“…You have to come.”
Fortunately, she seemed to understand. Roman swallowed his laughter and held out his handkerchief. Without shame, she took it and dabbed at her eyes with the corner of the handkerchief.
“Let’s go. Your uncle will worry.”
Ireta nodded and stood up. She ran after Roman who was walking ahead, linked arms, and said.
“You really have to come.”
“I said I got it. Is there anything you want? Like a dress or shoes.”
“Will you buy it for me?”
“As a commemoration of your coming-of-age ceremony.”
“Wow!”
Ireta looked up at Roman with shining eyes.
“Then can I go to L’Lorraine?”
“Of course. Go choose and put it on my account.”
“You’re not going with me?”
“I’m busy, so no.”
“Tsk…”
Ireta pouted her lips but didn’t throw a tantrum asking him to go with her. If she did, there was a strong possibility that her brother, who had a somewhat mischievous side, would cancel what he’d just said.
Shortly after, Ireta said farewell to Lady Selena and boarded the carriage with Roman’s help.
# Chapter 2
It was about three months after Diego joined the guild that he was summoned alone by the Master.
He had just returned from completing a job with a senior guild member and was taking a brief rest when Hubert approached and spoke to him.
“The Master wants to see you for a moment.”
“…Me?”
His voice carried a hint of bewilderment as he asked back. And with good reason—Diego had only just removed the label of probationary guild member a few days ago. He’d thought he might soon be assigned solo requests, but he hadn’t expected to be summoned this quickly.
He descended the stairs and stopped in front of the Master’s office a moment later.
“It’s Diego.”
When he knocked and announced his presence, a voice answered from inside.
“Come in.”
Diego took a light breath and turned the doorknob.
Isabel’s seat was empty. When he turned his gaze to the left, he saw the Master, Roman, sitting on the sofa. Diego bowed his head slightly before walking over.
“I heard you called for me.”
“Good, you’re here. Have a seat, make yourself comfortable.”
On the table sat a dark brown bottle and wine glasses. Diego felt puzzled. He’d been to the Master’s office a few times following his seniors, but this was the first time he’d seen anything other than ledgers or money bags on the table.
“Care for a drink?”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
He had enough sense to know this wasn’t a situation where he should readily accept just because it was offered. The Master didn’t press further and poured wine only into his own glass.
A rich grape aroma wafted up. Diego’s gaze, directed slightly downward, caught sight of the hand leisurely rotating the wine glass by its stem.
The Master, Roman, possessed a peculiar aura. With his rare black hair among dominant traits, combined with delicate yet distinct features, he had a presence that drew people’s attention even when standing still.
The rumors surrounding him were varied. That he’d bought his title with money, that he enjoyed sadistic pleasures, that he slept with Benics as well as Neos of the same trait, and so on.
The most common of these was the rumor that Roman was someone’s lover. Just from what Diego had heard since joining, it was enough to count on more than five fingers—that said it all.
He had no way of knowing the truth, but Diego thought such rumors weren’t particularly strange. There weren’t many people whose faces became so clearly imprinted upon first sight. In fact, Diego himself had been captivated by Roman’s appearance the moment he saw him, and he couldn’t deny that his gaze kept drifting toward him afterward.
The attraction born from appearance gradually transformed into interest in Roman as a person. At some point, he’d begun wanting to know more about him, and he found himself unconsciously listening intently whenever stories related to him came up.
It wasn’t simply because he was a dominant Neo. Roman had a charm that captivated attention through his very existence, beyond his trait. Sitting face to face with such a person at such close proximity made his heart naturally pound.
“How’s the work treating you?”
“Yes. Everyone’s been looking after me well, so I’m learning diligently.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Replying with a smile in his voice, Roman refilled his glass once more. After briefly observing his counterpart, who seemed subtly tense despite trying to hide it, he voiced the purpose of calling him here separately today.
“It’s not about work—I called you because there’s something I want to ask personally.”
“Please, go ahead.”
Lifting his gaze from looking obliquely downward, Diego finally looked Roman in the eye. He took in the languid expression on his counterpart’s face.
“Are you seeing anyone right now?”
…Seeing anyone? Could he mean a lover?
Gauging the intention inwardly, Diego answered carefully.
“If you mean a lover, then no.”
At that moment, he felt a faint sense of anticipation rising, surprisingly enough. It was because he saw Roman’s lips curve upward in a deeper smile.
His head, which had been frozen with tension, finally began to turn, albeit belatedly. The secretary who was always at her post was absent, and the Master himself had said he hadn’t called him for work-related reasons. In such a situation, being asked if he was seeing anyone naturally led to thoughts of “what if.”
But unfortunately, Diego’s prediction was only about half right.
“Then… would you be interested in meeting with me every time we each have our Bloody Cycle?”
It was the same even tone as when he’d asked if the work was treating him well. The leisurely expression also remained unchanged.
In contrast, Diego’s expression hardened terribly. His hands tensing up came next. Breaking the uncomfortable silence, Diego asked back in a low, sunken voice.
“Do you mean to become sex partners?”
“Something like that.”
Cruelly, no words of denial came from his counterpart’s mouth. Rather, lightly swirling his wine glass, he added details Diego didn’t want to know.
“The guy I’d been seeing recently got married not long ago. I don’t have the luxury to date a lover, and going to Lovers’ Lane every time is also bothersome. …So what I’m saying is, if it’s alright with you, I’d like to meet outside twice a month. Of course, this is a personal request unrelated to work, and if you accept, I naturally intend to pay compensation for it.”
It was a moment that made his brief expectation of a serious relationship seem ridiculous. As he stared only at the table with an expression that was surely frozen, Roman’s voice continued again.
“If you don’t want to, you can of course refuse. As I said, this is a private proposal, and refusing won’t result in any disadvantages at work.”
Even in the midst of this, he felt he didn’t have much time to deliberate. Sensing this was his first and last opportunity, Diego opened his mouth with difficulty.
“If…”
If I refuse, will you make the same proposal to someone else?
“What?”
“…Never mind.”
He quietly swallowed the rest. It was a question whose answer was obvious even without asking it aloud.
His protruding Adam’s apple moved slowly. After a moment, looking at Roman with a sunken gaze, Diego parted his lips.
“Alright. I’ll accept your proposal.”
***
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
At the voice that suddenly reached him, Diego emerged from his thoughts. He saw Grace’s face, smiling brightly.
“Have some tea.”
A teacup with ornate patterns was placed on the table. Instead of leaving, Grace sat across from Diego and crossed her legs.
“It’s quiet today, probably because of the rain.”
Diego’s thoughts were the same. The boutique usually had a fair number of customers, but today it had been continuously quiet since three or four people visited early in the morning.
“How’s the tea?”
“Yes. The aroma is very nice.”
At that, a smile appeared on Grace’s face.
“It’s tea made from flower petals that grow only on Atos Island. Since you like it, I should serve it to you often from now on.”
“No, that’s alright.”
To be honest, he didn’t know much about tea, and receiving such treatment during guard duty was itself an unfamiliar thing. But immediately declining also didn’t seem polite, so what he’d said as a courtesy seemed to have been taken seriously by the viscount’s daughter. Soon a brighter smile turned toward him.
“You don’t need to decline. I’m pleased that you said the tea’s aroma is good.”
Just as Diego was about to respond, a familiar bell sound came from the direction of the door. Grace, who had turned her gaze, rose from her seat.
