After finishing their  shopping, Jin and Erekaya found themselves seated at a dessert shop located in the heart of the shopping district.

They were enjoying dessert on the terrace set up at the back of the shop.

Erekaya sipped her tea with a graceful posture that wouldn’t look out of place in a textbook, while Jin indulged in the shop’s best-selling affogato.

“How is it, Jin? Does it suit your taste?” Erekaya asked.

“It’s delicious. It’s one of the best desserts I’ve ever had,” Jin replied.

In truth, Jin was neither particularly fond of sweets nor did he dislike them, but as he savored the affogato—a perfect blend of ice cream’s sweetness and espresso’s bitterness—he couldn’t help but acknowledge its delightful flavor.

This dessert was not bought with his own money; it was a treat paid for with Erekaya’s funds.

No matter how rude Jin might be, he would not stoop to vocally dismissing the taste of something someone else had purchased for him.

Moreover, the affogato was genuinely delicious enough to satisfy even his discerning palate.

‘Well, with a price like this, it would be more surprising if it weren’t good.’

The moment Jin had seen the price written on the menu upon entering the dessert shop, he had to suppress an overwhelming urge to ditch everything and flee outside.

Seriously, how could a dessert cost more than a decent meal at a restaurant?

And these damn bourgeois were casually gobbling up desserts with frighteningly inflated prices?

…It’s truly terrifying.

Does this mean those with money live such lavish lives that they can afford to spend on these extravagant desserts without a second thought?

Those types would probably toss away even yogurt lids without licking them clean or leave behind a hundred-won coin in their shopping cart at the parking lot without a care.

These people are the very reason that leads to the downfall of the world. They are like cancer cells on Earth or locusts gnawing at the crops just before harvest…

— I advise you to spare me some of your misery just in front of me, will you? And can’t you eat a bit more elegantly while you’re at it? Watching you eat, it seems more like you’re devouring than enjoying.

‘…They say dogs won’t touch their food if it’s set down in a messy manner; can’t you just give me a break?’

— Even dogs would be more graceful while eating than you.

As Erekaya’s chattering echoed in his mind, Jin continued to eat the affogato while she sat across from him, smiling brightly as she spoke again.

“Isn’t it? I’ve visited several dessert shops in the Imperial Capital, and this one is the best. Plus, it’s close to Nineveh, so it’s convenient to come out and enjoy…”

“…..”

It seemed that the noble lady of the House of Pendragon didn’t view trivial aspects like ‘price’ as worthy of consideration.

“By the way, why aren’t you eating this? I overheard people saying it’s the shop’s signature menu item.”

With the weather now shifting toward early summer, and given this shop specialized in affogato, everyone around them was indulging in the same dessert.

Currently, Erekaya was the only one at the shop drinking hot black tea.

Certainly, those who had reached the level of mastery in their fields could be said to be immune to the elements; they would likely enjoy shaved ice even in the harshest winter as if it were nothing. But still, there is a matter of feeling, isn’t there?

Masters are ultimately human too. When it’s hot, they want something cold, and when it’s cold, they crave something warm. Isn’t that a fundamental human instinct?

“Honestly, I don’t like sweets much. I don’t hate them, but I wouldn’t seek them out either.”

“…Then why on earth did you come to a dessert shop if you don’t like sweets?”

“To treat you.”

As she said this, Erekaya propped her arms on the table and rested her face atop them, gazing at Jin intently.

“You’ve gone out of your way to humor me today, so while it may be a small gesture, this dessert is my way of showing my appreciation.”
“Effort? What effort? I haven’t done anything at all.”

This was not a statement of humility; it was simply the truth.

No matter how hard he tried to think, all Jin seemed to do was follow Erekaya around from place to place.

Buying items? That was all Erekaya’s doing. Planning how to move around? That was also entirely handled by her.

Even though he had come as a porter, Erekaya took care of carrying the bags as well. At some point, she had pulled out a spatial pocket and started putting everything inside it.

In the end, all Jin had done was follow Erekaya like a little puppy and enthusiastically devour the affogato once they arrived at the dessert shop.

Although he firmly denied it, his behavior resembled that of…

— Like a kept man, wouldn’t you say?

‘What nonsense is that?’

Jin jumped at Erekaya’s words, eager to refute, but unfortunately, his arguments lacked convincing power.

— What are you talking about? Not only are you inept, you’re doing nothing, and now you’re even shamelessly indulging in that expensive dessert. Honestly, your actions could very well label you a kept man.

‘…Damn it.’

Using nothing but facts to bury him.

Ultimately reminded once again that he couldn’t win an argument against Erekaya, Jin let out a small sigh and took out a small box from his pocket.

This was one of the secret weapons he had prepared long before, envisioning moments alone with Erekaya and plotting to win her over.

“Huh? What’s that?”

“It’s nothing special, just a gift for you.”

“…A gift?”

Click.

Inside the box was a necklace that didn’t seem particularly special at first glance.

…Though it might be a bit of a stretch to say it was nothing special.

Basic wood was carved and adorned with delicate gold and silver filigree; at the center of the necklace was a beautiful jade with a gentle green hue.

“What is this?”

“I bought it while you stepped away earlier. It’s for you.”

Honestly, this was a lie. This necklace was something he had painstakingly crafted since entering Nineveh, meant as a gift for Erekaya.

Of course, he had no skills in jewelry making, but he had a woman in mind whose delicate sensibilities could outclass most artisans.

Furthermore, Jin hadn’t spent the last hundred years idly; while he wasn’t at artisan level, he possessed enough skills and dexterity to create this necklace.

Over the course of two months, he had put in the effort, working diligently following Erekaya’s guidance, nearly losing his mind to complete it in time.

— When it comes to winning a woman’s affection, nothing beats a gift. This necklace was designed specifically to my tastes, so there’s no way she wouldn’t like it.

‘…But why did I have to make it myself? Couldn’t I have just bought something similar at a jewelry store?’

At his grumbling, Erekaya let out a small snicker.

— Don’t forget that buying something like that from a jeweler would definitely require you to sell your body.

‘…..’

— Besides, what meaning does a necklace you can simply buy with money have? Despite how it seems, I am the noble lady of the House of Pendragon. Outside of the imperial family, I am the heir of the wealthiest family in the empire. That means my standards for viewing things are absurdly high.

— For that reason, nothing material holds any value to me at this point. What matters is not the price of a gift but the heart of the person giving it.

“Heart,” huh.

Well, he didn’t quite understand all that complexity, but it was true that this necklace held a piece of Jin’s heart.

After all, thinking about the countless sleepless nights spent making this necklace made him want to explode in frustration even now.

“…It’s beautiful.”

Erekaya murmured softly as she gazed at the jade set in the middle of the necklace, watching the light reflect and ripple around it.
Of course it would be beautiful. After all, I went through quite a bit of trouble to make it just to your taste.

“I wanted to repay you since you introduced me to the student council and it feels like I hardly did anything during our  shopping today. So I hope you can accept this, even if it’s just a small gift. If you don’t need it, feel free to toss it away.”

At Jin’s flattery, Erekaya shook her head vigorously.

“…No, that’s not true. Really, thank you.”

Saying this, Erekaya leaned her head forward towards Jin.

“Since you bought me the necklace, can you put it on me yourself?”

“…Me?”

“Yeah.”

Well… it wasn’t that he minded putting the necklace on her, but wasn’t that something typically done between lovers?

Doing something like that in broad daylight with all these people watching felt a bit embarrassing.

And if someone happened to witness this scene, they might misunderstand the situation—

“…”

However, Erekaya had already closed her eyes tightly and was leaning forward towards him.

Now, retreating like a coward would go against his nature, and besides, it was merely putting on a necklace; it would be ridiculous to assign any strange meaning to it.

“Umm…”

In the end, Jin took the necklace out of the box and gently placed it around Erekaya’s neck.

“…Ugh.”

His hands trembled. Erekaya’s white, flawless skin seemed to draw his eyes downwards repeatedly.

Jin knew he looked like an absolute fool, peeking at her chest in this situation, but this was truly beyond his control!

“It’s, it’s ticklish…”

His hands were shaking so much that he couldn’t manage to put the necklace on properly.

As Jin’s hand kept brushing against her neck, an oddly sensual breath escaped Erekaya’s lips.

Suddenly turning his head, he realized how close their faces were, almost touching, with their breaths mingling.

“…”

“…”

Something about the atmosphere felt really off.

He just wanted to put the necklace on her, so why was the situation unfolding like this?

No matter how he looked at it, this was not right. After all, it was broad daylight, right in the middle of the busiest street in the Imperial Capital!

If someone passing by witnessed this, it might spell the start of really strange rumors.

“…H-Hey, President?”

“Oh? Jin, I didn’t expect you to be such a romantic man behind the scenes. In broad daylight like this, not caring about the gazes of numerous people, and here you are, treating a woman like this. I suppose Serika-san really had a good sense for danger.”

“…”

He turned his head, to find Serika wearing an expression that said, ‘I knew it,’ and Shura just grinning from ear to ear.

“Hmm? Ah, don’t mind us; we were just passing by. Continue what you were doing, really. I’m not that oblivious to not notice something like this.”

…Could anyone really ignore that?

Now fully aware of his surroundings, Jin noticed that he and Erekaya weren’t just the center of attention for Serika and Shura.

There were already students in uniforms surrounding them, whispering to each other like there was some kind of spectacle to watch!

Watching this ridiculous situation unfold, it was obvious that before dinner time, word of what had happened here today would spread throughout Nineveh.

And by tomorrow, he could only shudder at what kind of rumors would be floating around regarding him… It was something he didn’t even want to imagine.

…Ah, damn it. Life, really.