A soft touch brushed against my neck. Captain Jullius pressed his lips upon my nape. When someoneās handsā, no, even if it were their lips that touched my vital point, where even a mild attack could result in fatal injury, it instantly sent chills down my spine. But heās not my enemy.\n\nI instinctively wanted to avoid it and while I tried hard to suppress the urge and decided to calmly entrust my body to him, he slowly parted the lips that touched my skin. And then he bit me very lightly. It didnāt hurt at all; it only felt a bit ticklish. Nevertheless, every time he touched my skin, it aroused me and my whole body were tingled and grew tense. At the same time, somewhere around my heart felt a bit ticklish. Ugh, something feels weird. I wanted to quickly push away this man, who was gnawing on my neck, but I also wanted to embrace him.\n\nLike that, the short time that seemed to pass by endlessly finally drew to a close, and the Captain used his tongue to lick the part where he had bitten down once before letting go of me. He withdrew the arms that had been embracing me, but I remained on Captain Julliusās lap and looked up at him. As my eyes were fixated on him, he furtively averted his pale grey eyes, which were filled with embarrassement, by looking sideways.\n\nāI also⦠wanted to try doing it once. Clauen said, unlike the beasts, when it comes to humans, biting each otherās neck isnāt an attack for hunting, but itās like showing your affection for someone.ā\n\nāClauen did?ā\n\nāMhm. I asked him about the bruise on my neck, and he answered me by explaining like that.ā\n\nSo youāre saying that biting someone elseās neck is an expression of affection? Thatās unusual.\n\nāIs it really true that itās something humans do? Not demons?ā\n\nāHe said it was human.ā\n\nIāve never seen someone biting anotherās neck, but I doubt it. Iāll have to ask Sieg or Ortzen. But first things first, since he said itās an expression of affection, I also bit Captainās neck right away. I refreshed the fading traces on his nape, then raised myself upright on his lap.\n\nāThings like showing affection are naturally something you do when youāre engaged, so if you have anything else you want other than this, feel free to tell me.ā\n\nāOkay.ā\n\nāThen, letās go back to Ortzen now.ā\n\nIām going to ask whether biting anotherās neck is really an expression of affection, and⦠I should also question him closely about that painting book which I had forgotten for a while. I think I need to know what happened in the latter part so that I can continue having a more proper relationship.\n\n\n\nāIs it true that biting someone elseās neck is an expression of affection?ā\n\nI burst into Ortzenās office and asked him. Ortzen, who was standing next to the desk and organizing the documents, looked at me and Captain, to be precise, he looked at our napes in turn, then replied.\n\nāIt is, but please donāt do it in front of other people.ā\n\nāSo you canāt do it when there are other people?ā\n\nāYes. Normally you donāt.ā\n\nThatās why Iāve never seen it until now. Anyway, I guess itās true that itās an expression of affection. Why do people show their affection by biting the neck? Does it mean that you like the other person enough to allow them to injure your crucial vital point with their teeth? Someone to whom you can entrust your life: if you think of it that way, itās certainly like an expression of affection.\n\nAfter Captain Jullius sat on the sofa first and I sat on his lap, Ortzen narrowed his eyes into a slit and looked at us.\n\nāDonāt sit like that in front of other people too.ā\n\nāOkay.ā\n\nāIām also āother peopleā.ā\n\nāYou fall into the category of people who pay attention to whether you wouldnāt be in danger for exaggerating useless talk or taking advantage of anotherās weakness.ā\n
That kind of reason was what made him hardly noticeable in other peopleās eyes. What Iām trying to say is you donāt have to be overly cautious with someone who is tight-lipped and trustworthy. At my words, adjutant Ortzen had a bitter look.\n\nāIāve been thinking about this for some time, but Lord Siegfredās education of you seems to be a bit off.ā\n\nIs that so? Actually, there is indeed a problem with the way he told me itās okay if I get myself into a trouble as long as I donāt get caught, and that heāll just cover it up.\n\nāEven if thatās the case, adjutant Ortzen told me where the painting books were being sold but then you completely tattled on me like that to Sieg. I think you have no right to judge other peopleās teaching method or whether their education is wrong.ā\n\nSeriously, this tattletale⦠I raised my eyes and glared at him, but Ortzen replied indifferently.\n\nāIāve got a good chance to earn brownie points so itās such a waste if I donāt use it. Itās rare to see Lord Siegfred owe someone a small favor after all.ā\n\nāBut you made me go there in the first place. I donāt care about favor or whatever!ā\n\nāThat was because you didnāt tell me. If you had told me, I would have kept it a secret until the end. Our side is too disadvantageous compared to Sir Roel, so even small favors like this need to be gained to make things easier for Captain.ā\n\nUgh, if he comes at me like that, I canāt argue anymore. Then, Captain Jullius, who had been listening in silence, opened his mouth.\n\nāDonāt threaten Roel by using me as an excuse.ā\n\nāThreatening her? Iām just asking for her cooperation.ā\n\nāYou said that we need to cooperate to know what action we should take, but didnāt you just inform her about this?ā\n\n⦠Whatās wrong with the Captain? Like this, he has voiced out all my complaints. Come to think of it, I also covered for him in front of the Imperial Princess Aranea before. At his superiorās stubborn words, Ortzen took a step back.\n\nāIāll be careful in the future.ā\n\nOh, he won.\n\nāAh, and I thought about this on my way here.ā\n\nI turned my head and looked up at Captain Jullius then continued.\n\nāI think it would be better if we just get married quickly. What do you say Captain? Do you want to marry me quickly?ā\n\nāOf course, I would like that very much.ā\n\nCaptain Jullius nodded. Anyway, even if we both fall in love with someone else, weāre not going to date them, so thereās no more reason to delay it, right? Therefore, before we get tangled up in any cumbersome matters, we had better get this done. If we have become a married couple, no matter how much they want to approach us, they wonāt do it.\n\nI shifted my gaze to Ortzen again.\n\nāYou hear that? Please prepare it as quickly as possible.ā\n\nā⦠Thatās a bit difficult.ā\n\nOrtzen let out a short sigh then said.\n\nāBecause His Excellency the Prime Minister wonāt give his consent easily. As you already know, itās impossible for a noble lady to get married without the consent of her guardian. Of course, itās not like thereās no shortcut, but itāll be just as difficult as dealing with him.ā\n\n⦠I completely forgot. When I made Prime Minister Mord my godfather, I told him that my engagement with Captain Jullius was a camouflage.\n\nā⦠But Sieg told me that if I stop eating and drinking and cry my eyes out, he (Prime Minister) will permit it.ā