I blinked slowly, and Kiaros gently pulled back.

Then, kindly, he said,

“You can use a teleport scroll, right? Get out of here first and head to a safe place. I’ll rescue Cedric Roafi and bring him to you. His Majesty will be arriving soon, too.”

Now that he mentioned it... I’d been wondering how Kiaros had managed to get here in less than two days. So he’d come together with the Emperor?

[Well, I can transform into a scaly form, but I’m not old enough yet. Just wait a bit longer. If you want, I can live without ever showing you—but I really want to give you a ride. Flying here felt pretty good.]

That line from earlier...

So that’s what it meant. Not a scaly horse, but... a dragon.

According to records, it usually took four days—but maybe if he pushed himself, he could get here faster.

He becomes a dragon at twenty-five... so it wasn’t a lie, technically.

Something about that felt incredibly unfair.

Kiaros must’ve read my thoughts in my eyes, because he gave a sly smile and said teasingly,

“You really went on about the scales earlier. Dragons have scales too, you know.”

“Yes... You have no idea how hard I tried not to imagine a scaly horse version of Kibon.”

“Let’s keep it that way.”

His eyes curved playfully.

“Anyway, I’ll take your opinion seriously—how you said we need to be the same species to express affection. I agree with you, by the way.”

I bit my lower lip, feeling vaguely embarrassed.

“If you really don’t like scales, I can avoid showing you my dragon form altogether.”

“...”

“Living as Kibon’s form is fine, too. Take your time. Do whatever feels comfortable.”

“So... what if you stay as Your Highness by day, and Kibon by night? Is that an option?”

“It is. But I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“Why not?”

“I think we’d end up getting jealous of each other.”

“...Huh? But... you’re the same person.”

“Still, I feel like I’d get jealous. You’re still using formal speech with me, and it’s making me jealous of Kibon.”

“..."

Well, now I knew exactly what Kiaros wanted.

In the end, he wanted a life together with me.

But how was I supposed to say something like, “Yes. Please give up your royal title and live a carefree, powerless life with me, the walking danger zone who might explode at any moment.”

“Let’s worry about the complicated stuff later,”

he said, gently stroking the ends of my hair.

That much was the obvious conclusion—for now, I had to get out safely.

And when I saw the guards at the underground prison earlier, I’d already realized—

No matter how strong I was with scrolls, I wasn’t the type to trample over people and cut my way out.

So really, leaving Dad in Kiaros’s hands and getting out quickly was for the best.

“Ah, ❀ ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) wait.”

Of course, safety was important—but I also wanted to bring Kibon (the dog) with me.

If I left him here, he might get mistaken for a test subject and... killed.

But it’s not like I could just say, “Could you please rescue a big white dog?”

“I’ll prep the teleport scroll to activate at any moment. But um... can I save one animal I met here before I go?”

“...An animal?”

“Yes. I met it here... Should be nearby.”

“You don’t mean that barking we’ve been hearing... that dog, do you?”

“Yes!”

I nodded vigorously.

“I just want to go tell him to run away. I’ll meet him outside later. Okay?”

“Hm...”

Kiaros looked a little conflicted, then scratched his head and said awkwardly,

“To be honest, I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to get out of here alone.”

“...Huh?”

“...Because of the blackout.”

“Oh no... You sounded so confident earlier, I really thought you’d be able to get out just fine.”

“...”

“Coming all the way here with no plan, trying to send me out first—you’re way too considerate. I won’t forget it.”

“You can forget that. Just don’t forget my confession.”

Ah, right. His confession.

I pulled my hand from his and started rummaging through my bag.

Folded neatly in the back—just as I’d remembered—was the scroll I’d been thinking about.

“What’s that?”

“The one Lord of the Magic Tower gave me. It just came to mind suddenly.”

“The Tower Lord?”

“Yes. He gave it to me when he realized I was his granddaughter.”

Kiaros looked confused.

“What kind of scroll is it?”

“I don’t know. I couldn’t decipher it.”

I held up the scroll, its complex markings shimmering as I shrugged.

Even if I was talented in magic, I wasn’t from the Magic Tower. I’d never done proper scroll research, and I wasn’t about to activate some unknown spell just by guessing.

“But if you look closely... I can’t say for sure, but it seems like an area spell. There are formulas related to light...”

“Area spell?”

“Yes. It affects a space broadly. But due to scroll limitations, the range isn’t that wide...”

Still, the Tower Lord told me to use it when someone confesses to me. So I figured it probably wasn’t dangerous or weird.

After all, it was the first scroll Grandpa had ever given me.

“Why’d you suddenly think of using it now?”

“Oh—he said it’s meant to be used when a man confesses to you.”

“...What?”

“Maybe it has some miraculous special effect? Something unforgettable.”

As I speculated, Kiaros narrowed his eyes and stared at the scroll.

He clearly couldn’t read it either—but his expression was extremely serious.

Watching him study it, I added softly,

“Like... maybe petals or sparkles floating in the air...”

But Kiaros tilted his head, clearly unconvinced.

His serious, contemplative face was so beautiful, I swallowed hard without meaning to.

Eventually, I asked hesitantly,

“It’s not... strictly necessary in this situation, right?”

“Wait.”

Still deep in thought, Kiaros took a breath.

Then he spoke in the cold, careful tone I knew so well.

“The Tower Lord is not the kind of gentle old man who gets all fuzzy and emotional about his granddaughter’s love life. He’s the kind of guy who’d smack the man who confessed to her over the head with a staff.”

“Ehh...”

“It’s true.”

“...Actually, yeah. That does sound like him.”

“‘Ehh’ should be enough to cover family courtesy, I think.”

I nodded, agreeing completely.

“If that’s really true, then... wow. What a petty old man, totally unworthy of his age.”

I started stuffing the scroll back into my bag.

“If I just don’t use it, I can at least avoid disaster. So should I keep it put away?”

“No. Wait.”

Kiaros grabbed my wrist. Then, after one deep breath, he said,

“Use it.”

“...Huh?”

“I think you should.”

“...Hmm.”

“Don’t worry about me. Just activate it and teleport out. Got it?”

Well, if he says so.

It’s not like it’ll curse me or anything.

I began calculating the scroll’s formulas. The complex magic circle began rising in the air.

“Activate!”

With a careful shout and a burst of magic, the intricate circle hovered midair.

I glanced at Kiaros—he looked unusually tense.

“...Hmm?”

A low rumble rumble rumble echoed through the space. I knew instinctively—this wasn’t petals or glitter.

It was weirder than expected, and I immediately tried to pull my magic back—but...

“A-ah... Grandpa? W-what is this...”

At the same time as my panicked voice—

a bolt of lightning struck directly at Kiaros’s head.