"Achoo!"

"Ew... that's gross... Wait, did you catch a cold or something?"

"...Shut up. Oh, whatever... probably... Achoo!"

"...It's because you're wandering around dressed like that."

"Huh! That! You don't mean...?"

"Okay, okay. I’ll behave myself today, so you should too.”

As I watched my unfamiliar master’s actions, I saw him applying it to his lips with his fingertips as if he were used to it—it was that thing women often use.

“…What’s that?”

“Hm? I got it as a gift.”

(From whom…?)

A vague sense of unease welled up inside me.

“Javier, you too.”

A few seconds later, I never would have imagined that those now-glossy lips would moisturize mine as well.

“Huh? This? My mother gave it to me.”

(So it was from Lady Marbeya…)

Just as I parted ways with the young ladies, I was pulled into the shadows.

“Uh… Lord Lloyd?”

“Huh!?”

“Even if you’re going to cling to me with that hideous expression… if you’re jealous, please at least make it look a little cuter.”

“…Shut up, you idiot…”

My face isn’t exactly cute, but to say that the hand clinging to me is cute…

“I want you to kiss me.”

Just as our lips were about to touch, those words slipped from his mouth.

“Huh… me…?”

“…I won’t force you if you don’t want to… but—”

As if drawn to the plea hidden deep within his ocean-blue eyes, I kissed him deeply—the sweetness was more intense than I could have imagined, and I regretted not having done this sooner.

One morning, as I was leaving Lord Lloyd behind at the estate to head to work, he held out his palm as if demanding something.

"Leave that there."

Huh? Just as I was scratching my head, wondering what on earth he meant by "that," he pulled my favorite cushion out of my bag.

"It's to take your place while you're gone."