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 ntioned it... I’d been wondering how Kiaros had managed to get here in less than two days. So he’d co 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 ant. 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 becos a dragon at twenty-five... so it wasn’t a lie, technically.
Sothing 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 sa 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 ti. 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 recomnd it.”
“Why not?”
“I think we’d end up getting jealous of each other.”
“...Huh? But... you’re the sa person.”
“Still, I feel like I’d get jealous. You’re still using formal speech with , and it’s making jealous of Kibon.”
“..."
Well, now I knew exactly what Kiaros wanted.
In the end, he wanted a life together with .
But how was I supposed to say sothing like, “Yes. Please give up your royal title and live a carefree, powerless life with , the walking danger zone who might explode at any mont.”
“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 .
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 mont. But um... can I save one animal I t here before I go?”
“...An animal?”
“Yes. I t it here... Should be nearby.”
“You don’t an 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 et 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 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 rembered—was the scroll I’d been thinking about.
“What’s that?”
“The one Lord of the Magic Tower gave . It just ca to mind suddenly.”
“The Tower Lord?”
“Yes. He gave it to 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 shimring 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 so 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 to use it when soone confesses to . So I figured it probably wasn’t dangerous or weird.
After all, it was the first scroll Grandpa had ever given .
“Why’d you suddenly think of using it now?”
“Oh—he said it’s ant to be used when a man confesses to you.”
“...What?”
“Maybe it has so miraculous special effect? Sothing unforgettable.”
As I speculated, Kiaros narrowed his eyes and stared at the scroll.
He clearly couldn’t read it either—but his expression was extrely 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 aning 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 . Just activate it and teleport out. Got it?”
Well, if he says so.
It’s not like it’ll curse 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 imdiately tried to pull my magic back—but...
“A-ah... Grandpa? W-what is this...”
At the sa ti as my panicked voice—
a bolt of lightning struck directly at Kiaros’s head.
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