Taking a deep breath, Leo slowly withdrew his hand, feeling there might still be a chance to salvage the situation.
But how?
Claim it was drunken nonsense? No—such a flimsy lie might fool a child, but it would never deceive Lady Furina.
As he pondered, Leo's gaze drifted back to the Archon, still fast asleep beside him.
His eyes lingered, almost entranced.
Her features were immaculate; her loose hair framed a face of perfect elegance.
Shaking his head, Leo carefully rose from the bed, tiptoed to the desk, and picked up the camera lying there.
He found a good angle and took several beautiful photos in quick succession. As for why he took them? Definitely just to keep as mementos.
He pulled out the developed photos, looking them over one by one. They'd turned out wonderfully.
But comparing the images to the real person lying beside him… Leo still preferred the real Furina.
Wait—how was he going to explain this to her when she woke up?
Better yet—how was he going to explain to himself what the Hydro Archon was doing in his room?
His mind felt like thick paste, thoughts stuck together, impossible to untangle.
Should he run? That would be cowardly—the act of an animal, not a man.
Out of options and flustered, Leo hurried into the bathroom to answer nature's call.
After all, he'd drunk so much last night and only gone once. Now, his bladder was at its limit.
After freshening up, he splashed cold water on his face to clear his head.
What to do… What to do…?
After a moment's thought, he accepted that he'd have to face this sooner or later.
Anyway, all he did was kiss her, hold her, and sleep beside her. It wasn't like he did anything completely beyond the pale.
…Although kissing, holding, and sharing a bed were already pretty extreme.
If his master found out about this, she'd probably be at the Palais Mermonia the next day with a marriage proposal.
As he opened the bathroom door, Leo froze.
Furina was just about to push the door open and make her escape—and they collided right in the doorway.
Time seemed to freeze. In the silence, they could hear each other's heartbeats, each other's breathing.
Why was Furina here?
——Let's rewind three minutes.
Furina had just awoken.
It was the first time in five hundred years she'd slept so soundly, so warmly—without a single nightmare.
But when she realized she was still in Leo's bed, and heard him moving about in the bathroom, she decided to seize the chance to slip back to her own room and pretend nothing had happened.
It was both their faults, and she wasn't unreasonable.
After all, nothing truly irreversible had occurred. Right?
But as she got up, she noticed her slippers were tucked far under the bed. She had to bend over to reach them.
That slight delay cost her—she'd run straight into Leo on his way out.
"Ah… Good morning, little Leo," she managed, blinking rapidly.
Leo swallowed hard. "G–Good morning, Lady Furina. Are you… hungry?"
"Not hungry! Not at all!"
With that, Furina bolted out the door, desperate to flee the scene.
But the moment she rushed out, she smacked right into what felt like a solid wall and nearly tumbled over.
Dazed, she lifted her head—and met the eyes of the very last person she wanted to see.
Neuvillette.
Seeing Furina stumble out of Leo's room in rumpled pajamas, hair disheveled and face flushed, the Iudex was momentarily taken aback.
"Good morning, Lady Furina," he said, calm as ever.
"Goo—" Furina's reply caught in her throat.
Just then, Leo emerged from the bathroom and met Neuvillette's gentle—knowing—gaze.
"Good morning, Monsieur Neuvillette," said Leo, still unaware.
"Good morning, Leo. You appear to be in… good health," Neuvillette replied with a faint smile before turning to leave.
Good health? What did he mean by—
Oh.
Leo looked down. He was only wearing his underwear.
"Pfft— Aha! Hahaha!" Furina let out a short, almost hysterical laugh, then spun around and dashed back into her own room.
Once inside, she rushed straight to her bedroom, slammed the door, and threw herself facedown onto the bed.
So embarrassing! I've lost all dignity!
What was that look in Neuvillette's eyes?! Why did he seem so… understanding?!
Meanwhile, next door, Leo hurriedly pulled on some clothes and hesitated for a full minute outside Furina's door—unsure whether he should go in and make breakfast as usual.
It was only a few steps, but his mind raced the whole way.
Finally, he raised his hand and knocked. "Lady Furina," he began, clearing his throat. "Breakfast is…"
Breakfast? At the mention of food, Furina's stomach grumbled in protest.
She couldn't let him in! How embarrassing would that be!
But… if she didn't, she'd starve.
Between shame and hunger, Furina chose the former. Better embarrassed than famished.
She could just stay in her room, wait for him to prepare the meal, let him leave, and then eat in peace.
Perfect!
Furina felt a flash of pride at her own cleverness. So smart! Yes, yes—just like that.
"Ahem… You may enter!"
Hearing her response, Leo carefully pushed the door open, slipped into the kitchen, and quietly closed the door behind him.
Furina was embarrassed—but so was Leo. He was only twenty, and in all those years, he'd never been this… close to a woman.
Let alone held one through the night, kissed her, slept wrapped around her…
As he cooked, his mind replayed all his outrageous behavior from the night before.
Touching her waist, stroking her stomach, squeezing, kneading, patting her bottom, kissing…
Archons above… He'd done everything short of the one thing that actually makes babies!
Lord Barbatos… forgive this sinner!
After offering a silent, slightly blasphemous prayer, Leo focused back on cooking.
It was the usual spread: milk, beef, and salad—but today, he put more care into it than ever before.
Once the food was laid out, he wasn't sure what to do next.
Normally, he'd wait for Lady Furina to finish, and then they'd go together to the Opera Epiclese to oversee the day's trials.
But today… today was anything but normal.
"Leo," came Furina's voice from the other room, slightly rushed, "Neuvillette said he wanted to speak with you about something. You should go ahead."
"After breakfast, I'll head to the Opera Epiclese alone. You can meet me there later."
She'd spoken so quickly Leo barely caught it all.
But if Monsieur Neuvillette wanted to see him, he wouldn't delay—maybe he could even get his meal expenses reimbursed. And his salary! Six months' worth!
Hah!
Once she heard Leo leave, Furina cautiously opened her door and stepped into the living area.
Her eyes fell on the breakfast waiting on the table. She walked over, sat down, and picked up the glass of milk, taking a small sip.
Sweet. Fragrant. Delicious.
It was the same milk, prepared by the same person… so why did it taste better today?
Images of Leo kept surfacing in her mind. Furina knew—she couldn't imagine life without him now.
And it seemed… he couldn't leave her either.
Heh.
The thought made her feel warm and giddy.
But then she remembered the prophecy.
Her heart turned cold, and all her joy shattered.