I was watching her.

Watching as she tries to dodge my question about the bottle in her hand.

“….”

She won’t meet my gaze, too busy glancing nervously around. Her emerald-green eyes dart about, shimmering with unease.

"Wouldn’t it be better to put that down on the table instead of holding it?”

“I-I’m not sure what you’re talking about. There’s nothing in my hand, see?”

She quickly hides the bottle behind her back, as if she’s afraid I’ll take it from her.

Her flustered reaction, so unlike her usual steely demeanor with a sword, almost makes me chuckle. She’s so endearing it’s hard not to smile.

But endearing or not, that doesn’t mean I’m going to let her get away with drinking and calling it ‘not being able to sleep.’

Pretending not to hear her excuses, I reply, “It’s odd to drink because you can’t sleep when you’re not fully recovered yet.”

With my voice lowered, I keep pressing her, determined to get that bottle out of her hand. All the while, I reflect on how today, which started so normally, ended up here.

When she woke up peacefully from her nap, I had no reason to suspect it would be anything but a calm day.

I’d brought her some light refreshments on a tray, sat beside her while she ate, and watched her complexion regain some color. 

For a while, I was sure that tonight would be different from the chaos of the last two days—the first day when she held a knife to my face the moment I stepped into her room, and the second when we barely survived a demon and an assassin attack before breakfast.

Compared to those hectic days, today—well, it seemed like a day when I could just watch her sleeping peacefully.

But… what on earth is this?

It should’ve been as simple as ending the day by quietly lying down in bed.

Who in their right mind taught the future Duchess of the Northern Empire that downing strong liquor is a cure for sleepless nights?!

Honestly, it’s not like it’s entirely wrong. But why not teach her something less reckless?

Sigh… how did it even come to this?

No matter how much I rack my brain, I never would have expected her to appear in my room with a bottle of liquor again, like two days ago.

But simply being surprised isn’t going to solve anything.

“Could you… hand me that glass? I may enjoy a drink, but I’d rather not drink from the bottle…”

Looking at Aslin, who clearly doesn’t intend to give in to my demand, I hold her gaze and say calmly,

“Aslin.”

“W-what is it?”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said.”

“A-and…?”

“So… who taught you that drinking helps when you can’t sleep?”

Who, exactly, advised a noble lady like her to deal with insomnia by reaching for a bottle?

Honestly, I can’t think of many people close enough to teach her something like that. Still, instead of jumping to conclusions, I decided to wait for her to answer.

However, despite my question, Aslin’s lips barely move.

Instead, she just gives me a look, as if questioning whether she really needs to tell me who taught her that.

Sure, alcohol might make you drowsy after a while. But it could also mess up your liver—and I know that all too well. I’ve seen more than a few who’ve downed drinks until they ended up sleeping… permanently. 

Guys from the back alleys who wasted their lives on booze, women, and gambling, drifting far beyond any point of return.

I’ve tried to talk sense into them before, but those who didn’t listen to my “loving” fists and feet often ended up leaving this world.

Anyway, now’s not the time to reminisce.

A future Duchess, someone raised in a refined household, should not be saying things like— "Why are you asking? Isn’t that common sense?”

Well, I suppose I should figure out who taught her to talk about alcohol with such confidence…

Who could it be? Someone who grew up outside of an orphanage and wandered around the back alleys of the Central Empire…

    

Unlike me, who was dragged around by my father, learning swordsmanship and noble etiquette as quickly as possible, Aslin was raised in an ideal environment, a worthy successor to a Duke. So hearing these words come out of her mouth was genuinely shocking.

I had to find out who had influenced her to adopt such values.

Of course, cornering her like a criminal wouldn’t help.

“I’m simply curious about who introduced you to this… perspective,” I said, keeping my tone as respectful as possible while still inquiring about this “influence.”

Aslin’s emerald eyes wandered momentarily before settling in one place. With a deep breath, she readied herself to speak.

“It was… Her Highn— I mean, Her Majesty,” she confessed at last.

“The Empress taught you… such enlightening wisdom,” I said, chuckling dryly.

“…”

I forgot all about my interrogation and ended my pursuit of the culprit by praising Her Majesty.

Knowing the culprit’s identity, I had no choice but to let it go. After all, it was the Empress—there was nothing else I could do.

Seeing my demeanor change so quickly, Aslin’s expression relaxed slightly. She seemed relieved that I wouldn’t press her further.

“Right?” She shrugged with renewed confidence.

As much as her casual attitude irked me, I couldn’t let it get to me. It’s not like I was dealing with some nobody; this was the Empress herself.

If it had been her father, the current Duke of Caladbolg, I might have expressed some annoyance, but even that would have been tempered.

But the Empress? Even I have my limits.

Making any slanderous remark about Her Majesty could very well lead not only to my own demise but the obliteration of the House of Sword. 

I had to be careful; my life wasn’t the only one at stake. If, in a moment of impulse, I lost control and found myself executed for treason, the legacy of our martial skills and land would go up in flames. 

That would be an unforgivable betrayal to the memory of my late brother, who trusted me to carry on his wishes.

So, with the Empress’ fearsome reputation in mind, I erased all thoughts of reprimanding Aslin.

It wasn’t only because I was intimidated by Her Majesty’s power. This Empress, among all the previous emperor’s many children, had inherited his gifts most profoundly. 

She’d wielded the legendary dragon-slaying sword Ascalon—once used by her father alone—and ascended the throne after a victorious civil war. Comparing her to the famous training regimens of the House of Sword would only be laughable.

With that, any plans of punishment that had been spinning in my head vanished into thin air, leaving me with even fewer options for putting gentle pressure on Aslin.

…What should I do? Should I brazenly take the bottle from her hand and be done with it?

Taking the bottle away from her still-recovering self wouldn’t be too difficult, but… the backlash from an angry Aslin might not be worth it. Probably best to discard that idea.

That left only one option: a peaceful conversation that would likely have minimal impact.

“But still, it seems dangerous to follow Her Majesty’s advice in your current state. You should try to refrain,” I suggested carefully, skirting the edges of what I could say without offending her.

Would she finally get the message, put down the bottle, and go to bed?

But even with my earnest plea, Aslin showed no intention of giving up her plan.

“…It’s…just…” She trailed off, losing her earlier confidence, but still refused to move the bottle out of my reach.

     

I’d heard countless rumors about her fondness for alcohol, though I hadn’t seen it firsthand on the battlefield. Still, it was hard to believe she’d drink without concern for her health, making me crack a bitter smile.

If one of the kids I’d taken in from the back alleys had behaved like this when I told them to stop drinking, they’d have ended up with a big lump on their head.

Instead of knocking some sense into Aslin, who couldn’t let go of her attachment to the bottle, I said,  

“Once you’re fully recovered, I’ll share a drink with you. But for now, could you do me the favor of holding off?”

Whoops.

Even as I said it, I knew it was a weak argument.

“….”

But to my surprise, Aslin’s expression softened. After a long silence, she placed the bottle lightly on the table.

With a clap of her hands, she called the servants outside to take the bottle away.

…Why did that work?

Even as I wondered why my flimsy excuse had gotten through, she spoke again, her face oddly flushed.  

“For you, of all people, I’ll listen—just for tonight.”

Watching her reluctantly comply with a request she didn’t need to, I decided not to think too deeply about it.

Whatever the means, as long as we reach the destination, it’s all that matters.

Although I’d managed to stop her drinking, it didn’t mean we’d be going to bed anytime soon.

Even after the servants took away the bottle, Aslin remained outside her bed, glancing at me uncertainly.

“Still… I’d like to talk with you a bit… before sleeping….” Her voice was softer than usual, her confidence slipping away.

Refusing such a request wasn’t an option; it wasn’t like my skin was thick enough to ignore her like that.

We’d had plenty of intense conversations on the battlefield, our swords clashing in tune to the song of steel. But seeing her stammer, as though struggling to find the right words, left me no choice.

It’s not every day you see such a scene.

This strong, resolute woman, who once spoke frankly even to the Empress when her sense of justice demanded it, was now nervously avoiding my gaze.

“This… that is….” She murmured, her head lowered, words lingering just out of reach.

This sight was too precious to ignore.

“Conversation, huh…,” I trailed off, prompting her.

“….”

She looked at me expectantly, waiting to hear what I’d say next.

“Calling that sparring match from two nights ago a conversation is a bit much,” I replied, half-jokingly.

“….”

She didn’t respond, but her smile was softer than when I’d placed a cold towel on her feverish forehead that morning.

Oh, it’s dazzling. The dimly lit room feels bright all of a sudden.

Facing that unguarded smile, I felt as though my heart would burst, no matter how strong it was.

‘It’s something I should be used to by now, but somehow, I’m not.’

I made up my mind—no matter how long it took, I’d get used to this.

Before I could continue, Aslin’s expression shifted, looking as if she’d made a grave decision.

“I have something to say before we continue our conversation,” she began.

…What now? The serious look on her face reminded me of a knight about to leave his last will.

I felt an inexplicable unease as I looked at her solemn expression.

“M…”

Aslin’s seriousness melted away, replaced by an expression full of embarrassment.

“I’m sorry. For everything—bringing you here against your will, and for all that’s happened since.”

With those words, she lowered her head deeply in apology.

My earlier unease vanished, replaced by bewilderment.

‘…Why is she apologizing to me?’

As someone who had done nothing wrong, seeing her apologize so sincerely left me at a loss.

And with that realization, I had a sinking feeling that any plans of getting to bed early tonight were definitely out of the question.