The sun sank in the west, and the moon rose.

After traveling for a while and crossing the forest beneath the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Mountain, Leon brought Fio to the outskirts of Donglin City, a major transportation hub in the Donghui Kingdom.

Since it was getting late, and neither of them had gotten a proper rest after the commotion Fio had caused earlier, Leon decided to find them a place to stay in the city first.

When they reached the city gate, the guards recognized Leon. Their slouched postures straightened at once, and they snapped to attention.

Behind Leon, Fio grew nervous when she noticed the guards looking at her.

“Let’s stay here for the night before we move on,” Leon said.

“But I… haven’t been to the human world in years.”

Fio had only ever left the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Mountain once. She’d snuck into a city, only to find a whole crowd staring at her. So flustered and guilty that she couldn’t stand it, she transformed into her Dragon King form right in front of everyone and flew home as fast as she could.

After that, Fio never came down the mountain again. She stayed up there for decades.

“Play it by ear. Just remember this: if people find out you’re the Ice Dragon King, you’ll be in serious danger.”

Fio nodded.

“Lord Leon, you’re back.”

Fio saw a blonde girl step out from among the city guards to greet Leon. She wore high-quality knight’s armor, and the other guards made way for her.

What a pretty girl. Fio marveled silently. The last time she’d seen a pretty girl was four years ago, when Leon had brought a bunch of girls to subjugate her. Wait… why did this one look so familiar?

“Ellie. Yeah, I’m back.”

When Ellie saw Leon, her face blossomed into a captivating smile, like snow melting in spring. Fio and the guards all stared, spellbound.

“Lord Leon, did you miss me?”

Ellie hugged Leon’s arm and pressed herself against him affectionately.

“Hey, hey, Ellie. Everyone’s watching… Don’t do that. You’re a captain, after all.”

Leon wore a deeply troubled expression.

You bastard!! Damn harem protagonist!!

Fio’s eyes weren’t the only ones blazing. The other guards glared at Leon, too. That blissfully troubled look on his face made everyone there want to swallow him alive.

Leon glanced at Fio and blinked in surprise.

“Fio, are you… jealous?”

Go show off somewhere else, you harem bastard! Fio turned her head away in disgust. She really wanted a cute girl to hug her like that, too.

“Tch. Who’s jealous of you?”

Leon gazed dreamily for a moment. Then a light flashed in his eyes, as if he’d just figured something out, and he pushed Ellie away.

“Lord Leon, why all of a sudden?!” Ellie looked confused.

“Ellie, this is my slave. From now on, she’ll be a maid in my household.”

After telling Ellie, Leon turned to Fio, his expression softening a little.

Ellie noticed Fio. She took a few glances at her, secretly marveling at her looks, and realized Leon’s change in attitude might have something to do with the girl. She immediately stopped Fio.

“You. Entry inspection.”

“Huh?”

“Tell me your name and where you’re from! You seem very suspicious!”

Ellie began questioning Fio. Leon tried to stop her, but Ellie drew her sword. “Lord Leon, please don’t interfere with official business.”

A cute girl is talking to me! Fio’s brain started heating up. She hadn’t spoken directly with a cute girl in decades. She opened her mouth like a fish, wanting to say something, but the words vanished before they could come out.

But to Ellie, Fio’s hesitation only made her look more and more suspicious.

“Speak up!”

“I-I…”

“If you don’t answer, I’ll take you to the interrogation room myself, strip you, and search you!”

“Eek!”

Just imagining Ellie taking her away and doing all sorts of things to her overloaded Fio’s brain. Smoke came pouring out as she crashed on the spot.

Seeing this, Leon stepped between them and shielded Fio behind him.

“Ellie, Fio lost her parents to bandits. I felt sorry for her, so I bought her and gave her a new identity. If you keep pressuring her like this, how are you any different from the people who bullied her before?”

“Lord Leon, I…” Ellie wavered. She knew she’d gone too far.

“She has trouble talking to people because of her trauma. If you have questions, I’ll answer them one by one.” Leon’s voice didn’t soften. “I’m her master. If you want to search her, why not strip me and search me first?”

“Lord Leon, what are you saying…! We’re not at that point in our relationship yet… But if you really insist, I wouldn’t…”

Ellie blushed bright red, touched her cheek, and stepped aside. Lost in her own little world, she began mumbling to herself.

Leon called out to her a few more times, but Ellie still didn’t react. The vice-captain finally came over and let Leon and Fio pass.

Fio followed Leon into the city. She glanced back at Ellie with some regret, since she’d lost her chance to get close to a cute girl.

As they headed for an inn, Fio couldn’t help thinking that this man was shameless. He’d tried to strip in public and flirt with such a cute knight. What a disgraceful scoundrel.

No wonder he had women wrapped around his finger. One line was all it took to make her swoon. Just how much experience did he have?

Fio’s opinion of Leon was plummeting through the floor.