lips.
Akes’s red eyes glared at him with a warning.
“No matter who you were in your past life—Emperor of Belzesty or not—you’re nothing more than a commoner now.”
“……”
“Watch your mouth.”
The atmosphere turned icy.
‘Damn this caste system,’ Harnen cursed inwardly, but Akes graciously acted like he didn’t hear it.
“Yesterday morning, Baharman sent assassins.”
“…What?”
“They knew I was here. They targeted me specifically—and they knew Ainra was a spirit summoner.”
Akes’s red eyes pierced through Harnen, as if trying to read him.
Feeling that scrutinizing gaze, Harnen shrugged.
“My spell tools are encrypted. Even Professor Atlanta would need to stay up for a month to crack it.”
In other words, the enchanted item Harnen had made—Lemone’s Wave—wasn’t the reason Akes’s location had been exposed.
After a brief pause, Akes spoke.
“…The name was Dante.”
“What?”
“The mage who cursed me—his name was Dante. I don’t know how Baharman learned my location, but if I want to break this curse, I need Dante’s cooperation.”
Only the caster could completely undo a spell of that caliber.
Akes added, sounding almost bored.
Harnen furrowed his brow.
“So? Why are you telling me this now?”
“Cancel your vacation. Go back to the capital tomorrow and investigate Dante.”
“…Are you joking, Grand Duke? You’re throwing away my hard-earned vacation?”
“I’ll give you double next time. But this is urgent, isn’t it?”
Akes said with a smirk.
Harnen clenched his teeth.
“Urgent? And yet you’re lounging around here like it’s a vacation?”
“Well, I am next to the spirit king’s contractor. It’s probably the safest place in the world.”
“You sure this isn’t about satisfying some personal desire with innocent Ainra?”
“Would I dare, with the Spirit King watching?”
Akes replied calmly.
“Damn it!” Harnen shouted, slumping back against the sofa. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before speaking again.
“You spent five years avoiding Ainra like the plague. What’s changed?”
“……”
Akes gave no answer.
Harnen smirked faintly.
“Well? Tell me. Why now? Did you think she’d look at you differently because you came back as a war hero?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Because Ainra said… she wouldn’t hate me anymore.”
