Ronée couldn’t sleep that night.

Still, Nabel never bothered her.

Although it was visible in Ronée’s eyes that he was holding back his desire, he did not covet Ronée until the end.

As he kissed each of her fingers, he never took his eyes off Ronée.

It was Ronée, whose cheeks were flushed red, that always turned her gaze away.

“Do you not want to see me?”

Having said that, she has no choice but to look back.

As Ronée turned her blushing face, Nabel, with a small smile, kissed her on the cheek.

As if there were traces of his lips, her cheeks grew redder.

“You must be very tired, go to sleep.”

The man that is all grown up now, had her drowning in pleasure all night that dawn arrived so fast.

Ronée narrowed her eyes, and Nabel smiled again.

“The joke was a little naughty.”

It wasn’t even funny. When Ronée’s ears burned bright red, Nabel burst into laughter.

He bit Ronée’s ear slightly.

“Come on, sleep.”

He pulled her duvet up and covered her to her neck. There was a desire for her to sleep warmly, but there were other great feelings as well.

Most of all, he seemed to be unable to stand it himself.

Ronée’s disorganized appearance under his hand was intolerably sensational to him.

‘I want to taste a little bit more.’

There were only two of them in the bedroom. without anyone in the way.

The bedroom was only for the two of them, a place where he wished time would not pass so they could stay like this.

He didn’t want to let go.

Because it was clear that when the sun came up, all kinds of disturbances would intervene.

Still, he was content to place his hand, trembling with his desire, upon Ronée’s chest.

Tick, tock……

He even rubbed her back to help her sleep as if he couldn’t stand a moment without physical contact.

“You were always sensitive to outside sounds.”

Ronée looked back at him.

“Until tomorrow morning, I’ll make sure no one is walking around,” he whispered.

‘So don’t worry about anything and go to sleep.’

Ronée pulled the blanket up a little higher. It was warm.

Her room inside the Rieda mansion was always cold. But this was the exact opposite.

Soft and warm. Above all else, Nabel was warm and gave her a sense of comfort.

During the long night, Ronée reached a strange climax several times, but afterwards, Nabel didn’t go further.

Because he observed her exhaustion.

She was grateful and apologetic because she knew that he was holding back.

‘Still, can’t you and I?’

She hid under the blanket again. Even if she closed her eyes and opened them again, the situation would remain the same.

She had reunited with Nabel.

Although they had been separated for 10 years, their hearts remained the same.

No, it had developed further than that.

She no longer had the desire to reject Nabel.

‘Otherwise, I don’t think I can stand it.’

She wasn’t heartless enough to ignore the mournful voice that was full of pain. More than that, she wanted him as well.

‘It would be nice if I didn’t bother you.’

“Are you thinking about staying here?” Ronée asked gently. Nabel nodded his head.

“If you wish.”

“…It would be bad for your reputation.”

An emperor coming out of a woman’s bedroom. It would be perfect gossip fuel.

Nabel laughed.

“If I told you that it would improve my reputation, would you be surprised?”

Ronée’s eyes widened in surprise, and Nabel covered her eyes with his hand as if he had been waiting.

“You told me to become a saint,” he whispered. The slightly deeper voice made Ronée heat up.

His lips were quivering for the few moments he kissed her neck. Each time he exhaled, she could feel his breath against her skin, and her body temperature increased.

“―I want to get rid of all the rumors about my sister, but you told me to become a saint…” He sighed briefly. “I’ll give you an excuse.”

“…What kind?” Ronée asked. Her long eyelashes fluttered against the palms of his hands.

Eventually Nabel lowered his hand and their eyes met.

“The first Emperor Iver was protected by a Shinsu.”

Nabel kissed her cheek once more.

“So was my father.”

If it was his father, he must have been referring to the emperor before the fall of the Iver family. Ronée recalled a story she had heard during the day.

Then, perhaps, the owner of the Shinsu that protected Nabel’s father was the archmage, Pell.

“…Archmage Pell?”

Nabel nodded at her words.

“I believe you have heard the story,” he said while narrowing his eyes slightly.

“If I marry the master of a Shinsu, no one will question where my sister is from.”

If she was the owner of a Shinsu, it wouldn’t matter whether she was from the Eastern Continent, a noble, or a commoner. Because the owner of the Shinsu has great power.

Nabel knew the reason she couldn’t use her powers was due to her poor health. He realized this after hearing the results of her examination from Domello.

The Rieda mansion…

Thinking of the faces of Count Rieda and his wife, he fisted his hand and opened it.

“If I make such excuses, I can become a saint.” Nabel leaned against her.

“But I like other excuses than that.” Ronée pulled the blanket a little.

‘She’s so lovely.’

Nabel couldn’t resist the urge and kissed her once more.

“Can I tell you what I want?”

“Tell me.”

They were having pillow talk. Like a wife whispering her desires to her husband, but it was the opposite between the two.

It was Nabel who was anxious as he whispered softly to Ronée. A sweet voice flowed between the two of them during the tender moment.

“I don’t like ‘Rieda’.”

‘I don’t like that it follows your first name.’

Ronée paused at his words. Because it was like he was denying a part of her.

“I’m not referring to you, but the name ‘Rieda’, I hate that you have to use the same name as Count Rieda.”

Before any misunderstandings occurred, he read her mind. He didn’t need to touch her to know how much she hated the name.

“It’s a name you don’t want to use. Yes?”

“…….”

During the day, he remembered the moment she hesitated to tell Dia her last name.

Ronée shook her head slowly and Nabel’s hand slid around her neck and moved up to gently lift her chin.

“So, what about another name?” Nabel asked while smiling softly. “Maybe something like ‘Iver’, for example.”

It was his name.

Ronée gazed at him as he touched their heads together.

“I’ll give you a nice name, instead,” he said while nibbling on her ear.

“Give yourself to me, sister,” he whispered in a low voice.

His voice sounded a bit childish, so Ronée finally burst into laughter.

“Okay, of course.” Ronée turned to him. They were so close that their breaths entwined.

“As the master of Shinsu, I will take your name.”

Her mind was resolved, and it was the choice she made.

* * * * * * *

Eventually, Nabel did not leave her room until dawn. The moment he stepped out, the rumors were unavoidable.

However, Nabel didn’t seem to care.

Instead, he cared about something else.

“―The masters of Shinsu in the Western Continent were individuals who defended the country.”

“Do you hate that I am being recognized as the master of Shinsu?”

Ronée gazed up at him. Suddenly, rays of sunlight peeked through the curtains, which gave a glow to his shiny blonde hair. She reached out and delicately ran her hands through his silky strands.

She watched his facial expression as he continued to bring up the negative points of being a Shinsu master.

“I don’t hate it. It’ll just be tough for you.”

Nabel didn’t want her to suffer anymore. That had been his only desire for the past 10 years. He didn’t want her to live a harder life.

‘I wanted to give her the perfect place.’

‘Where she never had to do any work.’

“You could end up fighting a war or hurting people.” he said with a small frown. “So, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to take on the role of the master of Shinsu.”

He finally spoke the words he wanted to say.

“I have no need for those who oppose it. I can just love you.”

‘I will love you more deeply, and for that I can suffer more.’

He seemed to be whining a little as he relaxed in Ronée’s arms.

Ronée watched as Nabel’s face reflected in the sunlight. His expression was familiar to his expressions from their childhood days. He narrowed his eyes as he looked down at Ronée.

“Why? Do you feel awkward?”

‘Are you still unfamiliar with me? Is it because I’m all grown up?’ Nabel laughed.

Finally, Ronée nodded her head.

“A little.”

“I don’t.”

‘I feel no such thing.’ Nabel leaned into her embrace again.

“I have been waiting for 10 years now. I want to give my everything to you. Just as you gave me a part of your haven.”

‘I just wanted you to enjoy living here without doing anything or suffering. But it seems like you don’t want that.’

‘You’re a strange person.’

People don’t try to live at a loss. Everyone he touched was like that.

‘But why are you so weird?’

“To be recognized as the master of Shinsu, you must pass the test of the tower.’

Even after stating that it would be dangerous, she did not back down.

‘You’re weird.’

‘Weird, and strangely lovely.’

“You don’t have to do anything.”

‘Instead, just don’t get hurt.’

The thought of never wanting to part with her again dominated his mind.

“Then you’ll end up marrying someone whose identity is unclear without any backing.”

He might soon be known as a tyrant who fell for a foreign woman. Nabel shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s not a bad thing.”

‘Did you think I’ll simply just leave you alone?’ His eyes twinkled dangerously again.

“…There could be someone more suitable and beneficial to stand at your side.”

‘Someone to give strength to your imperial power.’ Ronée didn’t want to change Nabel’s mind.

But even so, realistic words could not be helped. She had to say it.

The people of the Western Empire were all counting on him. Many responsibilities rested on his shoulders. He would sometimes have to make unwanted choices.

Then one day, he might bring in a new woman to strengthen his position.

“… …”

Ronée had no idea that she would have such a strong desire to monopolize Nabel. The thought made her feel unpleasant.

‘I don’t want to lose my happiness.’

Like the sweet candy that was briefly given and then disappeared 10 years ago, she hoped that the reunion with Nabel would not end in the same way.

‘Is it because I didn’t have much happiness in my life? But now that I have it in my hands, I don’t want to let it go.’

Maybe that’s why she was reluctant to accept his heart.

“Do you want to have someone else other than me by your side?”

His gaze, which had sunk into darkness, fell upon her.